Where the h-e-double hockey sticks have I been?!?!?

So, I'm sad to say that I've been away from the blog-o-sphere for way too long. My heart was warmed by the outpouring of support I got on my last post. And by outpouring, I mean 4 comments, and by support, I mean no one threatened my life.

So, since it's been awhile, let's catch up. My kiddo's almost 5 months old now! 5 MONTHS! Holy crap, the days of my growing up are fast approaching, and pretty soon I'll have to actually start actng like the adult I pretend to be. Work is still work. Those of you who know me, know enough. Those of you that don't...why the hell are you reading this blog?..anyway, for those of you that don't know me, I'm about to enter my 11th year at the same company, and i LOVE my job! the sad part is that's not sarcasm! I love what I do, it's 50% stress, 50% teamwork, 50% people management, 50% creativity. Wait a darn minute, that's 200%!! oh yeah, I forgot the other 50%...political crap. that's the part that I do not like, but oh well.

So, since I know that you all tune in to hear me complain about something, I'm going to complain. Today's victim is..me.

I have come to a few conclusions in life, and they are painful, hopeful, stressful, wonderful, etc, etc. I'm a little bit crazy. I know, I know...'Not You!' is EXACTLY what you're all thinking. I've been looking back over the last few decades, and I've come to the conclusion that I have to be crazy for one simple reason. I'm happy, and it seems like the rest of the world is FREAKING OUT! Let me go into a little more detail... (sorry)

I am 33 years old, only slightly out of shape, I have an excellent house, a WONDERFUL wife, a beautiful baby girl, a great puppy, I love my job, my health is good. Now, there's debt, and gas proces, and terrorism, and whatnot, but why should I get stressed about thing I can not control. I do my best, like car-pooling, keeping the air and heat at reasonable temps, recycle a lot, garden, etc. But for things like the oil proces, what can I do, yell at OPEC, ok...AARRRGGHHHH! did it work? oops, guess not. I had my water heater die, and had to buy a new one. Wht can I do, not have hot water.

So it's these reasons, and many more you can come up with that have led me to belive that I'm crazy.

Oh well, I've accepted it.

I promise to be bitchier next time....

Todays venom unleashed

OK, so I got nothin'. I had a great rant the other day about how crappy the drivers are here in Chicagoland, but had to keep stepping away and just sort of lost it.

I'm sick, feel crappy, and really don't have any energy today. Oh well. I promise to bitch about something on Monday.

P.S. - Is there anyone reading this drivel? Please tell me....

Wow, it's been a while, sorry 'bout that faithful reader.

And yes, I've accepted that it's reader, in the singular.

So, where have I been for the last 5 weeks? Well, can't really say as I remember it all. I am loving the new dad thing. My little biscuit (first nickname, woohoo) is a wonderful handful! I've been trying to help out the wife as much as possible, and I think I'm doing an OK job, but she requires a level of work no one can prepare you for. We've had the filled diapers (and the overflowing ones), the unexplained crying sessions (the Biscuit, not her mom and I), and the newest, I'm not done eating, keep feeding me or I'll scream.

So far, my only issue is my stress level. I hate hearing my baby girl cry, and it makes me feel bad. No, that's not a call out for pity, I know it's irrational, but we ALL do irrational things, no matter what people tell us. Otherwise, I've been blessed with a wonderful wife, a beautiful daughter, and so many amazing and supportive family and friends.

Also - In a rare escape from this blog, I want to send a Thank You out to an inanimate object. Thank You to Facebook. I have reconnected with some great friends that I haven't spoken to in years! Someday, I may even tell them about this blog...

OK, since It's what I live for, and what you dread, it's time to hear about what's pissing me off today about our messed up world. I'm actually going to do some rapid fire here, as my thoughts are jumbled, but there's a lot of them:

China - The Dali Lama is inciting rioting and wants to use Tibeten monks as Suicide Bombers...or so says the Chinese governement...huh? Do they even know what the heck a Buddhist is? (By the way fellow bloggers, your hapless author, and junior buddhist found out this week that he shares a b-day with good ol Mr. Buddha himself). I first heard this news story and thought, no, someone's reading their AP wire wrong..then I heard it again, then I saw it on a translated Chinese news site. Wow...and what amazes me is that people believe the crap coming from the Chinese government. CNN has had some reporters on site in Beijing, and it's amazing how mad the people are at the rest of the world for 'telling lies about China'...Stunning.

Texas - WTF is wrong with people? So this roving piece of shite Dale Evans Barlow is probation for conspiracy to have sex with a minor, and he lives in a COMPOUND (never a good thing) in Texas, where last thursday two men were arrested for obstructing police, and 416 children were taken into custody at the Yearning For Zion Ranch after a 16-year-old girl made some phone calls to a violence hot line. This 'ranch' is run by Warren Steed Jeffs (notice all the 3 names...hmmm) who is currently in prison for accomplice to rape, stemming from a poligimist, forced marriage (and subsequent consumation) that he performed in 2001. WHAT THE HELL. How do we continue to 1) let these degenerates out of jail, and 2) why does no one follow up. One trip to this ranch by a local LEO (law enforcement officer for those that are not addicted to NCIS) would have shown something out of whack!

USA political crap - OK, I know I've said it before, but Hilary scares the hold bejesus out of me. She, and her husband, are hold overs from old political days. They are after power, and it's priveledges, that's all I see. I feel that very few politicians are worth a fart in a windstorm, but she just scares me on a level I have a hard time describing. So my latest beef...she's now publicly disagreeing with her husband on the Colombia free trade agreement. Hmm, how convienent that she's had little to no opinion about it since 2000 when hubby Bill started supporting it, but suddenly, just before primaries in very union Pennsylvania, she's very against it. oh well, who can trust a politician. Oh, and by the way, is bill supporting this solely because it's a grand idea? According to AP, Bill Clinton raked in $800,000 from Gold Service International, a development group based in Bogota, Colombia, that supports the Colombia free trade deal. The payment was for appearances in Mexico, Colombia and Brazil in 2005. I really wish we could just vote and move on.

OK, I'm done for the day... Thanks all!

Well, the day has arrived!

My baby daughter was born this past weekend. Let me tell you, there is no other feeling like this in the world! For those of you that are not parents, I can't describe it, for those that are, now I get it.

My baby girl was born via emergency c-section, and for those that think this post won't have a gripe because I'll all happy, you got another think coming! But I'll get to that in a minute. So an emergency C-Section, because someone wanted to be really late, and then decide that the whole 'head down' concept of birth was silly. Also had the cord wrapped around her little foot. So, we get all scrubbed up, and from entry into the OR to holding my daugter was about 1 hour. AMAZING!

OK, so my gripe for today (don't worry it'll be short, it's almost feeding time, and I have very specific duties here). If we EVER move to socialized healthcare, kiss your excellent medical facilities goodbye. Now, I have a hunch I know a few of my friends here who are going to disagree with me, and as always, bring it. I'll try to write more on this later, but a sweet little bundle just started crying, so I have more inportant things to do.

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....