Lucid words of an incoherent fool

Doomsday

2011-08-21T23:28:00.002-06:00

Welcome back, I've missed y'all.

So I'm not going to get into the plethora of reasons I've not written in awhile, and I'm not promising a regular blog full of random verbal vomit, but I do have something on my mind that I need to write out to make sense of it.

We have all been blessed with so much. And I do mean all of you as well. If you're reading this you've obviously got Internet access, the ability to see, the ability to read, and you're alive. That's a lot more than many of people in the world, even here in the good ol' US of A. I personally also have a lot more to be thankful for. Regardless of the trivial problems I've had in my life, its been a very easy one. I've obviously never gone hungry ::insert your favorite fat jokes here:: I've never had to sleep on the street. I've never really feared for my life (not counting the times my life was at risk because of teenage stupidity). I've never been truly alone or unloved. And I'm not trying to say that I'm ungrateful for any of these things, but I can't help but feel like disaster is standing outside my door.

I don't care if you believe in God, karma, the universe, human nature, or whatever. But everyone believes in something that attributes to cause and effect. What I mean is, with the exception of serial killers, we all hold to some type of belief that we should do good and be good and good things will come. If we do bad, bad things will happen, unless of course you're rich or famous then you can do all the bad stuff you want. Personally I believe in God. I believe he is all knowing, all powerful, and everything I have in my life comes from him. I believe he loves everyone equally, even if they don't love him back. I try to be a good person, I try to be appreciative of everything I'm given, I try to share with those in need and be loving and kind to all people, regardless of their religion, politics, or favorite sports teams. So what I can't figure out is why I constantly have this semi subconscious concern that something bad is going to happen to me, and it will be my fault.

Generally I don't subscribe to the philosophy that bad things happen ONLY to those that deserve them. No child ever deserves to suffer for any reason, ever. People aren't killed by drunk drivers or murders because they didn't tip a waitress. Floods, earthquakes, fires, and other natural disasters don't happen because someone stole from a collection plate. Bad things happen in this world that have no earthly explanation, and that's just the way it is. However, my feeling of imminent doom has a haunting aura of personal responsibility. It's a sense that I'm responsible for whatever may come, and only I have the power to prevent it. I just don't know what more I'm supposed to do or if there is really anything lurking my way.

Maybe its part of being a parent. My biggest fear is always something happening to one of my girls. And hopefully it's just a little paranoia mixing in with the other mental ailments I am collecting. Or maybe it's all the shows I've been watching on Netflix lately where the characters are in hopeless situations (Jericho, Day Break, Skyline). Maybe its a subconscious realization that no matter how many birthday wishes I make, I'll never win the lottery. Perhaps it may be an undigested bit of beef, a blot of mustard, a crumb of cheese, a fragment of an underdone potato....

After proof reading this I've got a sneaking suspicious many of you are going to want to have me admitted into a psych ward. I wouldn't blame you, but good luck catching me. I just wanted to get all these thoughts out on virtual paper to help me work through them. So feel free to provide constructive comments, loving jabs, or bitchy remarks. Either way this is more for me than you so I'm sorry if you leave feeling unsatisfied, as long as you leave.

KG

Guest Rant: I Hear A George Michael Song....

2010-03-17T08:00:00.000-06:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Today's guest rant is more of a stolen blog from http://itsjustbecky.blogspot.com/ but since I was the reason she decided to write this blog I have no problem reposting it. =) So lets get to it.

"(KG suggested that I blog about my thoughts on faith.)

The Wikipedia definition of faith is: The confident belief or trust in the truth or trustworthiness of a person, concept or thing. And from Dictionary.com: a belief not based on proof. So to combine them, it would be: The confident belief or trust in the truth or trustworthiness of a person, concept, thing or belief that can not be proven.

The various things we have faith in are not provable. But am I not correct when saying they should still be able to withstand scrutiny? It says the person, concept, thing or belief should be trustworthy. So what if you feel that the person, concept, thing or belief that you are supposed to have faith in is not trustworthy? What if your experience shows that it is not worthy of your trust? If you had a friend that always told you that they'd be there for you but never was when you really needed them, would you consider that friend trustworthy? If you had a friend that told you they would never get mad at you, but then gave you the silent treatment, would you consider that friend trustworthy? When you scrutinize those two situations, you have to come to the conclusion that they are not. Therefore, you couldn't really have faith in them. They would be proven unfaithful. But what if you knew that a large percentage of the world would line up in front of you and testify that they are trustworthy - that they are the only people that you actually trust in all things. Would that not create cognitive dissonance? You know know they are faithful yet you feel they have not been faithful to you.

Okay. So what do we do about having faith in God? We can not prove God's existence. We have evidence of him in many things, but no proof. One of those evidences is the bible. The bible is full of promises to us. If I weren't so tired and lazy, I'd look up a few of them. But you know all the ones I'm talking about. So what do you do when you do not see proof of the promises made by God? If he promises you comfort, and you beg and plead for it but do not receive comfort, what does that mean? If he promises to be there for you when you need him, but then is silent when you DO need him, what does that mean? In the instances before, we decided that would mean that he's not trustworthy and therefore unfaithful.

But how dare I say God is unfaithful? We go to church and are reminded every time that God is faithful to us. But does that mean He is? We're told he would never abandon us, but what if he does? What if when you really need him, you get none of the help or comfort from him that you beg and plead for? What are you to think? Can we really have faith in those promises? If something is true, it's true. If it's not, it's not. I believe in God. I do. But I do not understsand him. I feel as if I shouldn't be able to trust him right now, because I feel none of the comfort or support that he has promised and that I so desparately need from him.

When I bring this up, I'm usually told, "No, to have faith in God means you just trust him to do what's right for you and accept his will." But where does it say that? I don't see that anywhere . Maybe it's just that none of those scriptures are coming to mind at the moment. But that's not one of the definitions of faith. Someone must have said that once and it just hung on.

And what do you do when your faith goes unacknowledged? How do you keep hoping (related to faith) if your hope is never rewarded? Do you just hope that one day it will be, even though it hasn't so far? I don't understand. I sure wish I could, because it would be so much better to be able to have faith.

But I can't right now. When I need him the most, all I get is silence. Time and time again. Everytime. Silence from the heavens. How do you trust someone that's let you down? (And I know a lot of you should know because I know I let a lot of you down. So how do YOU do it ?)

Becky"

Be It Ever So Humble, There's No Place Like Home

2010-03-10T08:00:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Wednesday. Only days until Spring Break, and it still feels like the middle of Winter outside! Brrr.

But enough walloping on that deceased equine. I don't really want to rant today, rather I'm going to overstate the obvious. Yesterday I had the privilege to volunteer in a local homeless shelter. This shelter is unique as it allows entire families (fathers, mothers, and children) to sleep together in a semi private room. But the shelter also sleeps single men and women, in separate areas of course.

I'm painfully aware that most of us are no more than a missed paycheck or two away from being homeless ourselves. And I'm not saying that everyone that is homeless is in that situation because of their own choices. But what did frustrate me was to see the families with small children that were in the situation they are in because of the choices of the parents.

If you would rather purchase drugs and alcohol instead of paying rent, that's your choice. But when you are a parent you forfeit the right to be selfish, and you need to do everything in your power to provide for your children. Even if that means going hungry yourself!

I met some great people that work at the shelter, and some that live there as they try to get back on their feet. As I talked with them, especially those that are there as employees or volunteers, they all said the hardest thing for them to see was the families that were there because of the bad choices of their parents. I had to agree.

I'm sure you all have different opinions about homeless people, and I'm sure some of you refuse to give money to them when you see them at the grocery store because you feel "they're just going to buy booze" but I personally will go out of my way to stop to give them some money.
I'm not saying this to toot my own horn by any means. The biggest reason I do it is a selfish one. Flower is usually with me when we go to the store. And every time she sees me give money to a person in need she will ask me why I've done that. After answering her several times I now just ask her back, why she thinks I did. And to hear her answer back every time " because they need the money more than we do, and it's what Jesus would do" is reward enough for me. For all the bad examples I do and am for my children, I hope the very few good ones are the ones they remember and imitate when they grow up.

A side comment to those people that really do believe that homeless people are just going to spend the money on drugs or alcohol: I would rather gamble my money on the chance that they will waste it rather than miss the opportunity to help someone that really will buy food for them or their children.

KG

Guest Rant: I Heart Boobies!

2010-02-17T08:00:00.001-07:00

Hello kids, ya' miss me?

Well, I'm still not back 100%. I don't quite have the $400+ it would cost to fix my laptop, and this little netbook I am using is too small to type a decent rant. But thanks to an eager volunteer today we have a guest rant that I'm sure will get some interesting comments. I can't personally empathize, but this is definitely a topic near to my umm ......heart. =)

Enjoy

"I want my boobies back!

Breastfeeding sucks the life out of boobs. "They" say it's not the nursing but the pregnancy that robs innocent mammaries of their structural integrity. Well, maybe "they" didn't describe it that way, but that's how I just did. I don't know if it happened to me during the three times I was heavy with child, or if it occurred amid the 4 collective years I breastfed my babies (This is not per child! I said collective years). All I know is somewhere along the way my boobies died an unjust death. What once were voluminous, fleshy peaches converted bit by bit into deflated, listless sacks of flesh.

After the baby is weaned, the milk dries up and takes with it every last drop of a naked young mom's dignity. I don't know if this happens to all women after nursing is suspended. I obviously haven't asked everyone (I'm shy like that) , but I kind of hope I'm not the only one whose boobies suffered ignominious damage as a direct result of carrying out my motherly duties.

I would think that after enduring nine months of discomfort during pregnancy, compounded by the the incomparable pain that takes place at birth, followed by round-the-clock milkings...after all the sacrifices mothers make for the welfare of their offspring, shouldn't we at least get to keep our beautiful boobies, maybe as a token of appreciation for a job well done? Nope...

Many smaller-busted mommies are thrilled with their expanding jug size as a pregnancy progresses. Then after the baby is born and the milk gates are opened, their breasts become astonishingly large and engorged (this varies, of course). It's far too uncomfy and hurts too much to fully appreciate them in that phase, but it is still sort of an ego boost (even though they look really fake and about ready to erupt). All one can do for relief is stand in the warm shower for a few days until the milk volume stabilizes. The size of the breasts at any point in the duration of nursing is usually substantial, but when the mom discontinues the practice she is soon going to realize that her bosoms will end up smaller than they were before she ever got pregnant. Any hope she had of maintaining a bit of the pillowy fullness she'd grown to appreciate is soon shattered by the cruel reality of fate.

So there is some major renovation that breasts inevitably undergo. And when I say renovation, I don't mean a boob make-over. I mean a boob screw-over! A woman starts out with nice, sound boobies. Then they swell to astronomical proportions. Then comes the gradual draining of all life and substance, with the sad end result of more skin than filling. They are goners. There is pretty much no hope of ever reuniting with the pre-baby boobies again.

Following many months of recovery, and I'm talking 8 or more, some semblance of firmness has mercifully been restored to mine. They are acceptable at best, but only from the front view, after a bit of necessary fluffing, and definitely only when it's below room temperature. ;) I'm trying to deal with the fact that my "girls" are never going to be the same. If it were up to me, all women who sacrifice their time, strength and boobs to feeding their young would be blessed with a rack at least twice as nice as it was before.

I realize all women - not just childbearing, breastfeeding mommies - inevitably deal with progressive chest changes. Women of all ages should be entitled to this one (well, two...) constant assurance-- good, unaltered boobies for life. Is that really asking too much?"

Shannon
http://randomshannon.blogspot.com/

Blogalkers

2010-01-20T08:00:00.000-07:00

Hello strangers. Even though I am still on my court ordered Facebook hiatus I thought I should at least write a rant.

Today's topic doesn't really apply to me, but I have a friend that is thoroughly bothered by this concept. Blog Stalkers, or Blogalkers as I'm going to start calling them. Some people put a lot of time and energy into writing their blogs ( I'm obviously still not talking about me) and then feel somewhat let down when nobody comments.

On one hand, I don't really see why this would bother anyone. Personally I write my blog for myself, because I have something I want to say. Occasionally I write because I get tired of the bitching and moaning from that one person that complains whenever I don't rant, you know who you are. But either way, I don't write for public accolades. That may just be me. I'm also the kind of person that doesn't wear clothes to get compliments. I only wear clothes that are comfortable and only because it's still frowned upon to trot around naked in public.

On the other hand, I can see my friends point of view. She feels like she is baring her soul to the world and would like to know that at least one person cares enough about her to say "atta' girl".

So my short little message today is for all you Blogalkers. While surfing around spying on the private lives of thousands of people, would it kill you to say "atta' girl" once in awhile?

Now lets see how many of you smart asses write "atta' girl" in my comments.

Cya when I cya.

Meet The New Year... Same As The Old Year

2010-01-06T08:00:00.001-07:00

Hello again.

With the new year often comes the stupid tradition of making resolutions. Promises to ourselves that we are going to learn a skill, perfect ourselves, win the lottery, or some other lofty "wish". If you haven't already figured it out, I'm not a fan of the new year's resolution superstition.

So here is why I don't like these new year's hopes. People often set unattainable resolutions, wait until December, and then become depressed about their lack of "achievement". It's almost like people think if they make a resolution it will automatically come true. Like asking Santa for something.

Also, it is extremely annoying, for those of us that regularly work out at a gym, to show up the first of the year just to find all the machines we like to use are taken by resolutioners. Luckily this only lasts 2-3 months, but it is annoying none the less.

And the increased weight loss ads make me want to gouge my eyes out! Thank heavens for TiVo. These ads must work or I doubt companies would spend the millions of dollars, but seriously! If you're fat and you want to do something about it do you really need a television ad to tell you? The ad should say " you're fat cause you're watching TV instead of out riding a bike". The commercial that really gets my goat is the one tells people it's not their fault that they are fat. "But for 42 easy payments of only $700,000 you can take a pill that is guaranteed to make you lose 200 pounds *results are not typical, you are likely going to stay fat or get even fatter*" Ok. enough about the morbidly obese nation we live in, that's another rant entirely.

Now, I'm not against setting goals. In fact I think everyone should set goals. But on a daily, weekly, monthly basis. Not on January 1st never to be revisited until December 31st. If your new year's resolution is to lose 30 pounds this year, just say "my goal for January is to lose 10 pounds". Then break it down it further. Say your goal for the first week is to lose 5 pounds then 2 pounds each week after that. Then do something about it. Set daily goals to use more calories than you consume. I'm sure goal setting all sounds elementary but if it really was there wouldn't be any fat, poor, stupid, or unhappy people.

So to all you that have real resolutions that you intend on keeping, good luck to you. For those of you that are just making wishes I suggest getting a head start on the disappointment and depression, why wait all year. =)

Cya in 7

I Hate Computers.... And Cars

2009-12-30T08:00:00.000-07:00

Happy last hump day of 2009. It is 7:10 am Wednesday morning and I am just now getting time to write something. My computer is malfunctioning, and the pursuit of a repair has occupied all my "spare" time. Being a geek it is very frustrating to have a computer issue and not being able to solve it quickly. And it seems like sometimes my efforts to repair the problem often cause twice as many issues. So my rant today, I hate computers. Why can't they just work? I already know the answer so I don't really need a bunch of opinions. And I especially don't need to hear any more "go buy a Mac" I own a couple Macintosh computers and they have their share of annoying issues.

Anyway, have a happy new year and be safe. And PS I hate cars too. In case you didn't already hear my Jeep broke and would cost about $4000 to fix. I say "would cost" because I don't have the money to fix it, and don't think it is even worth it. Argh!

Cya next year

Merry Christmas: The Anti-Rant

2009-12-23T08:00:00.002-07:00

I wish you all a Merry Christmas, Happy Channuka, Splendid Kwanzaa, Mystical Winter Solstice, or a whatever whatever you celebrate this time of year.

So this week, in the spirit of the season, I'm not going to bitch about anything. Instead, I've decided to write about things that make me happy. Pick your jaws up off the floor, stop pinching yourself and just sit back and relax.

I love my family. I know that's a pretty cliche thing to say, but I honestly do. If I'm ever having a bad day all I have to do is spend some time with my girls and I feel better. I love the way their eyes light up when they see me. The pure love and trust they have for me makes me want to be the best dad I can be. Angee is my best friend, a great mother, and I adore her. Even though we have been together almost a dozen years, I am constantly surprised and amazed by her. And my extended family have always been there for me and I love them. They probably don't hear me say it often enough, but it is true.

My friends are great. And of course I mean all of you that stalk my rants as well. It's nice to know that, even when our busy lives keep us from visiting regularly, my friends will always be there for me and I for them. I enjoy the different view points and opinions of my friends, even when I totally disagree. I love that we can share ideas and feelings without fear of judgment or reproach.

I'm sure most of you have heard me complain about the cold on one or two occasions, but I really love living in Boise. I appreciate the small town atmosphere while still enjoying many of the big city amenities. I love that this town is becoming more diverse with each passing year, and that this change is mostly accepted by the community. Having quick and easy access to the mountains is probably my most favorite thing about this place. And I am always learning of new and fun things to do even though I have lived here almost 21 years now. I guess now is a good time to drop a plug for Amanda's blog http://dontgetboredinidaho.com/

I have a great job. Even though I complain about "having" to work, I really do enjoy what I do. I work with some fun and great people. And especially during these difficult times, I really appreciate having any job, especially one that I don't dread.

I love Halloween. It's not really a shocker, but I just thought I would mention it again since I'm making a list and all. And despite what you may think after reading my previous blogs, I really do enjoy Christmas. I do love the feeling that is in the air as most people are a little more attentive. It's like a month long review board where people are on their best behavior. If only that attitude could last year round......

This list could go on and on. I didn't really write it for you, so if you made it this far I appreciate your time. I am a very blessed person and I felt I should publicly acknowledge it, just this once. So for those of you that I disappointed today by depriving you of your weekly dose of cynicism, sarcasm and wit, I apologize.

Be safe, have fun, and we'll cya in 7

Need Vs. Want, A Fight To The Death

2009-12-16T08:00:00.001-07:00

If you're looking for someone to tell you how many more days until Christmas, you best look elsewhere.

So all week I have been planning on posting a paper I wrote a couple years ago about childhood obesity. I was reminded of the paper when talking to a friend, and thought it would make a great rant. I "knew" exactly where the file was, so I didn't bother looking for it until mere hours before the rant was to be published. Now, here we are. 7 hours until the deadline and the research paper has vanished from all forms of digital storage.

In case you didn't already surmise, this rant is going to be brief and thrown together. But this is a topic I have been meaning to write about for some time, so hopefully I can get some type of point across.

Children often use the word "need" for food, toys, or other items they see in commercials. At first it is kind of cute, but it quickly becomes annoying as the child begins to throw major tantrums. That is all part of growing up.

However, its when an adult constantly feels like they "need" things that it becomes really bothersome. I'm not sure if it is a false sense of entitlement, if it's because we as a country are spoiled brats, or if it is the failure of their parents, but adults that can't distinguish the difference between "want" and "need" really have issues.

Everyone wants something. It's those wants that keep us going. We have goals and desires that we strive to achieve. And there is nothing wrong with that. If you want a better house, a better car, a better hair style, you do what needs to be done to reach that goal. But for those people that feel they need a better house, better car, better hair style, they generally become bitter and annoying. They "need" this thing, therefore it is owed to them and it's unfair to keep them from it.

It's late, I'm tired, and I want to sleep, so I'm not going to elaborate. Bottom line, its fine to WANT better things, or even things you don't have that you can really use. But just recognize the difference between NEED and WANT. If you want it, do what you have to do to get it. But don't try to convince yourself and others that it is something you need to justify your lack of effort. Just as you tell a child that is throwing a fit about not having the latest Barbie doll, "the only things you NEED are food, water, and air!"

Cya in 7

Open Forum Rant

2009-12-09T08:00:00.001-07:00

Only 241 more shopping days until my birthday!

So this week I have been too busy, too tired, and especially too cold, to write a rant. And since I can't really rant about this insanely cold weather, I've just decided to not rant at all. Today is an open forum. Feel free to rant about whatever you'd like in the comments section. Play nice and I'll cya in 7.

Bah! Humbug!

2009-12-02T08:00:00.003-07:00

Happy Hump Day!

Yep, you guessed it! This is my rant about why I dislike Christmas. I can feel your hatred and anger towards me already building. But give me a chance to defend my position before you jump to conclusions.

Interesting side note before I spew my propaganda. You may already know this because you're all literary geniuses, but its news to me. The word humbug is real. According to my trusty answers.com site it defines 'humbug' as such:

n.

Something intended to deceive; a hoax or fraud.
A person who claims to be other than what he or she is; an impostor.
Nonsense; rubbish.
Pretense; deception.

interj.
Used to express disbelief or disgust.

Ok, before you label me as a pagan for not liking the holiday designated to remember the birth of Jesus, let me just say that I don't dislike the reason for the season. I hate the treason of the season!

I propose legislation be passed making it illegal for stores to pedal their Christmas crap before Thanksgiving! There is nothing worse than seeing the traditional red and green stocked shelves while I shop for Halloween decorations. No Christmas items are so urgent that one can't wait to purchase them until Black Friday at the earliest. Each year stores push the barrier and display their wares earlier and earlier. It wont be too long before we will see mistletoe and holly wreaths right next to the Cadbury cream Easter eggs. As if Christmas was not commercialized enough, now it has to be commercialized and stretched over a 4 month period. Halloween is my favorite holiday, and I am a fanatic. But if stores started to load the aisles with witches and goblins in July even I would be annoyed.

I also think that people should not be allowed to put up their outdoor Christmas decorations before December 1st! Not only is it a waste of electricity, but it's really annoying to see people take down their Halloween decorations and put up the Christmas lights on the same day. What happened to Thanksgiving decor?!

To top off my list of irksome Christmas debauchery: Television, radio and all other forms of media should not be allowed to air Christmas music, Christmas movies or TV shows, or any advertisements alluding to Christmas before December 1st. We already know that Christmas is the most commercialized holiday ever. And even with that knowledge people still continue to be mindless lemmings purchasing the latest and greatest items, putting themselves further in debt for the sake of "Christmas".

What would happen if one year we all agreed to not give in to the social peer pressure, and we just boycotted all things "Christmas"? Instead we just focused on the meaning of the holiday. We didn't spend money on our loved ones, but instead spent our time. We visited the sick, the widowed, the poor, and the elderly. We gave of ourselves and showed our love for those around us, instead of feeding into the commercialism. That would be a Christmas to remember, and the feelings and memories would outlast any material possession we could ever be given.

Cya in 7

Newton Was Full Of Crap

2009-11-25T08:00:00.004-07:00

Happy Turkey Day! I know it's not until tomorrow, but some of you might not read this until Thursday so I was just thinking ahead.

Lets get to the point, shall we. I know you are all familiar with Newton's third law of motion, the law of reciprocal actions. I know this because you are all very intelligent people, otherwise you wouldn't be reading my rants. But just as a reminder, here is the gist. ''To every action there is always an equal and opposite reaction''. Well, I'm here to say that Newton is wrong!

Ok, not really. At least not when it comes to the laws of physics and masses in motion. However, this law has been misinterpreted to give people an excuse to not take responsibility for their own behavior. This comes in handy because some people sure love to play the victim.

Action or reaction. Why is it that so many people refuse to take action? Is their life already too easy that they need the complications and drama involved with being reactive instead of proactive? Or maybe these people have just resigned their happiness to "fate" and have given up any pursuit of said happiness.

I'm sure most of you know what I am talking about. We all know someone that is "reactive". Or you may even be one of these types of people. It's never too late to change. But for those lucky souls that have never heard of a person that is reactive let me elaborate.

Allowing the actions of others to affect your mood, blaming the world for your circumstances, and never taking responsibility for your own happiness are all traits of a reactive person. A reactive person is someone that wants something, but refuses to do anything to get it. They expect that they are owed that thing, that thing must come to them, and everyone else is to blame when that thing is never obtained.

And on the other side of the coin is the proactive person. When you're proactive you decide how you want to feel. Aside from any rare major catastrophes that may take the lives of loved ones, a proactive person doesn't allow the "little things" to get them down. So what if some blind blue-hair takes your parking spot at the grocery store, there are always others. Who cares if some jerk didn't hold the elevator for you, he's probably going to fart in there anyways. A proactive person works towards the things they want, or they accept the things that they can't have. And when things happen to a proactive person, it's not because the world is out to get them. If a proactive person gets pulled over for speeding, it's their own fault for breaking the law. It's not the officers fault he didn't pull over the other people that were also speeding, it's not the fault of their children for taking too long to get dressed causing them to be late, nor is it the city's fault for imposing such a slow speed limit.

So, back to Newton. To every action (I get slapped in the face) there is always an equal and opposite reaction (I slap the person back). I don't have to return the slap. Chances are very good that I deserved to get slapped. Therefore I shouldn't be reactive, I should accept my slap with a smile and go about my day. The world is not a fair place. Nobody ever said it was, so we have no right to expect it to be. You'll never see Newtons law working in the world. To every action (homicidal maniac kills 7 people) there is always an equal and opposite reaction (7 homicidal maniac's given lethal injections). To every action (CEO of a major corporation embezzles $10 million) there is always an equal and opposite reaction ($10 million returned to employee's retirement fund). To every action (Man sues fast food chain because they never told him that 'eating fast food would make him fat', and wins) there is always an equal and opposite reaction (fast food chain files counter suit because the man is a moron, and wins).

We have no control over "The World". But we are the masters of our domain. We control "our world". It is up to you and I to make our life the way we want it, and that requires action on our part. If we resign to always be reactive, then we resign to allow "The World" to control "our world" and we shouldn't expect them to be much different.

Now, lets here from my wonderful reactive friends about how I made them mad. =)

Cya in 7

Guest Rant: Opinions Are Like Anuses...

2009-11-18T08:00:00.000-07:00

Here we are again. It seems like Wednesdays just keep coming.

Today's guest rant is written by the very funny, often witty, and only semi intellectual Richard Malm. So without further doo-doo....

"Everyone is entitled to his or her opinions, unless you disagree with me.

I believe that we should have honest and reasoned discussions about what should and should not be acceptable social norms. It really bothers me when one side of any debate equates being against their opinion to being a horrible something. Against the war in Iraq, you are not a patriot. Don’t believe in Gay marriage, you are a hatemonger. While you might be either or both of those things, you are not automatically them because of your opinion.

I have a rule; you can do whatever you want as long as it does not adversely affect my family or me. Screw a goat I don’t care. However, please don’t ask me to accept your lifestyle, or teach my children that is a valid alternative. I believe all goats deserve to go unmolested by humans. I will not be there to comfort you when you get some goat disease that rots your Twinkie off. Sit on your ever expanding ass, play playstation, and eat hot pockets all day, I don’t care. However, please don’t ask me to pay for your triple bypass, find you a woman that will accept your “special” lifestyle, or fund your SSI because you have posttraumatic stress disorder from playing the first Halo for a year and a half straight.

I do not have to accept your beliefs or pay your consequences, just as I know you have the God given right to not accept or pay for mine. Just because I don’t support your thoughts on a particular subject does not mean I am intolerant, ignorant, or Hitler. Just as I know you are not a leftist, socialist, nut job (some of you anyway). Make your choices; do not force them on me. I will love you for the person you are, but I may not love or support your decisions. Love me for the person I am, I will not ask you to love or support all of my decisions. You are entitled to your moronic opinions; please allow me the right to mine."

Cya in 7

Facebook Faux Pas

2009-11-11T08:00:00.001-07:00

Welcome to Wednesday! Today is actually my Monday, I have to start work for this week tonight. Yay for having a job!

Today's topic comes from our very own Queen of Facebook. So if any of you blog stalkers don't use Facebook, this rant may not be for you. Thank you for playing, have a safe trip home.

Facebook addictions are so prevalent that the developers of FB have so graciously created a myriad of features you can use to stay informed. The more common; emails and texts about comments and status updates. Now you no longer have to be on a computer to get your fix. I've never been one for the clutter of thousands of emails from Facebook each time a "friend" wants to complain about whatever day of the week it may be. However, I will admit that I have elected to receive texts when comments are made on my page only or when one of a few choice friends update their status.

You're probably asking yourself ".. and the point of this rant is....?". Well that is a great question. Let me answer that with another question. What's the most annoying thing people do on Facebook? Oh, you were so close! Thanks for playing, have a safe trip home. Actually, it's a trick question. There are many many many things people do on Facebook that I find annoying. But today we are going to focus on people that delete their comments.

If you wanted to say something bad enough that you took the time to type it out and click the submit button, then just leave it there and own the consequences. I understand making spelling or grammatical errors and wanting to delete and retype the comment with corrections. But to make a statement then change your mind is silly. Either think before you type, or grow a pair and own your thoughts.

The dual purpose of this rant is to serve as a Public Service Announcement. Just because you hit delete doesn't mean nobody saw what you wrote. Those lovely emails and texts get sent out the moment you hit submit, so you just look foolish to the people that get these notifications when you try to take back your words. You know the saying, " Better to be thought a fool and remain silent than to speak and remove all doubt."

A little side note, sub-topic, tangent I want to throw in. When you are having a "wall to wall" conversation that spans a couple days or more, don't delete the other persons comments! I don't know how many times I'm having a conversation with someone, they respond to something I said a few days prior, and to jog my memory of the conversation I click the lovely "wall to wall" link to get caught up. What do I find? My portion of the conversation has been deleted! Now I have no idea what the crap I was saying to this person ( I have to keep my lies written down or I get confused).

Anyways, that's my dos pesos. Thanks for all your ideas on future rants. I'll try to get to most of them eventually, except yours Becky. I seriously have no clue what I would say about men with hairy backs. ;)

Cya in 7

Talk Radio Killed My Faith In Humanity

2009-11-04T08:00:00.000-07:00

Happy days. Hope you're all recovering nicely from the Halloween sugar coma.

Today's topic isn't really "current events", but it's irksome none the less. I was driving home from work yesterday morning and started flipping through the radio. I do not care for radio morning shows. I listen to the radio for music, not to hear blowhards yammering about this, that, or the other. But for some reason I stopped on one station where a discussion was going on about whether or not smoking in front of children should be considered child abuse. After wrapping up the call that was in a progress some gal calls in and starts to say that she is about to be a mother and she thinks smoking in front of kids should not be considered child abuse. One of the DJ's asks this pregnant gal, in jest, if she smokes now. She replied " Yeah! And my baby is growing big and healthy. They used to do it in the old days all the time!" I almost drove my car off the side of the road when I heard that. The DJ obviously had the same reaction because he stammered and then just hung up on her saying he couldn't talk to her.

I am fully aware of the ever growing population of stupid people in this world. But for some reason I had built up a false hope in my mind that at least all knowingly pregnant adult females would do their best to not smoke during their baby's gestation. So to hear someone proudly proclaim that they are smoking while pregnant threw me off. Not only that, but her iron clad argument that "They used to do it in the old days..." just made me want to find this moron and bitch slap her just like "They used to do in the old days".

I've made a list of things that "they used to do in the old days". Feel free to add any that I may have overlooked.

~ My favorite, having unprotected sex with a plethora of partners. You weren't cool unless you had a couple STD's.

~ Drunk driving. This is one of those old habits that apparently die hard, but at least now it's publicly frowned upon.

~ Driving without seat belts. I remember the days of crawling around the back of the station wagon while on long trips.

~ Drinking while pregnant. It was all fun and games until some "invented" Fetal Alcohol Syndrome.

~ Leaving school to go work on the farm.

~ Marrying first cousins

~ Dieing by age 50

~ Believing the world is flat.

Ok, so some of those go a little further back than the 'good old days', but you get my point. Just because something was once a common practice doesn't make it right. There is a reason it is no longer a common practice.

Anyways, if any of you find this chick here in Boise that is smoking while pregnant give her a swift poke in the eye for me please.

Cya in 7

Halloween Rant

2009-10-28T08:00:00.002-06:00

Only 3 more days!!!!

Since I am on a staycation, and in honor of the best holiday ever, and because I am just generally lazy, I am going to randomly list some of my biggest Halloween pet peeves. Feel free to add to the list if I forget anything.

~I'm going to start with my all time biggest pet peeve about Halloween. This way if you get bored and stop reading you'll have at least read about this one. Trunk or Treats!!! It's not the actual Trunk or Treat event that bothers me, so much as the fact that people will have these events on Halloween night. Parents will take their kids to a Trunk or Treat INSTEAD of Trick or Treating around their neighborhoods. This is a largely Mormon custom, but has been adopted by other churches and even some family oriented companies. I know that Halloween is all about kids getting their candy, and many parents are just too lazy or self absorbed to actually take them door to door. But the closer I get to adulthood ( and no, that doesn't mean I'm actually growing up) I think a lot of the fun is to see neighborhood children come to the door to beg for candy. I love to see children dressed in costumes, to see their eyes light up as you give them some "good" candy instead of the nasty hard pieces of bubble gum, and to hear their laughs and screams as they look at all the Halloween decor. People that use Trunk or Treat's as an easy way out of their parental duties not only rob the children of some great memories, but they also ruin the experience for those of us "adults" that delight in decorating and distributing sugary snacks. And a side note to my LDS brothers and sisters, it is bad enough that we are criticized and ostracized from the community on so many other points but to not allow our children to participate in this night of neighborly bonding goes against all the things we are taught each Sunday about loving our neighbors and befriending those around us!! Repent you sinners!!! ;)

~Leaving your lights on, but not answering the door! Seriously, how hard is it to just turn your lights off. If you are such a cheap bastard that you can't hand out even the nastiest of candy, at least have the decency to turn off the lights. We can hear you in there watching the Lifetime channel, we know you're home. Stop wasting our time! And if you have an automatic porch light that doesn't turn off, and unscrewing the light bulb is too advanced a task for you, then at least get out your box of crayons and scribble a note that says " Child hating Grinch lives here".

~I know how old I am, don't ask me if I think I'm too old to be Trick or Treating. If I really thought I was too old to do it, do you think I would be knocking on your door?! Has anyone ever responded to your ignorant query by saying " You know what?! You're absolutely right! I didn't realize that I was too old to be asking for free candy. Thank you for showing me the light. Allah be praised!!"?

~I understand that we live in difficult times financially. I appreciate peoples willingness to participate in Halloween in anyway possible. But for the love of all that is holy, please do not hand out homemade popcorn balls to strangers! First of all, gross! Secondly I don't know you, I don't know where your hands have been, and I don't know what kind of disgusting creatures live in your home under the guise of "house pets". Thirdly, I grew up in Southern California. We had to go through our candy each year looking for holes in wrappers that could have been made by needles because there were people that thought it was hilarious to inject PCP or LSD into candy and give it to children. And anything homemade or any fruit was immediately discarded by the parents because of numerous reports of douche bags hiding razor blades in apples and popcorn balls. Luckily, here in the great state of Idaho, those types of "tricks" aren't as prevalent, but that doesn't mean I'm any less leery.

~Once every 7 years Halloween falls on Sunday. I understand and appreciate the whole "keeping the Sabbath day holy". But it needs to be publicly decided, and adhered to, if the holiday is going to be celebrated on Saturday or Sunday. Boise generally does celebrate on the Saturday before, but there is nothing more annoying than going Trick or Treating, knocking on the doors of the homes that have the lights on, and instead of yummy treats receiving a lecture about how Halloween isn't until tomorrow. If you're not going to participate on Saturday, or if it is decided to celebrate on Sunday and you choose not to participate, then follow standard protocol and turn off your lights! Don't think that your soap box speech to little children just wanting some candy is going to change society. If you want to bitch about it, write a blog. ;)

Have a safe and happy Halloween!

Cya in 7

Eat Me PETA, I'm Dolphin Safe.

2009-10-14T08:00:00.001-06:00

Anyone else missing summer? I'm freezing!

For those of you that don't know me, I'm not what you would call an "animal lover". In fact my personal motto has always been 'Animals are to be eaten, not fed'. However, I'm not one that would drive around town running over every Spot and Snowball I can find. I can appreciate that there are people that enjoying their pets. My problem is with people that love animals more than they care for other humans.

Just last week I was driving on the freeway minding my own business when the lady next to me spontaneously swerves into my lane. I had to slam on my breaks to avoid colliding with her and her ginormous POS that she was driving. I'm not a big road rager so I just changed lanes and started to speed on by. I glanced over at her and realized the reason she couldn't see me was because she had her dog laying around her neck. And this wasn't some little Paris Hilton pocket pet type of dog. This thing had to have been 25 pounds and was a huge mass of furry. So while this lady is getting face licked and furry bathed by her stupid dog, she is obliviously driving people off the road.

Several years ago I worked with a lady that had a plethora of cats. One night one of her cats dies. She was so distraught over the death of this feline that she called out sick to work for the entire week! It's not like it was some award winning show cat, or some special breed that costs millions of dollars, or even some cherished childhood pet that she grew up with for 30 years. This was just some random free loading stinky stray.

I'm sure you can all think of a person or two that would save a stray dog on the side of the road rather than give a homeless person some food. You may even be one of those people. In fact I know at least one of you reading this is that type of person. Here's a story that involves a couple people that may be reading this blog right now, so I wont name names.

Many, many moons ago I was a high school student. My father had just purchased a new truck so I talked him into letting me take it for a drive. I called up my buddy and suggest we go out. He invites the girl he had been pining after all year and I call another gal pal. We decide to go get some food and play a little putt-putt. As we are heading towards our destination my dear sweet soft-hearted friend ;) sees a porcupine walking along the sidewalk near the busy road. He insists we stop so this little creature doesn't wander into the road and get squished. To make a long funny story into a short boring one, we ended up spending the entire evening driving this porcupine around the back of the truck in a trash can looking for the address of some crazy lady that rescues vermin. The point, you're probably asking yourself, is that this friend cared more about the safety of this spinney pest than making moves on the "love of his life" at that time. =)

Needless to say, I really don't see eye to eye with PETA. Sure, I think testing cosmetics on animals is silly and pointless. We have plenty of ugly people in this world that I'm sure would love to have a free make over to test this crap on. But if finding the cure to AIDS or even the common flu can be accomplished by killing a few hundred rats, I'm all for it. On the PETA website there is even an article written the beginning of this month where the author tries to dissuade people from supporting breast cancer research charities because they "fund cruel and irrelevant experiments on animals". Really?! What is more cruel, testing on a few hundred animals or letting tens of thousands of women suffer and die from such a vicious disease?

Animals don't have the same rights as humans for a reason. If it were up to all the animals in this world I'm sure they would rather we all just go extinct and leave them in peace. But we're the top of the food chain so we get to decide how we want our animals, medium rare or well done.

Remember, if animals weren't meant to be eaten they wouldn't be made out of meat!

Cya in 7

Cyber Balls

2009-10-07T08:00:00.001-06:00

Does anyone else get annoyed with the term "hump day" ? It's always so misleading. ;)

For anyone that is new to this show, I work in technical support. I spend all night helping people with internet issues. I have been doing this job for over 10 years and up until recently I spent my time on the phones. Now most of the time I do support via online chat, so I can help 4 people at a time. And no, I do not get paid 4 times my wages as I now do four times the work. But that is not what I am going to bitch about today.

One of the many observations I have made since transitioning to an online support system is the anonymity that comes from chatting seems to give people a set of brass cyber balls the size of Texas. I have experienced a new level of rude and abusive behavior never before experienced in a phone conversation. Now I understand the frustration that comes when a service is not working correctly, but I've never understood how someone can have a complete lack of human decency.

This "cyber balls" phenomenon is not limited to technical support. Over the years I have been known to play an online game or two ::cough:: Geek! ::cough:: And I have observed many a "fight" online. People will fight and argue about anything and everything. Knowing that most of these people are prepubescent teenage boys sitting in their stank rooms hiding from the real world it amazes me the gall they muster. These kids would cower in a face to face confrontation, so what magical powers does the internet provide that makes these people invincible? And does it really matter who is more of a "newb" than the other?

I'm undecided as to what makes less sense, the people that decide to fight online or the people that let these online abuses affect them. I'm sure you've all heard about that gal that committed suicide because she was being bullied on MySpace. I'm sure there were other influences and issues leading to this drastic end, but really how can a person get so worked up over comments made on the internet. What happened to "sticks and stones...."?

Some of you may have even participated in an online "fight". What was it that made you feel so omnipotent that you disregarded another human beings feelings? Or for you "victims", what was it that made these comments from some random stranger hurt you? Maybe it is my over abundance of self confidence, or maybe it is my total lack of value applied to the opinions of all the inferior creatures found in cyber space, but I really don't understand why people fight online. Of course I'm not talking about a logical debate where valuable ideas and insights are exchanged, I'm talking about the petty personal attacks. "you're ugly and stupid!" "No, you're the ugly one and your mom smells like cheese!"

I once had a customer that was so upset that his service was disconnected because he hadn't paid his bill for several months. After using every swear word ever invented he became so desperate for an insult that he called me a "melon headed whale shark!" and then quickly left the chat. I cried myself to sleep that night.....

This topic reminds me of one of my favorite unpolitcally correct motivational posters: "Fighting on the internet is like competing in the special Olympics. Even if you 'win' you're still retarded."

Cya in 7

Special Guest Rant Part II: Flawed Arguments and Stubborn Facts

2009-09-30T08:00:00.002-06:00

Ok, I actually did have a rant written. But because of some of the thought provoking comments generated last week, Lori published a more detailed response. I felt it only fair to republish her blog again since several of the comments mentioned were from the small number of readers of this rant. Her blog can be seen here http://uncommoncommonsense88.blogspot.com/2009/09/flawed-arguments-and-stubborn-facts.html

So next week look forward to an original rant, Cyber Balls. =)

Cya in 7

'My last post addressed some of the things we can do to improve health care without government involvement. I got a few comments, but wanted to address a couple in particular. These comments brought up issues that are worthy of response.

One of the comments is as follows: "I would like to direct your attention to the writers first stated premise - there is no trust in the government with one sixth of our economy. My question is, how did it become one sixth of the economy? With every step of a 'free' enterprise system being everything but free, freedom is placed upon the back of those who are a dwindling base of contributors to support the greediness of astronomical proportions and the government is the recipient of easy target fingerpointing. If we insist on blaming government for a sick system, we are trying to fix the wrong problems."

My initial reply was the following: "There are many causes of the problems in medical care which I have also written about on my blog. Doctors are lousy business-men, insurance companies and employers cause problems of their own. Pharmaceutical companies and medical suppliers are making huge profits. But the single largest problem is the government sticking their big nose in everything. Ignoring that fact and involving them further will compound the problem exponentially. The government cannot fix our problems. We can. We need to stop shifting the blame and asking the government to fix the things we can fix on our own.

As to how it became one sixth of the economy--it's because we provide health care for the world. Nearly every advance in medical technology, new drugs, new treatments comes out of the US. People from all over the world come here for medical training and treatment. And we as a people are accustomed to being able to go to the doctor any time we want to. It's one sixth because we're a prosperous nation and medical care is accessible."

I didn't have enough space to adequately respond to the gentleman's comment above, but tried to briefly. First of all, based on his comment, I'm led to believe he did not read the post. The whole purpose of the post was about what we can do as individuals. And to discount everything I said simply because he felt I was "finger-pointing" at the government, is counter-productive.

John Adams once said, "Facts are stubborn things, and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictums of our passions, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence." One example of such a fact is the requirement that all hospitals must treat everyone, with or without insurance. You may argue the usefulness, the need or the success of this law as one part of the issue. But the separate fact of the issue is that it has increased the cost of health care for everyone in the US. I'm not saying it is right or wrong, moral or immoral. The fact of increased cost cannot be ignored.

The fact that states require insurance companies to cover an increasing number of mandates has raised the cost of health care for every employer and participant in a health plan. Again, you can debate whether it is right or wrong, but the facts are indisputable. In order to have a productive and honest discussion about health care reform, we must address the facts. There will also be a need to discuss the emotion and morality of the issues involved in health care. But we will come up with a wholly faulty solution if we fail to address the facts too. Some of the facts we must address are: What will it cost? Who will pay for it? What will be the consequences of the legislation, intended and unintended? Is the government capable of managing health care in light of its track record with Social Security, Medicare/Medicaid, the VA, etc.? How will the public option affect private insurance? Will rationing result? These are stubborn facts that must not be ignored.

A second issue that was raised came about at the end of my response above, "It's one sixth (of our economy) because we're a prosperous nation and medical care is accessible." One reader, responded: "Accessible yes. Affordable no." This argument, is quite simply, frustrating to me. First of all, I disagree. Secondly, "affordability" is a relative issue. Health care is a business and like any business in this country it is responsive to supply and demand. Because we have a greater supply of quality health care, the demand increases, therefore the supply is increased to meet the demand. The problem is, that health care is expensive, especially the kind we're accustomed to. We're not talking about apples here, we're talking about expensive procedures like MRI's, CT scans, x-rays, and ultrasounds. The equipment for these procedures is incredibly expensive and as those in the health care world try to meet the demand they have to add expensive pieces of equipment. Do you think they get it for free? Our demands are one of the reasons that health care is so expensive.

Furthermore, any American could go to South America or the heart of Africa and get the best health care money could buy...there--it would be very affordable. I don't suppose they get a lot of MRI's there, but it would be affordable. I would like to drive a Cadillac Escalade, but I can't justify the expense and therefore it's not affordable. Does that mean someone's trampling on my right to drive an Escalade? We as Americans kindof lose our minds when it comes to health care. We get caught up in the emotion (understandably) and forget the stubborn facts. Fact #1: Health care is expensive. Fact #2: It's your responsibility. Fact #3: Life is hard. We think we should be able to get Cadillac health care on a Volkswagen budget. It doesn't work that way. And if we start paying "Volkswagen rates" for our health care, then we will get "affordable" prices and care that would rival anything you can get in any given third world country. Those of us who are responsible adults, budget for a home, car, food, utilities, etc. Why don't we budget for health care? Life is full of surprises both pleasant and unpleasant. Stuff happens and then we have to pay to fix it. When my fridge breaks, I have to pay to get another one, whether it's in the budget or not, or go without. If I had no health insurance and a sick child, I would do whatever I had to do to get the Cadillac health care and I would figure out how to pay for it. If I had to spend the rest of my life paying $20 a month to pay off the bill, I would. But I would pay for it. That's called personal responsibility.

The final comment was thought-provoking but I felt flawed in many ways. "A few questions: First, questions on personal responsibility: How can those with mental illness or extreme pressures of physical illness be expected to have personal responsibility (ie. the majority of those receiving treatments)? What % of the people that are "lifers" really would be able to succeed in a "personal responsibility" system? How many would fall through the cracks? Who is responsible for the well-being of the citizens of the USA? MANY nations take themselves out of the well being of their citizens and leave it up to them, is this a good model to follow? Is the question really about whether or not health care is a "right" or is it a basic need? Should the needs of society be made free to all American citizens? If health care shouldn't be a government issue then why is education? Why is there public education? Would our country benefit from following the models of other countries that have healthy citizens? Is there such a model out there?"

The premise of her questions are that the only two choices are either personal responsibility or the government (forgive me if I have misunderstood you). Certainly they are not. Personal responsibility is the ideal and is where we should all be destined. Obviously there are those among our citizenry who are incapable of that level of responsibility. We already make provision for them through Medicare/Medicaid. But there are also charitable organizations all over the country that do great works, we as individuals help each other out, Churchs help their members, neighbors help neighbors, communities rally around the needy and hospitals and doctors donate millions of dollars each year in care to the indigent and needy. Is it a perfect system? Of course not. But we don't blow up our house and start over just because we have a leaky faucet. Tearing this health care system down, starting over and putting the government in charge, is the equivalent. That assumes the government can then re-create a new, improved and flawless house in its place. That's a big leap of faith--not based on any stubborn facts, like their history.

"How can those with mental illness or extreme pressures of physical illness be expected to have personal responsibility (ie. the majority of those receiving treatments)?" The majority of people have insurance and jobs and they pay for it like they pay for the rest of their bills. That's how I expect them to have personal responsibility. We don't have to blow up the system to take car of the exception. We finds ways to treat the exception and keep the rule.

"What % of the people that are 'lifers' really would be able to succeed in a 'personal responsibility' system?" How will we know if we never give them the chance? You don't teach a child responsibility by sheltering them from the consequences of life. You also remove all incentive to improve your life situation by giving endless handouts. "Give a man a fish, you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish, you feed him for life." America is still the land of opportunity--if you don't like your life, then you can go to work and change it.

"Who is responsible for the well being of the citizens of the USA? MANY nations take themselves out of the well being of their citizens and leave it up to them, is this a good model to follow?" I am responsible for my own well-being. We are responsible for the well-being of our family. The government is responsible to get the heck out of the way. Is it a good model? Yes, we created it. It's called freedom. You are free to succeed or fail and the attending consequences. It's the only way to learn and progress.

"Is the question really about whether or not health care is a 'right' or is it a basic need? Should the needs of society be made free to all American citizens? If health care shouldn't be a government issue then why is education? Why is there public education?" First of all, if you're asking these questions then your public education has failed you miserably. Using public education is a very poor example. Many would argue that the government should not be in the business of education because they are botching it all over the country. We spend more per capita, with less to show for it than just about any country on earth. If that is an example of the government taking care of a right, it does nothing to generate my confidence in the their abilities. But I digress. No-one has a right to an education. We as a society have decided that it is of sufficient importance that we will provide it for all our citizenry (heck, we even provide it for non-citizens), that does not make it a right. Check the Bill of Rights: http://www.ratical.org/co-globalize/BillOfRights.html. The last right reads, "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people." So, yes, you have the right to go and get your own health care. The Constitution was established to "promote the general welfare" (not provide it) and "and secure the blessings of liberty". Those are your rights, along with "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness" (Declaration of Independence). You have the right to live, to be free and to chase happiness. There is no guarantee you will catch it, but you have the right to pursue it. Those are the rights, including those listed in the Bill of Rights that you are guaranteed in the founding documents of our nation.

To try and define health care as a right is simply...wrong. When we, as a nation, get in the business of becoming the nanny to all of our citizens we are destined for abject failure. All incentive to work hard, succeed and achieve will be destroyed and then who will pay for all the programs? There is not one single historical example of success where the government provides everything. Whether you label it socialism, communism, Naziism or the public option, it is all the same and history has shown it to fail in every case. The very wise Thomas Jefferson, author of the Constitution, said, "A government big enough to give you everything you want, is strong enough to take everything you have." It matters not which party reigns, the more power we cede to the government, the less freedom we have. That is one of those stubborn facts that people choose to ignore all too often. You have the right to go and seek health care; you do not have the right to have the government pay for it. In fact, lets nix this talk of the the government ever paying for anything, because they don't generate a dime of income, they can only take it from one citizen and give it to another. You do not have the right to have your fellow-citizens and taxpayers (i.e. government) pay for your health care. Nor is it your right to have your fellow-citizens buy your food, house, car or anything else you think you have a right to. Go to work and get it. That's the American way. That's the responsible way.

"Would our country benefit from following the models of other countries that have healthy citizens? Is there such a model out there?" This implies that we have unhealthy citizens. I don't think that's accurate in the first place. Healthy compared to what and using what statistics? And when we aren't healthy, in many cases it's our own dumb fault. We overeat, we aren't active enough, we eat the wrong things. Are we to legislate that? In a movie called "The Island", Ewan McGregor's character got to have his urine tested every morning by a computer which determined what he was allowed to eat for breakfast. We must think beyond the "now" and look at the "next". You can't legislate "healthy" unless you're prepared to lose all your freedom. No thanks. Furthermore, I defy you to find one historical example of a continually increasing government leading to anything but the decreasing prosperity and freedom of any nation.

Let me conclude by saying this: The fabric of our nation is made stronger each time we serve and help each other. Americans are generous people, that is a big part of who we are. But by turning that charitable nature over to the anonymous government, we will be poorer for it. We will care less for our neighbors or for those in our community because of the assumption the government will take care it. You cannot legislate charity. On the flip-side, when you have a citizenry that is entitled, they become ungrateful and lazy. I have never appreciated anything as much, nor savored an achievement as deeply as when I have had to work hard to get it. Without the opportunity to work, to achieve, to serve and to be served when we need it, we as a nation will become completely selfish, isolated, unproductive and weak. To quote Ronald Reagan, "...government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem." '

Special Guest Rant: So What Can We Do?

2009-09-23T08:00:00.000-06:00

Welcome back to another edition of KG's to lazy to write his own rant. Actually today's rant is a republished blog from my cousin Lori, her original work can be found here http://uncommoncommonsense88.blogspot.com/2009/09/so-what-can-we-do.html

I don't necessarily agree with everything said, but at the same time I don't disagree. None the less, it is a very interesting perspective and I think should generate some entertaining comments. =)

Remember, play nice.

Cya in 7

"I have spent a lot of time picking apart the liberal plan for reforming health care in the U.S. I do not have any confidence in a government that cannot run anything cheaply or efficiently. They are the last people I would trust to manage one sixth of our economy--I wouldn't trust them to do my lawn care. So, it's high time to talk about what can and should be done instead. Here are some ideas that would go a long way to lowering the cost of health care for everyone without a government takeover of health care.

1) Individual responsibility:

As with anything in life, when we are directly responsible for the outcomes of our decisions, we are better for it, individually and as a society. That responsibility includes being accountable for our life choices, the amount of risks we take and paying our bills. It seems like a no-brainer doesn't it? Unfortunately, we have gotten away from that thinking in reference to our health care. If I choose to have multiple sexual partners, why is it anybody else's responsibility to pay for the resulting medical problems? If I choose to drive drunk, or recklessly, why should others pay for my choices? If I choose not to pay my financial obligations, it affects my fellow customers and increases costs for everyone. Is that okay? Others are not responsible to carry our weight for us--that is selfish and immature. That is one aspect of personal responsibility that needs to be considered.

The other aspect is the erroneous idea that health care is a right. Health care is a business, not a right. That sounds cold and sterile, but it is the truth. Like any business, it most be operated to turn a profit and meet its obligations or it will cease to exist. No one owes you health care. In fact, health insurance came about as a perk, offered by employers that needed more leverage than just wages to entice employees into their fold. Employer-based health insurance is relatively new to our economy (within the last few decades), but it evolved very quickly from a perk, to an expectation, to a right. You have the right to seek health care anywhere you want, but with that right, as with any other, comes responsibility--the responsibility to pay for it. That principle holds true to housing, food, cars and gas. I don't have the right to food or a house--I do have the right to work for it and the responsibility to pay for it. We must recognize the difference.

Having said the above, that does not preclude the need for help. Sometimes we find ourselves in trouble financially due to unexpected medical expenses and in need of help. That can come in many forms and should come in the following order: 1) Self: exhaust your savings if you must, but meet your obligations. 2) Family: draw on your immediate and/or extended family for support as they are able. 3) Church: look to those organizations that are already set up and organized to help people. 4) Community and charitable organizations: fund raisers in your local area to help you meet your needs, or the assistance of those organizations already established for that purpose. 5) Government: the last resort. Every dollar you get from the government was taken forcibly from the wallet of a fellow-citizen. Americans are among the most generous people in the world and also the most willing to render aid. In our collective looking to the government to solve problems, we eliminate the opportunity to serve and help one another, to be involved in each other's lives. Government programs do not engender a sense of community, they sterilize and mask the challenges we face as individuals and families. The fabric of our society is weaker for it. I would much rather keep and additional $100 from my paycheck, that rather than going to taxes, I could spend any way I see fit. And when someone needed the help, I would have the extra cash around to do so. And if you are among those who feel that government programs are the way to go, then you go ahead and pay all the taxes you want to pay. I'm sure the IRS won't turn away your dollars. But forcibly taxing money away from one group of citizens to help another group of citizens, is not charity, it's socialism. Trust us to be wise in the spending of our money, including how and when we want to help our fellow-man.

Medical reform will also require a change in our thinking, in taking responsibility for our medical care. I am as guilty of this as anybody else. When we go to the doctor and we are told we need additional treatment, my first question is always, "Will my insurance cover that?" That is not the right question. What we should be asking is: What will that accomplish? Is it necessary? How much will it cost? Would it be cheaper for me to pay for it out of pocket? Will it be successful? What are the possible outcomes? How can we cut costs? What would you do, independent of the insurance company's influence? These are the kinds of questions that will return the responsibility for medical choices to us and to our doctors. We should be just as careful with the costs for our treatment as we would be if we were to pay every penny out of pocket. I guarantee that will change things. To that end, see number 2 below.

2) Health Savings Accounts and higher deductibles:

One of the most underused tools in our medical savings arsenal, is the HSA. Very few of us know the benefits and how easy they are to use. Part of the problem is that it's our responsibility to set it up and make it happen; no one will do it for you. We finally got around to it, determined what we would deposit in our account each month and the bank we worked with sent us a debit card that will directly access our account. It is our money and it will roll over from year to year, earning interest, if we don't use it all. Once we reach retirement, we can then use the money for whatever we need, not just medical expenses. And it is all pre-tax dollars. It is a great way to prepare for unexpected medical expenses and to benefit from your planning if you don't ever need it for that purpose.

The deductible on our health insurance is quite high, higher than I'm used to. We therefore funded our HSA to match our $5,000 deductible, which amounts to a little over $400/month. I realize that not everyone will be able to do that, but for those of us who can, it's a great benefit. And for those who can afford it, but choose not to carry health insurance, it's an excellent way to pay for their medial care with tax-free dollars.

Having that higher deductible has greatly changed my perspective on going to the doctor. It's not like we were running to the doctor every month, but since so much of that money comes out of our pocket, we are very careful how we spend it. We include cost factors when making our medical decisions, which makes us wiser consumers. It's funny how we weigh cost with every other decision we make when we make purchases, but got away from that when it came to our health care. We now do a better job of cutting costs where we can and seeking better prices when available.

3) Everyone should pay something:

Free stuff is great. Everyone loves free stuff. But as a consistent modus operandi in society, free stuff can be detrimental. We all know spoiled children who get everything they want, are never required to work and have no responsibilities. They are intolerable to be around. Our society has its share of "spoiled children" who have gotten so much "free stuff" that they are equally intolerable. I'm not talking about people who have fallen on hard times for a period; that could happen to any of us. I'm talking about the lifers, who expect society to provide for their needs; those who feel the world owes them a living. That way of thinking breeds a lack of responsibility, productivity and self-respect. It is very damaging to our society as a whole. It would benefit both the individuals concerned and the country if everyone was required to pay something for their health care. Even if it were only $5, that would accomplish several purposes. It would make people think twice before they run off the ER as their primary care physician--the most expensive medical care in the US. They would reconsider unnecessary office visits. It would give them the dignity of having paid for a part of their care. Anything they're told by the doctor will be taken more seriously when it hits their pocketbook. And for those who don't even have $5, we can figure something out. That's where the generous American spirit steps in and we help each other out.

4) Return medical decisions to the doctor and patient:

It is time for us to regain control of the relationship with our doctors. We have allowed our insurance coverage to dictate our care for too long. I have learned that my annual pap smear is generally a waste of money. The only man I've ever been with is my husband. At most, I would probably only need a pap smear every 3-5 years because I don't participate in risky sexual behaviors necessitating an annual pap smear. Because the insurance pays for it, it costs the system unnecessary money. On the other hand, my husband is at great risk for prostate cancer due to his family's medical history. We need to be pro-active and make sure he gets the proper screening, at an earlier age than normal, whether the insurance will pay for it or not. We must have a conversation with our doctor, like the one I listed above, and return the decision-making to where it belongs. The responsibility lies with the doctor to do his/her best and we make a decision together and live with the consequences. That kind of decision-making would also eliminate a lot of malpractice lawsuits. In fact, I heard once that the difference between doctors who get sued and those who don't, is three minutes. Those who don't get sued, spend an average of three more minutes with their patients than those who do. Nothing complicated about that.

5) Increase Medicare/Medicaid reimbursements:

One of the biggest contributing factors to the increasing cost of medical care lies directly on the doorstep of the federal government. The reimbursement rates of doctors who treat Medicare/Medicaid patients are ridiculously low. As in any business, if a customer doesn't pay or under-pays the owner, he must make up those costs elsewhere to keep his business afloat. Doctors have overhead just like any other business: employees pay, employee benefits, office space, office supplies, medical supplies, medical equipment and their whopping malpractice insurance premiums. The fact that they are running a business is not a measure of their compassion. Doctors perform more pro bono work than in any other business and they get little or no credit for it. In fact, most people don't even know they do it--and they do it because they are compassionate, not so they can go around talking about it. Every hospital in this country writes off millions of dollars every year in unpaid bills. How many of us think of that when we're complaining about the cost of the great care we get from our medical system? The government's refusal to pay doctors and hospitals a fair reimbursement costs all of us a lot of money. The next time you see your doctor, ask about it. You will be shocked. And in the end, it causes many doctors to drop patients with Medicare/Medicaid because they simply cannot afford to treat them anymore. The government compounds the problem of "the uninsured" through their short-sighted policies based on emotion, not sound economic principles. This is a glaring example of a well-meaning but inept government, whose good intentions don't always match the results.

6) Tort reform:

Any discussion of health care reform that doesn't include tort reform is just plain silly. Every doctor, because of the lawsuit happy society we live in, is required to carry malpractice insurance. Before your doctor ever starts making any money in any given fiscal year, he/she must pay the malpractice premium which runs anywhere from $60,000 to $150,000 per year. How many small business owners could handle that? The premiums vary from specialty to specialty and from state to state, but the costs of those premiums are, of necessity, passed on to the patient. Every time someone brings a frivolous malpractice lawsuit to court and every time the jury makes a ridiculous pain and suffering award, the premiums go up and so does the cost of your health care.

I am not suggesting that people should not be able to bring malpractice lawsuits, that's not what tort reform is. Tort reform, would not prohibit lawsuits. It would not limit the money required to right the wrong. It would cap the pain and suffering awards at say $2 million, for example, instead of $22 million. It would also require the loser to pay the court costs for both parties. So, if you have an ambulance-chasing lawyer, looking to get rich, who brings a frivolous case to court, they are going to make sure their client can pay them first. And if you have a gold-digger, thinking they are going to put the screws to the rich doctors, they either better have a solid, legitimate case, or be prepared to pay the legal fees.

Furthermore, I must go back to the personal responsibility idea. Doctors are not gods--they are imperfect people doing the very best they can with the limited information they have. They know much, but there are still vast amounts of information yet to be discovered. Nonetheless, we expect them to have all the answers and never make a mistake. Do we hold ourselves to that same standard? Stuff happens. Doctors cannot control the human body, they cannot foresee every complication or problem that may arise in treating a unique and very individual patient. Complications and mistakes are not malpractice. It's part of life. We need to recognize that fact and accept the idea that something could go wrong. That doesn't mean it's the doctor's fault or that there has to be someone to blame. Malpractice is when someone is incompetent, willfully negligent or grossly under-trained. If lawsuits were brought, rightfully so, in just those cases, they would be few and far between.

This is actually an area where the government could be useful. Tort reform would severely reduce the number of frivolous lawsuits and thereby reduce malpractice premiums out of the stratosphere. As the premiums go down, so goes the overhead and the costs passed on the to the patient. Furthermore, if doctors weren't in constant fear of being sued, they wouldn't practice defensive medicine. When doctors are practicing defensive medicine, they order twelve tests instead of the necessary one, out of fear they might get sued. So, to cover their behinds and because the insurance will pay for it, we spend millions of dollars per year on unnecessary tests, etc. Once again, that increases the costs for all of us.

7) Tax deductions for pro bono care:

There are a few bad apples here and there in the medical world, but most physicians are very caring, concerned and conscientious practitioners. Unheralded, doctors do a lot of free work for those that simply can't afford it. At present, they are not allowed to use that as a tax write-off. Why not? It's charitable work. That doesn't stop doctors from doing it, but why not encourage it? Doctors are slammed with high income taxes, which includes the "income" they use to pay malpractice premiums. I think it would encourage even more pro bono work, if they could also get the tax benefits. We have plenty of economic history to prove this principle--as taxes go up, charitable donations go down and vice versa. It doesn't take a genius to understand that.

8) Cash discounts:

Try negotiating with your doctor about the costs of your care. Most doctors are willing to offer you a discount for full payment on the day of service. It is cheaper for them to take a discount off the top than it is to go through the hassle of filing a claim and waiting, waiting, waiting for reimbursement. It will save you money and will save him money.

9) Open insurance up to actual competition:

The current health insurance system is really weird. "They" keep talking about the fact that we need "choice and competition". I agree. But creating a government form of insurance (i.e. Medicaid) has done and will do nothing for the cost of insurance. That's not real competition. Let's look at auto insurance. It's required for all drivers to carry minimum coverage and the insurance industry has adjusted to compete for those policies. You can go almost anywhere in the country to find an auto insurance policy that will meet your needs in terms of cost and coverage. You can't do that with health insurance. Health insurers won't insure individuals, which makes it almost impossible for small employers or the self-employed to get affordable health insurance. You are also not allowed to shop outside of your state for health insurance. That restriction limits the competition and therefore the price. If an employer is shopping for employee coverage, he is usually limited to just two or three insurers within his state. That's not real competition. And it usually leads to the biggest insurer driving out the smaller ones. If the competition were opened up nationwide, the best companies, who provided the best coverage for the best price, would rise to the top. The other companies would either improve their coverage and costs or they would go out of business. Good old American capitalism would do more for the insurance marketplace than any government program ever could. Surely those same capitalists can find a way to make insurance available to the self-employed and small businesses.

Government meddling has caused other problems here as well. Over-regulation in individual states has raised the costs of health insurance for everyone. That has come about as state governments have legislated more and more coverage mandates (for example, some states have mandated coverage for elective procedures such as sex changes or prescription coverage of Viagra). What that means is that the minimum policy is required to have more mandated coverage. Insurance companies base their premiums on their perceived risks of a payout. Each mandated coverage item therefore increases the premium for everybody. Again, that limits competition and makes it hard for insurance companies to provide the kinds of policies that would sell like crazy in the marketplace. If we, as the consumer, could actually buy some minimum coverage, like catastrophic coverage at a minimum price and have the flexibility to actually purchase the coverage we need, that would change the whole health insurance landscape. But because of government regulations, that cannot be done right now. Another example of governmental good intentions with short-sighted policies.

In the end, there's very little that the government can or should do. I'm not a business major, I'm not a economist, but I am a pretty smart consumer. These things are common sense ideas that would encourage the government to pass tort reform, de-regulate the insurance industry and let the marketplace do it's thing. These changes, coupled with an increased infusion of personal responsibility when it comes to health care, could solve most of our problems. We live in the greatest country that has ever existed on the earth. It is filled with brilliant and generous people, full of ideas who love to face a challenge and solve a problem. Let's not look to the government, let's look to ourselves. We, the people, need to fix this and help our representatives understand that the best thing they can do is get out of the way. I certainly haven't covered every possible fix and I would love to hear other ideas. Maybe this is the kind of thing we should be discussing with our government representatives."

2009-09-16T08:00:00.000-06:00

Welcome to Wednesday!

Apparently last weeks rant was so unappreciated that the guest rants just came pouring in. ;) So this week we will be graced with some rantings from Sarah.

Cya in 7

"The prophet said to plant a garden, so that's what we'll do...

Anyone else remember that song?

What else has the prophet said recently? Get your house in order. Have a year supply of food. Have a 72 hour kit. Don't pierce your body, other than women who can have one pair of earrings. Don't get tattoos. Follow the word of wisdom. Don't look at pornography. I know I'm leaving stuff out, because I don't have all day. I could go ON AND ON AND ON about what the prophet has told us to do and not to do.

That said, I am a recovering alcoholic and addict. And I have a tattoo. And, I am about to get another one after a brief stint of addiction to Oxycontin. As of writing this, I am 32 days clean and sober, and , God willing, by the time it gets published 6 days from now, I will be at 40.

I won't go into details or defend why I am getting my tattoo. Quite frankly, I'm not married to any of you, nor are you my mother, and the reasons are personal.

But here's what gets me. A "friend" that I've known for a long time asked me why I felt okay about getting one after the prophet specifically came out and said not to. Okay, that really set me off, but because we've been friends for a long time, I had a FAR too lengthy discussion with her about my reasons. She disagrees. I knew she would, and honestly, that's fine. But when she asked me what it cost, the line had been crossed. I was not about to tell her that. None of it was any of her business, and the financial aspect of it was especially none of her business. So I told her I wasn't telling her that. Her response? "Why? Is it completely atrocious? Or are you paying for it with sex?"

WHAT???? So getting a tattoo automatically makes me a whore? SHAME on you. NO WONDER people with multiple tattoos feel so uncomfortable in our church buildings. Our stake president said that the best smell you could have in the chapel is cigarette smoke. YEP, he sure did. You know why? It's a sanctuary for the sinner, not a country club for the righteous. And in this high concentration of Mormon population, I find that there has never been a more judgmental bunch of people, EVER.

I have a friend who is (dare I say it?) an atheist. When her son was in 2nd grade, he had children from our faith and a couple of others tell him on the playground that he is going to hell because he doesn't believe in God. Are you kidding me, people? Is this how you honestly think Jesus would want you to behave, first of all? And, secondly, do you think that you are helping the name of Mormonism, or hurting it? What do you think would do more for the conversion of this little boy's belief in God, kids being his friend, or condemning him to hell because of his non-belief (which, incidentally is SO not their place)? Thankfully, my own children were not involved in this, and we had a family meeting about it and my husband and I told all of our children that we wanted to make sure they knew that was NOT acceptable behavior. I am teaching my children to be kind to EVERYONE no matter the color of their skin, their choice of God, or choice of no God, etc. When I was living in Utah, and President Hinckley had to come out at a regional conference and say that the members needed to teach their kids that they weren't better than the kids of other faiths, etc., and I remember just being horrified that it even needed to be said.

What happened to common sense and the golden rule? What happened to Jesus said love everyone? (anyone remember THAT song?)

Yes, I am getting a tattoo. Yes, the prophet has told us not to. I have two words for all of you: FREE AGENCY
If you have nothing better to do than to be judgmental about what I'm doing, perhaps you should talk to your bishop. Maybe the two of you can unrighteously judge me together. Or maybe you can remember that Jesus said to the crowd of the woman taken in adultery, "Let he who is perfect among you cast the first stone."

You know, manure is great when it's spread around the field, but when it's in a great big pile, it sure does STINK."

Well Done Thou Good And Faithful Servant

2009-09-09T08:00:00.000-06:00

Happy hump day! Hope y'all had a good labor day weekend. Today's rant is more of a quandary than a complaint. But I have been thinking about it for some time, and would like to get it out in writing to see what comes up. So if you think it sucks I expect a guest rant from you in my inbox by next Tuesday.

In the Bible there is a parable of the talents. I'm sure any of you that have ever gone to a Sunday School or perused the Bible have heard of it. It's found in Matthew 25:15-30, in case you want to dust off your Bible and take a look. Anyway, the point of the parable I wanted to discuss is that we all have supposedly been given talents. Some people have been given many talents, and others just a few. And we are supposed to use these talents so they will develop and increase.

For years I have pondered over what talents do I have. And besides being damn sexy, I couldn't think of anything. Then it occurred to me, maybe not all talents are "good". As I started to think outside of the box I came up with a longer list of things I am really good at that I guess I could call talents. Here are a couple that I am most proud of.

I'm really good at making people cry, and not in the good way. If have a gift for upsetting people so much that it drives them to tears. Man and woman alike, doesn't matter how tough you think you are I can make you cry.

I'm a talented arguer. I can argue about anything, for any reason, with anyone. Even if I whole heartedly disagree with the stance I take, I can argue it for hours. And I don't even need to know anything about that which I'm arguing. Plus I will argue just for fun when there really isn't a need to argue. I'm sure my wife will vouch for that. =)

This last one may be more of a hobby than a talent, but I love to antagonize people and do it with ninja like skills. I can quickly learn a person's buttons. And just like any other adolescent, I love to push buttons.

Now I know you've not heard anything surprising or previously unknown so far. And I'm not making this list to be boastful, even though boasting is on my talent list. I'm just setting the stage for my question.

If talents are God given gifts that we are expected to "use or lose" then why is it considered uncouth for me to use my talents? Or do you suppose that since my talents are based on contention, and contention is of the devil, that my talents may not be from God? Lets hear your opinion.

Cya in 7

Guest Rant: Life's A Beach

2009-09-02T08:00:00.000-06:00

Hello all! Happy hump day! We have a special treat today, a guest rant from Emi Neubauer. I think it's pretty darn funny. So without further delay....

Cya in 7

"

For the past ten years (whoa) I've been married to a military officer, but not just any military, the red headed step-child of the "armed forces" the Coast Guard. And by the very nature of its name, my husband's job is to "Guard" the "Coast" which means we have had the (ahem) honor to live in some pretty sweet areas of our great country.

For example: We currently live in Hawaii. We moved here from Washington, D.C. and so on and so forth. Now, this rant isn't about idiots out on the American Waterways, this rant is about tourists.

Being that we currently live in what is (arguably) the top tourist hotspot in America, the island is crawling with folks who, since they are "on vacation", demand being catered to 24/7.

Tourists are great, they're always good for a good heartfelt laugh when walking down the street in their fanny packs, cheap Hawaiian print shirts, black socks pulled up to their knobby knees under sandals, and video cameras hanging off their necks. But, come on people. Some of us have lives we have to live. Yes, People live here.... the rest of us did not get off the cruise ship with you.

When you are dining out in a restaurant, this might be a really big deal to you, so much so that you have to TALK REALLY LOUD SO EVERYONE CAN HEAR YOU SQUAKING INTO YOUR CELL PHONE ABOUT HOW YOU ARE IN HONOLULU! YEAH! I KNOW!! ITS BEAUTIFUL HERE!!"

Seriously? The rest of us? Don't need to hear about "the fantastic price you paid for your ticket, but dear god! It's expensive here!!!" We know.... we live it.

We are just trying to enjoy our meal. You know. US. The people who have to live on this island you come to, go to a luau, ride your duck boat tour down the street staring at all the rest of us just trying to take our kids to school, and go to jobs that we hate, that pay crap so we can spend it on stuff you can buy for 20%-40% cheaper when you go back to North Dakota, or Alabama, or wherever it is you came from.

And something else? We all don't exist to serve you. They didn't make me sign a waiver that I would become a personal tourist concierge before they allowed me to move here.

Living in D.C. was similar, although a little more tolerable, since D.C. tourists come with a sense of reverence to see America's Capital City. Usually the older retired set, or families with children bringing them on a personal history lesson. Not like here, where people come to get "lei'd" and want to do nothing more then sit on a beach drinking mai tais.

Just remember this: Wherever you go, whatever you do, Have fun, enjoy your stay, but keep in mind that the rest of us have to go to Safeway and buy the toilet paper you wipe your Topeka Kansas ass on.

Big Mac Attack

2009-08-19T08:00:00.001-06:00

Happy Wednesday! Did you miss me? I didn't think so.

This is something I have complained about before, but never in a rant. So if it sounds familiar to you then go find something else to read. I've heard there are many couponing blogs you could check out.

To get right into it, I hate Macintosh computer users! That's right, I said it. In case you misunderstood, I don't necessarily hate Mac computers, just their users. And if you don't even
know what a Mac computer is, then maybe you really should be reading the coupon blogs.

I know about half of you 5 people reading this rant are Mac users, so let me tell you why I hate you. Mac users, or Mac-ies, have an undeserved sense of superiority. They feel like they belong to an elite club of special people, like those douche bags that drive Hummers. And just like said douche bags, they are gravely mistaken.

Just to clarify from the beginning, I am not a Kool Aid drinking member of the PC's for life club. And I don't worship at Bill Gates feet (though I would if he would pay me enough money). In my home there are a "couple" computers, some Windows, some Linux, and a Mac. So I am not ignorant to the benefits of any of the systems. I will even admit that in a few ways Macintosh computers are better than Windows. BUT that does not give the Mac-ies the right or even the justification to think themselves smarter than Windows users.

I think the reason I hate you Mac-ies more than others is because I work in technical support. 95% of the customers I speak with are morons. They have no business owning a computer. When one of these 95% also has a Mac computer it makes the conversation that much more painful. Mac-ies can never believe any trouble is with their computer. They believe Mac's are infallible. "It is impossible there is an incorrect setting in my computer because I have a Mac!" But these same Mac-ies don't even know how to change the picture on their screen saver or use the "right click" options.

Macintosh computers are not indestructible. Contrary to urban moronisms, they can fail, have hardware issues, and crash. And there are even a virus or two that can infect a Mac, even though the chances of a Mac getting a virus are significantly less than those of a Windows OS. Just because you paid almost 3 times as much money for your Mac for the same processing power as a Windows computer, it doesn't mean you're a better person. And if you don't even know how to use your computer all you did was spend $3000 for an expensive email machine.

So, if you own a Mac, I hate you. Ok, that is not entirely true. I hate all people! But you Mac owners, pull your heads out of your butts and go get educated about your computer. Mac's do have some great features and some fun software not available to Windows users. However, understand that you are not special. Owning a Mac doesn't increase your IQ, it doesn't make you any better looking, your male genitalia isn't getting any larger, and it doesn't give you any reason to inflate your ego. It just means that some salesman saw you as an easy mark, and made a fat commission from selling you a beginners computer.

As a side note here are a few things I dislike about the Mac computer specifically.

They have proprietary components. If a hard drive crashes its not just a matter of spending $100 and buying a new hard drive.
They cost a fortune. Because of the proprietary parts Apple can charge an arm and a leg. Windows systems are so much cheaper because anyone that can read directions (or even follow the simple pictograms found in an Ikea instruction guide) can buy the parts and build their own computer. They don't need to spend the money to get the Dell or HP logo imprinted on their PC.
Many software programs and games are still incompatible with the Mac OS. It is true that as Mac has gained in popularity over the last few years more and more programs are becoming Mac compatible, but the software options available for Windows based computers is still far superior to that of the Mac.

Ok, just to be fair here are a couple things I do like about Mac's.

I feel the graphic design software and capabilities of a Mac are still superior to those of Windows, but the gap has been rapidly closing as Microsoft continues their quest for world dominance.
Macintosh computers are good for people with more money than sense. I'm not meaning this as a knock, but I seriously feel that little old grandmas that have plenty of money should get Macs. They are harder to get infected with viruses and spyware. They are a safe beginner computer for someone that can afford it. The perfect "computer for dummies".
Ummmm...... I'm having a hard time coming up with a 3rd reason. Oh, I love their commercials. Justin Long is hilarious!

Ok, lets hear all your reasons why you THINK I'm wrong, and why you feel you really are better because you bought a Mac.

Cya in 7.

Dollar Store Babies

2009-08-05T08:00:00.000-06:00

Hello all,

So today I'm going to "talk" about something. I'm going to avoid making light of this subject, as best as I can of course. This is a sensitive subject to some, and it is personal to me as well. So, this is one rant where I will not be trying to offend my readers. =)

Most of you may know that my wife and I have adopted both of our daughters. I get a lot of questions about adoption. But the one statement, or assumption, I get that kind of irks me is "that's too bad you couldn't have your own kids."

In our case we probably could have biological children. But we felt that adoption was the way we were meant to grow our family at this time. There are people in the world that are not able to conceive and they choose to adopt. But does that make adopted children less loved? Does that mean they had to settle for an adopted child because their first choice wasn't available? I know nobody ever really means to imply that adopted children are any less important than a biological one, but some people think it.

A child is a child. My girls are my children, and I love them more than anything. I could not have biologically created a more perfect set of girls. And except for a few slight physical differences, these girls are a spitting image of me. God created these girls for me, He just used a different delivery system.

It may be difficult for some people to understand how a person can love a child that is not biologically theirs. For me it is difficult to understand how people can NOT love an adopted child. Well, we are all different. Adoption is not for everyone.

In years past there was a big stigma associated with adoption. Children would freak out when they found out they were adopted, parents would keep things secret, everything was always closed and hush hush. That was a shame. As is true with all things, communication and education are key. The stigma has been lifted in the past few years as people have become more concerned about what is best for these children, and less worried about the opinions of others and outward appearances.

The word Adoption needs to hold the same place in society as natural conception, In Vitro fertilization, surrogacy or any other method people choose to grow their family. It is not a second choice, it is not something one must do because all good options are depleted, and it is not a set of parents "saving" a child.

My soap-box lease has expired. And again, I didn't aim to offend anyone, this time. ;) But next time you speak to someone about adoption try to keep in mind that ones children get to them the way they are meant to, and all children are equally important.

Cya in 7

Life: Mission Impossible

2009-07-29T08:00:00.000-06:00

Another week, another rant.

This rant may seem a little sad and depressing. I don't really have anything else to rant about today so I figured I would just bitch and moan a little. And I'm just too tired to try to make these problems sound funny. Please excuse the vagueness of the context. I don't know who reads this thing anymore, if anyone. But just in case, I need to protect the identity of the less innocent.

So is it just me, or does life just seem to have unanswerable questions sometimes? When a situation arises that really truly has no solution, what do you do? And I am not talking about just a tough choice, but an impossible choice.

What frustrates the hell out of me more is because of my previously mentioned "overactive imagination" I find myself constantly imagining a workable answer to life's problems. I feel a weight lifted and everything is happy. Then I realize that my dumb-ass mind is playing tricks on me again, and I am not going to find a large sack of money on the side of the road. The weight of the world comes crashing back down. So how do I try to figure out what to do when I can't trust my own thoughts?

I guess I will just have to do what I have always done. Worry about the problems I can control, and don't stress about the ones I can't. It just becomes increasingly more difficult when these problems are also causing great stress and strain on loved ones. I know I can roll with the punches, but how can I help everyone else? And how many punches can I take until the internal hemorrhaging is just too much?

Alright, I'm going to go home and sleep now. Sorry for the invite to my pity party. Tomorrow's another day.

Cya in 7

Guest Rant : Until Death Do Us Part, Or Something Better Comes Along.

2009-07-22T08:00:00.000-06:00

Happy Hump Day! And to make it even better, today's rant is from our favorite anonymous ranter. Enjoy!

Cya in 7

"Growing up I remember being asked, “What do you admire most about your dad?” Uh. Uh. Uh. Uh. “Well, he works hard I guess. And he’s loyal to my mom and I know he loves her.” I really appreciated that fact. Even though I didn’t see eye to eye with my dad on just about everything, there was one thing we both had in common. We both loved my mom. I didn’t trust my dad not to hurt me, but I knew he would never hurt her. It made me feel safe. So imagine how devastated I was to learn that my dad was leaving my mom because he “didn’t love her anymore.” Thirty four years of marriage down the toilet.

A few hours ago, I returned from a trip to McCall where my dad ::clearing my throat:: has a cabin. He is remarried now to a very sweet woman. I would like her very much. I would like her a lot more if my mother were dead.

Let me be clear that I try very hard at this whole “your parents are divorced” thing. I know very well it would be hypocritical for me not to love my father. After all, the reason I’m angry at him is because he doesn’t love my mother. So not loving my father because he doesn’t love my mother, although understandable, is wrong. But it’s hard. I know logically that I am to forgive others of their trespasses. I know that judging others is not my job. I know that criticism tears down relationships. He couldn’t get past the things about her that bothered him. So even though I have a huge list of things that I do not like about my father and feel very justified in those things, I know that I should overlook his past misdeeds, hurts, and wrongs, and love him anyway. So I try. I try very hard not to do to my father what my father did to my mother. Yet still it is hard.

Take today for example. The cabin is now my father’s, but it has my mother’s stamp all over it. Looks the same. Looks like her. Looks like them. Stupid, stuffed animals all over the place. The only things missing are the four quilts my mom made for the beds upstairs. They kind of disappeared. It irritates me that my dad won’t say, “Hey I took those quilts off the bed that your mom made and replaced them with different quilts. Would you like them before I give them to DI?” Everything gets tossed. Really irks me.

Then there’s breakfast at the Pancake House. A family tradition, and when I say ‘family’ I mean my old family, the one where my parents were married. My old PD (pre-divorce) family went there on a regular basis as I was growing up. Now it’s something that my father enjoys with his new wife. Anyway, when they eat out, they always order the same entrée and split it. They ask what we’re going to order and we ask what they are going to order. His new wife says they are going to order McCalls’s Best because “we’ve never had it before.” I choked on my water and held my tongue. I can’t count how many times my dad has ordered and eaten McCall’s Best. He never corrected her. He never does.

That reminds me of the trip they took to Boston. A while back she told me all about their wonderful trip to Boston and what a fun time they had together walking the Freedom Trail and seeing the historic sites. Oh you would have been so proud of me for not saying, “Oh really? My dad took my mom to Boston at least three times. Besides Hawaii, it was their favorite place to go. In fact, one year they took me for my senior trip. The three of us had a blast. Would you like to see my pictures? I have one in front of the Paul Revere statue just like you do.”

I don’t blame him, but I don’t think my dad has ever mentioned a single thing about his 57 years of living before he met her. It’s like it’s all been erased. Was it really that terrible?

So our breakfast comes and they start eating their McCalls’s Best, which supposedly my dad has never had before, and they start talking about their recent trip to Wyoming. They are always traveling. They tell me all about it and the stops along the way, and they talk about the little towns and where they ate and where they stayed and have I ever been here or there. They ask me have I ever been to Tetonia? Oh yes. Tetonia. The beautiful place in Idaho where my grandmother was raised. Yes, I have been there. With my grandmother. And her sister. Again I remain silent and pretend like I have never been to or heard of Tetonia. Then my dad says, “Your uncle Tom was born there.” Oh really? He’s not the only one. Have you forgotten that my grandmother, you know, your ex mother in law was born and raised there?

Hearing about their perfect life is tantamount to fingernails on the chalkboard. And I can’t talk about 90% of my life. I can’t talk about my heritage. I can’t talk about my current plans or future plans if they involve my mother. I can’t talk about why I am the way I am or what my values are. It takes all the energy I have to stay positive and nice and not drift into feeling pained and angry.

So then we go boating. I’m not much of a boater although I’ve spent countless hours on the lake in a boat. When I think of boating, I think of stress. My dad turned into bigger jerk whenever we would go. Don’t step on the seats. Get the sand off your feet. Sit down. Don’t let the boat hit the dock. I could never do anything right. Neither could anyone else. I just tried to stay out of the way. Growing up with a dad that’s really critical makes you feel really nervous all the time. When I’m around him, I can’t relax. I’m borderline scared all the time that I’m doing something wrong. I was like that all day today. I hated it. I was extra cautious and critical of everything my husband and my kids were saying and doing. I was a nervous wreck and I’m sure they didn’t appreciate all my disapproving looks. But it was all because I know how my dad thinks. I know he didn’t appreciate my husband seating our baby next to him at breakfast. I know he thinks my husband is ridiculously nice and borderline cheesy. I know he thinks my daughter is dramatic. I know he doesn’t want my son jumping on the couch. I know he disapproves when my husband orders a soda when everyone else gets water.

After boating we go to the beach and let the kids play in the sand. We’re all chit-chatting and then my dad looks at the mountain across the lake and says, “We’ve taken you to such and such mountain haven’t we?” What? I am so confused. When he says “we” who does he mean? The “old we” or the “new we” because I’ve never heard of that mountain so maybe he means the “old we” when I was a kid? Because the new “we” hasn’t taken us up there. So confusing. And frustrating.

By the end of the day, I was so glad to be going home. It’s exhausting to not feel comfortable in your own skin. I feel bad for other children whose parents are divorced. It sucks the life right out of you. That’s how I was all day. Trying to avoid conflict. Trying to follow all his rules that I’ve internalized—mainly how to be good and stay out off his radar. Being overly grateful for the littlest things because I know how he hates to put himself out. Repressing the anger. Pushing against the bitterness. Remembering to smile once in a while and look like I’m having fun. I’m tired just thinking about it.

So that was my day and this is my rant. Are your parents divorced? How has it affected you? If not, how do you think it would affect you? I’m curious. Do tell."

Mañana

2009-07-15T08:00:00.000-06:00

This is a rant I have been putting off for a long time. And if I could think of anything better to talk about I would be putting it off longer, but I can't so I didn't.

I am a card carrying, dues paying, full fledged procrastinator. I will shirk duties and responsibilities until the last moment possible. Even this stupid rant is being written just hours before it is to be published. So why is it that I wait so long?!

Maybe its because I am part Mexican. No, that is not a racial stereotype and I am not accusing Mexicans of being lazy ( and yeah, I really am part Mexican ). But in Mexico their attitude is 'why do today what can be put off until tomorrow?' I like that simple, easy going lifestyle pace. Unfortunately I choose to live in the land of 'faster, quicker, NOW!'

How hard can it really be to get things done in a timely fashion? This rant is only going to take me 20 - 30 minutes. If I would have done it last Thursday, or even just yesterday, I could have had time to make it better. ( Now y'all will know why some of my rants suck more than others. ) But when I wait until the last moment I feel rushed, stressed, annoyed, and otherwise put-out. So why do I do this to myself?

It's not like I procrastinate everything. If it is something I want to do, something fun, I am all over it. There are just too many irksome expectations in life. I need someone filthy rich to adopt me, or maybe a sugar momma'. Any takers? I'd make a great house boy/ sex slave. No? Bummer.

So, to make a short story just a little bit longer; it annoys me that I do procrastinate, yet I make no attempts to change it. I know there are one or two of you out there that can relate, but are there any recovered procrastinators that would like to share your pearls of wisdom with us swine? How can we ( I ) turn our desire to be better into action?

Maybe if one of you can "cure" me the next rant will be a little better. =)

Cya in 7

Reality Bites!

2009-07-08T08:00:00.001-06:00

Does anyone even remember that movie? I think that was the only movie I remember watching where Ben Stiller actually intended to be not funny. Well, I don't want to talk about that movie. I don't even remember anything about it except the cast. But I want to whine about something that I'm sure many of you will not agree with me. It is a very high profile topic, one that has caused many an argument and I am sure multitudes of divorces. So here is my stance; Reality TV shows are causing the intellectual decay of the masses!

What makes people so drawn to watching other "normal" people say and do the dumbest things on network television?! I am sure the origins are deep seeded, but I'm going to blame David "Puck" Rainey from The Real World San Francisco. His violent outbursts and antagonistic behavior made him an instant hit. Each year the producers of The Real World would try desperately to cast persons that will have the most conflict and drama. And when they could get a couple that were willing to fornicate on the show their wallets would just burst! When the drama and conflict of every day "real" lives was no longer enough to satiate the appetites of the worlds collective morons, the naked fat gay guy from season one of Survivor arrived to demonstrate that we have yet to see the limit of how far stupid people will go to get their 15 minutes. Richard Hatch flaunted his flabby birthday suit, and the whole world tuned in. Producers saw a whole new wave of possibilities, and their eyes turned into dollar signs. Now every dumb ass reality show has to have some drama, nudity, gimmick, hook, or other perversion to get people to watch.

Survivor, The Mole, Big Brother, Amazing Race, Fear Factor would fall under the category "game show" reality programs. I will admit that even I have been entertained for a few brief seconds watching the contests these individuals compete in, but as soon as the camera is on them and they open their pie holes I am quickly reminded why I prefer to have trained actors earn billions of dollars to entertain me.

But what really REALLY pisses me off is when a good program that I enjoy is canceled to replace it with another freaking reality show! How many damn Bachelor, Bachelorette, Nanny 911, Supernanny, Wife Swap, Take My Wife, Whomever and Whatever and their 20 thousand million children shows do we need?!

Ok the creme de la crap, the American Idol, So You Think You Can Dance, America's Got Talent group! Seriously?! It terrifies me to know that there are people freely roaming the streets that actually watch this garbage. Shouldn't these people be under 24 hour surveillance by the men in the nice white coats?

I could go on, but just thinking about this is giving me a mini stroke. To illustrate the severity of this problem I am going to include a list below. This list is just the reality shows I am familiar with and detest. So it will not be all inclusive, but I assure you it will be long and depressing.

So let's have it! Defend your your decision to waste your precious few remaining brain cells on these types of programs. =)

Cya in 7

The Real World
Road Rules
Making the Band
Project Greenlight
Sorority Life
Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County
The Real Housewives of Orange County
Jon & Kate Plus 8
Blind Date
Who Wants to Marry a Multi-Millionaire?
Farmer Wants a Wife
The Bachelor
Meet My Folks
Average Joe
The Bachelorette
Married by America
Room Raiders
Date My Mom
Who Wants to Marry My Dad?
Beauty and the Geek
Next
Parental Control
Age of Love
Momma's Boys
Dog The Bounty Hunter
What Not to Wear
Extreme Makeover
Queer Eye for the Straight Guy
Dr. 90210
Wife Swap
Celebrity Fit Club
The Biggest Loser
Nanny 911
Supernanny
Shalom in the Home
Flavor of Love
The Anna Nicole Show
The Osbournes
Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica
The Simple Life
The Surreal Life
The Gastineau Girls
Growing Up Gotti
The Girls Next Door
Hogan Knows Best
Meet the Barkers
Tommy Lee Goes to College
Gene Simmons Family Jewels
The Hills
Keeping Up with the Kardashians
Run's House
Cheaters
Survivor
The Mole
The Amazing Race
Fear Factor
I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!
13: Fear Is Real
American Idol
America's Next Top Model
The Apprentice
The Contender
Dancing with the Stars
Hell's Kitchen
Project Runway
The Ultimate Fighter
America's Got Talent
American Inventor ( ok, I did like this one)
Top Chef
Who Wants to be a Superhero?
The Singing Bee

Thanks Wikipedia!

Half Full Or Half Empty

2009-07-01T08:00:00.001-06:00

Happy hump day! And yay for all of you that get a long weekend for the holiday!

Well I don't have a lot to say today. Yeah, yeah, "stop the presses!". But what I do want to say is a lot of jumbled thoughts bouncing around the vast emptiness which is my brain cavity. So I am just going to lay it down and we'll see who can pick it up.

I have said before that life sucks. And I think it does. But I think that statement may come across more negative than I intend.

We have all heard the whole "the glass is half empty" bit. I don't see the glass as half empty or half full. I see it as all full, half air and half water. I don't consider myself an optimist or a pessimist, just a realist. So when I say something I don't mean it to be negative, just literal.

Back to life sucks. Life is hard. "By the sweat of your brow shall you eat bread...". Not many of us have a perfect life without a single concern, stress, worry, problem, or other pain in the ass. People we love die, people we care about suffer, we feel pain, we hunger, we cry. Hence, "life sucks". NOW that is not to say we can't and shouldn't be happy! Life as a whole sucks, but our individual lives are ours to control and shape. My life is great. I have a great family, great friends, a place to live, food on the table ( no fat jokes!) and I live in a great country.

I am not trying to say my life is perfect, far from it. I could list all my problems, but that would defeat my point. We all have our own issues, and to us they are the biggest problems in the world. But we can either bitch and moan, see the glass as half empty, throw a major pity party, and be miserable. Or we can sack-up, control the things we can control and let go those things that are beyond our control, count our blessings, and just make the best of what we have.

Being a realist I do not expect anyone out there to change who you are. If you are a negative person you are not likely to change. Especially if you don't want to change. But I just wanted to clarify my position, because I frankly don't care to listen to negative people. But on the other side I really can't stand to listen to the "my glass, which is made of crystal, is half full of sparkling clear spring water flown in from the mountains of Tibet" kind of people.... I guess I just don't like listening to people in general.... I just don't like people, except you guys of course. =)

So go forth and bitch no more.

Cya in 7

Guest Rant: Why Road Rage Is Necessary.

2009-06-24T08:00:00.000-06:00

Hello folks,

So we have another guest ranter. Apparently there are so many of you that would rather not hear my opinion that you volunteer to offer up your own. I love it! One less thing that this lazy bastard has to get done this week. So Sarah Williams is going to share her feelings on most of us ;)

Cya in 7

Ok… Picture this: You’re driving down a street at 40 mph, and you pass a vehicle going slightly below the speed limit. Ok, you might be doing a couple over… or five. But let’s not split hairs here. What you see as you glance at this other driver actually sends a shiver down your spine, because you realize WHY it is that she’s not going the speed limit. She’s applying her mascara. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been driving around town in the 2C and had opportunity to see it. Seriously, she is into it, too. Rear view mirror tilted at some totally whacked out angle that would make a yoga instructor blush. She’s not watching where she’s going; she doesn’t even seem to be aware that she’s in traffic. Sweetie, I don’t care how cute you are. As soon as you open your mouth it won’t matter one bit. Trust me on that. All the makeup in the world won’t matter, so if you haven’t put it on by the time you’ve left the house, you may as well give it up.

I am also really sick of seeing every other driver with a cell phone at his/her ear. Your commute is not social hour. If you need to talk on the phone during the drive to/from work, get a head set, and get your hands on the wheel. And those of you who are living off my dime (welfare), YOU DON’T NEED A CELL PHONE. Until you can pay your own bills, get rid of it, and quit talking while you’re driving and chewing gum like a nasty heifer chewing cud. My favorite thing was when I saw a chick driving down the freeway with one hand on her cell phone, and her other hand on her cigarette… sure hope she had a 3^rd hand I couldn’t see.

But the scariest thing I have ever seen was leaving St. Luke’s downtown. We were on Broadway , and if my husband hadn’t had to go to a meeting after we had lunch, I would have hunted this driver down and screamed him stupid. We were sitting at a stop light, and I looked over, and a nice looking man dressed in a white shirt and tie was texting from his smart phone. He was driving a black Land Rover (Lyle rocks) and was talking to his passenger, another suit. When the light turned green, he slowly pulled away from the light. GREAT! You say, thinking he’s being cautious and watching out for red light runners coming from the other direction. You’d think that wouldn’t you? But you’d be incorrect. He was TEXTING as he was driving away.

Before I could stop myself, I did the unthinkable. I honked at him and wagged my finger at him (the INDEX one, thank you very much) like an 85 year old grandmother. My thanks for this gesture? He wagged a finger back. Yeah, not the index one. My husband was mortified that I’d even honked at him. I was infuriated. I wanted to follow him, but time was of the essence. I expect stupid crap like that from the teenagers who don’t know better, but this was a 30-something business man. Whatever he was texting couldn’t possibly be as important as a life if he’d caused an accident and killed someone, could it? Even if it was a multi-million dollar business deal, would it have been worth it if someone had died?

Other scary things I have seen out there? At Eagle and Overland: A guy driving while looking at the phone book… ok, sir? REALLY?? Program the number into your phone before you leave. If you can’t, at least pull into one of the million parking lots in that area. Why endanger lives?

On I-84 westbound, I saw a woman driving with a full size map open over her steering wheel. Hmmm… Let’s think about this for a second, shall we? Let’s take a compact car, put a stout woman in it, have her going a high rate of speed with lots of other cars going at high rates of speed. Add a few semi trailers, oh, and then, let’s give her a map of Idaho and find an obscure point on the map and tell her we’ll give her a million dollars if she can find that point while she’s driving. That better be the only reason she had that map out while travelling 70 mph down the freeway. Lady, get a Garmin. That’s what they’re made for. USE one. If you want to kill yourself, feel free, but don’t take the innocent bystanders down with you. Those of us who look and think, “OH boy, there’s a good way to thin the gene pool right there. PLEASE, for the love of all that’s holy, do not breed.” And you know, they always do… in large quantities, it seems, too.

Please, before you get behind the wheel of a vehicle, have your makeup applied, know where you’re going, have the number of your destination programmed into your cell phone, if you need to be clean shaven, take care of that ahead of time, but above all, get that stupid cell phone off your head. If you’re texting with it, and I see you, you better hope I have a lunch date with my husband and that he has an appointment afterward. Otherwise, I’m coming after you. And trust me, it will not be pretty.

Guest Rant: You Are What You Eat

2009-06-17T08:00:00.002-06:00

So we have a new guest ranter that would like to share some words of wisdom. No complaints from me, that is one more rant I don't have to half-ass at the last minute. =) Take it away Emi Neubauer.

Cya in 7

"When a baby is born, they are a blank slate. "Fresh meat" so to speak, and most parents try their darndest to shape their child into a person who believes what they believe to be right, but what is the definition of "right" how are we to know that one persons politics/religion/(fill in the blank) is "right" while the next guy/gal's is "wrong"?

I will speak in metaphor.

I was raised a Ham Sandwich. My parents were not raised Ham Sandwiches, but chose to become ham sandwiches as adults by some door-to-door ham sandwich salesmen, and they bought the sales pitch.

They raised me from birth to believe in the way of the ham sandwich, and that ham sandwiches were "right" and "the only true sandwich" out there. I was not excluded from associating with non-ham sandwiches (which would have alienated me from my entire extended family), but it was hard to not surround myself with non ham sandwiches where I was raised, a pretty big ham sandwich picnic (maybe not the biggest, but next door to the biggest ham sandwich picnic). I did know people who were banned from associating with non ham sandwiches.

you still with me?

Growing up, children were fed the ham sandwich, and basically told by their parents that this was the only sandwich option available. So they opened up their mouth and ate. People would go up to "announce" their love of the ham sandwich, sometimes whispering in their child's ear what they should regurgitate about the ham sandwich. Even as a small child, I remember questioning the sincerity of these statements. How true can it be if someone has to tell you what is right and true?

What if I want a Turkey sandwich? Is that an option?

So, If a ham sandwich is a persons ONLY dining option, and they are surrounded by other ham sandwiches and not anything else, how do they TRULY know the ham sandwich really is the right one? Or they are just creatures of habit and comfort and don't want to get out of their bubble? Isn't it easier to order the same (usual) item that you know off the menu then to risk trying something new and possibly not liking it? That is how the ham sandwich (or anyone's sandwich) gets you.

I've associated myself with many ham sandwiches; some I can't stand, some I love, most I just tolerate, but I've also associated myself with Turkey, Egg Salad, Peanut butter and jelly, as well as many, many Roast Beef Sandwiches who dip their sandwiches in an au jus that many ham sandwiches think is a sin. And So It Goes.

But I had to deliberately choose to explore the rest of the menu. And I choose the Salad.

Its easy to just follow the line in the potluck.

Now its my turn with a kid. I'm not raising him a ham sandwich, but he has tasted that sandwich. I want him to choose what he wants to eat, It's my job to allow him to experience the entire menu and come to the decision on his own what he chooses to bite. Is that weak of me? Should I be ordering for him and basically telling him what he should eat? Not letting him leave the table till his plate is clean.

I don't want that for him. And I hope I'm doing right, but I think its possible for him to be raised sandwich less and still grow up to be a decent, caring, respectable human being, there are many people who are.

What about you? Discuss.

- The Vegetarian"

Thinking With Your Powerballs

2009-06-10T08:00:00.000-06:00

I have been 'blessed' with a very active imagination. This lovely gift has caused me trouble on more than one occasion. The real trouble comes when my imagination over powers my tiny brain and I have a difficult time distinguishing the difference between real and not so real. It's a good thing I never played D&D, I'd probably have ended up like Tom Hanks character in Mazes And Monsters. ( Any of you old enough to remember that made for TV movie? )

Ok, before I lose you all on this random train of thought, lets rant about something that I know doesn't only affect me.

The lottery is evil! 'You can buy anything in this world with money' and for this reason we all do anything we must in pursuit of the mighty deutsche mark. Working sucks, robbing a bank is too hard, and being born to a rich family is no longer an option. So the lottery gives all of us normal people the hope of being wealthy without much effort on our part. All we have to do is spend a couple bucks to buy the magic ticket. Twice a week we are given another chance at our fortune. And we know that each time it is "our turn" to win.

I once stood in a line at a Circle K. At the front of this line was a lady that was buying a gallon of milk. I noticed this lady had pulled up in a Pinto. The hood was primer grey, the majority of the body was a faded candy apple red, and the driver side door was three shades of blue. The tires were all different brands, but they all looked as bald as Kojak. The lady was dressed in hot pink spandex and a half turn AC DC t-shirt. Did I fail to mention she was of the Weight Watchers drop-out dimensions? So anyway, this lady puts the gallon of milk on the counter and I see the cashier head to the lottery machine. Next thing I notice is the total on the cash register; $202.85! Holy crap, that is some expensive milk!

Admittedly I don't think the lottery really is evil. I think they do a lot for the community, especially in the public education system. BUT combine my lovely imagination with this seemingly tangible "golden apple" of instant wealth and it can cause some conflict. I don't buy a ticket for every drawing. I usually reserve my indulgences in the realm of fantasy for a jackpot of $100,000,000 or more. And then I just buy the single ticket, because it only takes one to win. But from the time I purchase my ticket until the day I realize I didn't win, my mind constantly wanders on thoughts of what I am going to do when I win. Notice when I win. My simple dreams of splurging on my family and friends are fun and harmless. However, I find myself subconsciously saying that the answers to my very real problems will come in the form 6 balls. Even as I type this rant, I am struggling to come to a logical resolution to several major issues in my life because I have a stupid piece of paper in my pocket that is holding the answer to all my troubles!

I'm not asking for your pity. I have been able to maintain enough cognizant reasoning skills to prevent my imagination from allowing me to spend money as though I had won the lottery. But I do know of, and personally know, a few people that are not so lucky. I have a friend that is in the process of losing his house. I don't know all the reasons behind his situation, but I do know that without fail he purchases a lottery ticket every Wednesday and Saturday, every week, every month, every year for many moons. He, too, is convinced that any day now his balls will come up.

So here is my rant to me and everyone else out there that has this problem. YOU WILL NEVER EVER WIN THE LOTTERY!!!!! I need to tell myself this every day. And if by the grace of God (or by some deal made with the dark one) I do someday win, then so be it. But it will not happen, ever, so stop thinking about it!

Cya in 7

That's Some Mighty Green Grass You Got There, Boy.

2009-06-03T08:00:00.000-06:00

So you know how all those annoying talk show host (like Conan 'Rocky Dennis' O'Brien) have their top ten lists? Well I remember onetime reading one from some old dude. I don't remember the whole list but there was one that said something like " thou shalt not covet thy neighbors ass..." I'm paraphrasing of course. Maybe one of you have heard of it?

Well, I have never thought coveting was among the massive list of my faults and flaws. But apparently I was wrong. This rant may not be applicable to any of you out there today. It may just be for me. That is why I am in control and you just sit there and read.

I know you have all heard the saying "The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence." Well I think that saying sucks! It implies that the grass is never greener on the other side of the fence, and that just isn't possible. It is impossible for the grass to be the same shade of green on both sides, so therefore at some point the other side really will have the greener grass. For us sheep, is it really such a bad thing to want the greener grass? We all want the best for ourselves. So shouldn't we strive for the "greener grass"? Does it make us bad to want those things?

I do believe I understand the difference between coveting and self improvement, but tell me if I am wrong. I see Bob has a really good job. I want the same job Bob has. I get the required education and necessary experience. I apply for the job, and possibly get hired. But it all started with a secret desire in my heart for what Bob had. Isn't that still technically coveting? Am I supposed to just say "way to go Bob for getting my dream job before me, but now I will have to settle for something less because I can't want what Bob has"?

Back to green grass, how can you tell if the grass truly is greener on the other side? Especially if your grass isn't bad. Do you just play it safe and stick with the good grass you have, or do you risk it and jump the fence to give the other grass a try? The other grass may be better. Or it may be worse, but in your haste to jump the fence you defecated in your previous grass and now going back is not an option.

You're in the mood for lunch so you go out to eat. You go to one of your favorite restaurants. Do you get the same thing you always get knowing you will like it, or do you try something new hoping you wont be disappointed? I bet most of us get the same thing most of the time. However, on this specific lunch outing your dinning companion orders a meal that looks particularly appetizing. This meal looks like it could even be your new favorite dish. But how would you ever know without trying it!? It sure looks greener.....

I'm sure you all recognize the dilemma I'm posing. How can you better your life without "coveting" at some point? And how can you really know if the "grass is greener"? I'm sorry to disappoint anyone that is here expecting some pearls of wisdom, but I have no idea how to answer these questions. That is why I am asking you.

For the sake of argument we are just going to stop call it coveting. I don't want to worry any of you out there that are still doing good on the "big top 10" list. Here is my guess at the question, 'how do you know if the grass is greener?' I think it has to be looked at like any other choice we are faced with in life; logical reasoning and measuring the consequences. I know this isn't easy. Especially if you really WANT that job, even though you may not NEED that job. I think our desires are the biggest adversary to our reasoning skills. Want vs. Need, hmmm, maybe that should be next weeks rant.

In conclusion, class, I think the grass sometimes is greener on the other side of the fence. But hell if I know how to tell without risking the perfectly good grass on this side! Your thoughts?

Cya in 7

Guest Rant : Lazy or Economic Stimulant?

2009-05-27T08:00:00.000-06:00

Speaking of lazy.....I enlisted the help of Amanda Olsen to write this weeks guest rant. You can find more of her amazing, and some not so amazing, writings on her blogs: http://www.dontgetboredinidaho.blogspot.com & http://www.makingdinnersucks.blogspot.com

Cya in 7

"I hate cleaning. It sucks. I have better things to do with my time. So I have housecleaners do it for me. Yes, that's my attitude. Do you have a problem with that? Why? Do you think I'm lazy? Spoiled? Impractical? Undisciplined?

Is that what you would think of yourself if you got housecleaners? Why? Why would you think that about yourself? Oh, because you can do it yourself? Yeah, well, I can do a lot of things for myself, too, that I don't do.

I could teach my daughter guitar lessons, but instead I send her to a professional. I could teach my daughter how to swim but I still enroll her in swim lessons every year. I could fertilize the lawn instead of paying Scotts to do it. I could make my own pizza or give Dominoes a call. I could cut and skin my own chicken, but I'd much rather buy boneless skinless at the butcher block. I could take their pictures on my own instead of walking into Kiddie Kandids. I could sew my kid's clothes but it's much easier to shop Old Navy.com. I could cut my kids' hair, but I'd rather take them to Super Cuts. I could wash my car, but I'd much rather pay the car wash. I could fix my own sprinklers when they break or hire a professional. I could fix the tires on my bike or take them into the bike shop. I could change my oil or take it to Jiffy Lube. I could eat at home, but sometimes it's nice to go out. I could iron John's white shirts or I could take them to the dry cleaners? Do you get what I'm saying? There's a lot of things we could do ourselves to save money. It all depends on what our priorities are and where we want to spend our money. Who are we to judge where someone else spends their money?

In fact, if we tried to do everything ourselves, it would really hurt our economy. Would you be out of a job if people stopped doing something they could really do for themselves? And who has time to do everything they want to do? I don't know about you but I always have a million things to do. It's completely overwhelming sometimes. That's why it's so important to prioritize. We have to decide what is most important to us and how we are going to achieve that. I did that after I had my oldest daughter. Let me give you a little back story.

When Bella was born I knew it was my responsibility to be a good mother to her. I soon realized that it was impossible to do everything I needed to do to be a good mother to her. There wasn't enough of me to go around. I couldn't do the laundry, the bathing, the cooking, the grocery shopping, the organizing, the clothes shopping, the dishes, the vacuuming, the dusting, the mopping, the sweeping, the bathroom cleaning, while I playing, smiling, and teaching. The last three were the most important to me and those always seemed to get done. But the other 11 things were always undone. And it got messy around here. The guilt, among other things, started to pile up. All that I had read about having a house of order really stung. I felt like a failure. How could I have a house of order when there wasn't enough hours in the day to get it all done? Ever? How could I clean with a toddler under foot? Especially one that never let go of me? I couldn't get anything "done" with her around. It didn't take long for the depression to settle in. I was doing the best I could but it wasn't good enough. I was overwhelmed.

When Bella was about 18 months old, a lady that I really admire and look up to and aspire to be like asked John and I to stay in their home for a week and take care of their three teenage boys. No problem. "Oh, and the house cleaner comes on Wednesday," she said. Housecleaner? You have a house cleaner? No way. I couldn't believe it. She didn't have a job and all of her children were school age. No way. That is so cool. I had always wondered how she found the time to do all that she did. I'd known her for a long time and seen her at more events, parties, graduations,wedding receptions, baby and bridal showers than I could count. She was always at her children's sporting activities. She was queen of support. Always there for her immediate family as well as everyone she knew. Smiling and happy and known for her positive attitude and concern for others. She has sent me a lot of hand written notes that I've kept over the years expressing her love and concern for me. Wow. So and so doesn't clean her own house? I was shocked and surprised. I thought every good woman cleaned their own house. After the shock wore off, I was impressed. What a good idea. Obviously she puts the times she would spend cleaning to better use. Hmm.

After that eye opening experience, John and I talked about getting housecleaners. Getting the husband on board is very important. I have no suggestions as to how to talk your husband into it. Other than explaining how happy it would make you and how much pressure it would take off of you. He either gets it or he doesn't. If he doesn't, I am so sorry you married a jackass.

The reason this is a rant is because I am bothered by a few things.

Why is it so unacceptable and unheard of for a stay at home mom in Idaho to have a housecleaner? Could it be because it's the SAHM's responsibility to keep the house clean? Why not, she's home anyway? She can just clean it herself. She doesn't have anything better to do. It's her house and her mess and she should clean up after herself. She should take pride in keeping her house clean and tidy. She can't afford it. Her husband's hard earned money could be better spent on other things. The children need to learn how to do housework. Oh, it's good for her. Put a little hair on her chest.

I've heard it all before and I am here to challenge each of those ideas. I believe it is the family's responsibility to keep the home clean. If the family wants to clean the house themselves and they have the time and energy, that is great. If the family decides they want to hire help to help them clean the house, then that is great too. I see no problem in that as long as the house is clean.

A mother that is home with young children is busy caring for those young children. She is bathing them, dressing them, changing their diapers, preparing their food, feeding them, cleaning up after them, playing with them, washing their clothes, reading to them, preparing more food for them, feeding them again, changing them again, picking up after them again, playing with them again. If a mother is doing her job as a mother, how in the world does she have time to do the job of cleaning the house? There are simply not enough hours in the day. Even if a woman does not have children, she most likely has better things to do with her time than dust, mop, and vacuum.

There are many responsibilities placed on women these days. So many that we have to prioritize our time with the many things we are asked to do. I believe that there is no one better than me to care for my children. However, I don't care who scrubs my shower. And I'm pretty sure my shower doesn't care either. The vacuum cleaner doesn't miss me when because I haven't touched him all month. But the kids I love and play with would definitely miss me if I were spending time with Hoover and not them. Also, I don't feel comfortable letting my children roam around the house unattended while I clean. It's unsafe and it sends the wrong message. (Again, my opinion).

For me, the biggest benefit to having housecleaners has been the way it makes me feel. I can't express what a difference it makes in how I feel as a person--in my own personal happiness and well being. I can't put a price on that. I feel organized. I feel put together. I feel like I can take care of myself because someone is taking care of me--helping me with chores that would otherwise fall on me and never get done.

I have the time and energy to tackle those projects that there's never time to do. As a result, I experience greater satisfaction with the way I spend my time. I feel rewarded with the things I choose to do. I feel appreciated and loved by my family. I feel more love towards them too, now that I don't resent them for giving me so much dang work to do. I am happy. I am a wife and mother and not a slave. I feel greater purpose in the things I do and less frustration with the daily grind.

There is only one thing I struggle with. I feel judged by others because I have help cleaning my house. I don't feel guilty at all. In fact, I feel incredibly smart for finding something that works so well for me and my family. I kind of feel bad for you all that don't have cleaners. I just wish it was more acceptable and understood. What do you think about all this?"

It's My Life, I Can Cry If I Want To

2009-05-20T08:00:00.001-06:00

*Due to budget cuts and corporate down sizing the allotment of characters for today's rant has been drastically reduced. I will make the best of the space I have.*

Ok, so I actually procrastinated writing this rant until the last possible moment, and am now trying to bust out a topic suggested to me several months ago. Maybe I should just write about procrastination.... yeah, I'll get to that one later.

So, life sucks. It really does. And before any of you "glass is half full" people start to jump down my throat, let me get a few words out. Our lives are a series of trials and tests. When the trials seem to be too difficult, and they often do, then life can seem miserable. From day 1 we came out crying, we knew life was a bitch and the only thing we could do about it is cry. NOW, that is not to say that we can't have a good attitude and enjoy life to its fullest. We can be happy most of the time, and that is the idea.

My intention is not to rant about the purpose of life. I want to complain about people that hate their lives, yet make no attempts to change it.

A guy goes into the doctor and says "Dr. it hurts when I raise my arm up like this", to which the Dr replies "Then ... don't raise your arm like that."

We all know people that hate their lives. They hate their jobs, they hate their homes, they hate their children, they hate their car, they hate their spouses, they hate their hair, they hate their weight..... You get my point. These same people make it a point to let all of us know how much they hate their lives, constantly! I am not one to judge a person that wants to complain. ::looks back at list of previous rants:: But I am annoyed by people that complain about the same things daily but will not do anything to change the situation.

I get it, you hate your job. Look for another one! You don't like your home, fix it or move! You hate how your children misbehave, spank their butts! ( and then slap yourself for allowing your kids to get to this point) You hate your spouse, find the problems and resolve them, or cut bait.

Of course this is always easier said than done. The outside view is always the most clear and the solutions seem to be simple. But that is because the solutions truly are simple. If you want help then listen to the advice of those you trust, and take action. Baby steps. But if all you want to do is bitch for the sake of bitching, well then, write a blog. =)

Cya in 7

Stupid Is As Stupid Does, Stupid.

2009-05-13T08:00:00.000-06:00

Now here is something I can rant about all day long. I thought about doing a 52 part rant on this topic so you can get the full scope over the next year. Instead I will do my best to make this a Readers Digest condensed version.
Stupid people. Stupid, stupid, stupid, stuuuuuuppppiiiiddd people. I can hear Flower now " We don't say that, daddy!"
I'm not talking about riding the short bus, wearing a helmet to bed, training wheels on the special shoes stupid. There is nothing wrong with someone that was born with less mental capacity than the average person. God loves them, and so should you. I'm talking about ignorant, stubborn, close minded, STUPID people.
It's ok if you don't know everything. Just admit it. There is nothing more aggravating than someone that thinks they know everything, especially to those of us that DO know everything.

I deal with lots of stupid people on a daily basis. It's what I get paid to do so I guess I shouldn't complain about this limitless national resource, but I am going to. In case my definition of stupid isn't crystal clear, I'm going to give you an example of a tech support call I have honestly experienced many times. I help agents in the Philippines as they attempt to "help" American customers.

Me: "Bla bla bla, How may I help you?"

Cherry-Lemon-Lime-Turd (you Qwesties will get these names): "Yes sir, the customer is not able to authenticate the modem. We have typed the correct user name and password thrice."

Me: "Let me check. I see the customer is typing the password wrong. Have them type it correctly."

Cherry-Lemon-Lime-Turd: "Sir, they have already typed it correctly, sir."

Me: "Are they authenticated?"

Cherry-Lemon-Lime-Turd: "No sir."

Me: "Then they have not typed it correctly. Have them do it again, correctly please."

(Repeat the last 4 lines approximately 10 more times)

Cherry-Lemon-Lime-Turd: "Fine sir! If you cannot help, thanks anyways!" ::click::

You may not understand all that went on there, and you aren't necessarily expected to. The point is a stupid person wanted my help, but didn't want to accept the answer I gave him. Need more examples of stupid people? Here are some examples of famous stupid people:

–Bill Clinton, during his 1998 grand jury testimony on the Monica Lewinsky affair
~"It depends on what the meaning of the words 'is' is."
~"It depends on how you define alone…"
~"There were a lot of times when we were alone, but I never really thought we were."

George W. Bush
~"You teach a child to read, and he or her will be able to pass a literacy test."
~"The same folks that are bombing innocent people in Iraq were the ones who attacked us in America on September the 11th."
~"I know the human being and fish can coexist peacefully."

Britney Spears
~"I'm famous, but I'm not famous like freaking Brad Pitt or Jennifer Aniston."
~"I always listen to 'NSYNC's Tearin' Up My Heart. It reminds me to wear a bra."
~"I want to wait to have sex until I'm married."

I'm sure we could keep going for days quoting the more infamous stupid people. But I feel myself getting more stupid just reading these quotes.

Being stupid is a choice. For some people it's not a hard choice, but it is a choice none the less. People just need to TRY to think before they speak and act. These same stupid people should just stop speaking all together. Abraham Lincoln says it best "Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt." So people of the world, please stop being STUPID!

Cya in 7

007 License To Breed

2009-05-06T08:00:00.000-06:00

Is it Wednesday again already? Lets rant!

There are strict age limits and semi difficult tests administered to determine if a teen is competent enough to maneuver a vehicle on public roads. To become married "until death do you part" (or until something better comes along) you are required to fill out papers and pay your fees. And even to take the life of a helpless woodland creature necessitates a training course and a license. So why is it that there is no breeding license?!
Is the conception and rearing of a child so much less significant than any of these other tasks that require licensing? This subject is even more sensitive for those of us that have expanded our families through adoption.
As adoptive parents we were required to go through hours and hours of training courses, classes, and certifications. We had to fill out mountains of paperwork trying to prove we can provide for our child. We had to have notarized letters from the sheriff's office stating we were not criminals. Extensive background checks were done to prove we are not hiding anything that could cause us to be bad parents. We even have social workers interview us prior to getting a kid to insure we are not psychopaths and every couple months after we get the kid to check on their situation. And the child can be removed from our home anytime within the first 6 months if the State finds us to be unfit parents. So how is it fair that any punk with an itch in his pants can find a semi willing "scratching post" and spawn a child.
Now I don't want to hear any of your rebuttals about freedom of choice or constitutional rights. This is my rant, so listen or leave. I think people need to have their baby making parts removed as children. And when they finally reach the age of consent, get married and decide they want to make some babies they need to pass a test and get licensed to have their "accessories" returned. The tests need to be as extensive as the ones for adoptive parents. Proof that they have financial means to provide for their child, proof that their criminal background is void of issues that can put a child in harms way, and proof from a therapist that these people are stable enough to handle the rigors of child raising. As a solution to one of my own personal pet peeves, I think an IQ and logical thinking test should also be administered. Upon successful completion of these tests they will be issued a breeding license. And just like a hunting tag, each time the couple wants to make a baby they need to reapply.
Ok, fine! I know this is not practical, legal, or physically possible. But there has to be some viable solution. My big concern isn't even the pregnant teens. ( I do however feel any teenager that gets pregnant should be forced to put up the child for adoption ). My concern are the parents that have 365 children (one for each day of the year), that are both on welfare, that let their kids stew in their own filth all day, that spend our tax-money-handouts on drugs and smokes and let their kids go hungry, and that some how manage to avoid Child Protective Services. There are so many unfit parents in this world, why are they allowed to continue breeding!?
Before you go bawl yourself to sleep in your pillow thinking I am talking about you, let me clarify. To me there is a HUGE difference between all of you reading ( yes I know each one of you, and I am watching you read this right now) and the people I am talking about. All of you mothers will feel inadequate and guilty at some point. You will feel like you are a terrible mom and have no rights raising a child. That is just how moms think. It's hormonal and not your fault. And any of you dads that are reading this probably should feel inadequate and guilty more often, especially those of us that let the moms do all the work. But the people I am ranting about are not you that may forget to put an extra Twinkie in little Billy's lunch. I am talking about those that constantly allow physical harm to come to their children by means of serious neglect or abuse. I am talking about those that will spend $200 a week on lottery tickets, but make their children wear clothes that don't fit and that are covered in urine stains from the thousands of animals roaming the house. I am talking about those that have substance abuse issues and mistakenly stick their baby in the microwave. Need I go on?
So here is my solution to prevent future issues. When you come across a man that fits these descriptions, knock him down and repeatedly stomp on his fun sack. Problem solved. Just tell the cops I said to do it, it will be OK.

Cya in 7

Next week: "Stupid Is As Stupid Does, Stupid"

Here is The Church, Here is The Steeple, Open The Doors And There's All The People.

2009-04-29T08:00:00.004-06:00

Today's rant is a little churchy. So if you are not interested in being preached too, then this is actually aimed right at ya'.
My high school was considered the "rich" school. Many of the wealthy neighborhoods in the area happened to be in the school boundaries. So, whenever people from other schools would find out what school I was attending I would instantly be labeled a rich snob. You ask, "what's wrong with being rich?". Nothing. BUT, we were not rich. In fact we were the opposite of rich. What's the word? Oh yeah, poor white trash. As I think back, only one of my friends families could truly be labeled as rich. The rest of us had sufficient for our needs, but not a lot more than that.
So I am not complaining about our financial status. The point I am trying to make is that as far as the people not from our school were concerned we were all rich snobs. It's not that the label was unfounded, there were a few rich snobs in our school. But it was not fair to classify the masses, or the school, that way because of a few individuals.
Here comes the preachy part. If you believe in God, Allah, Buddha or any other deity that teaches love for your fellow man then how can you call yourself a true believer and judge another? Especially those of another religion where they too worship.
Rampant in the news are stories of terrorists and suicide bombers. People killing and dying in the name of Allah. Just because these individuals are Muslim, does that make all Muslims terrorists? If you answered "yes" to this question, then you should probably stop reading and hurry to your clan meeting. For the rest of you, you know that the Islamic religion is one of peace and faith. To judge the religion because of the actions of its followers is wrong.
Allegations of sexual abuse have been filed against several Catholic priests. Even when the charges are true, does that mean all Catholic priests are child molesters? Does it mean the Catholic church encourages and teaches child molesting? Catholicism teaches faith in Jesus Christ. To judge Catholics because of the misdeeds of a few leaders is unchristian.

I belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, yep, I'm a Mormon. I am sure you have all met a Mormon that offended, annoyed, judged, or otherwise displeased you. Especially if you have ever lived near Utah. It is even possible to find a whole group of such Mormons. For those of you that do not know anything about Mormons, we believe, like all other Christians, that Jesus is our Savior and that we must live his teachings to return to live with him. I am not ignorant to the fact that there are an unfortunately large number of members of the church that do not practice the teachings we believe. This does not mean that all Mormons are this way. Quite the opposite. I have been to Mormon churches in both hemispheres and on either side of the planet. I have lived as far away from Salt Lake as possible. The only thing that remains the same in all these places is that the church teaches of Christ and his gospel. In my experience the gossip, judgments, hypocrisy, one-upmanship, and all the other issues that are seen amongst too many Mormons are typically isolated to the communities with a large percentage of Mormons. It's the law of averages. The more of a specific group you have in an area, the more prevalent the "exceptions" become. Much the same way you will find proof for racial stereotypes in neighborhoods largely populated by that race. It doesn't make the stereotype true, it just means there are people that live up to (or down to) that image. This is not me giving an excuse for people to act this way, it is just an observation I have made.
I am not perfect, by any stretch of the word. But I believe in Jesus Christ and his teachings. I do my best to follow him, to be a good person and to love everyone. I know what you are thinking right now, and like I said, I'm not perfect! But don't judge me and my beliefs because of someone else's actions. Especially someone that the only thing we may have in common is our membership in the same church, and one of us obviously isn't living up to our beliefs.
A related complaint, I know many former Mormons, baptized members that no longer go to church. I do not judge anyone for their decisions. Out of five children I am the only one that has chosen to continue going to church. I don't love my brothers any less for this. But I do have an issue with someone that blames the actions of others for their decisions. Believe, or don't believe, that decision is up to you. But own it. If you truly believe in something then you cannot be swayed by the actions of some ignorant people. And to say a religion and all its followers is bad, based on the actions of some of its members, is as un-Christlike as those members that are acting against the teachings of their religion. Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. (Matthew 7: 1-2)

So bash me, hate me, do what you want with me. But remember this is my rant and nobody made you read it. And just because my words may anger you, doesn't make them any less true. I love you, well, most of you. Again, I'm not the perfect one. =)

Cya in 7

Next Week: "007 License To Breed"

Can't We All Just Get Along? Except You... I Hate You!

2009-04-22T08:00:00.001-06:00

Anyone watch Family Guy? I love that show. Remember when Peter had a segment on the local news, What Grinds My Gears? That's how I feel with these rants sometimes, it's kind of fun.
So I am sure you have seen me write, heard me say, or otherwise learned through the grapevine that I am rather open minded. I do have my opinions, but it doesn't mean I cannot listen to yours. I also have a diversified group of friends and acquaintances. I know I have some friends that would absolutely despise some of my other friends and vice versa. For that reason I do not put those friends in the same room, without a paying audience.
You ask, what do you want to complain about today, KG? Well, I'll tell you. How come we can't all get along?! And this is for ALL my friends, not just the liberals or the conservatives or the Mormons or the Mormon haters.
Lets use a little analogy. I like the color green. It is my favorite color. Lets say your favorite color is blue. You find a group of people that also like the color blue. I find some friends that like the color green. You and your group of friends decide you hate the color green. Soon you decided that you also hate all people that like the color green. Eventually your disgust for the color green leads you to attack me personally. Am I green? Am I any different from when we started because I like the color green? Is each individual in my group of "green lovers" the exact same person because we like the color green?
Now blue is your "truth" and green is mine. We reverse roles, and it is I and my friends that hate and despise you and your friends for your love of blue. Is your "truth" so much more important than mine that it is OK for you to hate and persecute me, but it is not OK to be hated and persecuted?
Too vague? OK, lets get dirty. What is your opinion on Abortion? How about gay marriage? Border control? Politics? Sports? Death penalty? God? You will have your opinion. I will have mine. Why is your opinion more important than mine? I have no right to attack or persecute you because your opinion is not the same as mine, so do not feel that you do have the right to attack me.
Understandably having different opinions will cause debate and disagreement, and such is life. But debate and discussion are based on facts, logic, reason, and the pursuit of an understanding. Hate motivated attacks, personal slander, and the constant need to make everyone believe the same as you are all signs of a close minded bigot.
I am sure all of you are reading this and saying, "Well duh! Who wouldn't agree?!". But I am calling all of you out on the carpet! Think about your values and opinions. How do you react to someone that disagrees with you? I am not talking about someone standing on a soap box in the park spouting hatred. Just punch him in the fun sacks. I am talking about some guy you meet at a party. The conversation casually turns to current affairs and he happens to mention that he voted for ( or against, depending on your views ) Prop 8. What do you do? Do your fists clinch, your teeth grind and adrenaline begin pumping? Do you call him a moron and proceed to tell him why he is wrong?
Don't get me wrong, seek your truth. Study all the facts and reach your logical conclusions. Be passionate about your beliefs and share your knowledge where appropriate. But don't think that yours is the only right answer. You may be right. They may be wrong. But that doesn't change the fact that nothing is ever solved with anger. And just keep your mind open because there is always the chance that YOU are the one that is wrong.

Cya in 7

Next week: "Here is The Church, Here is The Steeple, Open The Doors And There's All The People."

Guest Rant : Glenn Beck Is A Tool.

2009-04-15T08:00:00.000-06:00

Alright kids, here's the scoop. I have been asked to publish a guest rant. I am not a Glenn Beck expert by any means. I think he is a tool and cannot bare to listen to him long enough to become an expert. So I pass along these words of wisdom. Stay tuned next week for my own personal rant that actually compliment this topic well. It's titled "Can't We All Just Get Along? Except You.... I Hate You."

Cya in 7.

"Dang I've been frustrated lately. I am so upset that so many of my friends like Glenn Beck. I have listened to him and I cannot believe that people in my church love him so much. He has strong opinions that are divisive. The things he says are rude, crude, criticizing, divisive, and the complete opposite of the Article of Faith #13. It frustrates me because I don't think these people should listen to such filth. It seems to me that there are a lot of people who hate Glenn Beck and his show and they also dog on him for his religion. I think that is why so many members of the church are so defensive about Glenn Beck. Because he is a member of the church they either agree with him, or they like him, or they don't speak out against him because he is a member. I have no problems speaking out against him but I have a fear that people won't like me because of it. But I truly, honestly, think what he does is morally wrong. It goes against everything I believe in. The way he belittles others views, acts condescending, lies, makes a lot out of nothing, creates false fear and scenarios. I think he's taking people's eye off the ball and distracting them with fear. Isn't that exactly what Satan wants us to do? Just sit back and listen to how the world could possible fall apart rather than get on our feet, get involved, be supportive, be hopeful, be helpful, be unified? Glenn Beck doesn't promote positive change. He thinks of random, stupid, not even possible situations and rants how America's death is about to occur.

What I want to ask people is "If you didn't know that Glenn Beck was a Mormon, would you still watch/listen to his show?"

In his 2007 Washington Post profile of Glenn Beck, David Segal wrote, "Listen to a few of Beck's shows and what strikes you most is the enormous ratio of words to substance - how Beck can monologue for minutes at a time and leave behind almost nothing except the impression of great vehemence."

James Poniewozik wrote an article called Glenn Beck: The Fears of a Clown. It was published in Time Magazine on April 8, 2009. In it he explains the rising popularity of the Fox News program, Glenn Beck. The article is as follows. (I couldn't decide which parts I liked best so I thought I would share the whole thing).

“On March 23, Treasury Secretary, Timothy Giethner, unveiled the Obama Administration's toxic-bank-assets plan. The stock markets cheered the news, sending the Dow up 497 points.

This meant one thing: it was time for Glenn Beck to break out the Jenga set.

The new populist superstar of Fox News has made a refrain of predicting that government policies are leading to disaster — dark, ruinous, blood-in-the-streets kind of disaster. Pausing for a 17-minute speech rebutting his critics for calling him "dangerous" and "crazy," he took out the block-tower game. On opposite sides of the tower were written the words solution and problem, taxpayer and children. Then he spent much of the hour critiquing the plan, all the while pulling pieces from the wobbling tower and stacking them on top.

For Beck, Jenga is a metaphor for the plan's risk. But it is also a metaphor for Beck's show, which teeters from humor to predictions of apocalypse to self-esteem sermons to fits of weeping. ("I'm sorry. I just love my country. And I fear for it.") This is what makes it so compelling: the breathless feeling that at any moment, everything could spectacularly collapse.

A year ago, with Fox News in an election-year ratings slump, some TV observers (like me) wondered if its conservative commentators could thrive in an Obama era. The answer is yes, and how. Fox roared back and has more viewers than CNN and MSNBC combined.

It's succeeded partly because of its veteran stars Bill O'Reilly and Sean Hannity. But to Hannity's tax-cut Republicanism and O'Reilly's grumpy social conservatism, Beck adds an au courant strain of grievance. Beck had a similar program on Headline News (which I appeared on once), on which he at one point asked a Muslim Congressman to "prove to me that you are not working with our enemies." After he moved to Fox in January, his audience exploded to 2 million-plus viewers — unheard of at 5 p.m. His hook, for the age of economic anxiety: whereas O'Reilly embodies anger and Hannity brashness, Beck embraces fear.

Fear of what? Take your pick. Fear that the U.S. is on a long march to fascism. (As evidence, Beck cited — on April Fools' Day but apparently seriously — the inclusion of fasces on the Mercury dime in 1916.) That fat cats and bureaucratic "bloodsuckers" are plundering your future. That Mexico will collapse and chaos will pour over the border. That America believes too little in God and too much in global warming. That "they" — Big Government, Big Business, Big Media — are against you. Above all, that you, small-town, small-business America — Palinville — have been forgotten. Dismissed. Laughed at. Just like him.

It's hard to identify a Beck ideology so much as a set of attitudes, sometimes contradictory ones. He channels anger against Wall Street but defends the bonuses for AIG executives. He devoted a segment to debunking a conspiracy theory about FEMA "concentration camps" but has warned that the AmeriCorps program "indoctrinates your child into community service."

What unites Beck's disparate themes is a sense of siege. On March 13, he served up a kind of fear combo platter — war, chaos, totalitarianism, financial ruin — with the 9/12 Project, a tearful call to viewers to rediscover the common purpose they felt after 9/11. In 2001, that common purpose involved cable-news talkers' dialing down the us-vs.-them shtick for a day or two; now Beck urged viewers to reject the notion that "they" have all the power. "They don't surround us," he declared. "We surround them."

Beck's surround sound plays like a mix of colonial pamphleteering, Great Depression demagoguery and the movie Red Dawn. But is he serious? He describes himself as a "rodeo clown," and he is a talented TV showman — joking and self-effacing, with a gift for big visuals and low-tech explainer stunts like his Jenga bit. Unlike O'Reilly et al., he's not a shouter. He calls his program "the fusion of entertainment and enlightenment."

Then again, he recently devoted a "War Room" episode to gaming out an American economic collapse in 2014 — the result of debt and high taxes — including the rise of "Mad Max" militias and civil unrest. Because if anything spells laff riot, it's the breakdown of lawful society! Whether Beck is stirring up frightening social currents or just playing in them, his material and its resonance are deadly serious.

Of course, I'm a "them." And if there's one thing we thems love, it's tarring dissenters as scary. As he played with his Jenga tower, Beck made just that point, introducing his next guest, former Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul. "Remember," Beck said sarcastically, "he is a dangerous militia member!"

Then a wooden piece gave way, and the whole toy edifice came crashing down.”

Different forms of media have a way of evoking our emotions. I’ve noticed that after I listen to Glenn Beck, certain emotions arise every time. I feel angry, discouraged, fearful, and frustrated with the world I live in. I’m unmotivated to do anything. What good will it do? The world is going to hell. Straight to hell.

Although the Jenga analogy is dramatic and entertaining to watch, it is not in my nature to want things to crash and fall. In fact, I feel it is my moral obligation to be a builder. To be part of a solution. To move onward and upward. To go forward. To learn and grow. To be optimistic and hopeful. To use the past as a compass to guide and direct my future. To be one in purpose with those around me. To love and serve. To improve every day.

I admit when I listen to Glenn Beck rant about random, stupid, not even possible situations, I get irritated. Why is he tearing down instead of building up? Why is he criticizing instead of offering up solutions? Well, I know the answer to that. It’s all about money and fame. Fear-mongering entertainment creates a following. Followers create advertising and advertising creates money. And Glenn Beck has lots of it.

I am afraid that many of his LDS followers follow him because they are looking for a political voice to guide them. The Church does not speak out politically or socially, leaving members of the faith to gather their own facts and form their own opinions. They trust their political souls to Glenn Beck, wrongly assuming that because they agree on religion, they also agree on politics.

There is a danger in following someone who creates fear instead of faith. Cynicism breeds discouragement and frustration and leads to anger and apathy. There is doubt instead of hope. There is distraction instead of action. There is the chance of falling off course.

This past General Conference, President Monson gave an outstanding talk called “Be of Good Cheer” which illustrated the need for a certain maturity when dealing with difficult times, reminding us that life on earth has always been hard and will always be hard. He reminds us not to dwell on what is wrong in the world and not to get discouraged or cynical. But to set our sights on God and let faith overcome fear. “This attitude” he says, “is what will pull us through whatever comes our way. It will not remove our troubles from us but rather will enable us to face our challenges, to meet them head on, and to emerge victorious.”

What advice would President Monson give us during these difficult days ahead? He admonishes us to “be of good cheer, and do not fear,” and reminds us that “I the Lord am with you, and will stand by you.”

The entire LDS Conference was a message of love and reassurance. I didn’t hear criticisms or mentions of boycotts or tea parties or socialism. Speaking of socialism, did you know Joseph Smith once suggested that we change to a national banking system? (Just had to throw that in since this is my rant).

I end my rant with these words from Elder Ballard, who addressed the General Conference in October 2003 and said, “Brothers and sisters, refuse to be used. Refuse to be manipulated….We may be a small voice to begin with; nevertheless, let us encourage a more uplifting, inspiring, and acceptable media.” " ~ Anonymous

Don't Sweat The Small Stuff.

2009-04-07T06:29:00.000-06:00

So I have decided to make a habit of ranting. And at the request of my little Wilderness Trek sister, who's WT nickname has escaped memory, I am going to rant about sweating the small stuff. For lack of a better nickname lets just call her hot-blogging-Cali-mom. First a quick detour: Why is EAT, MEAT and HEAT all pronounced that way but SWEAT is different. The word sweet should be spelled SWEAT in my opinion. I really don't like English.
And.... we're back. Ok, so why is it that small tasks can seem so important that we lose sight of the big picture? Is it a matter of pride that we must complete a task at the risk of sacrificing the progress to our larger goal? Example, hot-blogging-Cali-mom says she spent time she didn't have, looking for a lost shoe she didn't need, to go to her sons baseball game. End result, son was late to the game. Would the other moms make fun of her (and not allow her to join in their reindeer games) if her daughters shoes were not perfect? I doubt this is the case.
In my infinite wisdom here is how I envision the situation. Ultimate goal was to reach the baseball game. Things are going well, preparing the children, getting them dressed, bam! Daughter can't find her pretty white shoe. In the anxiety of the rush to the game and in the heat of the moment the lost shoe becomes a major issue. And Major issues must be dealt with, right? How long could it really take to find a shoe? As the time passes how many more hiding places can there be, the shoes is bound to be found any moment. Tempers rise, children cry, hot-blogging-Cali-mom swears, and the shoe remains elusive.
The problem in the moment always appears more prevalent, because it is there in the moment. Make sense? So it is easier to focus on that issue. Is that bad? I don't think so. But if the problem at hand becomes so consuming that it prohibits a successful end to the primary goal, then it's obviously not worth the effort.
I once heard a talk about this issue. I wont be adding the reference in a citation page 'cause I just can't remember who, when, why, how, or what it was. But the Readers Digest version; If you hold a small stone in front of your eye it becomes the only thing you can see. When you toss the stone back to the ground where it belongs, you can now see how insignificant it really is in relation to its surroundings.
This is not to say that all issues need to be ignored. Of course we need to address the problem, but it first needs to be taken in context. When problems are viewed in the correct aspect ratio they are often much easier to resolve.
So, hot-blogging-Cali-mom, or any of the other 4 people that will read this, I can't tell you how to overcome the habit of "sweating the small stuff". Or better stated, I can't tell you anything you don't already know about how to overcome this problem. The answer is the same as it has always been. Take a deep breath, count to 10, mentally step back from the situation, and look at it from a birds eye view. Easier said than done.
Anyone out there that knows how to be perfect at letting the small stuff slide 100% of the time, good for you! Now go make an infomercial and sell your secrets for millions of dollars. For the rest of us, just take it one day at a time. If you can remember to step back and breath just once, then that is one less time you freak out. And that is a great start.

What If or What Now?

2009-04-07T05:50:00.000-06:00

I am going to call my notes "rants" instead of blogs. I think that is a more appropriate name for a one sided conversation, and I wont have to admit that I wrote a blog. Or I could just call them sermons, since I am sure this will sound kind of preachy. Either way if you don't want to hear me wax philosophical overt your eyes now.
This note is not directed at any one specific person. It is the culmination of thoughts gathered from conversations with multiple people. If you feel this is directed towards you then you are probably correct, but not alone. =)
Recently I have heard many people lamenting decisions they have made in the past. Yeah, this is normal for almost all of us. But when the thoughts about the past consume every aspect of your present there is an issue.
Our memories can cause us many emotions, all of which I believe to be good, even the upsetting ones. These recollections should be great reminders of our successes and failures, used as guides to avoid future failures and to repeat patterns of triumph. Depressing, upsetting, and frightening memories should be used to help us more fully appreciate the happy, fulfilling, and peaceful times. And our memories of loves lost or chances not taken should be constant reminders to appreciate those we have more often and to not be afraid to experience all life has in store for us.
However, I am concerned for those that seek to change their past. You can not go back in time and change what has already occurred. *Side note: Time travel is not possible, otherwise someone from the future would have already come back to let us know. =) * Living your life constantly looking towards your past will cause you to miss all the wonderful events in your present. Let the past be what it is intended, a reminder, and move forward with your life. Take advantage of today, or tomorrow you will just have one more day you regret. Instead of thinking "What if...." think "What now...". What can you do today to make today better? Yesterday happened, it isn't going to happen again, deal with it. If you are not satisfied with the way your life has turned out, then change it. It's your life, own it. You are the only one that can make it better. You are also the one that is making it worse focusing on the "What ifs" instead of the "What nows". You may never have the same possessions you had before, you may never have the same opportunities as you did before, you may never experience the same joys you did before. But if you do not focus on now you will definitely miss out on new possessions, opportunities and experiences. Change is not always bad, change is just always different.
Ok, soap box has been crushed. These thoughts are shared out of concern and love for anyone that wants/needs to hear them. If you have taken offense then you have misunderstood, and for that I apologize.

Anyone who limits her vision to memories of yesterday is already dead.
Lily Langtry