Sitting Home ISN'T the Answer!!

Ok folks...conservatives...we have a problem. The problem is only partially that John McCain is now the leading candidate for the Republican nomination despite being a liberal-minded person in a party that is typically considered to be full of conservatives. The bulk of the problem is that people are talking about sitting out from voting this year if McCain does go ahead and get the nomination. Are you kidding me?!?!?!? Cry me a river!

Now while I consider myself a conservative, I also mostly consider the fact that I'll be voting Republican, as they'll typically be the more conservative person to vote for. But I don't consider myself a Republican, as I can see myself voting for other people besides a Republican nominee. It also helps not to consider myself a Republican, because I strongly oppose our two-party system.

Anyway, like many conservatives, I will not vote for McCain...even if he's going against Hilliary whom I will also never vote for. But I WILL NOT sit home and refuse to vote.

I believe it's our basic responsibility as Americans to vote. If your a "Republican" and you can't vote for McCain...research a third party candidate and vote for them. Sure, at this point, they'd have little to no chance of winning, but you must stand up and do your duty and vote. There will come a day, in this ever increasing digitalized world, that a third party candidate will have a viable shot...look at what Ron Paul did this year via the Internet.

Besides, the Presidential vote is only part of what makes this country run. Hilliary, or McCain, or Ron Paul, or whoever...none of them can change the country by themselves. The "checks and balances" is required to forward their proposed agenda. So, if for whatever reason, you can't get excited about the presidential race, find a senator or representative that you can get behind and make sure to vote for them. Don't forget about the local politics either...as local politics can effect your daily lives just as much as a national politician can.

So folks, do your duty...get involved. Don't just sit home and make yourself a pouter. Vote! Then you will be able to feel better about voicing your complaints...or at least you should. For those that don't engage themselves in the process, but have no problem criticizing after merely sitting on the sidelines...those are the people we should fear. Those are the ones that feel like they are owed everything for doing nothing...and that, my friends, is unAmerican.

Resolutions...

Although it's not quite a month into the new year, my resolutions are going well so far, knock on wood. I'm typically not one for adamantly making New Year's Resolutions, but I decided to commit to changing/creating four habits to better my life.

There's the always popular, lose weight. I'm more focused on being healthy than losing a specific amount of weight, though I could certainly use to trim the solar-plexis some. I'm eating better and jogging two and a half miles four days a week. The fifth day, I've only been doing a mile and a half, and take two days off. At least it's a start, and I'm thinkinf of adding a caveat...prepare to run in a marathon (at least a small one).

Then there's, simplify my life. Who couldn't go for a streamlined lifestyle? Well, when you have three kids, you quickly decide that much of what you've been keeping around is junk. So I did some spring cleaning in January, and I can already tell a difference.

The next one's more personal in nature, but since I've already written a post on it before I may as well spell it out. I just decided to put my foot down (with myself) and am forcing myself to get to know my father better. We used to rarely talk, even though we weren't really at odds, we just never made the effort. I've complained in the past how I need effort from him, which is partly true, but if I want this so badly, I've got to be the one putting in 170%. So far, calling him once a week is working out well. I'm trying to "teach him", and really teach myself too, that our conversations don't have to be so loaded like our previous conversations were. When you talk only one to three times a year, the conversations are all about catching up. I want him, as well as myself, to know that a 3-minute call just to say hi and find out about his day is perfectly acceptable.

And finally, there's reading. This is the one resolution I can remember making last year (I could have made more, but I don't think so). As I've said before, I've heard somewhere that reading three different books on a particular subject makes you an expert. Additionally, I've heard that millionaires, on average, read at least one non-fiction book a month. So my resolution last year was to do just that, read one book a month. I failed. This year's resolution is the same, and so far I'm doing better. I've decided not to restrict it to non-fiction, and that seems to help. I will make sure to read some non-fiction books...but the only ones I have now are related to politics, and can get boring at times. Sure the two books I've read so far have been fiction and rather small, but if for no other reason that getting myself in the habit of reading regularly it has helped tremendously.

So, so-far-so-good. With any luck I can keep up the trends.

The A Daily Show - 01/24

Last night on The A Daily Show with Jon Stewart, he had a guest on, Jerri Willis from CNN, speaking about the state of the economy. I know a lot people watch Jon Stewart and even rely on his show for their news, so I need to clear some things up that this guest was either misleading about or was ill-equipped to speak about.

One of the first things that Jon did was have Jerri comment on two video clips, both of which made the people seem like they didn't know what they were talking about. What was missed was...well...everything in the clips was easily explained, but Jerri Willis either chose not to or didn't know anything about what she was talking about.

The first clip was a lady, whom I've seen before but I don't know her name off hand, who's comment was something to the effect of "this is the market that everyone's been dreaming about". While the second guy was quoted as saying, "that was a great moment to cover those shorts and take a shot on the long side", referring to the stock market's 500 point drop early in the trading day the other day.

Now, if you've followed my blog at all, you may know that I'm worried about the economy...very worried. It's almost scary to me. There's a culmination of events that have come, or are coming, together to potentially send our economy seriously out of wack. HOWEVER, both of the comments by these people are perfectly legitmate statements, when taken in context without extrapolating them out to be general comments about the overall economy.

The first lady is a big real estate investment proponent. If you take a second to think about it, this is a great time to be a big real estate investor. Individuals are losing their houses at alarming rates, so now is the perfect time to drive real estate prices further down, and buy at a cheap price. Also, keep in mind I still don't think the individuals should be bailed out...they have a responsibility to know if they can afford a home or not.

The guy's statement was textbook from an investing standpoint. It is a little complicated, but what he was essentially saying is pay back your loans, take the profits from that loan and invest at a cheap price. Who in their right mind wouldn't want to do that? Now, as I said, it's a little complicated to explain, and I'd be glad to do so if any one wants me to, but Jerri Willis completely misinterpreted that gentleman's comments. In my opinion, if you don't understand the market, you have no business making a comment on the gentleman's statement. If you do supposedly understand the stock market, and you're not on board with what the gentleman said, you should really go back and re-learn the stock market.

Again, folks, it's crazy out there. The economy could be in trouble, and I don't have the opinion that this "stimulus package" will help much...though I'll gladly take the money. But do the smart thing...pay off debt with that money. The government isn't running the economy well at all. If the government was a company, they'd be out of business. So if our economy turns out bad, your best bet is to have little to no debt.

I like Jon Stewart...I watch his show all the time...and I do learn things about current events from there. But don't fall into the trap of believing everything on there and take it as gospel. Yesterday's guest and the above explaination are prefect examples how someone that doesn't know exactly what they are talking about can give people a misrepresentation of things.

Something Else I Don't Understand...

...is parents that swear. I just don't get it. I don't. It's clearly undesirable and unnecessary, not to mention teaching bad habits.

I'll admit it...I used to swear like a sailor...excessively so. I've never smoked, done drugs, never been drunk in my life, so I used to say that I'm entitled to let the language fly. If that's the worst thing I do, there's millions of people that I'm already a leg up on.

All it took was once. The first time my daughter repeated a swear word, as children often repeat any words they hear...a swear word is inevitable, and I quit. Cold turkey...I stopped swearing. There was no way I was going to have my daughter repeating the nasty things I was saying.

To this day, I almost never swear. On the rare occasion I do, it's usually to myself and never when my children are around.

Aside from the occasional "crap" which they get from my wife, the worst thing they say is "stupid". I still don't like them saying that. One day they will be old enough to understand that it's ok to call things stupid, but not people. Now, it just always promotes a 30-second conversation on how they shouldn't say stupid. Admittedly, they mostly hear that during the holidays when they are watching a Charlie Brown show.

I think that the American culture is continually getting worse than the generation before it, and it will continue to do so until either the end of our country or the world. But I don't understand why we can't preserve our culture as much as possible, to delay the inevitable, by at the very least using good language in front of our own children. It's sad that it doesn't happen, and for the life of me, I don't understand why.

Party Politics at it's worst...

This issue is a little late, but still lingering with me from late last year. In many areas, including the Mayoral election of the city I live near, Evansville, Indiana, Democrats won their elections.

This, in and of itself I have little problem with. I try to adopt the mentality that what's done is done, there's no need to dwell and be nasty about it. If someone I didn't vote for wins, ultimately they still have to answer to me, as a voter, even if I don't agree with their stances.

What I can't stand is the braggard's mentality. The same mentality that boasts of having control during the redrawing of congressional districts. Republicans are certainly guilty of this as well. The problem is, this does nothing to help. It is divisive and hurts the people...the very voters that put them in power.

Many have stated, this is a clear statement that Americans want change. Duh! Many elections are about change...there's nothing new there. Regardless of how you were elected, show us how your going to bring about change...don't yap about it, for crying out loud!

Folks, we need people to bring things together, not keep them apart. The mayor of Evansville, in which the city councel is not all Democrats and one Republican...and he ran uncontested, bragged "What a win for the Democrats, huh?" Later on, he continued, that a his win was a win for Evansville.

I'm all for being proud and confident of yourself...but come on. In a city of 150,000 there was 15,000 voters in that election!!! Is that really something to brag about?

I'll say this much...Barack Obama at least brings people together rather than push people away. I can even see myself voting for him over some so-called conservatives that may wind up with the nomination. And that's what we should demand from elected officials at all levels. If someone is satisified with a victory in which there could only been as much as 20% voter turnout, that's someone who doesn't have lofty enough goals.

American in Economic Trouble

Ok...we need to face some facts, as Americans. Our country is great...there's no other country like it. It's also facing some potentially horrible times. Recent polls say that the number one concern of people is the economy. I know that it is my number one fear. There are obviously many concerns, but the economy is at the forefront of many people's minds.

Now I don't want this blog to become about doom and gloom, but I also can't turn away and pretend everything is rosy when it isn't. The economy is something that is complicated, but something that I think is made out to be too complicated...so much so that not many people truly understand what is going on. I won't stand here and pretend that I do understand everything that's going on, but I do believe that things are headed in the wrong direction.

What I plan on doing is taking on small segments so it won't be overwhelming. If we talk about the falling dollar, housing crisis, interest rates, productivity, deficits, etc. in one post, it will be too much. But my hope is that after several segments, people will get a better feel for how those things affect the economy.

So for this post, I just want to talk about the falling dollar and how the Federal Reserve affects it. Now, the Federal Reserve, quoting from it's website "is the central bank of the United States and provides the nation with a safe, flexible, and stable monetary and financial system". The important thing to know is that there is currently little oversight to the Federal Reserve. They are run almost like a corporation, aside from monthly meetings that they have with congress to tell them what they are going to do, but they don't have to take instructions from congress on how to run the national bank.

Among other things, the Federal Reserve has the ability to create/print money, and it is precisely this ability that is creating the falling dollar. This can be explained simply by the law of supply and demand. The more supply there is, the less demand there is for it, and thusly the more the price must lower to create sufficient demand to meet the supply.

Think of it in terms of...oh say...cars. Let's say someone made a car that many people would want...one that very safe, roomy, runs on water, and gives out no pollution. So the manufacturer says that the cars will be selling for $10,000. Initially, everyone wants one, so the price quickly rises to $30,000 based on high demand. Soon, the manufacturer is able to multiply his production of these new cars by ten fold. Before too long, the price on the exact same car would drop down...and let's say that the manufacturer begins producing so many throughout the world, that to sell one, he now has to lower the prict to say $5000, because there is a greater supply of them out there.

That's what's happening to the US Dollar. The Federal Reserve has the ability to, and does, print new money often enough, causing our dollar to fall in value. But in value to what? In value to other country's currency. A country doesn't have to spend as much of their money to exchange it for the US Dollar if the US Dollar is vastly overcirculated. Conversely, we have to spend more of our money in exchange for a currency that isn't being overcirculated.

Why is that a problem? Because now we have to spend more money to buy the same goods produced in other countries. Oh, by the way, most items that you buy on a daily basis is produced in another country. Not good. Has anyone noticed the price we pay for a barrel of oil recently, despite the production of oil having not changed at all?

This is something that the front-runners of the presidential race should be, but aren't, discussing. It's up to us to let them know that they need to develop an economic plan if they want to be elected.

NUMB3RS...

Ok...so I watch a lot of TV...cutting back will be a resolution for another year, provided I can keep the ones I made this year. Anyway, regardless of how much television I do or don't watch, this show has got to be one of my favorite shows of all time.

There's two main reasons for this. Aside from being entertaining, it is fascinating how much Math they can come up with to put in this show. Now, if you are planning on hopping on to say that there is no way the math used in the show would work in real life, save it. I don't want to hear it. I don't KNOW how realistic this show is...for those not familiar, this show is about a mathematician genius helping out the FBI to solve crimes...but it seems like it's realistic, so for me, it is. I didn't do poorly in Math, but if this show was around when I was in high school, I am sure I would have looked at Math differently. A show like this should give Math teachers hope in finding ways to make Math entertaining enough to teach it to people.

And the second reason this is one of my favorite shows, is that every show ends highlighting the importance of family. For the life of me, I don't know how successful I'll be at raising my kids, but I'll consider my life a success if, at the end of the day, my kids and their family will realize the importance of family unity.

If you haven't seen the show, I highly recommend it. I don't know how many different ways they can have Charlie, the mathematician, help the FBI out, but I know I'll watch every episode I can of this show...and at the end, when the family sits around the table for dinner, laughing, I'll be hoping that, in the future, my family can stay close enough to resemble that unity.

Ellsworth for Re-election

I live near Evansville, Indiana. My representative is Brad Ellsworth(D). I may not agree with everything he does, but believe it or not, I do agree with much of it. I believe he represents me well...aside from voting for the crazy spending bills that this government has put forth. So he will be getting my vote for re-election this November.

I'll admit, when I didn't vote in the last election, I didn't want him to win. Why? Sadly, mostly because of a negative attack add that centered around the claim that Brad Ellsworth, a former Sheriff, had his daughter's speeding ticket fixed. I don't know if that claim is true or not, but I've come not to care. Only recently did I admit to myself that if I had the opportunity to "take care" of a speeding ticket of one of my kids, I'd likely do it. It would be passing up an opportunity to teach them a valuable lesson, certainly, but given the hassle that comes along with getting a ticket, I'd probably "take care" of the ticket for them.

I can also tell you two people that DO NOT have my support...both Indiana Senators, Richard Lugar(R) and Evan Bayh(D). Neither of them return my emails. Brad has returned nearly every one. Most recently I let him know how disappointed I was with his vote on the Budget Bill, outlining the reasons I've spoke of here before. It was a perfect opportunity, and to be honest I expected it, to ignore the email altogether because it called into question his voting record. To my surprise, he did reply. He outlined reasons why he thought it was good that he voted for it...he even mentioned things that he wish would have received more money for, but he also showed concern for cutting spending on other wasteful programs.

While he didn't detail what he would have liked to spend more on, or what he deemed wasteful, he earned my respect for merely replying to a topic that he could have easily ignored. I call on everyone in Indiana's 8th district to research Brad's voting record and see that he's clearly doing his best not to represent himself, but to represent us.

He needs to be mindful in the future, to stay in touch, stay along this same path, and keep representing the Indiana residents, but I see no reason why he shouldn't be re-elected...not one. And again...he will be recieving my vote.

Target Sucks...

I vow...now...this very minute (well technically I vowed this last night, but it sounds better if my epiphany is happening real time) that I shall never buy another item from Target again, ever. Not even an aspirin, a soda, a stick of gum.

For the longest time, I've not liked Target. They NEVER have anything in stock that I'm shopping for. There's a slot for the item, but I guess their Just-In-Time stocking is severely lacking. That or it's just a cruel hoax to make you think they plan on stocking items that you need, when they have no intention of ever doing so. And it's been that way for several years. For example...for several years in a row, the week that the newest Madden Playstation game came out I'd go buy it. For those not in the know, a new Madden game comes out each year because it's a football game and each year the creators over at EA Sports like to delete useful options such as using a customized playbook in Franchise mode and add useless options such as SuperStar mode. Also they like to update the roster each year, but I'd prefer to dwell on the negative right now, thank you.

Anyway, for three years running, I'd go to Target the week the new Madden came out and sure enough...out of stock. Folks, it's the most popular sports title around, and a bankable seller in August each year. EA, I'm sure, makes plenty of games to go around. Why can't Target have them in stock??

Because they suck.

But I've tolerated them for those three years, mostly because my wife loves the store, and partially because I get a kick out of making the same old tired joke to her that we are getting ready to waste a half hour of our lives by going there because they won't have one item we are shopping for. Then I love to gloat how after we are done shopping at Target, we now get to go fight the crowds and uncomprendable long lines at Wal-Mart to shop for the other half of our shopping list that...you guessed it...wasn't stocked at Target. Luckily, she puts up with my obnoxiousness as it pertains to Target, and I love her for that.

So...here's the straw that broke this camel's back. I headed over to good ole Target to return a few Christmas items that I couldn't use...PC Games...each still wrapped...each with the large Target magnetic, security sticker on it. No, I didn't have the receipt...they're gifts people. Believe it or not, some people still don't like putting receipts with Christmas gifts they are giving out. I know, I know, the nerve of some people wanting their presents to be used by the person they give the gift to. That's heavy sarcasm for the dense retailers out there.

I should also add that I was returning a movie that my well-intentioned, mother purchased for my 5-year-old daughter. It was inappropriate, but that's beside the point.

Low and behold, Target only allows a total of 2 items returned with out a receipt...PER YEAR. Hello?!?! Anyone paying attention over at Target? Per YEAR?? Wait...there's more. On top of that, one of Target's rules is that they won't return any item without a receipt that costs more than $20. *sigh* Twenty Bucks??!! Target is supposed to be the Wal-Mart for affluent customers. Not including food, is the average price per item in their store even less than $20??

So I did get to return my daughter's video and one game that was *gasp* $19.99. Then I went on the nerve-wracking event to find an item that one, I wanted, and two, was in stock, to spend my new handy-dandy $30 gift card on. It was not a fun journey...nor was it a quick one...did I mention that Target doesn't have many items that normal customers want in stock?

And so, no less than a half hour later, I walked to the register...which unlike Wal-Mart didn't have long lines - because every patron in the store is just trying to find something in-stock to buy...and purchased Glenn Beck's new book and a roll of auto-glass wipes for my wife. As I exited the store, I vowed never to spend another red-cent in the establishment in my entire life.

But now that I think about it, it's not as if I'd ban my wife from shopping there, so here's my new vow...I'll never step foot in target again as long as I live. Not even to go to the bathroom. See...I did get to have my real-time epiphany after all.

Of course if we move back near a Super Target while my kids are still young and there's a Photoshop there, all bets are off. They take great pictures at a great price. Sometimes I miss Indianapolis.

*sigh* Big Government Democrats...

Sorry for taking some time off...the family took turns at being sick for the new year. So I'll just try to make a quick note about how I think big government is not a good idea. In the Democrat's bid to take the moral high ground on major issues, they will ultimately drive the economy into further duress, tax the heck out of everyone, and build a federal government so big that the gaps in nearly all government offices will be much worse than the gaps in intelligence agencies leading up to 9/11.

Let me just say that I like education reform, health care reform, and the like, if not in whole at least in part. But have those socialized, that is to say run by federal government is apalling. Many agree that No Child Left Behind has been largely a disaster. So how is adding more government involvement to education reform going to help?? I agree that there must be some national standards, but the states need to decide how best to meet those standards.

And Barack...you're going to cut health care spending and expenses as a means to nationalized health care?? Please. Are you going to make it impossible for someone to sue a doctor that acts with malpractice? That's one of the main reasons that health care prices are so high...malpractice insurance is outrageous.

Does anyone see shady doctors charging the government $4000 for an office visit and some antibiotics? Because I can...and the federal government will be so innundated that it will take forever to investigate phony charges, if ever.

So folks...you have to realize that, while definitely worthy causes, nationalized health care, education reform...none of these will be solved by a bloated federal government. It must be taken care of at the state level. Don't let candidates talking of high moral issues cause you to be blinded by what would inevitablly happen if a over-sized government took over operations of those worthy causes.

For Shame, Congress

Alright folks, we're coming up on an election year...it's time to begin thinking about the issues. I'm not saying you have to be passionate about politics or be consumed by every issue, but you need to be informed.

Just before the Christmas break, a $555-BILLION spending bill was passed. A bulk of that was for unrestricted billions in the war on terror...unrestricted meaning that no one is accountable for how those funds are spent.

The war is a whole other topic for another day, but staying on the spending bill...also included in the spending bill are the so-called earmarks for congress' pet projects. Do you realize that within this spending bill are things like a $700,000 bike trail in Minnesota, $10,000,000 for attorney's fees for illegal immigrants, money for studying some insect in France, and to include my own hometown, $3.6 million for sewer repairs in Indiana.

Just to spell it out a little more, the spending bills are the obvious part...the things that the government spends money on. But remember, the money they are spending is ours...our tax money that is.

I don't know about you, but I sure as heck don't want my tax dollars being spent on a bike trail, or to pay for lawyers for illegal immigrants....and I'm sure you don't want your tax dollars being spent on sewer repairs in Indiana.

This could be an important issue. While the Democratic candidates are finding ways to spend more taxpayer money, there are at least two Republican hopefuls that would like to do away with the IRS altogether. To be fair, some of the Democratic issues are noble, but I have to be honest, I don't want the federal government running any kind of healthcare.

The two Republican hopefuls I am speaking of are Mike Huckabee and Ron Paul. I believe Mitt Romney would like to do the same kind of things as Mike Huckabee, but I wouldn't swear to it. Huckabee wants to replace income tax with a national flat consumption tax on certain items. These items are not yet spelled out, and Huckabee believes that he could run the flat tax in the range of 20 - 25 percent.

Ron Paul wants to merely demolish the IRS, period. He doesn't think that there needs to be any consumption tax to make up for the loss of federal revenue.

I like both ideas for different reasons. Ron Paul's idea would go back to the Founding Fathers, whom didn't mandate any kind of income tax, and would count on tarrifs to raise money for federal needs. This would clearly eliminate the pork spending of congress, and allow for states to institute higher taxes to pay for state-specific projects. Then each state can decide and vote on what to build with tax payer funds. The questions that arise for me is how much income would we actually get through tarriffs? I could see getting enough to pay for national defense...but would there be enough for Social Security, Medicare, and Medicade? Eventually those institutions would need to be overhauled anyway, but we can't just leave a generation of retirees without income they were promised.

On the Huckabee side, I think that a consumption tax would reach a class of people that have skirted paying taxes for years. I also think it would increase personal savings, as people would see 20 or 25 percent taxes on things and try to be more thrifty.

I don't necessarily see a negative side to Huckabee's proposal, other than it's not Ron Paul's idea...keep the federal government out of our money. At the end of the day, while Huckabee's proposal would decrease spending, it may not stop the ear-marking altogether, whereas Ron Paul's idea would. I'm a big fan of giving more control to the states, particularly on issues such as spending. Let Minnesota's governor try to convince tax payers that $700,000 would make them happier or heathier or increase tourism or whatever a $700,000 bike trail would do...just don't make me pay for it...I live in Indiana for crying out loud and never plan on moving to Minnesota.

So to me, it seems like an easy enough issue to get behind. Keep everyone's tax dollars within the state they live. Perhaps there will need to be some tweaking done, but wouldn't everyone like to pay less taxes and at least get to see what their tax dollars is going for?

Happy Holidays from The Mad Hoosier...

I did a post a couple years back when the "war on Christmas" was at it's height. It was worded a little more strongly, but I think the overall theme I was trying to convey is still appropriate.

I've always preferred Happy Holidays over Merry Christmas. I used to work at Toys R Us and said "Happy Holidays" before some retail stores mandated the greeting. Even before I worked retail...for me, it was merely the best way to greet or wish someone well that encompassed the weeks worth of holidays. It wasn't a conscious effort to be politically correct or anything; I still used Merry Christmas on occasion, but more often than not after someone wished me Merry Christmas first.

As I wish you all Happy Holidays, my hope for everyone is that, even if you aren't Christian, you take a second and look at the intention behind someone wishing who may wish you "Merry Christmas". The overwhelming majority of the time, it is merely a well-intentioned, kind-hearted greeting during this time of year, and not an indoctrination attempt.

I truly wish everyone a safe and happy holiday season and hope that everyone gets to enjoy their time with their family and celebrate the season in their own way.

Happy Holidays!

From,
The Mad Hoosier

Book Recommendation

I've heard that if you read three books on a topic, you can be considered an expert on the subject. That is one of the most powerful things I've ever heard, and it's what caused me to start my way to becoming a reader. I never used to read...I used to hate reading...probably because I was a slow reader. As a matter of fact, up until two years ago, I've only read two books cover to cover. One was a Sylvia Browne book, and the other was an economics book for a grad school class.

I still read rather slowly, but I no longer let it me stop me from reading. I still don't read as much as I'd like to, and I didn't reach my goal/New Year's resolution this year of a book a month, but I've read three cover to cover, and half of about three other books. One I'm in the middle of currently, and I'll return to the others eventually.

It's the one that I'm currently in the middle of that I can already recommend. It's called Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters by Meg Meeker, M.D. It's a guide as to how to raise your daughter in this world to keep her from being harmed by society. I'd say it's a must read for any father, particularly new fathers.

It had me, as I'm sure it would have many other fathers, hooked in the first three pages. The most profound is that this doctor, through years of study in her own practice and research, states how the father is the most important person in any girls life...whether that be for the better or worse.

It's definitely a book that I'll want to keep handy throughout the years.

What's Your Favorite Christmas Song/Artist/Music?

Time to take a break from politics again...that stuff can get pretty dreary...so what kind of Christmas Music do you like? Or what's your favorite song or type of music?

Me, I'm more of a traditionalist. I like more traditional, old-school songs, and I prefer the deep baritone voices. My favorite artist is Robert Goulet, and his album, which may be his only Christmas album, Wonderful World of Christmas is my favorite. My favorite song on that album is On This Noel, which isn't exactly some well-known traditional song, but you'd think it was the way he sings it.

I do like some of Johnny Mathis' work, despite his higher voice. I also like Burl Ives...the Home Alone soundtrack...and despite my resistance to pop artists singing Christmas songs, I like Martina McBride's Christmas songs.

My favorite Christmas song is Carol of Bells. I prefer the vocal versions to the instrumentals, but David Foster does a pretty good instrumental version of it. So what about you? Surely you have same favorite songs/artists/music?

I just don't understand hate...

Sure, I'm mostly non-confrontational, aside from the blip in bravery that the anonymity of the internet provides. I'm trying to minimize that effect, however, as I want this blog to represent how I really am.

So I've been off for a week now, and I've had a chance to watch some shows on the History channel, news stories, 20/20's, etc, all the way up to the events that happened this weekend at Colorado churches. I just can't comprehend the kind of hate and vileness that must be in some people to do the things they do and say the things they say.

It reached a boiling when I visited a website of a program that I don't believe dabbles in hate. I've spoke on here about the show before, the Glenn Beck show. Only I went to his own homepage and was dabbling around his merchandise section, when something caught my eye. Hate U (as in Hate University).

My first reaction was shock...then I took it as sarcasm...then I went back to why. Why on earth would he even put something like that on his website, even in sarcasm?

I did a little more research and found out that it was created out of sarcasm. Geraldo Rivera referred to Glenn as a breeder of hate, which prompted him to create the Hate U line. As I did a little more research, on his own homepage, there is a link showing all of the bad emails he gets. And by bad, I do mean Hate Mail.

I could only read a few at the top of the page and a few at the bottom of the page. How anyone can send letters such as this is beyond me, and how anyone can stand to receive letters like this without becoming jaded quickly...well, I'm not sure it's possible.

I still like Glenn...I don't find him a breeder of hate at all. He's harsh at times, and like anyone on radio/tv these days he can get overly descriptive when speaking about those that have vastly opposing views from him, but I don't think he crosses the line, and I don't hear that venomous tone from him that I hear from others when he speaks of those on "the other side".

Even in my own Adsense down to the side...Barack Obama Exposed...what is that? There's even a website out there called Michelle Malkin is an Idiot. Michelle Malkin is a right wing commentator/blogger, and definitely venomous in her own right, but how does reciprocating that hate by creating a blog aimed at defaming her help?

Like I said, I just don't comprehend it. Perhaps it's just age and having kids that has changed me some, but I still can't recall, even in my youth, ever truly hating someone. I hope it can change...I pray that it does change, but I fear that the hate will only spread and get worse. I will continue to do my part...keep praying, speak out and teach my kids about the ugliness of hate, and always try to remain positive, both in person and under the veil of anonymity that is the web.

Senators stalling the Clean Energy Act of 2007?

Recently a bill passed in the House of Representatives that would begin working on the environment. It didn't pass by a huge margin, but it passed. It was the Clean Energy Act of 2007. I don't understand why it didn't pass by more, since it seems overwhelming that Americans want to improve the environment, but at least it passed.

I don't fully understand the intricacies of this bill, but it seems to be about removing subsidies for oil/energy companies, requiring a 15% investment in renewable energy, and raising the efficiency of automobiles. Again, I'm sure that's not all encompassing, but that's some of the major points of the legislation.

I don't know why the bill isn't making it through the Senate, but an article in the local newspaper stated that opponents believe that somehow it could raise energy prices in areas where...get this...solar and wind technologies aren't feasible.

I won't even begin to preach my opinion on global warming...but at the very least I don't think anyone wants the earth to be worse off...but if you want see how your representative voted, and find ways to contact your Senators demand action one way or the other, make sure to check out Vote-Smart.org.

Calling all Atheists...

I don't understand you. I don't disrespect you, though the quite oversimplified version, that I'm about ready to post about, of what I understand an Atheist to be may seem disrespectful, but I just don't understand what you're about.

I don't pity you, or pray for you to find God, as that would demean your existence...something I don't wish to do...I just don't get it. I just went over to atheists.org to try to get an understanding of your point of view, and none of it made much sense. That is to say, I didn't get a clear picture of what an atheist is. There was a huge biography on the founder of this particular group of atheists, and there was a lot of describing themselves through what they aren't.

But defining yourselves, or summing up your belief, by saying what you aren't doesn't really help me understand you. I understand that your beliefs have been attacked by believers for a long time, but does it really help to use terms like never-never land, or theology being limited thinking? Now I don't mean to offend if this particular website doesn't represent all views of atheists, and I don't mean to lump everyone together by saying "you" when referencing the points this website makes. Perhaps atheists don't care if it helps by using those terms and wording...but I would think that a basic desire of a human is to be understood on some level, with life-style/belief-system being on the forefront of things you'd like others to understand about them.

So here's my oversimplified view of what atheists are...they believe solely in evolution, from the beginning. Now I believe that all living things evolve and adapt, but my belief is that a God initially created the solar-systems and all life in them.

My question is, do atheists seek to test their belief-system from time to time, or do they take their belief-system on faith? Do they even believe in the concept of faith? If they do, do they believe that something like having faith that their favorite sports team will win the big game can be equated to a larger form of faith?

My question is, yes I have a few, if atheists do believe in evolution, how do they believe that life began? I can only assume something like the big bang theory since they don't believe in any kind of universal creator. And if you do believe in the big bang theory, can you explain what happened after the big bang? How did life in it's simplist form decide that it needed to procreate if someone or something didn't ingrain that into their structure?

Again, perhaps Atheists don't care about such things. Perhaps they have their belief, they think it's right, and they never question why they think that. I know that I've questioned my beliefs often, but I keep coming back to the Lord. I see to many little miracles that can't all be explained as coincidences...and I keep coming back to the notion that someone, something, somewhere had to program organisms with the desire to reproduce...something a big bang couldn't thrust upon any organism.

So if you don't care what others think of your belief system, please don't take my search for knowledge as any kind of mockery. If you do wish to let others know about the belief of atheism, by all means, share. I vow that I won't allow bashing...just sharing of beliefs and explaining of why one believes that way.

Back to politics (Ron Paul)

I watched 20/20 last night, primarily because of the part about the Missouri girl that committed suicide after the parents of a classmate created a fake MySpace account to entice her. But at the end of the program, as I did end up watching it all, there was John Stossel talking about an interview he did with Ron Paul. He directed everyone to abcnews.com to see the interview. Yearning to see if there was more I could find out about the Ron Paul enigma, I checked it out...watched some of the clips, since the hour long interview will conveniently be played out over the span of a week, and then began to look over the 169 comments that had landed there since airing last night.

I only made it through a few of them when I had enough. Enough of the Ron Paul supporters bashing the naysayers...enough of the naysayers...enough of the obliviousness. Oblivious to the fact that Ron Paul, himself, can not fix this nation even if he were elected. And on a quick side note, George Stephanopoulos' comment directly to Ron Paul that he had "No Chance" of winning the Republican's nomination was pretentious, rude, and disrespectful. His place is supposed to be as a reporter, not as an opinionater.

But I digress...back to the obliviousness. It's not completely true that if Ron Paul were elected that he could do nothing by himself. The president does oversee all foreign affairs and can typically act without approval from Congress in that capacity. So his idea to pull troops not only out of Iraq but out of the Middle East would certainly have an effect on the nation. Whether that would be good or not, I haven't formulated an opinion yet.

But the other things he speaks of...smaller government, less spending, more freedom's...almost none of that can be done without the approval of Congress. Sure, he can veto spending bills and speak out on drugs, prostitution, and abortion not being federal issues. But it's Congress that makes the laws...not the president. So we can't look solely to the president to fix this country, if you are one of the ones that believes it's broken.

Unfortunately, it seems evident that Congress can't, or won't, act unless WE MAKE THEM. We The People. Yes, it does take work on our part. Our representatives do just that, represent us. We should not give our power to them blindly and not expect many of them to eventually act in their own self-interest.

At our own work, we are expected to give our best performance every day. We need to actively, not passively, demand that from those that represent us in this great country. There is a website that I have found tremendous...vote-smart.org. It is non-partisian, provides you with voting records of our Congressmen and Congresswomen, provides you with commentary that may be helpful in undersanding your representative, and even provides websites for the representatives where you may be able to email your representatives. You should definitely check it out...drop your representative a line, and let him or her know you are now actively keeping track of how well you are being represented.

Leaving a Legacy...

I typically don't get this personal, but this, too, is really bothering me, and I need some way of relieving the inner turmoil that it causes me. I feel that I have a good grasp on trying to be the best person I can be, not only for myself, but for my kids too. Even if all I amount to is second rate jobs for the rest of my life, I want it to be obvious to my kids that I love them and I have some qualities that they can look up to.

Extrapolating from that notion, I want to do the best I possibly can to teach my kids everything I can. Not just tell them, but to teach them and to show them the circumstances, events, and thoughts that made me the man they know.

I've never been particularly close to my father. My parents were divorced when I was going into third grade. I saw my dad twice a year growing up. I adored him. I always cried and cried the night after he dropped us off...particularly in the summer when I spent an entire month with him. I'm sure, in one sense, it tore my mother apart to see me miss him so.

Even then, he had to work when I would visit, so much of the time I'd either stay home alone or be dropped off at the YMCA for the afternoon. We'd have fun too, of course, but never in the sense where I really got to know him.

It was a few years ago, shortly after my grandfather passed away(his father) and shortly after my first daughter was born, that I realized that I didn't know my grandfather or my father very well, and I really wanted to. I started out first trying to have conversations about what my grandfather's thoughts were on things such as Muhammad Ali or other prominent, if not controversial, sports figures. But that quickly waned for a variety of reasons.

Then, for a New Years' resolution, I vowed to call my father weekly to learn something new about him. That lasted for about two weeks...again for a variety of reasons. I see him far less often now than I used to, and speak to him rarely. He seems to open up more when I speak to him on the phone...a fact that I used as an excuse to further let our "relationship" erode.

Then, I was given Hope. My newfound interest in politics(just the knowledge of at this point - not entering the arena) had sparked my desire to ask my father for his views on voting over the Thanksgiving holiday. It was the best conversation in years...even if all I did was mostly listen. It's all I wanted to do really...just soak up my father's viewpoints, whether I agreed or not.

Then, Hope was knocked down again. I know he's busy with work and taken care of his ailing mother that lives with him, but I called him at work to announce the birth of his grandson, and his secretary treated me like another client. He still hasn't called back to issue congratulations, or find out about his grandson, or how the family is doing.

I just currently feel at a loss...like something's missing...like some part of me is missing. I feel guilty saying that, because I have a great wife, two great daughters, and a new son...all who love me dearly. My mom adores me just as much as I adore her, but still...something's missing. How does a thirty-something year old man tell his father that he needs him, needs his advice, his companionship, needs him to pass his legacy on to his son? How??

Wrong Numbers

Taking a break from politics and encouraging people to vote, I had something happen today that is still making my blood boil. It's been a while since I've let something get to me this much, and I don't know why this is bothering me so much. Perhaps it's the underlying circumstance that brought me to this situation.

What situation? The obsession that people have with knowing who called them. Some may remember that I work in a hotel, so on any given weekend I have a half dozen calls from people saying, "Yeah...someone just called me from this number." I won't go into the semantics of even the depth of conversations I have with these people while explaining on why I can't help them, but I just don't understand why people are so hung up on finding out who called them. Before all of this technology with Caller ID, Voice Mail, and Cell Phones, no one was obsessed with who called them. In fact, it was an irritation to have been called accidentally...especially if you were expecting someone elses call.

You'd think, with everyone supposedly so busy as they are, they'd have better things to do than to obsess with every single call they get and/or miss. Any time I get a call from a number I don't recognize, I simply don't answer it. If it is someone I know, or if it was important enough, they will leave a voice mail. If not, I assume they have called a wrong number and will recognize that quickly enough once they get to my voice mail.

So the specific incident that has me all worked up today is I called an old friend today...or tried to. No one answered, and the call went over to voice mail...kinda(I actually got a recording saying that this person hasn't set up their voice mail yet). But before I hung up, I got an incoming call from the person I was calling. My initial thought was that maybe he got a new phone or something, thus the reason for me getting that voice mail message, and that he was just calling back. When I answered the phone, a voice on the other end was saying "I've got to figure out who this f*@#er is."

Slightly taken aback, because I quickly had a thought that my friend, who does cuss, may have been joking around with me since I hadn't talked to him in a long time, I again repeated, "Hello." I hadn't recognized the voice, as it was faint, but I thought it could have been him. But when I was met with a "Who's this?" I realized that it wasn't my friend, so I asked for him by his full name. The fellow on the other end of the line said I must have had the wrong number. I promptly apologized and then told him that there is no need to cuss at someone who merely accidentally called the wrong number. I didn't wait around for a response, as by this point I was rather mad.

I still don't know if I was more mad at the interaction with this gentleman, or at myself for not knowing that this friend of mine no longer had this phone number. I understand that he could have been having a bad day or something, and I'm all for giving the benefit of the doubt, but I think I still would have posted this man's name if I had been able to find it. There's no reason to treat people like that simply because they made the mistake of staying out of touch with his friend long enough that he didn't have the most recent cell phone number for him.