Rants of a Redneck

2009-09-12T22:07:00.002-05:00

Yes, I still live. No, I haven't posted anything in just over a year. Yes, I plan on posting new jibblets of drivel and nonsensical rambling. No, I won't tell you when. Keep checking back... :)

2008-09-08T17:15:00.003-05:00

Howdy, starved readers! I suppose all of you have pondered whether I'd fallen in a hole and failed to escape for nearly three months... but I've just been preoccupied with other matters. I do apologize for my neglectfulness.

As a way of saying "Sowwy"... I am posing the following personal take on an Internet tidbit. After a lengthy read, I'm sure your hunger for my abstract and twisted view on matters will be sated for the time being. Have no fear. As subject matter pops its little head to the surface, I'll be there to scoop it up... over-analyze it... and rant about it on here for your amusement. I entitle this entry...

= = = The Kasoa & St. Ives Paradox = = =

There are two riddles that have been circulating on the internet for several years, now. Both are similar in their makeup and in their supposed solution.

The first one deals with a man headed to Kasoa; (there are actually two versions of this one)...

Version 1--

A man was traveling to Kasoa
At the bus stop, he met a man with 7 wives
Each wife has 12 sons and 12 daughters
Each daughter of the man's wife had 4 sons and 7 daughters
Each son of the man's wife had 7 sons and 4 daughters
Each grand daughter had 4 friends
How many people got to kasoa?

Version 2--

A man traveling to Kasoa met man with 7 wives.
Each wife had 12 sons and 12 daughters.
Each daughter had 4 sons and 7 daughters.
Each son had 7 sons and 4 daughters.
Each granddaughter had 4 friends.
How many people are going to Kasoa?

The next one deals with a man who meets a traveler headed for St. Ives;

As I was going to St Ives
I met a man with seven wives
And every wife had seven sacks
And every sack had seven cats
And every cat had seven kits
Kits, cats, sacks, wives
How many were going to St Ives?

((SPOILER ALERT)) Traditionally, the answer is "1"… assuming that only the narrator is traveling either to Kasoa or St. Ives.

However, being the sort of person that I am, and never holding with popular Lemmingistic acceptances, (I came up with that term – don’t you love it?) I propose the following twist on the bus stop version of the Kasoa riddle.

Background:

- Kasoa is a small town in Ghana, a country in West Africa. Transportation within rural Africa typically consists of school buses for mass public transit. The average school bus has a maximum of 24 seats, each with the capacity of seating 2 persons. So, it could safely be assumed that (with all occupants seated) the total capacity of an average bus in the Kasoa region would be 49 (48 passengers + 1 driver).

- Africa, as a whole, has accepted the practice of Polygamy for centuries. So the premise behind the narrator meeting a gentleman with 7 wives is not unheard of.

If a large group of people is located at a bus stop, then it can easily be assumed (citing their obvious family relationship) that all of them are traveling to the same destination. So, due to the fact that we now need a complete tally of the man's family, we shall calculate his posterity.

A man was traveling to Kasoa

At the bus stop, he met a man with 7 wives
(husband + 7 wives = 8 adults)

Each wife has 12 sons and 12 daughters
(7 wives x 24 children each = 168 children)

Each daughter of the man's wife had 4 sons and 7 daughters
(12 daughters x 11 grandchildren = 132 grandchildren)

Each son of the man's wife had 7 sons and 4 daughters
(12 sons x 11 grandchildren = 132 grandchildren)

Each grand daughter had 4 friends
(12 daughters had 7 girls each = 84¡ and 12 sons had 4 girls each = 48
So, 84 + 48 = 132 granddaughters x 4 friends each = 528 friends)

How many people got to Kasoa?

Ok, let's make a tally:

8 adults
168 children
132 grandchildren + 132 grandchildren = 264 grandchildren (total)
528 friends
=========
968 people comprise this man's family at the bus stop.

Now, noting that each of the daughters and sons would need a corresponding spouse to produce their sons and daughters, one might wonder where these individuals have wandered off to? Perhaps they are all visiting the bathroom facilities? If we hypothetically toss a spouse in for each son and daughter of the multiply-married-man, then we arrive at an additional 168 spouses. (7 wives having 12 male and 12 female children -- each one needing a spouse)

968 "listed" people
168 "unlisted" spouses
=====
1,136 people total

Now, we can take this figure and these individuals and arrive at some very thought provoking observational hypotheses;

1) This man is obviously filthy rich, extremely well-endowed… or both.

2) The seven wives and husband are very fertile and enjoy a robust libido. This has obviously been passed down through their genes.

3) While procreation is not a stumbling block for this family¡ travel arrangements must be a nightmare!

4) Trying to utilize public transit to ferry 1,136 people at one time demonstrates a horrid lack of good judgment.

Remember the bus information from above? The average school bus can accommodate a maximum of 48 passengers and 1 driver (seated). Therefore, this family of 1,136 people divided by 48 passengers per bus = 23.67 (rounded up to 24) buses needed to haul this family.

So, I've ultimately arrived at the following conclusions...

1) A person who can support 1,135 family members does not need to take a bus...

2) The ACTUAL answer is 1,160 people headed to Kasoa…
((that’s 24 buses carrying 1,136 passengers + 24 drivers + one astounded man))

I hope you thoroughly enjoyed this evaluation of the facts and can now argue against the answer of "1" with more authority... now knowing what I know. ~chuckles~

Until next time, kiddos!!

2008-06-27T07:26:00.003-05:00

In the immortal words of Gen. Douglas McArthur... "I have returned." Albeit 6 months since I last reared my ugly head, I haven't forgotten about this blog or my slightly warped readers. Well, technically, you have to be warped to find any entertainment from warped sources. I'm a warped source... ergo you must be warped readers.

Ok, enough with the warping and blah blah blah. I know what you're chomping at the bits for. Yes, I know what you crave. You want to see me delve into my darker side and verbally disect some "thing" or some "one" who has caused me to develop an eye tic or similar malady, due to the utter stupidity of their actions.

Well, wait no more. Yet ANOTHER series of fine commercials has caught my attention and caused pain to my cerebral synapses. Ah yes, the media. A never-ending source of the worst in marketing strategies. Today's little journey of angst has to do with disclaimer paranoia, and the loss of responsibility.

-= Disclaimer Paranoia & The Loss Of Responsibility =-
These days, there seems to be an overpowering sense that mass marketing has either been sued to the point of, figuratively, backing into a hole with their teeth bared. Or, based on the incompetence of our legal processes and what can be "sidestepped" or "loopholed", they feel legally vulnerable and in need of some sandbagging for any potentially devastating legal flood.

All of this will tie into Common Sense, later... but for now, just bear with me.

Have you ever been sitting on your comfy couch or favorite cushy recliner... and some commercial comes on TV that depicts actions or products doing what anyone with the I.Q. of a 3 year old would know are quite impossible? Sure, we all have. Maybe a tire commercial where the guy drives up the side of a building? How about a talking lizard that sells insurance? Or, perhaps a pickup truck that can pull a locomotive...on the tracks.

Yet, for some reason, these people feel compelled to include phrases like:

"Not indicative of actual vehicle capabilities"
"Professional driver on a closed course. Do not attempt."
"Dramatization"
"Slow Motion Used"
"Images Are Simulated"

Are these actually necessary?? I'm sorry, but they're not. Honestly, if you have to tell me not to drive my truck off a cliff, or wipe up a spill with the cat. Or, if I need someone to explain to me that an average car can't drive underwater, then I require more help than a few small words at the bottom of my screen can provide.

Seriously, people. The reason they put them there, as we all know, is the same reason that McDonalds had to start putting "Danger: Liquid may be hot" on the sides of their steaming, hot, coffee. It's there, so that utter and complete morons won't stupidly spill it on themselves and then have the audacity to utter "Ow! That's hot! Why wasn't I warned?!? I'll sue!!" We all need to line up with our hands out.. and have idiots like that just place their face against the first palm and then begin to run down the line. Talk about your Cluster-DUH!!!!!

So....

A) because we have morons who can't use common sense, and realize what can and can't be done.

B) because any frivolous lawsuit with no actual merit can get passed through the courts these days without intelligent judges seeing them for what they are and tossing them out.

C) because there are idiots who just LOOK for reasons to imitate something and then end up getting hurt or killed because they lack the most rudimentary sense of realism.

... we have to endure things like; "This is a dramatization". Here's a revelation!! If it's on TV, 9 times outta 10... it's gonna be some kind of "dramatization". And thank goodness for that... because "reality TV" sucks.

Just once... JUST ONCE... I'd like to see some cosmic justice here. How bout... "Professional Driver Shown. YOU are NOT a Professional Driver." At least that sounds better. ~shrug~

"Results my vary".... oh... really, Einstein?? In a world of constant change and unreliability, you're telling me that your product, procedure or service might deviate from an exacting, predictable result when subjected to non-identical consumers?? Glooooory beeee.... How much of an UBER-duh is this?!? That's like these stupid diet plan commercials and medical procedures for weight loss on TV. They're always taking the "Results not typical" people. What we want to see are the “typical” people. I mean, seriously. The "typical" user is indicative of what can actually be achieved while utilizing this product or service. There are always going to be those who naturally respond or even accel with certain treatments. But using these to represent what can be achieved, while feasible, is somewhat of a half-truth. But the media tends to live off of half-truths, in their attempt to sell something.

That seems to be where we are these days. Wading through a swamp of half-truths and marketing traps... all in the name of commerce.

So, until next time.... take care.

2007-12-06T20:21:00.000-06:00

Well, my fine readers… I have an unexpectedly NICE entry to add today! Believe it or not, something good happened to yours truly. After a lengthy, depressing, stressful and gray period of unemployment… I am now gainfully employed by a very reputable engineering firm in the fair capitol city of our state.

I am not what many would call a “deeply religious” or “righteous” person… but I know where credit is certainly due. After much prayer and patience, God has seen fit to bless us by allowing me to work at this new job. Today was my first day, and I would be hard pressed to tell you about anything that wasn’t fantastic!

The location is great. The co-workers are friendly and open. The bosses are jolly and relaxed. The work is very familiar and easily done. The restaurants nearby are fabulous. The parking is free. And the paycheck is going to be STELLAR!!!

I give Him all credit for this, as is only right. I may be a backslid-church-boy, and I have more than my fair share of bad habits. But my dad (God bless him) must be pullin for me up there. I’m not one to ask for pity or offer sob stories… but we’ve been having it pretty rough for a long time now. But, I am SO thankful for this chance to make things better.

I can’t wait to go back tomorrow. I hope every day is as good as this first one was. I’m sure there will be more gripes and rants in the future… but for right now, let a poor redneck enjoy a happy day.

2007-10-20T11:02:00.000-05:00

My rant, today, comes on the tails of some recently disturbing news that I read about the author of the world-famous Harry Potter series of children’s books. Many of you may have already heard or read about this. But, I was shocked and dismayed at the revelation by author J.K. Rowling that one of her lead characters in the series, Professor Albus Dumbledore, master wizard and Headmaster of Hogwarts, is gay.

My first impression was that of disbelief. Not only that she would taint her mythical storyline with such a controversial and problematic topic such as homosexuality. But, also that she would take it upon herself to taint children’s minds with this disturbing topic, in the guise of a children’s story.

It is one thing for a person to grow up and choose their own moral path, once they’ve grown to mental maturity. It’s another matter to influence a child’s innocence and confuse their perception of sexual practices and orientation. An author takes an unspoken and accepted responsibility upon themselves when they choose to enter the realm of children’s books. A child is very impressionable, and can be mentally molded in behavior by what they are exposed to at an early age. Professional tact and good taste have governed good authors to steer clear of "mature" matters when it came to writing childrens' fact or fiction stories, in times past. It would seem that this is, sadly, no longer common practice.

Psychologists have concluded that the behavioral and psychological patterns that a person retains from childhood can very well influence their actions and beliefs throughout life. To be so thoughtless as to impress one’s personal acceptance of this so-called “alternative” lifestyle upon an innocent, impressionable young person is at the very root of unprofessionalism!

Mrs. Rowling began to entertain the masses with her world of wizardry and magic in a most innocent and non-offensive manner. Of course, Christian Fundamentalists immediately flew off their respective rockers… assuming that a fanciful, mythological, imaginative world of hocus-pocus was in some way the teaching of the Devil, himself. This sort of fanatical behavior is just as wrong. Where were these people when Walt Disney offered us the make-believe stories of Peter Pan? Cinderella? Snow White? Were these not also considered to be “widespread teachings of magic and sorcery”? The true problem began with involving mature issues in a story that they did not belong in.

It’s no more ethical and professional to state that Snow White had an orgy with the 7 dwarves… or that Cinderella was sexually assaulted by her wicked stepsisters… or that Peter Pan and the Lost Boys were a horde of flying faggots!

Is it not enough that our society is literally saturated with debauchery in the media and cinema? Won’t children have to be exposed to this unnatural and perverse behavior in years to come? I plead with the authors who touch these innocent children’s lives… to consider their own childhood and the entertainment they received as children. Bert and Ernie weren’t considered “gay” in the 70’s… they were roommates. There is such a thing. Two women or two men can actually be friends… they don’t have to be sexual “partners”.

It’s this deplorable and morally corrupted society of today that has felt compelled to re-label the innocence of things with the premise of homosexuality… because of nothing more than popular mass media pressure tactics. Special interest groups are in overdrive to force-feed acceptance of this sickening practice upon every person on the planet to the point of invading the sanctified arena of childhood. Perhaps they want to get a jump on altering perception of their chosen practices, so as to eliminate future objections? It’s a pretty low and underhanded tactic… but what can you expect. Only through reinforcement from like kind can they avoid their own guilt. If everyone is for it… then it can’t be wrong. At least…that’s what they want the reality of it to be.

I fully realize that some of my readers may be of a different viewpoint, and you’re fully within your rights to see things as you wish. I no more presume to force my views on anyone, than I’d want them to force them on me. I’m merely stating my position, because I’m compelled to try and be the voice of reason.

Children aren’t stupid. I know that. Some children, God help them, have already been exposed and damaged by this whole topic. But, thankfully, there are those who are still innocent. Those whose minds aren’t twisted and damaged by this mess… who want to believe in the magic of Santa Claus… the Tooth Fairy… The Easter Bunny.

I’m not a holy-roller… nor am I perfect… nor am I immune to sin. I’m no better a person than Mrs. Rowling. In fact, in some ways, I’m sure I’m much worse. But, regardless of that fact… she should not involve sexual matters and issues within stories that small children read.

As for this house… we’ll not reward Mrs. Rowling for her actions with our money. The purchasing of Harry Potter material is at an end.

More later.

2007-10-15T09:46:00.000-05:00

Well folks... this isn't exactly a normal entry. But, rather, just a matter-of-fact entry. I recently became yet another statistic in this lovely Bush-economy. Yes, layoffs abound... and one of them has taken liberty to sink its jagged teeth into my white posterior.

In other words, I got laid off on Thursday of last week. It came as a shock to me, citing the fact that I'd just gotten a pay raise not two weeks prior. But, as my father always said... "There's no such thing as a Permanent Job. Just be thankful that you have a lengthy Temporary Job."

I suppose things happen for a reason. Luckily, I've already gotten calls for interviews... so perhaps this will only be a brief "unscheduled vacation" for me. Ya'll keep me in your thoughts n' prayers. Bills don't change... but your income can.

More later... if I have power. (sigh)

2007-10-08T07:15:00.000-05:00

No, you’re not hallucinating… I’m actually posting an entry today. It stems from something I hear on the radio a lot while driving. It doesn’t matter what radio station it is, they all seem to be infested with this one offer. Free computers.

Be it a laptop or desktop, it makes no difference. They plug these paid actors as “actual customers” who are just overcome with glee by how easy it was for them to get their FREE computer. They say things like, “…how is it that we can offer these amazing computers for free?” and then go on to explain how advertisers get tired of shelling out the big-bucks for offers, and have decided to reward people through this company by offering computers for trying products they “already need”.

Hmmm… well, let me shed some light on the situation here. I’ve been curious enough to pilfer around in this type of offer in the past. I pursued it just far enough to discover the true make up of this little scheme. So, pay attention and I’ll unmask the bandit. It all starts with these little goofball companies that plug the radio spots. Their sole purpose for existing is merely to promote the whole shibang by telling you how easy it is to get this piece of crap.

The computer you’ll be receiving is most often a stripped down, bare bones, refurbished unit. It’s no more high-tech or fancy than a hand-me-down pair of shoes. If it DOES happen to be a new unit, it’s going to be the lowest end model available by the manufacturer they have contracted a sales deal with. No DVD-burners.. no fancy firewire adapters. Bottom end is what you’ll get… IF you get it.

The way they offer these is through a minefield of cheesy, complicated, undesirable offers tied to it. You begin this little journey into the absurd by entering the promoter’s main website. They, then, reinforce how awesome…fantastic…amazing…and easy this whole process is. It’s time to sell the lie. Now, if you happen to be one of the poor saps who actually goes through with this, then they begin by taking all of your contact information. This is to be utilized for spam promotions by affiliated companies….even if you suddenly wise up and back out.

After they’ve secured this, you move on to the 15 or 20 successive websites you must wade through, much like molten tar. They tell you, in a legal disclaimer somewhere close to the length of something created by Leo Tolstoy, that you will need to complete each and every offer they throw at you by third-party companies. Then wait for each offer to clear (insuring that each company places their respective fish hook in your lip). These are credit card companies, magazine offers, CD clubs, and other useless crappy things that you wouldn’t be interested in. But you MUST complete the applications for them to gain this “wonderful computer”.

Now that about 15 to 20 companies have your information (which they can and will sell to even MORE spammers) you will be processed, based upon your credit rating. If you happen to pass and get approved, then you’re now the proud owner of their useless and contractual crap. Do you get the computer now? No. You have more to do.

Now that they have you set on the hook and are cranking your ass in, for all it’s worth… you need to gain verification that you’ve completed these offers. This is entirely up to each individual company to grant you this completion status. Let’s assume that the planets align and you actually get this confirmation from all this crap you’ve just signed up for. Now you send it to the promotional company. You know… the one that told you how easy all of this was, about 2 or 3 months ago.

Now they will take their sweet time evaluating your claim. Assuming there’s no red flags on this claim, they will get this “fantastic computer” and ship it to your house (with you paying the shipping-&-handling, of course). After all, they’re not in this to spend money. They’re in this to MAKE money. They’re going to pass along the cost to fools like you. They know you’ve just demonstrated your gullibility with about 20 crappy offers in order to get this electronic paperweight. What’s a little thing like shipping and handling costs going to deter?

At this point, you’re committed to following through. At this point, you should be committed to an asylum. And now, you get your box. OH JOY!! You now have a sub-standard (most likely out of date) laptop or desktop. Assuming it doesn’t crash or fail to turn on at all… you can now use it to pay these 20 bills you’ve just added to your budget and never wanted in the first place.

Save yourself some time, humiliation, headache and financial drain. Just order a friggin bare-bones kit from a reputable store or computer supplier. Pay for the computer, and skip the crap they want to cover you with. Trust me, it’s a huge fan behind a vat of pig slop. Do yourself a favor and don’t turn on the fan.

Consider this my public service message for the day. Ya’ll take care!! More later.

2007-10-03T09:48:00.000-05:00

Greetings and salutations to my beloved and devoted Rant-Fans out there. Yes, I realize that this entry has been 3 months overdue, but my life has been pretty hectic lately. I’m sure this latest little mentally warped tirade will make up for at least some portion of my neglegence.

Since odd and poorly made commercials tend to get on my nerves, constantly. I thought I should create some kind of featured spotlight on the most annoying commercial on-air at the time of each particular blog entry. Sort of a “Hall of Shame” feature that you can enjoy me ranting about. This way, I can vent about them… and I can address other topics, as well.

So, without further adieu… here’s the current entry for:

“Jason’s Commercial Hall Of Shame”

( Today’s winner is: Valtrex® )

Valtrex® is a once-a-day genital herpes medication, for those of you who live under a rock and haven’t seen this stupid commercial at least a million times by now. The reason it’s so annoying, is because it falls under my personal pet peeve in this area. Drugs that treat embarrassing conditions don’t need to be advertised on national television. If you’re honest with yourself, you will come to see that those afflicted by any condition which is a) embarrassing… and b) in need of medical treatment… will generally seek out the treatment that they need.

This would involve speaking with a medical specialist who can prescribe the applicable medication designed to treat the condition. Never have I seen an instance where a patient could influence a doctor’s preference on the brand of medication he chooses to prescribe, based solely upon something that the patient saw on TV. If that’s the case, then why are we constantly bombarded by these stupid prescription drug commercials?!?!

Question: By and large, what is the percentage of Americans who are currenly afflicted with genital herpes? I did a little reasearch. The current U.S. Census bureau estimates a current national population of 303,035,353. As of today, roughly 45,000,000 Americans have genital herpes. That may initially sound like a lot, but it’s really only 6.73% of the entire population of the U.S. So, for the remaining 93% of Americans… this information doesn’t even apply.

Now, what REALLY makes the commercial annoying is how it’s constructed. Like many other pharmaceutical commercials, they seem to want to get down on a “neighborly” level with you. Backyard scenery… casual dress…etc. They choose actors who look like your old college roommate, your mom or… uncle Bob. Then they script stupid things for them to say, like… “I used to be ontop of my game, but now my doctor says that my diabetes may be contributing to my E.D.”

No, uncle Bob…. You used to be ontop of aunt Mildred. And I’m sure that if millions of Diabetic Americans suffer from ED, it’s a condition they’re well aware of. No need to smile and tell us about it while sitting in your golf cart. If they’re affected, it won’t take a frank and candid commercial to get them to seek medical advice.

STOP THE STUPID MEDICAL COMMERCIALS!!! …and get back to MythBusters. They’re testing the myth of someone being able to put their elbow in their own ear. Now that’s riveting entertainment!

--------------------( * )--------------------

The next topic on the plate is also related to commercials and TV, but it isn’t a rant about their content. It’s more of a puzzlement as to the trend of pricing. I’m sure you’ve all noticed a trend in advertised pricing over a period of several years now. I’m, of course, referring to the whole “.95” issue. You know… $14.95…. $19.95… $29.95

Why is it that these people can’t just round the price up to an even number? Would an extra nickel be the pivotal selling point by which their profit or loss could be calculated? If something is $14.95, you’re going to be paying over $15.00 anyway, due to the Shipping & Handling that they always want you to pay the tab on. They’re dying to sell you something, but can’t cover the shipping. That’s always been rather stupid to me.

If they’re about to have a fit over whether they sell these pieces of crap or not, then why should the shipping matter? Well, at any rate… if you’re going to price something at $14.95, just make it $15.00… tag on your stupid S&H and be done with it. Don’t insult our intelligence by coming across with a price that lets you say “…and all this for under $15.00!!!”

It’s a friggin NICKEL, you booger-pickin morons!!! We’re not getting the DEAL OF THE CENTURY here.

Ok… enough with this mess. I came, I saw, I ranted. More later. (and hopefully not 3 months later)

2007-07-26T10:44:00.000-05:00

Well, believe it or not, I’m back. Astounding, I know. But, I felt compelled to vent a bit of frustration at the animation studios, today. It all stems from a brief discussion I had with a fellow worker, this morning. We somehow got onto the topic of childrens’ shows and how they’ve become too adult in nature.

It seems to be a widespread viewpoint within the animation industry that children shouldn’t be treated like children these days. There are all sorts of grotesque references to bodily excretions, crude sexually oriented humor, and foul language that pops up here and there… in CHILDRENS shows! I’ve even seen references to such methodology hidden within the hallowed halls of Disney, itself! Walt would no doubt stand up out of his grave and take a 9-iron to the staff at his beloved organization if he could.

The inherent problem lies in modern society’s obvious distaste for innocense. It seems almost like an effort to instill a “magical” belief in the fairy-tale world of a child’s imagination anymore. Society wants to gut any belief in make-believe characters, traditional figures and a child’s right to BE a child, anymore. The faster they can discredit such notions and push children toward adulthood…the better they like it.

They degrade once humrous cartoons that people took with an unattached sense of humor, and have chopped them to pieces for the sake of Political Correctness. And, without missing a beat, will broadcast a cartoon where a child makes reference to eating dog feces. Yes, I’ve actually seen it myself. And today’s kids are soaking up this televised mess! Sexual inuendos, ebonic urban lingo, an almost unilateral saturation of rap & hip-hop themed music, and crude subject content are what makes a cartoon these days?? Give me Johnny Quest, Speedracer, Looney Tunes, Scooby Doo, Transformers, Gi Joe and Garfield. That is…if they haven’t butchered them into a mangled mess of PC crap, as well.

It’s truly a terrible thing to rape the innocence away from our young generations for the sake of intollerance of its mere existance. Children should be allowed to be children. They shouldn’t be thought of as merely a “grown-up-in-training”. Stop ripping away the cover on reality at a younger and younger age. They have the rest of their lives to witness the cruel reality that we all must endure. At least have the human decency to let them have a time of wonder and happiness. It may very well be the only thing that allows them to cling to sanity later in life. It’s been consistently proven that an unstable, unhappy, violent or neglectful experience as a child tends to lead the individual to similarly associated behavior, later on in life. Conversely, I’ve yet to see a single person ever arrested or jailed for dropping an anvil on another human being like Wile E. Coyote… just to see if they’ll walk off, sounding like an accordian. Give kids credit for some common sense. They sometimes exhibit more intelligence than those in mass media do.

Y'all be good… more later.

2007-07-17T18:41:00.000-05:00

Greetings patient ones! Yes, believe it or not… I have, at long last, returned to entertain the masses with my somewhat skewed sense of humor. You may be asking yourself what has taken me so long to work up enough ire over a topic to post my annoyance about it in this beloved blog.

Well, suffice it to say that there have been several recent events that have taken place which have diminished my disgruntlement to a degree. Now, don’t mistake a lapse of entries for a negation of my tendencies. I’m still the same analytically opinionated person I’ve always been. But the events in question have been very hard to work through. I won’t expound on them here for sake of time and space. But suffice it to say that they shook my world to its very foundation. Well, without further adieu, I will introduce you to an experience that has somewhat confounded me to one degree or another. It’s not necessarily all bad… but it does tend to make me, and possibly will make several of you, go “huh?”.

A few years ago, some acquaintances of mine recommended an online gaming system to me, knowing how computer-based I tend to be. Now, I’m no genius or computer hacker by any means. But, I do enjoy a bit of escapism from the perpetually dim reality I seem to be faced with on a daily basis. Sometimes I can take the escape instinct a bit far. But, then again, so do several other people. So, while fundamentally it may still be wrong… I gain a small bit of comfort from the fact that it seems to be a widespread issue, and not just one that I indulge exclusively.

The online gaming system is one that millions have subscribed to, for one reason or another. Some, for simple entertainment. Some, for the pursuit of romantic endeavors (however odd this may seem). And still others seek financial rewards for manipulating the system, as is done with almost any medium whereby actual money can change hands.

The gaming system I’m referring to, of course, is Second Life. Several of you may already know about it. Some may actually be fellow players. Others may have only heard about it, or may have no idea what it is.

Second Life is a worldwide phenomenon, to date. It is a three-dimensional world, created online, in which you can make a playable character (or “avatar”) that you use to interact with objects and other avatars in this world. You can shape them, clothe them and color them to your liking. Many tend to recreate themselves in the Second Life world, adding clothing and objects that they may or may not already own. Some participate in role-playing scenarios, while others tend to gravitate toward musical or social venues to interact with many other users.

Quite literally, the sky is the limit. Because there are any number of things you can “buy” or build inside this world. If you can think of it, it can be made or bought. And most of what you can think of already exists there. There are several obvious differences between real life, and the gaming system of Second Life. Firstly, the ability to fly is exclusive to Second Life. Not with an airplane or rocket… but as in Superman flying. Another is the ability to quickly transfer to various distant locales by merely “teleporting”. There are other differences, but let’s cut to the chase here.

As I mentioned a moment ago, I was a member of Second Life a year or two ago. Well, due to the limitations of both the Second Life system and my computer… I abandoned the game. At one point, as either the direct result of one of Second Life’s “updates” or a computer virus… I lost my entire C:\ drive. I had all but abandoned the notion of returning to Second Life (SL) due to these prior issues, but I was recently assured of the fact that things had vastly improved since my last unfortunate and irritating experience with it. Reluctantly, I agreed to come back and experience the “new” SL.

After approximately a month of visitation, I can assure you that things have vastly improved… but certain problems tend to persist. Unless you are running a top-end PC with copious amounts of RAM, processor speed, graphics capabilities and and DSL (or better) connection… your experience with SL may be lackluster, at best. The game tends to have lags, where objects and every person in it jerk about and move slowly. It’s somewhat akin to having a minor epileptic seizure during game play.

This, I assume, is primarily due to communications difficulties between individual PC’s and the main server. Though server issues have, indeed, contributed to some of the lag sessions witnessed by hundreds. In the past week, alone, my character has inexplicably floated through ceilings while jumping… sunken into the earth up to his nose, only to pop back up on his feet like a whack-a-mole game… and go into aggravating (yet somewhat humorous) jerking fits.

If this weren’t enough to contend with, all in the name of entertainment, then the next thing I tell you about may make you question my sanity even further. Some of you, who have a very full schedule of events…people…lifestyle choices…and drama to stomach in your FIRST life may wonder why I’m even going to expound on this. You would be justified to suggest that the problems with this system already warrant a decision to leave it be. Well, never let it be said that I’m not the most stubborn and tenacious person you’ve ever met. I’m still there.

But, here’s the meat of the whole issue. So sit back and enjoy (if you haven’t already fallen asleep by now). I am a member of a role-playing group within Second Life. The theme of the role-play is set as an 1800’s era western town. There are time-authentic three-dimensional buildings, wanted posters, train tracks, saloons, brothels, bandits, sheriffs, cowboys and flapper girls. There are six-shooters, rifles, horses and the whole lot. It is a veritable cornucopia of authenticism (as far as a computerized 3D world can get, I suppose). But, recently, some matters of absurdity have given rise to what I can only call… blind modernism.

Several, if not the majority, of the fellow players make certain that their avatars are dressed in time-period clothing. Cowboy hats, gun belts, etc. But there is a group of somewhat deviant people that live their lives (real lives) in the peculiar delusion that they are somehow part animal. Now stick with me here, because we’re about to plummet off the cliff of level headed thinking. These animal-fetish people are commonly called “furies”. Imagine, if you will, a person who dresses in what amounts to a sports mascot suit (squirrel, bunny, fox, etc) and parades around at “furry” venues to socialize with other fellow furies. Yes, the practice does exist. As odd as this may seem… it gets worse. Now, they’ve taken the…uhm, “lifestyle”…into Second Life.

If gays weren’t enough of a political equality issue, now the furies want to lift a hand…or paw, as the case may be. It’s to the degree that owners of certain areas of Second Life have taken to the view of siding with their “rights” to play in these role-playing adventures…as furry avatars. Yes, you’re getting the picture now. We’re talking about places where there may be 100’s of regular human avatars milling about…and 5-foot tall squirrels and bunnies milling there with them. Now, I’m not openly judgmental of individual likes and dislikes. I have my opinions and beliefs (much to the surprise of my readers, I’m sure). But, I tend to respect peoples’ rights to do as they wish…as long as it isn’t harming others or detracting from someone else’s rights.

However, this issue isn’t about basic rights. This issue is about continuity of theme. Recently, there was a user-wide notice sent out to everyone who participates in this “old west” role-play group. In it was a seriously toned decree that all furies, which wish to play in the scenarios, will be allowed to play AS furies in said scenarios, for the sake of avoiding discrimination. Ah yes, the great evil… discrimination. Unmitigated avoidance of it places untalented hacks in with professionals, the tone-deaf in with great musicians and buffoons in with intellectually competent individuals. Let’s all just mingle.

So… what we have now, kiddies, is a posse of 12 men…all on horseback…guns loaded…hats tipped down in the dusty western sun…ready to pursue the bandits that just robbed the store. Well… 12 men and one 5’ tall rabbit named Mr. Bucky. I’m quite certain that John Wayne, facing the request for an actor to accompany him on screen in a bunny costume for a serious movie scene, would have probably shot the bunny and broken the kneecaps of any objecting persons around him. I can’t, in good conscience, role-play out a scene of any seriousness whilst a boob in a squirrel outfit and cowboy hat tries to participate in the conversation. It’s annoying…absurd….comical, at best.

Honestly, people… am I alone in my view that role-play ought to involve a decidedly common theme? Am I to assume that those of you who have played cowboy-and-indian, as children, ever accepted the guy down the street who wanted to play…as a spaceman?

Injun-Joe and Sheriff Pete never had to contend with Spaceman Spiff, I’m sure. The other kid went along with the theme of the play, or he didn’t play. It’s neither rude nor discriminatory. It’s not sexist, racist or any other IST. It’s “common sense”. Something the world is in dire lack of these days, it seems. And this is just another nail in the coffin of decency within our social structure. When even a make-believe world must be adversely affected by politically correct motivations…it’s become a sad state of affairs.

Them’s my 2-cents worth, folks… hope you’ve enjoyed my rant. As always; more later.

2007-05-03T07:00:00.000-05:00

Goodmorning readers! It’s a rare thing for me to post twice within one week… much less one month, these days. However, I felt like expounding upon a subject today. So, get out your medication and let’s begin.

Today’s subject matter is entitled; “Pets”. Now, before I begin, I must explain that my house is a veritable zoo of animals. I have 4 fish… 3 cats… and 2 dogs. I’m just waiting for the other shoe to drop and for my wife to bring home a partridge-in-a-pear-tree. That’d be the topper.

My beagle, named Oliver, stays outside. For the most part, he’s a very loving, content, docile and happy pup. He plays with anyone who will come into his yard, and he has the strength of 4 Oxen. I kid you not. I could pull a Yukon out of a ditch with that dog. Never seen anything like it. My other dog is an AKC registered, pure-blood, Alaskan Malamute. Her name is Spirit, and she’s 60lbs of puppy…at 4 months old. She's primarily an inside-dog, since the high heat of summer would not be pleasant for anyone to endure whilst wearing a thick fur coat. She loves to play and chase the cats…(two of which take great delight in hooking her nose with a claw or two when she gets too close). She enjoys her chewtoy monkey, pouncing grasshoppers, Pringles and peeing 5-gallons at a time.

Now we come to the three stooges. Sassy is our siamese/russian-blue mix, and the oldest of the three. She’s very dignified, bossy, spoiled and a bit on the cranky side now and then. She’s frustratingly finicky about the condition of the catbox, and will just as readily utilize a rug, article of clothing or a fuzzy slipper when the litter doesn’t quite meet up to her level of freshness. She does not tolerate a cold dog nose in close proximity to her at any time.

Callie is our overweight, mentally-challenged, spoiled-rotten, domestic long-haired calico. This cat gets a bite of anything in a bowl, spoon, box or can if it’s in my wife’s hands. She’s the biggest talker of the bunch, laying down a seemingly endless barrage of “Myeeaah” at you everywhere you walk. She has lost much of her grace, much to the delight of my warped sense of humor, and I’m scolded constantly for laughing at her. Missed leaps, fumbles, and the hilariously retarded need for her to paw at anything (and I do mean anything) after taking a dump, really highlights this cat. Oh yes, her pawwing will dumbfound you. Any cat knows that when they squat to do their business, they need to turn around…sniff… and cover it with gravel/sand/litter.

Callie, on the other hand, seems perplexed by this simple action. She, on the other hand, decides that pawing and picking at the plastic sidewalls of the catbox….the plastic door flap….and sometimes the clean lenolium floor outside the catbox… is the more effective way to cover over the beast she’s just given birth to. This typically goes on for at least a minute-and-a-half. Yes… that long. ~scrape scrape pick pick pick pick…..scraaaaape scrape scrape….pick pick~

Eventually, I suppose the undeniable realization that the odor isn’t getting any weaker takes over and she just leaves. The other cats have actually come in behind her just to cover up the smell. Now that’s bonafide mental damage. We won’t even begin to discuss the debate my wife and I have over the coin-purse sized sagging paunch beneath this poor cat. The wife merely calls it “fluff”. I call it “way too many dang treats”. Whatever the case may be… it isn’t attractive. But, then again, I have a pooch around my middle…so I’m in no position to point fingers or paws.

The youngest of the bunch would be our male kitten… Boots. He’s considered to be a “tuxedo” kitty. Sporting a black coat with white booties for his paws, a white mark on his chest and a bit of white on his face, he’s a very handsome young man. With his red collar on, he’s the talk of the town. However… as with all mischevious boys… Boots takes great delight in the nightly destruction of anything green and potted. Plants must have attacked him in a former life or something. I’m not quite sure of the history between him and greenery, but he seems to have a knack for putting it in its place.

Boots also likes to sit at our glass outter door and watch birds. He has a funny way of “trilling” nearly everywhere he goes. He actually can meow like any other cat… but just a few “Brrrr?” sounds is what he typically has to say. He has begun to cat-call at night a bit… but, thankfully, has taken no notion to marking anything. With the two ladies having been fixed and taking no interest in anything remotely related to procreation, I think Boots would be at a loss on exactly how to go about those duties. The ladies are quick to let him know that they’re not up for any hanky-panky.

There are two very large South American Cichlids (Oscars) in a 50-gal aquarium, located in my living room. Their names are Bruce and Chuck. Bruce (after Bruce Lee) and Chuck (after Chuck Norris) spend most of their time looking around… gliding here and yon… picking small dominance fights with each other… and pooping. It is for this last talent of theirs that we have employed the services of Spike, our spotted Plecostomus. He’s the janitor of the bunch, and keeps the tank rather clean. He’s grown exponentially, as a result of….uhm… a plentiful food supply. Lastly, we have Ang. Yes, my youngest son named our red/blue Beta after a cartoon about some oriental “air bender”. The character’s name is Ang…The Avatar. Don’t ask.

So, there you have my zoo of family pets. I feed most of them or they wouldn’t eat. The funny thing is… I didn’t buy or bring home a single one of them. They were either a gift from a family member, or bought from a store. Spirit (malamute) was my birthday present this year. So, I suppose I can take credit for her addition.

Anyway… enough about my pets. Just thought you’d be amused to hear about them. More later.

2007-05-01T22:00:00.000-05:00

Today’s venture into my warped synapses has to do with another odd phenomenon in advertising. I know what many of you are thinking… “What IS it with this guy and his endless annoyance with commercial advertisements?” I don’t blame you one bit for your musings or bewilderments. However, it might surprise you to know that I don’t sit and wait for the opportunity to become annoyed at advertising tactics.

But, it sometimes seems as thought marketers actually want to annoy the crap out of the buying public. Perhaps they believe that if something drives you to the brink of insanity, you’ll remember the product. I’m not sure if these individuals have stopped to consider that gimmicks and tricks only drive away customers… but apparently there must be a plethora of gullible morons who flock to these places. You can rest assured that if a product-promotion campaign drives me nuts, I will remember the name. I’ll remember it and avoid it like a flaming gay clown. (yes, I know that mental picture made you shudder too)

An advertiser that respects my intelligence, presents his/her product or service with dignity and professionalism, and places the value of customer loyalty and service above all else… will be guaranteed to gain both my respect, and business. Sadly, “true” professionalism and tact seems to be at an all-time low in the business world.

I can’t count the number of times where I’ve managed to barely avoid an attempt to reach through my truck’s radio and severely choke the dickens out of some half-wit on a car lot who feels that the only way to get people onto his lot is by standing approximately 4 feet from a perfectly functioning microphone… and acting like a carnival barker for the hearing impaired. The blatantly obvious façade of “excitement” and “enthusiasm” that they try to pull off, typically accompanied by several exaggeratedly dramatic adjectives is also a source of eye-rolling for the author of this blog. The cherry ontop of this little poop-sundae… is when they invariably quip, “I’ll see ya here!!!” To which I laughingly remark, “No….ya won’t!” … and then grin my little disgruntled grin.

Do I need therapy? Wait…don’t answer that. Well, at least you know I’m back. Hope you enjoyed it. There will most assuredly be more revelations into my quiet world of insanity in the near future. Until then, the toilet paper always goes “over”….never “under”. Remember that!!!! (twitch twitch twitch)

2007-04-10T12:46:00.000-05:00

I realize that I haven’t made entries into my blog of rants in some time now. The reasons are varied, but one of them brought me to my very knees. I lost my father on March 15, 2007 during an accident in his back yard. He was my father, my friend, my hero and one of my biggest supporters. His guidance and judgement were always valued highly by everyone around him. My words can't hope to represent the love and respect I have for him. He was a very...VERY…good man.

Things such as this tend to take my mind away from matters that would typically annoy me. It makes a person reflect upon the truly important matters in life…and upon how very short this life of ours is. The older I get, the more things fall into perspective with regards to exactly how little time we actually are given on this planet. I don’t plan on being gone forever, but until I get back into my normal routine (if it ever returns to something resembling what was formerly “normal”)… then I will post a new rant for your amusement. If you are a believer and pray, I would ask your prayers for us. We are moving forward as best we can. But, as many of you can attest to from losing loved ones of your own, it is very difficult.

Until next time… at least you know I’m still around. Just silent, for now.

2007-01-04T08:40:00.000-06:00

I’m issuing a fair warning to all of my readers who may be short of time today or are only mildly interested in my latest entry. This may take some time to read, and it may touch on some material that you’re not personally comfortable reading. Religion and religious practices tend to be a volatile subject in this day and age.

This morning, I was listening to my favorite local radio morning show. The two DJ’s were discussing a story they’d recently read, about a local politician who was under some controversy for insisting upon placing his hand on the Koran during his governmental swearing-into-office, instead of the traditional Bible.

The whole topic of discussion amongst the two show hosts was centered around whether it mattered that the politician chose the Koran or Bible or some other symbol to be sworn in by? I began to think about this matter as I drove, and I can see several angles of interpretation over this issue. Being raised as a Christian and knowing that this country was founded by religious people, of whom the majority were Christian in faith, I naturally have somewhat of a biased belief in what I consider to be “proper”.

However, I also realize that as our country has grown, the variety of religious beliefs have also grown. This country may have been founded upon Christianity, but it was also founded in the belief that no person should be discriminated against or refused citizenship based upon their religion.

This means that I believe our politicians, while hopefully keeping this country’s best interests in mind, are personaly influenced by their religious upbringing. Their faith in whomever they see fit to worship can and does influence their behavior when it comes to ethics, morality, compassion and justice. I do not judge nor condemn those who follow the Islamic religion any more than I would judge or condemn those who follow Bhuddism. Christianity teaches the offerings of truth, forgiveness, love and mercy. Nowhere have I ever read where Jesus ever walked into another country and began to oppress the people with threats of violence if they did not conform to His teachings.

Therefore, regardless of my feelings and faith, I must address the root issue in question. Is it proper to “swear in” elected political officials by having them place their hand upon the Christian Bible as a sign of their respect toward what it represents… and make a public promise of integrity and patriotism? Well, let me say this; Personally, I would place my hand upon the Bible and swear to uphold the laws of this country, state, county and city. I would perform this action based solely upon my convictions and faith in both God and the Bible. But as far as my feelings of it being proper for ALL elected officials… I’d have to honestly say no.

Why? Well, we have to break down the whole process and address the reason for a swearing-in, to begin with. Elected officials customarily go through a swearing-in process, which is mainly representational and ceremonious in nature. A celebration of the traditions of our nation through representation of its inhabitants by upstanding, educated, competant individuals is what we intend. Now, whether this can be truly said of the officials we’re forced to choose between in this day and age can be questionable at best. But, be that as it may, the ceremony of publicly promising to perform their duties is a time-honored tradition.

So, why do they incorporate the Bible and God into this ceremony? Simple. In times past, there was a profound respect toward the dominant religious beliefs and practices of this fledgeling nation. Historically, these individuals who came to this land seeking religious freedom were Christian and had a deep-seeded faith in God. Therefore, any office to which an individual was elected also entailed a responsibility to those whom they represented.

A sense of moral and ethical integrity was demanded. And a religious governing of one’s conscience and actions tended to be the most bulletproof aspect by which to base the public’s trust in any official. Thus began the practice of integrating a promise to faithfully serve this country and the elected office with morality, integrity and sound ethics… and insured by a fear of righteous judgement, should the individual fail to keep their promise. And this was represented by a public display of faith in God’s Word….which Christians believe is wholely represented by the Holy Bible.
Now… We’re back to the whole question of whether those who are NOT Christians should be forced to utilize the Bible as a symbol of their comitment to ethics, integrity and morality. Asking non-Christians to do this is no more symbolic than if a Christian were to be asked to place their hand upon a sack of flour as a symbol. So are we truly insuring the individual’s moral and ethical commitment by this practice? Or are we stubbornly clinging to mere traditional procedures in raw respect toward the time-honored traditions of this country?

I have a theoretical solution. Why not “offer” the Bible to those who would choose to let it represent their faith during the taking-of-office? And for those who are not Christian, offer the book or symbol of their faith instead? Better yet… if the procedure needs to be uniform in nature, why not merely offer a folded United States flag to place one’s hand upon? Is the symbol of this country not adequate to represent the individual’s oath of devoted service to it?

At the very core of the issue, I’m not sure what’s “right” or “wrong”. I can only hypothesize about fair practices that we could implement in order to adequately respect the elected official on a person by person basis. It is often times very difficult to sort through our feelings when they are influenced by both our own faith and an innate sense of responsibility to respect the choices of other human beings.

Perhaps I’m incorrect in my assumptions and/or solutions, but I’m no expert. I just jot down my thoughts here. At the very least, it gives my readers something to ponder in quiet times. None of us have all of the answers… but maybe we can figure out a few of them by putting our heads together.

Until next time…. Peace.

2006-12-18T13:59:00.000-06:00

Common Courtesy: The Forgotten Manner

One trend I’m seeing among the teenage group these days is the utter lack of respect for anyone around them in public venues. Perhaps it is simply my own age finally beginning to show, much to the delight of my wife…I’m sure…who has been hoping that I would grow up one day.

Regardless of whether or not I’m becoming a grumpy old man at the ripe age of 33 or not isn’t really the point here. The point is one of Common Courtesy. A behavioral benchmark that is supposed to be taught by parents to their children in order to instill a sense of respect for other people’s property, time and environment. Taking other people’s valuable time and efforts into mind before selfishly acting like a showoff or a nitwit seems to be an alien concept these days.

The more rudely and obnoxious the kids can be, the more cool they seem to believe their behavior to be. The scornful glares they receive as a result of their actions never seem to deter their motivations for a repeat performance. Perhaps it is the chastising glances that mark their success? It is unsure.

Recently, I took my family to enjoy a showing of “The Nativity”. It is a modern movie based upon the events leading up to and involving the birth of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem. The story, itself, is awe-inspiring. The movie is a wonderful production. But it would have been a much more enjoyable viewing, had not a gaggle of giggling adolescents seen fit to show up approximately 1 minute before the movie began.

Talking obnoxiously loud, climbing over seats directly behind us, bumping our chairs, passing crackling candy papers and boxes, blipping their cellphones, whispering smartass comments about various situations within the movie. And, finally, culminating in an utterly distasteful and haphazardous attempt of “applause” upon the birth of Jesus in the manger. I mean, honestly… have they no couth whatsoever?

My wife tried to explain away their rude behavior by insisting that in some youth ministries, it is encouraged to clap for spiritually beneficial matters. However, this all goes back to the whole “common courtesy” issue with regards to behavioral modification. The movie was not a football game, nor a rock concert. An emotionally moving depiction of the birth of our Lord and Savior should not be rewarded by two teenaged boys muttering out a half-hearted “wooooo” and clapping like a pair of sealions at SeaWorld.

It is this lack of respect for the dignity of the subject matter presented, coupled with their exhibition of self-gratutitive clowning that truly upsets my sensibilities. It is NOT too much to ask for some common courtesy and respect for others in the theater. If you have been a party to this type of behavior in the past, or know of those who engage in it for the purpose of cheap thrills and low-grade humor… please stop it.

If you persist in this type of behavior while I’m seated nearby… don’t be surprised if you end up leaving the theater with a bucket of oily, buttered popcorn crammed down over the top of your head.

2006-12-15T09:36:00.000-06:00

Ok folks, I guess it’s time to throw out a few more rants about things that annoy the crap outta me. Today’s hodge-podge medley starts off with… “Cultural Blackmail”. Then we’ll explore the absurd phenomenon I like to call “Winter Festival”.

Cultural Blackmail –
I have a theory about something that we all seem to find ourselves victim of. I like to call it cultural blackmail because it seems as tho the powers-that-be like to saturate our entertainment, our marketing and our products with trends and views that not all of us share. They shove an idea down our throats everywhere we turn until we’re so sick and tired of being annoyed and offended by it… that we hopelessly give in and accept it as “normal”. Let me illustrate this…

Up until about a year or two ago, products that are internationally delivered came with multi-lingual instructions. It wasn’t uncommon to find French, German, Spanish, English, Chinese, Japanese and Korean languages in the boxes. This is marketably understandable, citing the fact that these products are used around the world and need to include instructions in local languages. However, it seems to be the new market trend here in the United States to use two languages in 9/10ths of products we see and buy each day. English and Spanish are splayed over everything we watch, see, touch, use or consume. It’s offensive and intrusive to the American culture!!

Oh I know there are those out there who would get all indignant over this viewpoint and call me racially or culturally biased. But, before you label me and file me away in your little box of evil people… let me expound on this subject a bit. You might begin to see my reasoning. I’m of the opinion that each and every country ought to have a primary (or “official”) language. The inclusion of other languages within its society is understandable and necessary for several reasons. But each country ought to be recognized for a main dialect. The United States has been and continues to be a predominantly English speaking society. In fact, most of the world has adopted English as the “common denominator” language. They typically teach it in addition to their own.

The United States is about the only country in the world where we’re trying to force-encorporate Spanish into our society as an additional “official language”. Look on TV and you’ll see channels specifically designed for Latino viewers. Go to the store and nearly every single package you pick up will have a Spanish version of the labeling. Go to a restaurant, and there it is again in small print just below the English wording. Go to any public restroom and they have Spanish instructions on safety procedure signs.

Why are we, as a country, catering to this crap? Children’s shows… musical influences… common terminology… even toys, are being altered to force-feed the acceptance of either the Spanish language or Latino culture into our predominantly English speaking and culturally established society. Granted…yes… we are a “melting pot” of cultures. I won’t argue that. Most of us are genetic “mutts” if you will, coming from several lines of culture and/or races. Our diversity is beautiful.

But, there are many other races, creeds, colors, cultures and languages that are found in the United States. Where are all of the Japanese terms? Where are the Chinese warning signs in the restrooms? Where are the German food label translations in the menus at restaurants? Aren’t there German-Americans in the United States who need linguistic translations? No? Why? Oh… because they learned English. Because their families came over from Germany or Japan or China or Korea or wherever, and wanted to become Americans. Because they learned the language that Americans speak… English.

So, why is Spanish being plastered all over everything we see, hear, touch, eat, drink or use? Because we’ve become complacent as a nation to the plague of illegal immigration into this country from Mexico. The illegals don’t give a damn about learning to speak English. They want the jobs we don’t like to do and they want to earn as much money as possible without paying a dime in taxes. They use public sympathy about their financial hardships in Mexico to gain a foothold in America, and then play upon our sensibilities to have us adapt to THEIR language, instead of the other way around.

Don’t get me wrong here… I love Mexican culture. Mexican food is awesome. Mexican music is catchy and Mexican girls are very sexy. But, just because the upstanding LEGAL immigrants become Latino-Americans doesn’t make them any more special or deserving of a linguistic-acceptance-campaign than it would be for African-Americans to suddenly demand the inclusion any (or all) of the 153 known languages in Africa. And if you don’t think there are at least 153… I would like to direct your attention to the following published list:

African Languages

The main point is this: We don’t need to include Spanish on everything we interact with in the United States. In the spirit of fairness to all of our culturally diverse American citizens, we should cater to every segment of society… or cater to only one common language: English. I vote for the latter, because we’re a nation founded upon democracy. A democracy functions by the rule of the majority. It is an undeniable fact that the majority of our nation speak English.

This being said… I would like to wish our nation a Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah, Happy Kwanza, and Felis Navidad.

Winter Festival –
Oh my dear stars… what have we become? You’ve read my rants about this mental-masturbation we’ve come to know as Political Correctness, founded upon the ideal that we should be “culturally, racially or culturally sensitive to diverse viewpoints”. While I’m sure it was invented in the best of intentions, it has quickly grown and festered into the single biggest pussification of the American backbone that this country has ever seen!! The culmination of this atrocious behavior comes in the degridation and unsanctimonious thumbing of the nose at the most holy Christian holiday of the entire year. I speak, of course, about Christmas.

How low do we have to sink as a nation, before we finally remember that we are a nation that was founded upon freedom of speech… and freedom of religion… without fear of retaliation by our government? We have become so utterly crippled by the fear of offending our fellow man in any shape, form or fashion… that we are cowards to stand up and exercise our freedoms!! I have yet to see a Christian horde forming in the streets to assault Athiests. I have never witnessed Jews waging a media attack against them either. When is the last time you heard that any God-loving religious denomination in this nation has set about to force their religious beliefs upon those unwilling and uninterested to partake in worship? If you have, I would certainly like to hear about it.

So tell me why we are inclined to alter the way we openly celebrate this wonderful holiday season. Why are we, the God-loving majority, being forced to call “Christmas” or “Hannukah” by a new name? Has our conscience been so beaten and smothered by Political Correctness that we refuse to acknowledge our Faith upon the most important occasion of the year? Truly, there can be no sadder state of affairs within this great nation of ours. To let those who believe upon nothing and lead their lives lost to the knowledge of a loving God… dictate how we, as believers, conduct ourselves at this most joyous time of year… is heart-breaking. I, for one, respect the fact that we have freedom of religion in American. You may choose to believe as you believe. You are also free to believe in nothing. But you are NOT free to tell me that I am prohibited from displaying a nativity scene with a baby Jesus, in a public place. You are NOT free to tell me that our Jewish friends are prohibited from displaying a Menorah in a public place.

Our government was founded upon Christian principles. It’s historical fact. Men who believed in God formed a government that was intended to respect the worship of God and to stay out of the affairs of religious expression. In fact… it was well-established that this nation’s government was to be governed by a fear of God, a respect to His authority, and in ALL matters… a respect to our right to worship as we saw fit. Separation of Church and State wasn’t intended to keep Faith or God out of our government… it was intended to keep our government’s power and rule out of our Churches. If you doubt me… take a look around Washington DC. Monuments, buildings and even the etched wording upon the doorway to the United States Congress will back me up. We are one nation, under God.

God help us never to forget our basic, human rights that were given by Him... and guaranteed by the spilled blood of our forefathers. May their selfless, ultimate sacrifices never be in vain.

2006-11-29T08:50:00.000-06:00

Hrmmm… What’s this ancient looking thing here? It’s all covered in cobwebs and dust. Let’s see… if I just wipe this off here… OH! Well would you look at that! It’s a BLOG!!! Wow… I forgot I even had this!

~LoL~ Howdy folks. Yea, it’s actually me again. I thought I would visit the old blog again and toss out some random sparks from what gray matter I possess. The main reason I haven’t been updating the blog regularly for some time now, is due to the fact that things have been going fairly well.

For the exception of some rather hurtful and regretful dialogue with an acquaintence of mine, things have been pretty smooth. We had a nice Halloween and a pleasant Thanksgiving. As always, I ate too much. And without a currently active gym membership, I’m sure my pants will remind me of that fact each morning for the foreseeable future.

My grandfather recently fell in his bedroom and broke his ankle, so he’s been in a leg brace and sitting in a wheelchair for the past week. He’s definitely a unique character. He’s 87 years old and can remember the pet pig he had at age 4… but can’t tell you who came to visit him 8 hours ago. He feels frustrated that his memory ain’t what it used to be… at least the short-term memory. But, I just keep telling him that we’ll remind him and not to worry. He still knows who pretty much everyone is. He’s still got his witty humor that he likes to pull out of the hat when you least expect it. So, the neurons are still firing… they’re just not keeping a current log of events.

I managed to climb up on the roof and hang up our icicle-lights without teetering off the edge and mortally injuring myself… so I count that as a success. I improved upon my jimmy-rigged “christmas tree” of lights out front over last year’s design. My mom found a nice hula-hoop which I’ve used as the base for the cone-shaped strands of lights. It seems to be working well. Although I may need to add another strand of lights next year to sort of “flesh-out” the shape. It still seems a tad on the sparce side to me. But, then again, I’m never satisfied with my own work. The kids like it… so I guess that’s what matters.

I’ve split up a whole mess of dried pine kindling and it’s ready for my rather small and unremarkable “fireplace”… but I still need to load up some good dry wood from over at my grandfather’s place. He’s got an entire shed of the stuff that my dad helped stock. Of course, I always call and ask permission to share in the bounty of wood (even tho we have central heat)… and they always tell me to help myself. He’s got enough wood to keep him warm for TWO winters, so there’s no danger of running low. I don’t burn all that much in my little peanut fireplace, either. It’s really more for atmosphere than heat… even tho it does put out a nice little area of toasty warmth.

We’re supposedly slated to receive a nice little frosty unplugging of Mother Nature’s nostrils on this coming Thursday. I say this because it doesn’t seem like it’s going to be much more than slightly annoying. All of us are really sick of the yo-yo temperatures around here and are ready for a commitment of WINTER to set in. At present, it’s 66 degrees with a projected high of 75 today. By Thursday, it’s supposed to… quote… “drop off sharply in temperature”. I guess we’ll wait and see.

We’re supposed to get freezing rain, sleet and snow. But they always say, “No more than 1 to 2 inches at most”. So that’s why I say it’s nothing more than Mother Nature unplugging a nostril at us. It’s hardly worth getting excited over. It will most likely be melted and gone within 24 to 48 hours anyway. Yaaaay winter. ~sigh~

My oldest boy turned 10 on November 22. He’s finally into the double-digit area. I can remember when his little hands barely wrapped around one of my fingers. Wow… time definitely flies. Now he can almost eat more than ME… and he hasn’t even gotten to 16 yet. This is scary. ~lol~

I really don’t have anymore updates, at present. You pretty well know what’s been going on since my sudden and unexplained disappearance. I’m still sitting here in this office everyday… doing what I’m asked to do and trying to stay awake until the buzzer sounds to go home. ~lol~ A desk job is rather unflattering to the waistline… but it sure beats standing out in the heat, rain or wind.

I’ll try my best to make some more entries into this thing very soon. Until then… take care. And thanks for visiting my little corner of the web.

2006-09-28T11:09:00.000-05:00

Hello there boys n’ girls… I’m back to confound, delight and entertain you once again. Before we dive into the mental muck, I’d like to take a moment and direct your beady little eyes upwards to the dark rectangle located immediately above this entry. I’m participating in a feature that’s offered by Blogger, which enables blog publishers to post small, non-invasive promotional advertisements for various services and/or products. You are, by no means, required to click on any banner you see… but any ad you see that might interest you will gain me a small amount of revenue. As long as it doesn’t adversely detract from my page, I figure I’ll give it a try. Help a poor, disgruntled redneck out… if the notion strikes ya.

Now onto the rant at hand…

Today’s brief and misguided tour into the mire of my collective thoughts happens to center around the medical establishment. In particular, pharmaceutical companies.

“Side Effects”

George Carlin addressed this subject in one of his skits. And, while he did a very good job in conveying the overall sense of counter-promotional redundancy that’s associated with this topic, I would also like to expound on it. Why? Because I’m sure that some of you may not have been so fortunate as to have been enlightened by Mr. Carlin’s take on it.

You see… the pharmaceutical companies today are engaging in a strange practice. It typically happens when they’re not shoving new and inadequately tested medications through FDA loopholes and ending up in subsequent class-action lawsuits. While they may not have any control over this governmentally induced requirement, the whole business of producing prescription drugs is suffering from a bad case of jeering and mocking. What am I talking about? The listing of “side-effects”… that’s what.

We’ve all seen them on television. Commercials for “brand A” this or “brand b” that. They claim that their product will help treat one ailment or another, but they also rattle off a stream of side effects that may or may not afflict you, based on a test case. Test cases involve a set number of people who have similar conditions. They are divided into two groups and half are given the medication while the other half receives a placebo. No, this is not some rude and invasive medical procedure. A placebo is nothing more than a fancy-shmancy medical term for a sugar pill. None of the test case subjects know what they’re getting, so none of them can act in a predetermined way. The idea, then, is that the testers will gain an accurate knowledge of the medication’s real benefits.

However, any and all side effects reported by subjects who took the actual medication must be acknowledged and advertised. These side effects may or may not be a direct result of the medication, and in some cases have absolutely nothing to do with it. However, in an effort to collectively cover their asses and minimize testing costs… most companies will merely list any side effect reported, and be done with it. This ultimately ends up resulting in a hodge-podge list of mostly absurd, and sometimes humorous, descriptions at the end of television advertisements.

Something to the effect of: “Try GAS-MAX for upset stomach relief…. Use only as directed. Side effects may include headache, diarrhea, vomiting, nosebleed, indigestion, sneezing, hang nails, gout, acne, ear infection, cramping, insomnia and constipation. Consult your doctor if symptoms persist. Do not take if you are currently taking medications for liver disease. Women who are pregnant or may become pregnant should not take GAS-MAX as certain complications may occur. Talk with your doctor about GAS-MAX”

Now… you tell me. Would you use GAS-MAX if there were a very real possibility that you could suffer from any number of those “side effects” as direct result? And the last part is what really cracks me up. Almost every woman in America has either been pregnant…is pregnant…or could become pregnant. Citing the fact that most women are at a direct risk of becoming pregnant if they engage in an active sex life, (and with the only real guarantee against it being celibacy) listing a warning like that is rather redundant, in my opinion. Perhaps it would be more accurate to warn against its use if you're currently pregnant or intend to become pregnant.

Disclaimer: Any reference to copyrighted names, persons, places and/or trademarks in this post are purely coincidental and unintentional.

2006-09-27T12:43:00.000-05:00

I would like to take a moment and express my apologies for removing the last post I submitted for your reading enjoyment. Upon review of its content, I felt that the sensitive subject matter might be wrongly interpreted.

For those of you who may have already viewed its contents, I sincerely hope that you have not taken a negative connotation from it. I assure you that it was intended as a positive entry and I have the greatest of respects for all races.

Some matters are extremely difficult to discuss without the potential to accidentally offend people or hurt peoples’ feelings. I hope that this has not been the case.

I will post more rants soon.

2006-09-11T11:55:00.000-05:00

On a day of rememberance... On a day of determination.... On a day when we still stand together as a nation, grieving those whom we lost... On a day remembered 5 years later, yet seeming ever present.... I submit the following;

I found these on the internet, and was moved by both. I hope that in your time of rememberance and reflection upon a day that demonstrated the very worst and very best of humananity...that you will remember to pray for the families of the victims. Pray for our nation, as a whole. Pray that God's Will may be done in all things, and that He may exact the rightful justice and judgement upon those who would heartlessly and cruelly snuff out the lives of so many of His beloved children.

May God Bless each of you who read this... and may God Bless America.

---------------

I am a World Trade Center tower, standing tall in the
clear blue sky, feeling a violent blow in my side, and
I am a towering inferno of pain and suffering imploding upon
myself and collapsing to the ground.
May I rest in peace.

I am a terrified passenger on a hijacked airplane not knowing
where we are going or that I am riding on fuel
tanks that will be instruments of death, and
I am a worker arriving at my office not knowing that
in just a moment my future will be obliterated.
May I rest in peace.

I am a pigeon in the plaza between the two towers
eating crumbs from someone's breakfast when fire rains down on me
from the skies, and
I am a bed of flowers admired daily by thousands of
tourists now buried under five stories of rubble.
May I rest in peace.

I am a firefighter sent into dark corridors of smoke and debris on
a mission of mercy only to have it collapse around me, and
I am a rescue worker risking my life to save lives
who is very aware that I may not make it out alive.
May I rest in peace.

I am a survivor who has fled down the stairs and out of the building
to safety who knows that nothing will ever be the same in my soul again, and
I am a doctor in a hospital treating patients burned from head to toe
who knows that these horrible images will remain in my mind forever.
May I know peace.

I am a tourist in Times Square looking up at the giant TV screens
thinking I'm seeing a disaster movie as I watch the Twin Towers crash to the ground, and
I am a New York woman sending e-mails to friends and family letting them know that I am safe.
May I know peace.

I am a piece of paper that was on someone's desk this morning and
now I'm debris scattered by the wind across lower Manhattan, and
I am a stone in the graveyard at Trinity Church covered with soot from
the buildings that once stood proudly above me, death meeting death.
May I rest in peace.

I am a dog sniffing in the rubble for signs of life, doing my best to be of service, and
I am a blood donor waiting in line to make a simple but very needed contribution for the victims.
May I know peace.

I am a resident in an apartment in downtown New York
who has been forced to evacuate my home, and
I am a resident in an apartment uptown who has walked
100 blocks home in a stream of other refugees.
May I know peace.

I am a family member who has just learned that someone I love has died, and
I am a pastor who must comfort someone who has suffered a heart-breaking loss.
May I know peace.

I am a loyal American who feels violated and vows to stand behind any
military action it takes to wipe terrorists off the face of the earth, and
I am a loyal American who feels violated and worries that people who
look and sound like me are all going to be blamed for this tragedy.
May I know peace.

I am a frightened city dweller who wonders whether
I'll ever feel safe in a skyscraper again, and
I am a pilot who wonders whether there will ever
be a way to make the skies truly safe.
May I know peace.

I am the owner of a small store with five employees
that has been put out of business by this tragedy, and
I am an executive in a multinational corporation who
is concerned about the cost of doing business in a terrorized world.
May I know peace.

I am a visitor to New York City who purchases postcards
of the World Trade Center Twin Towers that are no more, and
I am a television reporter trying to put into words the terrible things I have seen.
May I know peace.

I am a boy in New Jersey waiting for a father who will never come home, and
I am a boy in a faraway country rejoicing in the streets of
my village because someone has hurt the hated Americans.
May I know peace.

I am a general talking into the microphones about how we must stop
the terrorist cowards who have perpetrated this heinous crime, and
I am an intelligence officer trying to discern how
such a thing could have happened on American soil, and
I am a city official trying to find ways to alleviate the suffering of my people.
May I know peace.

I am a terrorist whose hatred for America knows
no limit and I am willing to die to prove it, and
I am a terrorist sympathizer standing with all the
enemies of American capitalism and imperialism, and
I am a master strategist for a terrorist group who planned this abomination.
My heart is not yet capable of openness, tolerance, and loving.
May I know peace.

I am a citizen of the world glued to my television set,
fighting back my rage and despair at these horrible events, and
I am a person of faith struggling to forgive the unforgivable,
praying for the consolation of those who have lost loved ones,
calling upon the merciful beneficence of God/Yahweh/Allah/Spirit/Higher Power.
May I know peace.

I am a child of God who believes that we are
all children of God and we are all part of each other.
May we all know peace.

~ By: Vietnamese Buddhist Monk, Thich Nhat Hanh ~

"A Tribute Of Lights"

2006-09-05T11:08:00.000-05:00

Today’s entry is not a rant. Today’s entry is about the loss of a dear friend who I've never had the honor to meet. His name is known around the world, in almost every country. And his enthusiasm for life, his dedication to the cause of wildlife conservation and the excitement he shared with us through his adventures, made him a living legend.

His name is Steve Irwin, better known as the “Crocodile Hunter”. The news of his death came by phone from a good friend of mine. I was out riding ATV’s with some friends of ours, and at first I thought it was just impossible. I just didn’t want to believe that the man who seemed impervious to nature’s perils could be gone! How in the world could a stingray put a barb exactly between Steve’s ribs and straight into his heart? That would be like… a one in a million fluke of chance!! But, my disbelief and shock soon gave way to sadness. I sat, fighting back tears as I read the official report on CNN.com…and had to take a private moment to grieve.

“Steve-O”, as he often referred to himself, has always been a part of my childrens’ lives. From the time my firstborn showed interest in TV, the Crocodile Hunter series was one of his favorite shows. The whole family would watch with amazement as Steve cheated injury and death with his lightning fast reflexes, his keen wits and his attention to not only his own safety, but that of the animal and the filmcrew as well.

He was definitely a bloke-among-blokes. And even tho I never got the opportunity to shake his hand and thank him for opening my eyes and my heart to his world of wildlife conservation, I fully intend to make it to Australia one day. And when I’m there, I hope to offer my thanks to Australia Zoo and his family. At the very least, I hope to visit his grave and offer my respects.

My prayer is that the Lord will shine His grace, love, comfort and healing down upon the Irwins and their friends. And God bless you, Steve-O. Your legacy and your work will pay homage to the mission you followed. Rest well, mate….By Crikey we miss you.

2006-08-28T13:22:00.000-05:00

I suppose it’s time for more hate and discontent from the disgruntled redneck. I wonder if I was ever “gruntled” in the first place? Hrmm… I’ll have to ponder that later. At any rate, I have a series of rants that I’m sure will delight, confound, or confuse the hell out of each and every one of you. But, then again, that’s why you’re here…aren’t you. I’m your poison of choice. Hahaha….

And now, I present to you… the Quantum-Rant. Think of it as a value-pack.

Not While I’m Eating! – Nutrition In Schools – Participation Required

~ Not While I’m Eating! ~

This first subject may not be one of your favorites, but it has been an issue that I’m sure has annoyed the mess out of most (if not all) of us at one time or another. How many times have you come home from work, ready for an evening of supper and some television? You might be one of many families who enjoy eating a light supper while watching TV. Afterall, that’s why TV-Dinners were invented.

However, as many can attest to, there’s nothing quite so unappetizing as being forced to endure personal hygiene or sexual dysfunction advertisements while you’re trying to enjoy a meal. It’s just uncalled for. While I’m sure the manufacturers seem to feel justified in trying to present a quality product to the pubic for the purposes of bettering their quality of life… doing it in a manner that forces everyone to endure this disturbing subject matter, is another issue.

I don’t personally enjoy hearing about how one product is more absorbent than another, and how some woman’s life was made substantially better because of it. Nor do I like seeing some smiling baffoon on a golf course who is trying to convince me that his magic little pill not only made him a hit in the bedroom, but also made him a perfect golfer.

There’s a thing I like to call “Products Of Demand”. A (POD), if you will, is something that’s available to the general buying public and serves a particular purpose. However, that purpose is usually of a personal, sensitive and sometimes embarrassing nature. These products are known by common knowledge. Products like hemorrhoid treatments… lice medication… sanitary napkins… erectile dysfunction aids… personal lubricants… birth control.

POD’s like these are sought after when they’re needed. Marketing for them should revolve around the location of the product…not broadcast on national television for everyone to have to see. POD’s aren’t for everyone, and shouldn’t be marketed to everybody at once, in my opinion. Suppertime would be a lot more enjoyable if we didn’t have the hazard of those advertisements hanging about.

~ Nutrition in Schools ~

It seems that our nation, as a whole, has gotten rounder and rounder over the past few decades. Many people theorize about the various causes. Personally, I don’t think it’s merely one cause…but many small no-no’s that have caused the larger problem to grow (if you’ll excuse the pun).

You’ve heard my previous rant about “quick-fix” diets or gadgets that claim to have an amazing remedy to your obese condition. Few ever actually do. But here, lately, the government has decided that instead of respecting the sovereignty of the parental figure(s) in an American home environment, they’re going to step into our shoes and become mandatory nutritionists for our children!

Granted, proper nutrition is one of the main keys of being physically healthy. And good intentions among nutritionists, government officials and some parents is commendable. But kids have been receiving unsolicited judgements about themselves from various sources for as long as there has been school. Hazing, bullying, theft, social exclusion… these are things kids have been tormented with for untold years. And now they’re being subjected not only to judgment by their piers…but by a governmental “fat test”. The BMI (body-mass-index) is taken each year and sent home to the parents. Why? Because the government feels that kids are being raised up in an unhealthy manner and they’re going to cost the American taxpayer millions of dollars in medical bills. I hate to be the bearer of suprising news to these governmental agencies on nutrition… but American’s have been eating whatever the heck we want to eat for many, many, many years. To suddenly impose this heavy burden of judgement on our young generation of kids is, at the very least, unfair.

I say that the agencies need to get their fingers out of our kids’ lunches and make school about Reading, Writing, Math, Science and History again!! This isn’t a health-spa… this is an educational institution!! Leave the nutritional aspects to us…the parents. We conceived them, raise them, feed them, clothe them and send them for an education… not a diet plan.

If government officials want to make a change, they can tighten up their OWN flabby bellies and stop eating high-priced, high-carb, restaurant meals and start chowing down on these new menu requirements they’ve slapped on our kids in the cafeterias. Let’s see how well the officials like drinking watered down, no-name fruit juice boxes instead of Starbucks Coffee and Cappuccinos. How about a tasteless, steamed veggie tray instead of that perfectly grilled porterhouse? No? I rest my case.

It’s sad that our children have to suffer humiliation and nutritional blandness just because our governor “Hollywood Huckabee” decided that Twinkies are bad and had a gastric bypass. Now “Mr. Skinny” is on a crusade to liberate us from our terrible eating habits…. whether we like it or not. He doesn’t give a rat’s ass about us, personally. He’s concerned about his presidential campaign chances, and about gaining national recognition for his stance on the American health issues topics.

Political ambition is a monstrous thing….isn’t it.

~ Participation Required ~

Anyone who frequents the internet is almost guaranteed to come across a banner or two like the one simulated below…

You might think that by successfully shooting the shark, you’ve just gotten yourself a Playstation 3! Wow! That’d be so cool! That was so…..easy.

Ah…easy, was it? Do you know how much a new Playstation 3 is going to retail for? Somewhere in the neighborhood of $600. And you believe that by clicking a red button and shooting a cartoon shark, someone is going to send you a brand new Playstation 3? Hrmm. Well, look down there in the lower right corner of that nifty little game you just played. See that microscopic text? It says, “Participation Required”. That’s the catch.

You see… the sly little marketing companies and their Flash animation artists have come to a meeting of the minds, you might say. They decided that you’re an idiot. Now don’t get offended….they think everyone is an idiot. They think that you’re too stupid to catch onto what they’re doing. They’re using a gimmick. What’s the gimmick? Why nothing other than manipulation of people’s perceptions and assumptions. If someone says, “I threw the ball”, you get the mental picture of a ball being thrown. If someone says, “I fell down”, you get the mental picture of someone tripping and crashing to the floor. Most people do, and therein lies the foundation for this particular marketing scheme.

If someone tells you, “Throw this rock in the pond and win $10,000”…you’d leap at the chance to throw the rock, right? What would you say if you threw the rock in, and didn’t get the money? I’ll bet you’d be pretty annoyed, right? Some of you would be downright mad. Ah, but did you read the rock? Yes…read the rock. You see, the rock said, “Participation in the upcoming footrace is required for a chance to win $10,000. An entry fee of $20 is required for the footrace, and a deposit of $10 is required for the mandatory footwear. If you win the footrace and do not appear at the winner’s stand in 20 seconds, you forfeit all winnings. The winner’s stand is 50 miles away.” Now, anybody with half a brain wouldn’t participate in such a silly offer, because it’s difficult and time consuming with a high probability of error on the participant’s part. Many chances to lose and few to win constitute a large portion of the “games” and “offers” out there on the net these days.

Let’s look at how the whole thing happens. You “assumed” that if you took the offer and threw the rock into the pond, you would get $10,000. Why didn’t you get the money? Because of misleading wordplay on the part of the marketer. Nowhere does it say “Throw this rock in the pond TO win $10,000”. That would imply that your successful action would grant you a reward.

By substituting the word “and”…they have played upon your assumptions. It’s actually two offers. “Throw this rock in the pond” and then “Win $10,000”. Throwing the rock does nothing more than get your attention. They want you to think that a small amount of your effort will gain you vast rewards. They’re trying to draw you in so they can get you to participate in the requirements for a chance at the $10,000. Why would they do this? Because sleazy companies who want to gain profits by any means possible will contract these marketers to do this.

They supply a prize…and require that you apply for their offers of credit cards, music memberships, discount buyers clubs, and all sorts of other mainly useless garbage. You waste all of your time and much of your money with these ridiculous offers…then you have to make sure you’re credited with participation in the offers (sometimes this hinges on you being granted credit, based on your credit rating). After this, you must send in the proper redemption forms with proof of participation…and then wait for them to honor their offer of the prize. Is all of that worth your attention to a stupid blinking button? I think not.

My public services, and rants, are done……for now. As always, more later.

2006-08-17T11:37:00.000-05:00

Yes, yes… I know. Many of you think that my prolonged absence and lack of contribution to the blog could only mean one thing…. “He’s finally matured and has gone on to bigger and better things!” Not so! I’m still as childish, unstable, unpredictable and disgruntled as I ever was! So, just put those hopes aside. We’re about to leap into the abyss once more. (Aren’t you glad I’m so consistent?)

Today’s entry is sort of a hodge-podge mish-mosh of different little pet peeves of mine. It will consist of everything from “Previously Owned” to “Pepsi-fication” to “Highway Robbery at the Pump”. So grab a beverage of your choice and sit back, because you're in for a lengthy read.

- Previously Owned -

Oh merciful heavens! How many times have we been presented with this little automotive bubble-gum term? While I will expound on the redundancy of this terminology in a moment… I would be remiss not to also refer you to an already established commentary on the subject. It is provided by Foamy The Squirrel, (just click on "Cell Phones & Car Ads").... and I must warn my readers that it does contain adult language. Be that as it may, I would like to voice my agreement with his major points, thusly…

“Jason…”, you might ask, “…why is it that they don’t just called a used car a used car, anymore?” That’s a very good question, my little followers, and I’ll tell you why. You see, automobile dealerships try to put on a smoke-&-mirrors act in order to establish a comfortable emotional environment. They want to appear to each customer, as if he/she is the dealership’s most valued and important one.

Now, let’s address the history of the term, itself. Some years ago, a marketing research think-tank came up with the revelation that the word “used” might convey a sense of diminished quality. They concluded that the term “used” might cause the customer to see the potential purchase of such a vehicle as unwise. Why? Because it could mistakenly convey an underlying possibility of wear and diminished performance or quality. Therefore, regardless of the redundancy of the newly adopted term, they have established an industry-wide cliché of calling “used” cars “previously owned”.

If you want to get technical about the term “previously owned”, you must realize that every car is previously owned. How? Well, ownership is established by any person or persons who control a legal interest in the property that they hold. What this means is that, initially, the vehicle was owned by the manufacturer. Whoever created the vehicle owns it until they are paid for their labor and materials. After the vehicle is shipped to the dealership, it is given over into the care and protection of the dealership owner.

The dealership attempts to sell the vehicle to customers, but most customers don’t have $20,000-$40,000 burning a hole in their respective pocketbooks. Therefore, they typically arrange a vehicle loan from either a local financial institution (bank, credit union, etc) or they establish a loan through a specialized lending institution that caters to vehicle loans. The ownership of the vehicle now changes hands to the lien holder. Technically, neither of the “owners” thus far have “driven” or “used” the vehicle. They’ve merely transferred ownership of it.

YOU, the giddy consumer, are now the “user” of the vehicle in question. ((Technically, if you trailer the vehicle to your home and push it into the garage, making sure never to drive it, it cannot be called “used”. It’s just been “previously owned” prior to anyone else owning or using it.)) So we now see a definite breakdown in terminology that seems to have somehow been blended into a confusing and inaccurate advertisement gimmick. Now you can see how “previously owned” is a rather redundant term and an obvious condition of any vehicle, and “used” is more precise in its meaning.

- Pepsification -

I know you’re all sitting out there wondering where I came up with this word. No, it’s not in any dictionary or thesaurus. I just created it to more adequately describe the process by which Pepsico, Inc. is trying to monopolize and brainwash the major portion of southern restaurant chains and their patrons. You see, it’s becoming increasingly difficult and frustrating to many of us when we set out for a meal in town these days.

Nearly every place I go has a soda fountain, and most of them are stocked with a selection of Pepsi products. While I’m sure that there are some people residing in Arkansas that enjoy Pepsi products, with myself being a fan of at least one of them (Mt. Dew)… Pepsi Cola tastes somewhat akin to carbonated pancake syrup, in my humble opinion. Coca Cola far exceeds Pepsi Cola as far as taste goes. But, whether you personally prefer Pepsi or Coke isn’t the matter I’m addressing, per se.

I’m more concerned about the disturbing trend with restaurants that seem to cater ONLY to Pepsi products. Why isn’t Coca Cola being more aggressive in their attempt to keep a loyal fanbase happy by making sure that their products are also included at softdrink fountains in restaurants? After all, there is a Coca Cola distribution center in Little Rock, Arkansas for pete’s sake!! That should account for something!!

Not everybody likes Pepsi. I’d go so far as to wager that the percentage isn’t in favor of Pepsi in this area at all. But Pepsi keeps trying to monopolize the distribution in this area. Sponsorship of events… soda fountains… television advertisements… you name it.

Coke seriously needs to get on the ball, in my opinion. They’re letting lots of people become disappointed each time they sit down to a meal at a restaurant. I would think that it could be detrimental to their marketing strategy. But what do I know about marketing….

- Highway Robbery At The Pump -

I don’t think it’s any great news to people that the price of gasoline is hideously overblown to the point of ludicrousy. At what point can an industry justify the yo-yo effect of petroleum pricing, not on a weekly basis…not on a daily basis… but on an HOURLY basis now?? Filling stations are virtually at the point of needing a full time employee that’s hired merely to walk out with a suction pole and plastic numbers to continuously change the price of fuel.

While I’m sure OPEC has a lot to do with setting the price of crude oil, and the major refiners of the oil into usable gasoline add in their costs to this amount, I don’t understand why the price is in a constant and excruciatingly painful state of flux. America’s pocketbooks are screaming for mercy as our vehicles have to not only contend with the distances we drive, but with the task of keeping us cool in the midst of this oppressive heat wave that has swept the nation. We need a damn break… and SOON.

“Well, Mr. Opinionated Redneck, what would be YOUR solution to the crisis?”, you might be inclined to ask. I have a few alternatives…

#1) Citing the fact that we, as a nation, consume the vast majority of all products from oil-exporting nations throughout the world. I submit that we can set the price of any crude oil we buy. By having a monopoly on the percentage of consumption… any decline in our usage would spell disaster for the exporters.

The inherent problem with enacting this financial leverage and thereby establishing a much lower cost per barrel, lies in the fact that our daily demand for oil has become an absolute addiction and a necessary part of our economy. It is so much so, that we can’t even spare the reduced consumption rate enough to apply leverage to the supplier.

Without enough daily crude oil, our nation would grind to a halt. Therein lies our Achilles Heel. We have been blindly ignoring the undeniable need for an alternative abundant energy source for too many years now… and like all procrastinators tend to discover, it costs more in the long run to delay.

Conclusion: Implausible

#2) Tap our existing emergency stock of oil and open all exploration of existing domestic oilfields in order to give Americans a much needed and well deserved financial break from foreign oil. While we’re enjoying this relief, the government needs to do three vital things for the growth and prosperity of our nation.

A) Pull out of the middle-east and let the UN resolve the multi-national situation. We’ve had our fingers in their pie long enough, without any end in sight with regards to fighting. These people want to spend their lives arguing over Islamic fundamentalism and who’s got the most dirt and rocks. I say let them. They’re content on beheading each other and blowing each other up. Why should we continue to act like a referee when these people obviously don’t want to stop fighting?? Let them slug it out until their population is so decimated and meager that they can’t afford to fight anyone. Perhaps unconditional peace and cooperation between them will suddenly insue at that point.

B) Strengthen the protection of our nation’s borders through military reinforcement and maximize the security procedures in areas of transit by which potential enemies would gain access to our population.

C) Lastly, commit to the unconditional development of a dependable, abundant, clean and affordable energy alternative to crude oil… and actively integrate it into all facets of society in order to break our addiction to the genocidal jabbering towel-heads in the middle-east!!!! The sheiks don’t need another platinum-coated Rolls Royce.

Conclusion: Plausible, but unlikely

I’ve done my best at this point. Granted, my opinions and viewpoints may be askewed and biased, but hopefully this has been enough to get your mental juices flowing (if not boiling). If I’ve only done one thing today by writing this, I hope it’s that I’ve done my part as a concerned American citizen by voicing my Constitutionally guaranteed right to freedom of speech.

More later.

2006-08-02T11:11:00.000-05:00

Well… as you might guess, it didn’t take long for something else to get on my nerves and qualify itself for a severe and merciless negative critique on my blog. Today’s melee will be targeted at fast food restaurants and their radio commercials. I hereby dub this entry as……

"Chew With Your Mouth Closed"

Many thousands of us have been told by our mothers not to talk when our mouth is full of food. It’s rude, nauseating, unattractive and unsanitary. Nobody wants to hear your saliva and mashed food sloshing and squishing around in your masticating mandibles whilst you attempt to toss out some supposedly important tidbit of information that couldn’t wait for a swallow.

However, certain unnamed fast food chains are using this horrendous practice to try and convey a sense of how delicious or irresistable their food is. The actors are crinkling wrapping paper…rattling cups of drink…and filling their mouths with all manner of wet and squishy food items while they carry on some manner of dialogue about how good the food is and how great the deal is at “restaurant X”.

The only way it could sound any more offensive, is if they somehow began to suck mucus through coffee straws on air. What has advertising come to these days?!? I say the answer is for these people to stop talking while chewing. Advertise your restaurant…plug your hot items…boast about the taste! But stop making us listen to wet, sloppy mouth sounds. If anything, you’re making people want to visit the toilet…rather than your place of business.

My work is done here. More later.

2006-07-26T12:15:00.000-05:00

I see that some of you have survived the last rant. I do apologize if I bored you or caused you to wonder if I was attempting to rewrite the Encyclopedia Britannica. I assure you that this entry will be much smaller in size.

Today’s happy little tirade into the absurd is appropriately titled:

Results Not Typical ~ or ~ Results May Vary

You’ve seen ‘em…we’ve all seen ‘em. Commercials about weight loss have flooded our televisions for untold years. Everything from Jenny Craig to Nutrasystem to that butt pirate Richard Simmons screeching about some deck of cards that will shrink your fat ass back to a size 3.

But what really gets me puzzled is the tiny little disclaimers they flash up on the screen. Obviously these liars are required by law to post certain criteria to the public for the sake of truthful advertising (if there ever were such a thing). Most of it is printed in hazy white text at an almost microscopic size. It’s flashed on your screen for what amounts to no more than a nanosecond. Either that, or some person who sounds like he/she has just rapidly consumed a double-caff java-latte suddenly reads off a gibberish-ridden series of disclaimers in mere seconds. These occur in car ads on the TV and radio, as well.

The one thing you CAN read, however, is the same thing that appears on every so-called “testimonial” from people who have benefited from a particular weight loss plan. The words “Results Not Typical” or "Results May Vary". Some companies even go so far as to put “Results from top 1%”. I think we can all comfortably assume that results are going to vary a hell of a lot.

My question is this… If you want to demonstrate the power of your program, and what can typically be expected by the general user, why not show testimonials from them? Odds are strongly against you being part of the elite top 1% if you use this product. Why, then, would anyone expect to lose the same as the triathlete they’ve hired to claim the success of this product? It’s ridiculous! I submit to you that it’s just another way that commercial advertisers are insulting the buying public.

I want “typical results”. I want something that has been proven to work on everyone from little Jimmy all the way up to fat aunt Gertrude! Until then… don’t expect me to buy into it.

‘Nuff said. More later.

2006-07-24T12:30:00.000-05:00

Well howdy there, kiddos! I see you all have your snacks and drinks ready. Are we all set for yet another shrieking plummet into the dark abyss of my mental synapses? It’s gonna be a deep one…

Fasten your seatbelts and keep any rational expectations of social conformity inside the car at all times. I claim no responsibility for them being sheared off by sharp words or cutting commentary. So, without further adieu…this installment is entitled:

The Politically Correct
~ or ~
A Nation Suffering with Cranial Rectosis

Ohhh you knew I was getting around to this, didn’t you? But of course! It’s time to hack off, peeve, annoy, disenchant, offend and generally irritate the mumbling masses of nervous and trembling “politically correct” within our society with a little bit of harsh honesty and unbridled redneck commentary.

For far too long we have been spoon-fed a slow but steady meal of mass-media-enhanced mental conditioning horse-####. It stems from how the “Powers that Be” feel we (as a society) ought to embrace and handle certain issues. Whether it’s our moral view on people’s sexual orientation or our views on Spanish being popularly adopted as our second national language…Political Correctness has been, hands down, the biggest contributor to the loss of social individualism in recorded history.

Why do I think that? I’ll tell you why. It’s because we have allowed the fear of offending other people’s sensibilities to utterly and completely infest every aspect of our lives and social thinking. It’s to the point now, where cartoons that have been accepted and aired for over 50 years are now being censored for content suddenly deemed “inappropriate” due to PC issues with certain races. Tolerance for non-confrontational racial humor and stereotypes in mass media (in any form) are at their all-time lowest point.

Why can we, as a nation, not recognize and understand our individualism? These days it seems that we’re afraid to be one nation of separate, but equal races. We will continue to be plagued by racism and the fear of Political Correctness until we, as a people, stop trying to meld ourselves into a dysfunctional mass of “supposed” blended uniformity. There is beauty in all races of humanity. We are not all the same culturally, and shouldn’t be. Diversity is our most beautiful aspect, as a nation. Uniformity is an utter bore.

Political Correctness has also told us that all dark-skinned people within the United States are no longer just Americans. No. They’ve all suddenly been descriptively lumped together into a laughably ridiculous designation popularly known today as, “African-Americans”. Oh my dear merciful heavens…what have we come to?

I’m sorry, but every person of the darker persuasion does not have an ancestral link to Africa. Some are Haitian-Americans… others are Jamaican-Americans… etc. etc. etc. You see my point. I don’t believe that we, as a people, have a right to claim ourselves as anything but “American” when we are either born into this nation or naturalized through legal immigration. It does not matter the country of our ancestral origin. We are Americans, first and foremost. Personally, I find it to be nothing more than a big steaming pile of racially motivated crap with nobody but the NAACP benefiting from it. It’s hollow, meaningless, trite and absurd. I suppose, if you want to get technical about the PC-version of what I am…. I might be considered a Euro-Native American.

If anyone had a right to insist upon a differentiating terminology for their particular race, it would be the native peoples of this land. Their nations were decimated, mercilessly, and without justification. All of it was done for nothing more than greed for riches and land. These people were also enslaved, tortured, separated, re-educated, deculturalized and brainwashed. But the nations that remain are still proud.

They are not whiners, nor seekers of specialized social status, because they are mature of mind. They have my profound respect and admiration for their strength and dignity. I have ancestry in both European and Native blood. I could easily start up a tangent-rant about how ridiculous this country has been about the whole “Indian” terminology since it inception… but I won’t. It would do little good, and this blog entry is already resembling War & Peace, by size alone.

I am not a bigot, nor a racist, nor a white supremacist, nor a skin-head, nor a neo-nazi, nor a member of any other organized hate-group. However, I am tired of having the tired old story of racial prejudice being rammed down the throats of the white segment of this nation’s populous over every damn issue that might even remotely portray a black American in the slimmest of negativity. Face it… wrong is wrong, regardless of race. If you’re busted doing something wrong…skin color doesn’t matter. Stop whining about it and march to jail. You are now no longer white, tan, red, yellow or black… you are ORANGE.

And if you think that racial stereotyping and prejudice causes more and more black Americans to show up on the evening news, you need an education. You need only look at the literally staggering percentage of black, poverty stricken youths who would rather sell illegal drugs, join gangs and take their chances against law enforcement rather than graduate high school and/or college. Statistically, there are more black people in America currently suffering in poverty-stricken areas than any other racial segment of the populous. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to deduce that you’re going to see more crime being committed by black citizens. It isn’t racial targeting… it’s merely the inevitable result of statistical percentages!

That being said, let me summarize this whole speech with this final thought for you people. It’s been said that beauty is only skin deep but ugly runs clean to the bone. But I submit to you, that the worst kind of ugly is that of the racially narrow-minded with their personal cultural agendas. And the beauty beneath a skin color comes from dignity in their diversity, with compassion and understanding toward other races.

There… is where beauty and ugliness truly lies. Within the cultural choices we consciously make as a people and in how we treat one another.

Peace, yall.

2006-07-14T10:14:00.000-05:00

I know it seems like I’m having more and more to say about subject matters these days. And, perhaps, this is a good thing…or maybe it’s bad. Who’s to say? At any rate, I thought I would share these few odd thoughts and ponderances. Perhaps you’ll agree.

Perhaps you’ll merely scratch your head and wonder, once more, why I haven’t already been admitted to a psychiatric ward. I’m the first one to admit that some of my thoughts….well…ok, MOST of my thoughts are not mainstream in origin. Too much of the non-conformist gene in me, I suppose. But, without further delay, here it is.

Have you ever stopped to wonder about how businesses seem to have this innate “right” or “permission” to slap any and all operational costs on the buying public so they can dismiss any worry of it? Think about it. Imagine there’s a business called “XYZ Service - We keep America Zipped!”. Ok, XYZ has just found out that the government has imposed a new monitoring fee on their services. This means that each month, XYZ will have to pay close to $500 to state government in order to operate legally. The board of directors at XYZ determines that this fee will cut into their profits, and we all know how important it is to squeeze every penny of profit out of us as customers.

How can they avoid disruption of their regular income? Easy. They merely pass this cost along to their customers in the form of a “Fee” listing on their monthly billing statement. We’ve all seen these tiny little enigmatic charges and fees on our utilities and monthly subscription service invoices. But why do businesses have the right to stick US with THEIR costs?? Answer: Because there’s no law against it. And there should be one. Businesses get away with this because there’s no legislation that says a business must pay its own costs and fees if it provides a monthly service to customers.

If you’ve ever taken a close look at your itemized cell phone bill, you’ll see a whole slew of charges for every little fee and cost under the sun. That’s because, as a mobile phone service provider, your cell phone company must pay all manner of usage taxes and charges mandated not only by the state they’re operating in…but also for the country they’re operating in. This would cost them MILLIONS per year if they absorbed the cost, themselves. That’s simply not going to happen.

No, they’re going to divvy that cost up among all of their customers who are locked into a 2-year service contract (which means, kiddies, that you’re now bent over the proverbial stump…and I hope you brought lube). Yes, there’s state fees, state taxes, federal fees, federal taxes, sales tax and probably a paper bill fee (so they can recover the costs of mailing you the bill in the first place). Yes….they’re that lame and greedy.

There needs to be legislation enacted on a federal basis, which would require these cell phone companies to absorb some of their own costs. Fundamentally, what they’re doing is wrong. Oh yes, they’re making it easier to gain profits by “passing the buck”. But why should it be OUR responsibility to pay THEIR bills? We’re already paying our own.

Just something to think about, the next time you’re writing out that check for your monthly services.

2006-07-13T14:47:00.000-05:00

Today’s commentary about life in general will be two-fold in design. It’s value packaging!! Two…two…two rants for the space of one! What will I think of next?? Zow-wee!

Ok, enough of that. I’m going to be addressing both the new Arkansas Clean Indoor Air Act of 2006…and the state law (HB 1739) which mandates the use of headlights when windshield wipers are in operation.

So, without further adieu… here’s my take on the smoking law. The Arkansas Clean Indoor Air Act of 2006 (Also called ACT 8) basically says that all employers with three (3) or more employees are subject to this law. All enclosed buildings where less than ½ of the building is considered to be doorways must be smoke-free. Fines can range anywhere from $1000 to $1500 per violation.

Now…. Before you assume that I am against being healthy, let me state that I have been smoke-free for almost a year now. I enjoyed smoking because it was relaxing and pleasant to me. However, it was also killing me and posing severe risks to the health of those around me. For not only the preservation of my own life, but that of my friends and family, I chose to quit. But that’s not going to stop me from ranting against this absurd law.

I’m sure it was constructed with the best of intentions, and that there are as many (if not more) supporters and backers of this law than there are those opposed to it. I can’t help but feel that this is, once again, a blatant overstepping of government into its citizens’ personal human rights. Employers should be “allowed” to enact laws governing the permission to smoke within their privately owned places of business, but should not be subjected to state laws which may hinder establishments specifically designed to accommodate those who choose to smoke. Bars and pubs, billiard halls, and certain restaurants derive income from patrons who might otherwise not visit if their choice to smoke either before or after a meal was taken from them.

I fully realize the fundamental truth behind the health risks of second-hand smoke. I also fully recognize the rights of non-smoking individuals to breathe clean air in businesses. This is not an argument against the health-conscious citizens. I’m merely saying that employers should be allowed to weigh the risks of allowing employees and/or patrons to smoke inside their businesses on a case by case basis. Not because some set of legislators decided that we need to have our behaviors policed in the interest of overall well-being. This doesn’t adequately reflect an accurate overall majority view of this issue, in my opinion.

Take, for example, my place of business. Many shop workers are also smokers. This is their choice. But due to this new law, it is now regulated that all indoor enclosures are non-smoking areas, subject to fines and penalties if this law is violated. The workers argue that they are exposed to far worse airborne substances than mere cigarette smoke. Paint fumes…fuel vapors….welding fumes…smoke from metal oils burning away. Cigarette smoke is a drop in the bucket. Yet, they’re being subjected to local government saying, “We know better than you. Just do as we tell you or pay the price.”

Individual, basic, human rights are at the very core of the values we should cherish. While we, as a society, should be conscious and mindful of the equally basic human rights of our fellow man…we should also realize that we should not be told what is best for us. We’re adults. Our government was designed to be “Of the people, By the people & For the People”. I don’t recall hearing this matter being presented to “The People” for a majority vote. No… it was a legislative matter governed by elected representatives who, themselves, didn’t bother to put the matter up to a majority vote among their own constituents.

I have a prediction that this Law will eventually be amended and/or reconstructed as protests and viable arguments about its all-encompassing and biased construction come to light.

Now we take a little stroll down the line to a much more commonplace, everyday type issue. I know you’ve all seen them. I’ve seen them…sometimes almost too late to avoid them. Yes, we are talking about these moronic, booger-eatin’ abortions of commonplace logic. They, for some unknown reason, choose to not only dismiss any thought for their own safety… but inherently endanger every fellow driver on the road. By stubbornly refusing to use either their headlights, their wipers, or both…during inclement weather… they shroud their vehicles in road-spray and the curtain of dark gray rain that permeates the roadways. This makes it difficult for them to see us, but it’s twice as hard to see THEM.

Why, one must wonder, is it so difficult to activate two switches when they encounter rain? If a driver has no respect for his or herself, that’s one thing. But, if for no other reason than the prevention of serious and life-threatening accidents, they need to respect other innocent drivers and use their lights and wipers!!

There’s no other excuse than simple, unadulterated laziness on their part. And I, for one, am tired of seeing them zipping down the interstate like a big gray cloud, oblivious to anyone or anything but their own agenda.

The law was enacted to try to curb this dangerous and thoughtless behavior. But, I have yet to hear of anyone or see anyone ticketed for this. With the threat of rain looming on the horizon for central Arkansas today, I’m sure these inconsiderate, knuckle-draggin’ bastards will be out in force once again.

New feature on the blog: Stupid Word Of The Day
Gubernatorial - No truer terminology could be associated with a political race of any kind. They're all goobers.

More later...of course.

2006-07-10T10:59:00.000-05:00

In the spirit of the blog, and in an attempt at fostering similar angst and frustration with “the system” in my readers… I have chosen to address and target the marketing media once again for this installment.

Today’s misguided and scrutiny ridden tryst down into my dysfunctional mindset is geared toward the marketing media’s attempt to “disarm” or “numb” the buying public. Ah yes, word play which is created for nothing else than to downplay the grotesquely absurd price tag totals of today’s mostly useless, vain, and poorly fabricated trinkets in the malls and shopping centers of America.

I speak, of course, about the two words which are obviously a marketing MUST when attempting to persuade “John Q. Public”. These two words are….

JUST and ONLY

Look upon them carefully, people. See them for what they really are. Deception and disarmament, incarnate. No more contradictory terms could be applied to the majority of prices on merchandise than these two profoundly misleading terms. They are constantly used in an attempt to befuddle and downplay our sensibilities of what we know to be a decent asking price for any given piece of merchandise that these two words are splashed onto.

Why am I up at arms about two mere words? Because the sheer stupidity behind their usage is at the very core of this rant. Consider this, if you will… If you were to be in need of a stick of underarm deodorant. What might you suggest the price to be? $2.00? Perhaps $5.00? Who’s to say what brand you use? Ah, but what if you were to stumble across a rack of deodorant that displayed a large, fluorescent explosion sticker that boldly announced that the price of Brand-X Deodorant was ONLY $12.99 EACH!!!

I know what you’re thinking. “Right. Who would pay $12.99 for a stick of deodorant?” And you’re completely correct in your thinking. It’s absurd. But nonetheless, the words JUST and ONLY are constantly being splashed across every thinkable advertising gimmick known to mankind. No matter the cost, no matter the merchandise… the common thinking amongst the retailers must be centered around the chance that these two words will somehow dupe us into equating the quality and need for the product with that of it’s ridiculous price!

I, for one, am not fooled. Nor am I amused by it. It’s become a sickening and annoying sight. Check any newspaper…any billboard…any TV advertisement. ONLY $19.99…. JUST $500…

And if these aren’t enough, you’ve got to love UNDER. Ah yes, UNDER. “Buy this garden cart for under $100!!!” However, with the discovery that the cost of the cart is $99.99 … one tends to find their expectations of a legitimate and opportunistic bargain to be dashed against the rocks of disappointment once more. The very idea. All done in a bid to avert your eyes from a competitor’s shallow bargain just long enough to disgust you with their own shallow bargain. UNDER…… the very idea.

And while we’re on this little band wagon of spite… why not address the teeth-grinding experience of enduring yet another REBATE?

Oh for pete’s sake…who came up with this bastardization of comsumer relations??? Why must we endure this constant enslaught upon our intelligence by corporations bound and determined to capitalize upon every penny they can squeeze out of us? What ever happened to valuing the people who guarantee your profits by thinking of their interests? No, let’s bind ourselves to the rest of the greedy corporations by including an offer with a rebate!

We’ll offer an unheard of low price for a popular retail item…then confuse and fluster the hell out of our consumers by complicating every aspect of the rebate with “qualifying conditions”, “waiting periods”, “mailing deadlines” and “10 to 12 week” processing times. Not only this, but let’s engineer our conditions so that any error made by the consumer on the rebate claim form will cause him or her to default on the rebate due to mail delivery time. By the time they’re notified of the error and can send in a corrected form, the time period for their claim has now expired. Oh my aren’t we smart!

Not only will we make it nigh unto impossible to weed through all of this confusion without error… but we’ll play on the innate tendencies of the average human being to not want further complications in their life. Most people would rather lose the discount rather than suffer the headache of going through these steps, so we’re almost guaranteed not to have to honor our rebate offer! Oh delight and joy!

How much more of a red-tape anal rape can you devise? Rebates ought to be outlawed. If you wanna offer Brand-X phone at a promotional discounted price… grant an “instant” rebate. Let the retailer deal with recovering their money from the manufacturer. Gain the public’s trust and satisfaction by granting them the lowered price…period. No gimmicks. No hoops to jump through. Just a promotional low price.

Alright… I’ll go take my medication now and find my happy place. Good day.

2006-07-08T12:53:00.000-05:00

Ok…it’s obviously time for another entry into the ol’ blog. We finally did the whole camping thing over the July 4^th holiday weekend. We headed down to Lake DeGray near Arkadelphia, Arkansas and set up camp at DeRouche Campground. Although we experienced some rainy conditions toward the end of our stay, including some rather muggy and humid conditions, we had a good time overall.

We had the opportunity to camp in our new tent, and experience the frustration of a leaky air-mattress…but it was still fun. The nights were fairly cool next to the lake because of the cool breeze we got off the water. We took a box fan, so that helped. We didn’t catch many fish, but we ate what we caught. It was mostly hand-sized or smaller perch. No catfish or bass to be had in the shallow lakeside areas.

We took a guided sunset lake tour by boat, which was fun. We ate at the local CrackerBarrel restaurant one morning for breakfast, so that was a pleasant change from cold cereal. Oh, we’d brought biscuits and bacon and whatnot…but our friends’ camper oven was giving us fits. We did manage to get some pancakes fixed up toward the end of the trip, tho.

We were befriended by several ducks and their ducklings due to the copious amounts of bread crumbs the women were tossing out. Free food = winged visitors.

Here are a few pics from the trip....

2006-06-29T13:28:00.001-05:00

I’ve begun to notice a widely accepted and predatory practice among business who are attempting to lure customers into their contract services. It’s called… the FREE TRIAL PERIOD.

It’s almost as bad as the whole FREE* issue. The difference lies in the fact that you are presented with every outward indication that this particular business is offering a trial period of service for you to evaluate your satisfaction with the product or service. What’s actually happening, is that a much more complex and risky deal is being hidden beneath a flashy advertising gimmick. What they’re really doing is attempting to play upon the natural human instinct of curiosity, desire, and forgetfulness in order to derive a profit.

Most “free trials” quickly end up annoying their potential clients because the simple exterior quickly peels away as soon as interest is shown. Let’s create a theoretical offer and I’ll demonstrate.

“New SuperTech3000 cellular phone offer! It allows you to make calls even while underwater!! 14-DAY FREE TRIAL! Hurry! Supplies are limited!”

You think, “Oh cool! I don’t know why I’d try to call someone from underwater…but that’s pretty cool. I’ll try it for 14 days and see if it’s worth the money.” Ah…will you now? Alrighty. You decide to contact this company and get yourself a SuperTech3000 for 14 days.

Oh! What’s this? You suddenly find out that the phone is $500, and requires either a yearly or monthly subscription for service. If you want the 14-day free trial…you have to give them your credit card information so they can bill your stupid butt if you happen to get forgetful enough not to cancel your subscription before the 14 days are up.

This is called the “ring through the nose”… if you don’t unclip the chain before 14 days pass…you are at the mercy of their contract. Oh are these people lovely? Wouldn’t you recommend them to everyone? If you participate in anything emblazoned with a “FREE” attached to the sign, you had best beware.

People are not in business to be kind to you, cater to your whims, do you favors or give out free things. Free…is never free. Free…is a way to get you to pay. Remember this, people. You’ll thank me for it.

Bottom line? If you can’t resist the “free trial period”….then invest in a memo book. Just because you’ve forgotten about Company X…doesn’t mean they’ve forgotten about you.

I’m outta here for now.

2006-06-27T08:04:00.000-05:00

Upon relating my absent-minded behavior of the prior evening to a dear friend of mine, she insisted that I publicly and shamelessly indignify myself to the world by posting what happened, here….on my blog.

Are you feelin’ the love? I know I am. In the spirit of good sportsmanship, and as a testament to the fact that we all occasionally try to shove our heads up our respective posterior orifices… here is my story.

In preparation for the upcoming camping trip on Friday, my dear wife stopped by her mom’s house to pick up a brand new family sized tent that had been in storage for some time. My mother-in-law had won it at a raffle or whatnot some time back, but didn’t really have much use for it… so now it has become ours. New + Free = Happy Jason.

At any rate, the wifey and I had the foresight to pre-assemble the tent at the house prior to getting all the way down to our campsite and finding out that something was wrong or missing. As luck would have it, everything works like a charm! After assembling the tent and checking out all of the neat little gadgets included with our high-tech-portable-hut….I was informed that supper was ready, and to come inside the house. This is where the insult to intelligence began…

You see, there are two mesh pockets provided within the tent to place belongings in. This keeps sharp objects and loose personal effects from rolling around the floor of the tent (which can cause injury to the user or the tent itself, if rolled on or trampled on). There are also a few utility loops sewn into the walls as well. It was on one of these little loops that I clipped my car keys, so as not to lay on them when we went inside to inspect our little mansion.

They were left hanging in the tent when I went inside. After supper, I cleaned the kitchen up and told the dear wife that I was going to pack the tent back up and put it inside the tote bag it came in. I disassembled the tent, stakes, bow rods, rain fly, and equipment loft. I packed everything up nice and neat, and she helped me roll up the tent and pack it away. Everything tucked into the tote nice and neat.

Well……yesterday, at some point, our illustrious and infallible power company provided us with a nice power blink. I noticed, upon my arrival home, that everything that plugged into a wall and which possessed a digital clock…was blinking the “eternal 12:00” hour. At bedtime, I set the clock at my bedside to the proper time (mainly because I’ve neglected to replace the backup battery several times now due to forgetfulness.) and set my alarm to wake me up at 5:30am….or so I thought.

At approximately 6:00am, my wife wakes me and informs me of the time. I typically leave the house no later than 6:30 in order to arrive at work before 7:00am (clock in time). So, this gave me only 30 minutes (versus the hour I’d planned for) to get ready. All went fine and I was ready to start my truck….but where were my keys?

I looked high and low…retraced my steps….checked everywhere I typically lay my keys (as the clock ticked). I looked in my dad’s shop, my office, key rack, kitchen counter, bathroom, bedroom…nothing.
Well, it was now 6:30am and time to leave. Still no keys. Then it hit me. Could I have been that forgetful? The answer would soon come to me.

I had been asked not to wake my dear wife when I left for work today, because she had been given a day off from work as a “thank you” for putting in valuable time at her job. I’d already forced her to wake ME up this morning from me obviously setting the alarm for pm instead of am. Now I was about to wake her again by having to rustle through a folded up tent. I did…and she asked me what in the hell I was doing.
After telling her, she shook her head and let me continue my search.

I found them, still attached to the loop inside the tent, and promptly set off for my truck. I arrived and clocked in…at 7:04am. Granted, it’s a Tuesday… but it’s the second “Monday” of the week for me. As the great Paul Harvey says…

“And now you know…the rest…of the story.”

2006-06-26T08:48:00.000-05:00

It’s been awhile since my last entry, so I reckon I better make quota huh? ~lol~ Well, let’s seeeee…what’s been goin on…

At long last, the camping trip is a “go”. We’re going to be camping on scenic Lake DeGray for the July 4th weekend. We’ll be leaving out this coming Friday to meet our friends down at the camp site. We’re doing the tent-thing and they’re bringing their tag along camper. I found out rather quickly that mid to early-70’s campers were NOT designed for 6’-7” hillbillies… the ceiling is at about neck level for me. So, if I go in there, there’ll be a lot of stooping going on.

I’m sure most of our time will be spent outside in lawn chairs or at the water. The only things that historically drive people inside their RV’s or campers are swarms of bugs, intense heat, or thunderstorms. I’m hoping we don’t experience any of the above.

This weekend was all about visiting our friends, setting plans in place, and getting their camper spiffy for the trip. I volunteered to help, but there wasn’t enough room for everyone to be inside the camper cleaning. My wife’s pretty short, so it was easier for her to get around inside the camper… and Chris pretty much had the outside covered, as far as a bleach-wash on any mildew.

I busied the kiddos with some ATV rides and video games. I worked on some of my Genealogy and grilled some hotdogs for supper. It was a good weekend. This week I have to concentrate on getting a fishing license and getting my truck’s tags renewed. Wouldn’t make for a very good camping trip if I got pulled over for expired tags….now would it?

Speaking of my Genealogy hobby… I’ve got several things in the fire at the moment. One of my ancestors supposedly owned a mobile sawmill and cut lumber for a local lumber company back in the 1920’s. I’ve asked a lady at the local historical museum if she’d look through some of her old photographs of that time period and see if (by some chance) my ancestor might be featured with that mobile sawmill. I’m sure I’ll be hearing back from her around mid-week… so I have my fingers crossed. I have a picture of his wife…but not one of him. He’d be my great-great-grandfather.

I also have trips planned to two southern Arkansas towns in the near future. I need to do some microfilm searches and land record searches on the earliest ancestor I have on record, to date. He was born in Tennessee around 1789. That would put his father’s lifetime right in the period of the American Revolutionary War. I’m hoping to get past this “data roadblock” I’ve been experiencing…and hopefully gain some information on his parents. I wonder if they were immigrants from the Old Country at that point, or if my lineage can be dated back to the pilgrims? These are the kinds of possibilities that keep me searching. It’s like a mystery novel…and each chapter holds new clues, and new discoveries. All I have to do is be persistent, dedicated, and crafty. Oh, and there’s the whole “extremely lucky” aspect that tends to help out at times when there’s nothing to go on.

I guess I’d better take a break from writing for now…. I have some work to get done. Gotta pay bills, ya know. As always… more later.

2006-06-13T15:35:00.000-05:00

Ok folks… it’s time to ponder a question that’s been annoying me for a long time now. Acronyms. Note, that acronyms are not to be confused with abbreviations. Merriam-Webster’s Online Dictionary defines the word “abbreviation” as follows:

ab·bre·vi·a·tion: n. 1) the act or result of abbreviating : ABRIDGMENT 2) a shortened form of a written word or phrase used in place of the whole

So, an abbreviation is a shortened or truncated version of a larger word it represents. However, an acronym is something of a different color:

ac·ro·nym: n. 1) a word (as NATO, radar, or snafu) formed from the initial letter or letters of each of the successive parts or major parts of a compound term; also : an abbreviation (as FBI) formed from initial letters : INITIALISM

I bring this subject to light due to my observance (and subsequent resulting annoyance) of its continuous and somewhat absurdly grotesque overuse. It seems like everything has its own acronym these days. It’s especially true with regards to commercial advertisements for anything medical. Medical terminology basically consists of nothing BUT acronyms for every disease, treatment, body part, drug and billing procedure involved in the healing of human beings.

What’s wrong with the original word or words? Are they too long to pronounce with any form of dignity by the general populous? Is it an effort to confound the consumer with enigmatic truncations so that they will mindlessly assume that they don’t need to know the words associated with the acronym? Perhaps the medical community figures that by complicating an already dizzying series of Latin words into jumbled up acronyms, they will be more easily remembered?

One that seems to proliferate the television and radio these days is acronymed as “E.D.” ED stands for “erectile dysfunction”. A layman's explanation of this is that: “the ol’ penis ain’t doin what it’s supposed to be doin as well as it used to do it.” As a result, the medical community has capitalized on this wide-spread psychological, medical, or stress-induced state of sexual trouble with a catchy little acronym. It’s most likely a ridiculous and uselessly chivalrous attempt to protect us from some kind of assault upon our delicate moral sensibilities by the avoidance of uttering “erectile dysfunction”. But in an age of Real World, Dukes of Hazzard going Rated-R in the movies, and even so-called “childrens shows” having crudely disguised inuendo humor in them… what could we possibly be offended by in the term “erectile dysfunction”??

For pete’s sake, people… it took nearly 6 months before Rogaine would tell us what the hell they were providing a treatment FOR! Why would we pay money to go and see a damn doctor and inquire whether Rogaine was right for us… if we had no idea if it was a possible treatment for cateracts, bunions, hemmorhoids or baldness?? I assume it was out of pure luck or process of elimination that some poor sap with a receeding hairline finally was told was Rogaine DID…and then he spread the word. Talk about an advertising guffaw. Sure, it got the name out there… but how stupid does a company look when everyone knows the name of its product…and over 3/4 of those people don’t know what it’s used for…then probably only 1/4 of the 3/4 would even benefit from it if they knew? Very odd.

But, back to what I was saying… Acronyms. They’re everywhere. Think about it. USA… MPH… STP… OBGYN… LOL... YIM... MSN... XP... S/M/L/XL... PDA… PDF… PDQ… CST… ED…CAT Scan... AWOL…. DT&L… BLT… AT&T…. SBC…. SLT… DOA… R/T… GT… GTO… GTA… MP… AP…CD/CDR/CDRW…. RAM… ROM… CPU…. MPG… AM/FM... JPG…. GIF…. NBC… CBS…ABC… WTC…. WMDs…. AM/PM… AC/DC… ASAP…. it just goes on and on and on. You can probably think of a dozen that I haven’t mentioned yet. The system smothers you with cryptic acronyms for every damn thing under the sun these days. And why? So they can save money on text? So they can be trendy? Who knows. It just seems rather excessive to me.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I believe I’m going to fix a BLT and a frosty A&W, then enjoy some R&R by watching some MST3K.

TTFN!!

2006-06-10T18:13:00.000-05:00

I figured I'd take a few minutes and type up a new entry for today. We woke up nice and early this morning and headed down to Lake Degray to do some relaxing and swimming. We had a nice picnic lunch and I tossed the kiddos around in the water. I only got a little pink on the forehead from the sun... (thank you SPF15...the white boy's friend)

As I type this, I'm over at our friends' house for supper. We're going to hang out here tonight and then go to the mud races tomorrow. We might swing by a Civil War Memorial cemetery and see the monument erected there which honors the unit my ancestor fought with back in 1861-1865.

Well, supper is about ready... and I'm hungry. I'm outta here for now. As always...more later.

2006-06-09T11:16:00.000-05:00

Alright kiddies, it’s time for another installment of the…. Oh hell, it’s another blog entry. Take it or leave it.

Well, what’s been going on with me? I got some much needed new tires for my truck. Michelin tires suck…plain and simple. The ones that came on my truck lasted a mere 25,000 miles. They were nearly bald. I decided to get some Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 tires after checking the customer reviews on them. They weren’t as expensive as the BFGoodrich’s I was eyeing. They should do fine until I can get some 20” wheels. Here’s a stock pic of them if you’re interested. Ok, well here’s one anyway. (I only wish the wheels came with em)

The spare tire cover for the wife’s Jeep finally came in. (pic below) I got it because it matches her front license plate. Being the “green eyed cat person” she is, I was sure she’d love it and she does. We’re going to be seeing the new movie Cars tonight with the kids and my folks. They’ve been wanting to watch it too. Sounds like a pretty fun time to me. Tomorrow, I’m gonna take the wife and kids out to the lake for some swimming, and then down to our friends’ place for the night, because on Sunday we’re headed out to the mud races near their house.

All in all, it should be a good weekend. Here’s that tire cover. More later.

2006-06-02T07:14:00.000-05:00

I’d like to take a brief moment to address a pet peeve of mine. To whomever posted the advertisement and subsequent web addy in my comments section… please don’t be rude.

Like many other people, I’m constantly bombarded by annoying advertisements from every marketer under the sun. I don’t like them. And to invade my personal blog and comment section with a plea for business at your or anyone else’s website at my expense, is wrong.

I don’t care how relevent you thought it was, based upon my interests. Please refrain from posting advertisements. Thank you.

If I see anyone else doing this, your comments will be filtered out.

2006-05-31T12:13:00.000-05:00

This weekend has been rather interesting, to say the least. A multitude of highs and lows have assailed me. I’d wager that it’s not unlike being blindfolded and strapped upside-down to the front car of the Texas Giant rollercoaster.

Let’s start with Friday, shall we? I finally achieved the “one year” anniversary date with my employer, so I decided to celebrate my newly acquired status with the company. Since I’m now eligible for 5 days of paid vacation and paid holidays, I chose to take Friday off to enjoy a long weekend. My father had mentioned that I could get a full 50PSI of water flow from the main line stub-up if I’d tee off from it just below the pressure reducing valve and create a “high pressure” faucet.

I figured it was a good idea, because 30PSI just doesn’t cut it when you wanna water a lawn or wash a car. He and I enjoyed the cool of the morning and fixed up the tee. It works great and I’ve got plenty of water pressure when I need it. I’d consider that a (high). I watched the movie Aeon Flux. It was pretty good, actually! It was somewhat reminescent of the old cartoon in many ways. I I considered that yet another (high).

Saturday was a rather full day. The wife had an early shift at the tanning salon, but would be free in the evening. The new X-men movie had just come out, so we were all anxious to go see our favorite mutants doing battle. I got the tickets online and took the boys to breakfast at the donut shop. We had a light lunch and went to the movie at about 5:00pm. So, donuts (high)…tickets and movie (high)…not a bad day.

Sunday was to be eventful as well. I decided that, despite the call for rain over the weekend, I was going to wash our vehicles. Having been fried to a crisp earlier in the year for not paying heed to Mr. Sun whilst meandering about without a shirt… I decided to apply some protection while I scrubbed and sprayed. Well, while that was a good plan, apparently it didn’t get applied to the waistband area of my lower back and…well… it’s currently a tad uncomfortable to wear jeans with a belt.

I started watching the Nascar race on TV and rest up from detailing vehicles… but plans had been set in motion to watch the finale’ of fireworks at Riverfest ’06 up in Little Rock. They always put on a great show, and I’d agreed to go. So… with my boy, Kasey Kahne, leading the pack (high) and less than 100 laps to go…we headed out.. I wasn’t too thrilled about leaving the race. It’s like being at the bottom of the 8th inning, with your team at bat, and you gotta go to town. I resolved myself to the fact that I’d have to get the race results on my phone and miss out on the chance of watching him win (if it was destined).

We got up to Little Rock and luck shined on us. I’d hoped that the old parking deck that I used when I was working up on the 16th floor of the Regions building would be open. It was. We drove to the top of the six story deck to where we could look out over downtown. Aside from one building obscuring some of the smaller, low-altitude explosions...(low)…it was a great show. About 10 minutes before the first morter was thumped into the night air, I got the news on my phone that Kasey had clinched the victory!!! So, there was the (high) that I was hoping for. The fireworks show was another (high) of the night. There was a slight dispute betwixt the ladies in our little caravan...(low)…but it was short-lived.

After arriving home, I was horrified to discover that my computer’s C:\ drive had suddenly developed a fatal error…either in my OS (operating system) which is Windows XP Home… or possibly a physical error on the hard drive itself. It was in a perpetual loop of rebooting that kept taking it to an error screen. I grabbed my “Restore” cd’s and resolved myself to the fact that I was going to have to reformat and reinstall my OS. It wasn’t a matter of losing a lot of stuff on the drive…it’d already been lost. I couldn’t access it or back it up. There was no way to get into the system. So… I figured I’d give the drive one more shot.
I loaded the cd’s and I’m still in the process of fixing up my Windows XP to be as close as it can be to what it was before the big FUBAR. So far, so good. At least I’ll know it’s the drive itself if it repeats the error.

Monday brought the threat of rain, but my dear wife would not be denied a trip SOMEWHERE in order to get out of the house on Memorial Day. Therefore, after much mulling about over destinations, we settled on the Zoo. It was close by… inexpensive…provided entertainment for all of us…and was away from the house. I needed to stop by the ATM on the way, in order to get some admission cash. That is…after I drove back to the house and got the wallet I’d forgotten (which contained not only my drivers license but the atm/debit card as well).

We then played hopscotch with patches of rain on the way up there, and I was sure that we were going to end up disappointed with the visit. When we arrived, wind was gusting at about 10-15mph and things were beginning to look rather dark. Not good signs for a day at the zoo…but we marched onward. We met up with our friends (who hadn’t forgotten THEIR wallet) and began to stroll around the exhibits. That’s about the time when the rain set in. We strolled back to the amphitheater for a dry seat, and hoped that the shower would be short-lived. It turned out to last and last. However, all was not lost. A bird handler was in the same area as us and came down to the stage area with an absolutely gorgeous bald eagle.

I instantly thought, “What better way to be reminded of the valor and bravery of our fallen soldiers on this day…than by staring into the fierce eyes of our nation’s noble bird?” It turns out that the eagle was a female, and I was even privileged enough to wear the glove and hold her teather. She sat next to me on the amphitheater bench while the handler went backstage to see if there was anything she might care to eat. Let me assure you… when you look into the eyes of a bald eagle, with a beak like a sharpened coat hook…and talons over an inch-1/2 long EACH…. you realize that this creature commands respect. I wasn’t about to do anything to hack her off. It was truly an honor I’ll never forget.

When the rain let up to a soft drizzle…we strolled on through some of the zoo. We saw a few animals and got sopping wet, but we had fun. The zoo has always been a sort of peaceful refuge for me when life has overwhelmed me. So I’ve never had a bad day there. I hope that one day I am able to give back a small portion of myself to a place that has given me so much. Appreciation for the simplicity and beauty of nature’s creatures is something more people should take time to discover. I would definitely consider this a (high) of the weekend…

As you can see, there were more highs than lows. So, by mathematical ratio, it wasn’t too bad of a weekend.

I’ll upload pics of the eagle on the next blog post. I still have to load the camera software into Windows XP. Thanks Bill.

2006-05-25T07:37:00.000-05:00

Today’s rant is about the “Corporate Marketing Shell Game”. You might wonder what I’m talking about. Well, as luck would have it, you’re about to find out.

The “shell game” has been around for many, many years. The game involves rapid hand movements in order to confuse and divert attention from the object (typically a small ball) which has been hidden under one of three empty turtle shells. The shells are swapped around several times in random patterns and the player is then asked to pick a shell. Some unsavory game runners are able to use slight-of-hand to remove the ball from the shell so that the player can’t win.

This tactic of changing the odds has also been called “stacking the deck" because it was used in underhanded card games so that players rarely won. The corporate world has adopted an “open interpretation” view of marketing that amounts to a virtual shell game for consumers. It’s apparent in just about every gimmick thrown at us, as consumers. Perhaps you’ve seen the word “FREE” on something? Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary gives one definition of “free” as… having a scope not restricted by qualification. However, people have now been conditioned to accept a new spelling of the word Free. Perhaps you’ve seen it. It’s now spelled F-R-E-E-*

The asterisk was added, recently, in order to help sucker would-be consumers into a situation whereby they believe they’re about to receive a gratis or obligation-free promotional offer. However, their hopes are suddenly dashed by the fact that the asterisk points to a phrase denoting something to the effect of “some restrictions apply”, or “subject to qualifications” or perhaps “see details”. This asterisk has led to a mood of disrespect for corporate marketing because it totally dismisses the whole root of the word, itself.

How are they able to bastardize this word? They use the excuse of “open interpretation”. They argue that they are, indeed, offering something for free. However, in order to actually receive the free item, you must “qualify” yourself for it. Technically, they’re avoiding false advertisement litigation by merely sidestepping it. By advertising only a portion of the marketing strategy, they’re drawing customers’ attentions to the part where they receive merchandise or a promotional item without having to pay for it. This is the bait for their participation in the marketing strategy.

That is when the shell game begins. They are told that in order to “qualify” for a particular item, they must meet a certain criteria. This can be anything from being approved for a credit account, to paying full price for the object…only to get mail-in rebates that they have to send in after a waiting period, to merely having to pay the shipping and handling costs for the object. One way or another, the corporate world will no longer give hand-outs in order to win customer loyalty. This is a sad realization. Because in doing so, they make themselves part of a sea of greed and selfish tactics that have embittered the buying public.

Years ago, marketers wanted to win the loyalty of paying customers by focusing on the needs of the customer (rather than lining their own pockets with every opportunity that they could invent). By keeping the “little guy” in mind, they made the buying-&-selling relationship into one of a personal friendship. Customers felt loyal to a manufacturer who had their best interests in mind. It was called “honest marketing” and it worked! Now days, business owners try to find gimmicks and loopholes in order to take advantage of overly-trusting individuals. It was rightly said that a sucker is born every minute. Don’t let yourself become one of them. Watch out for the ever-present asterisk. It is NOT your friend, friend.

More later…

2006-05-24T12:24:00.000-05:00

I’ve decided to throw some more thoughts into the ol’ blog today. Yes, they’re weird…yes, they’re probably littered with unfounded poor judgement…and yes, I’m probably one of the most stubborn and hardheaded people on earth. Your point is?

Today I'm gonna rant about radio. Ah yes, we all love radio. There’s nothing quite like our nationally available series of AM and FM stations, pumping out a limited series of songs that record companies want to impregnate your mind with in order to sell more CD’s of any given genre. But that is made even more delightful by the daily flood of annoying, loud, and sometimes offensive advertisements that come streaming out of the speaker.

If it’s not some idiot trying to sell cars by screaming at you like you’ve suddenly gone deaf and he’s on his 14th cup of Java. Then, it’s some national health foundation or something, telling you to go get your tits squished at the breast exam center, or perhaps illuminating you to the fact that your prostate or colon is out to kill you. Perhaps it’s that lovely time when Candidate A is trying to verbally crap all over the reputation of Candidate B. And the latest trend is a string of so-called “live” telephone calls by morons who ask restaurants to provide ridiculous services to them in order to advertise another one that actually has that gimmick going.

Just this morning, I’ve heard at least 5 commercials advertising the need of individuals, 50 and over, to visit their doctor for a colo-rectal cancer screening…because your ass could be killing you. Keep in mind that the marketing coordinator for this health service obviously enjoys having things shoved up his ass, because he’s targeting a market of listeners with an average age of 26. The station I was listening to is an alternative rock station. Not many retirees I know of are smoking pot, drinking Jägermeister and planning a pilgrimage to Ozzfest ’06. Perhaps he should pay a visit to his doctor and have his head surgically removed from his colon.

Let’s not neglect an analysis of the “screaming car salesman”. Oh, what a delight they are. I know I’m personally thrilled by this bellowing baffoon, blatantly demonstrating his opinion of the buying public by treating them as impressionable, deaf, persuadable gimmick junkies. Now, we all know that in a sea of cookie-cutter car lots, restricted by the manufacturer by how much they must initially charge for a particular car, the lot owners much find an edge. They’re all vying for your attention and business. What a lot of them seem to be confused about, is this. Treating your potential customers like impressionable stooges isn’t the way to go about it.

Next on the list is the babbling “disclaimers” that are typically filled full of enigmatic acronyms and are, more often than not, read off at a speed so fast that it is almost indecipherable. Many times, this is tagged onto a sales pitch by a car lot. Other times, they’ll give you only a portion of the information and tell you to “visit our website for FULL details.”

Necessary as it may be in this day and age, in order to prevent (or at least reduce) the amount of frivolous lawsuits brought on by claims against manufacturers over uncovered loopholes. It’s become more of a state of advertising paranoia than anything. It’s to the point, now, that it seems to me almost laughably absurd. Hot coffee being labeled as hot. Do not place plastic bags over your head. Packets of moisture absorbant material in electronics having to be labeled “do not eat”. What in the hell is wrong with people nowadays?? I've watched Looney Tunes all of my life (and this is quite apparent)... and I've never once hit someone with a rolling pin, frying pan, or huge mallet. I've never jumped off a cliff or been blown up by a keg of TNT.

Why, then, are Saturday morning cartoons no longer Saturday morning cartoons...and when they're shown, they're censored to be "politically correct"?!? People need to wake the hell up, take off their sissy dresses, take responsibility for their kids and their behavior, and stop being offended by every damn thing someone says or does!!! Get a backbone, America!! Your grandparents had one... why can't you??

Well… I’ve rambled enough for today. More annoyances yet to come… stay tuned.

2006-05-16T08:47:00.000-05:00

I guess it’s time to post another update to the old blog. Some people have been informing me that one is overdue. Alright…here goes….

Firstly, plans have been made for a camping trip in the near future, possibly in early June. The opportunity to actually have some paid vacation time has come at last. I haven’t had the chance to actually go anywhere with my kids in so long it’s pitiful. So, with the 1-year anniversary at my full-time job coming up… that’ll be a pleasant change. I’ll be eligible for a raise…paid vacation and paid holidays.

Well, thinking of the camping trip got me to thinking about my options for sleeping accomodations. Citing the fact that we don’t own an RV…5th wheel camper…or pop-up of our own, we’ll be renting one. Oh, we still have the option of a family tent. We’ve got one we’ve never had the opportunity to use. But I think we’ll be going the pop-up route.

That being said, my thoughts turned to how I’d get it there. I’ve got my Dodge truck… but it didn’t have anything to tow with. Oh sure, it has the Hemi…a tow-mode switch…and the trailer-tow package. But no ball… no hitch…nothing. So I talked to my buddies down at my place of employment about it. I happen to work at a place that specializes in heavy equipment and truck accessories. They took a look under the truck to see if they had a light truck hitch that would fit mine. What they discovered was shocking!

I bought my truck brand new with 7 actual miles on the odometer. It didn’t come with a trailer hitch. I’ve never had one on it. And to the best of my knowledge…there was nothing out of place. If you’ve never seen a bird before…and you see one with no feathers….you wouldn’t know there was anything wrong. Well, I found out soon enough that there WAS something wrong. The tow-bar (a tubular steel bar that hangs behind the spare tire and is welded to each frame rail) is where a tow-hitch is bolted to.

If a truck comes from the factory without a trailer hitch, the bolt holes are empty on the tow-bar. Mine had bolts installed. Next… there are typically two, round cutouts on the bumper. They are just beneath the license plate and are positioned to each side of the trailer ball hole. These cutouts, I was told, have to be removed in order to access the bolt holes for a trailer hitch to be installed. Mine had been removed before I even bought the truck. I never knew anything ever covered those bolt holes. Imagine my surprise to suddenly realize…that my truck was missing some equipment that I’ve been paying for over the past 2 years!!!

I promptly made a call to the dealership and explained the situation. They told me to bring the truck down. I woke up on Saturday morning and took the family with me down to the dealership. They took a look at the bumper…and at the tow-bar. Then, just to make sure, they checked the VIN number against the electronic vehicle manifest sheets for 2004 (the year my truck was made). Sure enough…it was supposed to have a factory Mopar receiver hitch on it. They apologized to me several times and promptly took the truck back to have one installed. I now have a 2004 Dodge Ram 1500 with a shiny, new receiver hitch. It’s nice to get everything you pay for.

After getting this installed, I picked up a hitch tongue and a 2” ball, which fits most small trailers. I also got an adapter block which attaches to my bumper. It lets you connect your standard 4-pin trailer light “pigtail” to it for easy access…and it also has a hookup for a 7-pin barrel connector. The 7-pin will need to be wired to an electronic brake box which fits up under my dash… but that’ll come later. A pop-up camper doesn’t need trailer brakes. It’s just nice to have the option.

Mother’s Day went well. A lot of fun was had by all, and too much food was eaten (as usual). I baked a cake last night that I had originally intended to be for the actual Sunday festivities. I ran out of time, so I made up for it last night. Yea… I can bake a cake. After watching my mom do it many times during my childhood (which some might argue, continues to this day)… I picked up a knack for baking sweets. My kids don’t seem to mind. And whenever I get a hankering for a cake… It never costs more than a few dollars to have one ready in no time. I’m resourceful like that.

More later….

2006-05-03T10:19:00.000-05:00

I reckon it’s high time I post some thoughts, gripes and commentary about the world situation, in general. (At least how I personally view it, anyway).

Many of you may be keeping up with current events. I’m not typically one of those who do. But, here recently, there have been a lot of newsworthy items that have come to my attention. Several of them honestly annoy the hell out of me. So… it’s time for a rant or two.

~ The Middle East Situation ~

Item 1: Car Bombs in Iraq…
Solution: Outlaw any civilian motorized vehicle within 2 miles of an established military outpost or site of mass civilian gathering. This way, if there IS a vehicle approaching, they’re either a terrorist…or extremely stupid. In either case, they can then be eliminated with extreme prejudice and there will be no more car bombing of military personnel or civilians en masse. If you spot a rather lumpy Iraqi with wires hanging out of his turban… walking toward an urban gathering or military compound…odds are, he’s a terrorist. Plug him in the head. Problem solved.

Item 2: Iran vs. Israel…
Solution: Iran is an extremely impoverished and desolate nation. Their only source of wealth may very well lie in harnessing nuclear power for civilian benefit. However, should these Islamic extremists start producing dirty-bombs or, at the very least, short-range nuclear armaments… then we have a very serious problem. These idiots literally think they have a shot at winning against Israel. That’s what’s so laughable. No nation on this planet will ever extinguish the chosen nation of God. It is not my place to question why people who descended from Abraham, yet do not recognize Jesus as God’s Son, are the chosen people. But, it is my sincerest belief…that if the United States ever turns a blind eye to Israel’s plight or hardship, and doesn’t stand beside her as an ally… we will fall. That’s just my view…take it or leave it. As for me… I’ll stand with Israel. (I’m just not wearing the derby, scraggly beard, and pigtails)

Item 3: Oil….
Solution: While it may not be the ONLY reason we’re there, trudging through the blazing sand, it is ONE of the reasons. The almighty gas pump beckons us. And while there are those few who live in almost god-like conditions with every amenity known to mankind at their mere whim… it is all just a matter of location…location…location. No oil = grass hut and flies. The richest sheik would be out back drinking goat milk with his genitals swinging in the breeze had it not been for the severely lucky fact that there are great pools of liquified dead dinosaurs beneath the sand. Now we find that there are petroleum fields in Russia that might help to bolster their shattered economic state and supply our need for energy. This will most assuredly draw heavy objection from the Middle East and hit them like a sledgehammer, financially. I feel that this might give the free world a much-needed and long-deserved vacation from the barrel that those greedy towel-heads at OPEC have had us bent over for several years now.

~ Illegal Immigrants & The Dilution of American Identity ~

I don’t care where you’re from. I don’t care what language you speak. I don’t care what color your skin, hair or eyes are. I don’t care what religion you are (as long as the practice of it doesn’t involve bodily harm to your fellow man). I am not a racist, bigot, hate-monger, white-supremacist, neo-nazi, skin head, Klan member….or affiliated with any other unsavory group of anti-social miscreants or hooligans. I’m a pretty easy-going and laid back kind of guy….

HOWEVER…

I am a staunch supporter of American patriotism, American jobs, American values, American traditions, American freedoms, American customs, American holidays and American language. It is my unwavering and infallible opinion that any person who permanently lives within the borders of the United States of America should be a fully inducted and legal citizen. Also… any citizen of the United States, regardless of origin, sex, race, religion, creed or custom…is an American. Black citizens are not “African Americans” any more than I am a “Euro-Native American”.

Cultural individualism has no place in National Identity. This great nation embraces the right of individuals to celebrate their heritage and ancestry through recognized holidays and celebrations. Whether it’s St.Patrick’s Day… Mardi Gras… Chinese New Year…Hannukah… Kwanza….Christmas… or any other known holiday, we recognize diversity and the celebrations involved with it. That’s what made America so welcoming to immigrants longing to live in a place free from oppression. They embraced the pride of being an American, regardless of their origins. It didn’t matter what color they were or where their ancestors were from. That was well-known. They were Americans…. And people still are, Americans. I respect any person who wants to become an American citizen and contribute their dreams, skills, talents and beauty to our nation. I love the rich heritage of the Latino community just as much as any other culture! However, many Mexican people are coming to America illegally…and we’re continuously letting them get away with it.

Illegal immigration into this country, whether it’s from Canada, Mexico, Cuba, or Papua New Guinea… is still a criminal act. It utterly baffles me how the definition of “illegal” can be vague to so many in legislation these days. There is no room for protest by those who shouldn’t even be here. How can our government lend an ear to those who have invaded our country with no regard to our rules or regulations…taken jobs in our system…neglect to pay taxes…and funnel their gains back to Mexico? Tax evasion, alone, is a felony offense. These people can’t even vote… and the government is actually hesitating about whether to enact stricter measures to insure that our well-known and well-established rules about immigration are enforced. The leaders of our nation are letting a bunch of blatant criminals dictate national policy to those we’ve elected to represent us. What is this world coming to??

Not only have we, as citizens, been forced to watch this steady migration of illegal Mexicans march across our border. But the manufacturing and marketing big-wigs of this country have taken it upon themselves to make it the “adopted norm” to include Spanish wording on every damn pack of merchandise from bubble-gum to baby wipes!!! Since when did Spanish become our obligatory second language?!?! We speak English in this country! More precisely, we speak the American dialect of English. We have Jewish, Irish, Russian, Italian, German and African people here as well. Should we not be unilateral in our marketing strategies?? I fail to see the inclusion of Hebrew, Gaelic, Russian, Latin, German or Nigerian instructions on my DVD instruction manual. Are these people not important, as American citizens?

Just like the slow and methodical conditioning of the American people to embrace “popular culture”, regardless of whether it’s sexual practice, moral laxness or political issues… we’re being slowly conditioned by the media to embrace the slow deterioration of our American individualism as a nation. Diversity among members of a nation shouldn’t mean the destruction of that nation’s identity as a unified embodiment of certain ideals.

Additionally, this country was founded on Christian principles, by Christian people, and established with the intention of allowing religious and personal diversity to take hold. This, however, did not include provisions for those with opposing views or differing religious beliefs to undermine Christian values, Christian traditions or the Christian symbolism and beliefs this government that was founded upon. You are free to believe what you want, and practice the religion of your choosing, with freedom from oppression. You are NOT free to slander, demean, tear down, undermine, belittle or criticize the plainly visible and tangible evidence of Christianity so adamantly illustrated through deed and writ by those who set the cornerstone of our society in place in the 1700’s. Enjoy your freedom….and respect the fact that the religion that you disagree with was practiced by those who guaranteed you the right to disagree. Their blood was spilled so that you have the right to believe differently. Now shut the hell up, because I don’t care what you believe. I have that right, as well.

It is said, and rightly so, that… opinions are like assholes. Everyone has one, and most stink. However, if you don’t like the smell of my opinion…get your nose out of my business.

Peace.

2006-04-26T09:24:00.000-05:00

It would be funnier if it weren't so true...

Ok, I guess I’ll come ramble for a bit. Nothing super-exciting has transpired since my last entry, so don’t expect much. But, I was told that I’ve been slacking off in my “blog duties”. So, in an effort to sate the masses of dedicated readers (rolling eyes)… here goes.

Topic 1: Gas Prices Suck.

That’s no big batch of news to anyone. I just wanted to say that because I’m sick and tired of OPEC buying platinum-plated Rolls Royce’s while I’m eating mac-n-cheese. It’s high time we all went to an alternative fuel and let the towel-headed sheiks pound sand up their asses.

What’s wrong with ethanol? We can sure as hell grow us some corn! I don’t know so much about the CNG (compressed natural gas) option, because I have a sneaky suspicion that a severe collision might produce a miniature A-bomb effect and level several blocks. I’m not sure I’d wanna pay that kinda price for a fender-bender.

Topic 2: Jeep Being Recalled for Safety Issue.

Just got a notice about a safety issue that needs to be addressed on the wife’s Jeep. Apparently the oxygen sensor wiring stands a chance of coming in contact with the exhaust system at some location and poses a risk of an underbody fire. We can’t be having that. So the parts are on order and should be here by this coming weekend. It’s an unlikely scenario, but one that I’m not going to ignore…especially since it’s totally covered by the manufacturer.

Topic 3: Truck needs an alignment.

When I get time (and money) to get it done, the Ram is gonna need an alignment. It seems to be tugging a bit to the right. Not enough to notice unless you let go of the wheel on a long straight-stretch… but still…it does wanna wander to the shoulder. Also, I bought brand new “high-quality” brake pads for the front that are not supposed to make any noise whatsoever. I’m hearing a tiny, high-pitched intermittent noise from up there while driving. It doesn’t happen all the time, but I’m thinking it’s probably coming from those pads. I’ll probably have these double-checked when I get the alignment done… just to make sure.

Topic 4: Vacation is Due.

Citing the fact that the last “vacation” I enjoyed was a 4-day whirlwind journey to North Carolina nearly 5 years ago… two days of which included a non-stop, 13-hour, 840 mile drive each way. I think it’s high time for a decent paid vacation. That, hopefully, will be coming my way here in the next month. I will be celebrating my 1-year anniversary here at my current job, and will qualify for one week of paid vacation. I think a camping trip will be in order. I need some peace and quiet… some fishing time… and some sounds of birds and water. Down deep, I’m a nature person. But there are few times for me to actually drop everything and go out to enjoy the simple pleasures of nature. That’s part of the reason I want my 4-wheeler so bad. When I’m on one of those… it’s like I’m free. Cruising down some dirt trail out in the middle of the woods is like being an roaming adventurer on a horse in ancient times… just seeing where the road might lead you. I typically take along my digital camera to capture interesting scenery. Oh well… we’ll have to see if my “steed” can be purchased with the next Tax Return.

Topic 5: Sunburn is Gone.

Yup…the roasted slab of meat that was my back has now returned to somewhat of a normal state. It has blistered, peeled, and turned a nice brown hue. If I don’t suddenly develop a severe case of melanoma, then I think all should be well now. It still itches a bit, but it’s just in the areas where the peeling borders good skin.

I suppose I’ll write more later. Ya’ll take care now… ya hear?

2006-04-15T23:53:00.000-05:00

The 2006 Jeep Liberty 4x2

In an effort to satisfy my readers who are chomping at the bits for a peek at the new Jeep my wife is driving… Here is a brand new pic of it, freshly washed. The pollen will most likely claim it again tomorrow, but it’s clean for the moment.

By the way... I know who you are "Anonymous". I've known since the first Comment. There are only two people who have ever referred to me as just... "J". It's not hard to figure out who you are.

2006-04-10T10:36:00.000-05:00

Say what you want about Dodge… but the proof is in the pudding. Kahne pulls off not ONLY another victory for the season, but this makes the second time he’s done it from pole position!!! He fought off contenders Matt Kenseth and Tony Stewart to clinch the Texas Motor Speedway victory on Sunday, and I couldn’t be more proud. WAY TO GO KAHNE!!!!

I did manage to get the brake job done. I wasn’t aware that 2004 Ram’s had double-piston calipers on the front. And I assumed (like many a truck before this one) that it had drum brakes in the rear. That’s not the case! I have 4-wheel disk brakes…and the rear are anti-lock. Pretty impressive! It took a bit of examination to determine just how to get things taken apart properly… but as with most automotive projects that come in pairs, the second set of pads were a breeze. I rotated the tires, too.

I also got a chance to go muddin’ with my kids on our friends’ ATV’s… so that was a blast, too. All in all…not a bad weekend.

2006-04-09T10:48:00.000-05:00

Howdy folks. Yup, just me again... wandering in to toss a few lines down. Not much goin on, thusfar. I'm about to do a brake job on the front pad of my truck, then do a tire rotation. No big thing... but it takes a little time. I'll probably come back looking like a Nigerian from the elbows down, tho.

Oh, before I forget... here's the picture of our new front deck. We have plans for a much larger rear deck, but that's still in the works. My dad did the framework and railings, but a friend and myself did all of the knee-work on nailing the flooring in place.

I would have already had a good pic of the Jeep...freshly washed...but before I could take a shot, she decided to head down to our friends' house. (and they live on a VERY...dusty road) I'M TRYING! I SWEAR!!

More later, as usual...

2006-04-05T08:53:00.000-05:00

Ok kiddos… I know I kinda left ya’ll hanging at the end of last week, so I’ll give you the low-down on what all happened.

Do I have the tattoo? No. I’ll explain why. As I mentioned in the last posting, I was going to head up to 7th Street Tattoos to get some inking from Adrian. The price & availability at the time I wrote the last post was still up in the air. I got an email from Adrian later that evening before I headed to my 2nd job…and he quoted me a price of $150-$180 dollars!!! I just about shit my pants. $180 for THAT??

Needless to say, I didn’t have that much to spend on something so simple and small. I decided to concede and check with the place that my wife got hers at. I was told over the phone that I’d need to come in and see the guy that ran the shop. I was told to bring the design and he’d give me an estimate.

I finished up at the 2nd job, and after having butterflies in my stomach all day long….headed into Little Rock to hopefully tackle this hurdle. I got to the shop, and walked in. Naturally, I was the only 6’-7” cowboy with no ink standing in the midst of the “Inked and Pierced” of our society. The feeling, I would imagine, is somewhat like being naked on the 50 yard line at the Super Bowl.

I signed in and wandered aimlessly about…checking out flash and artwork…and all manner of painful looking piercing pictures. Eventually, someone who looked like they actually worked there came out. After clinking her way behind the bar, she asked one couple some questions…then came over to me. I told her that I had a tattoo design that I brought…and wanted to get it put on my shoulder. Now, keep in mind that I’d just driven about 30 miles to get here.

She said, “Oh, we couldn’t do a custom design tonight. We’re already booked with work. But I can get you a price...I'll be right back.” Immediately, my adrenaline high was extinguished. I felt cheated…disappointed…angry….and a bit sad. She came back quickly, and handed me the paper. “Here you go!” she said with a smile. The paper read… $180. I just about shit my pants for the 2nd time that day.

It was at this point that all hope went up like an oily rag in a burn barrel. I left the place, still being watched curiously by some anorexic chick with a spike through her bottom lip and purple hair. I decided that, as usual, I would be the one cheated out of equal treatment. All the way home, I felt like a heavy wet blanket of disappointment and frustration was laying on me. I did my best to just move on, that evening…but I’m sure my mood didn’t set well with the wife.

Since then, I’ve talked with several people about my experience with the two shops. All of them have looked at my design, the color, the location and size. They all echo the same sentiment. I was being robbed. They’re all glad I didn’t pay the price. At least I apparently made a good decision by not throwing cash at the first artist who quoted me a price.

I’m still getting it… but I’ve got a few more places to check out, first. As for the pictures of my new deck…THAT’S D-E-C-K….I should be able to snap those tonight. Also, since we’ve “sprung forward” on Daylight Savings Time, it won’t be dark by the time the wife shows up. I should be able to get some photos of her ride as well.

I’ll post more later. Ya’ll take care until then.

2006-03-30T10:39:00.000-06:00

Ok folks… I’ll scribble an entry in for today. It won’t be much, because the week has basically sucked a big hairy. But this weekend is shaping up nicely, if we don’t get rained out. The temp has finally come up to moderately tolerable levels. But with that, comes the chance for thunderstorms.

At any rate, weather permitting, I plan on FINALLY washing my truck on Sunday. I’m scheduled to work Saturday night (as usual) and Saturday morning is gonna be filled up with oil-changes for both vehicles, a haircut for me and a nail appointment for the wife. So, my best shot for a scrub-down on the big Hemi is gonna be Sunday. Knowing my luck… it’ll come a monsoon.

After a lengthy wait and some budgeting… I will finally be getting my tattoo. (design shown above) It’s my first, so I’ve heard every story that can be told about how little it hurts or how much it hurts. I’m not worried about it. I’ve been through bike wrecks…3-wheeler wrecks…knee surgery…root canals and having all 4 wisdom teeth pulled at once. I’ve had sunburns that blistered and peeled. I don’t think a little time in the chair is gonna kill me. ~lol~

The time is set for tomorrow night after work. I’m going to a place up in Little Rock called 7th Street Tattoos. I really like the work done by Adrian, there. He seems to really know his stuff. Naturally, pics will follow. (Yes, Really)

So, take a look at the shoulder in the pic, above. After tomorrow evening… it won’t be blank canvas anymore. ~lol~

More later….

2006-03-23T11:13:00.000-06:00

In case I haven’t mentioned it already, and I don’t believe I have… Kasey Kahne won the Golden Corral 500 race at Las Vegas this past weekend after clinching the #1 pole position and enduring a rain delay.

He slipped as far back as 10th position, but they clearly had a winning game plan and Evernham Racing sent his Dodge Charger to the front of the pack to lead nearly 26 laps before edging out Mark Martin, Matt Kenseth and Jimmy Johnson for the win.

It sucks that due to the rain delay, the race wasn’t televised. But, I still managed to hear highlites of it through friends of mine who have links to live audio for the races. They kept me informed.

This win comes after a lengthy period of good shows, but no victories. I was getting a lot of ribbing about my unwaivering support of Kahne around the office, but I’m vindicated now. This makes Kahne’s first victory since his astounding finish in Richmond during the 2005 Nextel Cup season.

Kahne will be on the track this coming weekend… I’ll be in my chair, cheering him on.

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Onto other matters…

We don’t need anymore rain. I’m fed up with cold-n’-sloppy… I’d like to have some warm-n’-sunny now, thanks. What’s with all this damn wacky weather we’ve been having, anyway?? I mean, sheesh… Mother Natures gives us 70 degrees…20 degrees…65…32…80…40…. MAKE UP YOUR DAMN MIND!!!

I mean, we get warm weather just long enough to set up my wife’s flower bed and get all her plants in the ground and manage to transplant our rose bushes… then we get 3 nights of temps at around the mid to high 30’s. I imagine our flowered plants are in shock about now. We’ll probably lose some of them, even though we managed to cover them from any frost.

I’m no hordiculturist, so what do I know? I just hope it’s all ok. We worked on that for a good while.

More later, I suppose.

2006-03-21T09:43:00.000-06:00

Ok ok ok… So I made you wait a week-1/2. I seem to have this propensity for blog-procrastination. Hrmm… I need to work on that, I reckon.

So I guess yall would like an update. Ok. The flu is gone (thank God) and things were better…briefly. Now I’m battling Mother Nature and her orgasm-of-pollen. Yes, it’s that time of year again when those affected by seasonal allergies admire the colors, but wish they could put tiny zip-loc baggies on all the blooms. Zyrtec & Afrin & Kleenex…they be me mates.

There’s a few “rants” that I’m gonna toss out because, well, that’s kinda why I made this Blog to begin with. I’m sure that from time to time, my views might seem a bit narrow-minded or uninformed. That very well may be the case. I don’t claim to be right…merely opinionated. It was once said, and rightly so, that opinions are like assholes…we all have our own and all of them tend to stink. Be aware that this entry will contain ADULT MATERIAL.

That being said, if you’re easily offended or wear your feelings on your sleeve… you might want to steer clear of my blog. I tend to be rather blunt and to-the-point in here. Why, you may ask? Because nobody is forced to read this, and we all have a right to speak our minds. I just choose to do so in a non-offensive and somewhat private forum.
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Let’s see… the first item of business is… Piercings.

Oh my… where shall I start. The things I’ve seen people do to themselves on the internet for either shock value, or for acceptance into the “extreme” crowd, is just disturbing. It can range from one piercing by some barely 17 year old girl to look trendy… all the way up to some poor fool who has basically turned him or herself into a clinking monstrosity that once was part of mainstream humanity but sadly is no more.

They jab shit through their eyebrows…the bridge of their nose…the center of their nose…the side of their nose…bottom lip…top lip…cheek…ears…nipples…scrotums…penises…vulvas…clitoral hoods…and tongues. Some even stretch their earlobes out with these odd looking things that resemble the snap on the front of a pair of Levi’s. They, then, progress to these strange hoop inserts to further ruin their lobes. Some could quite literally use their ears to “jump rope”. It’s hideously sad.

A huge fad right now is the tongue-piercing. This is mainly done by young girls for the purposes of looking “daring” or “trendy” or “wild”…and has a sexual stigma attached to it that advertises their willingness to pleasure a man, orally. Some MEN actually get this done and look like total homo’s , in my opinion.

If large breasts being a visual distraction weren’t enough of a complaint by women… imagine the difficulty a man has with looking a woman in the eye when she’s got one of these things in her tongue!! How easy is it to pay attention to the subject matter at hand when you have the miniature equivalent of a ball bearing, door knocker or tiny, fluorescent sea anenome jumping in and out of view between their moving teeth?

As if men didn’t have enough problems with thoughts of sex… this just drags us back to the mental gutter with thoughts of … “Hmm… I wonder if she’s any good at that?” And not only that, at least 50% of women with this done (mainly the larger piercings) sound like a kid with Downs Syndrome. How intelligent does this make you appear? You want to be respected, but you sound like you’re trying to carry on an articulate conversation with the oratory skills of a deaf person.

Other piercings share a similar issue with the tongue piercing, in the fact that they tend to just get in the way of other actions. The tongue piercing is supposedly designed to be function as a sensation enhancer to orally stimulating the male. Regardless of whether or not this actually is the case… wouldn’t a clit-hood piercing pretty much interfere with the oral stimulation of the clit itself? Why would a man want to battle this metal stud out of the way in order to stimulate the woman? Not having been with a woman that’s had this performed to herself, I lack practical experience in this area. So, I can only surmise that it would be an issue. Perhaps it’s not….who knows?

At any rate… piercings just tend to be unattractive, cumbersome, distracting, and somewhat inhibiting of the body’s normal function. In addition to my “opinions” on this matter… a study has been released by the Academy of General Dentistry urging people NOT to pierce their tongues in an attempt to avoid costly dental work to repair chipped teeth. Damage is reported to typically occur to teeth directly adjacent to the piercing on either side of the tongue. Thick scar tissue can also be a factor around the piercing and, in some cases, a severe infection can occur.
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Item #2: Men with earrings…

Ok, I know this is even more controversial because over the past 20 years, it’s become more mainstream than alternative. However, there are still those among us who have chosen not to look like either a pirate or a pimp. If one wasn’t bad enough, now we have guys walking around with 2-karat studs in BOTH ears. I’ve never been a fan of men wearing earrings. But, like so many other people, I’ve come to accept it as something that’s not leaving popular culture anytime soon. Many rock stars wear them, and I can’t rightly shun their good music for a trendy piece of jewelry. So… as much as I don’t really like them, I’m forced to turn a blind eye to them. But the double earrings just look gay. I’m sorry. What are you… Yul Brynner, King of Siam? Damn.
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Item #3: What is the deal with the pot-heads??

Ok. We all know that Pot / Hash / Marijuana / Weed / Kronic or whatever the hell ELSE you wanna call that nasty, stinkin’ shit… is a) illegal and b) harmful to you. If you deny either of these, you’re only showing your own stupidity. I could post the proven medical side effects of suckin down this crap. And yea, I used to smoke cigarettes…. I got smart and quit before it was too late. So yea, I have room to talk now. I have a few questions….

1) What the hell is 420…and why does this number somehow coincide with these Kronic huffers?
2) Why do people think that blowing their money on this crap is cool? They end up in a useless, dull stupor, with an appearance like that of somebody suffering from intense allergies. SO dumb…
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Item #4: 56 hours a week with no overtime pay?!?!

Yup, you heard it right. I average that or more every week. No overtime pay. Why? Because I’m working 40 hours at one job… and an average of 16 or more hours part-time at my 2nd job. I get Thursday evening off to stay with my boys while the wife works late at her medical clinic, I get part of the day off on Saturday and Sunday is the only day I get time away from both jobs. I’ve been doing this for 6 months now, and it’s helped our budget. But, I’m getting tired of hardly ever being at home.

I either need to get a raise at my day-job… get paid overtime at my day-job… or find a job that offers more. That’s the only way I can drop a 2nd job and be able to go home when I should. I just don’t know what I’m gonna do yet.
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Now I’ll address the whole PICTURE issue. As you might have read, I’ve mentioned that I plan to post pictures of not only my wife’s new Jeep Liberty… but also of our new front deck. However, weather and time haven’t permitted me much opportunity to fulfill either plan since the time I mentioned doing so.
It’s either been dark, raining, or both ever since that time. I’m hoping that conditions will improve very soon and I can post some new pics. Until then, I ask for your patience and understanding.

Now that I’ve amused some of you, offended others, and probably have shown my age… I’ll let it rest here for now.

Oh… P.S. – I received a comment about me having turned my “comments” off on my Yahoo 360 page. I honestly don’t ever remember seeing a Comments section available on my Yahoo 360 page. I know there’s a Comments section available on MySpace.com profiles. But unless I’ve overlooked it or possibly turned it off by accident… I don’t think it’s on Yahoo 360. Someone help me out here if I’m wrong.

2006-03-09T15:24:00.000-06:00

Howdy folks!! No, I haven’t died nor dropped off the face of the earth due to some anti-gravity experiment gone horribly askew. I’ve just been the unfortunate victim of a very busy schedule, of late. I do apologize.

While this entry may be brief, due to time constraints, I will update you on some key points of interest with regards to my life.

A) I have endured the flu. It sucked… and the dry cough from it remains.
B) The combined efforts of my father, my friend and myself…have wrought the beautiful result of a new front deck / porch for our humble home. Pictures of this are forthcoming.
C) After a brief, but impressive, downburst of rain and intense straight-line winds today… conditions are favorable for some pictures of the new Jeep Liberty. I plan on taking those tonight… so those are also forthcoming.
D) One of my brother-in-law’s is an infantile, moronic, panty waist. The other one is a pretty cool guy. Unfortunately, I had to endure the former this past weekend. Quite possibly one of the suckiest days of the year, thusfar.
E) It is now quitting time, and I have matters to attend to at the homestead. Therefore, this entry is at an end.

More to follow soon. Don’t worry… I won’t make you wait very long.

2006-02-22T10:04:00.000-06:00

Hrmmm… well, this past Sunday marks the 33rd year of my residency on this planet. I don’t feel any older, but I’m sure that with the progression of several more of these birthdays… I will. All in all, it was a fairly good day.

It’s not often that a person gets to share their birthday with the running of the Daytona 500… especially with being a NASCAR fan, like I am. So, that in itself was good. The end of the race could have turned out better, but ya can’t win em’ all.

I thought it to be somewhat ironic that Kasey attempted to help Earnhardt Jr. move toward the front and give Jimmie Johnson a challenger for the trophy at the end. Then, Junior’s “old man” engine apparently went into sleep-mode and push Kahne back several places as the 5 to 6 car locomotive steamed past both of them in the faster bottom-groove. ~sigh~ I guess we’ll see how things pan out in California next week.

In other news… ice sucks. It sucks not because it inhibits the proper and safe flow of traffic… but because it inhibits the proper and safe flow of traffic from Friday evening until Monday morning. What good is that?? If you’re gonna mess up the roadways… at least do it on a work day.

Nothing has been accomplished by Jack Frost unplugging his nostril on central Arkansas over the weekend, only to have the roads become at least 75%-80% passable by Monday morning’s commute time. Yay.

At any rate, here I am once again, sitting in my windowless office on the second floor of a manufacturing plant. Each day I listen to the constant scream of power drills, the crackle of welders, the loud whir of metal grinders, the banging of hammers on ¼” plate steel and the shouts of workers trying to communicate over the noise level. At least it’s work and it’s paying the bills.

Well… I know this is short, but I’ve got stuff to do. More later.

2006-02-13T09:00:00.000-06:00

Howdy boys n’ girls…and anonymous commenter. It would seem that the “day of love” is once again upon us. Time to shower the object of your affection with gifts of chocolate, flowers, candy hearts, red hots, valentine cards and stuffed animals.

Love is a very powerful, yet sometimes blind, leader of our lives. Love binds special people together through trials and joys. Love can be precious, passionate, sympathetic and loyal. Love can also make someone give all they have, freely….only to find that the sentiment isn’t mutual. As I said…love can sometimes be blind.

But through happiness or hardships, love tends to remain even through hearts sometimes get knocked around and trampled on. It’s all a matter of looking past the shell to the innermost part of someone. When you can truly see their heart…when they let you in… it’s a special and precious gift they give. Always cherish that when it happens. By doing this, they are showing their devotion to you.

Now that the mush has been tossed out there…on to other matters. As for the question about the new Jeep (from the prior post) it is 2WD. Ideally, I would have gotten the 4x4 version… but the incentives and rebates aren’t coming into effect until the end of the year. We may return and upgrade to a nice 4x4 at that time, with plenty of equity still left in the vehicle.

The extended warranty we chose will add value to the trade if we come back in, because the next buyer won’t have to pay for it to be carried on the vehicle. The money we saved in getting the 2WD enabled us to insure its value with the warranty. Pretty smart tactics.

The picture is still forthcoming… and will be posted soon. More later.

2006-02-05T20:12:00.000-06:00

I thought I’d take a moment and update the blog to include a new addition to the driveway. We’ve recently brought home a brand new 2006 Jeep Liberty Sport for the wife. Her 1994 Jeep Cherokee had over 250,000 miles on it and had served us well for about as long as it could, with our budget.

It is a deep green color (I’m told it’s “Beryl Green”) and suits her very well. She’s giddy with it and I’m happy that we were finally able to get her something safer and more reliable. It needs the glass tinted, for sure… so I’m gonna be looking into the cost of that. It’ll keep the temperature down in the vehicle this summer and keep the interior from fading.

I haven’t had a chance to snap a pic of it in the driveway, yet. But, here’s what it looks like (thanks to Jeep.com)

Well… that about does it for now. I’ll have more soon (and an actual photo of it). Y’all take care.

2006-02-01T10:21:00.000-06:00

Howdy, boys & girls. I’m back with an update for the ol’ blog. We have secured the tax return. While it’s not the amount I had initially estimated, it was a notable sum. The most important thing is that it was enough to cover the bills we had concerns over. Not only that, but it was enough to give us that security plus a bit of spending cash.

Now, with my existing second job, I can probably set back that second paycheck and use it to fund the ATV I’m wanting. Shouldn’t take but about 8-10 weeks and I’ll have enough for a good down payment.
That’d put me getting it somewhere around the end of March to mid-April. That’s not too bad.

Apparently we lost out on the larger return amount because of some stupid Federal guidelines or some mish-mosh. We were told that even though we filled out our W4’s as “single and 0 dependants” on the part-time jobs my wife and I worked… that the employers’ payroll departments had to gauge the withholdings based on the annual income from that particular job.

The Federal Government doesn’t have a “part-time-job” bracket to judge withholdings from. So, when the employers looked at their annual charts of how to withhold the “single and 0 dependants” claim… they saw that the part-time job status would put our annual salary below the poverty level and they withheld far less than they should have.

To make the long story short… we basically screwed ourselves out of some extra Return money, because our part-time job taxes were based off one scale… and the annual income bracket was another scale. We didn’t lose the money… it was just paid to us in our paychecks rather than as part of the Return. It sucks, I know. The Feds really need to look at this and make a provision as to what status an employee needs, tax-wise.

If it’s going to be a full-time position, fine. But if it’s only part-time, then there should be a different tax bracket to calculate on. Eh, what do I know? I’m just one of the blue-collar workers. Actually, I guess you could consider me a light-blue collar worker. I’m sort of in the middle…somewhere between ditch-digger and corporate executive.

At any rate… I have a new cellphone. I got a Motorola RAZR v3 flip-phone. Yup, it’s ultra-cool. Love this thing!! So, at least something good came out of all of this headache. This, and the ability to catch up on the bills. All in all… not a bad situation, I reckon.

More later…

2006-01-31T07:14:00.000-06:00

Greetings, salutations and howdy to all my readers. It’s the last day of January, so I thought I’d surprise everyone by tossing another entry into the ol’ blog. Hrmm… I guess I should get everyone up to date with the results of the things I mentioned during the last entry.

Well, Underworld: Evolution was fantastic, in my opinion. Granted, it wasn’t for everyone. But, if you’re a monster fan…specifically a werewolf and vampire fan, you could appreciate the show. As usual, the “high paid critics” did their job of picking it apart into mere scraps of its full scope. It’s comforting to know that I think critics are anally retentive hermits of society with nothing better to do than critique others efforts. I don’t listen to em’ and I don’t recommend others let their movie-going experience get ruined by a bunch of nay-sayers. Watch what you like.

With that being said, on to the W2’s. Today is the last day that employers can sit on their W2 forms and drag their respective feet. The last two items we’ve been waiting on should be showing up soon. Upon receipt of those items, we’re going to implement Project: Back In Black. It’s time to get out of the red and get our bills into a zone of comfort so that we’re not struggling to make the almighty dollar stretch from one paycheck to the next.

After the finances are situated and under control, we’re going to look at the budget and see about adding something fun to our belongings. We’ve dreamed of having an ATV for a long, long time. My father-in-law is extremely happy with the one he has, so I did some research into the different brands and I’m going to go with Arctic Cat. Yamaha makes a mean machine, but I think I’m getting more for my money with AC. They just seem to have more features for the same money. Yamaha wants to bleed you dry.

Here’s a picture of the one we’re considering. It’s a 2006 Arctic Cat 400cc 4x4 Automatic with winch. The camo paint package was just silly on price (an additional $400 for paint), so I’m opting for red to match my truck.

As for the birthdays… the wife’s b-day is coming up on the 6th, and mine is coming up on the 19th. My dear wife will be dragged, kicking and screaming, into her 30’s this month. I’m finding it quite funny. She made certain to razz me over turning 30, and now it’s her turn. Haaaa Haaaa Haaaa!!! Our good friends have already taken us for an extremely good steak supper at a very quaint shopping village down close to where they live. It’s a rather strange, but quite nostalgic, place. They have everything they need to be self-sufficient. A bakery, mechanic shop, furniture store, jeweler, leather shop, restaurant, doctor, taxidermist, church, and the list goes on.

They almost seem to be like a strictly devout Pentecostal group, but not quite. Everywhere you look, men run the place. There were very few women in public view. Those that were providing services talked very little and seemed almost distant from the customers. I kept wondering when they were all going to put on matching jumpsuits with sparkly clean tennis shoes and offer us Kool-Aid. As I said…quaint, but somewhat creepy.

Anyway, I have work to do and I’d better get about it. Hopefully, my next entry will be about the ATV and what has come about in the first part of February. Ya’ll take care.

2006-01-18T08:06:00.000-06:00

I guess it’s time for another journal entry. I don’t have a whole lot of news, but at least I can ramble aimlessly. I know how much my dedicated readers love to watch me show my less intelligent side. ~lol~

Well, let’s see… what shall I comment on first? Hrmmm… I guess the first thing that comes to mind is the movie release I’ve been waiting on. This Friday night (Jan 20th) is the opening night for Underworld: Evolution. The sequel to the blockbuster vampire vs. werewolf movie that had everyone talking. I can’t wait to see how it all works out. The wife and I are planning a late evening viewing at the local theater.

Coming up after that would be “tax season” with the delivery of our W2 forms, and subsequent trip to the local H&R BLOCK office for a rapid-refund. Some might argue the practical thinking behind paying for a fast return… but when you look at percentages, as we did last year, and realize that out of a ($5,500+) tax return… $100-$200 ain’t that much to pay to get your money in hand faster. After all, it is our money. Then comes the task of prioritizing the spending of said cash. (Mainly in an attempt to insure that the wife gets her fair share… or there will be hell to pay ~lol~) We have agreed on some very wise spending in order to position ourselves in a much more comfortable financial situation after it’s all said and done. I think we’re being very smart about this and we should be able to reduce (if not eliminate) a good amount of stress if we follow our plans and don’t lose our head.

After the tax-return events, we are looking down the barrel of yet another pair of birthdays. Both of ours fall in February. Hers is on the 6th and mine is on the 19th. I’m going to immensely enjoy watching my wife squirm as she turns 30 years old. She’s fighting the idea of being knocked out of her youthful 20’s… and I’m going to laugh as she joins the rest of us in “middle age”. Actually, I hope my “middle age” isn’t until about 45. It’d be kinda nice to be around for my grandkids and possibly great-grandkids. Somehow, I don’t think this world will be around long enough to see me be an old man.

The good Lord might even take me before that time comes about. Ya never know. If there’s one thing I’ve learned in the past 2 years… it’s this. Appreciate and savor the sweet moments of innocence and simple pleasures in life. When it’s over…it’s over. And the more I live, the more I realize just how short a year really is. When I stop to consider that I’ve already burnt up 32 of them, and that an average man’s lifespan is about 70 years, I suddenly realize that I better make the next 30-40 years as good as they can be. We’re only on this Merry-Go-Round for so long… then it’s the next generation’s turn at making sense of this thing called “life”.

We’re barely here long enough to stare in wonder… realize that most are trapped by the “system”… come to the conclusion that the odds are rarely in our favor… accept what we cannot change and appreciate that which we can… and make the odds a tiny bit better for those who come after us. Then, we become like so many of those who’ve come and gone before us. We are a fond memory. A name in a book. A grave marker erected by our posterity. We lay in wait, like those who we’ve visited and wondered about. It’s sobering. Life really is short. And what we leave behind is the blood of generations before us…a Surname…and the stark reminder that they, too, must make the best of the life they’ve been given.

The best that I can hope for is that my kids become better men than I’ve become. I’ve become worldly and backslidden and bitter. I try my best not to show a poor example to them. But I fear that I’m not the father I should be. I get the impression that most fathers feel that way, regardless of what they do right or wrong. I’ve been told on several occasions that “kids don’t come with instructions”. Mmm… that may be so, but regardless of the fact, ya gotta make them work. It’s not like a bicycle that you can take apart and reassemble until it comes out right. We get one shot. No pressure…right? I’m just thankful that I have my wife to help me. Actually, I should give her a lot more credit, here. She actually has “child rearing” down a bit better than I do. I muddle through and, for the most part, get them to do what I need them to do. But Mommy has the plan, man. Mommy knows best…and Daddy just tries his best to stay out of the way until he’s bellowed at.

I sincerely hope that after we restructure our finances with the “Almighty Tax Return”… that I can quit my 2nd job. Having to eat supper late at night and then trying to go to bed without my stomach getting nauseous just isn’t what I consider “fun”. Then, after staying up even later and trying to get enough rest before I have to get up at 5:30am just ain’t working out. I get sleepy by mid-morning and have to feed myself a non-stop stream of caffeinated drinks just to stay functioning. Not really a healthy thing… but what can I do? I have to have the income until we get caught up. The key, afterwards, is to maintain the budget without spurious spending.

Well… guess it’s about time to get some work done. I just felt like rambling. More later!!

2006-01-09T09:17:00.000-06:00

Seeing as how it’s been a while since my last post, I thought I’d toss a few thoughts around the ol’ blog. Hrmm…let’s see now. I suppose you’re wondering about New Years (mainly, since the Christmas report has already been posted). Suffice it to say that it came off without a hitch. We (the wife and I) had our friends over to ring in the new year, and we all played board games, drank, and watched the ball drop over Times Square in New York.

Bless his heart, Dick Clark made a valiant and brave appearance on his “New Years Rockin’ Eve” as he does every year. Of course, in light of the stroke he suffered earlier in the year, his speech and appearance were obviously affected. But the mere fact that he did what he loved to do, showed the world his resolve and determination not to let fate beat him into submission. I was impressed and touched.

My grandfather celebrated his 81st birthday yesterday with family and friends. His sense of humor never fails to amaze us all, and I deeply respect him. He has always been the stubbornly grounded and “old-fashioned” anchor of the family, and it would only seem right that the sweetest and most forgiving woman in the world would be his wife. My grandmother is one of the very few true southern ladies, in my opinion.

I’m truly blessed by having the opportunity to know, love, and learn from these two people. I don’t know how life will be the same when the time comes for them to pass on. They’ve been the center of our family all of my life. I suppose all things must take their turn, and likewise all people must assume the roles left for them by those who have been called on to the other side.

On other matters, my computer is giving me fits over my CD-Writer. I think I have an aged and defective ATAPI master-slave cable that I’m going to have to replace. As luck would have it, I have a spare on my desk at home. It’s just a matter of time to be able to unhook everything and swap the cables out. If that doesn’t fix the issue, then apparently my 52x Sony Writer must be defective… at least in the writing functions. It will read just fine. Very puzzling.Our new PS2 (playstation 2) game system now has a PS2 Remote which can control the DVD functions that it’s capable of. I was rather impressed by the video output on the DVD’s. It many ways it has out-performed our simple DVD player that we used in the living room for a long time. That unit is now my youngest boy’s property.

Well… I guess that’ll do it for today. I’ll write more as time permits. Oh! And I almost forgot. I believe there was a Doug Chastain who posted a comment on my previous entry. I’m not sure if this is the same “Mr. C” that I’ve known ever since 7th Grade, or someone else with the same name. Regardless, feel free to drop in anytime. I’m always glad to have readers and comments. I tend to question my own sanity with some of these deep-thought entries… but that’s the whole reason for creating this blog in the first place. I’m sure my readers tend to question my sanity as well. ~lol~

Exit… stage left.

2005-12-27T09:51:00.000-06:00

TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA 2005 TOUR

Here we are again, back at the Ol’ Blog to toss out some more of my life’s little documentaries. And I’m guessing you’re curious about the TSO concert, and about my Christmas holiday. As luck would have it, that’s exactly what I’m going to write about.

My excitement was growing as the hour approached for the Trans-Siberian Orchestra concert in Little Rock at Alltel Arena. On the evening of the concert, there was somewhat of a squabble between the two lovely ladies that were to be accompanying me to the concert. My wife’s best friend got the tickets and was at the house to ride with us in one vehicle. Well, it seems that both of them had been through a fairly rough day prior to getting ready for the event, and neither one of them was over the days’ events yet.

One mis-spoken word at the wrong time and in the wrong tone…turned into somewhat of a verbal cat-fight in no time flat. I did my best to keep out of the discussion, being that there were two females and only one male. Women tend to gang up on the opposite sex, especially when the man has no backup. Doubly so when the man throws in his “two cents” about the “female issues” on the discussion table. I just ducked and covered.

The squabbling back and forth continued as we got in the truck. I have a single cab Dodge Ram. Sound travels well in a single cab. Ask me how I know. At any rate, thing kept escillating to the point where I had finally endured enough. I voiced my observation of their combined stupidity when it came to consistently and repetitively aruging over meaningless bullshit. I said they should appreciate the fact that they have a friend to watch the concert with, and to stop having a piss-&-moan episode with me trapped in the middle.

After a short time of cooling down, things became tolerable. After 15 to 20 minutes inside the Arena, the excitement of the concert began to take their minds off the fight. The concert was spectacular!!! There were laser lights, strobes, pyrotechnics, spark-sprayers, fog machines, backup singers, soloists, guitar features, keyboard features, drum solo, drama and fantastic music!!!

At one point, “snow” fell from above the crowd and shimmered as the strobe lights danced off the twirling confetti. It was magical, to say the least. Of course, the two ladies swooned after…”him”…as TSO likes to refer to Angus Clark, one of their lead guitarists.

I would have preferred to explore the intimate details of one of their lovely female lead voice… Miss Jill Gioia. Wow, what a voice!! Christmas was a lot of work, but a lot of fun. The boys weren’t disappointed and that was my main goal. The wife was happy, I was happy, the boys were happy… and that’s what it’s all about. Being with family, bringing smiles to faces, and remembering that Jesus is the reason for the celebration. Our friends, Chris and Sheri came over and showered the kiddo’s with presents, too. No complaints were registered by either boy. ~lol~

It was a good time at both events. I’m not sure what the plans are for New Year’s Eve, just yet. But, I’m certain that my wife will have my evening ironed out way before the ball drops.

Well… I better get back to work. Christmas is over and whether I’m rested or not…it’s the work week. More later!

2005-12-16T13:43:00.000-06:00

Howdy, boys n’ girls. I guess I can toss another entry or two into the old Journal before Christmas gets here. Old St. Nick is just about ready to take his yearly flight. If you have kids, I hope they get a ton of goodies. I know I’m gonna be having some fun on the 21st, because Trans-Siberian Orchestra is coming to Alltel Arena in North Little Rock. I’m gonna be there!!! This should be awesome!!! Many thanks to “Brat” for the amazingly cool Christmas gift.

Well…what else to write? Hrmm… it’s 1:50, I’m hitting my sleepy-stage of the day where I the the urge to nod off and yawn a lot. It never matters how much sleep I get or how early I get in bed. It happens every day. I guess this begins to happen around middle-age? Who knows.

I should be able to get my home internet back in working order on the 20th…which is this coming Tuesday. I’m looking forward to that. Oh, I won’t get to spend any more TIME in there on the net than I am right now…due to the nagging and griping I get each time I sit down to surf. But at least my service will be active.

I guess, being that this whole blog was started in order for me to just let out some random rants about things that annoy and confound the very sense of logic within me, I could throw out some issues that have come to mind.

1) What is it with all of the stupid disclaimers, microscopic print, 900mph scrolling text and speed talkers on television commercials these days?!?! Tell me, honestly. How many times do we have to see “Professional driver on closed course” and “Dramatization”? Ah yes, dramatization. Everything’s a stupid dramatization. A truck pulling a battleship…gee, I’m glad they said it was just…a dramatization. I would have tried to hook the USS Alabama to my new truck and take it home as a trophy!! ~rolling eyes~ I’m sorry, but I don’t think a sports car can outrun a jet!! I also don’t think that wet-condition tires will allow a car to drive ontop of a body of water. (Not unless Jesus is behind the wheel).
Hey, marketing people! Let me clue you into something that the general buying public is intelligent enough to realize… vehicles can’t drive off cliffs, under the ocean, or through boiling lava, without being destroyed!! We don’t need someone telling us that this is fake.
Anybody who needs that explained to them is too stupid to drive a vehicle in the first place! Any lawsuit from an injury received as a direct or indirect result of attempting to reenact a dramatization should be laughed out of court.

2) Why does every medication they come out with have some sort of horrible series of possible side effects? Shouldn’t these possible reactions be taken into consideration before someone says “sure! Give it to the public!!” ?
Exactly how safe is a medicine when the side effects could be “dry mouth, diarrhea, flatulence, incontinence, upset stomach, nausea, nervousness, drowsiness, and some sexual side effects”? Is that a fair trade-off?? I think I’d rather be sick than to possibly suffer the rest of that. Thank you.

3) Why is it that advertisers buy blocks of advertisement time…so that their commercial is not run once…or even twice in a short span of time. It’s run 4 or 5 times!!! People begin to loathe the product being shoved infront of their faces on TV while watching their favorite program. Once or twice is fine, marketers… not 4 and 5 times. You’re beginning to turn customers away. Just a clue there.

That’s all for now… more later.

2005-12-02T08:52:00.000-06:00

I guess it’s about time to toss in the first entry for the “Holiday Season”, as everyone seems to be calling it now. In this little online journal entry, I’d like to address a few items that seem to irritate me about this time of year.

First off, the Holidays are supposed to convey a sense of brotherly love…tolerance…good will…cheer…kindness…courtesy…and a return to the values of home and family. Each year, it seems to become more and more about anger…intolerance…poor manners…rudeness…and an opportunity to ruin the whole experience for the person next to you. Oh, don’t get me wrong. I’m sure there are those who try very hard to ignore the general majority who seem to wander along with the social infrastructure on a daily basis, not unlike lemmings to a moral cliff. If you have any doubts to my words… just try to have a pleasant experience at the local mall on the day after Thanksgiving. You’ll be lucky to walk away without a bloody nose.

Bless these kind souls who try their best to maintain the cheer of Christmas in the midst of this animosity-filled religious multi-culturalism our country is drowning in. In a time of “tolerance” and “freedom of religious belief”, Where certain groups are exempt from penalty for all manner of religious holidays and observances. It seems to be blatantly absurd (and frightening, I might add) to witness the growing governmental oppression of Christianity, and the icons of it’s celebration…namely Jesus.

What has this country come to, and where are we headed? Here are some of my fundamental beliefs:

1) I believe all Americans should have the right to worship whatever deity they see fit to worship.
2) I believe that the freedom to attend organized worship services of these deities should be allowed without governmental influence.
3) I believe that the freedom to discuss one’s beliefs and the right to observe religious-holidays without penalty should be a basic right we all have.

I also believe that the people who file lawsuits over a baby Jesus in a nativity scene on a courthouse lawn ought to be laughed out of the courtroom! It’s true that this country was founded on religious freedom and freedom of expression. But that also applies to the religious beliefs of the founding fathers, themselves! Most, if not all, were Christian. Some were even ordained ministers! Yet our government, who operates in buildings adorned with Christian mottoes, figures, likenesses and references, upholds these absurd lawsuits by religious fanatics and atheists against Christian practices! Why? Don’t Christians have the same rights afforded to other denominations? I’m beginning to fear that the answer is “no”.

Get this… I work two jobs. At my main job, we freely and openly hold a “Christmas Dinner”. This, in no way, implies that we are forcing or mandating the religious observance of Christmas on any non-Christian or non-denominational employees. It merely means that we are holding a dinner in appreciation of our employees, in the spirit of the Christmas Season (which is a season of good will and kindness). It’s taken well, and there are no objections to it. And there shouldn’t be!

It is a dinner created in good will for the benefit of our employees. If there is nothing negative to it for anyone attending, I fail to see where any objection could be raised. If you’re not a Christian…so what? Enjoy the free food! Believe what you want! Enjoy the fact that others are happy and want YOU to be happy. Just because you believe something else doesn’t mean you have the right to oppress and demean the joy of others who do! Be tolerant!

At my second, part-time, job… we aren’t even permitted to advertise “Christmas Items” due to the fear of negative publicity surrounding the corporate name. Why would there be negative images drawn about the company, you ask? It’s because some idiot filed a lawsuit against the company in the past over a “religious reference” of Christmas. Now, the whole Christmas Season is muted and has become “politically correct” at that place of business. At least they haven’t taken away the Christmas Carols being played over the satellite radio.

Well… in the immortal words of Charlie Brown, “Well, I’m not going to let all of this commercialization ruin MY Christmas.” And that’s exactly what I intend to do. The government may regulate how Christmas is advertised or how it’s publicly observed, but the government can’t regulate how I celebrate it in my heart. As long as I have the joy of the Christmas Season in my heart and share it with my family…it’ll remain as it always has.

If I don’t get the opportunity to share another post with you before Christmas gets here… I’d like to take the opportunity to wish each and every one of my readers a very Merry Christmas & Happy New Year. Oh…and Happy Hanukah, Happy Kwanza and Happy (Insert the holiday of your choosing).

JESUS is the reason for the season...

2005-11-22T07:21:00.001-06:00

Surprise! Didn’t think you’d get another entry so soon, did ya. I’m known for that. (chuckle) Anyway, I just thought I’d bring my dedicated readers up to par on the events of this past weekend.

Some good friends of ours live in southern Arkansas where the wide areas of pine groves, hardwoods and country roads give whitetail deer the perfect environment to flourish. They own a patch of this hunter’s paradise and invited me down to hunt in a privately owned area where I didn’t have to pay some outlandishly expensive membership fee just for a chance at getting a deer.

Well, early Saturday morning, that chance came. I got my first deer at the age of 32. Other hunters might chuckle and wonder why it took me this long to bag my first deer. But if you don’t know the way I was brought up, then you wouldn’t know that the only hunting I’ve really done is with my grandfather and then by myself.

My dad’s not really an avid hunter. I enjoy it, though. What I know, I’ve had to either learn through instruction or on my own. I’m no seasoned pro. I know the fundamentals and I know the safety aspect, but it’s not like I was sitting on a 4-wheeler at the age of 10 with a deer draped across the back rack.

I didn’t go on my first deer hunt until I was about 17 years old. I try to go each year, though I rarely see many deer. The area I live in is over-hunted and under-stocked on deer. I have hunting clubs all around me and a wildlife refuge area located just down the road from my house. What usually happens during deer season is this;

The “smart” deer typically feed at night in the open pastures near my home, and then return to the safety of the protected refuge by morning’s light. Thereby avoiding the high-powered rifles, bows and muzzle-loaders. There are a few times when deer will linger in pastures. These are the ones that typically get picked off in a matter of time.

At any rate, my deer was a doe. She had plenty of meat and will be a welcome addition to our freezer. I nearly got a shot at a 6-point, but it wasn’t a clean shot so I didn’t take it. Too many trees in the way to pull off a killing shot, and I certainly didn’t want to just injure the animal. I always try my best to be an ethical hunter. I kill what I’ll eat. I eat what I kill. And I’ll never take an unsure shot.

Well, enough of my rambling for now. More later.

2005-11-18T09:17:00.000-06:00

Hrmm… here it is, the 18th of November and I’m looking forward to my eldest son’s 9th birthday party tonight. My oh my, where does the time go? Doesn’t seem like that long ago that I was holding my firstborn in Children’s Hospital. He was a preemie…born 2 months early and weighing only 2 lbs.-5 oz.

He was, and still is, my miracle boy. Now he’s nearly as tall as my wife and weighs a hefty 90 lbs. He’s having his party in a football theme. Many of his school buddies are coming over for a bonfire weenie roast and smores. The cake’s done and the house is clean, so things seem to be ready.

Tomorrow, I’m headed out to our friends’ place down in south Arkansas to do some serious deer hunting. Oh, we have deer around my place…but I live near a wildlife refuge. We have several hunting clubs that think they own the woods around my place…and with so many of em running around with their guns and 4-wheelers, it’s a wonder anybody kills any deer. Most smart deer head over to the refuge during the day and only venture out to feed in pastures at night. I know… I’ve seen em.

Down where I’m going, there is more land and fewer hunters per acre. I stand a very good chance of at least seeing a deer if not shooting a deer. That reminds me…I gotta clean my gun tonight. It’s been in storage since last season.

Well… I’ll close this entry by saying that I’m sorry for the “few and far between” status of my entries of late. But, I’m working two jobs right now and it doesn’t leave a tremendous amount of time for blog entries. I’ll post what I can as soon as I can. Please bear with me.

Y’all take care and I’ll post again soon!!

2005-10-25T10:46:00.000-05:00

As many people tend to do, these days, I was recently surfing around through Ebay when an interesting question came to mind. I’m a rather reminiscent person, and I suddenly wondered if there were people who were placing toys on Ebay that I’d grown up with. I decided to toss out a few searches, and I was genuinely surprised by what I actually found!

This got me to thinking more and more about exactly which toys I owned while growing up and how much fun I had with them. My imagination was my best friend, being out in the countryside. I didn’t have a lot of kids nearby to play with during summer vacations. So, I’d take my toys outside in a camouflage gym bag and create adventures that might last ¾ of the day!!

My children are growing up in an “instant” world. Entertainment is provided for them without any requirement for imagination. I have to nearly force them to turn the TV and video games off and play with their toys, these days. Thankfully, they enjoy reading.

Oh, don’t get me wrong… I’m part of the video game generation. I cut my teeth on the likes of Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, Q*bert and Space Invaders. I’ve seen it all and played most of it. So, I thought it might be fun to throw out a few memories of mine. Who knows, you might share many of them with me.

Toys I Remember Having As A Child: (this could be a long list)
==========================================================================

GI Joe action figures:
1) Snake Eyes & Timber (his wolf)
2) Mainframe
3) Beach Head
4) Airborne
5) Lady Jay
6) Cobra B.A.T.
7) Gung-Ho (original)
8) Wet Suit
9) Doc (original)
10) Quick Kick
11) Grand Slam (original with silver pads)

GI Joe playsets / vehicles:
1) GI Joe L.A.W. playset
2) GI Joe J.U.M.P. jetpack pad playset
3) GI Joe Outpost Defender playset
4) GI Joe Skystriker “f-14 tomcat"
5) GI Joe Devilfish "boat"
===========================================================================

Go-Bots:
1) Green Cykill
2) Jeeper Creeper
3) Master Blaster
4) Dive Dive

Go-Bots Playsets:
1) Thrust-1 (evil base) playset
===========================================================================

Transformers: A=Autobot D=Decepticon
1) Optimus Prime (A)
2) Dirge (D)
3) Warpath (A)
4) Skydive (A)
5) Red Alert (A)
6) Jet Fire (A)
7) Blaster (A)
===========================================================================
Miscellaneous other toys I recall.....

- Voltron Motorized Lion Set (all 5 lions)
- “Dr. J” Wilson basketball
- Brown stopper-gun set with red, firing, stopper darts
- Lincoln Logs (logs and slats were wood…plastic chimney)
- Erector Set
- Tinker Toys
- Hot Wheels
- Stomper trucks
- Nikko Turbo-Panther R/C dunebuggy
- Daisy Red Ryder BB Gun
- Crossman AR17 combo Pellet/BB gun
- Crossman 357-6 pellet pistol
- Coleco Electronic Quarterback (handheld game)
- Simon (game)
- LiteBrite (electronic toy)
- Candyland, Sorry!, Checkers, Chinese Checkers, Dominos, Operation, Clue (board games)
- HeMan & The Masters Of The Universe figures w/ Castle Greyskull
- Star Wars figures (first issue)

I warned you this would be a long list... but I think I've gone on long enough. I could recall movies & TV shows that I enjoyed, but that would be almost unbearable here. At least I'm posting entries more often!! More later.

2005-10-24T14:43:00.000-05:00

Howdy boys n’ girls. Looks like we’re back together for another installment of the redneck’s rant. Hrmm…yea, it’s been another long gap between entries. While I do apologize, again, for the delay of new material on a daily basis… at least it does tend to give me more to comment on when I do come back to update the blog. Without further adieu, I’ll crack the old knuckles and we’ll journey down the twisted path of my mind for an insightful look into the whole “Jason Experience” as of late.

I’ve been dealing with a pinching pain in my upper back, located over my left shoulder and between the shoulder blade and spine. I’ve tried stretches, heat, a new chair, and corrective posture habits. Nothing seems to get the slight “burn” out of that area…and it even goes slightly numb from time to time. It isn’t incapacitating… but it’s definitely annoying. I think it stems from a lack of adequate support in the chair I was forced to use her at the new job, a bad habit of slouching whilst working on the PC (since most monitors are not situated at a level equal my eyes), and the fact that I’m not 18 anymore.

Does anyone know how to stop a female cat from “yoweling” at night while she’s in heat? The constant “mmrrOOOWWWWwrrr” and trilling is driving me insane. My wife calls this cat her “purr-purr-princess”…so you can imagine how spoiled this thing is. I can’t believe how often this cat goes through menstrual cycles. Apparently I’ve never paid that much attention to it before, but they’re in heat and begging for some about every other week, it seems!!! I’ve never seen anything like it!! She’ll sit there and bat her eyes… trill out a little purr…and wiggle her ass like “I neeeeeed it!!!” Ugg…. Somebody get this cat FIXED!!!

Well, with it being practically the end of October, now, here’s an update on what the kiddos are dressing up as. My youngest son is going as the movie version of Wolverine from X-Men. There’s a cute story behind this character and my kid…but I won’t take up space here with it. He’s got the suit, the little claws, and we’ll be styling his hair and giving him a pair of makeup “sideburns”. He should be very cute. My oldest boy is going as a Star Wars “Clone Trooper” from the last movie to hit the big screen. He has a trooper suit, complete with helmet. The “blaster rifle” toy is on order and should be here in just a few days.

My wife and I are big kids when it comes to the holidays, and we want our kids to always have good memories of the things we did as a family during special times. So, she and I dress up each year to take them up to an event at our capital city’s zoo, called “Boo At The Zoo”. I’m going as the Grim Reaper… and the wife is going as a witch. We both feel that our costumes tend to represent the best of our bad side. I’m typically the harbinger of doom… while she’s typically brewing up trouble.

I’ll let you know how things go. More later.

2005-10-11T08:37:00.000-05:00

Howdy folks. Well, I’m back again to distribute sunshine… not unlike a cow pie in a wood chipper. ~lol~ I realize I’ve been gone awhile and have left my adoring masses without anything to read. For that, I do apologize. But, from time to time, I have to attend to real life and the tight schedules that come along with it.

I’ve been well. I’ve managed to remain employed and at least marginally stable, financially. However, my money situation is tending to want to lean toward “Chronically Impoverished” if this trend continues for much longer. I’m desperately seeking some local part-time work to help shove a proverbial crutch under our budget.

After the hit my wife and I took in the pocketbook (over the job change we both were forced into about 7 months ago) we’ve been struggling against the slowly sinking ratio of income versus bills. We’re beginning to slide into the bright yellow zone, and the red zone ain’t far off.

I’ve applied at several places with only one showing any sign of interest, thusfar. The only problem is in the fact that I’ve basically had to hold their hand and coax them to contact me with information after the initial interview. I was supposed to be scheduled for a drug-screen before beginning work with the local Tractor Supply Company.

That was over a week ago. I’ve had to call the supervisor 3 times since then, inquiring about when and where this was supposed to happen. I don’t have time to sit around for half a month while people drag their feet. I have a family to support and I need the work NOW. They’re about to find me “unavailable” real damn fast.

In other news… the boys are doing well in their sports. My oldest son (Justin) is playing flag-football in a local church league, and they won their game last night. My youngest son (Logan) is playing his church league soccer game tonight. Mondays and Tuesdays are always hectic each week. I don’t know who made up the Practice/Game schedule for the church league…but they need to be flogged. Here’s what we have to contend with…and keep in mind that there are two separate locations for practice…and yet a third location for both boys to play games.

Monday – Logan’s Practice from 6:00pm to 7:00pm ~then~ Justin’s Game from 7:00pm to 9:00pm

Tuesday – Justin’s Practice from 6:00pm to 7:00pm ~then~ Logan’s Game from 6:45pm to 8:45pm

As you can see, it takes a tag-team environment to get the boys where they need to be on an almost overlapping schedule on both nights. Again, practices are on two different fields in separate locations…and the games are played at a third location. *Sigh* … the joys of parenthood.

Well, that’s all for now. More later.

2005-09-26T10:11:00.000-05:00

In an effort to curb the steadily increasing velocity of the “poverty avalanche” that seems to be pervading our financial livelihood, at the moment, I am attempting to procure part-time work in the evenings. In layman’s terms, “We’s broke and we needs sum muney. We ain’t got enuf vittles, ya’ll.”

With that said, the prospective places I’ve applied at have yet to contact me regarding the applications I’ve turned in…but that’s not to say they won’t. At least, that’s what I’m telling myself. Things aren’t exactly just peachy in the old pocketbook and time is quickly running out before people start pulling the plugs on things until we can grease their palms with some greenbacks.

Ain’t life just grand? *sigh* At any rate, let’s move on to brighter things. If you’d like to check out a really odd and somewhat freaky site… direct your browser over to http://www.99rooms.com . It helps to have a broadband connection and you’ll need to have Flash installed on your system to view the rooms. It’s darkly intriguing to me…and seems to go along with my hum-drum mood at times. Apparently there is no equivalent to OSHA in Germany that might prevent local web-heads and artists from journeying through old, abandoned industrial sites and turning them into strangely disturbing art galleries. Enjoy.

Recent Intellectual Illuminations:

1) I’ve developed an odd addiction to Mountain Dew: Pitch Black II…don’t ask me why. Is my eye supposed to twitch like this? (kidding)

2) A SuperSoaker water gun will sufficiently motivate a household cat to leave the sanctuary of a cubby hole beneath the neighbor’s front porch. This was necessitated by the fact that the cat in question is:
a) female
b) in heat
c) an escapee from the confines of our house.
Needless to say, the cat was neither happy to be caught, nor thrilled about the rather moist methods I
used just prior to its capture.

3) Small, plastic, fishing-lure-like worm toys that my child loves to throw about…will adhere to painted walls and will leave small, dark, greasy stains when removed. Ask me how I know. They also stick nicely to blown ceilings.

4) Many restaurants openly advertise that they serve ONLY Pepsi products at the soda fountain, yet most offer Dr.Pepper. Dr.Pepper is, and has always been, owned and bottled by Coca-Cola. Is Dr.Pepper untouchable?

It’s time to rest and ponder on these matters. More later.

2005-09-22T08:30:00.000-05:00

I seem to find myself grasping for what to write, now. There are some events that have occurred, recently, which I don’t believe need to be aired to the public. So, in respect of the people’s feelings I have already unintentionally mutilated, I won’t discuss them in this blog. I can at least show some respect and common decency in this small way.

With that said, I will attempt to turn my attention on other matters. I wonder, sometimes, why it seems to be that there is a direct, perpetual and disproportionate imbalance between the amount of money I make and the bills that I have to pay? It always strikes me as bitter irony that no matter how much I bring home, I’m never the recipient of my paycheck. I’m merely the courier.

Now, I’ll relate a somewhat bittersweet experience I had. I rescued a butterfly yesterday. I’m sure, to some, I seem like the least likely person to extend a helping hand to one of nature’s daintiest creatures. However, as I was getting into my truck yesterday evening, I spied a butterfly struggling across the scorching pavement of the parking lot where I work. I started to shut the door of my truck and just worry about what I needed to do. But, for some reason, I just couldn’t turn a blind eye to this poor creature’s struggle.

I got out and went around to see what the problem was with the little fella. Certain species of butterflies have two wings on each side of their body, a forward wing and rear wing. This poor butterfly was missing one of its forward wings, entirely. It seemed dazed and desperate to escape the scorching surface of the parking lot… so I reached down and let it crawl onto my finger. Knowing that it couldn’t fly in its current condition, I realized that its hours were numbered. With no way to go from flower to flower, its already brief life had been unfairly shortened by this injury. I decided to be kind to this poor victim of fate, and let him (or her) ride with me on my errands. For storytelling purposes, let’s consider “it” a “him”.

It’s rare to see a live butterfly riding “shotgun” in a vehicle. It’s even rarer for a butterfly to travel anywhere at 65mph. For a short time, my little friend was Hemi-powered…cruising through the city in which I live in air-conditioned and shaded comfort. Slowly opening and closing its wings, my new co-pilot seemed content to be my guest as we went from one place to another. I never left him for very long, and was always pleased to find him waiting patiently for me when I returned to the vehicle.

My friend rode with me until I finally reached home, and clung to my finger as I introduced him to my wife. She was as taken with the beauty of its remaining wings as I was. As I set out the supper that I’d purchased for her and I, she examined my little friend. We agreed that there was little she or I could do aside from placing our winged guest on the nearest flowering bush and wishing it well. So, I placed him outside on a nearby bush, carefully. I said goodnight as its damaged wings slowly opened and closed, and went back inside. I don’t know the fate of my co-pilot now… but I hope, in some small way, that I helped ease its suffering. I dedicate this small and strange entry to my friend… the Hemi-Powered Butterfly. Rest well, my friend.

More later.

2005-09-20T09:38:00.000-05:00

Note: This entry has subject matter that is psychologically deep and not necessarily linear in construction. It is not intended to indicate an analysis of any person or particular situation. It is merely a "venting" necessitated by an over-abundance of stress in my life. If you make any sense of this, you have my sincerest and most humble sympathy. Apparently you're as far gone as me.

There are times in my life when I wonder, truly, if I am my own worst enemy. It seems that I am the greatest single source of my own misery due to my blatant disregard for possible outcomes to decisions I make. I try to reason out the various outcomes that could result from a decision. Perhaps it’s a feeble attempt at not only self-preservation, but also the preservation of the ones around me that I consider very dear to my heart. Invariably, regardless of my thoughts on the outcome, I tend to let my emotions and my instinct guide my choices. It’s rather ironic that I inwardly chastise people who cast their fate to the wind and are reckless with their actions and lives, yet I seem to do that very thing each and every day with the choices I make.

Sometimes I’m lucky and walk away unscathed by potentially crippling ramifications. Other times, I’m figuratively driven into the ground on my chin by the things that come to pass as a direct result of my choices. Perhaps this is common to many people. Perhaps I only “feel” as if I’m an isolated case. Odds are that this is not something rare, but no matter. I live within this body and mind and I deal with the feelings and the actions and the reactions to what choices I make.

It doesn’t matter if it’s a common feeling or not. Realizing that others deal with this does not comfort me as I deal with it. It merely causes me to be saddened for others who apparently go through what I do, at times. Ultimately, I must come to grips with the results of my indiscretions and hasty decisions. Ultimately, I must rise to the challenge of what I have wrought with my own two hands and do my best to care for those caught up in the malestrom of my actions.

A dull and sickening ache seems to always pervade my being and gnaw at my soul. I don’t think there is any recourse I can ever enact that will drive this from me. Many of you, at this point, might very well be asking yourself, “Has this man gone utterly mad? Has he gone so deep within himself, trying to find some sort of reasoning for his own foolishness that he’s lost a grip on the reality of life? Has he failed to come to grips with the undeniable fact that no man is truly in control of his own destiny and circumstances?”

I’ve wondered about my sanity in the midst of the endless circling my life tends to make. Strange loops of complacency and monotony seem to pervade my existence, wearing deeper and deeper grooves in the surface of my consciousness. But, I think this comes about as a result of my own need for a constant “routine” and fear of change. When things change, then the comfort of familiar aspects in my life are torn away. I find myself unsure… uncertain… hesitant of what to do next.

I seem to keep finding myself boomeranging, if you will, back to the same crossroads I always come to. Which path to take? Which destiny will be mine? How will I cope with the negative ramifications of my decision, regardless of which path I take? I cannot see beyond the horizon of my destiny… merely the paths leading off into the distance and the choices left upon the post before me. At this point, I tend to step back and think… “Both decisions will hold negative effects. This is one of the certainties of life. Merely take one path and hope for the best”.

I also seem to have a knack for following in the gene-laden habits of my forefathers when it comes to emotional issues and behaviors. Be it good, bad, or simply quirky and unique… it seems to have an inherited pattern to it. This pattern has gotten me laughs, love, and a lot of expressions that seem to silently say “So, Jason, how long HAVE you been eating paint chips?” Regardless, I seem doomed to follow not only in the positive of my ancestors but also in the negative. This worries me when it comes to my two boys. So much negative has already been thrust upon them in their short years here on this Earth.

I’m certainly no shining example of perfect fatherhood and no model husband. But I do try to encourage them and steer them along the proper and responsible pathway through life, even tho there seems to be an inhereted “butting of the heads” when it comes to obedience in the face of what they’d rather do. As I’ve mentioned to my parents on occasion… I never knew the proverbial “Paying for your Raising” statement included accrued interest. ~lol~ Ah, laughter. That felt good.

Well, before I suck up all the bandwidth on the server with this single post, I’ll take a break and resurface to the land of the living. I have nicer things to worry about on the surface… like having more bills than money. More later.

2005-09-16T10:09:00.000-05:00

Goooooodmorning boys and girls. It’s time for yet another daily life report from “yours truly”. My sister is headed back down to Louisiana to join my brother-in-law at their apartment. I’ve seen some pictures of the place that he’s emailed to the family. While there is a bit of damage to the structure, it’s not that severe.

Most of the actual damage was inflicted upon the surrounding pine trees. Some of these did damage to other homes in the area, but I’m glad that they’re not having to extract a tree from their bedroom. Their jobs are still secure and their landlord has asked for their assistance in getting things back in working order. The guy is really nice and helpful, I’m told, so I’m sure everything will be back to 100% as soon as possible. My folks are taking her down there today… so I should have some reports from them either tonight or tomorrow on the condition of things when they arrive.

There are plans to do some ATV riding with friends this weekend. That’s always fun, but it would be so much more fun to get my own. One step at a time, I suppose. As it stands right now, I’m looking for some part-time work to help supplement the existing budget. I need to make sure I don’t let my hunger for a new toy outweigh my common sense when it comes to financial obligations, I suppose. That wouldn’t be good.

But, at any rate, there will be some job-hunting going on this weekend, and (as I mentioned in the last post) a visit to the Arctic Cat dealership. If any of you are interested in taking a peek at the rigs I’m trying to decide between… here’s a link to each one…

2006 Yamaha Kodiak 400 4x4 Automatic – http://www.yamaha-motor.com/outdoor/products/modelhome/51/0/home.aspx

2005 Arctic Cat 400 4x4 Automatic VP – http://www.arcticcat.com/atvs/lineups/specs.asp?y=94&c=95&s=102&m=631

Both are pretty, both look tough, and both have good reviews. But, if I don’t get a loan app to be approved, I ain’t getting either one… *sigh*

((NOTICE)) – I have discovered why those of you who read my blog are having difficulty in posting comments to my entries if you’re not a “registered user” of Blogger. Apparently it has something to do with the option I inadvertently selected in the Comments Setup section that disabled readers’ ability to leave comments if they weren’t registered users. Now, I’m no rocket scientist here… but switching that option back on MIGHT just solve the problem. (rolls eyes) I’m sorry about that, folks. But, afterall, I am… a redneck.

2005-09-15T15:13:00.000-05:00

I know I’ve been neglecting my daily literary responsibilities on the blog, and I do apologize to all of my adoring (albeit invisible and mute) fans for my selfish indiscretion. I will attempt to remedy the aforementioned situation with a witty and somewhat truncated entry for today. I say truncated because I have approximately 7 minutes until I get to carry my redneck ass to the house for a beer. And that, boys and girls, is something that Mr. Jason could use right about now.

To make this short and sweet… I continue to be afflicted with ATV FEVER and in an attempt to quell this burning passion for my own mud-slinging, dirt tossing, water crossing, mechanized trail beast…. I’m going to visit the local Arctic Cat dealership this weekend. I have already heard the praises of Yamaha’s being sung to me by one friend. Now I hear the praises of the Arctic Cat being announced by not only my father-in-law, but also by my brother-in-law. Ultimately, I have researched both machines of interest. I have read user reviews concerning the performance, reliability, comfort and abilities of both…and I like both quads.

I think the determining factor(s) will end up being…

a) the credit approval amount

~and/or~

b) the package deal for the money.

Well… it’s now 4 minutes past when I’m supposed to leave. So, guess what. I’M OUTTA HERE!!! I’ll add more useless commentary tomorrow at some point.

Yall have fun now…bye.

2005-09-09T14:47:00.000-05:00

I once again find myself at a Friday. The weekend is just ahead and many things are floating around inside this little screwed up head of mine. I will attempt to toss a few out onto this “virtual paper”, as it were, and hopefully unclutter myself.

My sister and brother-in-law are still doing fine. They’re applying for federal aid under the provisions set forth by the government for survivors of Katrina. Who knows what sort of damage might exist at their apartment back in Louisiana. They’ve only recently been able to contact their employers down there. New Orleans is still nothing but a stagnating, disease-ridden, filthy cess pool of decay and pollution at this point. It’s a horrible thing to see a city with such a lengthy history and culture reduced to nothing more than a sad shamble of its former self.

Patriot Day (9/11) is coming up on Sunday. Each generation, it seems, contends with its own set of national tragedies. I don’t know how many years I will live on this earth, but I’ve seen a few tragedies already that should never have come to pass. The shuttle Challenger explosion, The Branch Davidian Compound, The Oklahoma Bombing, Columbine, The unsuccessful World Trade Center Bombing attempt, (then much later, the actual horrific events of 9/11/2001) and now the devistation of Hurricane Katrina.

Well, on a positive note… I’m going to a huge barbeque with my inlaws on Sunday. Everything’s free, so at least there’ll be some good food this weekend. I’m also planning on washing my truck, which I enjoy doing. Here’s a pic of my 2004 Dodge Ram 1500 with the 5.7L Hemi engine. 345 horses… and they’re all snortin mad. ~grin~

"Ya'll have a great weekend!"

2005-09-06T12:16:00.000-05:00

In an effort to break away from convention, I will begin this entry without the word "Well". It seems that at least 4 out of my last 5 entries began with "Well". While not grammatically incorrect, it does tend to place me in somewhat of a linquistic "rut", if you will.

At any rate, here's today's entry; As for the reference to item "M" from the previous post, things turned out just fine. In fact, they turned out amazingly well. I'll leave it at that. In other news, my youngest son will begin his soccer practice tonight at 6pm. I'm looking forward to watching both boys develop their skills and enjoy what they like doing.

While I'm not much of an "organized sports" fan, myself... my wife has always been into that sort of thing. It seems odd to me, in light of the majority of people in the world being fans of sports, that I never fell into the whole fanatical lot of them. I like MOTORSPORTS... If it has an engine and a driver, I'll watch it. It seems to be an amazing challenge, to me, to be strapped into a highly-sophisticated and powerful vehicle...with only your skills, your bravery and luck on your side...and make the machine perform to it's maximum potential against all sorts of odds. Everything else just involves a bunch of people playing with their balls. ~grin~

That's all for now.... as always, more later.

2005-09-05T00:02:00.000-05:00

Well, I haven't had much to post since the last entry. So, henceforth, there hasn't been anything to read. Since I find myself up late tonight and feeling tired, but not sleepy, here's some items of thought.

Nascar update (for those of you who might give a rats ass about it...*lol*)
=====================================================================
September 4, 2005 – California Speedway: Kahne didn’t manage to score a top-10 position in qualifying, but he did secure a 6^th place finish after a hard charge through the pack toward the latter part of the race. Pit times weren’t stellar and that, I believe, was a major contributing factor to his repeated struggle to regain positions after each stop. While mathematically disqualified from the “Chase To The Cup”, Richmond Speedway was his forte’ earlier in the season… perhaps he can pull out another win this coming weekend. I’ll be watching as always.
=====================================================================

Let's see... Oh, I got some iron-on transfer printer paper today ($5.00 per pack of 3 sheets...sheesh!!!) for creating custom t-shirts. So far, I've botched the first design... because I didn't iron one corner enough and it frizzed out while I was peeling the transfer backing off. Oh well, I figure you have to have an error on the first one to know what not to do. *lol*

I'll use that one for a "beat around the house" trial shirt. My 2nd attempt came out well, and I'm wearing it. I made a shirt for my youngest boy tonight and will be making shirts for both my wife and oldest boy tomorrow. Tomorrow is going to be a busy day....so it doesn't really make sense that I'm up late.

Then again, I rarely make sense. Yes, I admit that....I'm male, and that gives me as much right to make no sense as being a woman gives them the right to change their minds 10,000 times for no reason.

Anyway... here's my To-Do-List for tomorrow, which is subject to change at any moment due to time constraints, child difficulties, traffic, weather, my mood, and the price of tea in China....

A) Breakfast for kiddos
B) Take kids to Walmart to pick up supplies to change the oil in my dear wife's Jeep.
C) Return and perform oil change while kids play
D) Gather washing supplies and have kids help me clean both vehicles while wife is at friend's house.
E) Make sure kids have lunch somewhere in the midst of soap-n-water storm.
F) Take out trash
G) Tidy up living room
H) Swap load or two of clothes out
I) Change catbox (must remember this..must remember this...)
J) Supervise the "Reluctantly Cooperative Efforts" of my children to tidy their rooms to a level at least somewhat akin to sanitary before their mother comes home and begins to announce to the world her discontent with the current condition of their living areas. That is something I could do without.
K) Help a friend out and wash their FORD... Yes, FORD...vehicle, and apply a window decal. Anyone who knows me, knows that this would normally not even be a possibility with me. However, citing the fact that I care deeply for this person and shall overlook the "blue oval" in my driveway in order to do this favor... I hope they will appreciate it.
L) Take a shower and get cleaned up for supper.
M) Try out an experiment and hope that it's not my undoing....
N) Attempt to rest adequately before the work-week begins.

And... I shall write more later.... possibly about the results of item "M"... but hopefully not. Having to list the results would probably not be a good thing. Suffice it to say, I hope there are no severe complications to this experiment. It could be quite irreversably humiliating and dibilitating. However...it could come off without a hitch. Hrmm...perhaps I shouldn't have worded it exactly that way. *sigh* I'm sure all will be fine....at least I keep telling myself that.

Again...more later.

2005-09-01T14:55:00.000-05:00

Well, here it is the first day of September in the year of our Lord, two thousand and five. Gas prices have now risen as high as $3.08 per gallon of regular-unleaded now. I may have to park my 345bhp 5.7L Hemi powered Dodge Ram 1500....and begin riding a bicycle. This is sheer insanity.

I'm about to wrap up my work day and head home to a piece of chocolate cake. Then I'm going to take my oldest son to his football practice. Simple pleasures...but pleasures nonetheless. I wish I had some beer....dammit.

Day 7 - Smoke Free

Not much to report today. It's a rather uneventful Thursday. More later.

2005-08-31T09:32:00.002-05:00

Well, things just seem to be getting worse for the whole delta-region of the United States. The flood waters from Hurricane Katrina have devistated New Orleans and the damage to other coastal regions in its path is just unspeakable. The latest I've heard is that the U.S. Government is planning to use some of our emergency oil supply to counter the sudden loss in the supply from the Gulf platforms. This, in combination with the Saudi Arabian contribution plan should help level out (and possibly reduce) the outrageous prices at the gas pumps.

I spent literally $60 to fill up my truck, yesterday evening. I placed the nozzle in the filler spout on my truck, and by the time it shut off and I hung it back on the pump, a worker at the station was changing the prices from $2.61/gal up to $2.71/gal for regular unleaded. I got in just under the jump in prices.

Labor Day is coming up soon...this Monday, actually. But I don't think it will be the grand holiday of cookouts and vacationing that it typically is. With the fuel prices being high, Katrina having destroyed so much, and people's moods being what they are.... I would assume things are going to be rather low-key. These are disheartening times that we live in. We're far from the worst this country has seen....but just as far from the best. Each generation must endure its own hardships and cope.

Personally, I want the Middle-East situation taken care of...our troops home...gas prices down...disaster relief provided for those affected by Katrina...my refund from my ISP to come in....my wife to get the job she's trying hard to get...and a nice raise at my own job would be nice.

I don't ask for much, do I? (grin)

I'm not sure if I mentioned it before, but I've recently quit smoking. While I enjoyed smoking and it was somewhat pleasureable, I know that I was playing with my life. I was affecting those around me not only with the very real threat to my own health and well-being... but by subjecting them to the deadly hazards of passive second-hand smoke. I hope that my poor choices haven't adversely affected them in some way. The good news, however, is that I am now 6 days...smoke-free!!

I won't lie and say it's been an easy thing, mentally, to overcome.... but the kit I used to overcome the physical addiction to nicotine has worked like a charm. I want to thank someone very special and dear to my heart for their generous and loving gesture toward the well-being of not only myself, but that of my family as well. You know who you are...and I am in your debt for your kindness. Thank you so much.

Well...that's enough for now. I'll update you on any changes tomorrow.

2005-08-30T14:49:00.000-05:00

Today has been fairly uneventful. I dropped off a payment for overnight delivery and I have a haircut appointment at 4:00pm today. Exhilirating stuff, lemme tell ya.

My sister & brother-in-law are up visiting from Louisiana in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, which ravaged most of the state and has left many without homes. They were lucky in that their apartment hasn't been hit very hard. Most of the problems in their particular area are confined to communications and utilities being unavailable right now. Of course, debris cleanup and traffic conditions aren't condusive to them being there either. So, it looks like they'll be hanging around for awhile until things can get cleaned up.

I submitted a loan application today with my bank to see what sort of interest rate I qualify for. As I mentioned before, I've got that ATV-Fever and I want to see exactly how feasible this whole dream of mine actually is. Having stopped smoking, I now have at least a portion of "disposable income" which had (until recently) been tied up in buying packs of cigarettes. This should be more than adequate to cover a monthly 4-wheeler payment.

Depending on what rate I get, I may or may not go ahead with the purchase. Of course, this will all be contingent upon the "proper and adequate consultation of my dearly beloved significant-other" before any actual transactions can or will take place. In layman's terms... "If momma ain't happy...ain't NOOOObody happy"

So, here's hoping that a Yamaha Kodiak 400 is in my near future. It would help out with deer-hunting...and would provide at least a portion of "escape" for me and the wife when stress seems to eat a hole through us. Just riding and appreciating the beauty of nature is something I find great comfort and inspiration in. I suppose I'm what you might call a "naturalist romantic". There's just something that touches my soul about the simple beauty of nature.

Ok, I'll end the Marlin Perkins episode and finish up today's entry. I hope my DirecWay refund comes in soon... I sure could use the cash. Ah well... wish in one hand....

2005-08-29T13:33:00.000-05:00

Well, this weekend went pretty well. My Nascar driver didn't win at Bristol, but then again... just to survive at Bristol is cause for celebration.

I spent most of Saturday and Sunday with my wife and our friends, riding around the woods and backtrails behind my property. I hadn't been out there in years!!! Things sure can change over time. The trails were wide and clear, the main road had been graded and graveled, and we were lucky enough to see a few deer while motoring around. We got rained on a bit... ran through a few mud puddles...laughed and joked around...and nearly got sprayed by a crop-duster. Yea... a crop-duster. It's Arkansas...what do you expect?

Our friends brought their Honda 350 Ranchers over and we drove em all over the countryside. I've never been lucky enough to get a 4-wheeler for myself. I've always loved riding around on em... but other things were more important. You know... silly thing like gas, groceries, utilities, vehicle payments, insurance... and two kids. But, this weekend has really put an itch on me to get an ATV. It may just be poison ivy.... nah, it's ATV Fever.

I'm thinking about getting a Yamaha Kodiak 400 for my ATV. It's a fairly large frame (and I'm a pretty big guy), plus it's just about the right "weight-to-power" ratio to keep from getting bogged down everywhere. Any more and the weight of the machine would just sink it. Hell, I weigh around 250, myself. If I can get my budget worked out between now and the end of September, we might have a shot at one. Who knows.

Well, that's all for now. More to come as time permits...

2005-08-26T12:14:00.000-05:00

Ok, I'm gonna express my views on the subject of the Confederate Battle Flag and what it's like to be a direct decendant of not one, but two Confederate soldiers who fought for their homes and came home alive, against all odds. I'm proud of them, and I know they did what they felt was necessary to protect all they had built and cherished. That's why I fly the flag.

Now......Here comes the lengthy part. Those of you who bore easily of historical recollection may want to forego this part of the entry and simply move on to later blog posts (where I don't get as preachy). As for the whole slavery issue and whatnot... let's take a look back before the war between the states began, shall we?

Envision a tall and youthful gentleman, addressing a rather large and prominent group of law makers. This gentleman would later be revered by many as the Great Emancipator. The man's name? Abraham Lincoln. The subject? Seccession. Let's read the heart-felt and powerful words of this young gentleman who someday hoped to be elected President.

"Any people anywhere, being inclined and having the power, have the right to rise up, and shake off the existing government, and form a new one that suits them better. This is a most valuable – a most sacred right – a right, which we hope and believe, is to liberate the world." - Abraham Lincoln, 1848

The following educational and factual exerpt was taken from http://www.daily-web.info/forums where an Administrator by the username of FASherman gave this summation of what led to southern secession and why it was perfectly Constitutional;

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"...In 1828, Congress imposed a series of high and unfair tariffs on the South. Because the South's economy depended mostly on farming and trade, these tariffs were very unfair. The tax caused more money to leave the South than to be brought in because their imports cost more than their exports. When this tariff, known as the Tariff of Abominations, was put into effect, the South spent a total of $331 million on their imports while the North paid only $31 million. This great difference existed because the South did more trade with Europeans than the North. Since the tariffs could not be abolished, Southern states passed Nullification Laws, and threatened secession to protect their economy.

1. We don't exist in an environment of "majority rule" but rather we live under the rule of law. The ultimate law is the Constitution. Three states (Virginia, North Carolina and Rhode Island) ratified the Constitution with the provision that they could later secede if they chose; the other ten states accepted this condition as valid for not only those three, but all states.

2. The two primary authors of the Constitution, Hamilton and Madision, in the Federalist, hoped secession would never happen, but they never denied that it was a right and a practical possibility. They envisioned the people taking arms against the federal government if it exceeded its delegated powers or invaded their rights, and they admitted that this would be justified. Secession, including the resort to arms, was the final remedy against tyranny. This belief lead to of the Second Amendment.

3. Long before he ran for president, Lincoln himself had twice affirmed the right of secession and even armed revolution. His scruples changed when he came to power. Only a few weeks after taking office, he wrote an order for the arrest of Chief Justice Roger Taney, who had attacked his unconstitutional suspension of habeas corpus. His most recent biographer has said that during Lincoln’s administration there were “greater infringements on individual liberties than in any other period in American history.”

4. In the first half of the 19th century, every cadet at West Point was taught constitutional law by the Pennsylvania abolitionist William Rawle, whose book on the Constitution argued that there was indeed a constitutional right to secession. Thus it should come as no surprise that Southern West Point officers had no doubt about the right of their states to secede, returning to their states to defend the new CSA.

5. Most Americans – North and South – believed in a state's right to secede, as judged by the 1,000 Northern newspaper articles surveyed by historian Howard Cecil Perkins in his book, "Northern Editorials on Secession."

6. Mr. William Rawle, a distinguished lawyer and jurist of Pennsylvania, in his work on the Constitution, says, "It depends on the State itself to retain or abolish the principle of representation, because it depends on itself whether it will continue a member of the Union. To deny this right would be inconsistent with the principles on which all our political systems are founded, which is that the people have in all cases a right to determine how they will be governed."

7. And finally, we come to SCOTUS. In the case of the Bank of Augusta against Earle, 13 Peters, 590-592, it was decided by the Supreme Court of the United States in 1939, "They are sovereign States.... We think it well settled (says the Court) that by the law of comity among nations a corporation created by one sovereign is permitted to make contracts in another, and to sue in its courts, and that the same law of comity prevails among the several sovereignties of this Union." If a state is a sovereignty within a Union, then it does not loose its right to withdraw from that Union.
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So you see... the south had every right to secede from a governmental system that they felt misrepresented them. This misrepresentation was painfully evident in the unbalanced tariff rates listed above.

Now lets see what the Great Emancipator, Abraham Lincoln, thought of slavery and the black man. This is documented historical FACT.

In 1858 Lincoln had written: "I am not, nor ever have been, in favor of bringing about in any way the social and political equality of the white and black races. I am not, nor ever have been, in favor of making voters or jurors of Negroes, nor of qualifying them to hold office, nor to intermarry with white people. There is a physical difference between the white and black races, which I believe will forever forbid the two races living together on terms of social and political equality."

In his 1860 inaugural address, he said: "I have no purpose, directly or indirectly, to interfere with the institution of slavery in the states where it exists. I believe I have no lawful right to do so, and I have no inclination to do so."

Two years later, President Lincoln wrote: "My paramount object in this struggle is to save the Union, and is not either to save or to destroy slavery. If I could save the Union without freeing any slave I would do it; and if I could save it by freeing some and leaving others alone I would also do that. What I do about slavery, and the colored race, I do because I believe it helps to save the Union" - (Letter to Horace Greeley, August 22, 1862)

Wow... now there's a real saint. While slavery was a problem within the southern states, and was/is morally wrong, it was also a problem up north as well. However, the usage of slaves was very limited by southerners. Shocked? Here's why.

Slaves were expensive. A slave was not only expensive to attain, but also to transport. A slave was expensive to purchase at market. Then you had to ensure their health so that they could work for you. A slave could marry and have children, and then there were more slaves to support. Slaveholders had to be financially secure with an abundance of workable land by which to maintain that wealth and support the workers. 9/10ths of the entirety of the southern states' slave-based labor plantations were in the hands of a very small few. Most white citizens of the southern states were far too poor to afford a slave, much less the upkeep of one. Let me give you an idea...

The following was taken from Corpus Christi Online: ( http://www.caller2.com/mgivens/single18.html )
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Prime field hands sold on the New Orleans market for up to $2,000. Women and children, depending on their training, could cost as much as $1,000.

Put those prices in context: In pre-Civil War Corpus Christi, you could buy a good horse for $10, ranchland sold from 50 cents to $2 an acre, and town lots sold for $100.
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One slave was like buying a luxury car by today's standards. Could you afford even one Mercedes Benz? How about 5? Consider that.

Historical Fact: Not a single battle for secession was ever fought on Northern soil. The South never invaded...it merely defended. We lost an invasion, based upon illegal actions taken by a greedy government, and then President... and enforced by the convenient application of popular morality. So I fly my flag in memory of my ancestors who stood amongst their Southern bretheren. Stood amongst them to defend their homes...their families...their livelyhood...and their future...against the slow strangling of the southern economy. My ancestors never owned a slave in their life. And any southerner of the time still loved Old Glory and didn't want to fight against her. It's well documented.

May that tattered old battle flag fly proudly right along side Old Glory. Because those who know history, love both flags... One flew for might...one flew for Right. Sometimes "right" isn't understood until much much later.

God bless their souls...north and south. May their souls find rest.

2005-08-26T09:36:00.000-05:00

Well, here's my initial posting. I reckon I'll de-virginize this sucker and get the ball rolling. I'd like to welcome anyone who might be visiting my blog for the first time and offer a small warning. The views and comments listed in my blog are merely my own opinions and thoughts on matters that concern me or might affect me, directly. They are in no way "the written law" on how something should be perceived or dealt with. If you are easily offended, politically correct, racially sensitive, stereotypical, or may be offended by sexual subjects... I urge you to move on and find something that caters more toward your own line of thinking. I pull no punches, nor do I apologize for having my own views and/or opinions. Expressing one's self is a fundamental right and a defining factor that creates individualism and character. I exercise this daily and sometimes to the irritation of others.

My next post will involve my views on a hot topic of recent dispute and continual persecution. The Confederate Battle Flag. Whether your support displaying it or you object to it, you really owe it to yourself to know ALL of the facts about the flag and what it truly stands for. You may be suprised to know that it's not a symbol of racial hatred. It's a symbol of Christian faith and a banner flown by the people who were merely trying to survive and not be beaten down by unfair tariffs imposed by the North.

Oooo... I can already feel the frowns.