You'd Think Parents Would Care

Too many parents don't take enough interest in what's happening in the schools that their children attend. It's been on the news for years that children don't get the decent education that they need to become responsible, intelligent adults. We can't blame it all on gangs and drugs. It's a basic disinterest that plaques the nation.

There is no reason in hell, that the people who are responsible for teaching our children should have to spend money out of their own pockets for basic school supplies. Teachers, for the most part, are dedicated professionals. They have to put up with gangs, drugs, disrespectful students, physical violence, and numerous other issues on a day to day basis. The least we could do is supply them with the tools they need to do their job.

How many other professionals with higher level degrees would put up with this type of crap? Heck, how many lower workers would put up with this? Is your secretary going to run down to the office supply store, on her own time, and pick up the toner she needs to do her job? Probably not, at least not without stopping at the employment office too. Why do we require it of teachers then?

They are understaffed, overworked, underpaid and yet they return year after year to teach YOUR child. They spend the summer going to school to either further their qualifications or learn different teaching techniques, to better not only themselves but YOUR child as well. This is a dedication that few other people, professional or otherwise, exhibit.

It's past time for parents to stand up and make a difference in their child's future. Petition your governments on the local, state and federal levels to improve the quality of our schools. Make sure that teachers are paid a living wage. Last but not least, guarantee that the schools have the financing to supply the needs of YOUR child's education.

I Thought I'd Heard Of Everything

This has got to be the dumbest thing I've ever heard of. Why would anyone possibly need a cell phone for their mutt? It's bad enough that we pamper pets and treat them as our babies. Now we're expected to treat them as teenagers as well.

Oh, let me guess. I can call the pooch, from two blocks away, to come home. The trouble with that is the damn mutt heads in the direction of my voice. Where's he going to go? The other problem is that the friggin' critter isn't supposed to be running the streets, by himself, in the first place. He's supposed to be on a leash, under the control of a human being.

I suppose, if I read the news release right, that the dog could go get help if I need it. He'd still have the problem of getting out of the house or yard though. So how is he going to do that? Besides, most dogs don't leave their owners when something happens.

As for cats, well come on, be serious, have you ever known a cat that liked YOU?

I Thought Our Health Care Was Bad

It seems that in Israel it's common practice to withhold proper medical treatment. At least I can say that, in this country, the docs usually make an attempt at some kind of care. Even the ones that graduated in the bottom 50% of the class. It's bad enough that people can't afford proper health care. If we were to adopt these practices, we'd not only be getting charged for it at exorbitant prices, but also not getting what we pay for. Can anyone say medical fraud. This has got to be the dumbest way to treat patients that I've heard of. Thank god I live in the good ol' USA where I just can't afford to see the doctor.

And Whose Fault Is This?

President Bush is complaining about the poppy production in Afghanistan. Whose fault is it that the production has increased? Before we attacked, and then basically withdrew from, Afghanistan, poppy production was at a very low level. It was outlawed by the Taliban and severely dealt with. After we attacked Afghanistan, removing the Taliban from power, production increased to record levels. This is our doing.

Instead of staying in the area and putting a proper government in power, we chose to cut out and attack Iraq. You can't remove the powers of a country and expect illicit activities to decrease. That seems to be the thinking of this administration. We have not supplied the people of Afghanistan with the tools and support they need to keep a viable government in power. Already they have no say outside the capital city. It also looks like we'll be doing the same thing in Iraq. The last time we tried these techniques, Vietnam fell as soon as we left.

I'm not saying that removing Bush from office is the answer to the mess that this administration has got us into. It's a good place to start though.

Is This The Country I Fought For?

I've been getting more and more upset at the political right in this country. It seems as if they have no greater desire than to restrict the rights of the citizenry. Lately they've been getting even more blatant in their actions against free speech in their desire to dominate.

I was upset when Whoopi got fired by Slim-Fast. Not because it was Whoopi that got fired. Hell I could care less about that, or her for that matter. No, it was because an American citizen got fired for speaking her mind at a political rally. Because it went against the feelings of the corporation, she lost her job. I was upset about this enough that I wrote to the company. They sent me back a lame letter saying that they had received complaints about what she said, so they fired her. Wouldn't it of been more American to say that she has the right to speak her mind in this country, instead of firing her?

That was just the start. In Frederick, Maryland, Glen Hiller was fired for speaking out, at a political rally, against the current president. Apparently we are not allowed to voice our opinion in this country. The reasons given were basically the same as for the Whoopi incident. He embarrassed our company so we fired him. Am I living in the United States of America or the Soviet Union. It's getting harder to tell the difference. I wrote to Mr. Hillers employer, but got no response at all.

No, that's not the end of it folks. Nicole and Jeff Rank were arrested for wearing anti-Bush t-shirts to a Bush rally in Charleston, West Virginia. Are these the type of actions that we want our government to take when we practice our constitutional rights? I think not.

Last but not least. Lynne Gobbell was fired from her job because she had a Kerry-Edwards bumper sticker on her car. She was told by her manager that she could either work for the company or work for Kerry. She was hired by the Kerry campaign, but that doesn't alleviate the injustice that she was dealt.

This is America people. We are supposed to be able to speak our minds about the candidates that are running for office. I won't go as far as to say that the president is encouraging these acts of voter discrimination. He sure as hell hasn't tried to put a stop to it though. This is a step back to the '60s when blacks were 'discouraged' from voting. It may not be as violent or to the same extent, but the results are the same. A discouraged populace. These actions have to be stopped, they are un-American in act and deed.

To answer my own question. No, this is not the America that I or many others fought for. At least we didn't think so at the time. I, for one, am saddened at the loss of personal liberties in this country and by this administration.

My Bust...Sorry

While updating the site I screwed up. The previous comments were deleted. This was not done intentionally.
You'll notice that the comments page now carries an ad. This is not an ad placed by me, but is placed by Haloscan for the use of their talkback and comment code. If that offends you, well, get over it.
As to anonymous, who claims to of figured out what DILLIGAF ? means, I guess now you know why it ends with a question mark.

Later.

It Makes Great Ad Copy, But...

Cars galore in Oprah giveaway
I don't blame Pontiac for spending the money. For them it was a great advertisement. I'm also pretty sure that a few of the audience members could do with a free car. The states and federal governments will also get their funds replenished, a little, by the increased tax revenue. The problem here is that, once again, a multi-millionaire makes the headlines by giving away something to those who don't need it.

I'm confident that Oprah has given quite a few dollars to the needy over the years. She has helped more people than I could ever think of reaching with my pitiful finances. But really, couldn't this 7 million dollars of been spent on something more pressing than the need to crowd our interstate highway system with more cars? Aren't there more important causes than raising the ratings for yet another season?

Even if she wanted to keep it in America. She could of donated the money to 276 soup kitchens or homeless shelters, instead of the audience members. If she wanted to make them happy, maybe she could of made the donations in the names of the members of her, often overfed, audience.

Better yet, she could of donated the money to 276 different third world communities. I can think of several that have just been blasted with back to back hurricanes. Crops in Africa are suffering because of a locust infestation. Hmmm, maybe those people could use a quick pick-me-up. The slave trade is running rampant in Eastern Europe. She could possibly help some of those girls out of the hell that they call a life.

No, we'll just do something that gets the headlines and will be talked about for years. An action that does nothing to help the suffering in the world, but does increase the size of an already overstuffed ego. Oprah, welcome to the land of billionaire Bill Gates. A place where your money means nothing to those who really care.

Give me some PEACE and I'll go away.....I promise

So What's the Point??

Marine Convicted in Abuse Gets Clemency
Is this any way to win a war? Convicted of torturing a prisoner of war by giving the prisoner electrical shocks. Sentenced to a year in prison and a BCD. Granted clemency by his commanding general. What kind of crap is this?

The Bush administration has been fighting our troops being judged in the World Court. Mainly, they say, to prevent our troops from bogus charges of crimes against humanity. In other words to protect them, and our leaders, from the heinous crimes that happen during war. Our defense has been that we will deal with any war crimes committed by our troops. Therefore, we don't have to sign the treaty.

The World Court is not set up for the trials of people that are from a country that will prosecute their troops. It's for the countries that either won't or can't.

Judging from this report. It seems that we should be subject to the World Court. When we spend billions of dollars removing a leader from a sovereign nation, and then abuse the prisoners, we are committing a crime. We further increase the damage when we investigate the offense, convict the guilty, and then release them with a clemency order.

This marines defense was that he was following orders. Excuse me, but that doesn't cut the mustard on this one. The Uniform Code of Military Justice does not allow for the lame excuse of following an unlawful order. The correct procedure is to refuse to carry out the order. Then if brought up on charges for refusing to obey an order, explain your actions in court. No service member in this country is required by military law to torture prisoners. That is why he was convicted.

For the commanding general to offer clemency to this marine is a slap in the face to the Iraqi people, the United States of America, and most of all the United States Marine Corps. The marine who carried out the torture got off light to start with. He committed a heinous crime that should be properly punished.

Supposable we are trying to win the hearts and minds of the Arab people of the world. This is not the way to do that. Quite the opposite in fact. Why would they even start to trust us? The administration got us into a mess with this war. Unless crimes against the Iraqi populace are punished it's only going to get worse. The administration should vacate the clemency order and hang the general out to dry. Then again, maybe the USMC is going by their other motto "grab them by the balls and their hearts and minds will follow".

PEACE--practice it daily

And You Thought Your Life Sucked

I know, I thought mine did. Reading this article I was reminded of why people come to this country. The reasons why they've been coming for 200+ years. All they want is a better life or an education. Heck, maybe even both.

We constantly try to close our borders to people from other lands. Who does this benefit? There is an argument to be made, that it protects those who are already here. I find less truth in that argument today, than what I used to. Outsourcing has reached a new high, yet we still try to keep others out. Our jobs and quality of life are no longer protected by closing the borders.

It is the living and working conditions of the worlds poor that lead to acts of terrorism. The have nots will always try to take away from those that have. Think about it. What are the real reasons behind social security, unemployment compensation, and welfare? If you really think that it's to take care of the needy, you're blind. The reasons are simple. If the government gives me barely enough to exist on, I am less likely to revolt against that government. The haves don't want the have nots to take away their riches. They'd rather pay out a little now (or better yet put it on the back of the middle class) than pay a lot later.

We do the same things with other countries. Feed them enough so that they become dependent on us, and then let them know how grateful they should be. People throughout the world are starting to see the truth behind what we do. They are starting to revolt, and terrorism is a part of that.

People shouldn't have to start their working lives at 4 years of age to help feed their family. Companies like Microsoft brag when they give away a couple million dollars. Microsoft's war chest is billions of dollars. Where's the charity in handing out peanuts? It makes great advertising copy, but doesn't really help the world. On the flip side of that coin. If they have so much money, why won't they lower the price of their products? The only answer I can come up with is corporate greed. When you make more money than you can possibly spend, money becomes nothing more than a way to keep score. I say hand out the bucks to those who need it and keep score by the number of people you help. That's a more humane way of dealing with the underlying issues of war, poverty and terrorism.

I'd like a little PEACE today

A Pre-emptive Hell

AP News - from Tampa Bay Online
Russia has just joined the list of nations that claim the 'right' to engage in pre-emptive warfare. This was recently started by the United States with the attacking of Iraq. I say 'recently' because Japan and Germany used the technique during World War 2. The people that were attacked, namely the United States, Europe and Russia fought back and kicked some serious butt. Is this the way that the world will eventually respond to us?

I in no way support terrorist activities, no matter where they take place. I take no pleasure in hearing of innocent death for someones distorted cause. In my blessed opinion, pre-emptive warfare is nothing more than state-sponsored terrorism. We are taking innocent lives for our cause. Just like no person has the 'right' to kill another. No nation has the 'right' to offensively attack another sovereign nation. That is why the world came up with the United Nations and before that the League of Nations. The League of Nations fell by the wayside with World War 2. It looks like the United Nations is going the same way.

These organizations don't fall apart of their own doing. They crumble because of countries going outside of them to solve their problems. When sovereign nations fail to follow the rules, of a society that they set up, chaos follows. Suppression of weak nations by the strong. Financial enslavement of poor countries by the rich. We've seen it all before.

If American society was to follow the lead of our nations leaders, there would be bloodshed in the streets. I could pre-emptively attack my neighbor because he's mad at me and I fear him running me over with his SUV. So, I blow him away with my 12 gauge. All the while claiming my 'right' to protect myself by killing him first.

Murder is murder. Whether it's done on a one to one level, by an act of terrorism, or by using this new found 'right' of pre-emptive warfare. The worlds going to hell in a handbasket, and no one seems to care.

There's no blame to be put on the soldiers, sailors, airmen or marines. They will protect us when the nation is under threat. That is a given that is greatly appreciated by this former sailor. Just as I protected this country in the past. They are protecting my right to write this. The fault is with the leaders of the country, who find personal strength in the misuse of our armed forces. Just because someone is willing to put their life on the line for this country, is no reason to have them do so. A life is a too precious to waste on failed politics. Politicians fail when they send our men and women to war.

There is no easy way out in the so called "War on Terrorism". It will take decades to root out the evil that is behind it. It will take longer to cure the ills of global society that cause it. We could start by treating each other with the respect that we would like them to show us. Does it really matter that someone else prays to a different god. Should I really be offended because another person has a different skin color than myself. This is where it all starts, with the basics of intolerance. For a country that considers itself the mixing pot of the world, we seem repulsed by the thought of a few extra ingredients.

PEACE--ya gotta have it

Yeeeeee Haaaaaaaaaaaaawwwww !!

BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | Cannabis study encouraging for MS
Before anyone accuses me of being a pot head, let me set things straight. No, I don't suffer from MS. I was hit by a car or truck several years ago and had my spine crushed, as well as other injuries. I say a car or truck because I was run over from behind and the bastard never stopped. A lot of the problems that I have today are similar to MS because of the nerve damage. That's the reason for the yee haw about this study.

I would do almost anything, short of going under the knife for a third time, to alleviate some of the pain that I feel on a daily basis. To get rid of, or reduce, the muscle spasms and the feeling of lightning bolts running through my body would be damn near Orgasmic. Yes, you heard me right, Orgasmic with a capital 'O'. Until you've felt what I feel on a daily basis you have no excuse to judge what this research means to me. That's just for what I feel on a daily basis. It doesn't include how rough it gets on a bad day.

It's about time that the medical profession in this country took a long hard look at what the wacky weed can do for people. The government needs to get off peoples asses about it. Cancer patients use it to alleviate pain and reduce the nausea from treatments. I know of several people who have MS that use it. More people would use it if the government would just lighten up a little bit. Why is it that all the good research is done overseas?

For someone who lives in a free country I sure do fell suppressed a lot. Hmmm, I wonder why that might be. We have the best medical care in the world, if you can afford it. Yet a drug that is constantly being shown to have legitimate uses can't be grown in your own house without fear of arrest. That sucks people. That really sucks.


PEACE--Now Damnit

Everything But The Kitchen Sink

Technology News Article | Reuters.com
Technology has changed our lives in so many ways. Most of these have been for the better. We have more fuel efficient cars. Houses that have practically become at home theaters. Numerous other benefits that I'm not going to mention at the moment.

My question is this. Why do we feel the need to be entertained in the friggin' car? Wouldn't it just be simpler, and safer, to wait to watch the movie until we got home? A more fuel efficient, safer car with a decent audio system, and maybe onboard navigation should suffice. Why do we need to watch movies while driving? Already people are being pulled over for watching porn while on the road. It's totally nuts.

I can understand a car warning someone that the tire pressure is dangerously low. An audio system is practically required, to drown out noise in the city, to prevent boredom on long trips. I've ridden many a long mile on a motorcycle though and was quite content to sing to myself. Hmmmm, that's what we used to do on long, cross country family trips as well. It was a family activity, along the lines of being the first to spot out of state license plates etc.

Today we would rather ignore each other though. Everyone with their own Ipod, or better yet there own movie to watch. That way we won't even have to bother looking at each other. Is it really, and I mean really, necessary to have a DVD player in the family sedan/minivan? I don't think so.

There is too much emphasis in this country on everyone doing there own thing, all the time. The family needs to spend time together. Sure, there'll be arguments over which song to sing. They won't be any worse than the argument over who gets to watch which movie when though. Besides the driver won't be distracted by the soundtrack or the screen. Everyone knows that a movie soundtrack draws your eyes to the screen so that you can see what's happening. It's only natural.

Movies and the internet don't belong in a vehicle. They should be saved for the home and the hotel room where no ones life is on the line. People have a hard enough time trying to talk on the phone and drive at the same time. Why on earth should they be even further distracted? It's not just the lives of the people in the car with the movie that are affected. Every other car on the road and every person on the street has the chance of having someone killed or maimed by the distraction in that one vehicle.

I've got a particular point on this because I know what it feels like to be hit by a vehicle. I know how having my spine crushed has changed my life. When driving, your mind should be on the task at hand. You're piloting 3,000+ pounds of lethal weaponry. Save your kids life. Wait for the flick until you get home.

Peace....It isn't just for hippies anymore.

You Have To Do More Than WATCH

CNN.com - Poll: Americans say they're careful eaters - Sep 10, 2004
Two thirds of Americans are overweight or obese according to the government. Yet sixty-nine percent say that they watch what they eat.

HELLO PEOPLE! Watching what you eat won't get the job done. You have to change either the type or amount of food you eat to lose weight. A pound of fat contains approximately 3,500 calories. To maintain your weight you eat the same amount of calories as you expend. It's simple math folks, 1+1=2. Add it up.

Let's say I want to lose a pound of excess weight a week. All I have to do is eat 500 less calories than what I use up doing whatever it is I do everyday. If I want to lose two pounds a week, I double that to 1,000. What in gods name is so hard about that. Gee, I can even eat the same amount of foods, by changing some of the things I eat. That's right chubby, drop the Whopper and have an apple.

If I don't want to change my intake I can burn more calories, by actually getting off my fat ass and exercising. Has anyone, besides fitness freaks and the elderly, ever heard of walking? How about riding a bicycle? Heck, you can even walk the two blocks to the convenience store to get your pack of smokes or six-pack. That's four blocks round trip.

Walking and cycling wouldn't only benefit you. It could improve the quality of the air you and your neighbors breath. Not to mention the fact of less oil and gas being imported from the extremely, especially now, volatile mid-east. The whole planet could benefit from your losing a couple of pounds a week.

I've always thought it ironic that Americans will climb in their cars to go anywhere and everywhere. Drive to work. Drive to school. Drive to the health club. To the health club? You betcha. The health club that you spend hundreds of dollars a year to attend, you drive to. Why not drop a grand on a good bicycle, commute to work, and say to hell with the health club. So we waste good money, pollute the air, and waste a natural resource, just so we can go to a health club to burn off a few calories. We waste more calories in fuel than what we'll burn off at the health club.

It really is simple math folks. We all learned it in the first grade, if not before. There are no magic formulas that we have to learn. No long or short division or multiplication. Just simple addition and subtraction. We don't need to run twenty miles a week or schedule liposuction surgery. All we have to do is get GET OFF OUR COLLECTIVE ASS.

World PEACE Now