Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Shakespeare in Lost


Sunday night, Lost aired its final episode. It may go down as one of the best television shows ever made. It was a different kind of show. It employed almost every single genre known (western, drama, mystery, noir, science fiction, romance, fantasy, action, horror, etc.). I thought it was well written, acted, directed, etc. It was wonderful, modern storytelling. It had a true beginning, middle, and end. It went out with its head held high and on top. And, I watched every minute of every episode of each of the six seasons, thanks to my DVR.
People who did not like the show fell into two categories; couldn’t keep up or did not have time. Those who could not keep up could not handle the fact that the story overlapped episodes and seasons. They want their television in 30 or 60 minute bits with a conclusion. Their attention spans can not handle it, otherwise. Or, they just watched one episode and found it too confusing with multiple story lines and characters. If you can keep up with a soap opera, Lost should be no big deal. The other camp probably does not have time for television or just does not watch much because there is nothing on. If you fall into any of these categories, you have no real basis for criticism. If you watched at least three in a row, I will listen to your issues about it.
The writers and directors of Lost had obviously read the classics. It has elements of the Greek classics and the Norse sagas. There were more Shakespearian characters than a renaissance fair. You had Sawyer as Hamlet playing both sides against the middle. Gin and Sun were Romeo and Juliet. The smoke monster Locke was the evil and flawed Richard III. Eloise played Lady Macbeth with her plotting and scheming. The list goes on. Other literature included Charles Widmore as Satan from Paradise Lost trying to regain his power. Sawyer was reading Watership Down through most of the series. There were also elements of Robinson Crusoe and Lord of the Flies. Hurley was regularly quoting Star Wars. (Yes, Star Wars is a modern classic. It meets all the definitions.)
They had biblical references as well. The messiah story was evident in the “candidates”. Cain and Abel represented with Jacob and his brother. Jack Shepherd was the leader of the flock. The smoke monster tempted Claire as the serpent tempted Eve. Jacob was guarding the “light”. Ben Linus was the prodigal son. Hurley was playing the young King David. He was unsure of the power and responsibility that had been granted to him. The battle between the darkness and the light was the whole theme of the show.
I also liked the way they incorporated two great philosophers in one man; John Locke and Jeremy Bentham. They also pleased both sides of the political spectrum. The survivors lived together in a social commune of sorts. They were dependent on each other for their existence. Yet, there were incidences of right and wrong with no gray area.
Lost was also a story. You had to watch it as one. You had to see it unfold week after week. Questions were not answered quickly, but they were answered. The last episode did a great job of tying up the loose ends. I strongly suggest you go out and rent or even buy the series. If you watch it from a classical literature point of view, it is even better. Otherwise, just watch it for a good story or saga you will not be disappointed.
In my next article, I will discuss why Lost made good television as well.
I just hope my former English and Literature teachers forgive me for my blasphemy.

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Shaggy & Me


Before the book Marley & Me came out, there was Shaggy and me.

I had had a couple of dogs in my life before. The first was Blackie. He was part Pekingese and part Manchester Terrier. He looked like a black football with legs. For some reason my brother trains his dogs to be mean. Blackie was no exception. My brother got him when he was about three. He lived to be eighteen years old. I was sad when he died, but relieved he would not be biting me anymore.

In the winter of 1979 we tried to get me a dog. He was a beagle puppy named Snoopy. I had him for a few months. He set off my allergies too much to keep him. We gave him to an uncle and they made him into a hunting dog. I am sure he had a good life.

After Tammy and I got married in 1996, she thought I needed a dog. She felt a dog would be good training for children. I had never been around them, either. The dogs that belonged to the people next door had puppies. The dad, Yogi, was half Chow, half German Shepherd. The mom, Boo Boo, was half chow, half black Lab. They had six or eight puppies. They offered us one.

Tammy picked him out. They were all in the back of the dog house huddled together. One looked up above the other and yelped, “Yip! Yip! Yip!” That was the one she chose. The kids at the house had originally named him Boots. He had white on his front paws. Tammy and I decided to name him along with the cartoon characters. I love Scooby Doo. We could not name him Scooby since he was not a Great Dane. So, we named him Shaggy.

The first time we brought him over was on my birthday at my party. Everyone handled the little fur ball and passed him around. He was still a couple of weeks from being weaned. So he went back home.

When he was weaned, we brought him to our house. That first night was awful. He was in the kitchen with a gate on the door. He cried all night long. He missed his mommy and his siblings. This happened for several nights. One night I gave him some Southern Comfort. He was quiet all night. It was so quiet, I thought I killed him. I checked on him the next morning and he was fine. Eventually, he slept through the night.

Shaggy was a learning experience for me. He was pretty easy to housebreak. I was glad of that. I had just graduated and was home looking for a job. Shaggy kept me company all day until Tammy got home. One morning, I was having some leftover pancakes. I went to the kitchen to get some syrup. In the time I had walked to the fridge and back, Shaggy had eaten all my pancakes and was licking the bowl. I called Tammy and asked her how she liked him, baked, fried, or grilled. One time Tammy was in the shower and he was standing there with a Kleenex in his mouth. She took it away from him and threw it in the trash and put the can on the toilet. She thought he had gotten it from the trash. Then she saw he had another. She went to look and he had knocked the box off the nightstand and was pulling them out one at a time. He would play with them and show Tammy. She would take it away and he would get another one.

He was my constant companion that summer. While I searched the internet and mailed resumes, he would lay in the floor of the bathroom. The tile was nice and cool for him as opposed to the carpet. He chewed up the legs of the chairs of the kitchen set my mom gave us for a wedding present. Since we did not have a fence, I had a cable I would attach to him so he could go out in the yard.

After I got the job in CA, he kept Tammy company until they could join me. When Tammy moved to my mom’s house, he went with her. She would go out on the back porch and sing to him after work. She was really attached to him as well.

In California, he was an only child for a couple of years. He was inside most of the time. But, after the kids came along, he was an outside dog. He was so big, he would knock them over with his tail while they learned to walk. He was always a good sport about it. He loved the kids. He was so good to them. They would pull his tail or his ears and he would just take it. As the kids grew, he was allowed back into the house. That was when he became my son’s dog. He and PK had a special bond. They would play together. PK would lie on him like a big, fuzzy pillow. We were so relieved that he was good with the kids.

In the end, he was actually my dog. He only respected me. When Tammy would tell him something, he would do it only if he felt like it. Otherwise, he just ignored her. He saw the pecking order as me, him, then everyone else. He would bark and was loud. We had to use muzzles and bark collars to keep him quiet at night. He was very sociable with other kids and animals. The kids friends loved him. He would play with anyone. He was not much of a watch dog. But, that was ok with me. He was good natured and everyone loved him.

When we moved to Virginia, Shaggy came with us. Unfortunately, he was getting old. He had made the move well. We had lost our other dog on the way through Memphis. She ran away, again, and we could not find her. That was ok with shaggy. In VA, he was able to be inside most of the time. He also got all of the attention from us since he was the only pet. When we arrived, I took him to the vet. He had lost a lot of weight. He had liver and thyroid problems. We put him on different food and medicine. He did better. He started gaining weight. But his old bones were hurting him. I gave him glucosamine to help him. He was slow to get up and walk around.

He saw snow for the first time out in Virginia. He did not know what to think of it. We took him out walking through it. It was up to his chest. He hopped around the yard as best he could. One thing he did like about the snow was he could sleep in the garage. It became his room. He had some moving blankets he used for a bed. Since I am still out of work, he was with me all day. I would work on the computer and he would lay in the floor and snore the day away. When the kids got home, he would play with them until he was all worn out.

Last Friday night, PK let him in the house. He called us down because Shaggy was whining. When I got downstairs, Shaggy was blown up like a balloon and whining. We got dressed and took him to the emergency vet. They told us Shaggy’s stomach had become twisted. We could do surgery at a cost of $3,800 to $5,000. He would not live long with or without it. He had lost a lot of muscle mass in his back and she thought he had cancer. He was also thirteen years old.

I made the decision to have him put down. Tammy and PK came in to say goodbye. Alex was at camp with the Girl Scouts. They had taken the fluid off him and given him something for the pain. PK said he looked fine. I told him it was just temporary. He is very sick and in a lot of pain. PK got on the floor with him, gave him a big hug and cried. PK said, “Why did God do this to me?” I explained that God did not do anything to him. Shaggy had grown old and sick. That it how it works. It is his time to go. He had a good life, was happy and loved by almost everyone who met him. Now, it’s time to ease his pain and let him go.

PK and Tammy went back out into the waiting room while I waited with Shaggy for the nurse to come get him. I told him I loved him and would miss him. He was a great companion for years to me. A few minutes later they came and took him back. They asked if I wanted to go back with him. I did not. He was too stoned to know the difference. After it was over, they gave me a ceramic imprint of his paw. He was put down around midnight Saturday morning, May 8, 2010. We went home. Sunday, when I picked up Alex, I had to break the news to her. It was not good.

Since then, I miss him during the day. I still come down the stairs and into the garage to let him out. I keep closing the lid on the trash can so he will not get into it. I still close the bathroom door so he will not eat the toilet paper. I look at the place in the rug he used to lay while I played on the computer. Sitting on the couch, I wait for him to come by for me to rub my feet on him. I know these will all fade over time.

He was a good dog. I just hope someday, when I am gone, someone will speak as highly of me. Goodbye, Shaggy (1997-2010).

Friday, May 7, 2010

Bullying - Originally Posted 05-06-10

This is one of my favorite topics to discuss. Now that I have children in school, I have had to face my own experiences in helping them with theirs. My son has been bullied. He is a big kid. I do not mean fat. He is ten-years-old, five feet tall, and strong as an ox. The good news is he has a good heart and a long fuse. He is not aggressive, not violent, and not mean. This makes him an easy target for the lesser intelligent. Unfortunately, that is seen as a weakness by some idiots he goes to school with. Once they have exhausted his patience, they will wish they had left him alone. I have been trying to teach him that even though the words hurt as well as the teasing don’t let it get to you. However, if someone touches you or hits you, they are fair game. I do not just mean one punch and let it go. I mean to make them wish they had never seen you much less messed with you. The school takes a different approach. They tell me if he does that, he will be suspended for three days. I say, “GOOD!” He and I will have the greatest three days of his life.

In the current situation, I am trying to go through the proper channels. This has gone on most of the year. I let it go until it got physical. Then, I called the school. I told them how I feel. I told them they have the opportunity to solve the problem their way. If it does not work, we will solve it mine. I am also willing to go to the school board if necessary to handle it.

Why am I this way? I have been there. I spent my seventh grade year in that situation. Thirty years ago, bullying was looked at differently than today. It was considered a rite of passage. It was something you had to go through at one time or another. It was a way for pubescent boys to let out some of their aggression. That was before Columbine. That was before cyberbullying where girls kill themselves because the parents of their classmates never grew out of it.

I went to an all boys school that year. I am not sure what made me an easy target. Maybe it was because I was small and scrawny. I could not participate in sports because of my heart. Maybe I had a smart mouth. I was very unhappy as a child and tended to take it out on the world around me. Maybe, like a pack of hungry wolves, they sensed a weakness in me that was too good to pass up. After all this time, the whys may be irrelevant.

I do know of one reason. I changed my name. When I was born, my brother was ten years old. He had a bully in school named Paul. He refused to call me Paul. So, everyone called me Keith. I did not like the name. I thought it sounded crass. I thought Paul would be more distinguished. The truth was probably I wanted to change everything about my life, but this was a good start. It could have been worse. I could have been Steadman Harold Estes, Jr. Anyway, the people that knew me as Keith did not want to change. That was fine with me. I just wanted to go by Paul from then and on. To this day, the people that knew me before 1980 call me Keith. The people who knew me after 1980 call me Paul. I am ok with that. I answer to either one. My wife had the hardest time, my family called me Keith, everyone else called me Paul. My friend, Michael, was the exception. So, that was just more fuel to the fire.

The point is, it was really bad that year. I am not going to go into names and details. There is no need to. I grew up as a pacifist. My mom taught me never to fight. So, I got my ass beat, repeatedly. She tried to complain to the school. The headmaster told her it was ok. It would “toughen me up.” Right, a skinny 100 lb. kid with a bad heart is going to toughen up by having the hell beat out of him? There was only one rule back then. As long as you did not throw the first punch, you could do whatever you want. You could inflict as much pain and/or injury as you liked as long as you did not start it. That would never fly today.

I survived and went to a new school the next year. I misinterpreted good natured teasing as bullying and beat the crap out of some kid the first week of school. They threatened to expel me on the spot. Mom talked to the administrators and they agreed to let me stay. But, that resentment, hate, and bitterness followed me for several years to come. I had a very bad reputation in school for being mean and ill tempered. I had few friends and wanted none. I am not saying all of this was due to bullying. I think the clinical depression had a hand in it as well.

Right now, I want to save my son from going through what I did. If that means he gets suspended for beating some kid’s ass, then so be it. I want him to keep his sweet nature, but I do not want him to be a door mat like I was.

I wrote a while back about forgiveness. I still mean every word I wrote back then. I have tried to come to terms with the things that happened in the past. Part of that is forgiving as well as asking for forgiveness. I cannot tell which is harder to do.

Flushing the First Amendment - Originally Posted 10-25-09

Net Neutrality, Fairness Doctrine, Media Bailouts, crap! The first amendment protects freedom of the press. That means we are allowed to publish anything we want. That does not mean it has the right to be read, heard, seen, etc. Now, there are some legitimate limits. Such as yelling "FIRE" in a crowded place or knowingly and blatantly lying about someone. Although that second one has been put on hold for now.

The media, as with anything else in our capitalist society, is a commodity. It is bought and sold on the basis of supply and demand. If the New York Times (or any newspaper) is losing subscribers and advertising, then it either needs to change its content or stop publishing. The last thing they should get is government protection or a bailout. We can look at the current situation with GM and Chrysler to see what happens with a government bailout. When I was growing up in Memphis, we had two newspapers. There was a morning paper and an afternoon paper. Eventually, economic conditions no longer warranted an afternoon paper. The paper ceased publishing. That was it. There was no bailout. There were no new laws passed to protect this paper from closing. It just went away. The advertisers and subscribers went to the Commercial Appeal and it still publishes today. If the NYT or any other major media outlet goes under, it will not be the end of the sacred fourth estate. There are plenty of media outlets ready to take on their subscribers and advertisers. And, as long as they give a product that the public wants, it will stay in business.

That brings me to the Fairness Doctrine. I will try to explain the Fairness Doctrine as best I can. I welcome any better explanation. It says if a radio station offers a certain point of view, it must offer an opposing point of view as well. It all sounds fine until you think about it. If I go on the radio and say I do not like the color yellow and give examples of why I don't, the station has to find someone who likes the color yellow and explain why. I know this sounds simplistic, but stay with me. What happens if we can not find someone who likes the color yellow? We have to make a search of the area for this person. We would even have to go on the air and plead for someone to come on who likes the color yellow. Otherwise, I can not go on and give my opinion of the color yellow. Now, let's replace the color yellow with the KKK or Neo-Nazis or child molesters. That station would have to go out and find someone with an opposing point of view or not broadcast. This was why AM radio was so boring until 1988. That was when the Reagan administration abolished the fairness doctrine. They viewed it as back-handed censorship. Make it so difficult to put out an opinion that no one will bother.
What I am saying is the Fairness Doctrine did not promote free speech, it stifled it. It paralyzed radio stations into giving farm reports and apple pie recipes. That's no fun. Anyway, without it we can have Air America as well as Rush Limbaugh. The public then decides which they want to listen to. And, the public and the advertisers made their voices clear. They did not like Air America or the message they were spreading. However, they do like Rush. This is not a matter of politics, but economics. Unfortunately, some in congress wish to bring back the Fairness Doctrine to silence people like Rush, Hannity, Beck, etc. I believe we should let the public and the market decide what they want to listen to. We do not need a Fairness Doctrine to decide for us.

Now, on to the tv. I watch Fox News occasionally. To be honest all tv new bores me. In my humble opiinion, MSNBC has to be the worst of all of them. I prefer to get my news from the internet. I will explain that later. Anyway, take a look at the ratings. You will see the Fox News shows dominate them. Why do you suppose that is? Could it be the manipulation of the results to give a favorable outcome to a right-wing point of view? Or, could it be Fox News offers shows people want to watch more than those on other networks? Take off your tin foil hats and be honest with me. If the networks want to improve their ratings, maybe they should look to their programming instead of asking the government for help. We already have a government controlled outlet, remember NPR? We do not need five or six others telling us what to think. Again, I say let the public and the market decide.

That brings me to the internet. I love the internet. I see it as cable tv was in the 1980's. Remember the SNL skit Wayne's World? That was what cable was like back then. You had all these empty channels and programmers looking to fill them. If you had the money, you could buy time on these channels and do whatever you wanted, within reason. They still had to abide by the rules of broadcasting. But in some cases they were bent a little. It was a great free market of ideas. The only thing was the price of admission. The internet is the same way. Any idiot, including yours truly, with a computer and an idea can publish on the internet. At the same time, you are free to read it or not. This runs the gamut from education and opinion to propaganda and porn. The beauty of this is you can go to those sites or not. No one dictates what you do or see on the internet except you. You can protect your children from the predators on the internet. You can decide what the see and do not see. It is total freedom for your choice. Now the government wants to begin regulating the internet. They want to introduce Net Neutrality. I do not understand the entire law. That in itself gives me enough reason to be against it. But, any law from the government with the word "neutrality" in it can not be good. I would like to see the internet free of any influence. I choose what provider to use, what sites I wish to go to, and when I want to be on. I can also make that choice for my children until the become old enough to make them for themselves.

In summary, here is what I have to say about the First Amendment, keep it. If you do not like what a paper writes, do not buy it or read it. If you do not like what a tv or radio station broadcasts, don't watch or listen. Don't go crying to the government to enact rules and laws over it. Those rules and laws could eventually come back to haunt you in another time. People like Rush, they listen to him. The more that listen, the more advertisers want to be heard on his show. The more revenue Rush and his stations make. In the reverse, not enough people liked Air America, fewer listeners, fewer advertisers, less revenue, eventually, they closed. That is the beauty of the market. You stand or fall on your own merits, not what the government does for you. Therefore I say if you do not like something, don't watch, don't read, don't listen, and don't go asking the government for help.

Once again, thanks for reading and I welcome your feedback, pro or con.

Facebook Friends Two - Originally Posted 10-24-09

First, I would like to thank those of you who took the time to read my entire message. Second, a special thank you to those who wrote back on and off line.

I wish to continue my musings, therefore, I you would rather not read, you have been warned.

Since I am still out of work due to this recession, I have time on my hands. I have decided to use it to get to know more people through dialogue. I would like to open a dialogue, discussion, debate, whatever you would like to call it. I encourage feedback. More than anything, I encourage those who disagree with me to send me feedback. I would rather be with a liberal with strong convictions than a RINO (Republican in name only) any day. I also like to be proven wrong. I have gotten used to it in my life. However, I do not like people who are hateful, demeaning, hysterical, or shrill in their beliefs. There is no need for that. I see that as part of the problem. If we can come together, share ideas, and agree to disagree, all of us are better for it. If you want to get personal with each other, do it somewhere else. I prefer an intelligent discussion to an exchange of clever slogans. However, I welcome all jokes. I love political humor in cartoons, jokes, etc. I am very difficult to offend when it comes to politics. I do not discriminate when it comes to politicians. I cant' stand almost all of them. So, bring on the humor!

I would like to also get into heavy topics. My first article will probably be about the Joe Wilson affair. Is he a racist bigot who can not stand the idea of a black man in the oval office? Or is he a man who finally had had enough of what he perceived deception from the President of the United States? Are these "czars" a threat to America? Or, are they merely advisers to the President who help him shape national policy? Is the war in the Middle East a fight against global terrorism? Or, is it a costly quagmire costing young lives and resources better put to use in our own country? Are the Masons a secret society formed with the intent of taking over the world? Or, are they a fraternity of men who seek to better themselves and society as a whole? I think you get the picture.

I do not expect us all to join in a circle and sing happy songs at the end. What I do expect is an mutual respect for our different beliefs and ideas. I firmly believe the strife that plagues our society today is a distraction from the real problems we face in the economy, defense, foreign relations, etc. As citizens of the United States, even non-citizens are encouraged to join in with this discussion, we should try to have a better understanding of each other.

I want to encourage everyone to give me feedback on this. You can either post it in the thread or send me a message off line.

Thanks for taking the time to read this.

FaceBook Friends One - Origianlly Posted 10-23-09

Most of you who know me, know I am a political conservative. That does not mean I am a Republican. I am not. I tend to agree with a lot of their ideas. Yes, I listen to Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, and Fox News. But, I make up my own mind. (Everyone still with me?)
I had an incident earlier this week I have been going over and trying to understand. I have a facebook friend who is a liberal. That was ok with me. Anyway, she posted an article I disagreed with. I wrote a response about the article. I was not snide or sarcastic. I showed the proper respect to those I mentioned (former President Clinton, President Obama, Vice-President Biden, etc.) I used only facts and quotes. I explained I disagreed and why. Her response was to be shrill and insulting and drop me from her friends list. I then posed the question of tolerance on my page. Instead of reacting in kind, I have chosen to write this article. (For those of you who have not gone on to something else.)

I have been blessed by God (yes, by God) with the ability to analyze and make my own decisions about what I feel and believe. I was also bless through my parents to distinguish right from wrong and to question that which I do not understand. A lot of my life I have been around some bad people. I even was one at one time in my life. However, I have made it a goal in my life to be a better person. In doing that, I try to understand others who disagree with me. This goes so far as to seek out those who do not agree with me. I am not trying to win them over to my side. I just try to understand what they believe and why. I do not discount or dismiss their beliefs. On the contrary, I support their differences with me. I have made it my goal in life to always be a better person. It does not always work, but I still try.

Unfortunately, the results have been more often what I experienced this week. There was one time I will treasure and remember forever. I met a woman at a friend's home who was the exact polar opposite of my beliefs. We spent the entire time discussing our points of view. We were not disrespectful or attacking. She was firm in what she thought as was I. We did make jokes, but did not get disrespectful of each other. I guess I was spoiled to have met her. Ever since, I have sought out someone like that to talk to. Instead, I get people who shriek and shrill and name call and get personal. I do not enjoy that.

Since the election, I see American society as a whole getting more divisive and rude. I actually wanted Obama to win for two reasons. First, it would allow a new perspective from the White House which was needed. And second, teach the Republicans a lesson about arrogance. Most of what President Obama has done since taking office, I do not agree with. This does not make me a racist, but an American. His skin color and heritage have nothing to do with how I feel about his ideas. I base my feelings on what he has said and done and those he surrounds himself with. With that said, he is still the President. He is due the respect that comes with that office. This entire idea has now been corrupted into racism by our media. I see a great divide that needs to be healed.

It has come to the point I distrust all the media and pundits. I seek what truth I can find for myself. I even wonder if the politicians enjoy this strife. If we are busy fighting amongst ourselves, we miss the evil they are doing to us. I always believed the Democrat Party could win every election if they would put aside their petty differences and vote as one. However, I do not believe that will ever happen. I am an American. I am not a white-American, southern-American, Anglo-American, Tennesseean-American, or anything else. I am an American, plain and simple. I look at everyone else through that same prism. I do not believe in Gay-American,Straight-American, African-American, Asian-American, Mexican-American, etc. (However, Mexicans are Americans by virtue of being from North America.) But as a citizen of the United States, I think most of you know what I mean.

Everyone still with me?

In this spirit, I would like to invite my facebook friends to contact me. If you are interested in a dialogue and discussion, even a few jokes, I welcome you. If you are just going to call me names and insult me or my intelligence, don't bother. I have heard it all before. This is my way of saying we can be friends and disagree with each other. I often find it boring to only associate with those who only believe with me. I promise not to belittle you or your beliefs. I only seek to know why you believe what you believe. This is my simple way of trying to bring my part of the world together.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. This alone makes you one of the better people out there.

Some Definitions for the Record - Originally Posted 04-28-10

Let’s have some fun. Lately, the media has been throwing words around like Nazi, Fascist, Socialist, etc. I have an idea. Let us take the definitions of these terms and see which apply to the current Democrat, Republican, Conservative, or Liberal. Where do you fit?

Com•mu•nism [kom-yuh-niz-uh m] –noun
1. a theory or system of social organization based on the holding of all property in common, actual ownership being ascribed to the community as a whole or to the state.
2. ( often initial capital letter ) a system of social organization in which all economic and social activity is controlled by a totalitarian state dominated by a single and self-perpetuating political party.
3. ( initial capital letter ) the principles and practices of the Communist party.
4. Communalism.

So•cial•ism [soh-shuh-liz-uh m] –noun
1. a theory or system of social organization that advocates the vesting of the ownership and control of the means of production and distribution, of capital, land, etc., in the community as a whole.
2. procedure or practice in accordance with this theory.
3. (in Marxist theory) the stage following capitalism in the transition of a society to communism, characterized by the imperfect implementation of collectivist principles.

Marx•ism [mahrk-siz-uh m] –noun
the system of economic and political thought developed by Karl Marx, along with Friedrich Engels, esp. the doctrine that the state throughout history has been a device for the exploitation of the masses by a dominant class, that class struggle has been the main agency of historical change, and that the capitalist system, containing from the first the seeds of its own decay, will inevitably, after the period of the dictatorship of the proletariat, be superseded by a socialist order and a classless society.

Na•zi [naht-see, nat-]–noun
1. a member of the National socialist German Workers' party of Germany, which in 1933, under Adolf Hitler, seized political control of the country, suppressing all opposition and establishing a dictatorship over all cultural, economic, and political activities of the people, and promulgated belief in the supremacy of Hitler as Führer, aggressive anti-Semitism, the natural supremacy of the German people, and the establishment of Germany by superior force as a dominant world power. The party was officially abolished in 1945 at the conclusion of World War II.
2. ( often lowercase ) a person elsewhere who holds similar views.
3. Sometimes Offensive . ( often lowercase ) a person who is fanatically dedicated to or seeks to control a specified activity, practice, etc.: a jazz nazi who disdains other forms of music; tobacco nazis trying to ban smoking.

Fas•cism [fash-iz-uh m]–noun
1. ( sometimes initial capital letter ) a governmental system led by a dictator having complete power, forcibly suppressing opposition and criticism, regimenting all industry, commerce, etc., and emphasizing an aggressive nationalism and often racism.
2. ( sometimes initial capital letter ) the philosophy, principles, or methods of fascism.
3. ( initial capital letter ) a fascist movement, esp. the one established by Mussolini in Italy 1922–43.

Le•nin•ism [len-uh-niz-uh m]–noun
The form of Communism as taught by Lenin, with emphasis on the dictatorship of the proletariat.

The•oc•ra•cy [thee-ok-ruh-see]–noun, plural -cies.
1. a form of government in which god or a deity is recognized as the supreme civil ruler, the God's or deity's laws being interpreted by the ecclesiastical authorities.
2. a system of government by priests claiming a divine commission.
3. a commonwealth or state under such a form or system of government.

Ol•i•gar•chy [ol-i-gahr-kee]–noun, plural -chies.
1. a form of government in which all power is vested in a few persons or in a dominant class or clique; government by the few.
2. a state or organization so ruled.
3. the persons or class so ruling.

Dic•ta•tor•ship [dik-tey-ter-ship, dik-tey-]–noun
1. a country, government, or the form of government in which absolute power is exercised by a dictator.
2. absolute, imperious, or overbearing power or control.
3. the office or position held by a dictator.

Mon•ar•chy [mon-er-kee]–noun, plural -chies.
1. a state or nation in which the supreme power is actually or nominally lodged in a monarch. Compare absolute monarchy, limited monarchy.
2. supreme power or sovereignty held by a single person.

An•ar•chy [an-er-kee]–noun
1. a state of society without government or law.
2. political and social disorder due to the absence of governmental control: The death of the king was followed by a year of anarchy.
3. a theory that regards the absence of all direct or coercive government as a political ideal and that proposes the cooperative and voluntary association of individuals and groups as the principal mode of organized society.
4. confusion; chaos; disorder: Intellectual and moral anarchy followed his loss of faith.

Part Three: California - Originally Posted 04-29-10

I noticed in the fast food businesses there were mostly Hispanics working there. I did not pay much attention to that. There are a lot of Hispanics in the area. Then I noticed they were cutting yards, working in grocery stores, etc. Most people would think, big deal, right? The thing was, these were not teenagers or college kids. They were all adults. I wondered why all these adults were doing the jobs I did as a kid and were used to seeing kids do. I thought it was just in my area. But, it was actually all over. I later found out they were illegal aliens. The business people preferred to hire them instead of kids because they work for less than minimum wage. They could pay them off the books as well. I asked what the kids did for jobs. I was told they did whatever they could find or did not work at all. That was my first introduction to the illegal alien workforce.

I found out it was in the construction industry as well. I knew a couple of contractors who only hired illegal aliens because they did not have to pay them much. Also, they did not unionize and if they had a complaint, they could be fired and new ones picked up at the Home Depot parking lot. I still did not think it was a big deal. It was the early part of the new century. The economy was good. There were plenty of jobs to go around, I thought.

Then I had kids. Not long after the twins were born, Tammy started having problems with her back. A few times we had to go to the emergency room. The place was packed with illegal aliens. Since they do not have insurance and cannot afford health care, the go to the ER for every little thing. We would have to wait for hours in the ER waiting while a bunch of illegal aliens were trying to get their kids with stuffy noses seen. That started to bother me. It was not just our local hospital, it was all of them. On top of all that, I was paying for them as well with my taxes. We did not get free healthcare. They did. Over time, it got worse and worse.

Then the kids had to go to school. We lived in a pretty nice place. The kids went to a good school. As the years went on, they started bussing in the illegal kids from South Placentia to my kid’s school. The school started going downhill. In the third grade, Alex came home and said she was tired of teaching. I asked what she meant. She said she had to help the English language learners in class. I told her that was a good thing to help her classmates along who were not quite getting it. Then she looked at me and said, “I have to do it every day. They make us help teach the English language learning kids.” I can see helping along, but this was something different. This was taking away from the teachers teaching my kids. It was slowing the entire school down. They were supposed to have special classes to teach the non-English kids learn English. Most of them did not even pay attention.
Then there was the crime. As the years went by, crime in Placentia escalated. My garage was broken into. My truck was broken into twice. There started being problems at the high school with gangs. There were shootings and stabbings that were previously unheard of. Break-ins, robberies, DUI’s, everything started going up. Even if we had not moved out of the state, we were looking to move out of that area. It was not fun. The first time my garage was broken into a radio was stolen. I thought it was just kids. When my truck was broken into, they stole my radio and my toolbox out of the bed. That was not kids. Kids steal radios and CD’s, they do not steal tools and toolboxes. Of course, the police did nothing. They were just as terrified of the Hispanic community as the city council and the mayor.

Now, let me make something clear, racial profiling is not racism. I we had done a little racial profiling at Logan Airport on September 11, 2001, we may have confiscated a few box cutters from some Arab men. In turn, that would have saved about 3,000 lives. Almost every other country uses racial profiling in one way or another. It is a safety issue. Given the past fifty years of terrorism in the air, who has been the majority of terrorist? Given the cold, hard, statistical facts, Arab men in their twenties and thirties should be given extra scrutiny at airports. Does this mean all Arab men in their twenties and thirties are terrorists? No, it means there is a greater likelihood of the terrorists being Arab men in their twenties and thirties, traveling alone, with no carry on except a Koran. Yes, I want that guy checked out. If the terrorists begin to show a different demographic, I want them checked as well. Do you or your loved ones want to be on that next plane that blows up because the security was afraid to check the passengers?
Why does the Arizona law call out Hispanics? Plain and simple, it doesn’t. Have you read the bill? I posted it. I do not mean what CNN, MSNBC, FOX, the activists, the East Coast liberals, etc. are saying. They do not know. They have not read the bill. Now, I have heard the questions about why they do not check the Canadians. How many Canadians are sneaking into Arizona, illegally, using up their resources, kidnapping and murdering their people, and committing other crimes? My guess would be very few. How many of these are Mexicans, Central, or South American? I do not know, but I will bet it is a hell of a lot more than Canadians. By the way, that kid in PK’s third grade class I took the butterfly knife away from, he was an illegal alien. He did not speak English. Guess where he was from. I will give you a couple of hints. He did not speak French, either. He was not from Canada.
And this crap about being pulled over because you are Hispanic. That is a load of crap as well. I am not saying it does not happen in isolated incidents. I am sure it does. If the police pulled over every Hispanic in AZ just to check their driver’s license, they would not be able to do anything else. It has to be a stop for a reason like speeding, an accident, DUI, or other infraction of the law. Not that being an illegal alien is an infraction of the law in itself. What is always the first thing an officer of the law asks you after a traffic stop? It does not matter what color you are. It does not matter what gender you are. It does not matter how tall or short you are. None of that matters. They ALWAYS ask for your driver’s license, every single time. This bill does not change that. You are required to carry a driver’s license anytime you are operating a motor vehicle on the public roads. The bill did not change that, either. You know what it does change? It gives the local police the authority to protect the citizens of the State of Arizona in a way the federal government refuses to. That is all it does. Period.

The federal government does not give a rat’s ass about you. This may be news to some of you. Others may already know this. It cares about noisy special interest groups with a lot of money. It cares about lobbyists who donate to campaigns. It cares about businesses that contribute to their campaigns. It cares about who is paying them the most money. You do not fall into that category, at all. You are nothing to them. The states, however, take a different view. Well, the good ones do. California does not. They are as bad as the federal government. Anyway, the states see their people as a resource, not necessarily as a burden. That resource pays taxes and keeps the state’s economy going. Illegal aliens in the states do not contribute to the livelihood of the economy. In balance, they are tax takers. Yes, they pay sales tax, but that is it. They consume more of the resources than they contribute. The states have tried to get the federal government to do something about this problem for years. This does not fall on Presidents Bush and Obama. It goes back before they were even around.

The main reason they do not do anything is the money. The Republicans and their partners in big business see them as a cheap source of labor. The Democrats and their partners in the unions and big business see them as potential voters and members, even though they are not legally able to vote. But, what does that matter they are here under illegal pretenses anyway. Meanwhile, the south western states are going bankrupt trying to take care of this invading horde. The reason nothing is done is because there is no serious problem with illegal aliens east of the Mississippi River. So, Washington does not care.
The citizens of these states are not bad people. They do not want any harm to come to these people, except the criminals. They just want them to either go home or have the federal government help them out with the problem. Things are so bad in California, they burden of supporting the illegal aliens contributed to the collapse of the state’s economy. It was not the sole issue, but it contributed more than most people thing. It got so bad we had to flee the state. We were not the only ones. A lot of businesses that provided jobs left as well. The only people left in California are the super rich and the destitute poor. The middle class has been almost eliminated. The few that are left are barely hanging on.

That brings me to my next issue, culture. I am proud of my culture and my ancestry. I am proud to be from the state of Tennessee. I am also proud of my second home state of California. I am proud to be from the South. I am proud to be a descendent of the United Kingdom. I am not too proud to be from Memphis. But, that is another story. However, on top of all of that, I am proud to be a citizen of the United States of America. I put Old Glory above any other flag; Confederate, Southern Cross, Tennessee, California, Union Jack, any. Most legal immigrants feel the same way. They come to this country to take part in the greatest nation on earth. They also come and swear their allegiance. Even though they are proud to be from a different nation, culture, place, etc., they now consider themselves to be citizens of the United States of America above all else. Most of them immerse themselves in our culture and history. The learn English and occasionally take on English sounding names in order to better assimilate into our society. They keep their culture and language as well. They add it to our culture. That is why we refer to the United States as the “Melting Pot”. It is a wonderful metaphor. I love it. I like REAL Chinese and Japanese food. I enjoy a variety of music from other cultures. I learned so much from my mother working at the university about other people and nations.

On the flip side of that, the illegal aliens do none of these. When I saw the first May Day Rally in Los Angeles, there were Mexican flags. No United States flags in sight. They refuse to assimilate. They do not want to be a part of our culture. They want to turn Southern California, New Mexico, Arizona, and Texas into Mexico. They even have a term for these territories they insist were stolen from Mexico in the Mexican-American War. They do not try to learn English. They do not try to encourage their children to get an education. In some areas, it is considered an embarrassment to achieve more than your parents. No, I do not understand it. Most legal immigrants see this country as the land of opportunity to do better. These people see this country as a giant teat waiting to be suckled dry.
They live thirty to a two bedroom house. They bring their families up here with them as well as gangs, drug dealers and murderers. They do not care about this country and its way of life. They just want whatever they can get and send it back south of the border.

Now they want amnesty. I say, no. Let them go through the same hell as friends of mine had to trying to get citizenship. You want to sit there and tell me these people should be pushed ahead of the line, in front of people who have been waiting for years to get citizenship. These people, who broke the law in the first place to get here? These people, who cannot even read or write the language of the United States? They take no citizenship tests. Do not have to learn anything about this country and its history? Do not even have to show proof of identity? These are the people who should get preferential treatment in the eyes of the law above those who have done the right thing?

Lastly, the only thing I see going on in Arizona is an act of desperation because the federal government will not do anything. Drug smugglers and gangs are murdering citizens on the border. The country of Mexico itself is falling into chaos and anarchy because of the corruption of its people. They try to blame the Spanish for their way of life. The Spanish have been gone for a very long time. It is about time they take responsibility for their own instead of sending them over here, illegally.

Part Two: Immigration - Originally Posted 04-28-10

Illegal Immigrant (Illegal Alien)–noun
1. A foreigner who has entered or resides in a country unlawfully or without the country's authorization.
2. A foreigner who enters the U.S. without an entry or immigrant visa, esp. a person who crosses the border by avoiding inspection or who overstays the period of time allowed as a visitor, tourist, or businessperson.

I am a citizen of the United States of America. I was born here. My ancestors immigrated here in the late 1600’s. In the eyes of the Crown, they were legal immigrants. Granted, the Indians (Native Americans) did not agree with that. But, they lost. (I am not going to go into the atrocities performed on the Indians in the history of this country. Yes, we stole their land. Yes, we murdered their men, women, and children. Yes, we broke every treaty ever made with them. Unfortunately, that is the nature and history of war and conquest. It goes back way before the first European set foot in the New World. It is as old as human history itself.) I am also not a racist. I covered that in the previous article. That charge is a simple act of desperation by people who cannot think of anything else to say. If someone wants to become a citizen of the United States, go through that process, and uphold its laws, God love them. I support anyone from any country becoming a legal resident, visitor, or citizen of this country. We are a very welcome and diverse country. If you love this country as much as I do, I say, “Welcome my brothers and sisters.”

Therein lies the problem. We have people who have tried for years to legally become citizens of the United States. They have married citizens. They have gone through miles and miles of red tape put before them by the federal government. They had had setbacks and cried tears of frustration to try to attain this goal. Those are not who this article is discussing. I am referring to the other immigrants, the ILLEGAL ones. The name itself means breaking the law.

Recently, there was a bill signed in Arizona about police powers regarding illegal aliens. You can choose to be a follower zombie of the media and be told what the bill is about. Or, you can read the bill and see what is in it. I posted the bill on my profile page yesterday. I leave that choice to you. A good friend of mine started to debate the merits of this bill. She is a great person I have known since high school. We think a lot alike on many subjects. I saw it as long overdue and wish more western states would adopt similar measures. She had visions of Nazis in black trench coats stopping people on the streets asking for their “papers.” I stopped the debate for a simple reason. I have lived in that culture for twelve years. She had not. She had no frame of reference to discuss the issue. It is not because she is dumb, far from it. She just had not seen what happens, first hand, in that type of environment. I have. I lived it.

When I first moved to California in 1997, I was impressed with the variety of cultures and people I was surrounded by. I was from Memphis, TN, and the majority of cultures I had been exposed to were black or white. Occasionally, I would get a taste of different people through the university where my mother worked. They would have visiting residents and professors from around the world. It was one of them who taught me to use chop sticks correctly. He and his family were a lot of fun. But, California was different. I used to joke that there was not majority in California. We were all minorities. If any one group tried to say they were being treated unfairly, another would just shout them down with their own tales of woe. That is one of the things I miss so much about my home state, everyone is victim of something.

I also did not think much about illegal immigration. I had spent a couple of summers in South Texas. But it was not a huge problem back then. People had maids and yard people who came across the border to work. They were not drug dealers or gangs or anything. They were just good, hard working people from Mexico. Sometimes we would take them back across at the end of the day. Other times we would have them spend the night. It was not a big deal. Then, back in Memphis, I never saw any. The only Hispanics I knew were doctors at the university. Most of them were from Argentina. They would stay a few years in the United Stat and go home. No big deal. Then, I lived in Southern California. Then, it became a big deal.

Part One: Racism - Originally Posted 04-27-10

Rac•ism [rey-siz-uh m] –noun
1. a belief or doctrine that inherent differences among the various human races determine cultural or individual achievement, usually involving the idea that one's own race is superior and has the right to rule others.
2. a policy, system of government, etc., based upon or fostering such a doctrine; discrimination.
3. hatred or intolerance of another race or other races.

Rac-ism (when heard in the media or by politicians) [rey-siz-uh m] – noun
I have run out of logical or coherent arguments to counter your opinion. Therefore, I need something to deflect criticism of myself or my associates.

Racism. It is one of my least favorite issues to discuss. I am a white, male, Christian, conservative, fat, son of the South. With the exception of baldness, I am the epitome of the last acceptable, nay, encouraged, demographic that is allowed to be made fun of, ridicule, resent, despise, and parody by our society, media, and politicians. I am also a natural born citizen of the United States of America.

I was born in Memphis, TN, six weeks after Dr. King was assassinated. My God rest his soul. Yes, I drive an old pickup. I like it. It is handy to have. I own a Southern Cross flag. I used to take it to Ole Miss games back when that was acceptable (I am actually a Tennessee alumni and fan). I love Southern Rock, Country, Rock and Roll, Heavy Metal, Soul, Blues, and Soft Rock. I do not like Rap. I like the politics of Sen. Barry Goldwater and Pres. Ronald Reagan. I do not like the politics of Pres. Franklin Roosevelt, Pres. Lyndon Johnson, or our current President Barack Obama. I believe Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life.
Now, with my qualifications out of the way, I will get to the point. True racism is an evil and ugly thing. Do any of you actually know a true racist? I mean, do you know someone who truly believes their race is superior to any other. I do not mean do you know of someone. I mean actually know. You have actually met and talked with this person. This person may even be a friend or relative. Someone, who, if they had their way, would subjugate or annihilate any person not of their race? We are not talking nasty jokes or teasing of friends. I will give you a minute to think about it. I have. I have known some in school and at work. They are very unpleasant and ignorant people.

I have been a victim of discrimination and racism. I do not say this to get into a comparison of who has had it worse. I know there are people out there who have had to put up with a lot more than I could ever imagine. We can go back to almost any time in history and bring up examples. I am saying this because I know what it is. I have experienced it, firsthand. At the University of Tennessee, I worked in the bookstore. I was discriminated for being the only white person not in management. When I went to the manager, I was told there was nothing he could do. The university will not care about me because I am a white male. They only want to handle complaints against “minorities”. I thought I was one in that situation. Was I angry and upset? Damn right I was. Did I hate all black people because of this? No, I had not ever known all black people in order to hate them. Did I believe all black people were like these people?. No, I knew they were not. This was a small group of narrow minded, ignorant people who felt the way they did for their own reasons. They knew nothing about me and did not even try to get to know me. I was immediately labeled the “white boy.” After a few months of this, I quit.
My next experience was in the accepting, liberal state of California. I had to deal with stereotypes. I had to put up with people making fun of my accent. I had people question my intelligence. I had questions about my family history; inbreeding, slavery, number of teeth, etc. I heard it all from the open-minded, liberal people. Some were in just, some were serious. The worst was when I was interviewing at Mitsubishi Motors North America. At the end of my second interview, I was told “The only two qualified candidates for this position are white males. My diversity manager told me I had to keep looking.” This was a direct quote. Even though it was almost ten years ago, I can hear it verbatim. I remember the woman who said it, where we were, what she was wearing, everything. Needless to say, I did not get the job. After that experience, I really did not want it. I wonder if Mitsubishi Motors North America is still that way? Last I heard, the same woman still worked there in a very high position. Almost to a person, I had the following exchange after we had just met for the first time: “Where are you from?” “Memphis, TN” “Have you ever thought of going back?” I am not making that up. Almost everyone I met had the same exchange with me. If the KKK heard some of the crap I had to hear, their white robes would turn green with envy. Now, I never had anyone outright hate me that I know of. I was never physically beaten or anything like that. But I have endured discrimination. Therefore, I will talk about it if I like.
Speaking of the pointy heads, the KKK is a racist organization. So are the Aryans in whatever form they take. As far as I am concerned any group that promotes one race over another is a racist organization. La Raza literally means “The Race”. The NAACP is the National Association for the Advancement of Colored Persons. The United Negro College fund, the Black Panther Party, Black Miss America, Black Entertainment Television (BET), Black Congressional Caucus, etc.. I do not mean to pick on the Black people, but these are the ones in the media. These are not racist organizations by definition. Most do not even consider themselves racist organizations. Most of them do not “hate” anyone. They are not out to destroy other races in favor of their own. But, imagine if you substituted the word white in place off Black, Negro or Colored what would you have. They would be horrible racist, murderous thugs. They would be seeking the destruction of all other races except their own. They would be the worst scum in the world. I am not advocating this. Nor am I saying we should have white organizations to counter these black, Hispanic, Asian, whatever organization. I would really like to see all of these associations with reference to any race disbanded. I do not see how we are going to have the equality, peace, and harmony the liberals are always crowing about as long as there are organizations like these. Their very names imply separatism. Yes, I am a Mason and we do not allow women. It is not that we do not like them. I even married one. It’s just sometimes you want to hang out with the guys.

Do I have friends of different races? Yes, I do. One of my favorites is a black woman I think the world of back in California. She thought a lot like I do that this racism thing is stupid. We would tease each other something awful. I cannot even repeat in this forum some of the things we used to say to each other. I loved her and her lesbian partner. They were true friends, not just acquaintances. I really miss her. She is not on facebook so I cannot even talk to her. I also have some Hispanic, Asian, and African (as in from Africa) friends. These are not my token minority friends. They are people who are just friends. I am not saying this to prove I am not a racist. I do not have to prove anything to anyone. Only God knows what is in my heart. To be honest, he is the only one that needs to know. I do not care what color you are or what you believe. If you are a person of honor and integrity, the rest is irrelevant. That is all I ask of a true friend. Unfortunately, I also have friends who try to twist everything I say to have the worst possible meaning. I do not know if they are looking for something or just insecure.

This is the year 2010. We have a Black President, Black and Hispanic Judges on the Supreme Court. We have congress people of all races, creeds, colors, and beliefs. We no longer live in a white dominated society. Unfortunately, some people out there are not going to be happy until their group or race is in charge of it all. They cannot accept that we are all Americans. We are not African-Americans, Anglo-Americans, Hispanic-Americans, Italian Americans, Irish-Americans, Chinese-Americans, Asian-Americans, Japanese-Americans, Korean-Americans, etc. If I left your specific subset out, I apologize. We are all Americans. It does not matter if our ancestors came over on a merchant ship or slave ship. It does not matter if we are natural or naturalized. The only thing that matters is if we are legal citizens or residents of the United States of America. That and being children of God is what we all have in common.

That brings me to part two. I am going to discuss the new bill in Arizona. Those of you who are still interested are welcome to read it. If I have offended you, I am sorry. But, I mean every word I say.

Healthcare - Originally Posted 03-22-10

Our current health insurance issue did not begin with yesterday's vote. It did not begin with the inauguration of President Obama. It did not begin with Hillary-Care. It did not begin when the leftist hippies were whining about socialized medicine in the 1960's and 1970's. It didn't begin with the labor unions demanding worker's comp for hangnails in the 1930's. No, I think it began where so many other problems in our society began, LAWYERS!
I believe it all began when the first sleazy, corrupt lawyer (SCL) sued the first sleazy, corrupt insurance company (SCICO) over their sleazy, corrupt business practices. (I am willing to be proven wrong at any time. Just reply to my note.) You see, SCICO was screwing its clients by either limiting or even denying their clients proper health care that the clients had been paying for. So injured client hired (SCL) to represent him. So, SCL won the case over SCICO in court. The idiotic jury awarded astronomical punitive damages to the client. Then, SCL proceeded to take almost all of that. Then, SCICO had to raise its rates to defend against other SCL's that were on their way.
Since sleazy, corrupt drug and medical equipment maker (SCDME) saw all the money SCL and SCICO were making, they decided to get into the act. They had the advantage of hiding their sleazy and corrupt ways by claiming they needed to recoup their research money. The sleazy, corrupt federal government was not giving them enough money.
Now, SCICO and SCDME realized the best way to get more was to go after the clients through the sleazy, corrupt hospital and doctors (SCHD). SCHD can now charge the patient $100 for an aspirin and $200 for a tongue depressor and SCICO will have to pay for it. Then pay SCDME whatever their prices are and pocket the difference. Meanwhile SCICO can charge the patient whatever they want for the premiums. Everyone with me, now?
After about 50 years of this, the people got upset and called upon their sleazy, corrupt politicians (SCP) to do something about it. Well they tried and tried. They had one scheme after another. They worked on this problem for decades. They invited SCICO and SCDME to help write it. Unfortunately, they just looked out for themselves. Then they brought in the SCHD and the SCL to help. They just made things worse. After more money and lives had been wasted, President Clinton's wife decided she had the answer. She didn't. Her plan was mostly from the SCICO, SCDME, and the SCHD with the help of the SCL. That just would have made a bad situation worse. The good people of America did not want to make it worse. We knew we had the best health care on earth. We did not want to mess with that. We knew we had a problem with health insurance. We also knew that health insurance was a necessary evil in this world since the SCICO, SCL, SCDME, SCHD, and SCP's were running all of it.
Then the American people elected a new president. He was supposed to bring hope and change to everyone. He made promise after promise. He was a great speaker and an intelligent thinker. He promised to solve the issue. Well, he did. He threw away the Constitution. He called all his leftist, communist, radical, America-hating friends to help him do it. They decided to punish the SCICO's, SCHD's, SCDME's and the American people. However, he left the SCP's and SCL's alone to continue what they were doing. He said it was perfectly ok with him if the SCICO's were restrained by law from participating in the free markets. He was also ok with the SCL's and SCP's running health care for people instead of SCHD's. On March 21, 2010, through the Democratically controlled House of Representatives, he got his wish. It did not matter the people did not like his plan. It did not matter he used sleazy and corrupt practices to convince the SCP's to vote for it. It did not matter the people would be paying higher taxes. It did not matter that our debt would climb over $2.24 trillion over it's current level and bankrupt the country. It did not matter that the law of the land had to be stomped on and broken to get this done. It did not matter there was a war in Iraq and Afghanistan, 10% unemployment and the economy was in the toilet while he was doing this. It did not matter he has ruined the greatest medical care system in the world. He did not care about all the jobs that would be lost as the SCICO went bankrupt. It did not matter he broke his promises off openness and transparency of the proceedings. It only mattered that his name would be attached to this scam.
Now, what have we learned? If you run a sleazy, corrupt business in a sleazy, corrupt industry and do not temper your greed, the sleazy, corrupt federal government will take it over and ruin you. So, keep your sleaze and corruption to a minimum and not draw too much attention to yourself.
Thank you for your time.

Forgiveness - Originally Posted 03-21-10

Forgiveness has become my favorite word of late. I have thought about it for a while. A few days ago I thought of something. God's forgiveness comes easy. You just ask for it. Forgiveness from other people is a little more difficult. They have to give it willingly. Forgiving other people is even harder. You have to admit you were wrong. That can be a huge blow to the ego. Finally, forgiving yourself is the hardest. I am not sure if you can truly have that without the above.

During my semi-retirement I have thought a lot about this. I am trying to take this time to right some wrongs in my life. No, I am not dying of some dreaded disease. I am not recovering from any addictions. I have not reached the "bottom". I did not see three spirits on Christmas eve. Nor did I have a revelation on the road to Damascus. (Some of you may have to look that one up. I'll give you a hint: it's in the book of Acts.) Side note: I don't like those down and out stories. Why do they wait until they are digging through the trash for their next meal. Then, a bright light shines on them and they see Jesus, God, Buddha, whoever. That was never me. I just "grew up" I guess. I just decided it was time to let go.

The years 1980 to 1989 were the worst years of my life. I spent them consumed by anger, hate, bitterness, and revenge. I was a terrible person. I lashed out at everyone I knew. There are probably less than five people who could say something nice about me from those years. I still can't listen to music, movies, or anything from those years. Those old ghosts are really powerful. We took the kids to see High School Musical 3. I did not sleep for three nights and had nightmares when I did.

That brings me to my point. A week or so ago, I sent some messages. You know how you are supposed to start small with a goal and work your way up. Well, I started with the biggest and worked my way down. One went well. The other, not so well. I reconnected with someone who I was terrible to. I mean I was horrible. If she had never wanted to speak to me again, I would understand. She accepted my apology and forgave me. She wrote me back and we started being friends. She has a great husband and a good life. She is still as sweet and wonderful as when I knew her back then. You would not believe the weight that feels like has been lifted. Tammy thought it was great for me as well. The other, I have not heard back from. I guess some wounds just run too deep to heal.

I am trying to reach out more. It's a really long list. Remember those mason jars of jelly beans where you have to guess how many are in there? That is what I am like. It is very difficult, but not impossible. Think of all the jelly beans as my sins against others. They are poison and black in a dark room. Also, the jar may or may not be full. The only way to know is to take out and count each and every one until the jar is empty. My ideal would be for the jar to be emptied. But that is not possible. Some people I have lost contact with. Some have passed on. Some just do not want to hear from me no matter what. The list goes on. But, I try to pull out the jelly beans I can see. I think I get better with each one that is removed. Some, I just can't reach.

I was never a good son, brother, cousin, etc. Very few thought of me as a good friend. The rest just did not want to know. Someone once told me that people have to work too hard to be my friend. I make it difficult for them. Most people just don't want to put in that kind of work. And, yes, I hurt a lot of people I knew. Some deserved it, most did not. I have been trying to change that over the past twenty years. Some days are better than others. The truth is you can not change who you are. I am still the same person I was back then. I just like to think I have improved a little and grown up.

Anyway, that's my soap box speech for the day. Thanks for reading.