Today, American military presence in Iraq has come to an end. Obama said in a nationwide address from the Oval Office that the American involvement in Iraq has run its course and is over, militarily speaking.
This is a day to rejoice. It's a day that we have long been hoping for in America. No one wants to be involved in a war and no one wants to be involved in a war for eight years. We all knew that there would come a day when this was coming to an end and the nation of Iraq would have to fend for itself. This is a good thing. It really is.
My concern is that when we pull out, someone will be right there to pick up the pieces and resume right where they left off, conducting and supporting terrorism. The worst thing that could happen is that we pulled out too soon. How soon is too soon though? Isn't 8 years long enough to remove a dictator, build a government, and take down a regime, and take down violence.
I also, hate the fact that this happened under the watch of Obama. He is going to say that he did this all by himself, say that he ended the war in Iraq and was responsible for bringing our troops home. Great. I am glad they are returning. They have done a remarkable job and deserve to come home and be reunited with their families and loved ones. Of course I want that. I just hope that we aren't leaving before the job is finished.
The worst thing that could happen is that we pull the troops and a month from now, the government is taken over by extremists and then we have to go back in and stabilize the region again. I'm glad it's over. I'm hopeful for the future, and glad that we can focus on ourselves again. It's selfish to think about yourself, but have you seen our nation lately? We have serious problems and we need serious people to solve them.
I just don't see a serious man in Obama. I don't. I don't care for him, he didn't win my vote, and he won't get my vote in 2012. I don't like him, and I don't trust him. He's two-faced, shifty and won't give you serious answer that doesn't make himself sound like a man who doesn't want to lose his job. Rather than be a politician, he should be a leader. He should be someone that his people look up to, not one where its citizens count the days til someone else assumes power.
I'm glad it's over, but there's that fear that it's too early. Is the world ready for a free Iraq to determine its own fate? I think so. I think we are all going to be pleasantly happy and surprised. Job well done, men and women, you honored your nation, your families, and yourselves. Be proud, we are.
Mr. Obama, don't gloat, it's unbecoming.... Be a leader... Honor the men and women who made the tough choices before you, and the men and women who gave their lives for freedom.
Until next time
P
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Friday, August 27, 2010
Really? There's no other place?
I am fairly tolerant person. I don't hate people. I don't think that just because you believe in something different than I do that you shouldn't be allowed to believe in it, but this is just wrong. I just can't believe that there's no where else to build this.
If you're like me, and you've been watching the news lately, you've seen this story about a muslim mosque that people want to build near Ground Zero in New York. Now, this isn't a tirade about Islam, I don't want this message to be misconstrued that I am attacking Muslims... I am not... I just find it hard to believe that there is no other place to build this mosque than to put it just a stones throw away from The Trade Center.
Really? There's no other place? I find that hard to believe. It's almost as if someone out there just wants to create a story and create tension. You want to build a mosque, who the heck am I to stop you. Religious freedom is a protected right in this country. What I find a little insulting is that this seems to be the only place in New York where a mosque could be built.
I didn't lose a loved one in 9/11, but I can't possible imagine that this is going over well with the ones that did. I don't lump all Muslims with terrorism. I don't think that every Muslim is part of a jihad intent on ruining America. I don't believe all Muslims are evil. I do however think that this is in poor taste and is just asking for violence to be done to it when you talk about building a place that has this kind of stigma attached to it.
People are not all like minded... they see someone that belongs to a certain ethnicity or religious code, they think you all are the same person. This isn't right, it's not fair. I am not saying you shouldn't build a place where you go to worship how you see fit, I just think that this is such a touchy subject with people, it's just asking for trouble.
It's been almost ten years, and to me this feels like we are trying to rehash something that has taken us a long time to get over. And we are nowhere close to getting over this, I'm just saying, things have improved, and I would like to see them stay that way. I would love to live in a world where intolerance is a thing of the past and that this is going to have no problems attached to it, but I live in reality and in this reality people aren't going to see the positive of an Islamic Mosque so close to where a group of people claiming to be following religion perpetrated the grossest moment in American history.
I just don't believe that this is the only place where you can build this place of worship and devotion. It's not going to go well. And we, Americans are going to be made to look ignorant and foolish and destroy all the good work we have done since 9/11 to rebuild and move forward. Just please, think about this. Think about what it's going to do to the people who live there, who will worship there, and the city that is still finding normalcy.
Intolerance is an ugly vice that must be squashed, I just don't believe we are ready to squash it yet.
Until next time
P
If you're like me, and you've been watching the news lately, you've seen this story about a muslim mosque that people want to build near Ground Zero in New York. Now, this isn't a tirade about Islam, I don't want this message to be misconstrued that I am attacking Muslims... I am not... I just find it hard to believe that there is no other place to build this mosque than to put it just a stones throw away from The Trade Center.
Really? There's no other place? I find that hard to believe. It's almost as if someone out there just wants to create a story and create tension. You want to build a mosque, who the heck am I to stop you. Religious freedom is a protected right in this country. What I find a little insulting is that this seems to be the only place in New York where a mosque could be built.
I didn't lose a loved one in 9/11, but I can't possible imagine that this is going over well with the ones that did. I don't lump all Muslims with terrorism. I don't think that every Muslim is part of a jihad intent on ruining America. I don't believe all Muslims are evil. I do however think that this is in poor taste and is just asking for violence to be done to it when you talk about building a place that has this kind of stigma attached to it.
People are not all like minded... they see someone that belongs to a certain ethnicity or religious code, they think you all are the same person. This isn't right, it's not fair. I am not saying you shouldn't build a place where you go to worship how you see fit, I just think that this is such a touchy subject with people, it's just asking for trouble.
It's been almost ten years, and to me this feels like we are trying to rehash something that has taken us a long time to get over. And we are nowhere close to getting over this, I'm just saying, things have improved, and I would like to see them stay that way. I would love to live in a world where intolerance is a thing of the past and that this is going to have no problems attached to it, but I live in reality and in this reality people aren't going to see the positive of an Islamic Mosque so close to where a group of people claiming to be following religion perpetrated the grossest moment in American history.
I just don't believe that this is the only place where you can build this place of worship and devotion. It's not going to go well. And we, Americans are going to be made to look ignorant and foolish and destroy all the good work we have done since 9/11 to rebuild and move forward. Just please, think about this. Think about what it's going to do to the people who live there, who will worship there, and the city that is still finding normalcy.
Intolerance is an ugly vice that must be squashed, I just don't believe we are ready to squash it yet.
Until next time
P
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Better with Company
Who do you spend time with? Is spending time with people the light of your day? do you find yourself happier being with the people in your life that challenge you?
I was watching one of the best movies I've ever seen today, Up in the Air, starring George Clooney. For those of you who have never seen this movie, not to worry, I'm not going to spoil it for you, but I wanted to relay the message that struck home with me.
George plays Ryan Bingham, a man who works for a company that is hired by other companies to go in and fire their employees. He lives for the travel, trying to accomplish an almost unthinkable number... 10 million miles. His home, a one bedroom apartment with very little furniture and very little that says a lot about him, the man. The movie follows his travels from one place to another, with his new partner, played by Anna Kendrick, from Twilight. She is full of life, promise, and challenges him to think about his own life and how empty it is.
One of the things that is shown throughout the movie is him giving motivational talks about the things in your life that bring you down, and how having attachments is nothing more than a heavy backpack keeping you from living your life. he doesn't want anyone, doesn't need anyone, and believes this is the way everyone should live their life.
At one point in the movie, his little sister is getting married and the groom gets cold feet on the day of the wedding. It is left to Ryan to try and convince the groom that he needs to get over it and get married. This is not what Ryan does. He goes in and tries very hard to sound assuring but it comes off as fake and he knows it. Then, it starts to make sense to him and he says a line that to me is the heart of the movie..."Life's better with company."
How true is that statement? Aren't we all better when we're around the ones that make us better people? Aren't we better when the walls around us aren't the only things around us? We are who we spend our time with whether it is our family, co-workers, friends or acquaintances.
I know that when I am with my wife, I smile a whole lot more than I do when she is not around. I know that when I am alone, I don't feel like I'm my whole self. Life is better with company. Who needs to be isolated and alone? Who needs to shut themselves off from the world? Aren't you better when people are around? The reason we are better is because life seems better. The things that make us sad don't really seem to matter anymore do they? You're not thinking about the job you don't have, the car you don't own, the house you don't live in, the vacation you didn't get to go on, or the marriage you don't have.. yet.
Life is better with company and you know what, company doesn't have to mean a set number of people. It could be one, two, three of whatever number that makes you feel good about yourself.
Without something inspire you, what is the point?
I know what my wife means to me, my friends, my family... I know how they all lift me up during my down times... but I also know how my faith in God lifts me too. Life is better with company. No matter how you find it, no matter how many people it takes, find the company that makes life better and never let go of it.
Until next time
P
I was watching one of the best movies I've ever seen today, Up in the Air, starring George Clooney. For those of you who have never seen this movie, not to worry, I'm not going to spoil it for you, but I wanted to relay the message that struck home with me.
George plays Ryan Bingham, a man who works for a company that is hired by other companies to go in and fire their employees. He lives for the travel, trying to accomplish an almost unthinkable number... 10 million miles. His home, a one bedroom apartment with very little furniture and very little that says a lot about him, the man. The movie follows his travels from one place to another, with his new partner, played by Anna Kendrick, from Twilight. She is full of life, promise, and challenges him to think about his own life and how empty it is.
One of the things that is shown throughout the movie is him giving motivational talks about the things in your life that bring you down, and how having attachments is nothing more than a heavy backpack keeping you from living your life. he doesn't want anyone, doesn't need anyone, and believes this is the way everyone should live their life.
At one point in the movie, his little sister is getting married and the groom gets cold feet on the day of the wedding. It is left to Ryan to try and convince the groom that he needs to get over it and get married. This is not what Ryan does. He goes in and tries very hard to sound assuring but it comes off as fake and he knows it. Then, it starts to make sense to him and he says a line that to me is the heart of the movie..."Life's better with company."
How true is that statement? Aren't we all better when we're around the ones that make us better people? Aren't we better when the walls around us aren't the only things around us? We are who we spend our time with whether it is our family, co-workers, friends or acquaintances.
I know that when I am with my wife, I smile a whole lot more than I do when she is not around. I know that when I am alone, I don't feel like I'm my whole self. Life is better with company. Who needs to be isolated and alone? Who needs to shut themselves off from the world? Aren't you better when people are around? The reason we are better is because life seems better. The things that make us sad don't really seem to matter anymore do they? You're not thinking about the job you don't have, the car you don't own, the house you don't live in, the vacation you didn't get to go on, or the marriage you don't have.. yet.
Life is better with company and you know what, company doesn't have to mean a set number of people. It could be one, two, three of whatever number that makes you feel good about yourself.
Without something inspire you, what is the point?
I know what my wife means to me, my friends, my family... I know how they all lift me up during my down times... but I also know how my faith in God lifts me too. Life is better with company. No matter how you find it, no matter how many people it takes, find the company that makes life better and never let go of it.
Until next time
P
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
From the Heart
I am sitting in a hotel room as I write this. My wife has begun training for her new job and while she is in training, she is being put up in a hotel for the next two months. I wanted to spend as much time with her as possible while she began her training so for this week, I have come with her. So, here I am, in this hotel while she is stuck in a classroom learning.
What am I to do? Well this hotel is pretty great... free breakfast in the morning, and not just the typical continental breakfast, a full cooked to order breakfast... very nice. A restaurant, pool, gym, you name it. It is very hot outside so, I have resigned myself to at least on this day, staying in the hotel and staying cool.
My wife is such a tecky geek, she has wired both of our computers to hook up to the tv in our room and use them as dvd players. That is the one thing I wish this place had. However, we make the most of what we have... wow did that sound as cheesy as I think it did?
So I am watching some tv shows on dvd and laying back to enjoy some time in this free room with free AC... hahaha. As I'm watching, I'm noticing something. Sometimes, there comes a moment in either a really good movie or an amazing tv show that draws you in and speaks from the heart. Whether it is a really good peice of dialogue, an emotionally charged scene that can or cannot contain words, or a song.
That is what I've been noticing lately as I've been watching these dvds. A couple of nights ago, my wife and I were watching a show on dvd where one of the female leads was losing her mom to cancer. Now, I've seen this episode a few times, so I know what's going to happen and when it's going to happen, but it never fails... the scene appears, the music is playing, and the next thing you know, I'm wiping a tear from my cheek. I don't know why, don't know how, but I get moved by things like this. I don't care how it makes me look to others, I get emotionally connected.
A few months ago, one of the greatest tv series of all time ended... I am referring to LOST. A bunch of us got together to watch this series end, and by the time the finale was over, there I was, emotional and crying. I had gotten to a point where I cared what happened to these people and cared about what unfolded in their lives. There was my wife, to be there, making fun of me. I love her. She makes fun of the fact that I get as she would put it "too involved" and that I need to remember it's just a show, and that what happened didn't really happen.
Duh! I know all this, I just like to get lost no pun intended in these shows. Sometimes, I think we need to get lost in the the unrealistic, the pretend, and make believe. We all need to suspend disbelief even if for just an hour and let others speak to your heart. Emotions are a good thing... there meant to be felt... to be displayed. Take time to feel something, in the moment, that is where you will find your heart and it is there that you will find that your love is truly displayed. I'll be honest, if I didn't find myself involved in these shows or movies, I might not have had the courage or the words to tell my wife that I loved her... Sure I felt it, I knew it, and I believed it, but having never been really good at speaking from the heart; seeing others do it, made me feel like I could do it too.
You never what you're capable of unless you allow yourself to believe that your heart is stronger than you give it credit for. Feel something now, find it somewhere, live it out now.
Nuff said... for now
Until next time
P
What am I to do? Well this hotel is pretty great... free breakfast in the morning, and not just the typical continental breakfast, a full cooked to order breakfast... very nice. A restaurant, pool, gym, you name it. It is very hot outside so, I have resigned myself to at least on this day, staying in the hotel and staying cool.
My wife is such a tecky geek, she has wired both of our computers to hook up to the tv in our room and use them as dvd players. That is the one thing I wish this place had. However, we make the most of what we have... wow did that sound as cheesy as I think it did?
So I am watching some tv shows on dvd and laying back to enjoy some time in this free room with free AC... hahaha. As I'm watching, I'm noticing something. Sometimes, there comes a moment in either a really good movie or an amazing tv show that draws you in and speaks from the heart. Whether it is a really good peice of dialogue, an emotionally charged scene that can or cannot contain words, or a song.
That is what I've been noticing lately as I've been watching these dvds. A couple of nights ago, my wife and I were watching a show on dvd where one of the female leads was losing her mom to cancer. Now, I've seen this episode a few times, so I know what's going to happen and when it's going to happen, but it never fails... the scene appears, the music is playing, and the next thing you know, I'm wiping a tear from my cheek. I don't know why, don't know how, but I get moved by things like this. I don't care how it makes me look to others, I get emotionally connected.
A few months ago, one of the greatest tv series of all time ended... I am referring to LOST. A bunch of us got together to watch this series end, and by the time the finale was over, there I was, emotional and crying. I had gotten to a point where I cared what happened to these people and cared about what unfolded in their lives. There was my wife, to be there, making fun of me. I love her. She makes fun of the fact that I get as she would put it "too involved" and that I need to remember it's just a show, and that what happened didn't really happen.
Duh! I know all this, I just like to get lost no pun intended in these shows. Sometimes, I think we need to get lost in the the unrealistic, the pretend, and make believe. We all need to suspend disbelief even if for just an hour and let others speak to your heart. Emotions are a good thing... there meant to be felt... to be displayed. Take time to feel something, in the moment, that is where you will find your heart and it is there that you will find that your love is truly displayed. I'll be honest, if I didn't find myself involved in these shows or movies, I might not have had the courage or the words to tell my wife that I loved her... Sure I felt it, I knew it, and I believed it, but having never been really good at speaking from the heart; seeing others do it, made me feel like I could do it too.
You never what you're capable of unless you allow yourself to believe that your heart is stronger than you give it credit for. Feel something now, find it somewhere, live it out now.
Nuff said... for now
Until next time
P
Thursday, August 19, 2010
It's just not right
Some things in life just aren't fair.... they just aren't fair. I have been a serious golfer for about 16 years. I have trained, practiced, played, and taken lessons. I have worked very hard to improve my game. There's that one thing that eluded me this whole time, a hole in one. I've come close... oh, I've come close... inches, but I just can't seem to feel that emotion of knowing that with one swing of the club you were able to achieve greatness on the course. Sure, I've holed out from 170 yards on a par 4, I've made birdie, I've saved par, I've chipped in from the rough and the bunker, but no, no hole in one for me.
I'm getting to my point, I just wanted to set up my anger for the years of practice I've had and still have no hole in one.
Yesterday, August 18th, 2010. I was playing at San Juan Hills in San Juan Capistrano with a friend. We were playing behind a group of four. On the back nine, hole number 14. One of the members of this foursome, who had only been playing for a few months was on the tee. The hole, par 3, 117 yards away. The club in his hand, a 7 iron. We are on an elevated tee, hitting down onto the green. There is a lake to the left, and the hill to the right. He hits a shot that is barely off the ground, sailing harder than it should be towards a hill side bunker where someone has left the rake sitting on the hill. The ball hits the rake on the fly, hard. It then travels back toward the green where it hits the flag stick and drops in the hole. A HOLE IN ONE! Are you kidding me? This is just not right. The luckiest miss hit I've ever seen. And I've had some lucky miss hits.
The man rejoiced and his own playing partners celebrated his accomplishment but at the same time couldn't understand how or why this man was able to get such a lucky shot. I simply stood in shock and awe.
You'd think my story ends there, but NO, there's more.
The 18th hole, 145 yard par 3. The same man who just four hole earlier had been the recipient of his first hole in one shot, stood on the tee again, this time, with a 6 iron. He takes his swing and the ball gets maybe, maybe, a foot off the ground. It is hit hard and makes it way towards the green where it rolls up, makes the turn, heads towards the hole and drops in for his SECOND HOLE IN ONE OF THE DAY! I mean are you freaking kidding me? Are you seriously telling me that this man who has one of the worst swings I've ever seen, get two hole in one shots in one day? How is this fair? How is this just?
This is just not right! I am upset. I am hurt. But at the same time, I am determined. I am ready to play. I am ready to take my game back onto the course and try to get that thing... that feeling.. that one amazing shot. I will have my hole in one before I die... I will.
This may seem trivial to a lot of you, and I agree it is. But, I love the game, and when you play, this is what you're trying to do all the time, so yeah, I want it. I want it bad. It's my time. It's my turn.
Until Next Time
P
I'm getting to my point, I just wanted to set up my anger for the years of practice I've had and still have no hole in one.
Yesterday, August 18th, 2010. I was playing at San Juan Hills in San Juan Capistrano with a friend. We were playing behind a group of four. On the back nine, hole number 14. One of the members of this foursome, who had only been playing for a few months was on the tee. The hole, par 3, 117 yards away. The club in his hand, a 7 iron. We are on an elevated tee, hitting down onto the green. There is a lake to the left, and the hill to the right. He hits a shot that is barely off the ground, sailing harder than it should be towards a hill side bunker where someone has left the rake sitting on the hill. The ball hits the rake on the fly, hard. It then travels back toward the green where it hits the flag stick and drops in the hole. A HOLE IN ONE! Are you kidding me? This is just not right. The luckiest miss hit I've ever seen. And I've had some lucky miss hits.
The man rejoiced and his own playing partners celebrated his accomplishment but at the same time couldn't understand how or why this man was able to get such a lucky shot. I simply stood in shock and awe.
You'd think my story ends there, but NO, there's more.
The 18th hole, 145 yard par 3. The same man who just four hole earlier had been the recipient of his first hole in one shot, stood on the tee again, this time, with a 6 iron. He takes his swing and the ball gets maybe, maybe, a foot off the ground. It is hit hard and makes it way towards the green where it rolls up, makes the turn, heads towards the hole and drops in for his SECOND HOLE IN ONE OF THE DAY! I mean are you freaking kidding me? Are you seriously telling me that this man who has one of the worst swings I've ever seen, get two hole in one shots in one day? How is this fair? How is this just?
This is just not right! I am upset. I am hurt. But at the same time, I am determined. I am ready to play. I am ready to take my game back onto the course and try to get that thing... that feeling.. that one amazing shot. I will have my hole in one before I die... I will.
This may seem trivial to a lot of you, and I agree it is. But, I love the game, and when you play, this is what you're trying to do all the time, so yeah, I want it. I want it bad. It's my time. It's my turn.
Until Next Time
P
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
It's Ok.
Who said that everyone has to think the same way? Who says that we all must have the same thoughts about the same things and view things in the same way? News flash, we have brains, we have personalities, and we have opinions. It's OK to think differently than the other guy. It's OK to have an opinion.
I've been noticing a lot lately that when I have conversations with people, or when I see people post something on their FACEBOOK that they believe in, it sometimes gets met with mockery, or the phrase, "I disagree with you." Sometimes it is followed up with some rational thinking behind the disagreement, other times it is followed up by put downs and insults just because the way they think isn't the same as the herd.
Look at the title of my blog, the thoughts and OPINIONS of Preston. I am entitled to think the things I want, and say the things I want to say. You don't have to agree with me. You don't even have to like the things I say. Point is, this is what I feel and I am sticking to it.
It's hard today to go against the current. There are so many things out there that people are speaking out against like the economy, our leaders, our votes, crime, war, social injustice, you name it.
I saw a news report last week just after Prop 8 was overturned. On the show were two ladies who were showing their support for the overturn and proclaiming a victory. I have no problem with that. They are entitled to express their opinion. What gets me is that when they interviewed a lawyer who was taking up the Prop 8 side in the appeal and he stated why he was taking on the case and that it wasn't right that one judge could overturn a majority vote, the women attacked him for thinking the way he did and called him intolerant. He was making it clear that he wasn't attacking the issue of the bill, but the fact that it was easily overturned by one person. The women didn't want to see his side, didn't care. They simply wanted to tell him that he was wrong and he should be ashamed of himself for thinking the way he did. To me, these ladies were the ones being intolerant. They didn't want to hear what he had to say, because it didn't go along with that they believe. So be it. Move on!
I'll be honest... I voted yes on prop 8. I am a Christian and I don't condone or agree with this lifestyle choice. And I'm done preaching. I don't think though that marriage is something that should be decided by the courts or government. There are many thing that government should and should not be in the business of and marriage is one of them. Now, I know, my opinion on this matter doesn't meet with everyone else on the planet, and I am perfectly OK with that. It's not a big deal to me that everyone agree with me.
Having the ability to think for ourselves is a great gift. It's a great freedom to be able to have a thought and argue it rationally with those who disagree with you. What irks me is when the argument becomes a bigger deal than the issue. So I disagree with you, is the world coming to an end because of it? I doubt it. You may not agree with your own political party. Fine. Say what you think. You may not agree that a movie is worth seeing (avatar), don't see it. Don't cave in to the pressures of the world just because you don't agree. It's OK to have your own opinions. It's OK to have a thought different than the world.
Here's what's not OK.... attacking people for their way of thinking. Ridiculing others because they think differently. Forming an opinion without getting all the facts first... That is where we dig our graves. Sometimes we form a decision without knowing the circumstance, the situation, or have all the details. Before you form an opinion, get the facts straight... that will make your argument stand up should and when you get attacked for it.
You may not agree with me, fine... I accept that... you don't like it, try to convince me otherwise. I will tell you this though... you will never ever ever ever get me to admit that the man sitting in the white house is and was the best man for the job and should get my vote... My opinion on this is so.... Worst President Ever. And that includes Ulysses Grant, Gerald Ford, Chester A. Arthur, and William H. Taft, who was pretty bad.
That is my opinion and I am sticking to it.
Until next time
P
I've been noticing a lot lately that when I have conversations with people, or when I see people post something on their FACEBOOK that they believe in, it sometimes gets met with mockery, or the phrase, "I disagree with you." Sometimes it is followed up with some rational thinking behind the disagreement, other times it is followed up by put downs and insults just because the way they think isn't the same as the herd.
Look at the title of my blog, the thoughts and OPINIONS of Preston. I am entitled to think the things I want, and say the things I want to say. You don't have to agree with me. You don't even have to like the things I say. Point is, this is what I feel and I am sticking to it.
It's hard today to go against the current. There are so many things out there that people are speaking out against like the economy, our leaders, our votes, crime, war, social injustice, you name it.
I saw a news report last week just after Prop 8 was overturned. On the show were two ladies who were showing their support for the overturn and proclaiming a victory. I have no problem with that. They are entitled to express their opinion. What gets me is that when they interviewed a lawyer who was taking up the Prop 8 side in the appeal and he stated why he was taking on the case and that it wasn't right that one judge could overturn a majority vote, the women attacked him for thinking the way he did and called him intolerant. He was making it clear that he wasn't attacking the issue of the bill, but the fact that it was easily overturned by one person. The women didn't want to see his side, didn't care. They simply wanted to tell him that he was wrong and he should be ashamed of himself for thinking the way he did. To me, these ladies were the ones being intolerant. They didn't want to hear what he had to say, because it didn't go along with that they believe. So be it. Move on!
I'll be honest... I voted yes on prop 8. I am a Christian and I don't condone or agree with this lifestyle choice. And I'm done preaching. I don't think though that marriage is something that should be decided by the courts or government. There are many thing that government should and should not be in the business of and marriage is one of them. Now, I know, my opinion on this matter doesn't meet with everyone else on the planet, and I am perfectly OK with that. It's not a big deal to me that everyone agree with me.
Having the ability to think for ourselves is a great gift. It's a great freedom to be able to have a thought and argue it rationally with those who disagree with you. What irks me is when the argument becomes a bigger deal than the issue. So I disagree with you, is the world coming to an end because of it? I doubt it. You may not agree with your own political party. Fine. Say what you think. You may not agree that a movie is worth seeing (avatar), don't see it. Don't cave in to the pressures of the world just because you don't agree. It's OK to have your own opinions. It's OK to have a thought different than the world.
Here's what's not OK.... attacking people for their way of thinking. Ridiculing others because they think differently. Forming an opinion without getting all the facts first... That is where we dig our graves. Sometimes we form a decision without knowing the circumstance, the situation, or have all the details. Before you form an opinion, get the facts straight... that will make your argument stand up should and when you get attacked for it.
You may not agree with me, fine... I accept that... you don't like it, try to convince me otherwise. I will tell you this though... you will never ever ever ever get me to admit that the man sitting in the white house is and was the best man for the job and should get my vote... My opinion on this is so.... Worst President Ever. And that includes Ulysses Grant, Gerald Ford, Chester A. Arthur, and William H. Taft, who was pretty bad.
That is my opinion and I am sticking to it.
Until next time
P
Friday, August 13, 2010
"It's Been a Long Year"
Who among us hasn't made a mistake in our lives we wish we could take back? Who among us hasn't done something that still haunts us to this day? I think it's fair to say that we are all guilty. We are all flawed. The only difference between us and others might be our status; where we rank in society. Now, before I go on, I want to make it clear that I do not support, admire, or respect his life's choices. I don't particularly care for the way he treated his wife and family, and I don't think he's going to forgive himself anytime soon, but as for the rest of us, could we please get off Tiger Woods' back?
Tiger screwed up, yes he did. He is going to have to live with that for the rest of his life. What I am tired of is hearing about how he has retreated into becoming one of the worst players on the tour right now. Yes, he had a terrible week at Bridgestone last weekend. But come on, certainly there has to be something else to talk about! His private life is in shambles and here we are trashing the one thing he has left... his game. If I were on tour, I would be pretty mad that no one is talking about how well I'm doing. It's all about Tiger and his problems.
If you saw his interview after last weekends tourney, you heard him answer a question with the statement, "It's been a long year." How true is that for him? It has indeed been a long year. From the media spitting all over him, his friends abandoning him, (which some of which was his fault) to his high profile divorce. (Which is also his fault).
I think we, the media, the fans, the so-called experts of the game and life in general, need to relax and realize it's not going to be the same Tiger out there each week until he learns to forgive himself and have fun again. He has his demons he must wrestle with, he has his own insecurities to get over; so it might not be out of line for the rest of us to cut him just a little slack.
He messed up, yes he did, but who are we to judge him? Who are we to criticize him? Let the man have his private life and repair his heart, his professional life will be corrected after the first is taken care of.
I respect the man's game. Always have. He will bounce back. But, like he said, it's been a long year for him and his game isn't his top priority. And it shouldn't be! How could anyone be expected to be the most dominant player in the world when you have this hanging over your head. Yes, he caused all of this, he created all of this, his wife is not to blame. All of it, and I mean all of it, falls on Tiger and Tiger alone. But let the man fix it himself, I'm quite certain that he doesn't need all the "professional" and "personal" advice from people who don't know him.
Let's leave him alone and let him fix himself. I'm really quite certain that there are more important things to talk about. Our economy does still suck, oil was leaking in the gulf, we have a lazy president, california votes no longer mean anything, and people are out of work. Plus, if you're a golfer, Tiger isn't the only one out there... let's focus on the positive people and so much on the negative. It's been a long year, and this is only making it longer.
Until Next Time
P
Tiger screwed up, yes he did. He is going to have to live with that for the rest of his life. What I am tired of is hearing about how he has retreated into becoming one of the worst players on the tour right now. Yes, he had a terrible week at Bridgestone last weekend. But come on, certainly there has to be something else to talk about! His private life is in shambles and here we are trashing the one thing he has left... his game. If I were on tour, I would be pretty mad that no one is talking about how well I'm doing. It's all about Tiger and his problems.
If you saw his interview after last weekends tourney, you heard him answer a question with the statement, "It's been a long year." How true is that for him? It has indeed been a long year. From the media spitting all over him, his friends abandoning him, (which some of which was his fault) to his high profile divorce. (Which is also his fault).
I think we, the media, the fans, the so-called experts of the game and life in general, need to relax and realize it's not going to be the same Tiger out there each week until he learns to forgive himself and have fun again. He has his demons he must wrestle with, he has his own insecurities to get over; so it might not be out of line for the rest of us to cut him just a little slack.
He messed up, yes he did, but who are we to judge him? Who are we to criticize him? Let the man have his private life and repair his heart, his professional life will be corrected after the first is taken care of.
I respect the man's game. Always have. He will bounce back. But, like he said, it's been a long year for him and his game isn't his top priority. And it shouldn't be! How could anyone be expected to be the most dominant player in the world when you have this hanging over your head. Yes, he caused all of this, he created all of this, his wife is not to blame. All of it, and I mean all of it, falls on Tiger and Tiger alone. But let the man fix it himself, I'm quite certain that he doesn't need all the "professional" and "personal" advice from people who don't know him.
Let's leave him alone and let him fix himself. I'm really quite certain that there are more important things to talk about. Our economy does still suck, oil was leaking in the gulf, we have a lazy president, california votes no longer mean anything, and people are out of work. Plus, if you're a golfer, Tiger isn't the only one out there... let's focus on the positive people and so much on the negative. It's been a long year, and this is only making it longer.
Until Next Time
P
Monday, August 9, 2010
Boy Meets World
Today I was reminded that the world doesn't have to be so serious all the time. Sometimes there are some good things that come from the world we live in. I was at home watching TV and a show I haven't seen in a long time came on.... Boy Meets World.
For those of you who remember TGIF on ABC.... it was part of the Friday night line-up that included such shows as Perfect Strangers, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Full House, and the very short lived made for television version of the movie, Look who's Talking.
Boy Meets World followed the lives of three young kids going through the struggles of elementary, jr high, high school, and later on, College. Corey Matthews played by Ben Savage, little brother of Fred Savage, was the star of the show. He was goofy, funny, hopelessly in love with maybe the most interesting girl on TV in some time that had the coolest name that TV had in some time... Topanga Lawrence. In the beginning of the show, she was this little hippy girl that was in touch with the universe that had hair longer that most freeways. Together, we watched them grow up, fall in love, get married, and have a life together.
Other than watching these two and their friend, Shawn Hunter, you tuned in to watch the best teacher ever. I wanted this man as a teacher, and it was from watching him, that I decided to mold my teaching style after... Mr. George Feeny. Played wonderfully by actor William Daniels. Daniels also known for being the voice of KITT on Knight Rider, was the teacher everyone wanted. He was caring and loving, always there when you needed him and taught the kids more than school facts, he taught them about life. He was there teacher from elementary school all the way up to and including college.
This show was so fun and so innocent, this is how the world is when you're young and you want to believe everything will be all right. Sometimes, even when you're old and the world has been spitting on you, this show helps you understand that there are times when things aren't always so bad.
Boy Meets World was the highlight of my Friday Night... you went to bed knowing that things were good. You've had a tough week at school, but there was Boy Meets World to end the week, start the weekend, and you felt good. You felt reinvigorated though you didn't know what that word meant or that this is what you were feeling.
Thank you for making this show so good. Thank you for making it so relevant, and thanks for making my Friday night so fun. Now, I get to see these guys all the time. Fun times all over again.
Until Next Time
P
For those of you who remember TGIF on ABC.... it was part of the Friday night line-up that included such shows as Perfect Strangers, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Full House, and the very short lived made for television version of the movie, Look who's Talking.
Boy Meets World followed the lives of three young kids going through the struggles of elementary, jr high, high school, and later on, College. Corey Matthews played by Ben Savage, little brother of Fred Savage, was the star of the show. He was goofy, funny, hopelessly in love with maybe the most interesting girl on TV in some time that had the coolest name that TV had in some time... Topanga Lawrence. In the beginning of the show, she was this little hippy girl that was in touch with the universe that had hair longer that most freeways. Together, we watched them grow up, fall in love, get married, and have a life together.
Other than watching these two and their friend, Shawn Hunter, you tuned in to watch the best teacher ever. I wanted this man as a teacher, and it was from watching him, that I decided to mold my teaching style after... Mr. George Feeny. Played wonderfully by actor William Daniels. Daniels also known for being the voice of KITT on Knight Rider, was the teacher everyone wanted. He was caring and loving, always there when you needed him and taught the kids more than school facts, he taught them about life. He was there teacher from elementary school all the way up to and including college.
This show was so fun and so innocent, this is how the world is when you're young and you want to believe everything will be all right. Sometimes, even when you're old and the world has been spitting on you, this show helps you understand that there are times when things aren't always so bad.
Boy Meets World was the highlight of my Friday Night... you went to bed knowing that things were good. You've had a tough week at school, but there was Boy Meets World to end the week, start the weekend, and you felt good. You felt reinvigorated though you didn't know what that word meant or that this is what you were feeling.
Thank you for making this show so good. Thank you for making it so relevant, and thanks for making my Friday night so fun. Now, I get to see these guys all the time. Fun times all over again.
Until Next Time
P
Saturday, August 7, 2010
What about what's Morally Right?
This week has seen the best and worst of Americans brought out. From the American voice silenced by the few, to... you know what, I can't think of anything that was good this week that Americans can really be proud of. I want to, I just can't. This may be my most controversial piece yet, but it has to be said.
I am tired of being politically correct. I am sick and tired of the term "PC" being used to avoid the issue. I am tired of pretending that things don't bother me, that people don't bother me. I am tired of hiding behind a term that has lost its importance on me. Forget being PC how about being morally right? How about doing things that you know to be right but may not be the popular thing to do?
When did the majority become less important than the minority? When did it become OK in America to reject what the masses want in favor of sticking up for someone that shouldn't have had a voice to begin with... illegals?
America is in shambles people! A terrible economy that is laying off people every day, a housing market that is costing people money all the time, and the latest, a political system that is robbing the voters of it's voice. We have been the morals police for the world since 1776 when we adopted a little document called the Declaration of Independence. Now, we have stopped doing what is moral and are doing what will get us reelected or money in our pockets. Or worse yet, our name in the paper and our 15 minutes of fame.
Morality has become a lost art. It has become the thing that we don't talk about anymore for the fear that we might offend someone. You know what, offending people is going to happen when you live in a free society. You're not going to please 100% of the people 100% of the time. People are going to get offended, and yet here we are hiding behind this stupid thing called politically correct.
We need politicians who will fix the problems that this country has not add to them. Lately, everything we hear coming from our elected or appointed leaders has been in admonition of something that the states or the people want. Do your job people! Listen to voices of the people that put you in office. Stop lining your wallet with money from people you know you shouldn't listen to and start being morally right.
Living in a free country means sometimes people are going to get offended. The sooner we start understanding that concept the quicker things will turn around. You what happens to a free society where the voice of the people is ignored? It's no longer a free society... it's becomes when it looks like it, smells like it, tastes like, you call it what it is... FASCISM.
The mighty and powerful get more mighty and more powerful while the little people get ignored and pushed to the side. Let's stop hiding from the truth, and stop being NICE.... be morally right.... then you can be nice.
It's time to make our once great nation great again. Leader of America, judges, politicians, governors, and yes even you, Mr. Obama, stop ignoring the people you govern over. Stop being a politician for two minutes and be a leader. I think you will see a difference in the way you act, and are perceived.
Until next time
P
I am tired of being politically correct. I am sick and tired of the term "PC" being used to avoid the issue. I am tired of pretending that things don't bother me, that people don't bother me. I am tired of hiding behind a term that has lost its importance on me. Forget being PC how about being morally right? How about doing things that you know to be right but may not be the popular thing to do?
When did the majority become less important than the minority? When did it become OK in America to reject what the masses want in favor of sticking up for someone that shouldn't have had a voice to begin with... illegals?
America is in shambles people! A terrible economy that is laying off people every day, a housing market that is costing people money all the time, and the latest, a political system that is robbing the voters of it's voice. We have been the morals police for the world since 1776 when we adopted a little document called the Declaration of Independence. Now, we have stopped doing what is moral and are doing what will get us reelected or money in our pockets. Or worse yet, our name in the paper and our 15 minutes of fame.
Morality has become a lost art. It has become the thing that we don't talk about anymore for the fear that we might offend someone. You know what, offending people is going to happen when you live in a free society. You're not going to please 100% of the people 100% of the time. People are going to get offended, and yet here we are hiding behind this stupid thing called politically correct.
We need politicians who will fix the problems that this country has not add to them. Lately, everything we hear coming from our elected or appointed leaders has been in admonition of something that the states or the people want. Do your job people! Listen to voices of the people that put you in office. Stop lining your wallet with money from people you know you shouldn't listen to and start being morally right.
Living in a free country means sometimes people are going to get offended. The sooner we start understanding that concept the quicker things will turn around. You what happens to a free society where the voice of the people is ignored? It's no longer a free society... it's becomes when it looks like it, smells like it, tastes like, you call it what it is... FASCISM.
The mighty and powerful get more mighty and more powerful while the little people get ignored and pushed to the side. Let's stop hiding from the truth, and stop being NICE.... be morally right.... then you can be nice.
It's time to make our once great nation great again. Leader of America, judges, politicians, governors, and yes even you, Mr. Obama, stop ignoring the people you govern over. Stop being a politician for two minutes and be a leader. I think you will see a difference in the way you act, and are perceived.
Until next time
P
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
What's the Point?
Today, the American voice was silenced. A judge in San Francisco overturned the results of Prop 8 which was voted on last year to make marriage between same sexes illegal.
This is not about the bill itself. I voted one way, I have my opinions, my objection is not about the bill but rather is about how the will of the people is being ignored.
What's the point of voting for something, if it can be overturned because someone doesn't like the outcome? What's the point when one person who has his or her own personal or political agenda at stake can take something that over 50 percent of its citizens wanted can be taken away.
My outrage is directed toward the action taken, not at the bill. Again, I am not attacking gay rights here, I am attacking the system. This is why the world hates us. This is why there is dissension among us. This is why people can't get along. It's because the voice of the people is no longer important.
This is the second time this has happened and towards this very bill. It amazes me but at the same time doesn't surprise me that this got reversed again. Why was this even put to the people of California if some judge can say it's unconstitutional and overturn it? What was the point of making this a major issue if it could just be turned around by one person?
This is simply going to begin a trend of one mans agenda against the will of the voters. Now, every law that gets voted on and passed but is met with opposition will be fought over and one person with an egotistical agenda can take away the American voice and make his voice more powerful than that of the citizenry.
I am appalled at our court system and our political machine that is simply ignoring the will of the people. It started with our President and congress ignoring our desire to not have health care forced on us, to taking something we voted on and wanted and take it away.
If this was what was going to happen then why did we vote? What was the point of having a voice if it could be silenced by one person? There aren't many days when I am ashamed to be an American, but today is one of them.
Shame on you. Shame on us.
Until next time
P
This is not about the bill itself. I voted one way, I have my opinions, my objection is not about the bill but rather is about how the will of the people is being ignored.
What's the point of voting for something, if it can be overturned because someone doesn't like the outcome? What's the point when one person who has his or her own personal or political agenda at stake can take something that over 50 percent of its citizens wanted can be taken away.
My outrage is directed toward the action taken, not at the bill. Again, I am not attacking gay rights here, I am attacking the system. This is why the world hates us. This is why there is dissension among us. This is why people can't get along. It's because the voice of the people is no longer important.
This is the second time this has happened and towards this very bill. It amazes me but at the same time doesn't surprise me that this got reversed again. Why was this even put to the people of California if some judge can say it's unconstitutional and overturn it? What was the point of making this a major issue if it could just be turned around by one person?
This is simply going to begin a trend of one mans agenda against the will of the voters. Now, every law that gets voted on and passed but is met with opposition will be fought over and one person with an egotistical agenda can take away the American voice and make his voice more powerful than that of the citizenry.
I am appalled at our court system and our political machine that is simply ignoring the will of the people. It started with our President and congress ignoring our desire to not have health care forced on us, to taking something we voted on and wanted and take it away.
If this was what was going to happen then why did we vote? What was the point of having a voice if it could be silenced by one person? There aren't many days when I am ashamed to be an American, but today is one of them.
Shame on you. Shame on us.
Until next time
P
Monday, August 2, 2010
37th
We can argue all we want about his legacy of failure, lies, and deception. He resigned his office in disgrace, he left his party in the lurch, and his pardon was suspect as well. What people tend to forget is the good that he did while in office. I am referring to President Richard Nixon, the 37th President of the United States.
Yes, Watergate and his resignation are the things we remember the most. We see the crime and the cover up, we see how the Republican Party was viewed as the CIA of the political system, spying on others, secretly bombing Cambodia and Laos, and we saw a man hide behind the labels, Executive Privilege, and National Security. There was so much more that we don't recognize. We don't always see the good when the bad was so much more memorable.
He did so much more than Watergate. He was responsible for changing the voting age nationwide to 18. He wanted to see more and more of our youth take an active part in the world and knew that making them wait to 21 when the world could change. Knowing that the Vietnam War was such a big issue concerning American, and American youth, he wanted to give them their voice.
Staying with the Vietnam War, he also ended the draft making it illegal for the U.S. to draft men and women into military service. His view was the military strength was good enough and that conscription or the draft was no longer necessary. He helped make it a worth while choice for men and women to enter the military by providing them with greater pay and greater benefits. The Gates Commission has helped make our military the strongest in the world by training the best and brightest and most capable, rather than taking men off the street and throwing them into battle for no reason.
He created the EPA, Environmental Protection Agency to help make our planet better by encouraging recycling our natural resources and protecting the air by passing the Clean Air Act. He is responsible for our Nuclear Powers Plants cleaning pollution and not making it unlivable around these places.
He took politics to a new level and is responsible for creating the modern day Republican party where issues are the focal point and not the person delivering the issue. In the past, it was more about the man and then it was the issue. The American voice was wrapped up in the presentation making the face more important than the office he was running for. Nixon turned that around making the issue more important than the person running for office.
However, it seems rather ironic that he took this stand when he was digging up dirt on Democrats and changing people impressions of them so that Republicans came out looking better.
Nixon was also responsible for opening China to trade with the west. China, a communist nation, was not recognized by America as a nation that it wanted to do business with. Nixon knew that in order for growth to take place, economically on a global scale, things needed to change, the world needed to change. He began negotiations with China during the Vietnam War that resulted in a free and open exchange of ideas with China that also resulted in a trade agreement between the two nations.
Say what you will about the man, and there's a lot to say that is negative. History books tend to look upon the negative aspects of his presidency. I don't think that this is good. We need to see the whole picture. We need to see the man for the good he did, not just the bad. Here, I have presented just a small scale version of what he did that was good for America. I encourage you to look up the rest.
Maybe, just maybe, the man who is currently President has some good in him as well, I just don't see it... yet. I will keep looking, but I will be honest, I am not holding my breath.
Until next time
P
Yes, Watergate and his resignation are the things we remember the most. We see the crime and the cover up, we see how the Republican Party was viewed as the CIA of the political system, spying on others, secretly bombing Cambodia and Laos, and we saw a man hide behind the labels, Executive Privilege, and National Security. There was so much more that we don't recognize. We don't always see the good when the bad was so much more memorable.
He did so much more than Watergate. He was responsible for changing the voting age nationwide to 18. He wanted to see more and more of our youth take an active part in the world and knew that making them wait to 21 when the world could change. Knowing that the Vietnam War was such a big issue concerning American, and American youth, he wanted to give them their voice.
Staying with the Vietnam War, he also ended the draft making it illegal for the U.S. to draft men and women into military service. His view was the military strength was good enough and that conscription or the draft was no longer necessary. He helped make it a worth while choice for men and women to enter the military by providing them with greater pay and greater benefits. The Gates Commission has helped make our military the strongest in the world by training the best and brightest and most capable, rather than taking men off the street and throwing them into battle for no reason.
He created the EPA, Environmental Protection Agency to help make our planet better by encouraging recycling our natural resources and protecting the air by passing the Clean Air Act. He is responsible for our Nuclear Powers Plants cleaning pollution and not making it unlivable around these places.
He took politics to a new level and is responsible for creating the modern day Republican party where issues are the focal point and not the person delivering the issue. In the past, it was more about the man and then it was the issue. The American voice was wrapped up in the presentation making the face more important than the office he was running for. Nixon turned that around making the issue more important than the person running for office.
However, it seems rather ironic that he took this stand when he was digging up dirt on Democrats and changing people impressions of them so that Republicans came out looking better.
Nixon was also responsible for opening China to trade with the west. China, a communist nation, was not recognized by America as a nation that it wanted to do business with. Nixon knew that in order for growth to take place, economically on a global scale, things needed to change, the world needed to change. He began negotiations with China during the Vietnam War that resulted in a free and open exchange of ideas with China that also resulted in a trade agreement between the two nations.
Say what you will about the man, and there's a lot to say that is negative. History books tend to look upon the negative aspects of his presidency. I don't think that this is good. We need to see the whole picture. We need to see the man for the good he did, not just the bad. Here, I have presented just a small scale version of what he did that was good for America. I encourage you to look up the rest.
Maybe, just maybe, the man who is currently President has some good in him as well, I just don't see it... yet. I will keep looking, but I will be honest, I am not holding my breath.
Until next time
P
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