Simple Debate!

I LOVE THIS COUNTRY!!!! Why you may ask, well there are too many reasons to put here, but the most recent, is the ability, freedom and education to engage in a debate!

To preface this, I think this will be the shortest debate ever. Check out my friend Shel's blog: http://shels-blog.blogspot.com/

Now, I love Shel with all my heart, but she made two major errors in judgement in her blog. 1) she said I was smarter than her, hmm, me benefits analyst, her lawyer...yeah, not so much on the smarter scale, but she's a flatterer. and 2) she thinks I disagree with her. I may have been less than clear in my last post. I tend to go all emotional when I get fired up (See Lewis Black, or Glenn Beck whenever they get fired up and forget how to speak for a few seconds). I absolutely agree with stricter control! WHAT WHAT WHAT? That's right, I absolutely agree with stricter gun control. I DO NOT think we should be outlawing guns, and I absulutely agree with conceal and carry laws. Do those contradict each other? I don't think so. If someone received a thorough backgroud check, by the FBI, not local law enforcement (Not a slam against local law, just the FBI databases are national), has never been convicted of a crime, has never been hospitalized in a mental institution, is not under mandatory or voluntary help for mental illness, and is not, and has never been on regular medication for mental instability, they can own a gun. To take it one step further, if they voluntarily submit to a state police run gun safety course (which would need to be improved from todays standards) and submit to a mental examination, at their own cost, a conceal and carry license could be awarded.

Recently, an 80 year old man in Texas (Of course Texas) was confronted and acosted by two very large men. I'd explain the story, but the old gents statement beats anything I could say.

Reporter: So what do theink was going through their minds when they threatened you?
Old Person: Well, I 'spect they was thinkin' they was gonna whup my ass.
Reporter: What did you do then?
Old Person: Well, I drew my gun, and shot the first one, then chased the second one. He got away, but I heard they got him later.

DAMN! This man is my hero. Upon further review by the reporter, this old dude was a former police officer, and VOLUNTARILY submits every year to a texas state police abiliy/agility test with his firearm, and says that as soon as he fails the test, he'll lock up the guns or give them to his sons.

I have friends in law enforcement and the military, and I'd never take chances with gun safety, I wantto learn the proper and correct way to handle, care for and shoot a gun. Shoot you say? YES, if you own a gun, or ever want to own a gun, learn how to use the darn thing. Having a loaded gun in the hands of someone with absolutely no experience shooting one, is just as dangerous as not having one.

OK, so back to my short lived debate with Shelk, I think gun groups have gone overboard with the 2nd amendment. I believe (form all the deep personal conversations I've had with Ben F, and George W) that the founding fathers wanted to ability to maintain a militia to protect our lands and our citizens. This is not necesarily what it means to own a gun. However, I am against laws that prohibit gun ownership. Restrictions, within reason, are great, but not prohibition. There was a 'burb around here not too many years ago that passed a law prohibiting ALL gun ownership within city limits. Well, sure enough, within a year of the law being passed, a man's house was broken into, and he pulled a gun, and sudued the creep until the police could arrive. And HE GOT ARRESTED TOO! Because he owned a gun in town. BUT, he used the gun properly, effectively by protecting his family and property. Now, he didn't have it licenesed with the state, so that's wrong, and he should have been punished (He paid the fine for that, and updated his FOID card), but I believe that city ordinace is way out of line.

OK, Done rambling for now. Check out Shel's blog, she's funny, creative, and we love her, even if she is a law dog....

What the hell is wrong with people?!

Folks, I'm going to keep it short today, but I'm really getting worried about the general state of affairs among the youth of this nation. A gunman entered a lecture hall at Northern Illinois University yesterday and opened fire. As of today, 7 people have died. This is Beruit in the late 80's. this isn't Baghdad in the 'Green Zone'. This isn't Darfur. THIS IS DeKalb ILLINOIS! What the hell. You know, I'm boggled by this, and I'm more boggled every time it happens. This was the 4th time in 2 weeks someone was killed in a school. Of course the media was too involved with the Congressional hearsing on baseball to mention them, until it happened at a major university. (BTW - Estimated cost to the US Taxpayer for the congressional hearings Wednesday, that actually accomplished nothing, is about 2 Million). I have a good friend who is a student at NIU, another who works for the DeKalb Co. Sherrif's office, and was working in 911 dispatch on Wed., and I am a PT Student there as well. What the hell. We never think it'll happen here. NIMBY, not in my backyard. Well, guess what, appearantly, crazy knows no bounds. I'm really getting tired of the media, and the families telling us that all these idiots are 'misunderstood' or 'got teased' or whatever. A few things here...I got picked on every day of my life, hell a few of my more ass-like friends seem to think it's their job, but guess what...NEVER FELT THE NEED TO SHOOT UP A SCHOOL! Also, and I'm sure, as I always tend to do, this next one will piss off my more left leaning friends, I do not think the answer is outlawing guns. The kid plans on shooting up a school, obviously breaking the law is not a major concern for this individual.

Where the hell are the families here? I know when my wife or brother, or friends are having a bad hair day, let alone when they are really ticked/peeved/ready to rampage on something. All it takes is a few seconds to see how someone is doing.

OK, getting riled up, and I need to go back to work. Please, call a friend today, maybe one you don't see or chat with a lot, and see how they are doing, remind them that you are there, and you care about them.....

Of course, if you pray, please keep the NIU deaths in your prayers, if you don't, at least keep them in your thoughts.

Got too fired up last time....

OK, so not really, but now I feel like I need a big issue to get all biblical about. Oh well, I got nothing. There's a lot of pressure on being a blogger...

Well, since I did title this blog to be pretty generic, let's go off on a tangent (I know, big surprise). So, I'm going to a talk about where I am in life. I realized this weekend that I am DAMN HAPPY! That's a great feeling! I'm looking forward to meeting my daughter, I'm enjoying my religious persuits (of sorts, still enjoying the debate of is Buddhism a religion...I say it's not, it's a philosophy), I'm becomming happy with my house, I'm becoming a semi-talented carpenter on the side, I'm enjoying my job (I want more money, but who doesn't). all in all, I'd say I'm doing pretty darn well.

So it's Tax season, and this is the first year in my 18 years of paying taxes that I'm not getting a refund. IT SUCKS. Of course, my desire was totally selfish, as I wanted to get a new PC, but I also wanted to do some work around the house. Oh well, this too shall pass.

Woo, Hoo - I do have something to bitch about! I was distracted, and I forgot! And this may (will) piss off many of my friends, but I'm going to bitch about Personal Rights and Freedoms. I adore free speech, freedom of religion, right to bear arms (or bare arms even), hell I like all of the Bill of Rights, and I understand everyone's fighting to keep all those rights open, but here's the thing, there are times when you can't use the bill of rights to get out of some form of moral responsibility. Here's what set me off. There was a lovely gentelmen from NYC traveling from Canada back to the US. At the border, when he was asked to show his laptop, it happened to be on, and the Border agent was able to clearly see child pornagraphy. Now child porn is against the law, and rightfully so, but as soon as this guy realized he was in trouble, he lcoked his PC, and is now refusing to give anyone the password. And, as per the current interpretation of the 5th amendment, he has the right to not provide that password because it will incriminate him. Now, I know a few of you reading this are lawyers (I don't hold this against you, I still like you), and I'm all for freedom, but abuse of freedoms, to me is just as reprehensible as abuse of power. This is an exaggerated case, not everyone crossing our borders is trafficking child pornagraphy, but those laws that protect everyone else, are going to let this guy get away with it. Now, there is a little good news, because I'm guessing this guy won't be able to pee without some scrutiny right now, so maybe he'll make a mistake, buthe's still getting away with crossing into this country with illegal material on his laptop.

OK, so, you're probably asking yourself, what's my point. Well, I don't know. Every ounce of my being wants to scream from the rooftops that if you are breaking the law, I don't CARE how you're caught. I know, I know, someone's going to compare me to a nazi, and say that I'm trampling on the constitution, well, screw them. I am not, unlike many of my peers, I have read the constitution, in fact I make it a point to read it regularly, and I have a good friend who actually carriers a copy with her (MR - You ROCK for that, and many other reasons), and I believe in it with all my heart, and would fight to defend it. BUT, by letting criminals and pederasts, and murders, and spies, and on and on hide behind it, it cheapens it, and makes it a worthless document. Now, I could go on about the politicians that I feel are doing the same thing, but that's another post...

If you do, good, if you succed, better, if you don't try, shame on you, if we don't help, shame on all of us.

Picchi

It's true, I used steroids, I wanted to be able to mow the lawn in under 6 seconds flat!

OK, since you all know me (I'm assuming no one else will read this tripe), I'm just going to warn you up front that when I give an opinion, on politics, the weather, or how hot Lea Thompson was in 1986, just bear with me, it's just an opinion. I'm VERY happy that you also have one, and even happy that it'll probably differ from mine, but trying to change my opinion with your own opinion, won't work. Now, FACTS are something different alltogether. My good friend (hope he still thinks so) Duch is a GREAT example of this. I had an opinion, he differed, and sent me some FACTS. Now, he didn't change my mind, but he did make my feelings a little less severe. OK, set-up aside, my first bitch session in the blogosphere....

Can someone, ANYONE, please explain to me what the United States Congress has to do with Baseball and steroids? We are in the middle of a war (Which I support), we have a roller coaster economy (Which I know nothing about) we are entering a historical Presidential race, and all I am hearing that comgress can seem to accomplish is meeting after meeting on Steroids and HGH in baseball.

I'm not saying that I think that Steroids and HGH aren't bad, they are, baseball needs to get on the ball and take care of it. Certain athletes feelings aside, I DO happen to think that you are a role-model. If you don't want it, don't play the game. But, I'm unsure why our tax dollars (That's who payd for congress, and congressional lawyers, and the buildings they use, even the pens they write with) are being used on this issue. All I can think of is that some senator wanted Clemons' autograph so he figured he find a reason to get them to Washington. Seriously, there is nothing better that our congress can work on? Last time I checked (which was not too recently, admittedly) Oil is somewhere in the $90 range, unemployment claims sit about 350k a month, the US dollar is still in a moderate freefall, we have kids pulling guns on teachers, malls being used for target practice, teachers leaving the profession in record numbers, but my elected officials are worried about who took steroids 10 years ago?!

My message to the next President of the United States, whomever that will be."My vote will go to the candidate who will put the govermnet back on a track of governing and leading this country, not providing for those with the most contributions and the ability to give you the most press headlines."

Thus endth my ranting for the day...

The colors of a baby's life...

OK, so my poor kid isn't even here yet, and we've already diceded that she'll like jungle animals, the collor green, and of course the letter Q. We completed the nursery this weekend, not that we waited until the last minute or anything. Suppose it could be worse, she's still in the cooking stage, at least she won't have to breathe in the fresh paint fumes. not that it effected me at all...much...

I read that newborns really only recognize black and white. I'd say we have every color represented in her room BUT balck and white. Oh well, it's all cute, colorful, and not 'girly'. I am getting more and more excited by the day to meet this little girl. I fear for her sanity however. I know her family all too well. She will be blessed with two parents, three grandparents, 5 Aunts, 3 Uncles, about 400000 honorary Aunts and Uncles, and 3 pets. not bad for a fetus!

Ok, then, I regret to announce that I'm expanding the blog...sorry, coulnd't resist, this is just too much damn fun! After this post, my baby girl will be a part of the larger musings of my warped and twisted life. I've also decided to release the blog on the unsuspecting public...sorry...