Once again, it's been a while since my last posting. I have no excuses. I'd like to say that it's because I am so busy and have just a full and crazy social schedule. No. It's pretty much my laziness and the little voice in the back of my head that says, "people really don't care what you have to say." Nonetheless, I will inflict this upon you, dear reader, and ask that you only spare a few minutes of your life as you read my meanderings and try to put my big, jumbled up, mess of thoughts in readable form.
I love this time of year! I love Thanksgiving and Christmas. I enjoy sitting around with family and enjoying food, playing card games or board games. Some of my fondest memories of this season are of going to my Grandma Wadsworth's house for Thanksgiving and Christmas. As kids we would play outside. The town hall down the street sold Christmas trees and we would play all around them. I can still smell the pine sap! Grandma Wadsworth's is where I learned to play euchre. It's where I learned to play it cutthroat and also learned what a sandbag or drag-ass was. Proofreading this paragraph, I notice that I use the word Christmas and not Xmas, or "Holiday" tree. This whole holiday tree is, quite frankly asinine. The name of the holiday is Christmas. The holiday is based on a religious figure worshiped by a specific religion: Jesus Christ. The tree is a symbol for that holiday and is called a Christmas tree. You can't rename the symbol simply because you don't practice or believe in the religion it represents. I don't call the Koran a "faith book", or call the Buddha statue a "religious symbol". I don't practice either of these religions but I still call these symbols what they are. Calling a Christmas tree, a Christmas tree doesn't force you to believe in Jesus. It's a name, people. Stop being so easily offended! Your offense of such ridiculousness offends me! Just stop it.
Simple question: WTF is going on with this country? I believe I have come out of mourning after the last election. I have come to grips with the fact that half of the country would rather get something for nothing as opposed to work for it. Half of the country would rather have the "the other half" pay more than they already do (which is considerable) so they can continue to reach out to their "lord and savior" Obama for more free shit. What happened to pride in a days work? What happened to a good day's pay for a good day's work? What happened to pride and self respect in doing a good job and putting in a day of hard work? I believe the last election is proof that one half of the country wants the other half of the country to pay them. This has been furthered by a president who enjoys his bully pulpit and uses it to demonize anyone who dares turn a profit or invest their money well and call them "rich, fat cats who don't pay their fair share". These people are already the jobs creators and already pay most of the taxes in this country. Unfortunately the mentality of victims and victimization has become the norm. Mediocrity has become the new American Exceptionalism.
When was the last time you saw a firearm just up an kill anyone on its own? I mean, to hear it told, there are rampant gangs of guns rolling across this country just killing people left and right. Nevermind that they are basically inanimate objects that need energy to be expended by a user to actuate them. These firearm gangs are out there. So watch out! They're lawless and have no respect for anyone. They're just out there acting of their own free will. We really should do something about this. Ban all firearms! Sounds dumb as hell, right. About as smart as banning spoons for making people fat and banning roads for wearing out your tires. Speaking of cars, the CDC shows that motor vehicles and poisonings cause more deaths than firearms. So, there's that.
So, have some eggnog, eat some turkey, buy some gifts for the ones you love. Thanks for reading!
Monday, December 3, 2012
Saturday, September 15, 2012
He's My Hero!
he·ro
[heer-oh] Show IPA
2. a person who, in the opinion of others, has heroic qualities or has performed a heroic act and is regarded as a model or ideal: He was a local hero when he saved the drowning child.
3. the principal male character in a story, play, film, etc.
4. Classical Mythology .
a. a being of godlike prowess and beneficence who often came to be honored as a divinity.
b. (in the Homeric period) a warrior-chieftain of special strength, courage, or ability.
c. (in later antiquity) an immortal being; demigod.
People today often speak of heroes and are more than willing to share who they believe is their hero. They will often name sports figures with amazing stats, or who possesses great athletic prowess or ability. They may often name a former teacher. Sometimes an entire group of people are someone's hero; like the police, firemen, Navy SEALs, etc. I am in favor of the latter instead of the former. This hits a little closer to home for me. I have no qualms with someone having a hero. I believe that it is something within us that sees something desirable or attainable in that person or group and can cause us to strive to do greater. Everyone needs a hero. Let me tell you about mine.
He grew up in a pretty small town. No fan fan fare. No pomp, circumstance. When I first met him, I hated him. Didn't like him one bit. I thought he was selfish, self-absorbed, egotistic, and messy. As our relationship aged, we definitely had our disagreements and fights. When we were together, we'd kick and punch each other, throw rocks and bricks at each other, shoot each other with BB guns and call each other every name in the book. As we got older, I think we both matured and started seeing each other differently. One can probably already guess, my hero is my younger brother: Marine MSgt Chad Roach. He'll probably want to kick my ass for writing this, but he's a good 3-4 hour plane ride away, so I think I could find a big enough stick to help when he'd try once he got here. ;-p
My brother is an Air Traffic Controller in the United States Marine Corps and has made a career out of the Marines. He enlisted around 1997 and has had quite the illustrious career in the corps. He has been to more countries than anyone I know. He has been in combat several times and has seen more in those tours than I could even think of. He has been under fire in a combat situation of which I have no frame of reference and no idea how I would react. He is a hero in every sense of the word. He would lay down his life for his fellow Marines. He would lay his life down for you, the reader. He doesn't even know you, but if you were threatened and he was there, he would do all he could to make sure you were safe. He has sacrificed for his family and has gone several months at a time without seeing them so that we can sleep safe here at home under the blanket of security that he helps provide. He has asked for NOTHING in return and has actually gotten less. He lives in a modest house in a nice neighborhood. He doesn't drive a fancy vehicle or have lots of fancy toys. More often than not, he goes without so that his family or others can benefit. He does this not out of selfish ambition or with the idea of getting patted on the back or "attaboys". He does it because it's how he was made. Storybreak!
While deployed to Djbouti, Africa he was in the control tower. He was off duty, but was there helping out. He was listening to one of the local (African) controllers directing traffic in the airspace and something caught his attention. (Forgive my lack of knowledge of air traffic control terms.) The local controller was in the process of landing two American fighter jets. He was, unbeknownst to himself, landing them at the same time, on the same runway, and in the same spot. In short, there was quickly going to be two multi-million dollar fighter planes trying to occupy the same airspace. This usually poses a problem for not only the metaphysical aspect of things, but also for the lifespan of the pilots. He quickly analyzed the situation and reacted. He got on the radio and redirected the fighters saving the lives of the pilots as well as the jets.
Growing up, he admittedly lived in my shadow and did all he could to get out of it. I was no superstar. No phenom. Just the oldest of three brothers in a small town and the comparisons were bound to occur. I was one to avoid drama and more or less kept my head down to avoid causing a commotion. Chad was one that did not avoid commotion or drama. He didn't seek it out by any means, but when faced with a situation that would affect him negatively, he would be more than happy to voice his displeasure. When a friend of his was getting a "raw deal", he was quick to jump to their defense. He got picked on quite a bit for this and I know it wore on him, but he persevered. He overcame. He adapted through all of it and showed he wouldn't be defeated or beaten by anyone. It has been these characteristics that the Marine Corps have capitalized upon and fostered.
We live in a time where it is more common to see someone taking rather than giving. Someone trying to "get what is owed to them." People working harder to get out of work than to actually do the work asked of them. Looking out for themselves rather than anyone else. People like Chad are rare. They are a dying breed. No one wants to think about that. True heroes are disappearing. I look at Chad and I see his selflessness and generosity toward his fellow countrymen and Marines. I see his dedication to his family and his willingness to go without seeing his beautiful wife and kids for months on end so that I can be with my beautiful wife and kids and I am humbled. I see him punishing his body in training so that he may better do his job. These are what make Chad my hero.
He may be my "little" brother, but I can only hope to someday attain the level of heroism that he has achieved.
Chad, you're my hero and I raise a pint to you!
Saturday, August 18, 2012
Do Work!
It's been a while since my last post. Admittedly, I've been busy and really just haven't been feeling that creative. My day today started out well. It's a Saturday and got to sleep in. Got to go help out with some Friday Night Lights last night and got in a little late. I love FNL. It takes me back to when I played and reminds me how I absolutely love this time of year. Made me get a little reminiscent. Had to mow the lawn today and primarily that is where I get a lot of thinking done. I think about surgical procedures that we do and if there is any way that we could do them better or quicker. I think about things that need done around the house. Today, I was just thinking about the life that I have and share with my family.
I'll just say it: I love my life. I love all there is about it. I love my wife. I love my kids. I love my house and where we live. I love my job and what I do for a living. I love my friends and the fun we have together. All of it. Good and bad. Every last minute. Great days, shitty days. They all come with it and I'll gladly take them all, because I love it all. I love the place I am at in my life. I love where we are. I don't really mean our physical address, but just our sitz en liben.
I didn't get here by chance. I got here by hard work on my part and on the part of my family. When it came down to it, we did work. We put in the time and the sweat and got the job done because we had a goal and knew that it had to be accomplished. Nobody put this in our lap. We didn't just happen into where we are. We didn't luck into it. We bled, sweat, and sometimes cried to get where we are and we are proud to be here. We worked for it and because of that, I believe we have the right to be proud.
From the earliest time I can remember, my parents constantly preached hard work, sweat, and determination are what it took to survive in this world. (Yes, Dad. I was listening.) Something must've soaked in! It is the major ideology that my wife and I try to instill in the boys now. When I was a freshman in high school, we had a house fire that basically gutted our house and we were forced to begin anew. In order to begin, we had to prepare the lot for us to put a house on. It took a lot of work! I remember digging out the area for the concrete pad to be poured. Every time my brothers or I would bitch about not wanting to do the work, my Dad would remind us of the goal. We needed a house. Not to mention the fact that looking back, I saw my Dad working so hard to make sure that goal was accomplished. It made an impact on me. (The example that parents give makes a difference!)
Hard work pays off. Do you want to play football? Put in the time in the weight room and working on your technique for your position. Do you want to be a surgeon? Put in the time in your undergraduate work and make the grades to get into medical school. Do you want to be a mechanic? Put in the time and effort working on cars and learning how they work. THE PURSUIT IS PROOF OF THE PASSION!!!
I wanted to practice medicine as a Physician Assistant. I went back to school, finished my degree and did the work to get it done and get into a highly competitive program. Once in, I put in the time to make sure I graduated at the top of my class. I actually graduated with honors and was nominated by our faculty to receive the distinction of Pi Alpha, which is a group that honors PA graduates for their scholastic achievements, leadership, and citizenship.
Why do I say all this? Nobody gave this stuff to our family. We worked hard. We DID WORK! I am proud of where we are. We may not have the best, or the greatest. But, by God, we are proud of it. We don't live in the best, most expensive neighborhood. Our kids don't go to private school and we don't wear designer clothes. You know what? We're proud of all of it because we earned it and it's ours!
Lesson? You want something, go get it. You work for it. You earn it. Expect everyone in this world to try and cut you down and take away from you what you've worked for. You have a dream? Protect it. You nurture it, feed it, care for it, and put work into it...it will come to fruition.
DO WORK!
I'll just say it: I love my life. I love all there is about it. I love my wife. I love my kids. I love my house and where we live. I love my job and what I do for a living. I love my friends and the fun we have together. All of it. Good and bad. Every last minute. Great days, shitty days. They all come with it and I'll gladly take them all, because I love it all. I love the place I am at in my life. I love where we are. I don't really mean our physical address, but just our sitz en liben.
I didn't get here by chance. I got here by hard work on my part and on the part of my family. When it came down to it, we did work. We put in the time and the sweat and got the job done because we had a goal and knew that it had to be accomplished. Nobody put this in our lap. We didn't just happen into where we are. We didn't luck into it. We bled, sweat, and sometimes cried to get where we are and we are proud to be here. We worked for it and because of that, I believe we have the right to be proud.
From the earliest time I can remember, my parents constantly preached hard work, sweat, and determination are what it took to survive in this world. (Yes, Dad. I was listening.) Something must've soaked in! It is the major ideology that my wife and I try to instill in the boys now. When I was a freshman in high school, we had a house fire that basically gutted our house and we were forced to begin anew. In order to begin, we had to prepare the lot for us to put a house on. It took a lot of work! I remember digging out the area for the concrete pad to be poured. Every time my brothers or I would bitch about not wanting to do the work, my Dad would remind us of the goal. We needed a house. Not to mention the fact that looking back, I saw my Dad working so hard to make sure that goal was accomplished. It made an impact on me. (The example that parents give makes a difference!)
Hard work pays off. Do you want to play football? Put in the time in the weight room and working on your technique for your position. Do you want to be a surgeon? Put in the time in your undergraduate work and make the grades to get into medical school. Do you want to be a mechanic? Put in the time and effort working on cars and learning how they work. THE PURSUIT IS PROOF OF THE PASSION!!!
I wanted to practice medicine as a Physician Assistant. I went back to school, finished my degree and did the work to get it done and get into a highly competitive program. Once in, I put in the time to make sure I graduated at the top of my class. I actually graduated with honors and was nominated by our faculty to receive the distinction of Pi Alpha, which is a group that honors PA graduates for their scholastic achievements, leadership, and citizenship.
Why do I say all this? Nobody gave this stuff to our family. We worked hard. We DID WORK! I am proud of where we are. We may not have the best, or the greatest. But, by God, we are proud of it. We don't live in the best, most expensive neighborhood. Our kids don't go to private school and we don't wear designer clothes. You know what? We're proud of all of it because we earned it and it's ours!
Lesson? You want something, go get it. You work for it. You earn it. Expect everyone in this world to try and cut you down and take away from you what you've worked for. You have a dream? Protect it. You nurture it, feed it, care for it, and put work into it...it will come to fruition.
DO WORK!
Saturday, April 21, 2012
This is Sparta!
Almost everyone knows the famous line from the movie "300", uttered by Gerard Butler as he kicks a Persian messenger into the abyss. I had the chance to live it today. Or at least a short version of it, anyway. I ran the Spartan Sprint in Laurel, IN at Haspin Acres. While fun is one of the words I would use to describe it, I would also use: punishing, frustrating, Hell on Earth, intense, cold, wet, muddy, and grueling.
I honestly thought Indiana was flatter than what I experienced today. I have lived here my entire life and never would have thought there were that many hills that are that tall in Indiana. According to the staff of Spartan Race, the course was 4.7 miles long and had a total elevation change of 10,850 ft. with 25 obstacles interspersed. I felt every last one of those feet. Haspin Acres is a motocross, ATV, and SUV park. We were running up and down all those tracks all day long. Did I mention that there were also ponds on the property and we were in and out of those ponds as well.
Spartans are known for their inner toughness and their willingness fight and to face death if it is a glorious and honorable death. They have no quit, no surrender within them and will be stopped only by death or victory. As we loaded into the chute to begin our wave of the race, the emcee got us jacked up by reminding us of what defines a Spartan and implores us to ask ourselves several times during the race, "Who am I?" The answer is, "I am Spartan!" This race is designed to test our mettle, to grind us down to our core and force us to answer the question, "Who am I?" I can affirm, "I am Spartan!"
From the first obstacle just 2 feet from the start line to the last obstacle that was the finish line, we are tested and forced to dig deep into that primal, instinctive core to not only survive, but overcome. This is not to show our competitors, because they are going through the same thing. It is not to prove to the staff of Spartan Race. It is not to show the spectators. It is to show ourselves that we are hard enough and resilient enough to not accept defeat; to refuse to quit or give up. A Spartan finds no honor in quitting. There is no honor in looking at an obstacle and giving up. There is no honor in turning your back on another Spartan. The true honor is found in seeing that obstacle as a stepping stone to becoming a better person. It is rarely pretty or beautiful when moving over an obstacle or hurdle. In fact, if you were to watch me, or anyone else, traverse this course; you would find it is quite the opposite. It's ugly, dirty, and usually painful and bloody. But the reward...the reward is incalculable. The satisfaction of knowing one can not only survive, but conquer. The knowledge that when tested and beaten down, one can step up and persevere to push through. That is Spartan.
I found something on that course today. I found that physically, I can keep running longer than I thought I could and I can put up with a whole lot more physical abuse than I originally thought I could. I found that I will help others when in need. They are going over, under, and through obstacles as well and may need just as much help or maybe even more than me. I found that mentally, I can shut out the cold and the voices that tell me to quit. I can shut out the pain in my knees and ankles and keep digging. When faced with a vicissitude, I will not give up. I will not quit. I will not turn my back. I will overcome. I will conquer.
I am Spartan! Aroo! Aroo!
I honestly thought Indiana was flatter than what I experienced today. I have lived here my entire life and never would have thought there were that many hills that are that tall in Indiana. According to the staff of Spartan Race, the course was 4.7 miles long and had a total elevation change of 10,850 ft. with 25 obstacles interspersed. I felt every last one of those feet. Haspin Acres is a motocross, ATV, and SUV park. We were running up and down all those tracks all day long. Did I mention that there were also ponds on the property and we were in and out of those ponds as well.
Spartans are known for their inner toughness and their willingness fight and to face death if it is a glorious and honorable death. They have no quit, no surrender within them and will be stopped only by death or victory. As we loaded into the chute to begin our wave of the race, the emcee got us jacked up by reminding us of what defines a Spartan and implores us to ask ourselves several times during the race, "Who am I?" The answer is, "I am Spartan!" This race is designed to test our mettle, to grind us down to our core and force us to answer the question, "Who am I?" I can affirm, "I am Spartan!"
From the first obstacle just 2 feet from the start line to the last obstacle that was the finish line, we are tested and forced to dig deep into that primal, instinctive core to not only survive, but overcome. This is not to show our competitors, because they are going through the same thing. It is not to prove to the staff of Spartan Race. It is not to show the spectators. It is to show ourselves that we are hard enough and resilient enough to not accept defeat; to refuse to quit or give up. A Spartan finds no honor in quitting. There is no honor in looking at an obstacle and giving up. There is no honor in turning your back on another Spartan. The true honor is found in seeing that obstacle as a stepping stone to becoming a better person. It is rarely pretty or beautiful when moving over an obstacle or hurdle. In fact, if you were to watch me, or anyone else, traverse this course; you would find it is quite the opposite. It's ugly, dirty, and usually painful and bloody. But the reward...the reward is incalculable. The satisfaction of knowing one can not only survive, but conquer. The knowledge that when tested and beaten down, one can step up and persevere to push through. That is Spartan.
I found something on that course today. I found that physically, I can keep running longer than I thought I could and I can put up with a whole lot more physical abuse than I originally thought I could. I found that I will help others when in need. They are going over, under, and through obstacles as well and may need just as much help or maybe even more than me. I found that mentally, I can shut out the cold and the voices that tell me to quit. I can shut out the pain in my knees and ankles and keep digging. When faced with a vicissitude, I will not give up. I will not quit. I will not turn my back. I will overcome. I will conquer.
I am Spartan! Aroo! Aroo!
Monday, April 9, 2012
A Great Vacay!
Well, we just got back from vacation to Mexico Beach, Florida about 8 hours ago. This was the first time our family had really ever taken a truly organized, fully fledged vacation. We started planning this with some of our friends back in October of 2011. At that time it seemed like it would never get here and we were planning for some ethereal experience. As the date got closer, we began buying supplies to use while we were in Florida. Food, beer, water, liquor, trash bags, plates, beer, etc. Did I mention beer? We brought 5 cases down with us as well as two bottles of booze and three bottles of wine. I wasn't sure they would have any down there!
We left Friday after work and started out for southern Indiana to drop off our dog Molly at my parents place. To say we started out the trip with some bad juju would be an understatement. We actually did okay until we hit I-465. We had a 15 slow down where a semi had hit another car and then getting by I-65 was a nightmare. It seemed like everyone and there great aunt Sally wanted to get onto I-65. We were just wanting to get to IN-37! Did I mention that around this time it decided to downpour on us and would not relent until say...Tennessee?!?! There was a storm cell that was very thin and oriented in a NE to SW fashion that basically followed us during our entire trip. (Very tedious and mind numbing.) We finally drop off the dog and get on our way south to Florida. One problem...FREAKING TORNADO SIRENS!!! We stopped for gas in Evansville and while the 'hood is rolling up all around us and I am feeling the need to regulate with the 9mm that I packed; the tornado sirens start going off! (I really did pack a 9mm and in case anyone is wondering...I'm a fairly good shot with it.) So...needless to say, we finish fueling quickly and get down the road before we are blown away by a crip or a tornado. Next stop, Nashville. We planned to stop off at a motel and sleep for a while. It was our halfway point and we used to stop off in Nashville when we traveled to/from Macon. Not so fast there genius.
My brilliant assessment would be to stop off somewhere after Nashville to avoid traffic in the morning. We'd be able to just wake up and hit I-65. We stopped at an exit. You know, I have never experienced the whole "no vacancy" thing til now. We stopped at no less than 6 motels, from the flea bags to the nice ones, no vacancy. WTF?!?! So we tried another exit 50 miles down the road; same story. Are you kidding me? Really, WTF?!?!? By this time, it is getting late enough in the night that we are at the proverbial bingo point. The point in which it really isn't worth it to even stop. (I mean who wants to pay for a full night in a motel room and really only get 2-3 hours use out of it?) I guess maybe someone interested in a room for other activities. So, we stop at a rest stop just inside the Alabama state line. To say that it was busy would be an understatement. There were cars everywhere! They were parking every place they could park and some places they were not allowed to. We slept in the car. Not advisable. I ended up just getting pissed off and just leaving around 3 am and just hitting the road.
The natives began getting restless around Birmingham and so we stopped at the IHOP there. It was here we had our first experience with the aroma that I had never really associated with the south. It was a sour, rotten, rancid smell. If one has ever been to Terre Haute; it smells similar. Not pleasant. Nonetheless, we resume the pilgrimage and guess what returns...more rain! It rained basically for the next 6 hours until we got to Mexico Beach. Once we arrived, we needed to wait for our condo to be cleaned and so we decided to patronize a local Mexican restaurant. I love that waiter! When taking our orders, he asked for my drink order. I replied, "I need a big margarita!" What I got was a margarita in a glass the size of a fish bowl. It looked like they had just scooped out the fish and poured it full of that sweet, sweet agave juice!
For the next week, the story is the same for each day: Wake up, put on swim trunks, prepare a cooler full of booze, walk my happy ass the 100 yards to the beach, sit and pickle myself, go to sleep. We actually did have such great fun with our friends. We are so lucky to call these people friends. It made for such a great week, but a short one. We had such fun watching the kids boogey board, skim board, dig in the sand, make sand penises, lurk the beach walkers, fish. My youngest actually got to help catch several fish and I got to see something I never thought I would. Several jellyfish washed up on the shore while we were sitting there. They were iradescent blue/purple, about 6 inches long with tentacles about 20 inches long. They had a sail on top of them. After doing some searching, I found that these were Portugese Man o' War! One of the kids in our group got stung, but it was relatively minor. I never thought I would see one of those. So that was cool.
If you're still reading, as expected, the week had to end and we traveled north once more. 14 and a half hours and 5 states later we reach Indiana. Through that drive, we sat on I-65 at a standstill over a 30 mile stretch of highway for an hour and half. Apparently, some genius in Alabama thought that Spring Break weekend/Easter was the best time to resurface one lane of a bridge. I also had the opportunity to stop off in Nashville and pick up some of Popcorn Sutton's White Whiskey. (He's a famous bootlegger made famous recently on a show called Moonshiners.) Also, over the course of this drive we saw one...ONE police officer. On our trip from Odon to Fort Wayne...we saw 8! WTF is up with that?
So, we are home. If felt odd to wake up and actually put on clothes for work instead of a swimsuit. But, it's good to be home. If you never leave, you never get the chance to realize how much you miss it. Thanks for the read if you made it this far.
We left Friday after work and started out for southern Indiana to drop off our dog Molly at my parents place. To say we started out the trip with some bad juju would be an understatement. We actually did okay until we hit I-465. We had a 15 slow down where a semi had hit another car and then getting by I-65 was a nightmare. It seemed like everyone and there great aunt Sally wanted to get onto I-65. We were just wanting to get to IN-37! Did I mention that around this time it decided to downpour on us and would not relent until say...Tennessee?!?! There was a storm cell that was very thin and oriented in a NE to SW fashion that basically followed us during our entire trip. (Very tedious and mind numbing.) We finally drop off the dog and get on our way south to Florida. One problem...FREAKING TORNADO SIRENS!!! We stopped for gas in Evansville and while the 'hood is rolling up all around us and I am feeling the need to regulate with the 9mm that I packed; the tornado sirens start going off! (I really did pack a 9mm and in case anyone is wondering...I'm a fairly good shot with it.) So...needless to say, we finish fueling quickly and get down the road before we are blown away by a crip or a tornado. Next stop, Nashville. We planned to stop off at a motel and sleep for a while. It was our halfway point and we used to stop off in Nashville when we traveled to/from Macon. Not so fast there genius.
My brilliant assessment would be to stop off somewhere after Nashville to avoid traffic in the morning. We'd be able to just wake up and hit I-65. We stopped at an exit. You know, I have never experienced the whole "no vacancy" thing til now. We stopped at no less than 6 motels, from the flea bags to the nice ones, no vacancy. WTF?!?! So we tried another exit 50 miles down the road; same story. Are you kidding me? Really, WTF?!?!? By this time, it is getting late enough in the night that we are at the proverbial bingo point. The point in which it really isn't worth it to even stop. (I mean who wants to pay for a full night in a motel room and really only get 2-3 hours use out of it?) I guess maybe someone interested in a room for other activities. So, we stop at a rest stop just inside the Alabama state line. To say that it was busy would be an understatement. There were cars everywhere! They were parking every place they could park and some places they were not allowed to. We slept in the car. Not advisable. I ended up just getting pissed off and just leaving around 3 am and just hitting the road.
The natives began getting restless around Birmingham and so we stopped at the IHOP there. It was here we had our first experience with the aroma that I had never really associated with the south. It was a sour, rotten, rancid smell. If one has ever been to Terre Haute; it smells similar. Not pleasant. Nonetheless, we resume the pilgrimage and guess what returns...more rain! It rained basically for the next 6 hours until we got to Mexico Beach. Once we arrived, we needed to wait for our condo to be cleaned and so we decided to patronize a local Mexican restaurant. I love that waiter! When taking our orders, he asked for my drink order. I replied, "I need a big margarita!" What I got was a margarita in a glass the size of a fish bowl. It looked like they had just scooped out the fish and poured it full of that sweet, sweet agave juice!
For the next week, the story is the same for each day: Wake up, put on swim trunks, prepare a cooler full of booze, walk my happy ass the 100 yards to the beach, sit and pickle myself, go to sleep. We actually did have such great fun with our friends. We are so lucky to call these people friends. It made for such a great week, but a short one. We had such fun watching the kids boogey board, skim board, dig in the sand, make sand penises, lurk the beach walkers, fish. My youngest actually got to help catch several fish and I got to see something I never thought I would. Several jellyfish washed up on the shore while we were sitting there. They were iradescent blue/purple, about 6 inches long with tentacles about 20 inches long. They had a sail on top of them. After doing some searching, I found that these were Portugese Man o' War! One of the kids in our group got stung, but it was relatively minor. I never thought I would see one of those. So that was cool.
If you're still reading, as expected, the week had to end and we traveled north once more. 14 and a half hours and 5 states later we reach Indiana. Through that drive, we sat on I-65 at a standstill over a 30 mile stretch of highway for an hour and half. Apparently, some genius in Alabama thought that Spring Break weekend/Easter was the best time to resurface one lane of a bridge. I also had the opportunity to stop off in Nashville and pick up some of Popcorn Sutton's White Whiskey. (He's a famous bootlegger made famous recently on a show called Moonshiners.) Also, over the course of this drive we saw one...ONE police officer. On our trip from Odon to Fort Wayne...we saw 8! WTF is up with that?
So, we are home. If felt odd to wake up and actually put on clothes for work instead of a swimsuit. But, it's good to be home. If you never leave, you never get the chance to realize how much you miss it. Thanks for the read if you made it this far.
Monday, March 26, 2012
An Obituary for a Country
In 1887 Alexander Tyler, a Scottish history professor at the University
of Edinburgh, had this to say about the fall of the Athenian Republic some 2,000 years prior: "A democracy is always temporary in nature; it simply cannot exist as a permanent form of government.
A democracy will continue to exist up until the time that voters discover
that they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public treasury.
From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates who
promise the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that every
democracy will finally collapse over loose fiscal policy, (which is) always followed by a dictatorship."
"The average age of the world's greatest civilizations from the beginning
of history, has been about 200 years. During those 200 years, these nations
always progressed through the following sequence:
From bondage to spiritual faith;
From spiritual faith to great courage;
From courage to liberty;
From liberty to abundance;
From abundance to complacency;
From complacency to apathy;
From apathy to dependence;
From dependence back into bondage."
The Obituary follows:
Born 1776, Died 2012
It doesn't hurt to read this several times.
Professor Joseph Olson of Hamline University School of Law in St. Paul ,
Minnesota, points out some interesting facts concerning the last Presidential
election:
Number of States won by: Obama: 19 McCain: 29
Square miles of land won by: Obama: 580,000 McCain: 2,427,000
Population of counties won by: Obama: 127 million McCain: 143 million
Murder rate per 100,000 residents in counties won by: Obama: 13.2 McCain:
2.1
Professor Olson adds: "In aggregate, the map of the territory McCain won
was mostly the land owned by the taxpaying citizens of the country.
Obama territory mostly encompassed those citizens living in low income
tenements and living off various forms of government welfare..."
Olson believes the United States is now somewhere between the
"complacency and apathy" phase of Professor Tyler's definition of
democracy, with some forty percent of the nation's population already having reached
the "governmental dependency" phase.
If Congress grants amnesty and citizenship to twenty million criminal
invaders called illegal's - and they vote - then we can say goodbye to the
USA in fewer than five years.
of Edinburgh, had this to say about the fall of the Athenian Republic some 2,000 years prior: "A democracy is always temporary in nature; it simply cannot exist as a permanent form of government.
A democracy will continue to exist up until the time that voters discover
that they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public treasury.
From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates who
promise the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that every
democracy will finally collapse over loose fiscal policy, (which is) always followed by a dictatorship."
"The average age of the world's greatest civilizations from the beginning
of history, has been about 200 years. During those 200 years, these nations
always progressed through the following sequence:
From bondage to spiritual faith;
From spiritual faith to great courage;
From courage to liberty;
From liberty to abundance;
From abundance to complacency;
From complacency to apathy;
From apathy to dependence;
From dependence back into bondage."
The Obituary follows:
Born 1776, Died 2012
It doesn't hurt to read this several times.
Professor Joseph Olson of Hamline University School of Law in St. Paul ,
Minnesota, points out some interesting facts concerning the last Presidential
election:
Number of States won by: Obama: 19 McCain: 29
Square miles of land won by: Obama: 580,000 McCain: 2,427,000
Population of counties won by: Obama: 127 million McCain: 143 million
Murder rate per 100,000 residents in counties won by: Obama: 13.2 McCain:
2.1
Professor Olson adds: "In aggregate, the map of the territory McCain won
was mostly the land owned by the taxpaying citizens of the country.
Obama territory mostly encompassed those citizens living in low income
tenements and living off various forms of government welfare..."
Olson believes the United States is now somewhere between the
"complacency and apathy" phase of Professor Tyler's definition of
democracy, with some forty percent of the nation's population already having reached
the "governmental dependency" phase.
If Congress grants amnesty and citizenship to twenty million criminal
invaders called illegal's - and they vote - then we can say goodbye to the
USA in fewer than five years.
Sunday, February 26, 2012
The Stars and Stripes
My wife and I went to a concert last night to see Brantley Gilbert and Eric Church. We had a great time and it was a great show. I'm actually listening to the album right now, as I did come home and download it from iTunes. It was great to spend the time with my wife on a date and quite honestly, I don't remember the last concert we had been to. (It was Motley Crue and Aerosmith, btw.) Had an interesting moment last night though that was the inspiration for this muse.
As we were walking in amongst all the cowboy hats and boots, belt buckles the size of hubcaps, sleeveless shirts, jeans with skoal rings in the back pockets, and huge-ass diesel trucks; I was initially rather judgmental and condescending toward most of these people and was laughing at most of them to myself. The shows in the stands were just as entertaining as the concert itself sometimes. I saw body parts on people that should've had to pay a cover in order to see. I'm not saying I would've paid a cover to see some of these, but I digress. The concert started and we were enjoying ourselves with each song that played. As Church was transitioning to a new song; two things happened simultaneously. The backdrop changed to a version of the American flag and the crowd went absolutely nuts.
One could say that the crowd knew which song was coming and this could explain the rise in spirit. The fact remains that Church had yet to play a note. One may try to attribute the excitement to the appearance of the flag. It was cool. It was basically a regular American flag with some evidence of wear and tear and scuffs one may see on a Mail Pouch Tobacco sign painted on the side of a barn. (That's what it looked like the artist designing it was going for.) That said, it wasn't overly done or amazing, so I didn't feel like that was the reason for the excitement either. I felt in my soul that the reason for the excitement was the patriotism and the love of these people for their country. I don't think that sentence is eloquent enough to express what I think or what these people feel. I don't think the depth of dedication and devotion to God, Family, and Country that these people embody can be described in just a few poorly chosen words.
When I was a little boy, I was taught to honor the flag. Take off your hats, cover your heart and be still and silent when the flag is raised or the anthem is played. I was taught to fold the flag. I was told that the red and white of the flag represented the blood and bones of the men and women who came before us to establish this great country. They represented the blood spilled and bones broken to build this nation. The stars were 50 to stand for the states, but also placed on a blue background to symbolize the blue sky over this nation and to represent the freedom that is the US of A. I see so often today people talking during the National Anthem or refusing to recite the Pledge of Allegiance. Forgive me, but I would love nothing more than to rip their hats off and knock them on their ass. Regrettably, one cannot beat something like honor, patriotism, devotion to God, Family and Country into another person. It is harder than that. It is a process of ingraining and training of that person that takes years, not minutes. The flag is not a symbol of oppression. It is not a symbol of hate or ridicule. It is not flown to show other countries they are less important than us or somehow worth less. It is flown as a banner of pride of this country. It's a banner of our "tribe" of Americans who threw off the oppression of king and fought tooth and nail to be free.
The people I saw last night seemed to "get" that. Most of the people there last night would be labeled rednecks, hillbillies, cowboys, farmers. They often times have farmer tans and more tattoos than teeth. Yes, they usually aren't the most eloquent, but there is no question of their willingness to work hard and dig deep for what they want. But these men and women love their country and are devoted to God, Family, and Country. When they saw that flag come up last night, they were getting "jacked up" out of pride. They are consummate patriots.
Which brought me to ponder: How dare someone, least of all our President, denigrate them and ridicule them for holding and believing the way they do. The rhetoric that our President and his party spew in order to make those who believe conservatively look or appear as inferior or less intelligent is insulting and shows how little he really does know about this nation. Conservatives happen to believe that you don't spend money you don't have. You take care of your own. You respect your neighbor and do not covet what he/she has. You don't steal what your neighbor has and drape the act in a banner of "social justice" or "distribution of wealth". You believe that hard work is what it takes to earn a paycheck. You don't ask for a handout or what you can get for free or what you haven't earned. You keep what you earn and you earn what you keep. You believe that people shouldn't fear their government, but the government should fear the people.
Our nation needs to take a good look at what we've become.
As we were walking in amongst all the cowboy hats and boots, belt buckles the size of hubcaps, sleeveless shirts, jeans with skoal rings in the back pockets, and huge-ass diesel trucks; I was initially rather judgmental and condescending toward most of these people and was laughing at most of them to myself. The shows in the stands were just as entertaining as the concert itself sometimes. I saw body parts on people that should've had to pay a cover in order to see. I'm not saying I would've paid a cover to see some of these, but I digress. The concert started and we were enjoying ourselves with each song that played. As Church was transitioning to a new song; two things happened simultaneously. The backdrop changed to a version of the American flag and the crowd went absolutely nuts.
One could say that the crowd knew which song was coming and this could explain the rise in spirit. The fact remains that Church had yet to play a note. One may try to attribute the excitement to the appearance of the flag. It was cool. It was basically a regular American flag with some evidence of wear and tear and scuffs one may see on a Mail Pouch Tobacco sign painted on the side of a barn. (That's what it looked like the artist designing it was going for.) That said, it wasn't overly done or amazing, so I didn't feel like that was the reason for the excitement either. I felt in my soul that the reason for the excitement was the patriotism and the love of these people for their country. I don't think that sentence is eloquent enough to express what I think or what these people feel. I don't think the depth of dedication and devotion to God, Family, and Country that these people embody can be described in just a few poorly chosen words.
When I was a little boy, I was taught to honor the flag. Take off your hats, cover your heart and be still and silent when the flag is raised or the anthem is played. I was taught to fold the flag. I was told that the red and white of the flag represented the blood and bones of the men and women who came before us to establish this great country. They represented the blood spilled and bones broken to build this nation. The stars were 50 to stand for the states, but also placed on a blue background to symbolize the blue sky over this nation and to represent the freedom that is the US of A. I see so often today people talking during the National Anthem or refusing to recite the Pledge of Allegiance. Forgive me, but I would love nothing more than to rip their hats off and knock them on their ass. Regrettably, one cannot beat something like honor, patriotism, devotion to God, Family and Country into another person. It is harder than that. It is a process of ingraining and training of that person that takes years, not minutes. The flag is not a symbol of oppression. It is not a symbol of hate or ridicule. It is not flown to show other countries they are less important than us or somehow worth less. It is flown as a banner of pride of this country. It's a banner of our "tribe" of Americans who threw off the oppression of king and fought tooth and nail to be free.
The people I saw last night seemed to "get" that. Most of the people there last night would be labeled rednecks, hillbillies, cowboys, farmers. They often times have farmer tans and more tattoos than teeth. Yes, they usually aren't the most eloquent, but there is no question of their willingness to work hard and dig deep for what they want. But these men and women love their country and are devoted to God, Family, and Country. When they saw that flag come up last night, they were getting "jacked up" out of pride. They are consummate patriots.
Which brought me to ponder: How dare someone, least of all our President, denigrate them and ridicule them for holding and believing the way they do. The rhetoric that our President and his party spew in order to make those who believe conservatively look or appear as inferior or less intelligent is insulting and shows how little he really does know about this nation. Conservatives happen to believe that you don't spend money you don't have. You take care of your own. You respect your neighbor and do not covet what he/she has. You don't steal what your neighbor has and drape the act in a banner of "social justice" or "distribution of wealth". You believe that hard work is what it takes to earn a paycheck. You don't ask for a handout or what you can get for free or what you haven't earned. You keep what you earn and you earn what you keep. You believe that people shouldn't fear their government, but the government should fear the people.
Our nation needs to take a good look at what we've become.
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
What the Hell is this fair shot bs?!?
I watched the POTUS deliver the SOTU address last night. I am increasingly frustrated and angered at this man currently holding what some believe to be the most powerful position in the free world. This man ran on a platform of hope and change. He assured us that his administration was going to restore hope in this once great nation and bring about the necessary change for this country. He promised that his administration would be transparent and that the proceedings in Washington would be held on CSPAN. The government was going to for the people once again. This man has not delivered on any of his promises except for the the promise of change. He has wrought change on nation, but it has not been for the good and has actually been detrimental to this once great nation. He has changed us into a nation of limp wrist, limp noodle, apologetic, victims who prefer protesting over actually stepping up to the task and breaking a sweat, people who want things to be given to them so they don't have to feel inadequate by not striving to make something for themselves, a people who want their participation ribbons and to do away with any distinctions that make people stand out from the crowd. We have become a nation dependent on the government to do all for us and to make our decisions for us. He talks about his administration rebuilding the economy to one that is "built to last". Really, built to last? Are we a Chrysler Town and Country? Built to last? Why not one that will dominate? What about command respect? Oh, I forgot. It's hard to do that when we have mortgaged ourselves to the hilt to China.
This man talks about everyone getting their fair shot and everyone paying their fair share. There is a distinction made by this man that seeks to pit the entire country against itself. He continues to label anyone who had the balls to step up and do something for themselves and actually make some money in the manner this country was founded on, as rich, evil, capitalist, elitest, and greedy. While this may sometimes be the case; some of these people are the very entrepreneurs that he contends will bring innovation and new ideas to the table to fix the woes of this country. (Isn't that what you said you'd do, if elected?) The very idea that he is going to create an environment in this country to make it more conducive to innovators to...well, innovate is ridiculous because as soon as they become successful, he is going to punish them by taxing the hell out of them. Who in their right mind is going to want to "make the next big innovation" if they will just be punished for making money on it later? As is true with any politician, he is speaking out of both sides of his mouth.
As long as we're talking about fair shares, how about making the rest of the population that benefit from the government subsidies and programs pay at least a little instead of NOTHING?!? Almost 46% of the population in this country are consumers and not producers. Therefore, those of us who do pay, are paying our fair share and then some. When we continue to allow these people to be coddled by the government and not expect them to put forth something, there is no wonder we continue to have skyrocketing debt.
The term fair shot continually is brought up. Some things to consider here. Anyone can step up and make for themselves their opportunity. That is as fair as it gets. The rest of life is not fair! Some days you got the world by the balls, others you get kicked in the balls. That is life and let's face it, Life is not fair! Whining about fairness sounds like a couple second graders playing on a playground and not getting their way. We each get our fair shot by the way we decide to respond to the world. As Ghandi said, "be the change you want to make in the world." We don't have any say in what the world and life throw at us, but we have the freedom and fairness to respond to those things any way we decide. It is our decision. If you want something, go get it. Put in the work, sweat, and effort and reap the reward. That is our fair shake! Don't go get your tent and camp out in our parks and occupy things until you get your way.
Continually comparing yourself to the previous administration to show how you're different is getting old. Continually reminding the world what you "inherited" is outdated. Again, why would I expect any different. The country sees you whining about how you inherited something bad and how it wasn't fair and they will do the same thing. Yes, we get it, you inherited a bag of crap, but how much crap have you added to that bag. FYI: You've added more than all other presidents before you...combined. You have allowed this country to be sold off to China and we now are indebted to a communist nation. Our forefathers are rolling in their graves.
Your continued labeling of the Republican party as complainers or people who are in some way unenlightened compared to you is demeaning and insulting. You repeatedly say you will work with anyone, yet you call Republicans complainers and refuse to negotiate on anything. Do you really understand the word negotiation. You must, because now it appears you want to negotiate with the Taliban and known terrorists. Repeatedly questioning the intelligence of another who simply disagrees with you is also insulting. Simply because one chooses to believe conservatively and place their trust in the document this country was founded on, does not make them unintelligent. It just means they have a differing view point.
Sir, you have not delivered on any of your promises and have proven that you are no more than a terrific orator and lecturer. This country doesn't need more speeches and quite frankly I am tired of being lectured as if I am an idiot or a student who needs to be enlightened. You, sir, are condescending, smug, and pompous. I will respect the office of the POTUS, but as a man, a person, you will not have my respect. You are not worthy of it and are undeserving. You have proven that you side and support freeloaders, malcontents, and miscreants. You have proven that you do not reward hard work, but punish it by higher taxation. Rather than cut spending or growth, you choose to hike taxes on those that already pay "their fair share". You call it distribution of wealth. You say that those who are a little better off are going to have to pay a little more. You demonize those who have profited from hard work and decided to invest their profits back into the economy by saying they are skirting their duty of paying taxes and are absconding with paying at a lower rate. You fail to explain to those who don't understand capital gains that these people already paid taxes on their profits at the expected rate and then pay another 15% on top of that. But that wouldn't be popular with your base, now would it?
This man talks about everyone getting their fair shot and everyone paying their fair share. There is a distinction made by this man that seeks to pit the entire country against itself. He continues to label anyone who had the balls to step up and do something for themselves and actually make some money in the manner this country was founded on, as rich, evil, capitalist, elitest, and greedy. While this may sometimes be the case; some of these people are the very entrepreneurs that he contends will bring innovation and new ideas to the table to fix the woes of this country. (Isn't that what you said you'd do, if elected?) The very idea that he is going to create an environment in this country to make it more conducive to innovators to...well, innovate is ridiculous because as soon as they become successful, he is going to punish them by taxing the hell out of them. Who in their right mind is going to want to "make the next big innovation" if they will just be punished for making money on it later? As is true with any politician, he is speaking out of both sides of his mouth.
As long as we're talking about fair shares, how about making the rest of the population that benefit from the government subsidies and programs pay at least a little instead of NOTHING?!? Almost 46% of the population in this country are consumers and not producers. Therefore, those of us who do pay, are paying our fair share and then some. When we continue to allow these people to be coddled by the government and not expect them to put forth something, there is no wonder we continue to have skyrocketing debt.
The term fair shot continually is brought up. Some things to consider here. Anyone can step up and make for themselves their opportunity. That is as fair as it gets. The rest of life is not fair! Some days you got the world by the balls, others you get kicked in the balls. That is life and let's face it, Life is not fair! Whining about fairness sounds like a couple second graders playing on a playground and not getting their way. We each get our fair shot by the way we decide to respond to the world. As Ghandi said, "be the change you want to make in the world." We don't have any say in what the world and life throw at us, but we have the freedom and fairness to respond to those things any way we decide. It is our decision. If you want something, go get it. Put in the work, sweat, and effort and reap the reward. That is our fair shake! Don't go get your tent and camp out in our parks and occupy things until you get your way.
Continually comparing yourself to the previous administration to show how you're different is getting old. Continually reminding the world what you "inherited" is outdated. Again, why would I expect any different. The country sees you whining about how you inherited something bad and how it wasn't fair and they will do the same thing. Yes, we get it, you inherited a bag of crap, but how much crap have you added to that bag. FYI: You've added more than all other presidents before you...combined. You have allowed this country to be sold off to China and we now are indebted to a communist nation. Our forefathers are rolling in their graves.
Your continued labeling of the Republican party as complainers or people who are in some way unenlightened compared to you is demeaning and insulting. You repeatedly say you will work with anyone, yet you call Republicans complainers and refuse to negotiate on anything. Do you really understand the word negotiation. You must, because now it appears you want to negotiate with the Taliban and known terrorists. Repeatedly questioning the intelligence of another who simply disagrees with you is also insulting. Simply because one chooses to believe conservatively and place their trust in the document this country was founded on, does not make them unintelligent. It just means they have a differing view point.
Sir, you have not delivered on any of your promises and have proven that you are no more than a terrific orator and lecturer. This country doesn't need more speeches and quite frankly I am tired of being lectured as if I am an idiot or a student who needs to be enlightened. You, sir, are condescending, smug, and pompous. I will respect the office of the POTUS, but as a man, a person, you will not have my respect. You are not worthy of it and are undeserving. You have proven that you side and support freeloaders, malcontents, and miscreants. You have proven that you do not reward hard work, but punish it by higher taxation. Rather than cut spending or growth, you choose to hike taxes on those that already pay "their fair share". You call it distribution of wealth. You say that those who are a little better off are going to have to pay a little more. You demonize those who have profited from hard work and decided to invest their profits back into the economy by saying they are skirting their duty of paying taxes and are absconding with paying at a lower rate. You fail to explain to those who don't understand capital gains that these people already paid taxes on their profits at the expected rate and then pay another 15% on top of that. But that wouldn't be popular with your base, now would it?
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