OK. I have just about had it! If I have to hear the same drum being beaten upon by the media of how horrible it is to text and drive, I am going to lose it!. Now, don't get me wrong, here. I am in no way condoning the act. I think it is as irresponsible as does the next guy. But come on already!
I can recall sitting in my driver's education class watching a video. A dude was driving in his car jamming to the music on the radio. A song came on that the dude didn't like. The screen fades to black and the white block letters come up on the screen, "Timmy didn't like what was on the radio..." It fades back to the video where Timmy is not paying attention to where he was going and messing with the radio. He looks up at the last minute. The camera shows a little girl turning her head as we hear the sound of screeching tires. The screen fades to white and now black block letters appear, "...so he killed a little girl!" The message was plain. Don't freaking mess with the radio while you're driving or you may hurt someone. Or better yet. Pay attention when you are behind the wheel period!
How is that any different from texting while driving? There is a lot of what I call statistical propaganda out there as well that states such things as ,"text messaging increases the risk of a car accident or near car accident 23.2 times when compared to the car accident statistics with non-distracted driver." (http://seriousaccidents.com/legal-advice/top-causes-of-car-accidents/driver-distractions/) Did you catch that last phrase there, though? A non-distracted driver. There is all of this fuss about texting when there are other things that distract drivers just as much. Here are some examples that I myself have observed while driving in rush hour traffic in Dallas, Texas.
Reading - as in books, newspapers, maps, etc.
Eating
Messing with the radio
Drinking a beverage
Pouring a beverage (Yes, that's right, I said pouring)
Disciplining children
Lighting a cigarette/cigar/pipe
Smoking a cigarette/cigar/pipe
Kissing a significant other
Rubbernecking
Applying make-up (which, by the way, according to www.telegraph.co.uk caused over a half a million car crashes in the UK in 2009)
Playing with pets
And the list goes on and on. The point is (and I do have one) that there are many things that that distract people from the task at hand, which, in this case, is driving. Distracted drivers is the number one cause of accidents, granted, but I fail to understand why everyone is making such a big deal about the use of cell phones. I understand that they are popular and in the spot light. But let's be realistic here. This is America, and everything is money. Somebody somewhere has to be making a buck off of this campaign.
And as far as new laws being made particularly for cell phone usage, (and here is another drum I am beating) there are already laws on the books for negligence. The last thing that we need is for lawmakers to give us more useless laws just so they can somewhere down the way line their pockets. Let's call a spade a spade. If someone causes an accident because they are eating or playing with the radio, let's hold them accountable for negligence. If they cause an accident because they were texting on their cell phone, let's hold them accountable for negligence. If they are negligent hold them accountable for just that.
It's called responsibility, folks. If lawmakers are going to make separate laws for cell phones, then they need to make separate laws for all of the other aforementioned items as well. Sound ridiculous? That is just how this whole texting while driving is of the devil campaign sounds to me. And, as I have previously stated but bares repeating, we don't need any more idiotic laws. Of course, this is just my point of view.
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
A friend of mine sent me an email recently. I do not know who composed this piece, but I found it quite poignant. There is much to be said of the Second Amendment. Not to offend, but to those of you who do not know, it the the part of the Bill of Rights that gives citizens the right to bear arms. So here it is.
A Little Gun History
In 1929, the Soviet Union established gun control. From 1929 to 1953, about 20 million dissidents, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.
------------------------------
In 1911, Turkey established gun control. From 1915 to 1917, 1.5 million Armenians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.
------------------------------
Germany established gun control in 1938 and from 1939 to 1945, a total of 13 million Jews and others who were unable to defend themselves were rounded up and exterminated.
------------------------------
China established gun control in 1935. From 1948 to 1952, 20 million political dissidents, unable to defend themselves,
were rounded up and exterminated
------------------------------
Guatemala established gun control in 1964. From 1964 to 1981, 100,000 Mayan Indians, unable to defend themselves,
were rounded up and exterminated.
---- ------------- -------------
Uganda established gun control in 1970. From 1971 to 1979, 300,000 [people], unable to defend themselves, were
rounded up and exterminated.
------------------------
Cambodia established gun control in 1956. >From 1975 to 1977, one million educated people, unable to defend
themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.
-----------------------------
Defenseless people rounded up and exterminated in the 20th Century because of gun control: 56 million!
------------------------------
It has now been 12 months since gun owners in Australia were forced by new law to surrender 640,381 personal firearms to be destroyed by their own government, a program costing Australia taxpayers more than $500 million dollars. The first year results are now in:
Australia-wide, homicides are up 3.2 percent
Australia-wide, assaults are up 8.6 percent
Australia-wide, armed robberies are up 44 percent (yes, 44 percent)!
In the state of Victoria alone, homicides with firearms are now up 300 percent! Note that while the law-abiding citizens turned them in, the criminals did not, and criminals still possess their guns!
While figures over the previous 25 years showed a steady decrease in armed robbery with firearms, this has changed drastically upward in the past 12 months, since criminals now are guaranteed that their prey is unarmed.
There has also been a dramatic increase in break-ins and assaults of the ELDERLY. Australian politicians are at a loss to explain how public safety has decreased, after such monumental effort, and expense was expended in successfully
ridding Australian society of guns. The Australian experience and the other historical facts above prove it.
You won't see this data on the US evening news, or hear politicians disseminating this information.
Guns in the hands of honest citizens save lives and property and, yes, gun-control laws adversely affect only the law-abiding citizens.
Take note my fellow Americans, before it's too late!
The next time someone talks in favor of gun control, please remind them of this history lesson.
With guns, we are 'citizens'. Without them, we are 'subjects'. (I thought this was one of the most poignant statements in this piece!!!)
During WWII the Japanese decided not to invade [mainland] America because they knew most Americans were ARMED!
If you value your freedom, Please spread this anti-gun control message to all of your friends.
The purpose of fighting is to win. There is no possible victory in defense. The sword is more important than the shield, and skill is more important than either. The final weapon is the brain. All else is supplemental.
As John Steinbeck once said:
1. Don't pick a fight with an old man. If he is too old to fight, he'll just kill you.
2. If you find yourself in a fair fight, your tactics suck.
3. I carry a gun because a cop is too heavy.
4. When seconds count, the cops are just minutes away.
5. A reporter did a human-interest piece on the Texas Rangers. The reporter recognized the Colt Model 1911 the Ranger was carrying and asked him 'Why do you carry a 45?' The Ranger responded, 'Because they don't make a 46.'
6. An armed man will kill an unarmed man with monotonous regularity.
7. The old sheriff was attending an awards dinner when a lady commented on his wearing his sidearm. 'Sheriff, I see you have your pistol. Are you expecting trouble?' 'No Ma'am. If I were expecting trouble, I would have brought my rifle.'
8. Beware the man who only has one gun. HE PROBABLY KNOWS HOW TO USE IT!!!
But wait, there's more!
I was once asked by a lady visiting if I had a gun in the house. I said I did. She said 'Well I certainly hope it isn't loaded!'
To which I said, 'Of course it is loaded, can't work without bullets!' She then asked, 'Are you that afraid of someone evil
coming into your house?' My reply was, 'No, not at all. I am not afraid of the house catching fire either, but I have fire extinguishers around, and they are all loaded too.' To which I'll add, having a gun in the house that isn't loaded is like having a car in the garage without gas in the tank.
I'm a firm believer of the 2nd Amendment!
As am I! Freedom isn't free! But we should be allowed to defend that freedom when threatened from within as well as from without! You know, the whole foreign or domestic thing! This is one more socialist aspect of our nations government trying to take responsibility away from individuals that need to be held responsible. Of course, this is just my point of view.
A Little Gun History
In 1929, the Soviet Union established gun control. From 1929 to 1953, about 20 million dissidents, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.
------------------------------
In 1911, Turkey established gun control. From 1915 to 1917, 1.5 million Armenians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.
------------------------------
Germany established gun control in 1938 and from 1939 to 1945, a total of 13 million Jews and others who were unable to defend themselves were rounded up and exterminated.
------------------------------
China established gun control in 1935. From 1948 to 1952, 20 million political dissidents, unable to defend themselves,
were rounded up and exterminated
------------------------------
Guatemala established gun control in 1964. From 1964 to 1981, 100,000 Mayan Indians, unable to defend themselves,
were rounded up and exterminated.
---- ------------- -------------
Uganda established gun control in 1970. From 1971 to 1979, 300,000 [people], unable to defend themselves, were
rounded up and exterminated.
------------------------
Cambodia established gun control in 1956. >From 1975 to 1977, one million educated people, unable to defend
themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.
-----------------------------
Defenseless people rounded up and exterminated in the 20th Century because of gun control: 56 million!
------------------------------
It has now been 12 months since gun owners in Australia were forced by new law to surrender 640,381 personal firearms to be destroyed by their own government, a program costing Australia taxpayers more than $500 million dollars. The first year results are now in:
Australia-wide, homicides are up 3.2 percent
Australia-wide, assaults are up 8.6 percent
Australia-wide, armed robberies are up 44 percent (yes, 44 percent)!
In the state of Victoria alone, homicides with firearms are now up 300 percent! Note that while the law-abiding citizens turned them in, the criminals did not, and criminals still possess their guns!
While figures over the previous 25 years showed a steady decrease in armed robbery with firearms, this has changed drastically upward in the past 12 months, since criminals now are guaranteed that their prey is unarmed.
There has also been a dramatic increase in break-ins and assaults of the ELDERLY. Australian politicians are at a loss to explain how public safety has decreased, after such monumental effort, and expense was expended in successfully
ridding Australian society of guns. The Australian experience and the other historical facts above prove it.
You won't see this data on the US evening news, or hear politicians disseminating this information.
Guns in the hands of honest citizens save lives and property and, yes, gun-control laws adversely affect only the law-abiding citizens.
Take note my fellow Americans, before it's too late!
The next time someone talks in favor of gun control, please remind them of this history lesson.
With guns, we are 'citizens'. Without them, we are 'subjects'. (I thought this was one of the most poignant statements in this piece!!!)
During WWII the Japanese decided not to invade [mainland] America because they knew most Americans were ARMED!
If you value your freedom, Please spread this anti-gun control message to all of your friends.
The purpose of fighting is to win. There is no possible victory in defense. The sword is more important than the shield, and skill is more important than either. The final weapon is the brain. All else is supplemental.
As John Steinbeck once said:
1. Don't pick a fight with an old man. If he is too old to fight, he'll just kill you.
2. If you find yourself in a fair fight, your tactics suck.
3. I carry a gun because a cop is too heavy.
4. When seconds count, the cops are just minutes away.
5. A reporter did a human-interest piece on the Texas Rangers. The reporter recognized the Colt Model 1911 the Ranger was carrying and asked him 'Why do you carry a 45?' The Ranger responded, 'Because they don't make a 46.'
6. An armed man will kill an unarmed man with monotonous regularity.
7. The old sheriff was attending an awards dinner when a lady commented on his wearing his sidearm. 'Sheriff, I see you have your pistol. Are you expecting trouble?' 'No Ma'am. If I were expecting trouble, I would have brought my rifle.'
8. Beware the man who only has one gun. HE PROBABLY KNOWS HOW TO USE IT!!!
But wait, there's more!
I was once asked by a lady visiting if I had a gun in the house. I said I did. She said 'Well I certainly hope it isn't loaded!'
To which I said, 'Of course it is loaded, can't work without bullets!' She then asked, 'Are you that afraid of someone evil
coming into your house?' My reply was, 'No, not at all. I am not afraid of the house catching fire either, but I have fire extinguishers around, and they are all loaded too.' To which I'll add, having a gun in the house that isn't loaded is like having a car in the garage without gas in the tank.
I'm a firm believer of the 2nd Amendment!
As am I! Freedom isn't free! But we should be allowed to defend that freedom when threatened from within as well as from without! You know, the whole foreign or domestic thing! This is one more socialist aspect of our nations government trying to take responsibility away from individuals that need to be held responsible. Of course, this is just my point of view.
Monday, November 17, 2008
When I Remember Daddy
I remember my daddy on his birthday; every January 8th. The stories that he told of the experiences his life had brought to him. He would get that little sparkle in his eye as he would remember fondly his childhood and the years gone by. But that is not the day that I remember him most.
I remember my daddy on Valentine’s Day and Halloween, the day after really. He would search for the best bargains on the holiday candy that he could find and then eat very little because he was really getting it for his kids. But that is not the day I remember him most.
I remember my daddy on Mother’s Day, when he would make my mother feel even more like a queen than as he usually saw her. He would take us all out to her favorite restaurant, get her flowers, and make sure that us kids did the household chores so that she could relax. But that is not the day I remember him the most.
I remember my daddy on Father’s Day. How could I not? He taught me how to be a man, a loving father and husband, a care-giver, and a friend. His words of wisdom still speak to me from beyond the grave and help to guide me every day that I wake up and look at my gorgeous wife and beautiful daughter. But that is not the day that I remember him the most.
I remember my father on my daughter’s birthday. I recall how no matter what happened to him, he was determined to be there when my daughter came into this world. He endured the grueling torture that is dialysis to make sure that he held that tiny baby, mere hours, after she was born. His resolve to be there on the day that I became a father is something I can never forget. Nor will I forget how his eyes sparkled as he held that little girl in his arms and how young he looked for that one last moment. The tenderness and strength with which he held my daughter was almost ancient and pure magic. And although it comes very close, it not the day that I remember my daddy the most.
I remember him on Christmas day; the youth that enlightened his smiling face; the playful twinkle in his eye when he opened his gifts. He was a kid again. He would drink his coffee and eat the cinnamon bread that he had baked that season as we all sat in the living room playing with our wares. But that is not the day that I remember him the most.
I remember him on Ney Years Eve. Every year he would announce as the clock struck twelve midnight that the passing year was now but a memory. But that is not the day I remember him the most.
I remember him on June 17th. It is a day that is etched in the recesses of my mind and in my memory as being the most devastating day that I could imagine or remember. That was the day that my father died. Yet, that is still not the day that I remember him the most.
I remember him on the eleventh day of every November. More than anything, my father was a patriot in every sense of the word. Never have I seen a person love his country the way that my father did. He wanted so bad to fight for his country. If someone had told him on his death bed that the Fourth Reich had risen to power, he would have led the attack. I remember the look in his eye when he viewed the American flag; how grateful he was to those that had given their lives so that we could be free. No matter how his country treated him, he was still willing to give his life for it and for those that would be free. Yes, my father was a soldier, father, husband, grandfather, and friend, but he was a patriot if ever there was one. So it is on this day, the day that we celebrate the ones that have, are, or who were willing to give their lives so that we could be free. It is on this day that I remember my father the most.
Thank you, Daddy for everything you have done, everything you’ve given, and mostly what you took. (He knows what I am talking about. I will save that for another time.) So as I say these last words, I do so not just in honor of our country, but in honor of my father as well. His favorite song:
Oh say can you see
By the dawn’s early light
What so proudly we hail
At the twilight last gleaming
Whose broad stripes and bright stars
Through the perilous fight
O’er the ramparts we watched
Were so gallantly streaming
And the rockets’ red glare
The bombs bursting in air
Gave proof through the night
That our flag was still there
Oh say does that Star Spangled Banner yet wave!
O’er the LAND of the Free
And the Home of the Brave!
Note:
I had meant to post this on Veteran’s Day, but life happens and people get busy with their lives. This is a tribute to the veteran whom I hold most dear.
I remember my daddy on Valentine’s Day and Halloween, the day after really. He would search for the best bargains on the holiday candy that he could find and then eat very little because he was really getting it for his kids. But that is not the day I remember him most.
I remember my daddy on Mother’s Day, when he would make my mother feel even more like a queen than as he usually saw her. He would take us all out to her favorite restaurant, get her flowers, and make sure that us kids did the household chores so that she could relax. But that is not the day I remember him the most.
I remember my daddy on Father’s Day. How could I not? He taught me how to be a man, a loving father and husband, a care-giver, and a friend. His words of wisdom still speak to me from beyond the grave and help to guide me every day that I wake up and look at my gorgeous wife and beautiful daughter. But that is not the day that I remember him the most.
I remember my father on my daughter’s birthday. I recall how no matter what happened to him, he was determined to be there when my daughter came into this world. He endured the grueling torture that is dialysis to make sure that he held that tiny baby, mere hours, after she was born. His resolve to be there on the day that I became a father is something I can never forget. Nor will I forget how his eyes sparkled as he held that little girl in his arms and how young he looked for that one last moment. The tenderness and strength with which he held my daughter was almost ancient and pure magic. And although it comes very close, it not the day that I remember my daddy the most.
I remember him on Christmas day; the youth that enlightened his smiling face; the playful twinkle in his eye when he opened his gifts. He was a kid again. He would drink his coffee and eat the cinnamon bread that he had baked that season as we all sat in the living room playing with our wares. But that is not the day that I remember him the most.
I remember him on Ney Years Eve. Every year he would announce as the clock struck twelve midnight that the passing year was now but a memory. But that is not the day I remember him the most.
I remember him on June 17th. It is a day that is etched in the recesses of my mind and in my memory as being the most devastating day that I could imagine or remember. That was the day that my father died. Yet, that is still not the day that I remember him the most.
I remember him on the eleventh day of every November. More than anything, my father was a patriot in every sense of the word. Never have I seen a person love his country the way that my father did. He wanted so bad to fight for his country. If someone had told him on his death bed that the Fourth Reich had risen to power, he would have led the attack. I remember the look in his eye when he viewed the American flag; how grateful he was to those that had given their lives so that we could be free. No matter how his country treated him, he was still willing to give his life for it and for those that would be free. Yes, my father was a soldier, father, husband, grandfather, and friend, but he was a patriot if ever there was one. So it is on this day, the day that we celebrate the ones that have, are, or who were willing to give their lives so that we could be free. It is on this day that I remember my father the most.
Thank you, Daddy for everything you have done, everything you’ve given, and mostly what you took. (He knows what I am talking about. I will save that for another time.) So as I say these last words, I do so not just in honor of our country, but in honor of my father as well. His favorite song:
Oh say can you see
By the dawn’s early light
What so proudly we hail
At the twilight last gleaming
Whose broad stripes and bright stars
Through the perilous fight
O’er the ramparts we watched
Were so gallantly streaming
And the rockets’ red glare
The bombs bursting in air
Gave proof through the night
That our flag was still there
Oh say does that Star Spangled Banner yet wave!
O’er the LAND of the Free
And the Home of the Brave!
Note:
I had meant to post this on Veteran’s Day, but life happens and people get busy with their lives. This is a tribute to the veteran whom I hold most dear.
Integrity
I am currently taking a course in college toward my BAAS degree. It is one of those impersonal on line courses that everyone has to take these days. God, I hate computers sometimes. Is there a real human being that I can talk to out there for Christ sake? Anyway that is a different rant for a different day. This was the assignment for the mandatory discussion board. My response was much cleaner and shorter so I decided to use this blog to say how I really feel. So here goes.
Read the ethical dilemma on pg. 510. Is it unethical to lie, deceive, or collude during negotiations?
WOW!
I just simply do not understand this ideological digression into which our society has let itself fall! I am sorry (not really), but I am going to have to rant just a bit here!
I believe that we should go back to the roots of what everyone thought how it used to be when a man's word was his bond and a hand shake sealed the deal. I have said this before, and I'll say it again. If you do not have your integrity, how can you ever be trusted? Lies, even the small ones, have the distinct ability to sneak up and bite you in the ass at the most inopportune times if you flirt with them long enough. It's likened to the Dark Side of the Force. (Which, by the way, just goes to show how much of a nerd I really am) Like Yoda said, "Once down the Dark Side you start, forever will it dominate your destiny." Once you start lying, being dishonest, being unethical, being a cheat, being a manipulator, it is a road that leads to misery and will ever consume you. Sooner or later it will catch up to you. I have got one chance to make it. I am, at least going to do it with dignity and integrity! I prefer the diplomatic approach. Be nice! If everyone were, the world would need a lot less negotiations. Which, of course, means we would probably need less politicians. Oh God! The euphoria! My father, the noble, wise man that he was, always taught me to be honest in each of my endeavors. He also passed down to me a code of ethics that I want to believe to which people used to endeavor to aspire. Now, we as a people have become a society of sniveling, conniving, self-centered, egotistical, self-righteous, self-seeking, disrespectful, unethical megalomaniacs infected with the sickness of greed.
I am absolutely astonished that people think that it is okay to lie, cheat, and steal to get to the top, or anywhere, for that matter. The Bible says that if you have not love you have nothing. I agree with that wholeheartedly. However, if you don't have integrity, you don't have much either.
Of course, this is just my point of view ;-)
Read the ethical dilemma on pg. 510. Is it unethical to lie, deceive, or collude during negotiations?
WOW!
I just simply do not understand this ideological digression into which our society has let itself fall! I am sorry (not really), but I am going to have to rant just a bit here!
I believe that we should go back to the roots of what everyone thought how it used to be when a man's word was his bond and a hand shake sealed the deal. I have said this before, and I'll say it again. If you do not have your integrity, how can you ever be trusted? Lies, even the small ones, have the distinct ability to sneak up and bite you in the ass at the most inopportune times if you flirt with them long enough. It's likened to the Dark Side of the Force. (Which, by the way, just goes to show how much of a nerd I really am) Like Yoda said, "Once down the Dark Side you start, forever will it dominate your destiny." Once you start lying, being dishonest, being unethical, being a cheat, being a manipulator, it is a road that leads to misery and will ever consume you. Sooner or later it will catch up to you. I have got one chance to make it. I am, at least going to do it with dignity and integrity! I prefer the diplomatic approach. Be nice! If everyone were, the world would need a lot less negotiations. Which, of course, means we would probably need less politicians. Oh God! The euphoria! My father, the noble, wise man that he was, always taught me to be honest in each of my endeavors. He also passed down to me a code of ethics that I want to believe to which people used to endeavor to aspire. Now, we as a people have become a society of sniveling, conniving, self-centered, egotistical, self-righteous, self-seeking, disrespectful, unethical megalomaniacs infected with the sickness of greed.
I am absolutely astonished that people think that it is okay to lie, cheat, and steal to get to the top, or anywhere, for that matter. The Bible says that if you have not love you have nothing. I agree with that wholeheartedly. However, if you don't have integrity, you don't have much either.
Of course, this is just my point of view ;-)
Monday, July 7, 2008
Traffic
Ok. I have had it! I am just about sick and tired of driving in a world where I honestly believe that most people should not be given the privilege to drive because they are…well…STUPID!!
I can not count the number of times I have been sitting at a stop sign when there is some mook sitting across from me or adjacent to me in his or her car directing traffic. Do you have a badge? Are you an officer of the law, or did you just self appoint yourself as traffic cop Pete for the day? If everyone would just follow the rules of the stop sign (i.e. the person to the right goes first if you both get there at the same time otherwise the person who got there first goes first) then everything would be fine. When some idiot sits in his or her Lexus directing traffic, I swear to God, I want to get out of my car, walk over to them and slap the ever loving crap out of them! It’s not rocket science. It’s a stop sign, folks.
Something else that just absolutely rattles my cage is people who try to be “nice” on the road. Now I am all for driving friendly and defensively, so let me clarify. The other day when I was driving home from work, I ran into a traffic jam because, once again, Tex DOT (Texas Dept. of Transportation), in their infinite wisdom, decided that the stretch of road that is on my way home needed to be repaired…again! After all, that is what my enormous tax dollars are for, right? Anyway, this construction caused a back-up of traffic probably a half a mile long. Just about the time I was coming into this traffic congestion, a local factory’s shift was ending. Now there is no traffic light to regulate when those people get out on to the highway, so they have to wait until traffic clears…but they don’t! THEY DON’T!! Do you want to know why? Because, people keep letting them in making the traffic jam even worse, that’s why! Those of you who let people in like that, I know you get a warm-fuzzy by doing your “good deed” for the day and you think you are being nice. And you are, but only to that one person whom you let in. You have just given the 250 people behind you a big giant “SCREW YOU!!” though. For the sanity and blood pressure of all of those 250 people behind you, follow the rules of traffic and let them wait their turn!! Things will run much more smoothly if you would just take care of business. Of course, this is just my point of view ;-)
I can not count the number of times I have been sitting at a stop sign when there is some mook sitting across from me or adjacent to me in his or her car directing traffic. Do you have a badge? Are you an officer of the law, or did you just self appoint yourself as traffic cop Pete for the day? If everyone would just follow the rules of the stop sign (i.e. the person to the right goes first if you both get there at the same time otherwise the person who got there first goes first) then everything would be fine. When some idiot sits in his or her Lexus directing traffic, I swear to God, I want to get out of my car, walk over to them and slap the ever loving crap out of them! It’s not rocket science. It’s a stop sign, folks.
Something else that just absolutely rattles my cage is people who try to be “nice” on the road. Now I am all for driving friendly and defensively, so let me clarify. The other day when I was driving home from work, I ran into a traffic jam because, once again, Tex DOT (Texas Dept. of Transportation), in their infinite wisdom, decided that the stretch of road that is on my way home needed to be repaired…again! After all, that is what my enormous tax dollars are for, right? Anyway, this construction caused a back-up of traffic probably a half a mile long. Just about the time I was coming into this traffic congestion, a local factory’s shift was ending. Now there is no traffic light to regulate when those people get out on to the highway, so they have to wait until traffic clears…but they don’t! THEY DON’T!! Do you want to know why? Because, people keep letting them in making the traffic jam even worse, that’s why! Those of you who let people in like that, I know you get a warm-fuzzy by doing your “good deed” for the day and you think you are being nice. And you are, but only to that one person whom you let in. You have just given the 250 people behind you a big giant “SCREW YOU!!” though. For the sanity and blood pressure of all of those 250 people behind you, follow the rules of traffic and let them wait their turn!! Things will run much more smoothly if you would just take care of business. Of course, this is just my point of view ;-)
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Freedom?
Is it just me or does it seem that more and more of the American people are losing freedoms under the guise of protection. And it has only gotten worse. We the people of the United States of America have become so apathetic, lackadaisical, and down right stupid that we don’t even realize our freedoms are being chipped away. How long is it going to last? At what point do “We, The People” say enough is enough and take back the country that rightfully belongs to us, the governed?
I read a news story recently that stated that the President of the United States (and his cronies) have the right, without warrant to wiretap anyone they deem necessary. This all stems, of course from the illustrious Patriot Act. Patriot Act? The key word there being “Patriot”! IS ANYBODY HOME!? They wouldn’t know a patriot if it slapped them in the face! According to dictionary.com the definition of patriot is “…a person who regards himself or herself as a defender, esp. of individual rights, against presumed interference by the federal government…” If these people were so interested in individual rights, the Patriot Act would not exist! As far as I am concerned the President of this country may as well have taken the Constitution out of its protective case, thrown it on the floor, and pissed all over it, because that is essentially what he and his administration have done.
Of course the chipping away of our freedoms isn’t new. It started small. Now I am not going to get into environmentalism, nor am I necessarily for or against smokers rights (although personally, I am not a smoker), but it all started (at least this is as far back as I can recall being aware of legislation of how people should come and go as they please) with the here-and-there bans on smoking.
Next, it was seatbelts. Now this is a real pet peeve of mine. I wear a seatbelt in a car, but it isn’t because my legislators told me to do so. If I didn’t feel safe wearing a seatbelt, then, by god, I wouldn’t. And I would take it to the Supreme Court if I had to. Follow my logic, if you will, for a moment. You work for your money. At least twenty percent goes to the government already. You take what they leave you and you go buy a car, again giving the government their cut in taxes. Then you pay the government again for title fees; then again to get it licensed, a recurring yearly fee. Some states even require that you pay them to have your car (for which you have already paid) inspected by them, another recurring yearly fee. Finally, you have to pay them one more time to get your drivers license which has to be renewed every four to six years. And, yet, they are going to tell you what you can and can not do in your own vehicle even though it does not infringe on anyone else’s life, liberty, or pursuit of happiness. Does this make any sense? IS ANYBODY HOME!? As my father used to say, “You’re not going to get a spark in the ass in hell…” if I don’t wear my seatbelt!
Although I have never flown on an airplane (because I think it’s crazy, but I will touch on that subject at another time), my sister and brother-in-law have done so several times since the whole 9-11 thing went down. From what she tells me, the security surpasses the ridiculous by encroaching on the privacy of people under the guise of safety. Now I am not racist or prejudice in any way form or fashion, but my sister has no criminal record, never hurt anyone, is a citizen of this country, yet was subjected to a search of her personal, private belongings by an employee of the airline who was clearly not a U.S. citizen. Is that not ridiculously ironic? IS ANYBODY HOME!?
Dr. Martin Luther King in his famous “I Have A Dream” speech longed for the day “…when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, [would] be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, ‘Free at last! free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!’” But “We, the People” have forgotten what freedom means and that freedom isn’t free. Is this false safety worth the freedom that we give up on a daily basis? Thomas Jefferson, a man whom I am not real fond of (again I will discuss that at another time), said (and I am paraphrasing) when a government stops governing in a way that is for the people that it governs, it is the right of the people to reform that government. I can not help but wonder if this nation has reached that point. I believe that we as a nation are at a fork in the road. One direction is socialism with complete lack of freedom. The other is…well…it is my sincere fear that if things do not drastically change for the better, that there may very well be another civil war in this country. And it will not be north against south, east against west, or black against white. No. It will be “We, the People” against an oppressive government that has lost its ability to govern fairly, justly, and with the people’s best interest at heart. Against a government that has forgotten what the word “Patriot” really means. That is my fear. My only hope is that the people of the United States of America will be just that, united. We need to be of one accord to heal the cancer of our nation. Of course, this is just my point of view ;-)
Copyright 2008 Daniel D. Domain
I read a news story recently that stated that the President of the United States (and his cronies) have the right, without warrant to wiretap anyone they deem necessary. This all stems, of course from the illustrious Patriot Act. Patriot Act? The key word there being “Patriot”! IS ANYBODY HOME!? They wouldn’t know a patriot if it slapped them in the face! According to dictionary.com the definition of patriot is “…a person who regards himself or herself as a defender, esp. of individual rights, against presumed interference by the federal government…” If these people were so interested in individual rights, the Patriot Act would not exist! As far as I am concerned the President of this country may as well have taken the Constitution out of its protective case, thrown it on the floor, and pissed all over it, because that is essentially what he and his administration have done.
Of course the chipping away of our freedoms isn’t new. It started small. Now I am not going to get into environmentalism, nor am I necessarily for or against smokers rights (although personally, I am not a smoker), but it all started (at least this is as far back as I can recall being aware of legislation of how people should come and go as they please) with the here-and-there bans on smoking.
Next, it was seatbelts. Now this is a real pet peeve of mine. I wear a seatbelt in a car, but it isn’t because my legislators told me to do so. If I didn’t feel safe wearing a seatbelt, then, by god, I wouldn’t. And I would take it to the Supreme Court if I had to. Follow my logic, if you will, for a moment. You work for your money. At least twenty percent goes to the government already. You take what they leave you and you go buy a car, again giving the government their cut in taxes. Then you pay the government again for title fees; then again to get it licensed, a recurring yearly fee. Some states even require that you pay them to have your car (for which you have already paid) inspected by them, another recurring yearly fee. Finally, you have to pay them one more time to get your drivers license which has to be renewed every four to six years. And, yet, they are going to tell you what you can and can not do in your own vehicle even though it does not infringe on anyone else’s life, liberty, or pursuit of happiness. Does this make any sense? IS ANYBODY HOME!? As my father used to say, “You’re not going to get a spark in the ass in hell…” if I don’t wear my seatbelt!
Although I have never flown on an airplane (because I think it’s crazy, but I will touch on that subject at another time), my sister and brother-in-law have done so several times since the whole 9-11 thing went down. From what she tells me, the security surpasses the ridiculous by encroaching on the privacy of people under the guise of safety. Now I am not racist or prejudice in any way form or fashion, but my sister has no criminal record, never hurt anyone, is a citizen of this country, yet was subjected to a search of her personal, private belongings by an employee of the airline who was clearly not a U.S. citizen. Is that not ridiculously ironic? IS ANYBODY HOME!?
Dr. Martin Luther King in his famous “I Have A Dream” speech longed for the day “…when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, [would] be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, ‘Free at last! free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!’” But “We, the People” have forgotten what freedom means and that freedom isn’t free. Is this false safety worth the freedom that we give up on a daily basis? Thomas Jefferson, a man whom I am not real fond of (again I will discuss that at another time), said (and I am paraphrasing) when a government stops governing in a way that is for the people that it governs, it is the right of the people to reform that government. I can not help but wonder if this nation has reached that point. I believe that we as a nation are at a fork in the road. One direction is socialism with complete lack of freedom. The other is…well…it is my sincere fear that if things do not drastically change for the better, that there may very well be another civil war in this country. And it will not be north against south, east against west, or black against white. No. It will be “We, the People” against an oppressive government that has lost its ability to govern fairly, justly, and with the people’s best interest at heart. Against a government that has forgotten what the word “Patriot” really means. That is my fear. My only hope is that the people of the United States of America will be just that, united. We need to be of one accord to heal the cancer of our nation. Of course, this is just my point of view ;-)
Copyright 2008 Daniel D. Domain
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
The Sprinkle Factor
OK. I have been noticing more and more that we as a people are…well…PIGS!!! This especially applies to us men, in general. Now I know you ladies out there are letting out a big, “Uh, YEAH!!”, right now, but, unless you have been in a men’s public restroom lately, you honestly have no idea. And if you have been going into the men’s restrooms, ladies, do you mind? We would like some privacy here!
Seriously, though. I can not tell you how irritated it makes me when I go into a restroom to relieve myself, walk into the stall, only to find that some inconsiderate, self absorbed, yard-ape loser who apparently was not taught the proper way to piss into a toilet, has apparently regressed in evolution and has been marking his territory. For god sake, man! AIM! AIM!! And if the proper technique of aiming eludes you, then please, for love of all that is good and pure, have the common courtesy to wipe up any droplets of spray that have managed to get away from you! I just don’t get it!! It isn’t rocket science! IT’S PEE!!! You should have had this down no later than the third grade! And that is if you were quite slow.
All I am saying here is that cleanliness is a virtue to which we men should try to aspire. We aren’t apes. If I am not mistaken, I think apes are cleaner than that. I mean, really. Do you pull that crap at home? If I sprayed urine all over the place at home the way that I have seen evidence of in some public restrooms, I don’t think that my wife (or any of your significant others) would allow me back in the bathroom. She may as well put me in the back yard to do my business like the damn dog.
Like the old adage goes, “If you sprinkle when you tinkle, be neat and wipe the seat”…and the wall…and the toilet handle…and the paper dispenser. It’s ridiculous that we as a people have come so far in technology and etiquette, and, yet, we can’t even pee into a large bowl without spraying it all over the place. Like I said, we are pigs. Of course, this is just my point of view ;-)
Copyright 2008 Daniel D. Domain
Seriously, though. I can not tell you how irritated it makes me when I go into a restroom to relieve myself, walk into the stall, only to find that some inconsiderate, self absorbed, yard-ape loser who apparently was not taught the proper way to piss into a toilet, has apparently regressed in evolution and has been marking his territory. For god sake, man! AIM! AIM!! And if the proper technique of aiming eludes you, then please, for love of all that is good and pure, have the common courtesy to wipe up any droplets of spray that have managed to get away from you! I just don’t get it!! It isn’t rocket science! IT’S PEE!!! You should have had this down no later than the third grade! And that is if you were quite slow.
All I am saying here is that cleanliness is a virtue to which we men should try to aspire. We aren’t apes. If I am not mistaken, I think apes are cleaner than that. I mean, really. Do you pull that crap at home? If I sprayed urine all over the place at home the way that I have seen evidence of in some public restrooms, I don’t think that my wife (or any of your significant others) would allow me back in the bathroom. She may as well put me in the back yard to do my business like the damn dog.
Like the old adage goes, “If you sprinkle when you tinkle, be neat and wipe the seat”…and the wall…and the toilet handle…and the paper dispenser. It’s ridiculous that we as a people have come so far in technology and etiquette, and, yet, we can’t even pee into a large bowl without spraying it all over the place. Like I said, we are pigs. Of course, this is just my point of view ;-)
Copyright 2008 Daniel D. Domain
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