Where have I heard this before...

*** Spoiler Alert***

If you watch Supernatural and did not see the season finale...do not read any further...you have been warned...

As I was watching this and Castiel, the new God, takes his place in the scene below he utters words that sound familiar...



"I'm your new god, a better one. So you will bow down, and profess your love unto me your lord, or I shall destroy you."

Sound familiar? It should...'nuff said...

National Day of Prayer...easy as the First Amendment

So tomorrow (or today by the time you read this) is the National Day of Prayer. A day that has been recently ruled as un Constitutional by a court of law and will be appealed by the current Administration which is kind of disappointing considering that as a Constitutional Lawyer this President should know better. But in all fairness his Presidency has given rise to more kooks, nut cases, radical and hate groups than any President before him. The accusations of him not being a national born American by the birthers, a Muslim God hater by the right, a socialist Nazi Marxist Kenyan by the Tea Party and a N*&$^% by dumbass rednecks abound and fill our media, our internet, magazines and newspapers...oh and don't forget our radio waves. So given the political environment in which the President is operating I cant say I blame him...but am still disappointed in him.

First, this has NOTHING to do with me being an atheist. While I personally have no use for faith I do respect it and respect people's right to it. This goes way beyond personal beliefs and faith. This has to do with freedom and has to do with the Constitution and has to do with the fact that one law is for the whole nation. This is a nation based on equality and freedom of speech and freedom of religion. We have a wall of separation of church and state for a reason. Because our fore fathers came to this great nation from a world that was dominated by Catholicism in some places and Protestantism in others...the Church of England to be specific in their case. Religion dictated state affairs in these countries in Europe, and our fore fathers had the common sense to know that this could not be the case in this new nation they were founding.

I have several problems with the National Day of Prayer that have absolutely NOTHING to do with faith or with being an atheist. Consider these:

(1) The First Amendment

Simply put here are the facts. On April 17, 1952 President Harry S Truman signed a law that had been passed by Congress declaring that every President that followed MUST set aside an annual Day of Prayer. I want to emphasize the fact that it was a law passed by Congress.The First Amendment of the Constitution reads...

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;

Simply put...Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion...Congress made a law that establishes predominance to religion in general and a certain type of religion to be specific. Make no mistake this is a law that specifically singles out the Judeo-Christan system of belief and grants it a special place above others. So it boils down to the Constitution, Congress shall make no law...Congress has made a law...it is that straight forward.

(2) The fact that the very proponents of the National Day of Prayer are the very ones that PERSECUTE other faiths.

Consider this for a moment: The very ones that are attacking the President on the bogus charge that he is trying to do away with the National Day of Prayer are the very ones that are also attacking him because they claim he is a Muslim, though he has been Church of Christ for 20+ years. Why should this be a problem? If we are talking about Freedom of Religion that is. But we are not really talking about Freedom of Religion. We are talking about Freedom of THEIR Religion...and not just freedom; we are talking about a favored place for their religious views, a recognition that their religious views have priority. Would these same radical nut jobs be in favor of a National Day that recognizes Ramadan? These very people would be foaming at the mouth. Once again it proves the point...the Constitution is meaningless to these people, the Bill of Rights is merely parchment for them to wipe their ass with UNTIL THEY wants something....then it is all about freedom and law and rights.

This nation has a history of Christian Privilege. This nation has a history giving priority to those of faith treating people of a different faith or of no faith as second class citizens. The National Day of Prayer excludes every citizen that is not Judeo-Christian. It excludes pagans, Native Americans, Buddhists, Muslims, Atheists, Agnostics and a whole slew of people from different walks of life and faiths and views. It violates our Constitution and it tears down the wall of separation of church and state.

Sarah Palin and her fellow wackos like James Dobson and Billy and Franklin Graham try to tell us that there should be no separation of church and state and that they are losing their rights (give me a fucking break and cry me a river of tears so I can piss in it!). And my response to them is that just as they like to scream socialism and how it has been tried and failed and we don't need that here, well theocracy has been tried in countries like Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Afghanistan, Pakistan and others like it and you know what? It doesn't work and we don't want it or need it here.

The New Anti Latino Agenda of the Republican Party...GOP goes Anti-Brown

Much has been made of the new Arizona immigration bill. I for one have ranted plenty on the subject. There have been significant calls for boycotting the state for the clearly racist legislation. The calls mostly are coming from minorities and people that are on the "hippy tree hugging" liberal crowd. While FAUX Noise traipses a long parade of old white guys through Prime Time explaining why this racist law, ISN'T racist and why we should be THANKFUL for this law...the Republicans defend it by saying the Government (which they controlled for eight years)has ignored the problem for YEARS (years they were in control mind you) and how it is ALL the Obama Administration's fault. Well what did you expect?

Talk is already circulating how this will drive a wedge between the GOP and the rapidly growing Hispanic population. Of course, some in the GOP are already blaming the Democrat's for doing this because...well..it couldn't be their own damn fault right? (Read Article here) Or could it? Consider the following...FACTS...

(1) New Gallup Poll indicates that 51% of the country is in favor of the new Arizona Nazi "carry your documents" law. But if you go deeper into the numbers you will find an interesting fact...of those that said they had heard a great deal about the bill 75% Republicans were in favor of it as opposed to 34% Democrats. The Party of No is apparantly the Party of YES to racial profiling and oppression of people that are beneath them...basically that don't speak English and are not white...

(2) In Keeping with the "Say no to Brown" theme, Congressmen Duncan Hunter (R-CA) is now proposing and supporting deporting American citizens that are born to illegal immigrants. This may seem like a good idea on the surface but it would require a change to our Constitution, one that can lead to serious repercussions....



(3) GOP Candidate Pat Bertroche seems to think that if microchipping is good for his dogs then it should be good for illegal immigrants.

(4) When Congress voted this week to give Puerto Ricans the chance to vote on becoming a state, FAUX Noise had an interesting statement that has been mostly overlooked by most people..."Republicans attempted to add provisions to the legislation that would have made English the official language of a potential Puerto Rican state." Are you out of your MIND???? Now, let's get this straight...Puerto Rico is and always HAS been a bilingual territory, it is just bilingual in reverse of, let's say, Georgia. There Spanish is the primary language and English is secondary. That is the culture of the island and always has been. I lived in Puerto Rico for ten years and it was there I actually learned Spanish. There is a rich culture that makes it a beautiful place to visit and vacation. But to have the audacity to force cultural changes on them just so they can belong...it shows..at least in my book...how far these racist White supremecists will go...

(5) Republican candidate for Alabama (no surprise here for sure) Tim James is running on a platform that is actually against federal law. It sounds good to the people that will vote for him...but it is against federal law...and he is lying to his voting base..but that is ok...he is showing that he is right there with them and understands their fears...and it is not his fault the nasty ol' feds won't back him up...of course..what would you expect with a nazi-Socialist-Marxist-Kenyan in the White House right?



(5) There is a very clear neo nazi connection influencing the law in Arizona and self proclaimed Republicans like Jason J.T. Ready who are openly members of neo nazi racist group. Ol' J.T. apparantly is in favor of minefields on the border and Marines defending his xenophobic ideology. J.T. is actually listed on the Southern Poverty Law Center a watch group that reports and keeps an eye on hate groups around the country.

(6) GOP Candidates and lawmakers all around the country are watching Arizona and waiting to see how far this country will let them go with their racial profiling and hate environment. States like Texas, Ohio and South Carolina are anxious to follow.

I will give a nod of appreciation and recognition, however, to the Republican Governor of Texas Rick Perry, Former President George W. Bush and Former Republican Governor of Florida Jeb Bush in opposing these measures. The truth remains, however, that the Republican party is making it more and more clear that there is not a place for Latinos in a party that demographically would have a home naturally in their midst. I am a liberal, but a vast majority of Hispanics tend to be conservatives and would fit in the GOP...if the Rethuglicans would stop insisting this pursuit of a xenophobic, racist and intolerant agenda that makes it clear to us that the only way we belong is if we become just like them...which is impossible.

My sentiments about the new Arizona Immigration Law

My favorite scene from Boondocks Saints. In it Rocco (the big Italian guy with the foul mouth at the end of this scene) best articulates (in a manner of speaking) My sentiments about the new immigration law in Arizona. I warn you the language is far from polite....and once I have cooled down enough to speak articulately about the subject I will post another blog about it.

Happy Earth Day, Mother!

So it is Earth Day, and what better way to celebrate it than with an oil spill! Now before I get started on this rant, you might as well know that my progressive views are going to come out on this one and I am going to insult a couple of conservatives so...you are forewarned..which is the least a gentleman can do right?

So an explosion took place on an oil rig that burned and eventually went into the ocean. It was "not bad" because ONLY 11 workers are missing and presumed dead which is really not a big deal because there were 126 workers and 115 of them came home safely. Now the loss of life is a bad thing but let's face it...more police officers and fire fighters lose their life than that so in a society where we can crack jokes about the President being killed the cavalier attitude at the death of "only" 11 workers is no big surprise.

So let's talk about the oil rig. Yeah, you know, the new safer equipment and processes that the conservatives wave as their argument of why us liberals need to shut up about all this off shore drilling that can cause damage to this planet we call home? The explosion has already resulted in oil spilled into the gulf as the article states, "Coast Guard Rear Adm. Mary Landry said crews saw a 1-mile-by-5-mile sheen of what appeared to be a crude oil mix on the surface of the water. She said there wasn't any evidence crude oil was coming out after the rig sank, but officials also aren't sure what's going on underwater. They have dispatched a vessel to check." Furthermore, if there IS a leak under water (which we sincerely hope there is not) we are talking about 300,000+ gallons of crude oil dumped into our ocean...A DAY!

Yes indeed...Happy Earth Day, Mother...and look what we have as a present!

Now make no mistake, I understand that there is a need to get off of foreign dependancy. I also understand that in the short term we have to take some chances. But those chances need to be matched with a responsible plan to get ourselves not only off of the dependancy of FOREIGN oil...but off of crude oil period. It should be accompanied by an enforced requirement and dedication to discover and perfect other forms of energy that do not require us to rape Mother Nature and leave her exposed and dejected like a two dollar whore! The conservatives don't want the government to regulate and demand these actions, but big business is more interested in padding their own pockets than to take these issues serious...so what do we do? Let them continue their rampage through our eco system and all brew some tea bags outside the Capitol while our planet dies just to keep the government control down to a minimum?

The shouts of Palin and her robots, screaming, "Drill Baby, Drill!" while they mock those of us that want to see the government require some action on developing clean energy are nothing more, nothing less then a call for the rape and murder of our planet that we have to pass on to our children. They scream and protest about the debt we are passing on to our children, and this is a very legitimate concern, but what about the mess on this planet that we are leaving to our children. There is no excuse...and there is no forgiveness.

I am a realist. I concede that we have to have energy and this is what we have right now, but while the President is opening our coast lines to more drilling, so as to find a way to make us less reliant on foreign oil, the idiots like Lou Pritchett want to mock "windmills" and other attempts at inventing cleaner energy. Is it really the nation's well being these pirates, theives and mongrel bullies are worried about? Or is it their buddies that they owe favors to? People like George W. Bush and Dick Cheney with their myriad connections with big oil? People like Sarah Palin who cut behind the door deals with companies to lay pipe lines for digging in Alaska? Is it really their country they are worried about? Or their own selfish wealth and private interests? And when they are done raping our planet, where are we and our children going to live while they sit on top of the world?

Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum(b) in 2012!!!

There was a time, I am ashamed to admit, when I thought of Palin as a frontrunner for the 2012 Presidential Campaign. I saw her popularity among the radical right and feared that the Rethuglicans might see her as a potential candidate and might push her as the next president of the United States. I actually went so far as to predict that she would win. My Friend John argued a lot with me on this subject and I am forced to admit that I agree with his views on this now. I also agree that living in a state that is a deeply red state (Georgia) and the environment I deal with as a progressive on a daily basis had much to do with my outlook on the issue and so now, on my blog, I concede the argument to him.

Lately, however, these two women have irritated the PISS out of me. Sarah Palin (who has been a frequent target of mine on this blog) and Michelle Bachman are an amazing accumulation of idiocy, ignorance and malevolent bigotry, stupidity and just plain out venom. Now before you start with your bullshit, it has absofreakinglutely nothing to do with them being women...they just happen to be women...it is incidental not reflective of the fairer sex in anyway. I have no problem with a woman as President of the United States and judge them based on the same basis I would use on a man...have some freaken common sense.

So as a not so funny joke let us consider the idea that Sean Hannity (the Czar of Stupidity) proposed of a Palin-Bachman ticket in 2012...



(Hey I painted that one myself so if it looks bad just laugh at it if you think it makes the point pass it on with my permission lol)

Presidential Candidate...Sarah Palin

First, let's consider the Presidential Candidate, Sarah Palin. I really will not waste much more time with this douchebag. I have spoken enough of her idiocy on this blog that to give her more time almost seems like a crime to an intelligent person's patience and intellect. Here is a brief montage of some of Palin's finer moments during her campaign to invade the White House.



During that campaign she did her best to spread her bigotry and venom, often referring to the "real americans" as only those that would vote for her and Senator McCain. Her idea of experience was being Governor of Alaska, a job she couldn't even complete. She is an opponent of separation of church and state and promotes a theocracy that would make Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei very proud, as well as the Taliban of Afghanistan. But enough about that...let's look at the VP candidate of this duo...

Vice Predient Candidate...Michelle Bachmann

Bachmann recently grabbed my attnetion for her inmense propensity for saying really stupid things. There is also the fact that she, along with Palin, are the darlings of the Tea Party movement, and has been one of the promoters of the "hate the government" attitude that is permeating the country right now. As Mandy told me the other night, Bachmann almost makes Palin look smart! Here are a couple of expamples of this woman's massive intelligence (or lack thereof)...

"Anniversary" means "celebrate"...



Nobody is "celebrating" the OK city bombing you bimbo! And to add "only the democrats would say something like this"? WoW! Only a Rethuglican would be so desperate!

Congress should be investigated for Anti-Americans...



And as we learned from her future running mate during the 2008 campaign the real Americans vote Republican.

The Census used to "round up" Americans and put them in camps?



The list goes on and on...of this woman's complete and total lack of a grasp on reality.

Oh...and just incase that isn't enough...let us consider for the Cabinet Position of the Department of Health and Human Services, Republican Senator Candidate Sue Lowden who is wanting to replace Senator Harry Reid with her revolutionary health reform plan...



Of course, Jay Leno has a great question...



And what is scary? That they have so many people that shout them on, that support them and actually think they have great ideas. I will not be so foolish as to say that every hair brained scheme coming out of D.C. is a great idea..but seriously...is this the best they can offer? I can only hope Hannity is right...so we can witness one of the greatest political meltdowns in American history as these two bimbos compete to see who can show their ignorance more.

An open response to Mr. Pritchett....

The following letter is an open letter from a man named Lou Pritchett. Mr. Pritchett is one of the 2% of Americans that did NOT get a tax cut this year. He wrote this letter and it has, of course, caught on like wild fire amongst the conservative fear mongerers that spend their time screaming "Nazi-Socialist-Marxist-Kenyan" at our President seeking to villify and demonize anybody that does not agree with their extremist and sometimes radical views. I wish to reply to each point in this letter, but not only to Mr. Pritchett, but also to his intended audience. Make no mistake, this letter was never intended for President Obama. This letter was never intended for people like myself that really couldn't give a rat's ass what this man has to say. His letter is intended for the conservative right whom he and others like him are trying to fire up to get them to take back the government so that they can go back to the business of making money by exploiting the hard work of those that actually make the money for them. Mr. Pritchett's points will be in bold and mine will follow in italics.

AN OPEN LETTER TO PRESIDENT OBAMA

Dear President Obama:

You are the thirteenth President under whom I have lived and unlike any of the others, you truly scare me.

You are a mature man that has seen thirteen presidents. The last thirteen presidents would be (in reverse order from current): Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George H. W. Bush, Ronald Reagan, Jimmy Carter, Gerald Ford, Richard Nixon, Lyndon B. Johnson, John F. Kennedy, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Harry S. Truman and Franklin D. Roosevelt. Of these presidents we had some that were completely incompetent (Jimmy Carter or Dwight D. Eisenhower), some that were rumored to have illegal ties to unsavory groups and nations (John F. Kennedy and Bill Clinton), some that went to incredible strides to destroy our economy (Ronald Reagan) and some that were down right despicable (Richard Nixon...Watergate ring a bell?). You truly scare me because despite the short comings of all these men, you choose a man that is actually attempting to fulfill his campaign promises, whether you agree with those policies or not.

You scare me because after months of exposure, I know nothing about you.

You scare me because you either do not have the sense to see the information that is before your eyes or you have the character of a weasel and refuse to acknowledge that information so you may use your imagined "lack of information" to create a villian you can use to manipulate the American people to do your bidding. There is plenty of information as to the President's background, his religion (Church of Christ not Muslim) and a myraid of other information out there that you refuse to acknowledge. You scare me because you claim to be ignorant of facts that a simple search of the White House website or even Wikipedia (shudder the thought) would give you. Therefore if you are ignorant, you are willfully ignorant, and that is scary because of the amount of people who are listening to you.

You scare me because I do not know how you paid for your expensive Ivy League education and your upscale lifestyle and housing with no visible signs of support.

You scare me because while you claim that the liberals and the democrats are fighting a class warfare it is evident that you see the classes as they "should" be and anybody that does not fit your mold should not be in your class. The underpriviledged should remain so, and anybody that gets a hand up does not deserve it. That you willfully ignore the sacrifices made by a man's family to see to it that he gets the best education possible and that in your own effort to keep people "in their place" you disregard the hard work and efforts made by an individual and his family.

You scare me because you did not spend the formative years of youth growing up in America and culturally you are not an American.

You scare me because you seem ignorant of the fact that Hawaii is actually one of the fifty states in the Union, and growing up in Hawaii does not mean one is not culturally American. If by culturally American you mean that he is not one of the "good 'ol WHITE boys" like George Dubya and Jeb Bush, then yes he is not culturally American. If you mean that he is not part of the smelting pot that is American culture, then you are wrong. That you willfully ignore these facts and feed the misinformation and prejudice floating among the right wing conservatives, scares me, Mr. Pritchett.

You scare me because you have never run a company or met a payroll.

You scare me because you make this seem as though this is a requirement for a president. Where was the experience in running a company of President Ronald Reagan. It scares me that you think that only business owners can be president, and that failure to have had this experience disqualifies them. It scares me that this mentality would put the American people more at the mercy of big business and their reckless and selfish abuse than they are already.

You scare me because you have never had military experience, thus don't understand it at its core.

You scare me because you think that only a military man can be president despite the fact that President Dwight D. Eisenhower had been a General and a war hero and proved to be one of the most incompetent president's of our time. You ignore the fact that President George W. Bush, the darling of the radical right, had experience that was limited to national Guard and managed to, because of his family, avoid having to face the risk that the other men and women in uniform faced during the Vietnam era. While President Bill Clinton was a draft dodger (and he was, and there is no excuse for it), President Bush was equally a coward (if you want to go by your standards) for hiding behind his family name to shirk his duty. Furthermore, to think that only a military man can be president is to make our nation a militaristic culture, which scares me even more.

You scare me because you lack humility and 'class', always blaming others.

You scare me because the concepts of humility and 'class' escape your mere intellect. After a President that was an embarassment every time he got behind a microphone and in front of a camera; a president who's "Bushisms" made a country mock their leader and the world shake their head in confusion, how can you speak of 'class'. As for humility, how can you speak of it when you and those that are of the minority in our governing bodies dare to make their will more important than the will of the majority that voted in the current administration and his agenda. We voted. We won. Yet our will means nothing because in your pride you can only see your will.

You scare me because for over half your life you have aligned yourself with radical extremists who hate America and you refuse to publicly denounce these radicals who wish to see America fail.

You scare me because your faction of the American public has gone to great lengths to distort and to twist at will the facts of these connections. You claim he has not publicly denounced them. He has distanced himself from the ones that he should and has publicly disagreed with the ones he disagreed. Your party has managed to connect him to every enemy this country has fought which makes me wonder if we even have an intelligence system left in this country that could possibly detect how this "Kenyan" terrorist that is a Communist and Nazi (which is ideologically impossible) has managed to become President! It scares me that you think the American people so stupid that we would believe your sack of lies and insinuations. It scares me that you have so little respect for the deductive powers of the people of the greatest nation in the world.

You scare me because you are a cheerleader for the 'blame America' crowd and deliver this message abroad.

It scares me that you and your ilk are completely blind to the fact that our greatness does not abrogate our guilt. We make mistakes too. Like training and making Osama Bin Laden in the first place. Like invading and attacking a country (Iraq) on completely fabricated information. We are not innocent. We can spit in the eye of the international community only so long before the chickens come home to roost. We can abuse our power only so long before we have to pay the consequences. President Obama has not "blamed" America for anything we are not guilty of and has shown the world we actually do have some "class" and are not all cowboys. This is a great nation that has done great things for the world, and it scares me that apparantly you miss the speeches in which he has stated this and defended our decisions. It also scares me that you defend war criminals like Dick Cheney, and think because of our greatness we should give them a pass.

You scare me because you want to change America to a European style country where the government sector dominates instead of the private sector.

You scare me because your own history, with your ties to Wal Mart one of the greatest destroyers of the American small buisness, shows what you think of the private sector. It is a place for people like you to abuse and use the consumer. Coerce and manipulate the public. Your idea of private sector is big business sucking every dime out of the American public and then telling them to go to hell when they have a need.

You scare me because you want to replace our health care system with a government controlled one.

You scare me because you ignore the facts of the legislation that was passed. You want to take the health of the American people and put it in the hands of the same scum buckets that gave us Enron, gave us Wal Mart and gave us the car industry bailouts. You and your ilk manipulate the opinion of the American people for your own gain and then want to throw our lives and the lives of our children on the altar of your greed. I for one am terrified of health decisions being made by the snakes that run the private sector and the pirates that run the insurance industry. You fail to acknowledge that the president did not replace our health care system but rather the insurance moguls that play loose and fancy with the lives of Americans and with their children's lives and the best hoax of it all is that you have tricked the very people whose lives are actually on the line, the hard working middle class of this country to protest in favor of the moguls that do not give two shits about the existence of the sheep that are protesting.

You scare me because you prefer 'wind mills' to responsibly capitalizing on our own vast oil, coal and shale reserves.

You scare me because you do not care about the planet in which our children will live as long as you and yours can turn a profit. You do not care to even try to find cleaner ways to provide energy. You scare me because the very people that are proponents of digging are proponents of digging elsewhere except for a dim witted half term governor that does not mind selling her state down the drain. But other than the barbie doll girl in a barbie doll world you will find the Governor of California saying he is in favor of off shore drilling as long as it is not off shore of California. You will find the East Coast people in favor of off shore drilling...as long as it is not off of their shore...if it is such a great idea then why are the "Drill, baby Drill" people so eager to drill off of everybody else's shore except their own. You scare me because you are so closed minded you will not even give clean energy a chance...and the rest of us have to wonder if it has anything to do with the fact that your "good 'ol boys" would have a hell of a lot to lose if we did find a form of clean energy.

You scare me because you want to kill the American capitalist goose that lays the golden egg which provides the highest standard of living in the world.

This is repeat of things you have already said, just reworded to drive an extra stake of fear in the hearts of your willing victims..err..audience...so I am not going to repeat the spiel about you and your "capitalist" buddies.

You scare me because you have begun to use 'extortion' tactics against certain banks and corporations.

You call extortion what others call regulation. Your buddies on Wall Street got their money on the backs of the American taxpayer. You scare me because it was YOUR President (Bush) that gave them that money, and you have somehow managed to twist the American public into thinking it was President Obama that got a bill passed before he was even President. You have managed to get the protestors to somehow place the blame of all of the government's decisions on the curent administration when he has actually been working to fix the mess. When he speaks of financial reform your buddies twist what he proposes so as to make it seem he is trying to further provide bailouts when nothing is further from the truth. And it scares me that the sheep you have conditioned so well follow your bidding like blind fools without realizing that your Wall Street buddies care nothing for the people on Main Street that are so vocally fighting for them.

You scare me because your own political party shrinks from challenging you on your wild and irresponsible spending proposals.

You scare me because your party promotes violence and fear mongering, openly hoping for the failure of America by openly hoping that the President fails, not realizing that our fate is closely tied to his. When our leaders fail then our nation fails. In your party's desire to take power they would wish that America fails. The last thing your party wants is for Americans to get jobs, for the economy to recover and for the American people to be happy. It is in the discontent of the American people that your party rejoices, it is in the failures and losses of the American people that your party thrives. You would encourage the nutjobs to take up arms and violence, pointing at the opposition as though it were their fault when it is your own rhetoric, placing our leaders on an equivalent status as our (historically) most hated enemies. You want your party back in power and in order for that to happen the President must fail, and the American people must suffer more than we already have. You scare me because you point at the "irresponsible" spending proposals of a President that at least does so with a heart to help the American people, but did not sputter a word of protest at a president that spent even more on bombing and killing innocent people abroad, people that we only know as collateral damage. You scare me because you would build an empire on the bones of children cemented by the blood of their mothers..and for that you would spend trillions...and would find it "irresponsible" to take that same money to see to the health and wellfare of the American people.

You scare me because you will not openly listen to or even consider opposing points of view from intelligent people.

You scare me because of the people that you find intelligent. The Sarah Palins and the Michelle Bachmans. People that are beyond ignorant, yet you somehow see them as intelligent. You scare me because you don't have the good sense to even recognize who is intelligent. Furthermore, you scare me because the way you see it is that the President is not only supposed to listen and consider but he must prove it by implementing. I am terrified because I spent eight years under a president that was a cowboy that did not listen to anybody...our people, our allies, the world...yet his actions were acceptable in your eyes. This president has made a huge point of trying to pull in people that were totally uninterested in bipartisanship or compromise, yet somehow it is his fault because he would not bend to their will. Yet you do not hold them responsible for their actions and attitudes.

You scare me because you falsely believe that you are both omnipotent and omniscient.

Really?? This one is so laughable that it does not even deserve a response.

You scare me because the media gives you a free pass on everything you do.

You scare me because you do not realize that the media is exactly that...media. They are in a constant struggle for the ear of the public and both sides use the machine for their benefit. You are ignorant that your own party has their own arm of the media and they wave it at will and defended the previous President, hailing him as a hero and defending his every act. You scare me because you do not see when the media is critical of the President and choose to ignore it and use your fear mongering to better establish your empire.

You scare me because you demonize and want to silence the Limbaughs, Hannitys, O'Relllys and Becks who offer opposing, conservative points of view.

I don't even know where to start here. Limbaugh? Hannity? O'Reilly? Beck? Are you serious? These are men that do nothing but excite the greatest fears of the American people and feed off of negativity. You scare me more than ever because you find these men to have a viable voice in the political landscape of this country with their constant hate and rhetoric. You Sir, scare the hell out of me if for no other point than this one.

You scare me because you prefer controlling over governing.

You scare me because we just came out of an era of a President that trampled the laws of our country. Willfully removed the rights of habeas corpus, the rights to be protected from the government having to go through due process to invade our privacy and many other basic human and civil rights...yet you speak of control instead of governing. You scare me because you have no idea what you are talking about yet so many are willing to listen. You scare me because your President violated every human right in the book yet you somehow think he was "governing" instead of controlling.

Finally, you scare me because if you serve a second term I will probably not feel safe in writing a similar letter in 8 years.

Finally you scare me because you feed the fears of the American people. You goad the ignorant and the irresponsible to action. You prey on the easily influenced and manipulate them to protect you and the other idiots that care more about their own wealth and well being then they do about the American people. You incite the American people to violence like this woman...



This is the America you promote. This is the violence you incite. You Sir scare the hell out of me because we will have another terrorist act, but it will not be an Islamic attack. It will be a home grown nut job that you have incited to action against the government with your rhetoric. You do not care about the voice or the well being of the American people. You root for our failure. Because our failure is your success.

Lou Pritchett

Julio Caceres

Letter to My Younger Self

I recently read a blog that wrote a letter to their younger self and I have to tell you I could so empathize with the concept. Have you ever seen the movie "Time Cop"? With Jean Claude Van Damme? Was an ok movie for the genre and the era. But in it the police can travel through time and arrest people that were tampering with time. At one point the sleazy senator lectures his younger self. Can you imagine what you would tell yourself if you could go back in time? I am going to ride the time machine (pictured below) and leave a letter to my younger self telling him a few things I have learned since then. Then I am going to give the keys to three of my favorite bloggers...and give them the opportunity to do the same. If they choose to accept they have to take the ride, and write a letter (blog) about what they would tell their younger self..then pass the key on to at least one fellow blogger.



Letter to my younger self...

Dear young ignorant jackass:

You were always stubborn and too full of yourself to listen to anybody but your own advice...well here I am..listen to me.

You are NOT all that!

You are not the defender of righteousness. You are not the Lone Ranger and the great crusader. You do not have to save the world, neither will you be able to. You don't have the right to judge other people and tell them what to do. You do not have the right to get on the courthouse steps and lead prayer in a meeting calling to ban sale of alchohol on Sunday just because your sanctimonious ass is in church on Sunday does not mean you have any right to force others to act like this is your world and they are required to conform to make it a happy world for you and your relgious views.

You are not as hot as you think you are. As smart as you think you are...and the ladies really are not as crazy about you as you think. You stink..your mom used to tell you all that all the time and you used to get pissed at her. But she was right, your pride stunk and it is going to get you in a lot of trouble. ME in a lot of trouble...so please...take a chill pill. Learn that judging other people only opens you up for mistakes and sooner or later you will have no right to judge anybody...once you have done everything you judge THEM for...only then will you realize that you never DID have the right to judge in the first place.

It is ok to question things...No matter what they tell you!

Don't accept things at face value. No matter how much they scream heresy, no matter how much they threaten you with eternal damnation and eternal torment. Have the courage to ask...don't wait as long as I did. Dare to question. The only way you learn is to question. The only way you grow is to challenge your mind. Accept nothing at face value. You could save yourself a lot of confusion and heartache if you dare to take a chance.

Ease up a little...learn to live

Dude...GET A FUCKING LIFE! You are too hung up on yourself, too hung up on what you have to do, need to do that you have no idea how to do what you want to do. Look outside of yourself. STAY AWAY FROM WORLD OF WARCRAFT! Sure it is lots of fun, but it will suck the life out of you. Learn how to make friends, learn how to keep friends. Learn to talk to your friends. Some of my greatest friendships I lost because I didn't learn how to communicate. After you get married, meet other couples, make friends that can last for a lifetime. When I got older I ended up alone way too damn much and I have nobody else to blame. And online friends don't count..at least not JUST online friends. You need to learn how to look people in the eye, talk to people, treat people. You will become a social hermit if you continue in the path I followed.

Think before jumping dumbass!

You are one impulsive dumbshit! And it would not be so bad if you learned your lesson, but more times than not you jump, while you still have a broke leg from the last time you jumped. There is no point to making mistakes if you are going to make the same fricken mistakes over and over and over. Hey! The definition of insanity is attempting the same thing over and over expecting different results. Wise up. Start thinking on the consequences and the ramifications of your choices. financially you are going to screw up big time if you don't listen to what I am telling you. And relationships?? Dude...you don't even want to go there! Your own family is going to get tired of you, some of them just preferring to leave you the hell alone then to deal with your stupidity...shape up...learn...

Lay off the twinkies Doughboy!

Yeah...you may think your body can handle the abuse but it can't. I am now a diabetic...so cut this shit out...eat a few more salads bazooka butt! And the Coca Colas? Dude seriously...one once in a while is not a big deal...but a 12 pack a day is outrageous...remember the whole diabetes thing in the family? It sucks! BIG TIME! Chill out on the junk food, and stop eating so late. Treat your body right because I need it to work for me down the road. Serious!

Learn to pick your fights...and learn to fight the ones that should be fought.

You know what? You are a knucklehead. You fight the stupid fights and the ones that count you back down from. Grow a pair of balls early in life you chicken shit, if not by the time you do you will have lost too much and have too many regrets. You will lose friendships because you were to chicken shit to talk about the serious things that mattered to them. You will lose relationships because you argue the petty shit and ignore the serious stuff...like it is just going to go away...it doesn't go away...take my word for it!

Stop procrastinating!

Sure you can do it tomorrow..but tomorrow may be too late. Learn to live in today and learn from the past and learn to not count on tomorrow. Learn what is important and get it done. Don't procrastinate. Stop putting off serious shit. If you don't you will lose your kids, you will struggle with school...and so many other things will happen...get a sense of urgency about you...

It is ok to forgive yourself...

This is the biggest one. You will make mistakes. There will come a time that you will have a hard time looking yourself in the mirror. There will be days that you will be absolutely sick of yourself. Days you don't want to get out of bed and face the world. Days you don't want to leave the house and face the world. Days when you will be ashamed to look your own family in the face. There are days coming that everything you believed in will be knocked out from under you, every thing you thought about yourself will be knocked to rubble...and on that day you will wish you are dead and will not even have the courage to do that. Then you will look back in total shame at those days. You will blame yourself for the greatest loss you will ever face. You will blame yourself for the damage you brought to your children's lives by your bad choices and decisions...and you will seek the forgiveness of others...while completely refusing to forgive yourself...learn that lesson now...learn to forgive yourself...learn that lesson...a lesson I never learned...

And seriously...lay off the twinkies...and lay off the buffets...for real...and it wouldn't hurt you to take a few walks...watch a few sunsets...see a few sun rises...spend time with your kids while you have them...you will remember those moments when you don't.

Sincerely,
Julio (from the future)

P.S. No joke..stay away from World of Warcraft!

OK....there you have it...I have it on good sources that my younger self didn't listen...but then hey...it is how I was...

Now for the fun part...I am giving a copy of this key to three fellow bloggers...they have to write a letter to their younger self and then pass their key on to at least one fellow blogger.

Gamecock Mama
Gifts of Thought
Waiting for the Click

This ain't no thinking thing...or is it?

I am an analytical person. It is a good thing most of the time but sometimes it can be a real pain in the ass. I have been accused many times (more times than I care to recall) of "thinking too much." One time somebody I love and respect very much asked me if I even have the ability to be passionate about anything with all the time I spend analyzing things. Those that follow my blog know that I do have the ability to be passionate (and even senseless) at times, so I know I DO have the ability to be passionate. But I will also admit that I used to not show that passion, and the accusation that I was unable to pushed me to be more open on my blog about how I feel about things.

My experiences in "love" have not been good. I have spent much time analyzing the concept of love. My recent involvement with the most wonderful woman I have had the opportunity to know has brought this subject to the fore front of my mind more than ever. Mandy and I have discussed this subject at length and there are times I can almost hear a chuckle in her voice at moments that I tend to over analyze things. Thankfully she is patient with me at moments like that and doesn't turn up the volume on the TV!

In our culture we are raised with these ideas about love. Love is forever. Love is about finding "the one." Love is blind. Love at first sight. And the list goes on and on. These phrases all SOUND good. These statements all gives us the "warm fuzzies." That is...untill they bite us in the ass. I am not sure that this blog will make a lot of sense but I want to share some thoughts and conclusions I have come to about love....

(A) Love is less about finding "the one" and more about finding the right type of "one".
Now, I am not going to get into poly relationships because those relationships are NOT for everybody, as a matter of fact, having tried them in the past, I can definitely state that they are NOT for me. And since this is my own personal thoughts and feelings about love I will not be discussing poly relationships because frankly I am a one woman man, and want my woman to be a one man woman, and want my woman to want me to be a one woman man. I will come back to this concept at some point in this rambling blog so sit tight.

I remember growing up and hearing the story about the paper heart that was torn in two and the parts were separated, scattered across the world and would never be complete until they found each other. The idea of course is that there is one person out there made for another person and they would never be complete until they found each other. Now this sounds romantic and all well and good till you begin considering that I may be born and raised in the backwoods of NW Georgia and my "one" may be a poor little chinese girl in some remote rice field in northern China whom there is no chance in hell I will EVER meet. At this point I am seriously screwed! So this concept just does not work for me...not at this stage in my life and given the experiences I have had.

As I have thought on it and analyzed it I have come to the conclusion that it is not a matter of "the one" as much as the right type of person. It is about chemistry. Now this may sound obvious but hear me out. The right kind of people just "mix" well so two unlikely candidates when thrown together may actually turn out to have the right chemsitry and they are just right together. Now the problem is, I am not the same person I was eighteen years ago when I met my first wife and we "fell" in love. I have changed, grown, for better or for worse, and am just not the same person I was then.

This is a significant point because the other day my buddy John and I were discussing how many people in my age group are getting divorced. It really seems like every time I turn around I am hearing of somebody else, right around my age that is getting a divorce. Much is being made of the rise in divorce rate and a lot of things are being blamed for it. But in all honesty I wonder if the nature of chemistry coupled with the changing rules of society are all that is needed to explain the rise in divorce. Allow me to explain.

A couple meets at age 18, they "fall" in love and are determined they have found their happily ever after. The chemistry is just right and the world is as it should be. They get married and couldn't be happier. Time goes by and the two people begin to grow up and mature. Now one of two things are going to happen. They are going to either grow up together or apart. Now by this I simply mean that if they grow up "together" on the same page or in the same direction then the chemistry remains mainly the same. They grow old and are happy and life goes on. By growing apart I mean that they change, they mature in different directions with different interests and outlooks in life.

Now you may disagree with this but I will take my own first marriage. When we met we were both in love and we were both in church. We were extreme right wing and were raising our kids that way. Life happened. I am now an athiest and a liberal. She is still very much in church and is still very much extreme right. Among all the other things that happened we simply grew in different directions. Now the major difference today versus fifty years ago is that fifty years ago divorce was frowned on as a mortal sin. Divorce was essentially something that would ruin your good name, ruin your reputation and would put you in a position where you basically had to move away to get away from the shame of it. Because of this social environment, couples that grew apart lived in the same house as strangers. They each did their responsiblity but essentially lived in different rooms or went about their days without hardly talking to each other in a loveless marriage because that is what society required of them. Times have changed. So when those couples that grow and mature apart, rather than together, lose the chemistry, rather than doing like previous generations they divorce go their separate ways and find somebody that they have that chemistry with.

Now you may disagree with this, but it really brings things in perspective to me. You may ask why this was such a big deal to me. Because I want this to be something that lasts forever, I want that this relationship be something special that lasts forever. I need to know what I am dealing with. I need to know the parameters I am working within. I need to know that if I am looking for "the one" that she is "the one". If I am looking for the right type of one...looking for that special chemistry then I am not looking for something "magical" (though no doubt in its own way it is just not a "mythical" type of "magical") but rather looking at something that can be examined and can be understood...yes I know...here I go with the quantifiable bull crap again! So I won't go into details at this time of WHY I am really liking the chemistry in this relationship, because well, it is too early in it for me to go there, but suffice it to say I am really happy with the way it is going...just in general here are a few things I have watched when it comes to "chemistry":

(1) Intellect. You think differently at middle age then you did at 18. I mean let's face it, when I was 18 I was young, dumb and full of cum. I thought with the wrong head 95% of the time, and that is putting it mildly. I drove like an idiot with no concern for those around me. I spent money as fast as I got it. A car was only a good car if it was a cool car. Motorcycles were a good idea. I really could go on and on. Now somethings never change and I admit that. Sure, I still think with the wrong head sometimes, just the percentage has changed somewhat I would like to think. A car with good gas mileage and room for the family is a good good car and I traded my balls (in driving) for kids. The way we think changes.

When I was younger life consisted of movies, work and TV. Back then in those days I was very much in church. I didn't look for or want intelligent conversation. Politics was not something I was interested in and my views were spoonfed to me by my church, other preachers and (gag) Rush Limbaugh. I did not even really attempt to think for myself. With time that changed. I began to question everything...and I still do. I want to understand not only the end results but how you got to them and I want to verify that each step was handled reliably and responsibly. The point is at this juncture in my life I want a woman that I can talk to and discuss issues. Current issues. I want to be able to discuss theology, religion, politics, social decay, cultural differences, moral views and the list goes on and on. I dream of being with that person that we may disagree but we are going to discuss it and it may get heated but we like it that way!

I have dated women that when I would try to broach these subjects, subjects that are important to me, their reply would be, "well, I really don't want to get into that." Sure we disagreed, and I knew we disagreed, but I hungered for that kind of chemistry. A woman that knows her mind and isn't afraid to speak it but is also willing to hear my mind at the same time...that is priceless. It is part of getting to REALLY know somebody you love. And I have to say...I have totally enjoyed the conversations (and some HAVE been of a mildly aggressive nature) with Mandy...and who knows...maybe there are many more in store.

(2) Emotional. This is something that is much harder to "quantify". And there is much I have yet to learn about this. I do not feel that I am quite at liberty to speak for both of us, and emotional stuff is something both parties have to speak for themselves in. But I will say this, already there are days she knows what I am feeling five hours away...through just a simple text...and sometimes without even a text or a phone call...and visa versa...

(3) Physical. I mention physical last for a reason. First that contact has been limited, and by nature of the distance will be for some time. Second, for the first time in my life, the physical IS important but is not the msot important thing in a relationship. When I say I was drawn to her for mind and intellect I mean that. We met blogging. Sure there was a physical attraction from the moment we began talking and it was just pictures, but there was much, much more. I don't downplay the need for physical chemistry in a relationship. At some point every factor of the chemistry will take the lead in importance. Sometimes it will be all about the physical and at others all about the emotions and at others all about the intellect. Every part is integral...

(B). What love is to me.
Me and my second wife, yes sadly I did say my second wife, used to argue a lot about what love is. I really have some pretty opinionated ideas about what love is...this is not the sum of all it is, but the things I am about to mention, I feel, are integral to it.

1. Love is chemistry..I already discussed this so I won't go into it again.

2. Love is choice. Now mind you, I am not saying that we choose who we love, no it is not that simple. Nor am I saying that we choose to continue loving somebody because if that were the case there would never be divorce. What I am referring to is that real love is not something we "fall" into, as though we tripped on our shoelaces. Once the chemistry is there we are adults and we are responsible to decide...is this something I want to pursue, and if so am I willing to take the consequences. Now the reason this is important is too often people want to play the victim act, as though they did not have any part in it and the other person just used them. No my friend, I am 33 years old and am a grown man. If my relationships did not work it is not all their fault, it is my fault too. My choices affected it and it was MY choice to pursue those relationships in the first place.

3. Love is an action. This is HUGE and was the main point my ex and I used to argue about. Love is more than just an emotion. It is more than something you feel. It is something you show. The old saying goes, "Actions speak louder than words." My dad used to always say, "You can give without loving but you cannot love without giving." Love requires action. With great love comes great responsiblity. My ex used to always say that I expected her to work to prove her love...geez...is that a hard concept to understand? If a husband does not provide for his family, does not protect them, does not provide the emotional and physical support needed...does he love them? If a wife does not take care of her family does she have the right to say she loves them?

4. Love is an emotion. Yes...there is an emotional basis to love. It is this emotion that we feel. It is a powerful emotion. It is also an emotion that can be killed. Many of us have been there.

(C.) Myths about love.

1. Love is blind. Love is not blind. Infatuation is blind. Lust is blind. Love is not. You love in spite of flaws. You do not ignore them. You know those flaws are there, you accept that they make up part of the person you love and you love them regardless.

2. Love is eternal. Love is not always eternal. I have heard the death knell of love. I have seen love burn as high as the sky...and I have seen that flame flicker and die. Love can last a life time, and you hope it does. But love takes work for it to last. Love is not eternal in and of itself. Love has to be developed, love has to be maintained and love has to be appreciated when it does last. If you take it for granted it will die.

3. Love is not a "thinking thing." Trace Adkins (one of my favorite country music singers) once did a song saying that love, "ain't no thinking thing, right brain left brain it goes a little deeper than that. It's a chemical, physical, emotional devotion passion that we can't hold back. There's nothing that we need to analyze, there ain't no rhyme or reason why. This ain't, this ain't no thinking thing." It sounds really good on paper, it sounds real good to a fast beat and it sounds real good to a heart that has not been broken into a thousand pieces. But the older I get, the more I realize My heart, if left to its own devices will seriously fuck me up. I have learned to use my head as well.

In conclusion I am sure at this point this just looks like a lot of rambling. I am not sure it makes sense to you. But what I do know is that after careful consideration of these facts I find myself more and more intrigued on where this whole thing with Mandy will go...for sure it promises to NOT be a boring ride and I look forward to the Wonderful Journey...

Shall we play "Who gets to be the victim"?

Read Article: Pope's preacher: Benedict's critics akin to anti-Semites

One of my biggest issues with churches in general is the constant need to be the victims. I have mentioned this on occasion on my blog and will continue to "preach" this theme. Churches control the vast majority of politics, economics and culture around the world and in the USA in particular. In this country a woman's right to her body, a person's right to choose whom they love and marry and share their life with and a myriad of other personal choices are held hostage by a vocal religious sector of the population that manipulates the government to crush and subdue the rights of others based on their own religious and personal moral values that they wish to force on others.

Yet somehow, when you hear these people talk...THEY are the victims. THEY are the ones being persecuted. And the thing is...their Bible promotes this attitude. The Bible says, "Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you." (Matthew 5:10-12) It is something to be desired. Persecution is what makes them blessed, gives them the kingdom of heaven and identifies them with the heroes of the faith, the "prophets".

Here is the catch. There is an oft ignored word in those verses...falsely. If what is being said about you folks is true, then you lose brownie points! If you really are an asshat, douchecanoe bigot then you don't get brownie points. If you spread hate and malice and racism you don't get brownie points.

And to the thug wearing the crown in Rome...if you are an accessory to raping our future, covering for the pedophiles that raped, abused and violeted children then you ass wipe don't get brownie points! (yes I did just call the pope an ass wipe...so sue me the fucker pisses me off!) If you cover for these animals you do not get to identify with the "prophets", you do not get to be "blessed" and you do not get to play the victim act.

Easter week was less about the "birth" of "Christ" and was more about the virtues of a thug that the leadership of the largest religious organization in the world should have known better than to put into place. In the week that should have been the Vatican's highlight of the year every person that spoke had to speak about the "Vicar of Christ" instead of the whole point of all the facade, heir "Christ". If you have to spend more time defending the actions of your leader than promoting your message then you are failing, simple as that.

Now to what REALLY burns me up. The audacity of any member of the Catholic clergy to DARE compare Pope Benedict's "suffering" to that of the Jews that have suffered under anti semitism. Of course, this comes from a religious organization that accused the Jews of being the killers of the Jesus (until what? the 1960's?). The Nazis, with the encouragement and blessing of the Roman Catholic Church, killed the Jews to the tune of 6 million while screaming "Jesus killers" and to have the sheer audacity to compare the sufferings of Thug Benedict to that is sheer ignorance and an arrogance of epic porportions!

NEWS FLASH! The Vatican and the pack of dogs running it are NOT the victims. The priests and bishops around the world, rallying to the defensive call like bitches on a hunt are NOT the victims. It is the hundreds of people that placed their faith, trust and confidence in these thugs and criminals only to be raped, beat and abused that are the victims. It is the masses, literally millions of people, held hostage by pedophiles and thugs, fearful for their soul's salvation if they speak out against the atrocities, not only getting to sit there in silence and bear their children, their friends and their neighbors recieving the abuse but getting to PAY for it every week as the coffers of a den of snakes get filled with the hard earned money of the very victims they are bullying and abusing.

I know this was one voice that made this comment and the Public Relations of the Vatican quickly jumped to distance themselves. Much like the lawyer that makes a comment only to have it "stricken from the records", but it has already been said, the jury has already heard it, the wheels are already turning, influenced by words the record says were never said but in reality are already out there. We are not all sheep. We are not all fools.

Pope Benedict and his gang of curs are not victims...they are criminals...and they will not inherit the kingdom of heaven because me, the media and the world have the courage to stand up and say what is the truth because it doesn't count if it is the truth.

The RNC plays the race card....

Just when I thought I wouldn't have something to blog about today!

So the news this morning from the embattled RNC Chairmen, Michael Steele, is that he an Barak Obama have something in common after all....they are black. I know. A shock huh? Reminds me of the tweet by @Jayman3768 in total (insert sarcasm here) shock that our President is *gasp* black. What I find humorous about this story is that the Rethuglicans are constantly accusing Democrats of playing the race card. They say that Democrats are hiding behind President Obama's skin color and that anytime they question a decision of the President that the liberals instantly want to play the "race card". They go on and say that even the President tries to hide behind his race, even though the President has done everything he can to down play the race, making it clear that he is the President of all Americans, not just African-Americans, and the Rethuglicans take that statement as some twisted affirmation that he is hiding behind his race.

Tea Party "Patriots" are constantly going after the President's race, their signs spewing messages of hate that have not been seen in public in decades. They are angered that a black man dares to spend their money on strip clubs...I am sorry...mixed up the two African Americans there in a temporary moment of confusion. I meant to say that he spends their money on Health Care for their fellow Americans. These paragons of the American Spirit make no qualms about attacking the President's race and then the audacity to be offended when we accuse them of racism, saying that we are just hiding behind the race card.

So imagine my humor when I came across this article where the embattled chairman of the Rethuglican Nazi Chapter (oh I am sorry...totally confused again...) let's keep it simple....the RNC...facing criticism for his handling of the RNC funds and the embarrassment of what is being dubbed "bondage gate" (which is soooo hilarious coming from the party of up tight right wing self righteous dip wads) went so far as to say that he and the President have something in common, they are given less room for error because of their race. According to the interview 71% of the Rethuglican leadership want Steele gone and according to Steele have wanted him gone since he took the job...which apparently was given to him by the 29% that frequent bondage strip clubs!

Here is another fun fact, the only public figure of the Republican Party to come out and defend Steele is the Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich. You remember Newt right? The leading voice to impeach President Clinton for Monica Gate? (or whatever gate they called that scandal) Only to eventually resign in shame for his own little dabbling on the side. (Funny how that whole karma thing works huh?) Birds of a feather?

Given Steele's record on spending the funds of the Rethuglican Faithful, the White House's response to the Chairman's hiding behind race was quite humorous, "White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs called Steele's racial aside a "silly comment to make" and quipped, "I think Michael Steele's problem isn't the race card; it's the credit card."

How do you explain it to a five year old?

Today's blog is personal. I know I usually talk politics, humor and a random variety of different subjects. I don't often talk about my personal life outside of the occasional mention. Today was not a good start to the week. I will admit, I am depressed, emotional, stressed...over all not in a good state of mind. A little background...

About seven to eight years ago my first marriage was in the pits, we were separated and getting divorced. I made a lot of decisions that were not exactly the best. At the top of that list was the decision to meet a girl coming to the States on a visit. The idea I had at the time was to meet her and fuck her. Part as a revenge fuck to get back at my wife and part because I had been raised that if you commit adultery you can't ever preach or pastor again and I was, in a way, tendering my resignation to God. I know, sounds stupid, but when you are angry and hurt you do a lot of stupid things.

The result of that week's romp under the sheets was the most amazing miracle to ever enter my life. My daughter Bethanie has been the catalyst in my life that made me grow up, and I would never trade her for absolutely anything in my life. I have often said she is the axis on which my world spins. Of all the mistakes I have made in my life, and so many times I have felt like I have just simply failed at life, she makes my life worthwhile.

It is no surprise that a relationship that started so wrong did not end right. A lot of things happened that should not have happened. There was infidelity, irresponsibility and a total lack of interest and true love on both our parts. I am not going to use my bully pulpit to point out her flaws...because I made more than my share of mistakes that helped tear down that marriage. I remember on the day we went to the Justice of the Peace to get married, I told her then, in very clear terms, I didn't love her. That never changed. I married her for the baby, looking back now it was not the wisest decision I ever made, but it is what it is.

About three years ago, she and I were living in separate rooms and barely talking to each other. We were both very unhappy. She decided she wanted to go back to Australia. She had several reasons, some I can't fault her for. She was having some medical problems that as it turns out seem to have been mostly stress related and our farce of a marriage could not have been helping things. She had left three children over there and was missing them as well. I try to write this without sounding judgmental, but I admit I am fairly close to the situation and angry...so bear with me.

So she decided she wanted to go back to Australia. I told her I would not help her and if she wanted to she would have to find a way to pay for it. I also told her that if she left, she left alone. I refused to sign anything for passport, visa or anything for international travel. If she left, she left alone and my daughter stayed her. You may disagree with that decision, and that is your prerogative. I had a choice to make and I made it. I chose to dedicate my life to my daughter and to take on the responsibility of raising her. It has not been easy, but it has been very rewarding.

Bethanie turned three in April and her mom left in June. Her trip was paid for by her family in Australia. I have often wondered what possibly COULD have been the right decision for her and I don't envy the choices she was forced to make. She had three children in Australia and one here. How do you possibly choose? That doesn't mean I go easy on her. She had a choice to make...and she made it. Choices carry consequences. My life is riddled with bad choices that had severe consequences. You learn, as an adult, to stand and face those consequences. Her subsequent behavior is where I began getting upset with her.

After she left, I got a telephone (VOIP)through Lingo with free calls to Australia. The idea was she would email me and I would call her. For the first month or two the calls came every week. I felt her emailing me would at least be some sort of point of responsibility. It is not my responsibility to force a relationship. If she wanted it, the LEAST she could do was email me. I was even paying for the phone, for crying out loud! As time passed the emails became less frequent, and as a result the phone calls did. I eventually canceled the phone since the only reason I had it was to talk to her and since she had stopped emailing me I didn't see the point of keeping it.

At this point it came down to one line emails every few months. Just a quick "How is Bethanie?" I attempted to share as much as I could till I got a scathing email about my pushing the whole "Daddy's girl" thing? What do you expect? Little girls typically are "Daddy's girls" and more so when Daddy is all they have. From that point on I began responding with just the basics, why elaborate? The emails were coming once every two to three months. At one point I went six months without hearing from her. I thought something had happened to her...I will plead the fifth on my personal emotional response to that thought.

The effect of this on Bethanie was devastating. When the phone calls began to become infrequent I would have problems with her crying in the middle of the night. I would have her waking up with nightmares. Calling out for her mom in the middle of the night. She refused to sleep in her own bed and pretty much claimed my (then) king size bed as her own and I was allowed a small slice of the edge...and she usually slept right up almost on top of me, craving that physical contact. If I had to go to work she would cry, refusing to let me go out of her sight. When I was home she had to be right by me. Obviously she was having some abandonment issues. And it seemed just as I was getting better, her mom would call, and it would start all over again. When she went to school, all the little kids had a mommy, and she wanted to know where hers was. We would be in Wal-Mart and she would just point at random women and call them mommy. As much as little girls are Daddy's girls, they need a mommy too. My mom began helping me with her and she has come to see Granny as her mommy figure.

I tried pointing this out to her mom and of course, as has always been the case with her, it was MY fault, not hers. Because, of course, it is MY responsibility to be sure she has a relationship with her own offspring. She once rebuked me for "talking bad" about her to Bethanie...but the fact is...I have NEVER talked bad about her to Bethanie. The truth is...I never talk to her about her mom at all. It was a subject we just stopped talking about about six to eight months after she left. This morning I took an old family picture and pointed at every individual and she named them: Daddy, BJ, Becky, Herself... But when I pointed at her mom she answered, I don't know. She really doesn't know. Which is sad.

Now keep in mind, in three years she has not taken any active interest in Bethanie. Has not sent one dime of support. Has not bought one gift. One time I mentioned to her that the State of Georgia was looking for information on her for child support and her response was (and I am copying and pasting her reply), "even if your american law says l have to pay australian law doesnt recognise it." (typos included)

So about two months ago she said she would like to start talking to Bethanie again. At this point it has been three years and Bethanie doesn't even know who she is. I understand I have no legal standing to keep her from talking to Bethanie, so I lad down some ground rules. She had to be consistent and she had to call during certain hours because of school and bedtime. And she would have to call on her dime. No more of me facilitating her abandonment. She responded that she would follow them and needed me to give her a number and address. I was in no hurry to respond and got another email this morning yelling at me for not replying, accusing me of lying to her to try to run her off and as usual blaming me for her failures. I was angry, hurt and very emotional...which is why I am writing this I guess.

Why did I take so long in responding to her? Simply put, how do I explain this to a five year old? How do I do so with out talking bad about a woman that hasn't give two shits for three years? How do I handle the confusion, the pain and the anger that could result? And what do I do if the nightmares, the crying in the middle of the night and the bad dreams start all over again? Am I over thinking this?

I am angry. I am emotional. I don't want to expose my daughter to more pain and confusion. I can't even begin to describe the emotional turmoil I am in today. My buddy John had to talk me down from my original response to her...it was NOT pretty. I know this is about Bethanie and not about me...but the Papa Bear in me is concerned about Bethanie...so yes my emotions are mine, but it is about My daughter, about this precious treasure that is not merely a part of my life...she IS my life.

So forgive me for a blog totally unrelated to anything important to the world around us...but for what it is worth...it is about the most important thing in my world...

And thanks for putting up with my rambling....And any helpful advice would be appreciated.

Civics 101: Let's discuss the "will of the American people" Shall we Rep. John Boehner?

So it is April 1st, also known as April's Fool's Day. So it comes around only once a year and I had many options to choose from to be the "fool" to talk about in today's blog. I seriously considered Sarah Palin as she is always a favorite of mine to pick on. But today I am a little fired up about one fool in particular, so I will nominate Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio), the whimpering, whining idiot better known as the House Minority Leader. I choose him on the basis of a phrase he consistently uses that I am about sick of. He persists on stating that President Obama "continues to defy the will of the American people."

Now I state that he is being foolish because if he had half a brain and understood our system he would understand the idiocy of that statement. He used it again in reference to the decision of the Obama Administration to open off shore drilling in some areas and close it in others. He also used this phrase repeatedly during the arguments about Health Care Reform. Now the purpose of this phrase is purely political. The idea is to fire up those that see Obama as a socialist terrorist out to destroy America. If the Rethuglicans can paint the President and the Democrats as violating the will of the American people then they (hope) can get enough people riled up to go tell those rascally socialists exactly what they think!

So let's get the record straight.

How is the "will of the American people" expressed?

Keep in mind that this is a Representative Democratic Constitutional Republic. What that means is that we are representative, in that we elect our leaders and they go to the Capitol to represent us. We are democratic in that the vote of the majority rules. And we are a Constitutional Republic in the sense that a Constitution keeps a majority from trampling the rights of the minorities. Now when you take this in mind let us consider how the "will of the American people" is NOT expressed:

It is NOT through polls.

Understand polls, while helpful at times, are generally useless. Polls can be molded and interpreted to say just about anything you want them to say. Faux News simply searches for the polls that suit their agenda...it could be argued that CNN and MSNBC do the same. When President Bush was in office all the polls said the country hated him and everything he did...but the Rethuglicans stood resolute that the polls meant nothing...now that they can get polls that say what they want, the polls reflect the "will of the American people." But the truth is the polls do not reflect the whole picture ever, they didn't for President Bush and they don't for President Obama.

It is NOT through protests.

We have the right to peaceful assembly and to ordered and peaceful protest. There is no doubt about this fact. And nobody argues that right. Yes, the Tea Party "Patriots" have the right to march on the capital...just like the immigrants do...the gays and lesbians do...we all have that right guaranteed to us by our laws and by our Constitution. But protests do NOT reflect the "will of the American people." I find it ironic that the Tea Party nut jobs have the audacity to claim they represent the voice of the American people while the majority of this very same right wing Gestapo would vehemently argue if a person dared to suggest that the hundreds of thousands and millions of gays and lesbians that have marched on the capitol represented the "will of the American people."

Let me make this clear while polls and protests are peaceful tools that can be used in the right context and for the right purpose these are still at their very core the will of the mob...not the will of the people. If this is the case than how is the "will of the American people" expressed?

It is through the election process that the "will of the American people" is expressed.

The way that the American people express their will is through the election process. Our candidates announce what they plan on doing during the campaign and they hope the people like what they have to say and vote for them.

So for just a moment let us go back to 2008. Then, Candidate Obama and Candidate McCain faced off. Candidate Obama presented Health Care Reform, with what actually was a more liberal or progressive tone. Candidate McCain along with Vice President Candidate Sarah Palin (now a major face of the Tea Party "Patriots"), mocked it as socialism. They decried the coming destruction of America. The off shore drilling had also be discussed and Candidate Obama signaled he was in favor of it. Both candidates were behind the stimulus package, something that was going to happen regardless of who became president. Basically, Candidate Obama committed himself to the very policies he is now promoting and fighting for and in some cases is getting passed. There are no surprises here folks...it is the agenda and mandate he ran for president under.

So the day came in November of 2008 for the American people to go and express their will, not as a mob, but as a people. We went and we voted. Now just in case you poor Tea Party "Patriots" have slipped something into your tea that has caused massive memory loss...allow me to remind you of the stunning defeat you took in November of 2008. In November of 2008 the "will of the American people" was expressed in a resounding election victory with historical numbers.

The voter turnout was the highest it had been in 40 years. The President won the popular vote with a 53% percent compared to McCain's 46%. That my friend is a decisive win when you consider Al Gore won the popular vote by less than 1% in 2000. Now I know what you are saying, we do not elect the President by popular vote. And you are right. The darling of the right wing is the Electoral College, an antiquated system that is the only thing that gives the right the control that they have in this country. So lets look at the Electoral College. President Bush was awarded the Electoral Votes of the State of Florida, whether correctly or incorrectly is not my point and I refuse to get into that argument. Regardless of right or wrong, the United States Supreme Court awarded the Florida Electoral votes to President Bush who, as a result, won the Presidency by five electoral votes. During President Bush's reelection against John Kerry in 2004 President Bush wn by what was considered a decisive thirty-four electoral votes. President Bush also won the popular vote by what was generally considered a decisive 2%.

President Obama won with the largest margin in both the popular vote and the Electoral College since Bill Clinton. He had a decisive Electoral College victory of 365-173. I remember when Bush won by five votes and less than 1%, and everybody was saying that the election was so close that the President should govern in a bi partisan manner and should show respect to those that felt he had won the election in what was a shady outcome at best. I remember the right wing (of which I was a part back in those days, much to my shame and embarrassment) proudly said, HELL NO! We won so we rule. Period. 2008 was no shabby or shady win; this was a clear, decisive and overwhelming win with one of the largest voter turnouts in 40 years.

So what am I getting at?

I am making a point to Rep. Bonehead from Ohio. I am making a point to the Tea Party protestors, and Faux News and the Republican sulkers and whiners that keep insisting the President "continues to defy the will of the American people." HELL NO!

Did you hear that you whining sons of bitches?

HELL FUCKING NO!

The will of the American people was made clear in November of 2008. We the people of the United States of America, in an overwhelming and decisive vote elected a President that is doing exactly what he was put in office to do. Not only did we overwhelmingly elect him as President of the United States of America, but we ALSO elected enough officials in Congress to go there and get the job we elected them to do done. That is how our American system works. It works this way whether we like it or not. If the Republicans come back and they win the mid terms, if they come back in 2012 and win the White House that will be the American people expressing themselves as well. And I may find myself at that point a part of the mob, sounding out against the President and the ruling party, but I will be the mob, and they will be the voice of the American people, because THAT my friend is how this system works!

During the last four years of President Bush’s final term. There were protests. Hundreds and thousands across this country protested against the President and his decisions. Protestors around the world, by the millions protested against us as a nation and against President Bush as our leader. But in the end, most of the people that put him in office (myself being an exception) were happy. And even I had to shut up mostly because I had helped put him in office and he was doing exactly what we had voted him into office to do. That I had changed mattered little. He was doing what he had been elected to do. Because that is how our system works.

So you may disagree with the President and with the Democratic MAJORITY in the House and Senate. You may disagree with what they do and how they do it. But the reason you are the House MINORITY Leader Mr. Boehner is because the American people expressed their will. You may sway that will, you may change that will...mostly because the voting population sadly tends to be ignorant and easily swayed by fear and angry rhetoric, but you cannot change the facts and you cannot change history...

We the People of the United States of America spoke, we voted and we expressed our will. The President is not defying us. He is serving us....those of us that voted him into office. And if you don't like it change it...not with polls, not with racist protests and death threats and violence...but at the voting booth.

Signed,
We the People.