Let’s Throw a Tea Party!

Well…as usual, it’s been quite a while. I apologize; I know this is riveting, and pretty much the best part of your day.
With that said, so you hear the joke about the governor from Texas wanting to secede from the union? What, not a joke, you say? Needless to say, I may be making a move back up North soon.
The good governor wants to secede because Americans pay taxes. I’m going to make this one short and sweet. It prevents me from ranting and raving. Taxes pay for things. Taxes pay for the roads you drive on. Taxes pay for the schools your kids go to. Taxes help pay your salary Mr. Governor.
If you think there is something wrong with the taxes we pay as Americans, don’t drive on our roads. Don’t go to our schools. And Mr. Governor, step down from your publically funded position.
Many Texans and others from the Bible Belt who support the Governor’s ideas have a saying. I believe it goes something like “Freedom isn’t free.” By that logic, there is a fee to protect us, to fund the armed forces. That fee is paid by taxes. If you take away taxes, the already under-funded military deteriorates faster than the farmer’s daughter seduces a new farm hand, ultimately getting knocked up (that one’s for you Texans). I mean really, how could you ever stop paying taxes that funds the military that fights the war that has the much higher cost of American lives?
At the very least, thank you Mr. Governor for getting me to write again. It’s been entirely too long. As for your views, think twice before you voice them. You are the governor of the largest state of the lower 48, and one of the highest populated. That’s a lot of potential followers. However, keep in mind how the last secession attempt ended.

Are We There Yet?!?

Well I guess it would be nice…

George Michael, I wish I could have faith…afaith afaith.

As the days turned into a month-plus of the Obama presidency, I’ve received many a mixed message from Washington D.C. (I don’t think they’re that into me).  People were supposed to be able to get back on their feet, be able to afford things like cars, rent…food. Unlike what was predicted, things were not magically turned up-side down in a week or two. People, especially in already struggling parts of the country, are still hurting financially (and apparently physically if you’re a re-po man according to the news).

Given this, President Obama came from left field, ditching his message of hope, saying that it could take a while to turn things around. That it may even take two Obama-run terms of office. (That could be the 2012 campaign bumper sticker. “Obama ’12, for the Hope I promised in ’08”). It wasn’t until Bill Clinton chimed-in that President Obama changed his tune. He went on national television to make sure we still remember the graffiti-inspired campaign poster that made us all go out and vote.

Personally, I don’t know what to believe. Do we suffer for a little longer while things turn around? Will things turn around? Or should we just all wait for the world to end in 2012 as predicted by many ancient civilizations, such as the Aztecs? How about we just do the best we can for ourselves and keep the same skepticism about government that we’ve had outwardly as a nation since the Nixon days. At least then we say we tried as the fire and brimstone comes for us all as we burn what’s left of our possessions to stay warm in 2012, effectively ending the world.

…But wait! There’s more. Bobby Jindal has emerged as a supposedly Obama-like competitor for the leader of the free world. After seeing his response to the President Obama address, I think that the only Obama-like thing about him is that he isn’t white. His public speaking abilities are ridiculous, and his logic is Bushian at best. Apparently the government should not spend money on using science to keep us safe (maybe we can nuke volcanoes instead?) and we are all in kindergarten. It was more like Jindal was trying to read us a bed-time story than speak to us about the state of our nation, and how the GOP could do better. On second thought, maybe that’s what he was doing. The GOP doing any better than the current administration at solving the republican-made mess is the stuff of fantasy, something that could be read to a sleepy five-year-old on any night.

So where do we go from here? Who do we believe? Where are rednecks left after finding out that the new voice of the GOP is not white, nor is he an 82324^th generation American? Stay tuned ‘til next week’s episode to find out. Until then, maybe that it is best to have a little faith…in ourselves.

…And Another Thing

America has it’s first black president…sort of.

While listening to the local radio yesterday the hip hop and pop stations’ black DJs kept saying what a great day it was and how “we” did it, with the we being black people. While probably a little too strong of a reaction, I was angered by this nonetheless. The actions of President Barack Obama affect what the rest of the world thinks of all of us. After all, President Dubya made the world think we are oil-hungry, imperialistic, alcoholic, faux-cowboys who have had one second chance too many.

1. Not all black people voted for Barack Obama

2. Some black people (or people who voted in general) do not know the name of the new vice president, let alone President Obama’s platform.

3. Barack Obama was raised by his white mother and white grandparents. His father is African, not African American.

4. Black people are a minority in America according to the numbers (I’m not saying anyone is any less important than anyone else). With this being said, in order for Barack Obama to win the popular vote he would have to get the majority of votes. Just getting votes from a minority of people wouldn’t have cut it. White people voted for Barack Obama. Hispanic people voted for Barack Obama. Asian people voted for Barack Obama…I could go on, but I won’t. I grew up in a single-parent household…does that mean I can celebrate based solely on the fact that President Obama grew up without his father as well?

No.  I celebrate because of the hope President Obama brings to the table. I celebrate because he has said he will soon have a plan to end the war in Iraq – a war that should have never been in the first place. I celebrate because I believe that I will be proud to tell my children and my grandchildren that I voted for Barack Obama, 44th president of the United States – not president of black people, not president of single parent households – of the United States of America.

Don’t Get Comfortable

Yesterday was one of those “where were you when…” moments. The when in this case being the inauguration of Barack Obama. (I was at work…we listened to some of the speech on the radio so it kind of counts). January 20, 2009 is a day that will be remembered for years to come. Whether it will be remembered as just a historic footnote as the inauguration of America’s first black president, or the beginning of 4 or 8 years of greatness…time will tell.

With that being said, in order to work toward the latter I must tell you America…or the couple people who read this…do not get comfortable. While President Obama (it just feels good to say, go ahead and try it) is a great orator and by all acountsand great person, he cannot do this alone. We cannot sit back and wait for one man to change the world. Afterall, it’s “Yes we can,” not “Yes I can.”

So how do you keep the momentum from the inaguration going? How do you turn that awe and amazment into results that will impact us, our children, and the world? It’s simple really. Hold politicians responsible for keeping their promises. You nag your parents children and significant others until they finally follow through, why not politicians? They do happen to be a part of our lives, whether or not we like we like it or not, it’s the truth. The decisions od politicians impact OUR lives. Let’s nag and nag and nag some more until we see results on at least what we were promised.

There is a lot of work to be done in this great nation people. If the results of the 2008 presidential election are any indication of what people have become, we are a restless people, in need of change, in need of a new direction. While President Obama seems to know the roads okay, it wouldn’t be wrong for us to tell him “Turn up here,” when we think we’re going straight through a light.

This is in no way a country that should be led solely by a select few, with the one in charge listening only to whispers in the ear from a second in command. We need to get the president to listen to our whispers. Our whispers need to be forceful, for when they get soft, the citizens lose a handle on our present and our future as we slip further into the past.

First Love Comes to an End

Dear John,

I can’t do this anymore. You’re not who I fell in love with. You had so much potential and squandered it all. I don’t understand how you can be loved by so many, and let them all down. We all expected so much better. I’ve decided to get out before you hurt me even more, or begin to (consciously) hurt yourself. And quite frankly, you have a bit of a drug problem.

I stuck with you through many a hard time. Over the last couple years, I began to think you were finally going to turn it around. But what you did today, the horror you put me through today, made me realize you’re still the same. Sure there will always be the good ol’ days, but I can’t stay with you based on that.

You were my first love, my only love. I know this is written mostly out of emotion, but I’ve been thinking about this for a long time. I need to move on to preserve my own sanity. My poor brain, my poor body just can’t take it anymore. It’s true what the commercials say, depression hurts. And let me tell you, you have put me into some deep depressions. But no more!

I know I’m free to see who I want, but I think I may have found the one with which I’ll spend the rest of my life. Sure, it may be too soon to tell, but at least it isn’t you. Just to make this sting that much more, I think I’m going to share with you my new beau. Go ahead and try to start a fight. I think you’ve showed you’ll just get beat down. So goodbye Dallas Cowboys and long live the Philadelphia Eagles!

Good Luck in the Future (You’ll need it),

Your former love

The New York Yankees Are Making it Rain

The Yankees may need government assistance to finish their brand new, billion dollar stadium in the Boogie Down Bronx, but that isn’t stopping them from making it rain money on free agents.

I am a die hard Yankee fan, but even I’m getting sick with the way they throw money around. I mean really Hank and Hal Steinbrenner, how’d A-Rod work out for you and your dad? Money does not buy happiness, it buys pressure. Some guys are able to deal with the pressure of the money, but most aren’t. Then add in the pressure of playing in New York, with the interlocking NY on your hat, and midnight blue pinstripes on your jersey, monuments of Ruth and other game greats staring on from left center field. That’s pressure. C. C. Sabathia can will the Brewers into the playoffs, but can he put up with criticism every fifth day from every sports guy on every New York network, let alone ESPN.

Just this morning the Yankees began to put the finishing touches of a deal that will send 24-year-old star in the making, Melky Cabrera, to the Brewers. Cabrera had a great 2007 season, but the short memory of the Steinbrenner family has only remembered Melky’s average 2008 season, some of which was spent in triple-a Scranton. In return the Yanks will get Mike Cameron, an aging reject, once suspended for an altercation with an umpire.

Even as a fan I have to say that buying a championship will not work. It hasn’t worked considering that the last championship the Yankees was in 2000. You need to cultivate your own crop, rather than feeding off of someone else’s. Give a man a fish, he will eat for a day. Teach him how to fish and he will eat for a lifetime. Jeter, Posada, and Pettitte are all marquis names. All three developed in the Yankees farm system.

So New York Yankees, the Bronx is burning. Money will not put out the fire, it will only fuel it.

Blagojevich Shmagojevich

So uh, it’s been a while. You’ve missed me, and I’m cool with that. Mostly I’d like to say it’s because I work…and work…and then work some more. However, the long pause in posts is because there hasn’t been much annoying me since November 4th (the day Dems finally got their ball back from the mean ol’ GOP’s yard). That is, until recently. So I say thank you, Rod Blagojevich, for giving me something to write about.

Okay, so the basic idea of the story – Blagojevich took money to make decisions. That’s all fine and swell, call it perks of the job in most cases. The problem here is that Blagojevich is an elected official. So the residents of Illinois gave this man power to make his decisions based on who gives him the most money. Not cool, to say the least.

We as citizens elect officials based on what they will do for us. And now we find out that sometimes, they won’t do anything for us. That is unless we want to pony up upwards of a million dollars to get our voices heard. I don’t even want to entertain the idea of Obama being a part of this scandal. There is audio evidence that Obama did not want anything to do with Blagojevich. But the conservative media would like you to believe there is a link between the two men. I think that after they persuaded everyone that there was a possibility of a link between Osama Bin Laden and Iraq, people are going to be skeptical to believe such accusations now.

Probably the greatest part of this whole story is that people are surprised. Politicians are corrupt. Quite so, in fact. Luckily for us, the majority are not, but it’s still there. It has been that way as long as history has been recorded. (I’m sure before then, but history wasn’t recorded so I can’t say for sure).  The even better part is that people are surprised even after realizing where this all takes place. ILLINOIS! The state that won John F. Kennedy the 1960 presidential election by having dead people in the Chicago area vote democrat. Working with the mob didn’t end up working for JFK in the end, but it still happened.

In all honesty, people should be thankful that this is an iscolated incident. People should be thankful that this isn’t as widespread as it once was; and that included both political parties. I do find it a little strange, though, that smaller parties haven’t caught on to this. They may win an election.

Really though, Blagojevich just appears to me as a secondary level mobster. He is nowhere near the Don of anything; and I’m not saying that there is one. There shouldn’t be as much coverage on this as there has been, even if the networks are just excited that the Dems did something wrong. But networks (I’m talking to you Fox News) stop passively implicating Barack Obama in this mess.

It’s not that big of a deal. Maybe I’ve just been jaded by the last eight years. So I have to say Blagojevich Shmagojevich.

Philly Phans Phinally Have Something to Cheer Phor

Phinally, something for one of the most historic cities to cheer phor…okay I’m done with the ph crap.

Last night (after waiting almost 48 hours) game 5 of the 2008 World Series ended; in a Phillies series win. The first for the Phillies in 28 years, and the first for Philadelphia’s major sports (MLB, NFL, NHL, NBA) in 25 years (1983) when the 76ers won. So this is a great time right?

No! Part of the fan existence in Philadelphia is the fact that their teams DON’T win. After the minor riots, I’m sure there was just a ton of conphusion…last one I swear. Now fans are stuck at a crossroads. Do they now expect their teams to be competitive every year? Or do they just chalk it up to luck and go on with their lives?

Before answering that, let’s examine the average Philadelphia sports fan. They are, for the most part, insane. But oddly, in a good way. These are people who booed Santa Clause, and cheered when Michael Irvin broke his neck. To be honest, I respect that. However, as a Dallas Cowboy fan, I would never go to an Eagles game in which the ‘Boys also played, and I’m a guy who can take care of himself. How can you not respect that? When they’re on your side, however, they’re some of the greatest fans around. I equate them to Yankee fans. If you show up in anything but Yankee gear at Yankee Stadium, you can almost expect it to be covered in beer and ketchup by the end of the game…and not your own.

So knowing that, where do they go? From personal experience, I would have to say that they have to completely ignore the fact that it ever even happened. There’s nothing worse than having great expectations for a team. Because regardless of what Las Vegas says, every team has an equal chance to win a championship every year…in theory of course. Being a fan of high profile teams that had huge success in the ’90s, I’d say ignoring it is best. Now I scream and throw things at the TV whenever my team is down, because I expect them to win every game.

Unless you’re looking for heartbreak, take it in while it lasts, because before you know it, they’ll be missing the playoffs. (not because they suck, because that’s just how it works).

You Might Hate Me, But Jesus Thinks I’m To Die For

And that’s all the matters right? I would like to think so, but some others…not so much.

So…I may have been watching Wife Swap yesterday. In the episode, a very religious mom from South Carolina traded places with a punk rock mom from Texas. You know how the show progresses (don’t pretend like you don’t), following the switch, the women check out their new house. The woman from South Carolina was commenting on the pictures. Her new family apparently lives a punk rock lifestyle (piercings galore) which led her to think that she was in the home of Devil Worshipers.

Now, I’m no punk rocker but I do believe that God (and Allah, Buddha, the voices in your head, etc.) should be kept out of government. I don’t need to hear what candidate goes to what church. I don’t need to hear that Obama is a Muslim. Because, well, he isn’t. As is turns out, he’s a Christian with an obnoxious reverend…right? I’ve even seen footage of Sarah Palin at church. I don’t care. I don’t need to know that the leader of my country, the leader of the free world goes somewhere to pray, or prays at all. I don’t want there to be a controversy over the Ten Commandments being put outside of a state capitol building, because I don’t want people to think it’s acceptable. It isn’t.

Government and religion should be kept separate. It says so in the Constitution. I understand that some people (I’m looking at you Dick Cheney) don’t exactly feel the Constitution is a valid document, but it is. The elastic clause keeps it as such.

In general, people should not be judged based on their level of religious beliefs. It’s just unfair. There are many great people that you won’t see in any pew on Sundays, Saturdays, Wednesdays…any day. And there are some horrible people that you will see sitting in the pews, or even leading the service.

I have not been to church since…well lets just say it’s been a couple years. That does not make me a bad person, or one any worse than anyone who goes every Sunday. Get over yourselves religious people. Judge not lest ye be judged. Oh snap, Bible verse, does that now make me okay in your eyes? It shouldn’t make me any better than before you read it. But take those words to heart, judging is a two-way street.

At the end of the day, you have to realize that Jesus died for everyone, not just the religious people. Just because you can quote versus from religious texts does not make you a better person than anyone else.

So you may hate me for my views, but Jesus thinks I’m to die for.

I Thought This Was America, People

I had a teacher in high school that said he could never be president; he’d have to be king. Sometimes I feel like that’s what some politicians are trying to become.

With all of the focus on the economy, there’s been little to no focus on the issues of abortion and gay marriage.  These used to be such important issues, because we can’t allow them, the Bible says no to do so.

Ahh, the sweet smell of theocracy. (Some of which we are fighting in the Middle East…but that’s a different story). Recently, people with whom I have talked told me that gay marriage and abortion should not be allowed because they are “matters of faith.”

The problem with that is, not everyone goes by the same faith, if they have one at all. Everyone one agrees that murder is wrong. It’s basically an unwritten law at this point. Unwritten laws are based what is agreed upon by a culture. Our culture cannot agree on what side of the fence to be on for gay marriage and abortion. (Not to mention that if we believe that a baby is alive with conception, we will have to rethink the whole birthday thing).

Look at it this way, when a jury cannot agree on something, the decision is then to acquit the accused. If we cannot come to a consensus, just allow it. Gays are not recruiting you to join and force you to gay marry. If you don’t believe in abortion, then don’t get one, but don’t stop other people from doing so.

You may think I’m just another loud-mouthed liberal, trying to promote anarchy, or whatever you think liberals do, but I’m really not. Personally, I don’t exactly understand homosexuality, or see the need in killing a fetus in most cases, but it is not my place to stop someone from doing so.

It’s not yours either.

So, if you’re trying to be king (or queen) go find a monarchy and run your theocracy. In America we (are supposed to) have separation of church and state.