kwijibow

Afghanistan & More...

2008-03-04T19:29:00.000-08:00

Last weekend, I watched the far left liberal mouthpiece Bill Moyers Journal and it featured a lady by the name of Sarah Chayes and the interview was about Afghanistan. Sarah was an NPR journalist and has since moved to the war torn region and is still living and working there today. She covered a broad range of specifics about what has happened since the US overthrew the Taliban. It was refreshing to hear someone who lives in the region and is extremely intelligent to describe both the successes and failures of the country. Of course Lefty Moyers did his level best to insert his hatred of all things Conservative-Republican-Bush Administration, but she was a bit too smart to play into his hand. Sarah described how some good infrastructure has been improved and roads developed, but there was also bad news about the domino effect of the other affected areas. What struck me most was that so many huge subjects such as the poppy production, the Taliban, and the impact of the border issues with Pakistan can be accurately reported on by someone living there and yet the media both in the US and abroad constantly get it wrong. Another thought I had was that someone that had both her finger on the pulse of the issues and good ideas should be engaged by either our State Department or the commanders on the ground. I'm going to write my representatives for what it's worth and hope for the best. At the end of the interview all I could think was how badly we need people like this on our team and working to solve the problem. The sarcastic part of me thinks that neither the Republicans nor the Democrats would go for my idea, but I hope one day both will.Go watch and learn: http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/02222008/watch2.html

Economy - loans, banks, & personal responsibility.

2008-02-05T08:50:00.001-08:00

Right now the conventional media claims we're in a recession based on people's fears, less than stellar growth, and the housing market collapse. I find it crazy that people buy into anything wholesale the media feeds them these days with so many resources at our fingertips. The first lie is that we are not in a recession. In order for our economy to be in a recession, we must have two consecutive quarters with a decline in our GDP. The US GDP has been hasn't had a declining quarter since GWB took office in 2000. As for people's fears, I believe it's largely attributed to the nightly news trumpeting any negative number that paints a dire picture for the US since it would instill fear in the masses and continued viewing (my layperson's psychology take). Now one reason people may be freaking out is because of all the recent crazy stuff in the housing market. I find fault on both side of the issue since it was stupid banks making bad loans to stupid people who were either too dumb to understand the terms or knew they couldn't pay and just didn't care about their financial health. I'm disappointed in the number of bailouts for the large institutions and individuals because I think that both sides should be forced to own up to their responsibilities. Make the big lenders eat their losses and let the folks who signed up for the crazy loans have their bad credit follow them until they pay it off. It really disgusts me since when my wife and I purchased our house, we chose a sensible loan and took responsibility for its payment. I don't expect anyone to bail me out if I lose my job and neither should anyone else. Ugh.

Super Men indeed...

2008-02-05T08:48:00.001-08:00

Super Bowl XLII - Wow, what an amazing finish to one of the greatest games that I've seen. To watch the New England Patriots win 18 games in a row only to lose the Super Bowl was extremely satisfying. I had people ask, "Wouldn't it be great to see history if a team in this day and age went undefeated?" Yes, if it was anyone other than the Pats. I've never been a big fan of the New England Patriots since they have routinely beat my beloved Pittsburgh Steelers in a number of playoff games, but this year the Patriots really took a dive. The Pats first game of the season was against the NY Jets and during the game, they were caught cheating because they were taping the sidelines during the contest. There were several ways New England could have handled the situation that might have helped people move past their infraction. Instead of admitting fault and attempting to either clean house or at least punish those responsible, they went with the more unconventional approach and not only defended the coach who made the decision to cheat but also to run up the score on any team they faced. And just when I didn't think I could loath Tom Brady any more (mostly because he is an extremely gifted QB who doesn't make many mistakes), he goes into a press conference and defends Bill Belichick. As the season ran its course, most people began to both resent and hate the cocky Patriots as the blew through every team they faced. Towards the end of the regular season people were praying for even one loss. Several teams came close (Philly, Ravens, & NY) but none could stop New England from winning every game right up until the Super Bowl. There was joy in my heart every time the Giants defense knocked Mr. Perfect (aka Tom Brady) to the turf. The game was tip and tuck all the way into the fourth quarter when Brady drove his team down like he's done so many times before and got the go ahead TD to put New England on top. Eli Manning and the Giants had 2:39 to drive 85+ yards and had to get a touchdown to win. I had faith, but would they have enough in the tank to do it. The Pats were already celebrating on the sideline and Junior Seau thought he'd finally get his ring. Through some amazing plays, hello Tyree, Eli did what most experts thought impossible, he scored and left 30+ seconds for the Pats to attempt some magic. With most teams I would have felt good about NY's odds to win, but it was the Patriots and Tom Brady with 30 seconds and 3 timeouts left. The first place was brilliant as the Giants' "D" stormed past the "O" line and sacked Brady. On the second play Brady went deep to Moss, but it was broken up by the DB. Third down Brady overthrew Moss who was wide open and I believe that may have been because the defense was closing fast. Fourth and twenty Brady heaved another bomb to Moss but too was just a bit too long and that was all folks. I jumped up and pumped my fists in celebration trying not to wake my 2 yr old who had just gone to bed. As a fitting end to the upset the toad Belichick congratulated Choughlin briefly and then left the field with :01 left on the clock since he can't stand losing like a man. And to no one's surprise not only was Belichick not on the field for the final play, neither was Tom Brady. Pathetic. Great job NY Giants - you are Super Men!

Rafting part two

2007-12-12T19:42:00.000-08:00

I finally got around to posting some pics from my trip. Enjoy!

The Pats cheating? I'm shocked!

2007-09-18T19:05:00.000-07:00

First you have the Pats cheating against the Jets. Wait, the Jets? The Pats are so good, why would they attempt to cheat against the Jets? Oh, yeah, because it must work. And there's no way that the Hoodie is going to let ManGenius beat him again! Now those stinking Pats are tainted forever and I do feel slightly bad for their fans. To add insult to injury, Terrific Tom comes out after their Sunday night beatdown of the Chargers to say, "Hey fans, do you know how lucky you are to have us?" Arrogant? Sure. Cocky? Definitely. Stupid? You betcha! If I found out my beloved Steelers did the same thing, I'd want the whole coaching staff ejected from the league and any other players that either knew or were involved. Instead, you have Tom Brady coming out to say, uh, it really didn't help us because we've been near perfect for years now so people just need to move on and realize that our coach is God. Sorry Tom, not this time. Good luck cheaters...

How sick is Vick?

2007-07-18T17:06:00.001-07:00

Michael Vick - All I can say is wow. What kind of moron risks his NFL career because he likes watching dogs fight? If he did half the stuff he's accused of, then he's one sick freak and I hope they throw the book at him. Here is one disturbing accusation: 83. In or about April of 2007, PEACE, PHILLIPS, and VICK executed approximately 8 dogs that did not perform well in "testing" sessions at 1915 Moonlight Road by various methods, including hanging, drowning, and slamming at least one dog's body to the ground. (http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2007/0717072vick1.html)
The real question is, do I still draft Alge Crumpler in my Fantasy Football league now that Vick most likely won't be playing anymore?

2007-07-06T17:09:00.000-07:00

Labor of Love - Two weeks ago, some friends and I took it upon ourselves to fix what our local government wouldn't, a sand volleyball court. My friends and I would usually meet on Thursday nights or Sunday mornings to play our favorite sport, volleyball. Unfortunately, the city recently renovated the kids play area and reworked the volleyball court. Once everything was finished, the court was worse than before. There were all kinds of crap in the court, pieces of concrete, tons of rocks, some rebar, and giant chunks of hard dirt instead of soft sand. What the hell? For weeks several members of the group who uses the court contacted the city to ask if they could fix the court. With little to no help coming from the city, we decided to take matters into our own hands. We met at the court on Sunday morning at 0800 with tools in hand. After the first 30 minutes, it was clear that with our hand tools alone, it would take several days to complete the task. Thankfully, one of our buddies showed up with a roto-tiller. Between the roto-tiller and our hand tools, we removed the bulk of offending items and turned the existing sand over into a playable surface. It took about two hours with six of us working on the court until it was ready. We threw up the net and started playing around 1000 and had a great time. I had a great time playing and I'm not sure if the level of enjoyment was due to the game I love, the hard work before, the perfect weather conditions, or the beer, but it was a fine day indeed.

2007-07-06T17:02:00.000-07:00

New oven - DO NOT heat newspapers in your oven. Huh?

2007-07-06T17:01:00.001-07:00

News for profit today and old newsmen seen as objective?!?! Please, even back in the day when news was not for profit, every newscaster from murrow to cronkite slanted their coverage based on their ideologies and beliefs. Now it's just out there and people have a better understanding what motivates the newscasters. I wish more of them would simply put out their beliefs and then the viewers can decide who they want to watch and what they choose to believe. A great example of this debate was when Leslie Stahl interviewed Lou Dobbs and was shocked, yes, shocked that he has opinions and tells his viewers. I know that I for one was glad to hear Lou express his views and I think he's more honest than Stahl will ever be. She couldn't tell anyone with a straight face that her reporting on the Bush administration is unbiased.

Scooter...

2007-07-03T17:02:00.001-07:00

Scooter's Clemency - Interesting that he only commuted his prison sentence rather than granting a full pardon that would restore all of his rights. Libby will still be on probation, pay his fine, and remain a felon. Knowing all the fallout that Bush will take for doing anything, I'm surprised he didn't just go all the way. While Article II of the Constitution does grant the President the power to pardon, it would seem like there would have to be a very strong argument before one is issued. President Bush made an interesting point in his statement (http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/07/20070702-3.html) about the fact that in the end, the no one was ever charged with the original accusation even though they knew who did it early on in the investigation which I can't understand. I think I'd be more inclined to say that the commutation is wrong if the Special Prosecutor also indicted someone with the original charge. Your thoughts?

Ouch...

2007-07-02T17:02:00.001-07:00

River rafting…Things to remember: use sun block on your legs and wear a hat. I went down the full South Fork on Sunday and had a great time. Not only did we get a great day on the water, but we had three more surprises in store after we finished. On our drive back, the right rear tire blew on the van and scared those of us in the last row of seats. We pulled off and the tire was completely shredded. Thankfully, a few members of our group are not only mechanically inclined, but also inventive (think MacGyver). The tool to lift the jack was missing so one guy pulled out and used a street sign as a fulcrum to lift the truck up and another person raised the jack by hand. We changed the tire just as the second van arrived to help and then noticed the second surprise, a massive fire on the mountain to our left. Almost the entire mountainside had already been burned and there were no less than three air assaults and a ton of trucks heading up the road to fight the fire. As we drove home we stumbled upon our third crazy encounter, a smashed Honda that slammed into a trailer. I was keeping my eyes open for the locust to begin swarming…ha-ha. There will be pictures in a few weeks, but for now I thought I'd post the map of our trek.

2007-06-22T17:06:00.000-07:00

Stephan Maurberry - His cheap shoe idea(http://www.starbury.com/) is a great idea; why aren't more high profile NBA (except you Big Ben Wallace), NFL, MLB people doing something like this - I wonder what Michael Jordan thinks about this idea? What about the kids? Let's hope this catches on...

Caution indeed...

2007-06-21T16:33:00.001-07:00

Bush's Immigration Bill - one word, horrible. Any bill that includes amnesty for anyone who is here illegally, is nothing I want to become law. On the subject of immigration, I would like to see the following: secure our borders, kick out the illegal aliens, and update our immigration policy. The Republicans will see huge losses if they pass the current bill for sure.

That's one way to look at it...

2007-06-14T17:02:00.000-07:00

Valerie Plame/Joe Wilson/John Fitzgerald - I heard Joe Wilson today on a radio show commenting on Scooter Libby's sentence and what I found hilarious was the way both Joe and the host stuck to the left's spin on this non-story. For those of you who don't know the story, Valerie Plame was made famous when columnist Robert Novak mentioned her name in conjunction with sending Joe Wilson to Niger to investigate a story that Iraq tried to buy uranium. The story was that Plame suggested sending her husband, Joe Wilson, to Niger to find out if the claim was true. In his official report, Wilson did confirm that Iraq attempted to purchase uranium from Niger (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A39834-2004Jul9.html?referrer=emailarticle). The story erupted when Joe Wilson wrote an op-ed article after President Bush's State of the Union Address accusing the Administration of lying about his report. The funny thing is that Wilson is contradicted by his own report to the CIA about the uranium and his wife sending him to Niger. After the story broke, an investigation was launched to find out who leaked Valerie Wilson's name which was classified by the CIA. After the investigation was concluded, the only indictment handed down was to Scooter Libby for obstruction of justice due to his conflicting statements to the investigators. There was no indictment of the person who leaked her name, Richard Armitage, but the left continues to say that Libby is going to jail for leaking the name. I simply find it amusing that the left continues to beat the drum about the leak when Libby wasn't found guilty of the crime.

Don't save the rainforest...

2007-06-12T17:11:00.000-07:00

Classic, since my daughter was just in a play about this crap:

If Only Greens Saw The Forest For The Trees By ROY INNIS Posted Thursday, May 31, 2007 4:30 PM PT

"People here have no jobs," Mark Fenn admitted, after taking documentary producers on a tour of his $35,000 catamaran and the site of his new coastal home. "But if you could count how many times they smile in a day, if you could measure stress" and compare that with "well-off people" in London or New York, "then tell me, who is rich and who is poor?"
Fenn is coordinator of the World Wildlife Fund's campaign against a proposed mining project near Fort Dauphin, Madagascar. The locals strongly support the project and want the jobs, development, improved living standards and environmental quality the state-of-the-art operation will bring.
People there live in abject poverty, along dirt roads, in dirt-floor shacks, and are hardly able to afford food on their $1,000-a-year average incomes. There is little power, no indoor plumbing. The local rain forest has been destroyed for firewood and slash-and-burn farming. People barely eke out a living.
But Fenn claims the mine will change the "quaint" village and harm the environment. He says he feels "like a resident," his children "were born and raised" there, and the locals "don't consider education to be important" and would just spend their money on parties, jeans and stereos.
Actually, Fenn lives 300 miles away and sends his children to school in South Africa. And the locals hardly conform to his insulting stereotypes. "If I had money, I would open a grocery store," said one. "Send my children to school," start a business, become a midwife, build a new house, said others.
You have to see the film, "Mine Your Own Business," to fully grasp the callous disdain these radicals have for the world's poor. Don Imus' intemperate remarks were insensitive. But Fenn's demeaning, even racist, statements perpetuate misery.
These enemies of the poor say they are "stakeholders" wishing to "preserve" indigenous people and villages. They never consider what's wanted by the real stakeholders — those who live in these communities and must endure the consequences of harmful campaigns waged all over the world.
The WWF, Greenpeace, Oxfam, Sierra Club, Rainforest Action Network and other multinational activist groups battle mines in Romania, Peru, Chile, Ghana and Indonesia; electricity projects in Uganda, India and Nepal; biotechnology that could improve farm incomes and reduce malnutrition in Kenya, India, Brazil and the Philippines; and DDT that could slash malaria rates in Africa, where the disease kills 3,000 children a day.
They harp on technology's speculative hazards and ignore real, life-or-death dangers that modern mining, development and technology would reduce or prevent. They never mention the jobs, clinics, schools, roads, improved housing and small business opportunities — or the electricity, refrigeration, safe water, better nutrition, reduced disease and fewer dead children.
They pervert "sustainable development" to mean no development, and ignore how mines will lay the foundation that will sustain prosperity and better living standards for generations.
Agitators use global warming and "corporate social responsibility" to force companies to acquiesce to their agendas — and ignore human rights to energy and technology, and people's desperate cries for a chance to take their rightful places among the Earth's healthy and prosperous people.
They extol the virtues of microcredit, to support minimal family enterprises, and demand debt forgiveness and more foreign aid for corrupt dictators — but oppose economic development that would eliminate the need for international welfare. They blame Newmont Mining for accidents that killed five people over a two-year period in Ghana, but refuse to admit that their pressure campaigns cause millions of deaths every year.
One could justifiably call it eco-manslaughter — or a racist experiment on powerless, impoverished Third World families.
Yes, there are environmental impacts from mines, dams and other development. There are health and other risks. But the Industrial Revolution also brought those changes. Are we worse off for it? Do we want to return to the jobs, lifestyles and living standards of pre-industrial, pre-electric America, when 95% of Americans were farmers, cholera and malaria were ever-present, and the average life expectancy was 45?
Would any of the greens, politicians and celebrities who clamor to keep the world's poor "indigenous" (and thus impoverished, energy-deprived and diseased) care to live that lifestyle for even one month? Would they exchange their 10,000-square-foot mansions for a hovel, give up electricity and stop globe-trotting in private jets?
Why hasn't the United Nations criticized the institutional racism being perpetrated in the name of "saving the planet"? Where are U.S. civil rights groups, media, churches and these poor countries' leaders? This intolerable situation cannot continue. People of conscience must no longer remain silent.
Innis is national chairman of the Congress of Racial Equality, a civil rights group that promotes economic development rights for the poor worldwide.

24 cycle

2007-02-09T17:01:00.000-08:00

I often think that the hardest thing about war these days isn't the enemy, but rather the perception both in the US and abroad. The 24 hour news cycle and instant access are rapidly shaping public opinion. A solider in Iraq writes exactly what I believe to be true:

"The other day you read some soldier being quoted in Stars and Stripes that he’d rather fight in World War II than this shit. At least then he could pull the trigger and not be massacred by the media or his superiors. Seeing a uniformed enemy would make fighting a real war possible. You totally agree. Fighting this war sucks."

If our commanders on the ground are more worried about how they'll look, then they can't be focused on what should be the number one goal and that is winning the war. I don't know if another war will be fought without the entire world being exposed to coverage without perspective and if the US has the will to place the goal of winning above how we will be perceived...

I love this...

2007-02-02T17:01:00.000-08:00

The left should have a field day with this one:

Landmark Legal Foundation Nominates Rush Limbaugh for 2007 Nobel Peace Prize
Thu Feb 1, 1:27 PM ET
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To: RADIO-TELEVISION EDITORS
Contact: Eric Christensen of Landmark Legal Foundation, +1-703-554-6100, +1-703-554-6119 (fax), eric@landmarklegal.org
LEESBURG, Va., Feb. 1 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Landmark Legal Foundation today nominated nationally syndicated radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh for the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize.
Limbaugh, whose daily radio show is heard by more than 20 million people on more than 600 radio stations in the United States and around the world, was nominated for the prestigious award for his "nearly two decades of tireless efforts to promote liberty, equality and opportunity for all humankind, regardless of race, creed, economic stratum or national origin. These are the only real cornerstones of just and lasting peace throughout the world," said Landmark President Mark R. Levin.
"Rush Limbaugh is the foremost advocate for freedom and democracy in the world today," explained Levin. "Everyday he gives voice to the values of democratic governance, individual opportunity and the just, equal application of the rule of law -- and it is fitting that the Nobel Committee recognize the power of these ideals to build a truly peaceful world for future generations."
The Nobel Peace Prize, which is given by a committee of the Norwegian Storting (the Norwegian Parliament), was created by inventor Alfred Nobel in his will in 1896 to be given to the individual or organization who "shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding of peace congresses." The first Nobel Peace Prize was awarded in 1901 to Henry Dunant and Frederic Passy.
Should Limbaugh become the 2007 Nobel Laureate for Peace, he will receive the Nobel Peace Prize medal and a cash award of $10 million Norwegian Kroner (approximately $1.6 million). The prize would be presented at a ceremony in the Oslo City Hall presided over by King Harald V and Queen Sonja of Norway on December 10, 2007, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel's death. As the 2007 Nobel Laureate for Peace, Limbaugh would deliver the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize Lecture at that ceremony.
Founded in 1976, Landmark Legal Foundation is the leading conservative public interest law firm in the United States. Rush Limbaugh serves as an unpaid member of Landmark's Board of Advisors. February 1, 2007 Professor Ole Danbolt Mjos Chairman, Norwegian Nobel Institute Henrik Ibsens Gate 51 NO-0255 Oslo, Norway Dear Dr. Mjos:
Landmark Legal Foundation herewith submits the name of Rush Limbaugh as an unsolicited nomination for the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize.
We are offering this nomination for Mr. Limbaugh's nearly two decades of tireless efforts to promote liberty, equality and opportunity for all mankind, regardless of race, creed, economic stratum or national origin. We fervently believe that these are the only real cornerstones of just and lasting peace throughout the world.
Rush Limbaugh is a nationally syndicated radio talk show host in the United States and one of the most popular broadcasters in the world. His daily radio show is heard on more than 600 radio stations in the United States and around the world. For 18 years he has used his show to become the foremost advocate for freedom and democracy in the world today. Everyday he gives voice to the values of democratic governance, individual opportunity and the just, equal application of the rule of law -- and it is fitting the Nobel Committee recognize the power of these ideals to build a truly peaceful world for future generations.
Thank you for your thoughtful and serious consideration of this nomination. Should you require additional information, please don't hesitate to contact me. Sincerely, Mark R. Levin President SOURCE Landmark Legal Foundation

Couldn't agree more...

2007-02-01T17:00:00.000-08:00

It's a manifesto of sorts from a Staff Sergeant in the fight in Afghanistan. He had an experience recently while on mid-tour leave to see his wife and baby boy that was the last straw:
Things that I am tired of in this war:
I am tired of Democrats saying they are patriotic and then insulting my commander in chief and the way he goes about his job.
I am tired of Democrats who tell me they support me, the soldier on the ground, and then tell me the best plan to win this war is with a "phased redeployment" (liberal-speak for retreat) out of the combat zone to someplace like Okinawa.
I am tired of the Democrats whining for months on T.V., in the New York Times, and in the House and Senate that we need more troops to win the war in Iraq, and then when my Commander in Chief plans to do just that, they say that is the wrong plan, it won’t work, and we need a "new direction."
I am tired of every Battalion Sergeant Major and Command Sergeant Major I see over here being more concerned about whether or not I am wearing my uniform in the "spot on," most garrison-like manner; instead of asking me whether or not I am getting the equipment I need to win the fight, the support I need from my chain of command, or if the chow tastes good.
I am tired of junior and senior officers continually doubting the technical expertise of junior enlisted soldiers who are trained far better to do the jobs they are trained for than these officers believe.
I am tired of senior officers and commanders who fight this war with more of an eye on the media than on the enemy, who desperately needs killing.
I am tired of the decisions of Sergeants and Privates made in the heat of battle being scrutinized by lawyers who were not there and will never really know the state of mind of the young soldiers who were there and what is asked of them in order to survive.
I am tired of CNN claiming that they are showing "news," with videotape sent to them by terrorists, of my comrades being shot at by snipers, but refusing to show what happens when we build a school, pave a road, hand out food and water to children, or open a water treatment plant.
I am tired of following the enemy with drones that have cameras, and then dropping bombs that sometimes kill civilians; because we could do a better job of killing the right people by sending a man with a high powered rifle instead.
I am tired of the thousands of people in the rear who claim that they are working hard to support me when I see them with their mochas and their PX Bags walking down the street, in the middle of the day, nowhere near their workspaces.
I am tired of Code Pink, Daily Kos, Al-Jazzera, CNN, Reuters, the Associated Press, ABC, NBC, CBS, the ACLU, and CAIR thinking that they somehow get to have a vote in how we blast, shoot and kill these animals who would seek to subdue us and destroy us.
I am tired of people like Meredith Vieria from NBC asking oxygen thieves like Senator Chuck Hagel questions like "Senator, at this point, do you think we are fighting and dying for nothing?" Meredith might not get it, but soldiers do know the difference between fighting and dying for something and fighting and dying for nothing.
I am tired of hearing multiple stories from both combat theaters about snipers begging to do their jobs while commanders worry about how the media might portray the possible casualties and what might happen to their career.
I am tired of hearing that the Battalion Tactical Operations Center got a new plasma screen monitor for daily briefings, but rifle scope rings for sniper rifles, extra magazines, and necessary field gear were disapproved by the unit supply system.
I am tired of out of touch general officers, senators, congressmen and defense officials who think that giving me some more heavy body armor to wear is helping me stay alive. Speed is life in combat and wearing 55 to 90 pounds of gear for 12 to 20 hours a day puts me at a great tactical disadvantage to the idiot, mindless terrorist who is wearing no armor at all and carrying an AK-47 and a pistol.
I am tired of soldiers who are stationed in places like Kuwait and who are well away from any actual combat getting Hostile Fire/Imminent Danger Pay and the Combat Zone Tax Exclusion when they live on a base that has a McDonald’s, a Pizza Hut, a Subway, a Baskin Robbins, an internet café, 2 coffee shops and street lights.
I am tired of senior officers and commanders who take it out and "measure" every time they want to have a piece of the action with their helicopters or their artillery; instead of putting their egos aside and using their equipment to support the grunt on the ground.
I am tired of senior officers and commanders who are too afraid for their careers to tell the truth about what they need to win this war to their bosses so that the soldiers can get on with kicking the ass of these animals.
I am tired of Rules of Engagement being made by JAG lawyers and not Combat Commanders. We are not playing Hopscotch over here. There is no 2nd place trophy either. I think that if the enemy knew some rough treatment and some deprivation was at hand for them, instead of prayer rugs, special diets and free Korans; this might help get their terrorist minds "right."
I am tired of seeing Active Duty Army and Marine units being extended past their original redeployment dates, when there are National Guard Units that have yet to deploy to a combat zone in the last 40 years.
I am tired of hearing soldiers who are stationed in safe places talk about how hard their life is.
I am tired of seeing Infantry Soldiers conducting what amounts to "SWAT" raids and performing the US Army’s version of "CSI Iraq" and doing things like filling out forms for evidence when they could be better used to hunt and kill the enemy.
I am tired of senior officers and commanders who look first in their planning for how many casualties we might take, instead of how many enemy casualties we might inflict.
I am tired of begging to be turned loose so that this war can be over.
Those of us who fight this war want to win it and go home to their families. Prolonging it with attempts to do things like collect "evidence" or present whiz bang briefings on a new plasma screen TV is wasteful and ultimately, dulls the edge of our Infantry soldiers who are trained to kill people and break things, not necessarily in that order.
We are not in Iraq and Afghanistan to build nations. We are there to kill our enemies. We make the work of the State Department easier by the results we achieve.
It is only possible to defeat an enemy who kills indiscriminately by utterly destroying him. He cannot be made to yield or surrender. He will fight to the death by the hundreds to kill only one or two of us.
And so far, all of our "games" have been "away games," and I don’t know about the ignorant, treasonous Democrats and the completely insane radical leftists and their thoughts on the matter, but I would like to keep our road game schedule.
So let’s get it done. Until the fight is won and there is no more fight left.
-D

Good things for once...

2007-01-26T17:00:00.000-08:00

I thought I'd post a few of the great things in life in no particular order:

Starbucks Grande Mocha & a Maple Oat Scone; Starbucks holiday offering: Peppermint Mocha, Round Table Pizza (pep + b. o.) w/ranch and a Pepsi, Matty's Nachos and a Pepsi, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, a fire on a cold or rainy day, movies at home, going to the movies, Great America, Santa Cruz, volleyball, the beach, Hawaii, NFL Sundays, Pittsburgh Steelers, good books, playing music, new car smell, bodysurfing, swimming, a good workout, getting hammered, bbq'd steak, playing with my kids, San Francisco, San Diego, time alone, talk radio, television, Halloween, Christmas, Kev's golf tournament (at least before this year), listening to great music...

Feel free to add your own entries and I'll do the same somewhere down the line...

Trump, Rosie, now Madonna?

2007-01-12T16:49:00.000-08:00

So Madonna has come to Rosie's defense and let me tell you it's a whopper! Madonna, in full English accent that she picked up via Detroit, said that Rosie was a stand up comedian and you can't blame them if you say something outrageous, crazy, or politically incorrect. Really? Tell that to Kramer...ha-ha (this is sarcasm damnyouaredumb).

I loved Trump's letter to Rosie and thought I'd post it for you to read and enjoy it as much as I did.

I hope this fight keeps going for the entertainment value alone...

Star Wars revelation...

2006-12-15T17:04:00.000-08:00

When Vader tells Tarkin that Princess Leia'a resistance to the mind probe is impressive in Star Wars, it didn't strike me as anything big. After finding out in Return of the Jedi that Leia is Luke's sister and their father is Darth Vader, it makes perfect sense because the Force is strong in Vader and his family.

I just thought of this the other night at home and thought it was cool...

A good man...

2006-12-13T17:07:00.000-08:00

In spite of the MSM, I think that Donald Rumsfeld was a good Secretary of Defense. He set out to change the Petagon and was fought at every turn by the establishment. I was glad to see that in his final days, his ideas were still on the cutting edge:

Rumsfeld memo:
Nov. 6, 2006
SUBJECT: Iraq — Illustrative New Courses of Action
The situation in Iraq has been evolving, and U.S. forces have adjusted, over time, from major combat operations to counterterrorism, to counterinsurgency, to dealing with death squads and sectarian violence. In my view it is time for a major adjustment. Clearly, what U.S. forces are currently doing in Iraq is not working well enough or fast enough. Following is a range of options:

ILLUSTRATIVE OPTIONS
Above the Line: (Many of these options could and, in a number of cases, should be done in combination with others)
¶Publicly announce a set of benchmarks agreed to by the Iraqi Government and the U.S. — political, economic and security goals — to chart a path ahead for the Iraqi government and Iraqi people (to get them moving) and for the U.S. public (to reassure them that progress can and is being made).
¶Significantly increase U.S. trainers and embeds, and transfer more U.S. equipment to Iraqi Security forces (ISF), to further accelerate their capabilities by refocusing the assignment of some significant portion of the U.S. troops currently in Iraq.
¶Initiate a reverse embeds program, like the Korean Katusas, by putting one or more Iraqi soldiers with every U.S. and possibly Coalition squad, to improve our units’ language capabilities and cultural awareness and to give the Iraqis experience and training with professional U.S. troops.
¶Aggressively beef up the Iraqi MOD and MOI, and other Iraqi ministries critical to the success of the ISF — the Iraqi Ministries of Finance, Planning, Health, Criminal Justice, Prisons, etc. — by reaching out to U.S. military retirees and Reserve/National Guard volunteers (i.e., give up on trying to get other USG Departments to do it.)
¶Conduct an accelerated draw-down of U.S. bases. We have already reduced from 110 to 55 bases. Plan to get down to 10 to 15 bases by April 2007, and to 5 bases by July 2007.
¶Retain high-end SOF capability and necessary support structure to target Al Qaeda, death squads, and Iranians in Iraq, while drawing down all other Coalition forces, except those necessary to provide certain key enablers for the ISF.
¶Initiate an approach where U.S. forces provide security only for those provinces or cities that openly request U.S. help and that actively cooperate, with the stipulation being that unless they cooperate fully, U.S. forces would leave their province.
¶Stop rewarding bad behavior, as was done in Fallujah when they pushed in reconstruction funds, and start rewarding good behavior. Put our reconstruction efforts in those parts of Iraq that are behaving, and invest and create havens of opportunity to reward them for their good behavior. As the old saying goes, "If you want more of something, reward it; if you want less of something, penalize it." No more reconstruction assistance in areas where there is violence.
¶Position substantial U.S. forces near the Iranian and Syrian borders to reduce infiltration and, importantly, reduce Iranian influence on the Iraqi Government.
¶Withdraw U.S. forces from vulnerable positions — cities, patrolling, etc. — and move U.S. forces to a Quick Reaction Force (QRF) status, operating from within Iraq and Kuwait, to be available when Iraqi security forces need assistance.
¶Begin modest withdrawals of U.S. and Coalition forces (start "taking our hand off the bicycle seat"), so Iraqis know they have to pull up their socks, step up and take responsibility for their country.
¶Provide money to key political and religious leaders (as Saddam Hussein did), to get them to help us get through this difficult period.
¶Initiate a massive program for unemployed youth. It would have to be run by U.S. forces, since no other organization could do it.
¶Announce that whatever new approach the U.S. decides on, the U.S. is doing so on a trial basis. This will give us the ability to readjust and move to another course, if necessary, and therefore not "lose."
¶Recast the U.S. military mission and the U.S. goals (how we talk about them) — go minimalist.
Below the Line (less attractive options):
¶Continue on the current path.
¶Move a large fraction of all U.S. Forces into Baghdad to attempt to control it.
¶Increase Brigade Combat Teams and U.S. forces in Iraq substantially.
¶Set a firm withdrawal date to leave. Declare that with Saddam gone and Iraq a sovereign nation, the Iraqi people can govern themselves. Tell Iran and Syria to stay out.
¶Assist in accelerating an aggressive federalism plan, moving towards three separate states — Sunni, Shia, and Kurd.
¶Try a Dayton-like process.

I also would LOVE to see the following suggestions taken as well:
http://www.blackfive.net/main/2006/12/a_modest_propos.html

Cosmo...

2006-11-22T17:08:00.000-08:00

I'm sure by now, everyone already knows about Michael Richard's racist rant in the LA comedy club. And I'm assuming that those same people saw Richard's apology on Letterman the following night. Obviously, what Michael said was wrong, but I thought the move by his good pal Jerry was just as bad. Jerry's out promoting the 7th season of Seinfeld coming out at Christmas and doesn't want it's sale affected by Cosmo's rant. In the guise of "helping" a friend, Jerry has Michael on Letterman to apologize because he "cares". Sorry, but I don't buy it - the only reason Jerry had him on was to protect his DVD earnings. Some friend indeed.

Blue Wednesday

2006-11-08T17:08:00.000-08:00

Well the Dems gave us Rep fans a whipping yesterday at the polls. Speaker Pelosi is a hard thing to say, much less imagine. I wonder what all the conspiracy nuts will say about election fraud after their side won. My guess is that election issues will be a non issue this time. It's not that the Republican's didn't deserve some of the beatings for sure (scandals, earmarks, do nothing, way too much spending, immigration, etc.), but it's never fun to lose.

The good news is that now all our problems will be solved since the Democrats are back in power now, right?

A penny for your thoughts...

2006-10-27T14:03:00.000-07:00

Twice now in two weeks, I've been asked if I wanted my penny in change. Of course I want my penny, it's my money! Are these people insane? One even told me after I told her that I did indeed want my penny in change, that some people tell her they don't want the penny. I understand that the value of currency these days, but pennies still add up to dollars eventually. Is my experience one more step down the road for ignorance for folks who don't know how to save money?

The World Series vs. Sunday Night Football?

2006-10-24T15:44:00.000-07:00

The game of baseball used to be the national pastime, but it's now moved over to the NFL (thank God). Too bad nobody told the morons who make the schedules for major league sports because last weekend, there was no Sunday Night game because they didn't want to offend baseball fans by putting anything against it to make them look bad. Thanks for making me actually talk to my family on a Sunday night! Ha-ha.

Slash's hands

2006-10-17T16:27:00.000-07:00

Have you seen the new VW add with Slash? The close ups of his fingers are not pretty. I don't know if it's hard living, drugs, or just smoking, but something has seriously aged his hands.

Check it out for yourself: http://youtube.com/watch?v=Aqv9Z6W4nCY

Church design or maybe just the people?

2006-10-12T15:12:00.000-07:00

The church we attend is pretty new truly beautiful. The only issue is that the location of Holy Water is in one big pool located next to the exit/entrance doors. Upon entering the church, access to the pool isn't hard at all because people are trickling into the service. The exiting is where the mass chaos begins.

Since there is only one location of the Holy Water, everyone moves towards the pool at once. Even without children, I found it difficult to make my way to the pool because rude people who had already dipped their finger are now trying to get out and don't even look at you as you patiently stand there waiting for an opening to the pool.

I wish that the designer(s) of the church had done what they used to do at all the old days and had Holy Water located in separate receptacles so that folks could hit it as they walk out the door. By having only one location, it's like a concert with people stampeding towards the pool.

The irony is that everyone in the church has just heard the service and should be feeling uplifted and kind towards one's fellow man, but suddenly changes or reverts back to what would appear to be selfish behavior once it's over.

I won't even go into what happens in the parking lot...

Drudge report

2006-10-03T15:12:00.000-07:00

I love the Drudge report and check it out everyday to see what the world will be talking about at the water cooler. I also love the crazy stories that show up and one that made me laugh out loud last week read: Rogue squirrel attacking people in California. Classic!

Yet another reason the NFL is better that college football

2006-09-22T15:18:00.000-07:00

Last week during the overtime between Denver and KC, Jim Nantz trotted out the college rule that in overtime, each team gets the ball so that everyone has a chance to score and the NFL should change their rule. Please! The rule is akin to what's happening all across the US unfortunately, as kids are being taught that no one should win a game because we're all winners. Yuck. My best buddy is a HUGE college fan and likes this rule, but I hate it because it takes away from a true defensive effort. If your team doesn't get the ball in overtime in the NFL, they know that in order to win they have to step it up and get a stop before the other team gets into field goal range. If the defense can't hold, they don't deserve to win in my book. Giving each team a chance to score is just plain ridiculous.

Are they serious?

2006-09-20T12:40:00.000-07:00

There is now a law that folks are looking to pass that would mandate kids won't be allowed to ride up front in a car until they're 13 and will have to be in a booster seat until age 8. When I was a kid, I can vividly remember riding in the back of my Mom's Chevy Malibu with no seat belt and facing the wrong direction. Sure, there was the occasional moment of danger, like when I almost choked to death on, of all things, a Life Saver (another story for another day), but we never had any problems. I think that sometimes society tries to protect a little too much especially when it comes to kids. I still rage against the machine that my wife makes our daughter wear a helmet while riding her bicycle. At this rate, car seat of the future will all be equipped with air bags and take up even more room in the car. Unbelievable.

Observations...

2006-09-15T12:45:00.000-07:00

While on my morning walk, I pasted by a house that I do almost everyday. The truck that is normally parked on the street in front of the home had a trailer hooked up. On the trailer, there were two black and white big jet skis with names on the back. The names...read...get ready...GOOSE and MAVERICK. No, I'm not kidding. Too funny. On top of all of it, the owner is also a Raiders' fan. I laughed until I cried and then just felt sad for the guy and whoever is "GOOSE". If I see the jet skis out again, I'll take a picture of it for everyone to enjoy.

Arnold and Phil

2006-09-14T14:32:00.000-07:00

The story goes like this: the LA Times releases a story about a recorded conversation of Arnold and some top aides. During said conversation, the discussion about an Assemblywoman's ethnicity is brought up. Arnold says, "Maybe Cuban. You get that Latino blood mixed with the Black blood and it's hot! (I'm paraphrasing here)" The funny thing is the Assemblywoman in question, her name escapes me, has NO PROBLEM with what Arnold said. Of course, the politically correct crowd instantly begins shouting from the mountaintop about how horrible Arnold is and this is an outrage. Fast forward to how the LA Times obtained the tape. Turns out that the tape came from the staff of Arnold's opponent, Phil Angelidies (sp). According to Phil's press secretary, the 4 hour recording was publicly available on Arnold's website. In reality, to find the recording the staffer had to play a different file and then go back to search for a root directory where he/she found the file. It was obviously not meant for public consupmtion, but since the staffer didn't actually hack into the system, they won't be prosecuted. If a Republican had done this in California, the press would have swarmed down upon him and his staff, but for Phil, it's just buried in the story. Typical.

Clooney to address the UN...I'm not kidding

2006-09-13T16:16:00.000-07:00

Again another Hollywood idiot will address the ineffective UN about Darfaur. I'm all for stopping the genocide in Darfaur, but I find it hypocritical that George would urge the UN to police the world when they would obviously need the US to intervene which is what we did in Iraq and yet he was outraged that we went there. Classic.

Fire Department & Emergency Services

2006-09-08T16:44:00.000-07:00

I had the pleasure of seeing all the first responders in action the other day. My wife had chest pains at 0330 and after consulting all our medical reference materials decided to call 911 (not to worry dear reader - my wife is fine and it wasn't a heart attack - more to come, but right now it may have been some esophagus reflux that can mimic heart attack symptoms). As my wife was telling the 911 operator what the emergency was, she told me to turn on our outside light and open the front door so the firefighters knew which home had the emergency. It took the fire department maybe 2 minutes to arrive (amazing). The ambulance followed maybe a minute behind the fire truck (again, amazing). The paramedic worked quickly and decided to transport my wife to the hospital, which is when I began to worry. Both the firefighters and ambulance crew were professional and efficient throughout the event. After having my Mother drive over to watch the kids if I couldn't get back in time, I drove the hospital. I found my wife in room one of the ER. She said that it wasn't a heart attack and they were running some tests, but she appeared to be fine. Thank God. I can't begin to tell you the thoughts that were racing through my head on the drive to the hospital, but it was crazy. Thankfully, everything is fine and my wife feels back to her old self.

I just wanted to say how impressed I was in all of our First Responders. I'm also glad to know that we live so close to a Fire Department! The whole event made me regret not following my dream of being a firefighter (another story). My hat is off to those folks in the emergency services.

Rewarding Stupidity

2006-08-04T14:35:00.000-07:00

Nothing grinds my gears more that people who reward stupidity. Today while I was waiting for my drink at Starbucks, a lady went to grab her drink that was ready. When she picked it up, she remarked, "I ordered a Tall." She in fact did have a Tall drink. The worker informed her that her drink was the correct size and the lady then said, "But I wanted the biggest one." The worker told her that it would cost more and the lady stood near the person working the cash register rather than getting back in line (there were only two people in line). By the time the worker had remade both her drinks to the largest size, Venti, she told the lady they were ready. The lady said that she hadn't paid for the drinks yet and the worker then told her not to worry about it. What the hell? Let me get this straight, if you screw up your order and want the larger and more expensive size, all you have to do is say you didn't know. Got it.

Now, for those who are not familiar with Starbucks and their wacky sizing, it goes like this: small = Tall, medium = Grande, and large = Venti. I can understand the confusion, but there is a freaking display with all the names and the actual cup sizes right there before you place your order.

I don't have a problem with the lady making a mistake, but to be rewarded for a mistake is utterly insane.

Israel vs. Hezbollah thoughts...

2006-07-14T13:43:00.000-07:00

How stupid does Hezbollah feel after grabbing those Israeli soldiers? They've succeeded in bringing hell down on them now and I must say that I can't blame Israel. Hezbollah started this latest conflict and I'm fine with Israel taking the war to them. Israel is isolated in the region with nothing but other countries ready to wipe them off the map. Hopefully, the force that Israel has responded with will deter others from helping the morons who grabbed the soldiers.

Today the Vatican denounced Israel's response to the kidnappings. Then they added they also denounce the kidnappings in the first place. Strange that the Vatican didn't issue a statement about the kidnappings last week, but had no problem jumping on Israel when they went in to get their boys back. While I disagree with the Vatican's response, I hope that next time they are a little more prompt with their statements regarding the first aggression.

There was also a blog entry I read that postulated a frightening theory. What if the axis of evil that GW mentioned is working in concert with this latest effort? Apparently, Lebanon is a puppet state of Syria, Syria is a puppet state of Iran and Iran and North Korea are good buddies. I sincerely hope that all the countries are not working together, but it remains a possibility that we may need to deal with on a much larger scale.

Big Ben - me stupid, that unpossible

2006-06-30T14:04:00.000-07:00

For those who have been living in a cave, Big Ben was in a motorcycle accident a few weeks ago and he wasn't wearing a helmet. There is no law in PA requiring riders to wear a helmet but being QB of an NFL team who just won the Superbowl, perhaps Ben should have put one on before jumping on his crotch rocket. At first, I simply prayed that he was okay and not dead. Once Ben came out of surgery, the news was too good to be true. Aside from some new hardware, titanium plates in his face, he would make a full recovery and experienced no brain damage. I was happy that a) he was alive and well, b) he could continue to lead my beloved Steelers this season, and c) everyone was able to walk away from the accident. The problem I have is that someone who is paid an unbelievable amount of money to play a kid's game, is the face of an NFL franchise, is responsible to his employers, his team, and his fans would be so reckless in his off the field behavior. I'm not trying to say that NFL players should live in a bubble, but reasonable precautions can be taken while still under contract. Terry Bradshaw said it best, "Ride those things when you retire."

AVP in Sacramento

2006-06-20T10:34:00.000-07:00

Went to the AVP event in Sacramento on Friday. What a great event. One of the things I love the most about the AVP is how accessible the players are to the fans. Not only do you run into the players in between matches, but a good deal of games are on the outer courts where you can stand within a few feet of the action. Too cool. I went on one of the two qualifiying days and it was probably better than coming on one of the big days on the weekend becuase the crowd wasn't bad at all. It felt like old homecoming week as I was reunited with a ton of folks I've played volleyball with in the past. I even ran into some friends who had come all the way from San Diego for the event. I was also able to watch most of the action from the MVP section after a friend had worked his way onto the stage. The best part of the day was getting to talk to some of the players in person. It was surreal watching Karch play against Fonoi while Misty May was standing right next to our group. Great day.

Talking while doing business

2006-06-07T17:00:00.000-07:00

Ladies...you may want to skip this post. What is it with guys wanting to talk while using the urinal? Maybe it's me, but I can't think of a time when I feel less like talking than while going to the bathroom. I often use the stall if I see some jackal who I know will say something brilliant if I saddle up next to them at an adjacent urinal. The unfortunate encounter happened today when in mid-stream, this hammerhead who works near me starts chatting me up and all I can think of is hurry up and finish to get the hell out of there.

Great endings...

2006-06-01T09:19:00.000-07:00

I just finished the latest Harry Potter novel, The Half-Blood Prince, and man did it have a great ending. Never saw it coming and it floored me completely. I love when a book or movie or story has a good ending. All too often writes take the easy way out and wrap everything up nice and tight for that good feeling at the end. I'm not saying that every story should end with some twist or question, but it's nice to see it done if it's done right. What's even better is when the great ending is done so skillfully by a deft writer and JK is that for sure.

More immigration fun!

2006-05-26T15:39:00.000-07:00

Just a few more thoughts on the immigration story...

The bill recently passed in the Senate grants amnesty to 10 million illegal aliens. Huh? What? Are you kidding me?

And just when I thought I couldn't be any more surprised, I see that Arny met with Vincente Fox and asked if he could get Mexico to make the border tunnels illegal. First, does that mean that the tunnels are legal now? Second, Vincente then shows how cooperative we really are by saying that he would consider making the tunnels illegals?!?

What kind of world am I living in? Why didn't the Terminator just backhand him right there?

Smoking and exercise - a great combination

2006-05-17T13:36:00.000-07:00

Funny thing happened the other day. I was on my morning walk and a lady approached on my side of sidewalk with a dog on a leash. After I stepped onto the street (yes, I'm quite the gentleman) to let her pass on the sidewalk, she smiled and went past. It was approximately three seconds until I caught the nauseating aroma of cigarette smoke. I looked back and sure enough, she was happily puffing away on a cancer stick. I love the fact that she's out taking the dog for a walk and getting some exercise, but still takes the time to insure that she negates all that by smoking. What a wonderful world!

NSA flap

2006-05-12T12:27:00.000-07:00

Wow, I'm shocked...the NSA is doing their job. I'm not too worried over hear about the USA Today story that broke yesterday. The funny thing about the story is that the NY Times already had the story months before, but no one seemed to freak out back then. I also found it funny that a poll said that 60% + of folks were not concerned either.

I'm no fan of government intrusion, but isn't it speaking out of both sides of one's mouth if you chastise an administration that didn't connect the dots before 9/11 and then tell them to stop trying to connect the dots and shut down the NSA program?

Thanks for NOT thinking of others...

2006-05-08T15:54:00.000-07:00

I was treated to some fun exposure to illness when a young girl in church was being held by her Mother as she hacked without covering her mouth. Now, me personally, would not have brought one of my sick children into a church to spread the disease. Perhaps, I'm paranoid (just ask my wife), but I was pissed not only that she was there and sick, but that her parents didn't even make an attempt to ask her to at least cover her mouth. I was bobbing and weaving until my wife shot me a look of horror. I was simply trying to avoid getting sick and then infecting my family. After a while, the sick little girl began to cover her mouth and I thanked her for that. Am I crazy?

What the hell?

2006-05-05T15:12:00.000-07:00

Why is it that some people feel the need to brush their teeth in the bathroom at work? I understand that hygiene is important, but do you really need to brush at work? The funny thing is that for these tools that want to make sure their mouth is clean are asking for trouble if they use their toothbrush at work. I read that when a toilet is flushed, the spray containing all the fecal bacteria can shoot up and be dispersed up to 12 feet. Basically, these moronic people are bushing their teeth with other people's ass matter. Sweet.

NFL Draft Day

2006-05-01T10:32:00.000-07:00

Ah, I was filled with joy on Saturday as I tuned into the 2006 NFL Draft coverage on ESPN. My son, Dave, and I sat all day watching the draft unfold. Our beloved Steelers traded with the NY Giants to move up in the draft and grab Santonio Holmes-WR on their first pick. Brilliant move since we recently lost Randle El to the Redskins. One quick side note, I already am SICK of the Under Armor ad, Click-Clack. Stop already. Please. The Steelers also grabbed the following folks: Anthony Smith-S, Willie Reid-RS, Willie Colon-OT, Orien Harris-DT, Omar Jacobs-QB, Charles Davis-TE, Marvin Phillip-C, and Cedric Humes-RB.

I cannot WAIT for the season to get here. Go Steelers!

Movie review: Requiem for a Dream

2006-05-01T10:25:00.000-07:00

Cool, but disturbing movie about three, well - four, drug addicts. It reminded me of the crank movie, Spun, in the quick cuts and weird visual effects. Superb acting from all the leads: Jared Leto, Jennifer Connelly, Ellen Burnstyn, and even Marlon Wayans. The guy who wrote/directed this movie also did the other avant garde movie, Pie (the mathematics symbol). Pie was a tad too strange for my tastes, but Requiem was good. Although exercise caution when viewing because a good deal of the images are pretty shocking.

Movie review: Hotel Rwanda

2006-04-24T14:07:00.000-07:00

Totally depressing movie about a horrible place, but completely engrossing. Africa is one place I have no desire to visit and the movie gave me one more reason to leave it off my vacation's list. Don Cheadle gives an Oscar worthy performance and we even get to see one of the great screamers, Nick Nolte too. I felt for the folks in Rwanda and hope the unfortunate souls in Darfur can escape a similar situation that is happening right now. I can understand why world superpowers don't want to jump into every conflict that happens since it could mean a never ending occupation of some sort, but it's a tough pill to swallow for those caught behind enemy lines. I just hope that the people of the totalitarian states rise up against the oppressors and create a democracy for their country.

Too cool

2006-04-21T09:49:00.000-07:00

Mark Cuban, the owner of the Dallas Mavericks, gave every fan in attendance on "Fan Appreciation Night" a free American Airlines ticket! Now that's the way you do it!

http://www.cnn.com/2006/TRAVEL/04/20/mavericks.plane.tickets.ap/

Great post - a MUST READ

2006-04-14T10:54:00.000-07:00

For those that don't already know, I'm a big supporter of the war in Iraq and recommend reading the Mudville Gazette site (http://www.mudvillegazette.com/) daily to get the real scoop from the folks with boots on the ground.

There are great stories and posts all the time, but this one was especially moving: http://abountifullife.blogspot.com/2006/04/coin-its-smaller-aircraft-with-only.html.

All I can say is "thank you" to all those who serve. I have a good deal of regret in my life and one right at the top is not enlisting. I have a family now and one of our children has Down Syndrome, so I thought joining up now would put a great undue strain on our family. I only hope I can relate my gratitude to my country to my daughter Gabrielle and inspire her to join and give something back to our country that has given all of us so much.

Global Warming panic...

2006-04-10T09:05:00.000-07:00

I've always been skeptical about the whole global warming theory as any right thinking American would be when told that we are hurting the fragile environment. I believe that the theory is vastly overstated and extremely egotistical to think that we are changing the climate. The Earth has been around a long time and I seriously doubt that we can do any real damage by driving an SUV. I'm currently reading Michael Crichton's State of Fear, great book, and it's full of researched material that he uses to back up his plotline. I understand that the book is a work of fiction, but it's pretty clear that the author did a good deal of research to disprove a number of the popular theories.

Funny that I should come across an article linked to the Drudge Report this morning that backs up Crichton's book and my belief: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/main.jhtml?xml=/opinion/2006/04/09/do0907.xml&sSheet=/news/2006/04/09/ixworld.html

It shall be interesting to see who's right at least in my lifetime...

More on the immigration issue...

2006-04-05T08:36:00.000-07:00

Two more follow up items about the immigration issue - on the Drudge Report this morning was this ludicrous story about banning red, white, and blue in school: http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/8439483/detail.html. The school claimed that they didn't just ban the good old US of A's colors, but all nationalities colors since students were using them to taunt each other. How about correcting the behavior instead? Too much to ask?

Another thought is about Mexico re-taking California: http://latino.sscnet.ucla.edu/research/docs/struggle/aztlan.htm. Yes, there are some folks who think that the US should give back what it "stole" from Mexico. If these idiots really think they have a chance, I say bring it on. I believe we would unleash hell as my man Russell Crowe so aptly said on Mexico and then erect a wall that would make the old East Berlin wall look as if it was made out of Lincoln Logs. Heck, if it comes to that, we should push all the way down and turn Mexico into new resort states. I'm sure Florida would appreciate it, ha-ha.

Movie reviews: History of Violence and Street Smart

2006-04-04T15:17:00.000-07:00

Both really good movies. History is a great dark drama with superb acting throughout. Really great story. Street Smart is a great throwback to the movies of the 80's starring two great actors: Morgan Freeman and the late Christopher Reeve. Reeve plays a magazine writer who wants to write a piece about a real pimp, Freeman. I won't spoil the plot, but it's well worth picking up.

On a side note, it's cool that everyone remembers Reeve from Superman, but that diminishes his acting chops in other great movies like Deathtrap. I highly recommend picking up Deathtrap because it's one of my favorite dramas and highly entertaining.

What happened to Han Solo?

2006-03-30T09:26:00.000-08:00

FORD: 'I HATE THE INTERNET'

One more reason I hate Harrison Ford. This guy can't just be happy with his freaking great life and being an icon to all those Star Wars fans. Here's a carpenter who was pissed that all these other young actors were going into read for Star Wars and he was given the chance of a lifetime. Anytime you see an interview and someone dares to bring up Star Wars, the guy gets mad that he's famous for that movie and not the other films he's done. Wa, wa freaking wa. Shut up Ford and try being happy that you've made your living off of a film that you constantly put down.

Oh, and lose the earring old man. No one's buying it and it makes you look even more creepy especially since you're dating a girl young enough to be your daughter.

Immigration

2006-03-28T08:21:00.000-08:00

How funny were the protest marches over the weekend in regards to illegal immigration? How can anyone protest that illegal immigration is a good thing and should continue to be swept under the carpet? Is this the bizzaro world? There is a reason it's called illegal folks. I have no problem with legal immigration, but doing anything less than deporting the illegal immigrants is rewarding bad behavior. As for those who say we simply can't do it since there are too many illegal immigrants here already, I offer the same suggestion that was successfully used by those minutemen on the border. I'd gladly volunteer a weekend or two or three to the INS and help catch and return those who are here illegally. I would also like to see the employers of the illegal immigrants punished harshly as well since they are the true enablers of the current process. Lastly, can we please please please end all government sponsored printing of US documents in any language other than English? I must say that my man Michael Savage said it best when it comes to what should be priorities in our country: borders, language, & culture.

Liberal media...

2006-03-24T08:23:00.000-08:00

I love how the left always claims there is no liberal media...um, yeah.

The picture on the left is from an ABC honcho who now claims to be mortified about his blackberry message got out.

Was he mortified that the message got out or that he said it and showed his obvious bias?

Give them back!

2006-03-23T08:45:00.000-08:00

Absolutely unbelievable! These peace idiots that were SAVED by the military and blames them for being kidnapped. I say give them back.

http://www.pulse24.com/News/Top_Story/20060323-005/page.asp

Great speech

2006-03-22T15:39:00.000-08:00

Tony Blair's first of three speeches is absolutely brilliant: http://www.number10.gov.uk/output/Page9224.asp

It's a long speech, but extremely well reasoned.

More fallout from the Danish cartoons

2006-03-22T09:27:00.000-08:00

I've already written about the whole uproar over the Danish cartoons and Islam, but now they've gone and attacked one of my favorite childhood toys in an attempt to garner hatred of Denmark, the Lego. Yes, Lego, according to that do nothing bunch of idiots at the UN, represents racism since it's Denmark's most famous company and that's where the cartoons came from. What the hell? Lego had NOTHING to do with the cartoons in the first place and now the UN has targeted them as a symbol of intolerance. I just don't get it. Once again the UN has shown it's ignorance to the world. I only wish that US would withdraw from the UN and kick them out of the country for good or at least give the speech Chappelle gave in my favorite bit from his show called "Black Bush". Classic stuff.

Movie reviews...lots to catch up on

2006-03-21T14:10:00.000-08:00

The Cave - same as the legendary review of Shark Sandwich - sh!t sandwich

16 Blocks - cool movie - both Willis and Def give great performances that are a refreshing break from the usual cop/bad guy picture and David Morse is becoming quite the go to bad guy these days.

Fun with Dick and Jane - should have been called, let's make a half a$$ed movie that's not funny with big name actors and then throw in over-the-top jabs at corporate America - subtlety is not a word found in the writers' vocabulary.

Million Dollar Baby - great acting, directing, and writing - horrible situation and a discussion movie for the ages. hard to talk about since i don't believe in euthanasia under any circumstance, but it gives an improbable situation to force the question.

Girl Next Door - Great documentary about the adult business. Really a sad story and probably not an exception to the rule for most folks in the business.

About Schmidt - Wonderful acting from the cast and sharp writing. Jack is great in this one. Great focus on what life amounts to in the end.

Coolest sidewalk art ever...

2006-03-10T15:33:00.000-08:00

http://www.impactlab.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=7567

Movie review: Doogal

2006-03-09T16:16:00.000-08:00

What a piece of crap! It's definitely no Toy Story or Finding Nemo here, just another in a long line of uninspired tripe from Hollywood. The only redeeming quality was the animation, which was decent. More than half of the jokes were directed at the adults in the audience which seems pointless if your target audience is the young skulls full of mush sitting in the theatre seats. I'd be fine if NONE of the jokes were aimed at things only an adult would find funny. That means you Jimmy Fallon - you talentless tripe. Fallon voices the rabbit who plays guitar and is a hippie. Little Fallon had such classic one-liners that referred back to Pulp Fiction and Lord of the Rings. One nice surprise was John Stewart as the bad guy - very well done.

Oscar roundup

2006-03-06T15:27:00.000-08:00

Watched the Oscars last night and thought I'd let the world know what I thought:

-I generally like John Stewart, but thought he was less than exemplary at the Oscars. Some of the political jokes worked and I especially liked the slander ad spoofs, but all too often the whole telecast appeared disjointed and odd.

-Clooney, what an ass. I like the guy as an actor and obviously differ with him on politics, but his speech was horrible for two reasons: #1 he completely dissed the other nominees when he claimed that art should not be judged...okay then asshat, why show up at all or why not just give it away on stage or call everyone up to experience it. Stupid. #2 he took his swipe at the rest of America by claiming that he's happy he's out of touch or the mainstream because it's Hollywood that really changes things in this country for the better...Um...I don't think so you pompous ass - but way to go by continuing the separation from the rest of the sane folks who share the planet with you.

-Reese, great classy speech. Loved her performance in Walk the Line and appreciated her thoughtful words during her acceptance speech.

-Crash wins best picture. Like the movie, but felt as if the racist theme was a bludgeon to the head instead of masterfully woven into the story. The acting was first class, but the writing was too heavyhanded.

-Overall, I'd give the Oscars a C+ for the night.

Movie review: Walk the Line

2006-03-06T15:24:00.000-08:00

Great film! I'd give it 4 out of 5 starts. I only recently began listening to the late great Johnny Cash after Rick Rubin stripped down his sound and just had him record with just a guitar. Too cool. Joaquin Phoenix did a masterful job in filling the shoes of the Man in Black and Reese was a dream as June. Great story and well acted, not to mention filled with great music.

The Port issue

2006-02-28T14:07:00.000-08:00

A good deal has already been said about the UAE port deal and I have read some of the theories on both sides of the issue. A good assessment comes from one of my favorite blogs, Powerline, http://powerlineblog.com/archives/013265.php and offers some interesting thoughts on the issue.

One funny fact was that UAE is already coming and going at JFK in NY and has been for sometime now. For all those worried about the ports should also be questioning the airport security as well if that is truly their concern. My thought is that the left and those on the right who are worried about re-election this year are attempting to get on the "right" side of the issue to couch themselves as concerned about US security.

I don't pretend to understand the whole issue, but there appears to be more than meets the eye.

Movie review: Flightplan & The Island

2006-02-27T15:37:00.000-08:00

Flightplan - 2 stars and that's being generous! I love Jodie Foster and like most of her work (Nell being the exception - although to be fair, I've never seen the whole movie), but this one was a stinker. The whole first hour is like pulling teeth before it even sniffs becoming interesting, which lasts for about 15 minutes before moving onto to utterly ridiculous and silly.

The Island - I liked this one. Decent story with great acting from both the principles and role players. I'd give it 4 stars. It doesn't hurt that Scarlett Johannasen is the female lead either gentlemen.

Contract

2006-02-22T08:31:00.000-08:00

Is it just me, or do both Ryan Seacrest and Jeff Probst have a deal with Satan? These are two of the luckiest people in the world. Two no talent hacks who were lucky enough to be a hosts on reality shows that have sent their careers to the stratosphere. Ryan Seacrest is clearly the more evil of the two and has guest hosted for both Dick Clark and Larry King. Larry King? Are you kidding me? I know that King is just a frog with suspenders, but he is an icon in our time and for Seacrest to guest host is a tragedy. I can only hope their fall is just around the corner.

Update 03-14-2006 Now Seacrest is dating Teri Hatcher...see?

Danish dust up

2006-02-09T10:57:00.000-08:00

I must preface this post with the following: I'm kind of talking out of my a$$ on the issue, but have done some reading.

I love the double standard here. The Arabs can mock and constantly degrade Judaism and Christianity, but if someone in Denmark even draws a cartoon of the prophet Mohammed, they have the right to kill that person? Am I missing something here? Does that sound rational? So much for the religion of peace. Until the Arabs clean up their own press when it comes to bashing the Jews and Christians, they have no ground to stand on in my book.

Movie review: Bend it like Beckham

2006-02-08T14:19:00.000-08:00

Pretty good film - funny, but not ha-ha funny. 4 stars.

Super Bowl Champions!

2006-02-06T17:04:00.000-08:00

Congratulations Pittsburgh! I didn't want to jinx anything after the last few games, but this one was great! I've been waiting for our beloved Steelers to win the big one since that horrible day in 1995. After a shaky start, the Steelers rebounded and won the game. What a day indeed!

Something funny happened on the way home...

2006-02-02T09:21:00.000-08:00

Last night the family went to it's first sign language class and the real fun began on the ride home.

Kathy, being the responsible parent, told me to ask Gaby if she needed to use the bathroom before we left. It was already 7:30 pm and I made the executive decision not to ask Gaby since I thought even if she didn't have to go, she'd start thinking about it during the ride home and then ask to go even if she really didn't have to go. We loaded up the car and began driving home on the pitch black back roads of Newcastle with rain pouring down. Just after passing the Newcastle exit, Gaby informs us that she has to go potty. For the uninitiated, the longest stretch of nothing happens just after the Newcastle exit up to the Loomis exit. I sped up, took the first exit, and headed into what appeared to be a gas station. Unfortunately, the gas station was being built along with an office complex adjacent to it. Gaby really has to go now, so I tell her to jump out and just go here since it's deserted and dark. Mom and Gaby got out and Gaby proceeded to ask why she had to go in a parking lot then peed on her pants due to poor aiming. I rolled down the passenger window to see how it was going. Mom stripped off the soiled pants and put Gaby back in pants-less but relieved. Kathy got back in the car and began to roll up her window when it got stuck half way up. We had thought the window problem was due to heat since it only seemed to happen during the 95+ degree summer days. Obviously our diagnosis of the window problem was wrong. The drive home was straight out of a comedy with Kathy desperately holding a baby blanket over the half closed window with rain and cold wind pouring into the car, Gaby telling us she's cold, the heat cranked up to full blast to try and counter the open window. Too funny.

Movie review: Firefly (tv) disc one

2006-01-26T12:59:00.000-08:00

5 stars! Loved it! The lead guy resembles Han Solo, only a little more ruthless. The plot is that the captain and first mate fought together in some intergalactic war and were on the losing side. They pieced together a crew of great personalities and in the first episode, the subject is closely tied to the movie, Serenity. After that, it's basically a serial adventure with bits of history woven into each episode. Great sci-fi series and I can't wait to get the next disc.

Congratulations Palestine!

2006-01-26T12:52:00.000-08:00

What the hell? Palestine just held elections and voted for...drum roll please...Hamas (http://www.breitbart.com/news/2006/01/26/D8FCGM987.html)! For those who don't know, the primary goal for Hamas is the destruction of Israel. Nice going there folks, at least it's all out in the open now. I'm not saying that Palestine was wonderful and peaceful before the election, but to openly endorse the destruction of Israel is a first. Give yourselves a pat on the back people.

Movie reviews: Equilibrium & Fantastic Four

2006-01-20T14:57:00.000-08:00

My mother-in-law was kind enough to give our family a year's subscription to Netflix and I thought I'd blog my thoughts about the movies I rent.

Equilibrium - one star

This movie was recommended by my buddy Kev and he thought it was money. I couldn't disagree more after seeing this piece of crap. Great actors, Christian Bale & Taye Diggs, but a cheap Matrix ripoff with the dark lighting and post apocalyptic scenario done before in 1984 and The Handmaiden's Tale. Even the cool action scenes couldn't save this horror show.

Fantastic Four - two stars

Decent movie, but nothing to write home about. Cool CGI and action scenes - but not enough meat in the story. The acting is so-so and the Thing's voice is complete crap.

OBL and the left

2006-01-20T14:51:00.000-08:00

Wow is all I can say after reading the text from the Osama tape. How can anyone not infer from OBL's words that he's completely aligned with the left in this country? It almost sounds like Ted Kennedy sent over his talking points to OBL and he simply ran with them in this latest tape. It's patently obvious that the left's constant stream of cut and run is exactly what OBL wants. The fact that he even mentions a truce, yeah - I'm going to go ahead an not buy that one, shows how desperate he is and how we are winning the war over there. Great job OP: Iraqi Freedom and keep up the good work.

Republican corruption

2006-01-10T16:48:00.000-08:00

I was saddened by the recent stories about the corruption surrounding Abermoff (sp) and his ilk. It's crazy that we all want the money out of politics, but it's not going to happen anytime soon. I hope the public throws out every congressman who did break the law no matter if they're in my party of choice or not. It's money that makes the wheels of government spin, but it also corrupts while spinning. I get mad at idiots who suggest that all political advertising should be paid for by the public. The idea sounds great a first, right? If the PACs can't fund the ads wouldn't that take money out of it? Yes and no. What would these people do in order to decide who can run? What if two million people want to run for Senator in California? Is there a Senator test they'll develop to see if candidates are qualified? Isn't that discrimination? I too hate all the money that fuels campaigns, but don't have any idea of how to remove it from the process.

I know I strayed from the topic at hand and I'm mad as hell at the folks from my party have given in to the dark side and hope they're given the stiffest penalties available and the party as a whole learns from their mistakes.

More random crap...

2006-01-10T16:43:00.000-08:00

I'm adding to the people I hate list: the genius who has more than 10 items, yet gets into the line anyway and gets one over on "the man". I so wish the clerk would count the items before checking them out to make sure they don't exceed the 10 item limit. Stuff like that chaps my hide.

And another thing, when you make a product that requires tools to install, how about listing them on the OUTSIDE OF THE BOX? It may just help folks like me to from making two trips just to put in your product.

If you like comedy and music, check out Roger Allen Wade's All Likkered Up. Classic stuff

transit strike in NY

2005-12-21T09:33:00.000-08:00

Great stuff from Michelle Malkin:

Estimated daily cost of a strike to the city - $400,000,000
Average Salary for a Subway/Bus operator - $62,000
Starting Salary for a NYPD Police officer - $25,100
Trying to get support from a public that makes less money (on average), will get less salary increases (3.5% versus the TWU's request for 8%), and will have to work over a decade longer (TWU retires at 55)....while making them walk to work in 25 degree weather - Priceless

This just makes me sick. I work in the private sector and have NEVER seen an 8% raise based on nothing more than being there. Is this the liberal ideal of a "living wage" for all? If so, how about helping the cops first?

Federal Air Marshal shooting

2005-12-08T16:03:00.000-08:00

I feel safer already. Yesterday, some guy stood up on a flight already on the tarmac and said he had a bomb. The Federal Air Marshals who were on the flight told him to get down, but when he didn't listen they shot and killed the man. When the man first got up and starting freaking out his wife was yelling that he was bipolar and didn't know what he was doing. I think the Air Marshals did a fabulous job taking the man down. I feel sorry for the wife, but if he was prone to outbursts like the one displayed yesterday, why wasn't the flight crew informed? Also, why is Katie Couric asking the if the Air Marshals could have just shot to wound instead of kill. According to Ms. Couric, normal people were wondering why they had to kill the man. I'm sorry, but if it's me on the plane and some guy jumps up and goes crazy, I want him put down and not simply wounded. What if the guy was a terrorist and really did have a bomb like he claimed? If only wounded, would he still be able to detonate the bomb? It's crap like this that makes me crazy. Also, from what I've heard, it's extremely hard to simply wound a person. The part of the Hollywood film where the star only wounds happens only in the movies Katie. When a person is identified as a terrorist threat, the officers shoot to kill and I'm glad they do so that people like you still have an opportunity to make an asshat out of yourself.

Price of oil?

2005-12-05T13:41:00.000-08:00

Just about came out of my chair last night watching an A&E special on Clooney's new anti-American movie, Syriana. Couched as a documentary/promo, the piece dealt with the US and our dependence on oil and the mess in the middle east. What got me going was the main Arab character wants to make his country more democratic, but says that he needs the US to pay more for the oil. Next on was some ex-CIA punk was spouting off that Bin Laden suggested that the standard price for oil should be around $100 a barrel. The price should be higher, according to these Hollywood geniuses, because at the current price we are starving their countries. Now while I am no history or middle east expert, what about the money the Arab states spend on their personal palaces and other toys? Before just taking these idiots word on what they think the price should be, how about cutting back a little from the top? Have you seen some of the palaces these idiots have and the stuff they buy? I love most of Clooney's movies and will probably like Syriana as a movie, but don't confuse reality and fantasy boys. Stick to acting.

Do this and pass along the link too!

2005-12-02T13:04:00.000-08:00

http://www.thankasoldierweek.com/

More fun with turkey...

2005-11-29T15:32:00.000-08:00

You all remember my Mother's famous words, "What's wrong with you people?", well I have a new update. The day after Thanksgiving, the family headed over to my Mom's house for Thanksgiving redux (since my sister hosted the big one this year). The meal was much the same, but I was asked to carve the bird. I didn't know it at the time, but my Mother's intention was to have me practice my carving skills (cause I use them so much...like once or twice a year). Since I thought the request was simply to get the meat off the bones and onto a plate, I began to carve with reckless abandon. No sooner had I hacked off one side of the bird when my Mother gave me a horrified look. I said, "What?" She informed me of what I was supposed to be doing and I said that how pretty it looks didn't really matter to me as long as we stripped the bird of all the meat. She tried telling me that I should have carved it like my brother-in-law did the day before, but I wasn't watching what he did since I was doing what men are supposed to do on Thanksgiving, watching football. I'll have to work on my presentation skills for next year.

The 24-hour news cycle

2005-11-23T09:29:00.000-08:00

The 24-hour news cycle has perhaps created more harm than good. Two examples are the war and crime. Even going back to the Vietnam war, the reporters who were allowed to capture footage and send it back did more harm than good to the war effort. Our country went weak when they were allowed to see what happens during a war. The same thing is happening with our current war as well. Everything the US body count increases or another bomb is set off, it sends the moonbats on the left to the presses about how horrible things are over there. It makes me wonder what would have happened if we had the technology we do today during WWI, WWII, or Korea for that matter. Would the US called for us not to go into war when we lost 2000 soldiers in an exercise prior to our assault on Normandy? Or what about all the lives lost in the Pacific theatre during our march to Japan? I must qualify my opinion as my own and only based on my limited knowledge of both history and the current situation. I try to stay up on the current issues by reading/watching the news and reading blogs from both the left and the right.

The second example of the 24-hour news cycle is crime. While crime statistics continue to fall, the perception is that if you take your eyes off your child for 10 minutes, they'll be abducted. If you watch the news (if it bleeds, it leads) or the news magazines, you'd think that building a concrete bunker isn't a bad idea to keep all the bad guys away from your family. When I was a kid (God I sound old when I say that), I could be gone for hours running around with my friends and my parents didn't worry about me being abducted or killed by some psychopath. If you buy into the news cycle, you have to worry wherever you go. No one is safe and it's going to happen to you next. I just don't buy it.

Strange Homilies...

2005-11-15T10:11:00.000-08:00

For those of you who don't know, I was baptized a Episcopalian which I've heard is like Catholic light. I cannot ever remember attending an Episcopalian service, but do remember going to our local Catholic church every Sunday while growing up. Church to me was boring and the hour seemed like forever when I was young. I really didn't understand anything that was happening, but knew that there was a good deal of routine built into the service. I enjoyed the Christmas service because I actually knew what the heck they were talking about and liked the song selections. My parents never pushed church on me and asked if I wanted to attend Sunday school (I declined). My Mother gave me the option to keep going or stay home when I was about 13 I think and I opted to stay home and sleep in on Sundays.

I married a Catholic girl who attended church some of the time. She even went to Catholic school until college, so I think you could say she was somewhat devout. As a couple, we didn't attend church often but that all changed once we had our first child. I agreed with my wife that we should start going to church since it's a good place for kids to learn about God and the Ten Commandments. I thought that it would be a good reinforcement in her upbringing. After a few months, I started to enjoy the service too. For me, the service was a place to be reminded of the higher morals and ideals that I may not live up to everyday, but keep striving for anyway.

I'm still a neophyte when it comes to understanding, Catholicism, the Bible, and church overall. I get most of the big points, but the last two homilies were a little unsettling. A homily, for the uninitiated, is where the Priest or deacon uses one of the parables to illustrate a point in our modern world. The last two homilies were focused on how Jesus was akin to a Communist and would be against the war. I understand that Jesus taught people to help one another, but when the Priest threw in the word Communist, I was shocked. The Priest did qualify the word and did not try to extol the virtues of Communism, but he opened the door to the philosophy. I agree that people should take care of each other to an extent. I think the person needs to take responsibility and do what they can and those who truly can't deserve a hand and not just a blanket handout. I also think that those who help the people who don't need it only act as an enabler and make their bad behavior acceptable. I also understand that Jesus was against war and I wish that war was unavoidable too. Unfortunately, the world is filled with people who do not believe nor accept Jesus' teachings about peace and would kill us for no reason at all. I think that war is always the last option, but I believe in our cause. I understand that the Catholic church does not endorse the war and hope they are not trying to circumvent the war effort by attempting to put a wedge between Catholics and those who support the war.

I just thought both homilies were strange and confusing. Looking for your thoughts on both issues.

Halloween and kids today

2005-11-10T16:43:00.000-08:00

Thought I should post about my Halloween experience before it got too far past the event. What is it with kids today (how old do I sound)? When I did go trick-or-treating in my older teenage years, I at least went to the trouble to wear a costume. This year, several bands of older kids came through in next to nothing for a costume just expecting candy. I just don't get it. The problem is that I don't want a Larry David episode going down later that I still give them candy. The other issue was that while my wife and daughter were out, I was left behind with our youngest. I just left the bowl outside with the screen door open and when kids came up, I told them to take a few. For the most part the kids did as instructed, however, there were a few boys who grabbed handfuls of candy right in front of me as if it was okay?!? I had to let them know that they were only supposed to take "a few" and not a handful...which will lead to another post about the lack of respect in children, but that's another post.

Blue Wednesday...

2005-11-09T09:33:00.000-08:00

Listening to the radio on the way to work was like a kick in the nuts today. As I retired for the evening, two of Arnold's initiatives looked like they may pass. It appears that Arnold lost on every front. I understand that CA is left leaning, but I thought that common sense would prevail on at least a few of the new ideas. In my humble opinion, Arnold's message took it's biggest hit when the unions carted out their sympathetic mouthpieces that included nurses, firefighters, and teachers. The Dems won this round, but I remain hopeful that the GOP can learn from this defeat and do a better job of messaging and getting the word out to the masses.

Kids and backpacks

2005-11-04T15:53:00.000-08:00

What the hell is with today's youth and their backpacks? On the way to work I saw some kid who's backpack was at least half his size. I don't understand what is going on in school? Is there a ton of homework everyday? Do schools not have lockers anymore? I just don't get why these kids are wearing gigantic backpacks. Not to mention what kind of stress the load is placing on their backs and what that will mean for their future. Just looking for some answers here people.

Serenity Now...

2005-10-31T09:47:00.000-08:00

After purchasing Steven Raichlen's BBQ Bible, I was excited to try out some of the recipe's. The first attempt was Australian Beer Battered BBQ wings. I sent the wife out for the specific ingredients and was all set to go yesterday. I made up the marinade and threw the wings in for the suggested 4 hours. When the time came to cook, that's when the fun began.

My Mother was over for a visit and the wife was putting our youngest to bed. My older daughter was running between helping me and playing with my Mom. For those of you who do not know me or my family, chaos is the standard when things even go slightly out of whack and yesterday was no exception. I prepared the coals on the BBQ and threw the wings on the fire. Literally five minutes later, my Mother comes out to see how it's going and some of the wings are getting burned. Panic ensues. Since the wife is bathing our youngest, the water on the stove was boiling for Gaby's mac & cheese. I send my Mother in to throw in the pasta and start freaking out about the fire. I'm trying to move the wings around in an attempt to not burn them, but the coals have now heated up to 10,000 degrees. I'm yelling for some water to douse some of the coals - my Mother has caught one of the dish towels on fire from the gas stove because she couldn't find a potholder for the boiling water and Gaby is knocking on the glass window to get my Mom's attention. Serenity now... My Mother then declares, "What's wrong with you people!" Line of the night. I'm telling Gaby to stop tapping on the window and asking my Mom to bring out the BBQ sauce. My Mom is running back and forth and freaking out. I throw on the sauce and there is even more burning. I think the wings are done, but my Mom insists that they need more time. She was right, of course, so we threw them back on for a few more minutes. Overall, the wings were great tasting, but there were some that were still red inside - I hope I don't get sick from that stuff.

Lessons learned: don't use so many freaking coals (an issue I've had before, but still haven't learned), have all my stuff outside BEFORE starting, and don't have my Mother over to help.

Serenity now...

Before popping the question - use these guides...

2005-10-24T15:48:00.000-07:00

http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/greek-wives.html
http://iws.ccccd.edu/grooms/goodwife.htm
http://www.merrycoz.org/yc/GOODWIFE.HTM

job leeches

2005-10-19T12:42:00.000-07:00

One thing that chaps my a$$ is job leeches. A job leech is someone who works for a major corporation that saps their workplace of everything it offers and does any passable work. There was someone who recently retired where I work and this person did next to nothing. I only worked with this person for two years, but I am inclined to believe that there hasn't been much more effort given in the past. What kills me is that this person completely took advantage of the overtly accommodating employer and yet returned very little if anything in service. Yet over the years, either no one called them on their poor performance or just let it slide. What pushed me over the edge was when this person was retiring, they made it sound like their life's work at the company was of value. I guarantee that no one will even blink once this person is gone and that just drives me batty. I don't mind a person sliding by on an issue here or there, but a 20+ year career should give an accurate representation of a person's worth and that just didn't happen in this case. The last thing that gnaws at me is how this person can look in the mirror and think that they deserve anything for their daily slacking.

Things I hate #1

2005-10-10T14:05:00.000-07:00

People who have a ton of items, but will not let the person who has 1-2 items go before them. What the hell? What possess these people? Are they so mad that they had to wait they refuse to let anyone in front of them no matter how much sense it would make? I always let someone with just a few items go ahead of me if I have a cart full of stuff. I just don't get it.

ICU for dogs & cats?

2005-10-07T09:23:00.000-07:00

Are you kidding me? I was listening to one of my favorite people to hate, Kristine Kraft, and she was going on about her dog who was coming out of ICU? Did I really here that right? There is an ICU for dogs? What the hell? Call me callous, but if my pet gets to the point where they need major surgery that requires they stay in an animal ICU, I'm putting that puppy down. I understand people are close to their pets, but training someone as a surgeon for an animal seems a bit much, when their skills could be better utilized on humans. Maybe I'm wrong here, but I just think that if someone is brilliant enough to perform major surgery on an animal could be better utilized in a hospital working on humans.

If you like the NFL, you need to live on the West Coast

2005-10-04T14:01:00.000-07:00

Nothing is better than a Sunday when the NFL is playing. You can start your morning with ESPN's warm up at 8:00 am and bask in the glory of the NFL until around 9:30 pm! You get three games to watch and sandwiched in between is NFL Primetime. I love this time of year.

I remember my first trip back east during the NFL season. I was in Florida for a business trip that lasted two agonizing weeks (maybe I'll post on that one day). Sunday rolls around and I'm up at nine to start watching football. I turn on the TV, but there is NO FOOTBALL? What the hell? Where is my football? It isn't until 11:00 am that ESPN starts their coverage - agh! I was up past midnight for the Monday Night game the following day. I don't know how football fans survive on the East Coast.

Under God flap

2005-09-15T14:40:00.000-07:00

Well our moronic atheist from Sacramento is at it again. Michael Newdow (sp) has successfully argued a case against teachers leading their classes in the Pledge of allegiance because the words "under God". Newdow's argument was the same as last time which revolved around the separation of church and state. I understand the necessity of separation between church and state, but the funny thing is that references to God appear in a number of places that could be considered "the state". Just pull out your wallet and right on the back of the bill reads, "In God We Trust". The same phrase is mentioned all over court facilities and when you take the stand you have to swear on a Bible. I can understand that atheists may not want to say the words, "under God", but can't they just not say the words? Why make a court case out of it unless there is some other reason. I don't see the issue, but this nutjob has a problem and now our tax dollars will once again follow him to the Supreme Court where I hope the issue is decided once and for all.

Chemistry

2005-09-09T09:19:00.000-07:00

First off, I cannot tell you how excited I am that football is back. Welcome back old friend. Now on to chemistry. Monday Night Football has been missing something since the days of Howard Cosell, chemistry. The current program has John Madden (by far, the greatest color commentator today) and Al Michaels. Al was fine when he was the network's boy, but he stinks as a play-by-play guy. The other problem is that there is absolutely zero chemistry between Madden and Michaels. Madden is the most affable guy and Michaels is as stiff as they come. The perfect pairing was Madden and Summerall, who got kind of feeble towards the end of their run on FOX. Summerall came back last year to spell Mike Patrick on ESPN and he seemed fine, but MNF needs to lose Michaels quick. Most MNF games are the cream of the crop for the season, but it's painful to listen to Michaels appear as if he's human and can relate to anyone.

I almost forgot another travesty, the horse trailer. I'm sure the genius staff at MNF were looking for something along the lines of the Turducken, but the horse trailer is a lame idea. Each Monday night, Al has John pick who should go on the horse trailer and it couldn't be any more of a forced effort at best.

Katrina was just a developers plot?

2005-09-02T13:54:00.000-07:00

You have got to be kidding me...One of my many guilty pleasures is listening to what the leftist Moonbats are saying over at Air America. One of Air America's main mouthpieces, Randi Rhodes, is now saying that the devastation of hurricane Katrina happened because the developers wanted to build resorts on the shorefront and they actually want the poor to die in LA? Most times, I just listen to laugh (the days after the last election were priceless, especially when Jeanne Garofolo cried), but this is crazy talk. Everything is not a conspiracy people...

Rolling Stones

2005-08-30T16:47:00.000-07:00

I was in the gym this morning and a Rolling Stones video was on from the 90's I think. I like the Rolling Stones, but they haven't made a decent LP/CD since Tattoo You. I'm all for getting by, but it just infuriates me when bands put out albums just to put out something new. I'm pretty sure the Stones can survive just fine on what they own already, not to mention all the touring they do every year. It saddens me when good bands put out crap.

on-line selling

2005-08-26T09:04:00.000-07:00

I'm not the most experienced user of eBay and the on-line selling/buying craze. I've only bought a few items from eBay until recently. I heard about a cool local service called Craigslist, http://sacramento.craigslist.org/, that was a local posting board for free. A friend of my wife recommended it and told of how easy it was to use. I posted two items out there last week and one guy called and then decided not to buy. There was another person who wanted the same item, but it sounded fishy. This guy wanted to buy the item at the listed price and pay for it via Western Union. I would then hand off the item to a courier who would pick it up for him. Once the other guy dropped out of the running, I decided to give this weirdo a try. As soon as I gave him the information, sure enough an e-mail arrived from what appeared to be Western Union telling me that I could expect a money order in a few days. It felt phony right away, but my desire to sell the item held out hope. The guy had already scheduled FedEx for a pickup the following day, but I wasn't sure about it now. I went back and re-read the messages from Western Union and the text appeared to be written in somewhat broken English. I was pretty sure that it was some kind of scam so I wrote the guy back and said that I wasn't going to send it until I actually received the money order and cashed it. I then went out of the internet and sure enough, all it took was a search for Western Union BidPay and a scam where a buyer posing as Western Union shipping to Nigeria (I know, crazy huh?) was looking for suckers. That confirmed it for me since the shipping label this kook sent me was for Nigeria.

I guess the moral is to beware of something that appears too good to be true.

volleyball

2005-08-19T12:49:00.000-07:00

I love volleyball. I started playing when I first worked at the place I ended up working at now (another time for that story). A few of us went out to the sand courts in the quad and started playing. It wasn't long until a more experienced player came over and asked if we'd like to know the rules to the game we were butchering. Once we had the rules down, we started playing everyday at lunch and had a blast. We became so cocky that we held a tournament in our group to see who was the best of the best. I ended up winning with my best buddy and we thought we'd made it to the top. We were so cocky that we searched out and found a local outdoor tournament. At work we usually play 3-on-3, but this tournament was 2-on-2 and not in sand, but grass. We figured that it would be a cake walk. We were sorely mistaken. The day started off fine, but we quickly learned that 2-man is way different than 3-man. Not only did we lose every single game we played, by the time I got home I felt like I'd been run over by a Mack truck. We stuck with the game and eventually got better.

I've played pretty much every possible way you can: indoor 4's, 6's, outdoor 2's 4's 6's, sand & grass. Two person sand is by far my favorite, but living nowhere near a beach makes that a tad difficult. There are some local sand courts that I play on now and then, but my dream is to one day live near a beach where I can play everyday. Volleyball has become not only my favorite sport, but a passion in my life. I was even lucky enough to meet my wife while playing.