A rather conservative friend of mine routinely sends me emails she receives that are generally crap forwarded a thousand times around the World spreading falsehoods. I used to fact check them and return the real facts back to people who are listed before me, but lately I just been hitting the good old delete key. She sent me this one and I couldn't stop laughing. Satire at it's best:
I received this email today. I think it is horrible that this stuff exists. Please forward this to as many people as you can so that the truth about this stuff will be known.
INCREDIBLE!
CAN YOU BELIEVE THE PEOPLE WE TRUST THE MOST TO LEAD US AND TEACH US THE TRUTH ARE ACTUALLY REALLY JUST ACTORS MAKING MONEY BECAUSE SO MANY OF US ARE SO EAGER TO BUY THE HATE THEY DISTRIBUTE?
READ WHAT SOME OF OUR “MORAL COMPASSES” HAVE HAD TO SAY WHEN THEIR MICROPHONES WERE OFF………
“the Democratic Party is a fine party and I have no problems with it…”
Sen. John McCain, April 1, 2004
“My listeners are so stupid. I could tell them Jesus was a Jew and they would hate him if I told them I did."
Sean Hannnity, September 1, 2008
“… conservative radio is the greatest drama ever made. Shakesphere would have had his own conservative radio show if the medium existed then. I’d be a liberal radio show host if the money was there, but it isn’t……conservatives are easier to herd and open their wallets quicker…..”
Rush Linbaugh, July 16, 2004
“most Conservatives aren’t interested in the truth. I love my mother but I’d tell my listeners to hate her if there was a buck in it. I’m not ashamed……That’s American free enterprise!”
Neil Boortz, May 30, 2008
“Americans are so ridiculously naïve. They get their truths from conservative and liberal radio pudits who are all just actors and wouldn’t know reality if it kicked them in the _ss. “
Dick Chenney, November 4, 2008
“Our founding fathers didn’t really have a clue. Like Stalin, I’m just in it for the money and women…..”
Glen Beck, December, 16, 2008
About the New Orleans refugees…..”they are all underprivileged anyway, so this must be working quite well for them….”
George W. Bush, September 5, 2005
We’re all humans aren’t we? Pass this along so that everyone can see that hate breeds hate and we must all learn to get along with each other. Take this to your churches and pray for unity and conservatism. Anything but communistic hatred and loathsome insecurity. My hope is that the time has not come for us to give up hope. We must take a stand for liberty and put down the oppressive liberal motorhead. Our country, this beautiful American soil is being soiled by the likes of Obamma, Biden, Pelosi and Reid. Don’t allow the immorality of the Washington crowd to wash over us. Let us breath pure white American air again so that we may crush our oppossers and put down anyone who refuses to see how right we are and how wrong they and all the other long hair, sex crazed dope smoking anarchist pinko commey fags are!
Buy that piece of prime waterfront real estate between Long island and Manhattan island but don’t pay too much for it! America needs a strong and healthy free enterprise system.
Please send this to 83 of your closest friends before noon or your big toe will fall off.
In the common vernacular of the day you have been punk’d. If you believe anything in this document you are dumber than I thought. This email is a work of satire and is intended to illustrate why you shouldn’t always believe everything you read or hear. Open your minds people and allow yourselves to grow. Only 2 of the quotes were really made (I will let you do the research and find out which 2) and them withstanding I do not attribute anything above to be the words of anyone except me.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Back to the Old West
A recent shooting in my town that left 3 people dead has brought about many issues. For example: it has been suggested that if more people "strapped guns on their sides" that this tragedy could have been averted or at least the perpetrator stopped (as of this writing he is still at large). What disturbs me most about this suggestion is that it came from a police officer. Of all professions I would think a law enforcement officer would want to keep as many guns off the street as possible. He made a pretty convincing argument but the idea still scares the hell out of me.
I have considered getting a gun to protect my family. I live in a very rural county and if someone broke into my house while my wife were home alone she currently has no protection other then our 2 large, vocal dogs. The Sheriff's office is only a phone call away but the nearest Deputy might be quite far away. What would happen if really hard times hit and we have any kind of societal breakdown? What I mean by this is: suppose fuel prices skyrocket again (greedy oil companies and evil Arabs) and the grocery store shelves start getting bare. Electrical service becomes intermittent. Suppose I saw this coming and stored a year's supply of food essentials, fuel and water on my land. Next thing you know, my neighbor wants some. He comes over with his hand gun to appropriate some of my stores and I repel him with my shotgun. So he returns with a couple buddies and an assault rifle or two. OK, where does this end? Someone ends up dead. Do we really want to return to the day when he who carries the biggest gun wins all the gold? I know it is an extreme example but it could come about.
What really frightens me is that I am a pacifist, yet I am considering getting a gun. Next thing you know I will want to carry it around with me. I have had lots of training as a martial artist and tournament fighter; however, every time I began a fight the adrenalin rush was almost too much for me to control. I think that if I were in such a tense situation as having someone shooting a gun around that if I drew a weapon I'd be shaking so much I might shoot anything or anybody. I am having trouble getting past the idea that when eventually most people are walking around armed, that every argument would end up with a gun being involved. I've got an employee that I know loves guns and has a carry permit. What if I have to terminate this person someday? Should I keep a gun in my desk to protect myself? I wonder how to keep guns out of the hands of people that have no business handling them. I knew a guy who was a University Police Officer and was so paranoid he should never have been allowed to own a gun. Neither of these people are criminals but I shudder to think of what might happen if either finds a bottle of SCOPE in his mailbox someday.
I wonder if it would be much of a deterrent for criminals if more people were armed? A sign outside the door that says "I own a gun and I'm not afraid to use it" might be just as detrimental. I suppose it depends upon the type crime. A crime of opportunity is more likely to be second thought then a crime of passion.
I guess that a perfect world only the Police and the criminals would have guns and there would be enough police around to protect us all.
stw
I have considered getting a gun to protect my family. I live in a very rural county and if someone broke into my house while my wife were home alone she currently has no protection other then our 2 large, vocal dogs. The Sheriff's office is only a phone call away but the nearest Deputy might be quite far away. What would happen if really hard times hit and we have any kind of societal breakdown? What I mean by this is: suppose fuel prices skyrocket again (greedy oil companies and evil Arabs) and the grocery store shelves start getting bare. Electrical service becomes intermittent. Suppose I saw this coming and stored a year's supply of food essentials, fuel and water on my land. Next thing you know, my neighbor wants some. He comes over with his hand gun to appropriate some of my stores and I repel him with my shotgun. So he returns with a couple buddies and an assault rifle or two. OK, where does this end? Someone ends up dead. Do we really want to return to the day when he who carries the biggest gun wins all the gold? I know it is an extreme example but it could come about.
What really frightens me is that I am a pacifist, yet I am considering getting a gun. Next thing you know I will want to carry it around with me. I have had lots of training as a martial artist and tournament fighter; however, every time I began a fight the adrenalin rush was almost too much for me to control. I think that if I were in such a tense situation as having someone shooting a gun around that if I drew a weapon I'd be shaking so much I might shoot anything or anybody. I am having trouble getting past the idea that when eventually most people are walking around armed, that every argument would end up with a gun being involved. I've got an employee that I know loves guns and has a carry permit. What if I have to terminate this person someday? Should I keep a gun in my desk to protect myself? I wonder how to keep guns out of the hands of people that have no business handling them. I knew a guy who was a University Police Officer and was so paranoid he should never have been allowed to own a gun. Neither of these people are criminals but I shudder to think of what might happen if either finds a bottle of SCOPE in his mailbox someday.
I wonder if it would be much of a deterrent for criminals if more people were armed? A sign outside the door that says "I own a gun and I'm not afraid to use it" might be just as detrimental. I suppose it depends upon the type crime. A crime of opportunity is more likely to be second thought then a crime of passion.
I guess that a perfect world only the Police and the criminals would have guns and there would be enough police around to protect us all.
stw
Monday, April 27, 2009
Thoughts on the Second Amendment
I admit right off that I am not much of a gun person. Not that I have anything against them or people who feel very strongly about them but my feeling is this: guns are made to kill or injure creatures; the Zen part of me doesn't want to kill or cause pain to anyone or anything (however, mosquitoes, ticks, black widows, fire ants, and pesky flies are exceptions). I do realize that if someone broke into my house and threatened my family I'd shoot them. I don't think I would try to kill them but the blast from a 12 gauge might stop an intruder and not kill them.
So #2 in the Bill of Rights says that our right to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed. There are tons of things written about what exactly this means. The Supreme Court has been kept busy across the years interpreting this one. I think James Madison probably didn't seem so vague in his day (in the middle of a revolution and all) but it makes sense that it be written vaguely for the future. I doubt Madison could envision some of the weapons available today. So he left us with a line that we would have to interpret over and over again as the times dictated. I see the Constitution in the same way I see the Holy Bible: No matter how it is interpreted the main points are pretty hard to miss. Madison definitely wanted us to have the right to own guns.
Clearly........you can't stop Americans from owning guns. What about crazy Americans? The first part of right #2 says that a "well regulated militia" is necessary. This is justification for our ability to have guns. The "well regulated" part implies that some limits must be in place. This is why it is certainly not unconstitutional to take guns away from minors, crazy people and people who have demonstrated an inability to regulate themselves (by obeying the law).
If you want to own a shotgun or handgun for your own protection. It is your right. But owning a basement full of AK-47s or parking a tank in your front yard does not make you part of any regulated militia. Why would any law abiding citizen need to have these types of weapons?
So #2 in the Bill of Rights says that our right to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed. There are tons of things written about what exactly this means. The Supreme Court has been kept busy across the years interpreting this one. I think James Madison probably didn't seem so vague in his day (in the middle of a revolution and all) but it makes sense that it be written vaguely for the future. I doubt Madison could envision some of the weapons available today. So he left us with a line that we would have to interpret over and over again as the times dictated. I see the Constitution in the same way I see the Holy Bible: No matter how it is interpreted the main points are pretty hard to miss. Madison definitely wanted us to have the right to own guns.
Clearly........you can't stop Americans from owning guns. What about crazy Americans? The first part of right #2 says that a "well regulated militia" is necessary. This is justification for our ability to have guns. The "well regulated" part implies that some limits must be in place. This is why it is certainly not unconstitutional to take guns away from minors, crazy people and people who have demonstrated an inability to regulate themselves (by obeying the law).
If you want to own a shotgun or handgun for your own protection. It is your right. But owning a basement full of AK-47s or parking a tank in your front yard does not make you part of any regulated militia. Why would any law abiding citizen need to have these types of weapons?
Thursday, January 15, 2009
"Do" concept as oppossed to "try" concept
Some thoughts on the concept of “ try ”:
If you say that you’ll “try” to do something: you start out with the possibility of failure.
It’s a way of setting up an excuse and thereby makes it easier to accept failure. However, if you set your mind to do your best, then failure is only possible if you are lazy or insincere.
For example: Someone asks you to build a wall in 2 days. If you say “I will try” and you don’t get it finished then you have failed. If you say “I will do my best” and you don’t complete the wall but you did give it your best, then you have not failed. In both cases the wall wasn’t completed so the larger goal wasn’t achieved; however, in the second case you feel better because you didn’t just fail. Think about whether you would rather say in hindsight: I tried, but didn’t get it finished (failure); or, I did my best (exactly what you set out to do), and feel good about it.
It is almost as if the word “try” is used as a rationale for lack of success. Why start anything out halfway to failure. You may be thinking: “Ok, so as long as I do my best it is ok to fail…..”. This is a defeatist attitude. Failure is ok. It is part of life. To attempt something and do your very best is all anyone can ever ask of you. Only you and God know for sure if you gave it your all.
Setting out to do your best and saying it is a way of keeping yourself honest; if you don’t do your best (are you slack, unmotivated, lazy, a bum?) then you can’t honestly say you did. All you can say is “I tried” (but how hard?).
If you want to maximize your chances of completing a task, don’t even consider failure as a possibility when you start it. Remember what that wise old sage Yoda said to Luke Skywalker: “…try not. Do or do not. There is no try”.
stw
If you say that you’ll “try” to do something: you start out with the possibility of failure.
It’s a way of setting up an excuse and thereby makes it easier to accept failure. However, if you set your mind to do your best, then failure is only possible if you are lazy or insincere.
For example: Someone asks you to build a wall in 2 days. If you say “I will try” and you don’t get it finished then you have failed. If you say “I will do my best” and you don’t complete the wall but you did give it your best, then you have not failed. In both cases the wall wasn’t completed so the larger goal wasn’t achieved; however, in the second case you feel better because you didn’t just fail. Think about whether you would rather say in hindsight: I tried, but didn’t get it finished (failure); or, I did my best (exactly what you set out to do), and feel good about it.
It is almost as if the word “try” is used as a rationale for lack of success. Why start anything out halfway to failure. You may be thinking: “Ok, so as long as I do my best it is ok to fail…..”. This is a defeatist attitude. Failure is ok. It is part of life. To attempt something and do your very best is all anyone can ever ask of you. Only you and God know for sure if you gave it your all.
Setting out to do your best and saying it is a way of keeping yourself honest; if you don’t do your best (are you slack, unmotivated, lazy, a bum?) then you can’t honestly say you did. All you can say is “I tried” (but how hard?).
If you want to maximize your chances of completing a task, don’t even consider failure as a possibility when you start it. Remember what that wise old sage Yoda said to Luke Skywalker: “…try not. Do or do not. There is no try”.
stw
Monday, January 12, 2009
The secret of happiness?
Anyone who has gotten an email from me in the last year or so may have noticed the signature saying I use at the end of my messages: Be nice, work hard, never take more then you need, give freely, be thankful for what you are given, and have fun........
M&JW are my parents Marilyn and Jack Wheeler. These are things that I learned from them about how to live a good life and how I hope I live mine:
Both my parents stressed that we should always be nice to everyone and everything. Don't be mean or cruel ever. Treat others the way you like to be treated.......golden rule type thing.
I definitely got my work ethic from my folks. Mom was a professional. She graduated from a 4 year nursing program and was a Registered Nurse. She was also a full time housewife and mother. Dinner was always on the table at 5:30 on the dot. She washed and cleaned house daily. Dad has always defined himself (like most men) by his work and whatever he needed to do to provide for his family. And he did always manage to provide for us. If he wasn't working at the office he was working around the house. Dad has never been a "couch potato". No matter how difficult things were, we always had plenty to eat, good clothes on our back and a roof over our heads.
"Don't be greedy"; I heard growing up. Much of my pragmatism and thrifty nature come from my Scotch heritage but it also started at the dinner table: "don't let your eyes be bigger than your stomach" was the adage bestowed whenever we stopped by the Davis House Cafeteria. Although I never remember either of my parents say that waste is evil, I certainly got the idea from them.
Mom and Dad were both givers. Mom always gave hugs and after she retired she also gave sugar cookies (sometime I'll devote an entire blog to Mom's sugar cookies.....maybe a novel). Dad mostly has given his time and attention. Even today he still is very active in Church and his Homeowner's Association. Dad has always been a leader. Never dictatorial, but always in control of a group. In college I was taught a theory called "Situational Leadership" by a couple of higher education gurus named Hersey and Blanchard (basically some people are self starters and some people need to be kicked in the ass to varying degrees). To my surprise I already had learned "Situational Leadership" by observing my father as a leader. He called it "common sense". Boy Scouts, church, neighborhood, and (after retirement) Northside Hospital........Dad has always been willing to jump in. My older brother was always bothered that Dad "didn't do Little League with us" (never really an athlete, my dad) but he really did in his own way. He never coached (a smart move I think, having tried it myself) but I believe he knew his own limitations, and he always supported our desires to participate in sports. Practices and games; Dad and/or Mom were always there. To give without expectation of getting anything in return,,,,,,,,my parents by example (and another great subject for another day).
"Never take anything for granted". This was a theme always present. Thank God, your teachers, your parents, your relatives, your friends, and yes,,,,,,,,,even your older brother for all they do for you and give to you. Somewhere along the way I learned that we are all born naked. All we have is given unto us. We may earn a great deal of what we get but someone else always decides the pay rate. We may have allot but everything really belongs to God.
My folks always made lemonade when life gave us lemons. Mom taught me to sing with a joyful heart even though I've never learned to hold a tune. She whistled constantly. And everything was done with a smile. I used to hate any kind of yard work growing up; and Saturdays consisted of yard work. Mom, Dad and all three of us boys cutting grass, raking leaves, planting azaleas (Dad tried so hard to have a great lawn) etc.. I now understand how and why it was fun for them. For no other explainable reason I enjoy hard work.....especially around my yard and house. I was taught it was fun.....and it really is.
Many of the best things I learned from my parents were taught by example. Neither philosophized but they had great philosophies. Wonderful people my parents. I am truly one of the lucky ones.
stw
M&JW are my parents Marilyn and Jack Wheeler. These are things that I learned from them about how to live a good life and how I hope I live mine:
Both my parents stressed that we should always be nice to everyone and everything. Don't be mean or cruel ever. Treat others the way you like to be treated.......golden rule type thing.
I definitely got my work ethic from my folks. Mom was a professional. She graduated from a 4 year nursing program and was a Registered Nurse. She was also a full time housewife and mother. Dinner was always on the table at 5:30 on the dot. She washed and cleaned house daily. Dad has always defined himself (like most men) by his work and whatever he needed to do to provide for his family. And he did always manage to provide for us. If he wasn't working at the office he was working around the house. Dad has never been a "couch potato". No matter how difficult things were, we always had plenty to eat, good clothes on our back and a roof over our heads.
"Don't be greedy"; I heard growing up. Much of my pragmatism and thrifty nature come from my Scotch heritage but it also started at the dinner table: "don't let your eyes be bigger than your stomach" was the adage bestowed whenever we stopped by the Davis House Cafeteria. Although I never remember either of my parents say that waste is evil, I certainly got the idea from them.
Mom and Dad were both givers. Mom always gave hugs and after she retired she also gave sugar cookies (sometime I'll devote an entire blog to Mom's sugar cookies.....maybe a novel). Dad mostly has given his time and attention. Even today he still is very active in Church and his Homeowner's Association. Dad has always been a leader. Never dictatorial, but always in control of a group. In college I was taught a theory called "Situational Leadership" by a couple of higher education gurus named Hersey and Blanchard (basically some people are self starters and some people need to be kicked in the ass to varying degrees). To my surprise I already had learned "Situational Leadership" by observing my father as a leader. He called it "common sense". Boy Scouts, church, neighborhood, and (after retirement) Northside Hospital........Dad has always been willing to jump in. My older brother was always bothered that Dad "didn't do Little League with us" (never really an athlete, my dad) but he really did in his own way. He never coached (a smart move I think, having tried it myself) but I believe he knew his own limitations, and he always supported our desires to participate in sports. Practices and games; Dad and/or Mom were always there. To give without expectation of getting anything in return,,,,,,,,my parents by example (and another great subject for another day).
"Never take anything for granted". This was a theme always present. Thank God, your teachers, your parents, your relatives, your friends, and yes,,,,,,,,,even your older brother for all they do for you and give to you. Somewhere along the way I learned that we are all born naked. All we have is given unto us. We may earn a great deal of what we get but someone else always decides the pay rate. We may have allot but everything really belongs to God.
My folks always made lemonade when life gave us lemons. Mom taught me to sing with a joyful heart even though I've never learned to hold a tune. She whistled constantly. And everything was done with a smile. I used to hate any kind of yard work growing up; and Saturdays consisted of yard work. Mom, Dad and all three of us boys cutting grass, raking leaves, planting azaleas (Dad tried so hard to have a great lawn) etc.. I now understand how and why it was fun for them. For no other explainable reason I enjoy hard work.....especially around my yard and house. I was taught it was fun.....and it really is.
Many of the best things I learned from my parents were taught by example. Neither philosophized but they had great philosophies. Wonderful people my parents. I am truly one of the lucky ones.
stw
Friday, January 9, 2009
I get it........already in need of an editor
That wonderful wife of mine has pointed out just how badly I do spell. Therefore, I will (although it is an unnatural movement for me) to the best of my ability: press the spell check button before I exit any entries (postings, but I like the oxymoron). In all actuality, I did leave the misspelling of "collegiate" on purpose as sort of an illustration, but the other words left badly mangled were due to a sense of urgency to finish my original posting (someone came into my office).
stw
stw
To start with....
Ok......before I start rambling on about anything else.........I have a wonderful wife. She is soooooo wonderful. She is kind, sweet, cute, smart, sexy and she puts up with my rambling.
Now that I have bought into the prose of the 21st century.........a note to all who read this blog:
I ramble. I will do my very best to keep the rambling to a minimum but I see this as my place to ramble. That being said: I will occassionally offer my opinion.........I see this as my place to offer my opinion. Please don't be offended. I mean no offense. Offer your opinion also and do your best to change my mind. I'm quite open to change. I do think I'm right some of the time but I also am proven wrong quite often.
From time to time I may use somewhat colorful terminology that may resemble common obscenities. I don't usually talk or write this way but if the mood strikes sometimes it is hard to contain the emotions.
I can't spell "wurth schit" so I utilize a 1976 edition Webster's New Colligiate Dictionary (a High school graduation gift) for spelling, style and punctuation. I trust it more and can look things up faster then with spell check. I won't catch everything, and although I like to write correctly; time doesn't always allow for much proofreading.
JOIN IN! Good communication and kindness can save us all....
stw
Now that I have bought into the prose of the 21st century.........a note to all who read this blog:
I ramble. I will do my very best to keep the rambling to a minimum but I see this as my place to ramble. That being said: I will occassionally offer my opinion.........I see this as my place to offer my opinion. Please don't be offended. I mean no offense. Offer your opinion also and do your best to change my mind. I'm quite open to change. I do think I'm right some of the time but I also am proven wrong quite often.
From time to time I may use somewhat colorful terminology that may resemble common obscenities. I don't usually talk or write this way but if the mood strikes sometimes it is hard to contain the emotions.
I can't spell "wurth schit" so I utilize a 1976 edition Webster's New Colligiate Dictionary (a High school graduation gift) for spelling, style and punctuation. I trust it more and can look things up faster then with spell check. I won't catch everything, and although I like to write correctly; time doesn't always allow for much proofreading.
JOIN IN! Good communication and kindness can save us all....
stw
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