Balance

The Point

2011-11-17T22:59:00.001-05:00

Give and take, that's what we are told a Marriage is. Yeah right, fast forward a few years and you come to realize you gave and they took. Supporting those you love requires you to take your focus off yourself and direct it to them. You sacrifice your goals, your dreams and tell yourself it is your responsibility or something to that effect and trust that the effort will be appreciated. Then you wake up one day only to find you have become the stranger in your own home. You can barely recognize the person that you knew, they look the same but something is different.

It will be subtle, little indiscriminate changes in dialogue at first...they are saying we and us, soon it becomes me and my. Before you know it they are asking what-have-you-done-for-me-lately. They will direct their anger at you, their insecurities and short comings and subconsciously blame you that they still suffer from them. Sure, you can take a step back and try to figure it out, rest assured however that you will not be able to pin-point the moment you lost them. See, once you have given yourself to someone, they will come asking "what else you got" because all your efforts didn't "fix" them.

Congratulations, your commitment, your time, your support, your sacrificed goals & dreams mean shit now. You have helped build them up and along the way you became the source of their disdain.... It's not your fault and don't feel to alone when you ask yourself "what was the point"......I did.

Bullseye

2011-10-16T13:21:00.000-04:00

The downside of relationships is the strength of relationships. Letting people close to you is inherently dangerous, they know exactly how to hurt you if they choose to do so. Normally, people that truly love each other will find more constructive ways to channel stress, however, these days there is plenty of stress to go around.

Whats happens when someone you love has to compromise on their own passions, surrender roles that are important to them because of the times will live in? They are hurt, the kind of deep-down hurt that resonates to the point where they feel the need to make those close to them understand their pain.....so they lash-out and they know exactly where to strike.

It is understandable rationally, but regardless of the reasoning the result is still damaging. You can take it personally or you can do your best to brush it off. Remember that you enter into the relationship, you made yourself vulnerable in the hope that your significant other would value that gesture with the tenderness and respect it deserves. If you get hurt, that kind of deep-down hurt that makes you pack your bags and leave, you have no-one but yourself to blame.

Prepectives

2011-09-10T16:23:00.000-04:00

While most relationships boarder on respect, love and trust, there are hidden elements of a relationship that can be just as fatal as those listed.

Neglect for instant can be toxic to a relationship, but frankly you tend to know when you are neglecting those you love. Abuse of course is inexcusable in any form, these are major issues that surface relatively soon in a relationship. The hidden element I am thinking of is a silent killer and can be a symptom of behaviors that quietly eerk your significant other.

Suspense…..I am talking about resentment. Resentment is the heart disease of a relationship. How so you ask, think about it…..like heart disease, resentment builds. It starts out as an insignificant comment or gesture that love-bunny (LB) made. While it nagged at you, it wasn’t worth saying anything about. Like heart disease, those little insignificant nags build over years and they form the beginnings of walls that will, if not addressed, lead to emotional blockage.

Ultimately, if not treated with good communication and/or consoling, resentment will fester and grow until you experience an emotional cardiac event …. A.K.A a broken heart. LB will be so angry at you over years of those nags you will be powerless to save the relationship, and you never even realized those nags were there.

Pay attention to the signs, if LB is a little peeved about something you think is stupid, don’t let it go. Watch your mannerisms; don’t do stupid shit if you think it may bother LB. COMPROMISE….find middle ground on things you care about and make sure LB has a voice in your decision making process. Finally, communication, listen (not just talk) hear what LB has to say, identify those things that are important to LB and learn about them. You don’t really have to care about things LB cares about, making an effort will go a long way. Just a little perspective

Baring Witness to the End of America

2011-07-27T10:40:00.000-04:00

Wow, this is how it will all end, a self-inflicted gun-shot wound.....Think I am over reacting, It is much later than things seem:

Look what happened when ONE investment bank, Leman Brothers collapsed....It nearly took down the entire global economy. Now, image the economic repercussions when the world’s largest consumer goes down....Credit freezes worldwide, panic, mass-layoffs and that is just the beginning.

Government stabilizers are next to go depending on how long this is allowed to continue: food stamps, unemployment, basic health care, subsidies (enjoy that increased electric and water bill, should be fun since you no longer have a job to pay them with).

Soon civil unrest breaks out, white, black, Asian, Latino, conservative, liberal.....doesn't matter now because we will have entered a State-of-Nature, what Thomas Hobbs predicted would happen when a strong central government collapses. A war of all-against-all, sounds pleasant right, and to combat this conservatives will get their worst nightmare...Marshal Law, think the big-bad Federal Government is oppressive now, just wait!!! My advice, go out now and get as much food, water and ammo as you can carry and then get more!!!!!

What came first, the Walmart or the egg head?.

2011-06-19T21:24:00.000-04:00

Sure, It is easy to throw Walmart under the bus, to say that this company exploits it labor force and is contributing to the lower standard of living that Americans are now experiencing. Before you heave-ho, ask your self one honest question: Who allowed this to happen?

Truth is, we did. Americans allowed this to become the new standard. We didn't want to pay $200 for a set of curtains made in Iowa, we wanted to pay $20 for set made anywhere else.....wish granted. People in the late 70's and 80's couldn't connect the dots or didn't care to. They were to busy taking 9 vacations a year with all the money they were saving. See, every action has and equal reaction, a concept conservatives have yet to adopt. The sad thing is, it's the children of the ignorant people that will have to either spend a quarter century pursuing a PHD to make a decent living or except the fact that social mobility is nothing more than a reelect of a time when hard work and commitment could produce a quality standard of living.

With all the doom and gloom, there is a silver lining. Walmart is evolving, with figments of the past, present and future coming together. See, initially Walmart brand was targeted at certain sub-set of the US population....namely the lower social economic classes. This is no longer the case, Walmart is now catering to those who are more environmentally and health conscience carrying organic products and dairy products that are raised with more sustainable practices. More over, Walmart is an American based company that is putting Americans back to work. Now, most of these jobs don't pay very well but lets keep things in prospective, these jobs also require no skills or real world experience.

With that said, Walmart is a large company with opportunities embedded within it's corporate structure that pay VERY well. This speaks to past scenarios, where a person could join a company and work their way to the top...or definitely a comfortable income level. In an age of temp agencies and independent contractors this is a welcomed departure from the norm. Walmart is also answering the current calling for America to tackle globalization by opening stores across South America and Europe. The more the company grows, the more opportunities exist for Americans back home.

It would seem as though Frankenstein's Monster has broken free of it's shackles and is beginning to take the world by storm. While it may carry of bit of irony, Walmart could very well help to save Frankenstein from his own ignorance.

Get off Weiner's Dick

2011-06-05T22:57:00.000-04:00

For over a week now we have been talking about Senator Weiner's weiner. The right is upset by this "deeply disturbing image" and opponents are taking shots while the water is warm. I say why knock it, let us embrace this concept and have all members of congress take pictures of their wieners and post them on their respective websites. See, Senator Weiner's name is a little misleading, he is a passionate public servant who's fiery rants are epic as they are toxic to his opponents. So, I don't need to see a picture of his balls to know he has a set, it's the fact that so many others are offended which raises my eyebrows. Whats the underlining issue here, could this be a case of penis envy?

So, lets just air out all the dirty laundry (in a manner of speaking) and have all members of congress publish pictures of their junk so we can move on to real issues that face our country. Now, I know there maybe some friction to this idea being that not all members of congress have a set of balls (and of course the are female members as well) so we will be exposing some sack-less puppets in the process. Then of course there are members who maybe opposed to this idea since their balls may have not dropped as of yet. Either way, this will solve the issue and move us all forward to some meaningful duologue.

Guys: 10 rules to surviving Pregnacy

2011-04-20T23:35:00.008-04:00

1: Everything is your fault, argue if you dare but rational thinking went out the door with that second line....or oval.....or pregnant word...pick your poison

2: you are not the man she married, even if the wedding was yesterday

3: Regardless of how much or how little money you make, it's not enough

4: You don't understand her....no shit, when did you ever.....Now, throw in one of the most complex biological events, consisting of a hog-pog of cells, hormones, fluids, lipids, half of the periodical table-of-elements, expanding organs AND have it grow, move, poke, kick, make her nauseous and is attached to her by an inch-thick cheesy cord and yeah, guys may have some trouble relating.

5: Clean the litter box, clean the kitchen, do the laundry, wash the dishes, save an endangered species from extinction....won't matter, you don't do anything to support her, deal with it

6: Congratulation home owners, you now own two homes, your current home and the DOG house. You may want to get comfy in the later, you will be spending most of your time there

7: SEX SEX SEX...and lots of it!!! All that blood flow to her lower extremities will have her hot and heavy. I didn't say that all the rules were bad

8: Remember all that attention you got all those loving years....(glass shattering) Enter baby...you are now second on her priority list. Hope you enjoyed all that wonderful SEX from rule seven.

9: Enjoy baseball? Good, cause there is going to be alot of mood swinging in your future....and guess what, those mood swings are your fault

10: She loves you....or she was willing to have sex with you at least once...either way, guys, you are now DADS!!!

Marx the date

2011-02-20T15:03:00.003-05:00

What exactly is the difference between a philosopher and a prophet....it seems that the dividing lines are becoming increasingly blurred. Case-in -point, Carl Marx identified that at some point, at sometime, people who have been exploited for a duration of time would hit a threshold.

This tipping point would indicate a change, or awakening (depending on one's perspective) where the masses would no longer endure distractions, where rhetoric would no longer surface to quench the throttling thirst for a voice against injustice. When governments fail to protect the governed against the forces of tyranny and oppression; more-over begin to take from the have-nots in order to satisfy the haves, revolution is all that remains.

If one opens their eyes and looks over the big picture today they will see that we are barring witness to a global revolution. First Egypt, then the Middle East, Asia and now the people in the United States are beginning to say enough. Carl Marx said it would happen, and whether they realize it or not, the workers of the world are uniting.

Poplitics

2011-02-15T10:01:00.004-05:00

These are exciting days for Egypt and the middle east in general, with the oppressive dictator out of power the country can move forward, but what exactly is in the distance. Experiments in popular government have not been overly successful. To date, there have been only a handful proposed governments that have endured the test of time and the US isn't one of them.

To provide some perspective of the more successful governmental structures, Iceland’s parliament was form in 0930 (yes I said 0930, not 1930), Grease (until recently) had a very successful government, it was more globalization which crippled Grease along with the majority of the developed nations. Britain has also demonstrated some serious staying power since their Parliament was established in 1707, although their stint into imperialism almost collapsed the country.

The United States political structure does contain some valuable lessons that should be incorporated into a purposeful government. While visionaries like Alexander Hamilton, James Madison and John Jay had many of the answers to creating a sustainable government of the people, for the people they did not pretend to have all the answers. These free thinkers provided a means to for The United States to compensate for the deficits the founding fathers did not foresee. The elasticity clause allowed our country to modify our constitution 27 times over the course of the last 223 years. These Amendments were critical to the United States continued existence throughout the political and social upheavals that plague mankind without fail.

Whichever direction the Egyptian people pursue, they should hold closely the words of Alexander Hamilton “It has been frequently remarked that it seems to have been reserved to the people of this country, by their conduct and example, to decide the important question, whether societies of men are really capable or not of establishing good government from reflection and choice, or whether they are forever destined to depend for their political constitutions on accident and force. If there be any truth in the remark, the crisis at which we are arrived may with propriety be regarded as the era in which that decision is to be made; and a wrong election of the part we shall act may, in this view, deserve to be considered as the general misfortune of mankind.” I look to the people of Egypt to decide their future and in the process, define mankind.

Palin's Alaska may save our country

2011-01-08T12:00:00.004-05:00

Indeed, Sarah Palin has created an interesting niche of sorts with the right-wing base of the US population. Kudos to her, unfortunately for Sarah, she is alienating everyone else.

While there is some truth to the old saying that “any exposure is good exposure” this principle does have some exceptions, like say…I don’t know, running for President. When you require 270 electoral votes to win the most influential office in the world, shooting defenseless animals on national television may not be the most productive way to accomplish that. In fact, to put things in prospective for Ms. Palin, I am a moderate with some progressive ideas on how some things should be. I do value some republican ideologies; the right to bare arms for example is a concept that has my full support. I am not a vegetarian and enjoy a good-o-fashion cheese burger at summer barbeques.

With this in mind, not only was I taken back by her wiliness to kill an animal on national television, her complete lack of empathy shocked me as well. I, unlike Sarah, actually care if that offends anyone. I remember watching the sequence unfold and thinking there are probably some individuals who that REALLY troubles. While Palin is sticking to her guns, being President of the United States requires more than just resolve.

Many who read this will say that I am incorrect since Bush served two terms….Well, not exactly. Bush’s re-election was added by two separate factors which to date, Palin does not have: the attacks of 9/11/01 and John Kerry. When Bush came up for re-election, our country was still in shock (I think we still are). When you are grieving, you tend to not carry the best judgment, enough said on that point. Why am I throwing John Kerry under the bus you may ask, I will explain. Kerry’s campaign was too nice. Kerry tried to be polite about unseating Bush, fearing that the country maybe to fragile to endure a dose of mud-slinging. In the end, that strategy backfired. Kerry was seen as weak and indecisive at a time when the US needed leadership, so the public settled for the next best thing…Bush.

Palin will not have that luxury, she is up against a strong, well spoken, popular incumbent who episode-by-episode is being given ammunition to use against Palin in 2012. If Palin is serious about a run in 2012, she better hope her rating drop in a hurry.

It is time to crunch credit cards

2010-12-26T11:07:00.004-05:00

As I continue to educate my self into the intricacies of politics I find more and more that the few out weigh the many. After reviewing some of the provisions of the CARD Act of 2009 which took effect in February of 2010, there is little consideration for the current state of the economy. While this legislation is a step in the right direction, it is none-the-less only a step.

Consumers are is a real bind, most debtors (IMHO) in todays america are borrowing for necessity. They can't cover their bills with the under-employed income they have now so they subsidize. What else are they suppose to do, there aren't a lot of second jobs to go get, most of us are lucky to have our current shity first jobs. While a good economic climate the CARD act would help, in this day and age it is more like a band-aide on a gunshot wound.

For example, there is a provision of the law which allows a consumer to close their account and pay-off the remaining balance at existing rates. Lets be honest, if the consumer couldn't pay the card down while it was open at those rates then why would closing that account make a difference. It does allow the consumer to not add more debt, but chances are the consumer has already maxed out their card. All this provision does is injure the consumer's credit and stick them with a life time of monthly debt servicing. Just what the credit cards would like, no more risk and a lot of revenue.

If a consumer takes the initiative of closing a credit line (which does nothing but drive down your all important credit score) then the card companies should be forced to negotiate the terms of repayment. Now I know that there are options open to individuals to do this already but it involves courts or third parties. There is no reason that credit card companies can't get with the times and work with people to pay down their debts. It is in everyones interests, if the debtor defaults, then no one wins including the banks (most which would not exist anymore if not for the Federal Government because they couldn't pay their DEBTS!!!)

Play to yourself, not your strengths

2010-10-15T20:38:00.005-04:00

As I have been reading over some of my recent posts, I realize how negative I have become. The thing is, I am a realist, not pessimist. So, let me be real, I am not happy professionally because my occupation is not something I enjoy. I know that in this economy I should be happy to have a job, but it doesn't pay well enough to hate it and continue doing it. So, what to I do enjoy doing that has a market which returns a livable wage.....

I can talk, but I do not enjoy using that skill to exploit people. I strike-up conversations with people because it comes naturally to me, but these conversations are more exploratory then functional. The problem with me and sales lies in the intent of the interaction, sales treats people as a means and my intentions are more focused on people as ends in themselves. I don't talk with people to get something out of them, I talk with people to talk.

So, while sales would seem like a natural fit for my outgoing personality, the principle of sales does not. I still do not understand the purpose my skills are intended to serve but I know that simply because an activity comes naturally to you doesn't mean you are committed to it.

A change is gonna come, one way or another

2010-09-06T21:33:00.001-04:00

New job, same shit..just another greedy boss exploiting those under him. It never seems to change, 20 years in the work force only to take a step back and realize I am where I was 20 years ago.

When altruism dies, what replaces it? I watched money destroy a person I once considered a brother, reduced to a pathetic sniffling wiesel suspicious of all those around him..and with good reason. While he got rich, those who backs he made his money on were paid pennies. Don’t blame it on Capitalism, socialism and communism only exacerbated and concentrated the problem. Rather than a percentage of the population exploiting the masses, you had a select handful exploiting everyone else.

It really doesn’t seem to matter which form of government or society one lives in, the fundamental problem remains. All the social experiments in popular and imposed government have failed, out of all these different varieties of civil and interpersonal structures one common denominator remains, people.

With all this said, I do see a glimmer of light on the horizon. While our species seems destined to repeat the same mistakes over and over again, our planet may force our hand in learning that exploiting the systems that support us has consequences. So I wait in anticipation for things to catch up with us.

BP Oil effects

2010-06-17T11:18:00.000-04:00

I don't understand why some people (Conservatives) think that once the leak is stopped this all goes away...It hasn't even started yet. Predators like sharks, Jellyfish and other flesh eating sea life are moving closer and closer to shore. Oxygen depletion is going to kill off underwater see life and destroy natural barriers in the already vulnerable gulf coast, and that is just the beginning. Once you change the habituate of a species, you change their habits. What do hunger sea birds eat when all the fish are dead? Ever see the movie Birds?

Economically, this is the equivalent of another stock market crash, except the lost equity is not coming back. The entire Gulf coast is dependent on Marine life, as the effects begin to be felt a whole sector of our economy/country will become increasingly dependent on the local, state and federal government for support. This will stress our already weak societal structure as crime, hunger and corruption infect the moral depleted gulf coast. If we learned anything from the Great Depression, this type of societal cannibalism spreads and it won’t be long until the increased food, gas and commodity prices cripple our already fragile national economy (the preverbal straw that breaks the camels back). Granted, this is a worst case scenario but still very feasible. People who have no interest in the disaster in the gulf only do so because they don’t understand the scope.

Sea of Humanity

2010-05-17T16:08:00.001-04:00

Sitting at the airport is a relatively simple act for most people, but as always, I tend to pay attention to my surroundings. After arriving at the airport, I was presented with an offer, concede my seat on an early flight in exchange for a later flight and a free round trip on a future date. This was a no-brainer in this economy; so I waited.

As the hours passed, so did other people. The first individuals to catch my eye were a couple of men dressed in army fatigue. Neither of them were smiling, nor talking amongst one-another or even really reacting to their surroundings. They looked distant, as if their bodies were leading with their souls in tow. I wondered what they had experienced that would impact them to the extent which left them devoid of emotion. Interesting how these symbols of strength could also conger a sense of pity.

As the men passed, I glanced across the lobby to see an elder couple sitting on the bench seats talking to one another. The man, slim with a short scruffy beard was talking, his presumed wife was listening intently. She was so interested in what he was saying, it was as if this was the first time they had ever spoke. She began laughing after he had finished speaking. Her smile was genuine, anyone paying attention could tell by the way she looked at him that she still loved him. I have heard a million times over that love doesn’t last, yet right in front of me was living proof to the contrary.

As we were about to board, I looked back at the crowd that had gather at the gate. Some having conversations, others tuned out the noise with their IPods and laptops, but all about to migrate to the same location. So different yet so connected, some going home to their loved ones and others travel in hopes of securing business partnerships; now indistinguishable from one another in the crowd now moving towards the gate with only small gaps between the waves of people flowing into the tunnel on their way to another airport.

The pursuit of….money?

2010-05-11T16:26:00.001-04:00

I have noticed a divide between my father and I for years, while we agree on a number of issues there has always been that gap I could never put my finger on, until today. After years of misunderstandings about choices I have made in my life, it became clear today that my father and I are two very different people.

Our basic ideologies are separate and as definitive as we are. This maybe in part do to our polar upbringings. My father was raised on the streets of Alexandra, Egypt where he was basically left to fend for himself at the tender age of 13. I am sure this had an impact on him, he would go on to start a small but lucrative newspaper distribution business which gave enough money and real world experience in sales to come to the US and go into business for himself.

I on the other hand, grew up in the suburbs. Never really pressed for money, my mind was left to wonder about the great beyond. I was fascinated by philosophy, including concepts such as ethics, morality, principles, society and honor.

My father believes you are what you make, monetarily speaking. If you do not achieve your full economic potential you have wasted your life, I disagree. I have never, and will never give a dam about the acquisition of wealth. It is my belief that any pursuit of artificial ends will lead to an artificial existence. My father has imprisoned himself in his own personal hell, never satisfying his unquenchable thrust for more.

Some days my anger outweighs my pity for him. In the end however, he is my father and I do love him.

Anything is possible at a price

2010-04-23T11:45:00.004-04:00

I once heard a crazy old man tell me that all things are possible. I laughed at the old man in my mind and ignored his optimistic rhetoric. Since then, I have watched people accomplish things once reserved for science fiction novels and Hollywood movies. My once hardened views of what is possible/impossible have faded as the years have delivered proof after proof to the contrary. Everyone of these accomplishments have one thing in common, they required faith and commitment.

The thing about “impossible” tasks is that they are perceived as unattainable by most people, but what the hell do most people know. These individuals believed that they could reach a goal, whether it was a civil rights movement or breaking the hold of Earth’s gravity, these individuals not only believed that they could, they knew.

There was a price for their pursuits, most were mocked, some locked out of their fields and some paid the ultimate price for simply the chance to change the course. The status-quo is never easily broken, people get stuck in their ways and only persistence and sheer determination will suffice. If you want to accomplish something that is labeled “unattainable”, you will be mocked, locked out or maybe worse.

In the end, when the goals are achieved and the critics are silenced, it becomes clear that it is not the task which is “impossible”, rather, the level of commitment had not yet been attained.

Dreams are only dreams until you begin to chase them…good hunting

Can't stop the Bleeding

2010-04-15T10:23:00.002-04:00

Here is the inherent problem, there are no jobs available and there won’t be anytime soon. Our county got through the previous fiscal issues in the past by putting people back to work, this time, all the fundamental jobs have been outsourced. There are no manufacturing jobs left to “build back America” and the service sector jobs are dwindling.
When you manufacture something, it is tangible; you are actually creating a product that people need. These service sector jobs are BS, they are superficial by nature and have no real substance. If our country does not begin to manufacture again, America will not recover!!! Companies outsourced to gain access to cheap labor, now these companies are finding out the hard way that cheap labor has a heavy price, domestically.

Here is the kicker, what these corporations did not take into account is that when you basically suffocate the largest consumer nation in the world, EVERYONE suffocates. Stupid, Old Rich people who are more lucky then smart have doomed us all for a small short-term profit increase.

How to Make yourself Marketable

2010-03-09T10:09:00.004-05:00

I know we all strive to put our best face forward and but in this age of technology that maybe a mutt point. Through the last few years I have had more telephone interviews then face-to-face interviews. Economically, it makes sense for the companies that are hiring to simply pick-up the phone since the costs are minimal, which in turn demises risk. Anytime a company can potentially reduce unnecessary costs they will jump at it. For a superior, this may not be an ideal way to feel out a candidate, for the candidate, there could’t be a worse scenario.

90% for human communication is non-verbal, meaning that during a phone interview the candidate is at a severe disadvantage. The candidate must make a good impression without non-verbal feedback from the interviewer. No body language, expressions or tell-tale hints as to how the interview is going. So, forget the suits, breath mints or firm handshakes that convey character….it’s all in how you phrase things. One stutter, mis-phrased comment or excessive pause and any momentum you have built dies. So, to really stand out in this horrific job market one must be less concerned with appearances and focus on verbiage. You've heard of dress for the occasion, well it's now "speak to peak".

Joe Stack's other Options

2010-02-22T10:25:00.004-05:00

OK, I think Joe made his point, he was pissed. But before you jump onto the smash-your-plane-into-a-building band wagon let us consider some other options Joe may have failed to examine:

Move:
This seems to be a logical alterative to death but who am I to judge. If you don’t like the country you live in, go to another one. There are over 200 options to survey with a verity of potential attractions. You can even mix and match, Canada in the summer and Mexico in the winter. I hear Grease is nice most of the year…

Run of office:
OK, you really like living in the country you are in but you don’t like the way it is being run; if you can’t beat them, join them! The political system is the US is open to anyone who can get on the ballet (to get onto the ballet takes a few Signatures, think like 5000 which is not as hard as you think) then you can truly become an agent of change. Let’s face it, Joe actions may have been symbolic to some, but all he really accomplished was costing the tax payers another chunk of money and altering small plane flight planes.

Start a Church:
Why not, scientology has a following, why not IT-ology? With this, he can claim his work is based in the interests of the god he worships (we’ll call him GIG) and all proceeds are tax-exempt. This way, he gets back at all those "Catholic Scum-bags" he hates so much by beating them at their own game (see bold option 2 above)

Work on a American Indian reserve:
This is close to the concept of moving but not so much. As I understand it, industries headquartered on an American Indian reserve are tax exempt (I could be wrong but it's a blog not the Library Of Congress). I think there is a bunch of those in Oklahoma so it not a very far commute from Texas at all. In fact, I bet he could fly to work each morning and write that shit off on those taxes he hates so much.

So, before you go being all noble (or whatever you want to call it) and murder a couple of individuals that have nothing to do with the conception of the rules you hate, consider your other options.

Vaccine study is retracted by British medical journal

2010-02-04T12:15:00.002-05:00

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/02/study_linking_autism_vaccines.html

Humm, I wonder why it was debunked but the biggest fraud study ever is still credited as good science?

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6890106663412840646&ei=GPxqS9TND5OAlgfs77yRCA&q=mercury%2C+autism+and+the+global+vaccine+agenda&hl=en#

Think, why can't we get a list of ingredients contained in the Vaccines? Maybe because if you saw that list you would vomit...Our friend has three boys, the first is vaccinated according to the schedule and he has learning disabilities (6), the second has only had a few shots (4) and he is sharper then his brother and her youngest (9 months) is poison free and he just took his first steps....THINK!!!!

The Wall Street Raiders

2010-01-19T09:53:00.003-05:00

I know what you are thinking, the actions of a few don't represent the many….not so fast. How many people would put the well being of the nation in front of a very large payoff? Some would say they would act differently and I don't think they are lying, but the truth is, NOBODY except those who are influenced by the temptation can ever understand its’ power. Image for a moment, never having to work ever again while buying the finest things life has to offer: Exotic cars, the finest foods made by your own personal live-in chef, beautiful homes custom built to entice your ever desire in the most sought-after locations on the planet, private planes w/the best pilots ensuring your safety, young attractive members of the opposite sex (or same-sex depending on your preference) throwing themselves at you for just a taste of the life you are living and my personal favorite….a release from this horrifyingly redundant rat-race.
Not so quick to pass judgment on these Wall-Street Scum-bags now are you. Sure they pretty much crippled the worlds economy, call it what you will…criminal, selfish, indecent, whatever you chose to call it just remember to call it Human Nature.

So, who among us would do the right thing…people we are not even sure existed:
Jesus Christ, Socrates, Odysseus (maybe) to name a few. These individuals are suppose to be the example for us to strive to, the pinnacle of human existence to be pursed through sacrifice and resistance to external forces.

There’s only one problem, most of these individuals were broke and suffered horrifying deaths. As nice as nice as that sounds, I think most of us would rather not. To further my point, even those close to these individuals were corrupted; stories both new and old tell the tale of a fall from grace or a character who was betrayed by those close to them in the name of profit and we are so quick to call what these Wall Street Raiders have done inconceivable…have we not learned anything from history or the stories we are told?

Why is starting a new endeavor so menacing?

2009-12-07T12:18:00.001-05:00

This is one aspect of the human response which I know well but I truly don’t understand. One would think that the opportunity to potentially change your income, mobility (social that is) and/or general well being would be welcomed. That is not always the case, as an opportunity presented to me has generated anxiety, fear and a little bit of hope. Have we grown so accustomed to struggle that when an opportunity comes about which would remove that struggle it seems unattainable?

I see, I see the Warren Buffets, Bill Gates, Steve Jobs of the world and like the rest of the of you I wonder, no, dream about their lives…what would it be like to never struggle? These people took a chance at some point, they believed that there was a better life than this non-stop day-in day-out crap that we all seemed addicted to. I want their lives, well not their lives but their kind of money which results in lives like theirs. To reach this, I have to take a chance at some point but my some-points are diminishing everyday and I’m still holding back and not playing to my strengths. Now, an opportunity falls into my lap seemingly designed for me and I hesitate because it doesn't feel perfect. Who says success has to feel perfect. I don't know how this will end but at least it will begin and that is a step in the right direction.

Why the Dow no longer counts

2009-11-17T09:20:00.003-05:00

Don’t you just love all this hype about the Dow being over 10,000…it's great, Champaign falls from the sky and money lines the streets as gold bars fill all homes and apartments across this country. Then you wake-up, realize that the unemployment rate has reached double digits for the first time in 20+ years, people all across the country are losing their homes and businesses of all sorts are closing their doors. The media has stated that the recession is over, I say it's just setting in. That is inherently where the problem lies, those disconnected w/the masses who have no economic worries think that everyone is in their position. People are starving, for the economy to recover there MUST be jobs available and all indication (real ones that is) point to the loss of a hell-of a lot more jobs. I will list them as follows:

State budgets are running deep in red w/almost every state in dept. Some worse then others as California (according to the New York Times) is facing a budget gap of 26 Billion dollars, that figure is scarier then any disaster movie Hollywood can make. Last year, facing a mounting gap Cali cut funding in the wrong places if you ask me* cutting funding for law enforcement by 10% in time of economic unrest…not smart. Where do you think that 26 Billion is going to come from, drum roll please, jobs cuts!!! Cali is not alone, Arizona, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Ohio, Illinois and Virginia all running Billion dollar budget gaps along w/ 21 other states running multi-million dollar budget gaps. Unlike the federal government, states cannot legally run deficits so all this culminates into one truth, more job losses are coming, A LOT more.
Auto industry's greed and fear of competition has suffocated the country for years w/ out sourcing manufacturing jobs and political power plays intended to cripple foreign competitors. As the Big Three began to taste just deserts in comes Uncle Sam to the rescue. Saving all those jobs right…Wrong!! By sustaining an unsustainable entity the government has saved a few high paying corporate jobs but condemned those in lower positions as these companies will restructure and slash the few remaining manufacturing jobs left. How do I know this, look no further then the dead Saturn brand for your bottom line indicators. With the opportunity to save thousands of jobs and make a profit in the process, the “New GM” choose rather to avoid competition by cancelling a deal that would have saved Saturn and allow the Saturn brand to die along with all the people who are dependent on it. These include the Saturn employees, parts manufactures, dealers, techs and even those who make accessories for these vehicles. I say the auto industry as opposed to the financial sector because the auto industry is tangible. When someone purchases a car, they can touch it, the vehicle exists in the physical realm and gives the owner some equity. Someone can load their kids into the SUV and spend a day at the beach, try loading those kids into an IRA.
Stabilization is the third and last factor I will illustrate. To truly counter a recession one must first stop the bleeding. Bleeding in this case refers to the obscene amount of spending and waste liquidating our country. A recession by definition is market shrinkage over the course of two quarters. When a Market is declining, increasing expenditures is the worst thing we can do. Think about it, if your checking account is running low do you start writing big checks? The fact of the matter is, the recovery starts with pennies and builds from there. For the federal government, this means stop bailing out companies that were the architects of their own demise and for state governments to stop programs which are not critical. New Jersey is nearing an 8 Billion dollar budget gap, this is not the time to send 300+ million on open space projects (idiots). As far as the private sector is concerned, until companies start hiring on a regular basis people have no choice but to conserve their wealth which doesn’t bold well for recovery. Once things settle down and federal/state spending is under control, maybe then the recovery can begin…..

Do actions really speak louder than words?

2009-11-09T15:50:00.007-05:00

There is a line of reasoning that suggests somehow actions have more tangible effect then words. Granted, there are instances where actions do leave an infallible impression which no one can deny. For instance, an NFL player can say he supports the troops until his tongue seizes but they will never be able to express their views more than Pat Tillman, who actually left the NFL to join the troops. A selfless act such as Tillman’s always stands alone w/o contestation…..these are few and far between. If one looks at our government, nothing more than words holds it all together. Words such as inalienable rights or truths to be self evident carry a promise of due process, which in-turn carry the guarantee of notice & opportunity. W/O these words, the police could kick down your door and make you disappear because it’s Tuesday. Words have motivated crowds, brought down dictators and created nations. Words detail our history, brought about change in the most volatile of times…..ask doctor MLK about the power of words and how loud they can be. John Lennon did little to further society in the scope of actions, but who could ever forget his words. While Muhammad Ali was great fighter, it was his dialogue that set him apart from all the other great fighters of the past. Words have defined presidency’s….Read my lips ring a bell?? I could go on but I think I have made my point. If someone tells you that actions speak louder then words, you know that they have not been listening.....