Tap Tap Tap

[Blows dust off this space] Hi! Long time, no blog. I guess Facebook has done a good deal in destroying blogging for me. Actually, Facebook and my iPhone have gone a long way in destroying a lot of things for me... Faith in humanity, love of reading, etc. So late last night, a heavily armed shooter took aim from his 32nd floor window at the Mandalay Bay resort and casino in Las Vegas and started firing, killing 50 and injuring 400+ before taking his own life. What did I see on Facebook first thing? It's time to have a gun control discussion. Never let a good tragedy go to waste, eh? Y'all. Gun control would not have helped. Has anyone even bothered to look at the gun violence statistics? How many of the firearms used in gun violence are owned legally? It's not a gun control issue. It's a 24/7, in-your-face, everyone has an opinion to be shared immediately, fed up, PC-police state issue. It's the fact that we elected someone to the highest office who had the most vitriolic Twitter account in known existence. People are fed the hell up and I'm included. I'm fed up with career politicians. I'm fed up with personal agendas. I'm fed the HELL up with people not taking the running of our country more seriously than the running of their own egos. There is no common sense anymore. Only anger and outrage so blinding that no one is willing to extend a hand to have a conversation about the real threats to our society as a whole, and a media so emboldened and embedded in ratings and advertising dollars that they only pour gasoline on the fire instead of stay unbiased. I'm 43 years old and not going to be silent anymore.

I Did It

I voted. All three front-runners (McCain, Hillary, Osama) propose to take even more money out of my pocket to give away to those who are looking for a handout.

I voted for the person who proposes to take the LEAST amount.

In terms of the issues surrounding this election, I care about ONE. Don't take my money.

I Want To Meet The Person Who Wrote This...

And thank whoever it is...

The other day I was reading Newsweek magazine and came across some poll data I found rather hard to believe. It must be true, given the source, right?

The Newsweek poll alleges that 67 percent of Americans are unhappy with the direction the country is headed, and 69 percent of the country is unhappy with the performance of the President. In essence, 2/3's of the citizenry just ain't happy and want a change.

So being the knuckle dragger I am, I started thinking, ''What are we so unhappy about?''

Is it that we have electricity and running water 24 hours a day, 7 days a week?

Is our unhappiness the result of having air conditioning in the summer and heating in the winter?

Could it be that 95.4 percent of these unhappy folks have a job?

Maybe it is the ability to walk into a grocery store at any time, and see more food in moments than Darfur has seen in the last year?

Maybe it is the ability to drive from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean without having to present identification papers as we move through each state?

Or possibly the hundreds of clean and safe motels we would find along the way that can provide temporary shelter?

I guess having thousands of restaurants with varying cuisine from around the world is just not good enough.

Or could it be that when we wreck our car, emergency workers show up and provide services to help all, and even send a helicopter to take you to the hospital.

Perhaps you are one of the 70 percent of Americans who own a home. You may be upset with knowing that in the unfortunate case of a fire, a group of trained firefighters will appear in moments and use top notch equipment to extinguish the flames thus saving you, your family and your belongings.

Or if, while at home watching one of your many flat screen TVs, a burglar or prowler intrudes, an officer equipped with a gun and a bullet-proof vest will come to defend you and your family against attack or loss.

This all in the backdrop of a neighborhood free of bombs or militias raping and pillaging the residents. Neighborhoods where 90 percent of teenagers own cell phones and computers.

How about the complete religious, social and political freedoms we enjoy that are the envy of everyone in the world? Maybe that is what has 67 percent of you folks unhappy.

Fact is, we are the largest group of ungrateful, spoiled brats the world has ever seen. No wonder the world loves the U.S. , yet has a great disdain for its citizens. They see us for what we are. The most blessed people in the world who do nothing but complain about what we don't have, and what we hate about the country instead of thanking the good Lord we live here.

I know, I know. What about the President who took us into war and has no plan to get us out? The President who has a measly 31 percent approval rating? Is this the same President who guided the nation in the dark days after 9/11? The President that cut taxes to bring an economy out of recession? Could this be the same guy who has been called every name in the book for succeeding in keeping all the spoiled ungrateful brats safe from terrorist attacks?

The Commander-In Chief of an all-volunteer army that is out there defending you and me? Did you hear how bad the President is on the news or talk show? Did this news affect you so much, make you so unhappy you couldn't take a look around for yourself and see all the good things and be glad?

Think about it...are you upset at the President because he actually caused you personal pain OR is it because the "Media" told you he was failing to kiss your sorry ungrateful behind every day.
Make no mistake about it. The troops in Iraq and Afghanistan have volunteered to serve, and in many cases may have died for your freedom. There is currently no draft in this country. They didn't have to go. They are able to refuse to go and end up with either a ''general'' discharge, an ''other than honorable'' discharge or, worst case scenario, a ''dishonorable'' discharge after a few days in the brig.

So why then the flat-out discontentment in the minds of 69 percent of Americans? Say what you want, but I blame it on the media. If it bleeds, it leads; and they specialize in bad news.

Everybody will watch a car crash with blood and guts. How many will watch kids selling lemonade at the corner? The media knows this and media outlets are for-profit corporations. They offer what sells, and when criticized, try to defend their actions by "justifying" them in one way or another. Just ask why they tried to allow a murderer like O.J. Simpson to write a book about "how he didn't kill his wife, but if he did he would have done it this way"...Insane!

Stop buying the negativism you are fed everyday by the media. Shut off the TV, burn Newsweek, and use the New York Times for the bottom of your bird cage. Then start being grateful for all we have as a country. There is exponentially more good than bad.

We are among the most blessed people on Earth, and should thank God several times a day or at least be thankful and appreciative.

With hurricanes, tornadoes, fires out of control, mud slides, flooding, severe thunderstorms tearing up the country from one end to another, and with the threat of bird flu and terrorist attacks, are we sure this is a good time to take God out of the Pledge of Allegiance?

**This was credited to Jay Leno in 2007. I have no idea if he wrote it, but it is nice to see this refreshing take on our world. We are some really fortunate people, aren't we?

***Thank you for sending this to me, Pitter...

****Apparently, Jay Leno did not write this, someone named Craig R Smith did. I want to meet Mr. Smith. I like what he has to say... And the original IS SO MUCH BETTER.

Type, type, type... Delete, delete, delete

In the past week, I've written long, drawn-out tomes on the following topics:

Bret Michaels
Reality TV
Britney Spears
Voting
Politics
Marriage
Work
Fitness
Junk food
Travel
Vacations

Not one of the above was fit to post and now I'm suffering from writer's cramp (my brain is cramping under the pressure I've put upon myself to write something, ANYTHING! worth reading). So I will just be random. In other words, THIS WILL BE A NORMAL POST!

I spend way too much time focusing on the latest celebrity antics as evidenced by an email my husband sent me this morning to tell me that the fed cut the interest rates... I thought to myself, "Well yeah, but Britney showed up for a custody hearing! So. Much. More. Important."

Dr Pop sent me a quiz yesterday to find out who I match up with politically. Since it was sent to him by my "hated enemy" I will not post that exact link here. Here's essentially the same link, but I found it on a different affiliate website. ;-) http://ktbc.4wmt.com/cmm/

I pretty much know where my vote is going in the Primary election and, given various contingencies, I have a top 4 list of the candidates who will get my vote in November. The fact that I have been able to find so many options is telling. Basically, no one really stands out as outstanding to me this year. Quite a few stand out as terrible choices, but no one rises to the top. What a sad, sad election year.

Oh. You saw that thing I said about having an enemy. I don't. Not really. There are a few people whose company I don't go out and seek, though. And a few people out there who would not see me cry if karma catches up to them. But no enemies per se. I just choose for my personal life to seek out people who hold the same things I hold dear...

You don't see much political ranting on here because I'm mostly, "Don't ask, don't tell." I'd rather not know where you lean because that way we won't be drawn into a heated war of words resulting in the end of a great acquaintance. I like to agree to disagree on most things and you won't really see me rear up until you start extolling the virtues of abortion at will, government mandated socialism, and higher taxes.

I'm still kind of cranky. I don't know what's wrong with me other than a perpetual beat-down at work that is not fun. Well that, eating junk when I know I shouldn't, and sitting on the couch or at the computer when I know I should be shakin' it with Chalene.

I never feel better than when I am working out. Gotta love those endorphins! And working out and eating right helps get those nasty fast-food toxins right out of my system. You'd think I'd "get" it by now. Intellectually, I do get it. It's in practice where I slack off. But we will be planning our summer vacation soon, and the last thing I want is to be starving myself before we go so that I can look just right in my sundresses.

Maybe we can discuss trainwreck reality TV at a later date. I need to go read the Wall Street Journal or something!

A serious, non-inflamatory question...

Apparently, everyone's all excited about the prospect of both Hilary Clinton and Barak Obama as potential presidential candidates... My political affiliation is no secret, but seriously? What is so special about either of these two people? I wondered the same thing about Kerry, too. Is it the fact that they are affiliated with the Democratic party? What are their stands on things like:

The death penalty?
Abortion?
Homeland security?
Taxes?
The economy?
Heathcare?
Socialism?
Big government?
Personal accountability/responsibility?
The government's role in individual lives?
Education?
States' rights?
Community rights?

Since the president is only part of one of three branches of government, he/she doesn't have as much power as one might think and to me, it doesn't really matter who is in office as long as no one retires from the Supreme Court. But tell me... What doe these two people belive?

VOTE

Early voting began Monday here in Texas for the upcoming November "mid-term" elections.

And now for my soapbox...

A lot of people don't care about voting. They think that their vote doesn't matter, so why bother. When only a small percentage of the population votes, however, the smallest segment of the populace decides something so important as WHO runs the schools, the cities, the state, and the country. That is a scary thought.

I'm one of those people who truly feels that it really doesn't matter who our president is... George Bush, Hilary Clinton, heck, Libby Dole... It really doesn't matter. The President gets blamed for everything that goes wrong and Congress takes credit for everything that goes right and in my opinion, it's time to fire everyone and start over with non-politicians (but hey, that's just me!).

Whether you are a Republican, a Democrat, a Libertarian, Green (or magenta or blue for that matter!), or whatever, each election is YOUR time for YOUR voice to be counted. And remember, that we're not just voting for national issues, but also local ones. So your voice DOES matter. YOU have the power to say "YES" or "NO" to spending, taxing, waste, and, well, everything. Each of us has a voice. Let's use it in the coming two weeks to be heard.

And I have one tiny little rant... We all have our personal beliefs and moral codes. Using these beliefs, we decide which people are best to represent us in government. I contend that you are NOT stupid for not agreeing with my choices as you are not me and you have your own opinion. Please extend that courtesy to those who disagree with you, because really, we all want the same thing... A better country for our children and families... We just may disagree on who is best to make it happen.

Peace out and VOTE!

What I Believe

I hate talking about politics, because the topic can get so vile and twisted, with so many personal biases thrown in. Besides, I believe what I believe and you believe what you believe and let's face it, we're not going to change each others' minds.

So, without naming my political party affiliation, I'm going to give a list of what I belive. Here goes...

I believe that I make choices based on my personal experiences, BUT, I always have the option to choose something else. No one else makes up my mind for me, therefore it is no one else's fault (i.e. my parents, my family, my childhood, my education, etc.) if I screw up.

I believe that I know what is best for me and not some stranger sitting at a desk.

I believe that it is wrong for the Supreme Court to legislate from their seats. Read the Constitution. You're supposed to rule based on its interpretation!

I believe in God. I may not go to church as often as I should, but I still believe. Some people don't and I don't preach at them, trying to convince them that they are going to Hell, but I do feel sad for them. After all, all I have to do is look at the world around me (into my son's eyes, at a blade of grass, at the blue sky above) and know that these creations are evidence of a divine creator.

I believe in peace, BUT I also believe in protecting my family and my way of life. My family comes first and if someone or something threatens it, I will NOT try to find common ground. I will fight tooth and nail until my family is safe or until I die trying.

I believe that if you believe our forefathers were right on with one of the amendments in the Bill of Rights, then they were probably right on with all of them. We don't get to pick and choose which laws should be there, just because we may disagree with one or two.

I believe in personal freedom.

I do not understand why the people who are "pro choice/pro abortion" are anti-death penalty. Personally (and I really didn't have a stand on this until I found out I was pregnant), I believe that a baby/fetus is completely innocent. It seems slightly hypocritical to fight to abort a baby and keep a killer alive. I know which one I'd rather have in the world.

I believe that no matter the mental state of the individual in question, a MOTHER who kills her own children is the lowest, most despicable piece of crap on the face of the earth and deserves no mercy and no compassion. I try not to judge others, but I can't help myself on this one.

I believe that society has gone so far to "protect" and not "offend" so many people, that we don't look at those who speak their minds as normal, but as freaks.

I believe that people are inherently good. But after too many bad choices, some find a way to tune out their conscience and can turn completely evil.

I don't think any of our presidents over the past 32 years were/are fabulous. On the same note, I don't think any of them were/are terrible. I think they all loved this country and strove to make the world a better place in their own ways.

And, while every man who has held the office of President of the United States has made some doozie mistakes, that doesn't mean they are themselves evil.

I believe that some things are rights and some things are privileges. It's the inability to distinguis these two that causes most disagreements and strife.

I believe that even if I disagree with you, you STILL have value as an individual and our differences are what makes the world what it is. THANK GOD ALMIGHTY that I enjoy the individual freedoms to express myself, practice whatever religion I choose, receive mail, drive to the grocery store wearing a tank top and shorts, vote, raise my child, protect my home and my family, show my face (zits and all) to the world, watch the "My Fair Brady" marathon on VH1, and all of the myriad of little and big freedoms that I take for granted every single day.

I believe that you are entitled to your own opinion and beliefs.

So. What do YOU believe?