More and More Obama

Is anyone worried about the state of the world? How about the fact that the United States is no longer looked to as the leader of the freeworld or for promoting democracy? It sure did not take long for Obama to bring us to our knees, did it? Change we can live with...ha ha ha! What a joke! The reason our revered president does not wish to confront the dictators in North Korea or Iran is because he sympathizes with them...they are what he wishes to be. If they are overthrown or challenged in any way, he too can be in that same boat. What is he going to do, except talk? Nothing! Not a damn thing. In fact, he'll release more Islamic extremists to help them. If you don't believe me, then why hasn't he condemned the al Qaeda execution of three Christian missionaries in Yemen? Guess who did the dirty deed? A Gitmo released prisoner. Way to go Obama, I always did think you were an Islamic sympathizer!

Lamenting again

I am once again lamenting the fact that the American people are so ignorant that they would vote an individual into the highest office in the land without knowing anything about him. It's interesting to me that there continues to be individuals defending his actions. Let's see what he has accomplished in the first five months of his presidency; he immediately shut down Gitmo and has started moving prisoners to America and other lands (ie; Bermuda where four terrorists are now residing in a posh hotel at taxpayer expense), he has nationalized the car companies, he has told banks that they cannot pay back funds to the government until they say so, and has changed the rules so that compensation is now decided by the government. He has spent over 3 trillion dollars and the only way to pay for his porkbarrel spending is by raising taxes, he has allowed the North Koreans to build nuclear weapons, and he has told Iran that they should have nuclear capabilities as well. He has told Isreal to give up land, and praised Muslims for fighting against Christianity (after all "we are no longer a Christian nation"). He has hired a tax cheat to head the IRS, has forced company CEO's to resign, and now he wants doctors to back his 'healthcare program'. Wow, the changes we witness!

Another Barack day

It's a gorgeous June day in Utah. Yet, I feel no sense of joy as the sun is shining so bright and the skies are reflecting a brilliant shade of blue, and the white and fluffy clouds are drifting innocently by. The storm is coming, and yet our faithful president continues along his merry way, adding rules, regulations, 'changes' that will affect not only our individual lives, but the lives of our children, grandchildren and greatgrandchildren. The change is wrought, yet we are faced with the consequences of actions taken. And still there are people in America who rejoice at the way we apologize to the world for being what we are...Americans! Formerly we were the light of the world, now (according to our esteemed president) we should be sorry for mistreating the world. Reminds me more and more of Jimmy Carter...by the time he is done we will be a weakened former superpower without the guts or courage to lead anyone, even our own people. Way to go Barack...you certainly brought about change.

Degradation of society

I'm so disappointed in the actions of society that I sometimes just want to scream! It's not that we elected a liberal, socialist leaning president who has flamboozled over half the citizens, and its not that we as a country continue down a merry path to hell, but its the actions of good, honest, hard-working citizens who don't have the common courtesy, the courage, or the loyalty that was shown in previous generations. Standing back and observing the overall lack of these characteristics in society leads me to despair over the course our society has chosen. What I have realized is that it is not very difficult to talk the talk, but it is extremely difficult to walk the walk. It is a much simpler decision to follow the crowd, to do as everyone else is doing, to be part of an accepted group or practice. What is a much more difficult course is to hold to your principles, stand up against wrong or oppression, or walk the walk.

Update

I can hardly believe that it has been over a week since I have written anything on my blog, my apologies to myself and to my very loyal readers! Let's see, Obama now owns 60% of Chevrolet, 80% of AIG, half of all the banking industry, and he wants to spend 1.1 trillion dollars on health care. Is he the miracle man or what? Now all he has to do is pay for all this spending. That's okay though, the presses are running, printing money just as fast as possible. Too bad that all that money is going to be virtually worthless due to inflation, but let's not tell the American public about that, let's just say that there is light at the end of the tunnel...don't let them know its the headlight of an onrushing locomotive! He must think we are the stupidest people on the face of the planet...oh yeah, that's right, we elected him! Guess that verifies our stupidity!

More cost to the consumer

Busy, busy, busy, that's life in today's hectic world. However, we must always be cognizant of the world around us, and that includes keeping a watchful eye on our socialist president. These deals that he and his administration are making with the car companies are troublesome at the least and downright socialistic as well. For the past few decades the Democrats have told the car companies what standards they have to include on their cars, and Barack is carrying on in that fine tradition. Just think, within a few short years the automobile manufacturers will have to add even more features to each and every car they build. Cost to the consumer? $1300 per vehicle. Thanks Obama, we really appreciate your thinking this through. Just like everything else you do! You are such a genius...why does it always seem that your ideas are so stupid?

Wondering

I wonder at, contemplate, observe, watch and listen to the events taking place in our world and then wonder if I am so much behind the time that I'm the only one to see what is happening. What is taking place currently, right now, is the exact same scenario that has been played out again and again. I wrote about it before, but it is so important for people to realize what is going on that I am writing about it again. Our society is degenerating, it is now okay to kill babies inside the womb where they are most helpless (and in the most need of care and comfort) and society does not even bat an eye. At the same time, we care more for animals than we do for these babies. We pretend to care for one another, yet society is filled with liars, hypocrits, backstabbers and connivers. I am sometimes saddened by events that don't have any rhyme or reason to them except perhaps to assauge an ego, to make someone feel good. It shows the worth (or lack thereof) of a man who would treat people poorly just for a sense of power, and a temporary sense of power at that. I wonder if these people realize who is really in control?

Wealth by division

"You cannot legislate the poor into freedom by legislating the wealthy out of freedom. What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving. The government cannot give to anybodyanything that the government does not first take from somebody else. When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is goingto get what they work for, that my dear friend, is about the end of any nation .. You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it." ~~~~~ Dr. Adrian Rogers, 1931

A more appropro statement may never be more profound, especially during this era of socialism as evidenced by Obama's statement about health care. He believes that America cannot afford to not have a nationalized health care system, but upon examination what we find is that by taking from some to give to others, we create a system in which no one benefits and everyone is adversely affected. It's called SOCIALISM and it does not work!

A new day

Good morning to one and all! The day is beautiful, the skies are blue, the snow-topped mountains are beckoning alluringly in the distance, and life is good. No matter how our government is being managed, or mismanaged as the case may be, we can still make individual choices, we are still responsible for our own lives, and we still must live with consequences of our actions. I have resolved to change the things in life that I can change, work hard on the things that need changing, and live every single moment with fervor. I do not wish to see one single moment wasted. If I am successful in that endeavor, perhaps my life will have some importance, some influence or some positive effect on the people I come in contact with. That is my desire, and I'm sticking to it!

It will not work!

Here's a hypothetical situation for you; a socialist leaning leader of a large capitalist country wishes to guide the country down a different path. The country is torn by strife and a war that has been waged against them for many years. The socialist leaning leader decides to nationalize the banks, media and other major industries. He does this in a nefarious manner while appealing to the masses for change from what they have had. The masses respond in a very divisive manner with the nitwits winning out in the long run, and the country becoming totally socialist in nature. Individuals who no longer have the incentive, or the desire, to work because everything is now taken care of by the government, quit working. The economy, once the strongest in the world, slows down and production finally stops. Citizens starve, and the military is called out to quell the rebellious (and hungry!) masses. The socialist leaning leader declares himself dictator, and uses the military for his support. The country dwindles in obscurity, and the once bright beacon on the hill is extinguished. The dictator continues to rule the country until he is finally knifed and killed by a group of people who think they can do better. The country is torn even more, and finally is overthrown by a democratically led capitalist society. Sound familiar? It has happened throughout history, and guess what? It's happening again. All I can say is; we better not let the nitwits win!

Birds of a feather

I know that all you environmentalist whackos out there are going to have a field day with this, so have at it! I just heard on our local liberal talk station that a 200 million dollar road project is being held up for at least three months because there are 2 birds nesting nearby. The Utah Department of Transportation has stopped construction and built a 800 ft enclosure to ensure their privacy, all at the taxpayes expense. Nice! We can kill babys and call it abortion, we can have a president that doesn't want his daughters "punished by a baby" (if they choose to have sex before marriage) and we can justify millions of wasted dollars on pork barrel spending, but we cannot justify continuing road construction because two birds are nesting? How stupid are we? My solution...give me a rifle and the problem will be taken care of within two minutes. There will be two birds dispatched to wherever birds go when blown to pieces by a fast bullet tearing through their bodies. Don't like that solution...then carefully remove their nest to a more convenient spot (the top of a nearby mountain) and everyone is happy. I'd miss out on a bird meal, but I will sacrifice that for the sake of the community. Get a life people, they are birds!

No more Christians

For anyone who was in doubt when they heard Barack Obama say "America is no longer a Christian nation" you can rest assured that he and his ilk are doing everything in their power to ensure that the statement is true. Under Barack's leadership the National Public Radio has given the axe to every Christian broadcast that is under their jurisdiction. The NPR is worried that they will be promoting good behavior, a belief in Christ and non-diversity. In effect, the NPR is saying that Christians cannot be part of their diversity. Isn't that exactly what the liberals are touting? Isn't it ironic that the party that supposedly represents everyone, the party that supposedly represents minorities, the party that supposedly has compassion and caring as their motto, excludes the very group that touts the exact same thing? What is really worrisome about this entire scenario is that the many of the common masses are so flambozzled that can't even see what's wrong with this situation. After all Christians don't matter, right? And if Christians don't matter, then what group is next? The path to destruction is the path down which we are being led, and it is scary to think that we are doing so without even a whimper of protest.
Ladies and gentlemen, elections have consequences, and when conservatives have to hold their noses in order to choose between the radicalism of Barack Obama, and the moderate John McClain, then something is wrong. What conservatives need is someone who will actually stand up, hold the banner of conservatism high and keep his/her principles! Until that happens we will continue to be discriminated against and shut out of the very process that made America great.

Damn Republicans!

Joe Biden, or the bumbling idiot as I like to call him, was interviewed by the Obama media this morning and here is what he had to say "I'm really surprised by the lack of cooperation we have had from the Republicans". He continued in the same vein by stating "we have offered them so many opportunities to work with us". Reallllllly? Come on! We all know that Joe and Obama and their crowd could not care less what the Republicans think, and the only time they want them to be included in any process is so that they can say "the Republicans voted for it too". What a bunch of hypocritical liars. I'm so fed up with this process, it is my belief that the conservatives should all get together, kick out the Arlen Specters of the world and stand on our principles! Are there any leaders out there that will actually stand up for what they believe? I'm beginning to doubt it. Have a great day, and if you would like to read my latest story, you can find it at http://dtshangrila.blogspot.com/.

Insensitive

A plane flying low, chased by a F-16, close above the city avenues of New York, heading towards the Statute of Liberty. A scene out of a movie...another devestating terrorist attack? No, just your normal insensitive photo op approved by the White House staff. Another example of the arrogance, stupidity and overall nonthinking attitude of the people running this country. It's one of my biggest gripes concerning those in charge, the fact that they just don't think things through. There is no experience on how to actually act when in charge, and therefore the mistakes they make are stupid, commonsense mistakes. What is truly troublesome about this is that the mistakes continue to happen on a daily basis. There is one redeeming factor to being stupid; it calls so much attention to what is happening that we conservatives are constantly reminded to be viligant against the bigger picture, the picture of Obama leading us in the wrong direction. The stupid mistakes gives us reason to always have him in our thinking, which reminds us of his agenda, and his agenda will bankrupt America, will cost us, our children, our grandchildren and their children our freedom and our country. Predicting dire results is not fun, but every conservative must do his/her part, this is my part!

New story blog

I have other skills besides writing about politics and have decided to put one of those skills to use. The first two books I penned were titled Plates of Gold and other spiritial poems, and The Donkey and the Elephant. The first book has been out approximately 3 years and I get a royalty check once every six months. Each check has been so small that I have not even cashed them. That's sad, I agree, but that's life. You might think that the second would sell at least a few more copies than the first, because it is a political satire along the same lines as Animal Farm. Alas, it has not been any more (or any less) a best seller than the poetry has. I've written plenty more, and in fact have three other books completed. However, the publisher wishes to see the first two sell before they commit to any further publications (imagine that!). Here is what I have decided. I am going to start a new blog, it will contain a book that I am currently writing. You, and readers like you, can make suggestions and comments throughout the entire book. The new blog can be found at http://dtshangrila.blogspot.com/. Comments are welcome!

Stupid, stupid, stupid

During the last presidential campaign I heard liberals tout the fact that Obama was going to be the smartest President we have ever had...in fact, one went so far as to say that Obama's intelligence was 'off the chart'. Excuse me, but I find that very difficult to believe. Anyone with even a modicum of intelligence would know better than to release for world view the tactics we use to gather data on terrorist operations. Yet, Obama did so with ease. This administration has got to be the most stupid we have ever had, and that includes Carter. Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!

100 million and counting

Let's see now, a 3.4 trillion dollar budget spending money that we don't have, and Mr. Obama touts the fact that he is cutting one hundred million dollars from his budget. Wow! Aren't we impressed? That would be like every man, woman and child in America spending $60,000 on a new car, then deciding that they had spent too much, taking out a $150 cup holder. How about that, talk about fiscal conservatism, I'm so delighted I could just scream. Change, change, change! Change for fools!

Homeland security...

The Department of Homeland Security has issued a report that states "DHS has no specific information that domestic rightwing terrorists are currently planning acts of violence, but rightwing extremists may be gaining new recruits by playing on their fears about several emergent issues". In other words, when conservatives hold rallies like they did on April 15th it is due primarily to (and I quote the report once again) "the election of the first African American president present unique drivers for rightwing radicalism and recruitment". So, now conservatives who are worried about their country are rightwing radicals. My, my, my...to think of what my mother must think of me now. Homeland security should actually be doing its job instead of presenting distorting, discriminating and dispicable reports on honest, common citizens who are upset with the radical, socialist path the government is bent on taking us. My question to Homeland security is "why don't you look into the radical relationships Mr. Obama has continued to foster?" That's right, he wouldn't even pass the security clearance necessary to be in the Armed Services, but he's good enough to be President? What a joke!

Idiots in government

The idiot watch is out again, and (surprise, surprise) it's Obama by a clear margin. Now he would have us believe that if we are nice to our enemies they will be nice to us! That sounds nice on a poster board, but in reality, they wish us nothing but harm. Never fear, Barack is here! He will make everyone happy, and peaceful and composed. Sorry dude, it doesn't work that way.

Again with the animal rights?

Last Friday I was again teaching class and during lunch three girls came to my room to find out why I hated animals. So, now I'm an animal hater. My point is not that I hate animals. I have a dog who sleeps in my bed almost every night, who misses me when I'm gone and who jumps all over me when I return. However, she is still just a dog, an animal, not a human being that is born with rights. What is really sad about this entire scenario is that we can kill babies with impunity, abortionists are paid huge sums of money to dispose of human "waste", we have a President who does not want his daughters "punished with a baby" and yet we have young people that will fervently argue that animals should be taken care of and afforded the same rights as humans. It's too bad that such fervor is not being displayed for those little babies and the rights that should be equated to them.

Is this world going nuts?

I'd like to know how a tea party to protest taxes and wasteful spending turned into a free for all against Republicans by the liberal mass media. Is it just me or does anyone else see the ultimate hypocrisy in their statements. I heard one blathering idiot equate the individuals who showed up at these tea parties as being "racists who hate the fact that there is a black man in the White House". Really? What I have found is that idiots such as the one who made that statement have no clue except their own thoughts to go by. Liberals are really getting a bad name by making such ignorant statements and especially when they attack common, working class people who are worried about the future of the country. I believe that what they are really worried about is that the people who normally don't take the time to protest are now doing so. This is especially worrisome to them, because they are now in a position of power, and do not want to lose that power. I for one plan on continuing my verbal writings in an attempt to bring some semblance of sanity back to our government. Until that time arrives, I will fight tooth and nail to make my voice heard!

Animal rights

I'm teaching a class of high school students yesterday and a young lady brought up the fact that animals have rights...okay I say, what rights do they have and why? She says because we are animals and have rights that animals require the same treatment and that they should be treated equally. Is this ludicrous, or am I the only one out there that believes somewhat differently? Well, a lot bit differently come to think of it. It seems to me that these kids are getting this nonsense from somewhere, and that perhaps we as experienced, knowledgeable adults should be gently correcting their misconceptions with compassion, love and forebearance. Either that or just laugh at their silliness, explain to them in no uncertain terms how inane they truly are, give them a good kick in the butt, and send them on their way. I vote for the latter.

Relationships

I recently spent a week in Ft Lauderdale in the presence of elite college and national team coaches and came away from the experience with some new insight. I have determined that I am not requiring enough out of the players that I coach. Instead of trying to be nice to them, I should actually be demanding much, much more from them on the soccer pitch. If I do not demand excellence, then I will not get it. This is true in life as well. If our government continues to bail everyone and anyone out of their financial miseries, then they will come to expect it and will cease to take any responsibilities for themselves. This is true for companies as well as individuals. It is also a harbinger of disaster for our country. Like my demands for excellence on the soccer pitch, excellence must be demanded from our citizens and our leaders. Our new national slogan should be: No more mediocrity!

Hilliary diliary doc, the idiot ran up the clock!

I heard the esteemed Hilliary Clinton tell the international community that the United States would do nothing to prevent further pirate attacks on our citizens until the "international community" decides what is the best course of action. Now isn't that special! The mighty U.S. has to wait for the international community to tell us what they want done. Remember the time when we ruled the world? Remember the time when we had the strength and leadership to make our own decisions? Guess what! Those times are long gone. Aren't we citizens just soooo happy to have change, change, change!!!

Help me I being held by pirates!

The American captain of a cargo ship has been taken hostage by Somalians interested only in coercing money from his company for his safe return. Can you imagine his thoughts right now with the knowledge that we have a President that has not one lick of foreign policy experience? We have as a President a man who would negotiate with terrorists, who would sit down with dictators, who claims Iran is a small country that can do us no harm, and a man that hobknobs with terrorists and radicals throughout his entire adult life and that same man is now faced with a situation that calls for some difficult choices. This may be exactly what Joe Biden meant when he said that we would be tested before six months was up. Let's see; North Korea firing missles, terrorists taking captives on the high seas, I hate to even think what's next. It's going to be a long, long four years.

No longer Christian

According to our illustrious president, we are no longer 'a Christian nation'. That's interesting news to all the Christians in America, the country founded with Christian values is no longer Christian. Does that mean we are a Godless nation? Does that mean Barack desires the nation to be Muslim, radical or some other form of religion? What is most troubling about this entire attitude is that we knew before the election that Barack had radical viewpoints and he was elected anyway, so, for once he might be right. If we are no longer Christian, then this country founded on Christian values and supported by a Heavenly Father that promised us untold riches if we adhered to those values will no longer enjoy those same blessings. I guess we will have to learn the dangers of such a path.

Nationalizing Banks

The signs are there, we need to be aware! When banks wish to repay the TARP money early, and the federal government (Obama and his socialist friends) say "no, not until we say you are ready", does that bother anyone? Let's take a look at that scenario; some banks have already said they would rather give the money they took from the government back, but that the government is unwilling to accept the repayments. Why would the government not wish to be paid back, that's easy...now they have control over the banks. Now they can tell the CEO's how much money they can make, and even more disturbing, they can tell the banks who to loan money to, and who not to loan money to. That's the way we got into this mess to begin with, and now it's twice as bad. Nice way of nationalizing banks, wouldn't you say?

Learning experience

Having just returned from a Premier licensing course for soccer coaches in Ft Lauderdale, Florida, I find myself in a unique position of not knowing what has been happening lately politically, but I will be back up to speed shortly. When I am, I will post accordingly. I did hear the emphatic response to North Korea's launching of a missle by Obama, I guess they are just trembling in fear! It was so strongly worded that they saw the hidden strength lying within him....NOT!

Is there anybody out there?

Does anyone besides myself see the obvious hypocrisy of Obama's administration? His flunkies all say that "we are here to save the United States and all its citizens from the evils of George Bush and his Republican cronies". Everything that is bad; the deficit, the war in Iraq, stem cell research, restrictions on abortions, the war on terror, enemy combatants, all these things and many more are going to change with one stroke of Obama's mighty pen. It should be the title of a movie "How to humble a great nation in only 60 short days!" Better yet; "Democracy to Socialism in less than a year!" If you are a hater of capitalism, then Obama's your man. If you like 'sharing the wealth', its a concept Obama embraces. Just keep in mind one thing, by the time he gets dones spending all our money, there will be no more wealth to share. Watch out world, Obama is bringing change, with him in charge, all we'll have left in our pockets is change!

Coaching course

I'm going to be in Ft Lauderdale from Mar 30 - April 6 and probably will not be able to write on my blog. I will be spending 8 - 10 hours per day on the soccer pitch seeking additional coaching skills. I'll write more when I return!

Global currency

My wife is back in the hospital so I have not had much time to write lately, but this subject is too concerning to ignore! Global currency? For those of you who might not have heard, tax cheat Tim Geitner (the individual now in charge of the IRS) said that the United States is "open" to discussions on a global currency. This is a very bad idea. It takes away our ability to determine the value of our own economy and puts that power into a 'global' entity. Ladies and gentlemen, we are giving away our rights and Obama is setting us up for a socialist or dictatorial regime. If we do not voice our outrage now, we will not have the opportunity to do so in the future. I pray every day that we have not been set on a path that will lead to our downfall, but the signs are all there.

Has Obama done something right?

So now the government is buying up all the toxic loans from the banks, sounds reasonable right? After all, its only with the idea that investors will put up their hard earned dollars first, then government will step in with additional dollars. But wait, aren't investors, capitalists etc. bad people? According to the Obama they are the ones that need to be punished, now he wants them to help? Interesting scenario, just remember the story of the beaver and the scorpion. The scorpion asked the beaver for a ride across the river, the beaver was reluctant because he thought the scorpion would sting him leaving him to die. But, the scorpion convinced him otherwise. Halfway across the river the scorpion stings the beaver. As the beaver feels the effects of the poison entering his body he asks the scorpion why. The scorpion tells him you can't change the true character of the animal. Interestingly enough the scorpion drowns because he can't swim the remaining way. So, here's the scorpion Obama telling the beaver investors that he won't sting them. I wonder if they will both end up drowning?

The unique goodness of people

I'm feeling very contemplative this a.m. and it could be due to the fact that I can still recognize goodness when it is present. I traveled this weekend to Logan with the Juan Diego men's soccer team to play two games, and was very impressed with how these young men carried themselves. Their behavior reminded me that there is an inherent goodness in most individuals and that when faced with challenges, or situations that call for them to respond in a forthright manner, most people will respond admirably. This is certainly true in almost all of life's scenarios. A sincere desire of mine is that this goodness will always be present, that we as individuals, and a society will always respond with compassion, caring and love for our fellow human beings (even the liberal Democrats, who probably need it more than most!).

Personal tax attack

So now Congress can pick out select individuals and entities they feel are misusing monies and tax them at 90%. What is up with that? Are we really going to let our representatives get away with this? Are we really giving up our rights so quietly? Who the heck do these people think they are? These are the same Senators and Congressmen that passed an stimulus bill that approved all these bonuses, and now they are acting outraged? The same bill that not one Senator or Congressman even read contained an ammendment that was requested by the White House allowing for these bonuses, and then the White House says "Who us? We did not know!" What a bunch of lying, hypocritical ******* (supply your own expletive). I've said it before, I'll say it again, we are being led down a slippery path to destruction.

Food for thought!

My son told me a story today about a sandwich. He said that the way liberal’s think can be represented by someone who is eating a sandwich. As they are eating, a hungry homeless person approaches and asks for half the sandwich. The individual eating the sandwich gives half of it to the homeless man. This gesture provides food for the hungry, gratefulness for the food, and a sense of caring by the person giving up half the sandwich. Liberals believe that they should hold a gun to the head of the person eating the sandwich in order to force the individual to give up half (if not more) of the sandwich to the homeless person. Such idiocy provides food for the hungry, but no gratefulness on the part of the homeless person, and certainly not a sense of caring by the person providing the food. Instead what it provides is anger and resentment by the person providing food, and a sense of entitlement by the person receiving the sandwich. The feelings generated are negative in aspect, not positive. Negative actions produce negative results and both the hungry and the sandwich eater are negatively impacted. Perhaps liberals need to think about resulting consequences when considering taking from one individual or segment of society to give to another. No matter how well-meaning they are, negativity will be the end result.

Soccer is like life...

Every time I coach, watch or play in a soccer match I am reminded of how much like life soccer is. Perhaps that is why I enjoy coaching it so much. You can never be one hundred percent sure of just how the ball will bounce, just like you can never be sure of how life events are going to take place, and just like soccer matches, no one is quite sure of who is going to win and who is going to lose, no matter how much the experts like to predict otherwise. Soccer also likes to teach lessons to the players of the game. Life also teaches lessons to the players, which are all of us. Whether you win or not is immaterial, if you improve through every game, then ultimately you can achieve your goals, and the same is true of life. If you learn from your mistakes then you will ultimately achieve your goals in life, improving with each learning experience. I try to emphasize to my players that I do not care if they win or lose, but I do care that they put forth a total effort. I can imagine my Father in Heaven telling me the same thing; hopefully, I will remember that throughout my life.

Mistakes made

Moving quickly in order to secure his agenda leaves Barack Obama with egg on his face again and again. The question of the day is; does anyone but myself happen to feel that one of the reasons he seems to be moving so swiftly to seize power in the health care, finance, auto and energy industries is because Americans are discovering additional information concerning this socialist president and he knows we will not put up with such shenanigans? If so, then what conservatives need to do is keep up the pressure, never relenting in our goal to return America to its former greatness. If we become complacent, then it is as much our fault as it is Obama's that America becomes one more failed experiment to socialistic practices on the littered highway of defeat.

FBI raids

Did you hear about the FBI raid on the office of the new "computer czar" Barack Obama just hired? After the raid was completed two employees of the czar were arrested for corruption. Nice to see that so much 'change' has been brought to D.C.

A sad state of affairs

I listened to the news today and was saddened by two events involving young people shooting others with no regard at all to human life. One young German took the lives of 15 people, while another young American took the lives of 10 others, including his mother, uncle, aunt and cousin. How sad this makes me. It is especially disheartening to hear stories like this because well-meaning individuals use events such as this to say we should not have the right to bear arms. I realize the immensity of senseless death, but if we allow our rights to be trampled upon, they will be, especially with a Socialist like Obama in office.

Responding to attacks.

I do not normally include in my rants entire articles on any subject. I often refer to articles and news reports etc., but I always try to cite those (at least informally) in the text. Today I am including a complete article that was emailed to me due to its importance. Living life as a Mormon can sometimes be interesting, especially when others who are not Mormon misunderstand Mormon beliefs. According to the person who sent this to me, the article depicts the official Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints view on a controversial subject. What I liked about it, and the reason why I have included it, is that it applies to all religious groups and entities that have been attacked unfairly or have been discriminated against. If we could all respond to our detractors using this method, the world would be a much better place.


SALT LAKE CITY 9 March 2009 Like other large faith groups, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints sometimes finds itself on the receiving end of attention from Hollywood or Broadway, television series or books, and the news media. Sometimes depictions of the Church and its people are quite accurate. Sometimes the images are false or play to stereotypes. Occasionally, they are in appallingly bad taste.
As Catholics, Jews and Muslims have known for centuries, such attention is inevitable once an institution or faith group reaches a size or prominence sufficient to attract notice. Yet Latter-day Saints – sometimes known as Mormons - still wonder whether and how they should respond when news or entertainment media insensitively trivialize or misrepresent sacred beliefs or practices.
Church members are about to face that question again. Before the first season of the HBO series Big Love aired more than two years ago, the show’s creators and HBO executives assured the Church that the series wouldn’t be about Mormons. However, Internet references to Big Love indicate that more and more Mormon themes are now being woven into the show and that the characters are often unsympathetic figures who come across as narrow and self-righteous. And according to TV Guide, it now seems the show’s writers are to depict what they understand to be sacred temple ceremonies.
Certainly Church members are offended when their most sacred practices are misrepresented or presented without context or understanding. Last week some Church members began e-mail chains calling for cancellations of subscriptions to AOL, which, like HBO, is owned by Time Warner. Certainly such a boycott by hundreds of thousands of computer-savvy Latter-day Saints could have an economic impact on the company. Individual Latter-day Saints have the right to take such actions if they choose.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as an institution does not call for boycotts. Such a step would simply generate the kind of controversy that the media loves and in the end would increase audiences for the series. As Elder M. Russell Ballard and Elder Robert D. Hales of the Council of the Twelve Apostles have both said recently, when expressing themselves in the public arena, Latter-day Saints should conduct themselves with dignity and thoughtfulness.
Not only is this the model that Jesus Christ taught and demonstrated in his own life, but it also reflects the reality of the strength and maturity of Church members today. As someone recently said, “This isn’t 1830, and there aren’t just six of us anymore.” In other words, with a global membership of thirteen and a half million there is no need to feel defensive when the Church is moving forward so rapidly. The Church’s strength is in its faithful members in 170-plus countries, and there is no evidence that extreme misrepresentations in the media that appeal only to a narrow audience have any long-term negative effect on the Church.
Examples:
During the Mitt Romney election campaign for the presidency of the United States, commentator Lawrence O’Donnell hurled abuse at the Church in a television moment that became known among many Church members as “the O’Donnell rant.” Today, his statements are remembered only as a testament to intolerance and ignorance. They had no effect on the Church that can be measured.
When the comedy writers for South Park produced a gross portrayal of Church history, individual Church members no doubt felt uncomfortable. But once again it inflicted no perceptible or lasting damage to a church that is growing by at least a quarter of a million new members every year.
When an independent film company produced a grossly distorted version of the Mountain Meadows Massacre two years ago, the Church ignored it. Perhaps partly as a result of that refusal to engender the controversy that the producers hoped for, the movie flopped at the box office and lost millions.
In recent months, some gay activists have barraged the media with accusations about “hateful” attitudes of Latter-day Saints in supporting Proposition 8 in California, which maintained the traditional definition of marriage. They even organized a protest march around the Salt Lake Temple. Again, the Church has refused to be goaded into a Mormons versus gays battle and has simply stated its position in tones that are reasonable and respectful. Meanwhile, missionary work and Church members in California remain as robust and vibrant as ever, and support for the Church has come from many unexpected quarters — including some former critics and other churches.
Now comes another series of Big Love, and despite earlier assurances from HBO it once again blurs the distinctions between The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the show’s fictional non-Mormon characters and their practices. Such things say much more about the insensitivities of writers, producers and TV executives than they say about Latter-day Saints.
If the Church allowed critics and opponents to choose the ground on which its battles are fought, it would risk being distracted from the focus and mission it has pursued successfully for nearly 180 years. Instead, the Church itself will determine its own course as it continues to preach the restored gospel of Jesus Christ throughout the world.

Global Warming

Raise your hand if you believe in global warming. Come on, I see you out there! If you really don't know what to believe perhaps you should know that there is a conference being held right now in New York City that is being attended by 70 scientists who state that global warming is a myth, and it is propulgated by idiots such as Al Gore in order to make money. These aren't the only scientists that believe the same way, there are over 650 other scientists who recently stated the same thing. I love to research and write papers, and have done a lot of studying on the global warming phenomena and I have come to the conclusion that the earth warms and cools naturally and that all the billions of dollars being spent on proving otherwise are ending up in fatcat wallets who take advantage of governments and other entities to steal money from taxpayers. Science has not shown that the earth is cooling, in fact the opposite is true. The earth is now cooler by 4 degrees than it was 1000 years ago. More recently, the last five years have shown that the earth is growing cooler not warmer. Of course, Al and his friends will tell you that the reason it is getting cooler is due to global warming, but only an idiot like Al would even pretend to believe that, especially since his pockets are the ones being lined with our cash!

My right to pray!

This is a headline of an article I read today: "Private and Christian schools in Illinois are being told not to pray at athletic events". My question is; when did we become so politically correct that now we cannot ask our Saviour, or our God, for assistance in human endeavors? Who do these people think they are that they can tell me that my strength, my faith, my belief in God is something that I cannot call on in times when I really need that strength to help me through? I've said it before and I will say it again; if you give these people who wish to take away our rights an inch, they will keep pushing until they have a foot, then a yard, and then the entire measuring stick will be theirs to brandish over our heads. Now, we are to the point that even if we send our kids to religious schools because we are tired of being told who and what we can pray to, we will still be told who and what we can pray to. I coach at a Catholic school and we pray before every game, even though I'm not Catholic, I will vehemently oppose anyone who attempts to take those rights away. Heaven help us when we cannot even call on heaven to help us!

DOMA

Did you hear the news? Now we have 15 gay couples (that's an oxymoron) that are filing a federal lawsuit to overturn the Defense of Marriage Act. In other words we are being forced to acknowledge that gays and lesbians can receive federal funding because they are married! What is really sad about all this is that they are also attempting to overturn Prop 8 that the majority of citizens in California voted to uphold. Radical judges can now rescind what the majority desires, with no reasoning at all. Frankly, I'm sick and tired of gays and lesbians telling me that I have to accept their deviant lifestyle. I don't have to accept it, and I won't. It's wrong, immoral, and deviant.

Jobs, not work!

I listened to the blathering idiots on the radio this a.m. and once again I just have to laugh at what they find important. These two characters were talking about the city of Orem listing one hundred new jobs created by changing a traffic light. The city officials were filling out an application in order to receive a portion of the "stimulus" money that our esteemed President has promised will 'save our economy'. The most interesting thing about this is in four years Barack will be able to say "My plan created millions of new jobs" and people will believe him. One hundred people to change a traffic light, one hundred people to paint lines on the road, one hundred people to move rocks from one side of the street to the other, all those hundreds add up. What the city officials don't tell you is that these are not jobs, they are work. Work ends, jobs don't! We are quickly traveling a road that will become a slippery path to socialism.

Conservatives Arise

There have been a number of prominent conservatives at the recent CPAC convention, many of them touting the same message. "We must return to our conservative roots in order to win back control of the country". The problem I have with that is what they did when they were in control. The acted like Democrats! Spending billions of dollars, wasting money (our money!) and generally acting as if all they wished to do was get reelected. I say we get rid of them all, and start over. We conservatives should determine whether the people we are voting for will actually stand up for our beliefs and if they don't, then just say NO! I'm very tired of listening to politically correct Senators and Congressmen who don't wish to offend anyone. What I want is someone who will stand up, state his/her beliefs and don't back down. If the liberals are offended, so be it!

Help

I'm listening to Sean Hannity on the radio. He has a couple of 'financial experts' on the air with him, and it is interesting to hear what they have to say. No matter what they espouse, the bottomline is that our government is spending much more money than they are collecting. This cannot continue without dire consequences. A number of events will happen if the spending continues. The government will have to print more money to pay the interest payments, which will cause inflation. Or the government will have to raise taxes, not only on the rich, but on everyone, in order to generate additional revenues to pay the payments on the debt we are accumulating. That is the Democrats way of thinking. The Republicans believe that lowering taxes increases revenues (which has proven true in the past) and in decreased spending. Both beliefs are needed right now, but the Democrats are in charge. Even when we had Republicans in charge, they acted like Democrats. I say get rid of the entire kit and kaboodle, put some true conservatives in charge, and reverse direction the country is currently traveling. If we do not do so, we will need serious help, and soon!

A nation of quitters!

Does everyone feel better now? We were so enlightened last night upon watching our revered leader inform us that "we are not quitters" that all citizens everywhere should be rising this morning with new blood in our veins, hope in our hearts and the assurance that Mr. Barack is on the job. Wow, I feel so much better already. I think I'll run right out and buy myself a new mansion and a Mercedes to boot! I really have no worries whatsoever, if I fail, I will have the government there to bail me out. With a cradle to grave society, spending by the Dems that puts even the Republicans to shame, pork barrel projects that are marked as stimulus, health care for one and all, and a cap on earnings, what more could I ask for? Oh, I know, how about we just bring back Karl Marx and have him teach us about Utopia? Barack seems to understand it already, so we're halfway there. Can we quit now?

Very little faith in a socialist

Good ole Barack is now telling us that he can lead us to the promised land. He is a pie-in-the-sky arrogant con man who thinks the American public are stupid sheep that can be led to the slaughter house without even a bleat. He is leading us down the path of destruction, all the while telling us that he will solve all of America's problems. What a bunch of horse manure. His staff said in a meeting this morning that he has done more to help America in his first thirty days than all the rest of the modern day Presidents have done during their entire sojourn(s) in the White House. That is what I mean by arrogance par excellence. What an obnoxious twit.

Soccer balls are everywhere

Is it right to specialize in sports training? Should we be pushing our children into playing a certain sport at the age of 5-6? Some experts would say no, they would throw up their hands in disgust concerning specialized camps, practices three and four times a week, tournaments every weekend and huge amounts of money being spent to become the next Pele. These same experts would throw out statistics that show approximately 1% of children will grow up to actually play these sports as adults on a professional level. They would also say that we should give our offspring the chance to experience different sports at different levels. On the other hand, Tiger Woods had a golf club in his hand at two years of age, and has experienced success at every level, and in fact has set the standards for golfers for years and decades to come. I love coaching the sport of soccer, to me it is the beautiful sport! I believe that lessons learned while playing soccer will translate into life experiences, and I also believe that learning how to play the game well will build a child's self-esteem, provide a concept of teamwork, and supply the player with confidence to accomplish any objective. I oftentimes see coaches who forget that its the players who matter, not the win or loss record, or number of trophies a team will get. Do the players enjoy the experience? Do they show good sportsmanship? Do they play up to their capabilities? That's what sports will teach them if coached in a proper manner. This is true at every level, and at every sport, not just soccer. But, soccer is still the best!

Move over Beethoven

I wrote a couple of songs a while back and have had them reverberating through my mind all day today. I wonder if that means that some famous performer is going to buy one of them soon? Maybe I should write a song about the world and all its confusion...it could go something like this;

I live as I think I should
I accomplish things that only I could
When I sing (I sing something good)
I'd write more songs, of merriment and wood
Of fairies flitting between the trees
Ships being tossed on turbulent seas
Hearing the soft drone of honey bees
From all evil, everyone flees
I wish, I wish I could live
I wish, I wish that I could give
Life to more, more to life
Take away all hardships and strife
Through the woods and fields
With burnished shields
Forever I'll live
And never I'll yield.

Have a great day!

A jaundiced eye

A couple of students read my blogs today and had the gall to tell me I was pessimistic. Interesting perception, not that I agree with it. I am totally optimistic that Americans can change the world if they so desire. I'm just not so sure they wish to do so. It is a totally different world today than it was when I was a youngster. We were willing to stand up and be responsible for our actions. We would never have voted for a socialist as our president. We would have taken on the challenge of a bad economy with an attitude that belied its difficulty. That was then, this is now. I may be pessimistic, or it might just be realism at its best. I tend to believe more in the latter than the former.

I'm shaking my head in disbelief...

The year was 2001, my business had just been shuttered, I had taken every cent I had left to give to the employees that were now out of a job, my house was being foreclosed on, three of my four cars had been repossessed, and life looked to be as bleak and forlorn as it could possibly be. I never once thought about asking the government for help, and in fact blamed myself entirely for making business and financial choices that turned out to be as wrong as they could be. Little did I realize that just eight short years later, the U.S. government would be handing out billions of dollars to save people who had made the same mistakes I had made. Now that I am back on my feet (relatively speaking), the government is going to take the money that I am now earning and give it to those who are 'more deserving' than me. What is wrong with this picture? Is it me, am I the only one out there that is truly bothered by the socialistic aspect of all these 'bailouts'? I saw the Newsweek cover last week that blasts the reader with "We are all Socialists Now". Duh! It took them long enough to realize it, too bad they were trying to be tongue-in-cheek, because in reality that is exactly what we are becoming.

Be Prepared

When I was younger (much younger) I was a Boy Scout for a while. Through membership in this fine organization I learned a number of things that have helped me during my life. One of the most important was the motto "Be Prepared". I am so much more organized now than I used to be that it is much simpler matter for me to apply those two words in my life. As I listen to the liberal media spew off about the 'major' accomplishment that Barack Obama has achieved in regards to the 'stimulus' bill, these two words "BE PREPARED" resonate through my thinking. I am, therefore, working hard at getting my finances in order, working on food storage, and ensuring that no matter what type of inflationary and restrictionary tactics are implemented by our government, I will be prepared. I will be prepared to fight back, make my voice heard, and struggle against the tyranny being displayed by the arrogant and obnoxious elected officials who have totally forgotten their role in the play of life.

This too shall pass

One of Abraham Lincoln's favorite sayings was "and this too shall pass". If you think about it for a couple of minutes you'll probably realize that he was correct. Everything in life passes, it is how we learn from our experiences that count the most. Win, lose, draw, none of it matters if we don't gain knowledge. Perhaps that is why we, as a nation, are going through what we are going through right now. You always have to experience the bad in life to truly appreciate the good.

Obama's inexperience and radicalism

Obama believes that the only way to get out of a recession is to pass the largest socialistic spending bill every witnessed by our government! His naive socialistic approach will ruin the only true free country in the world. His plan is to have government take over every important aspect of daily living, and we are allowing it to happen. Inform your neighbors, inform your friends, inform your colleagues and inform your families! Send Bennett, Hatch, Matheson, Chavetz and every other official you can think of supportive emails or letters to let them know that this boondoggle is a harbinger of disaster for our country!

Bargain Basement

Anyone take a look at the stock market lately? Talk about bargains! I worked for Merrill Lynch & First Union (Wachovia) for over a decade and witnessed first hand the ups and downs of the market. Remember the technology growth of the 1990's, I was there! I made a lot of money buying and selling stocks back then, too bad I lost it all trying to make money as a business owner. Oh well, live and learn. Getting back to the market, what a great time to buy. I just bought some Citigroup since it was on sale. Not a lot, you understand, because I really don't have much in the way of discretionary funds, but I just could not pass it up. I guess we'll see if I can make some money in the long run. Buy low---Sell high! By the way, this is not advice from a registered investment manager, in fact, it's not advice at all. Just an observation that a lot of stocks seem to be on sale. The only thing that really worries me is that the market will react adversely to this stupid "stimulus" package, and if it passes the market may take a long, long time to recover, if ever.

Opportunities to learn

I am very disheartened by what many of the liberals in our national government are doing to our country, and it makes me angry! I've witnessed this type of Keynesian financial policies before, and it does not work. I knew his actions were going to be bad but I sure did not think change was going to be a reversion to the Jimmy Carter years. Another aspect was seeing our President angry that the citizens did not just bow down and worship his very words, that was interesting to see. Perhaps he is just beginning to find out that it was the liberal media that elevated him to a godlike status, and that once people actually understood what he stands for, his popularity would plummet to a mere mortal state. The one good thing about our country's current situation is that we now have an opportunity to learn and grow from sustained hardships. This type of learning always leaves a lasting impression and it's usually a good thing for citizens to understand what it takes to recover from bad government.

Same sex marriages

Today two judges on the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals (California) have ruled that the US government has to pay health benefits to same sex partners and that the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) is unconstitutional. All this after the citizens of California voted that they were against same sex marriages. I wonder who these judges think they are? To blatantly go against the wishes of the citizens is horrendous and wrong. Just another event in a long line of liberal attacks against the conservative individuals in America, even when the voters voices are clear, the liberals don't care. We are traveling a path leading straight to hell.

Really?

I usually awaken between 5 - 5:30 am, turn the radio on and listen to the blathering idiots talk about the news of the day. This morning I heard two of them tell me "Obama is really mad because the 'stimulus' bill is having a hard go. Obama says the people of America want change and he has a mandate to get these things done". Really? He has a mandate for change? I believe he is starting to believe his own mantra of change, change, change. He believes that because the liberal media fawns over his every word, that America does too. Guess what, some of us aren't simple enough to believe that his type of change is good. Stimulus bill? I think not. We really should call it what it is; a massive transfer of wealth spending bill that caters to every offbeat group and liberal dialogue that can be found. We, our children and our grandchildren will be paying for this for the rest of our lives.

Another one bites the dust

Is it just me? Does anyone else see the hypocrisy of Obama's choices for many of his top cabinet jobs? It's interesting that on the same day Tom Daschle and Nancy Killefer both withdrew their names for consideration for top jobs because of failure to pay taxes. They both withdrew because they knew they would not have the full faith of the American people. But, Tim Geitner does? Obama stood by all these choices, "absolutely" backing his picks. All this bungling on top of the massive Obama/Pelosi/Reid payback bill makes me wonder what in the world the next four years have in store for us. I've never witnessed such overwhelming incompetence, and I lived through the Jimmy Carter years! One last note, if this 'non-stimulus' bill passes, be ready for skyhigh inflation within two years. The only way the U.S. government will be able to pay any of its bills will be to print more money. Printing more money means high inflation. I, for one, am preparing for the biggest fiasco since Carter.

Stories

Stories

If I the skill of Amphion
A new city would I build
Without the help of my mates
Or workers without guild
Instead I tarry at my words
Their secrets to unfold
I lurk at their glorious gate
Of stories still untold

I was in a poem writing mood tonight. For those who are interested a book of my poems can be purchased online at BarnesandNoble.com. Look for Plates of Gold, or (if politics is more your bag) The Donkey and the Elephant, both authored by yours truly.

Whoa!

ACORN and its subsidiaries and spinoffs are set to receive almost $5 billion dollars from the 'stimulus' package the Democrats have shoved down our throats. This is not good. House GOP leader John Boehner is alarmed over the money that is being thrown to groups like ACORN who has been accused of terrorist tactics, voter fraud, corporate shakedowns and partisan bullying.

ACORN, and other similar groups, have held protests across the nation using intimidation and threatening actions to get banks to stop foreclosing on those individuals who are not paying their mortgages. Many of these people who are not paying their mortgages are the same ones who were given loans by those banks after ACORN threatened them in the first place. Talk about a bunch of hypocrits and thieves! Now they are going to be rewarded for helping Obama? With five billion of our dollars? Anybody else see anything wrong with this picture?

I remember the voter questioned in North Carolina at the polls. When asked who she voted for she replied, "Obama, cause with him as President I will no longer have to pay for gas, or my mortgage, or anything!" I guess she was right. Nothing like redistribution of wealth, right?

It is time to take action! For those of you in Utah who are worried about this so-called 'stimulus package' the two Senators to contact are Orrin Hatch, and Jim Matheson. Their websites are:
hatch.senate.gov and https://forms.house.gov/matheson/contact_sec.shtml. When you go to their websites there is a place to send them a message. I sent them both messages telling them not to vote for this pork-barrel filled bill that just gives government more power, authority and control. If you are as concerned as I am, please do the same. This is what the Heritage Foundation (a conservative think tank) wrote about this bill:

No New Jobs or Money. The proposed $825 billion “stimulus” package would not put any new money into the economy. Every dollar lawmakers “inject” into the economy must first be taxed or borrowed out of the economy. Robbing Peter to pay Paul will not make us wealthier or create jobs.
Wasteful Spending. Special interests are lining up to get their piece of the pie. For example, the bill will spend $21 million on new sod for the National Mall in Washington , $600 million on cars for government bureaucrats, and $650 million for digital television converters.
More Bailouts. The “stimulus” rewards states that irresponsibly wasted taxpayer dollars. The legislation contains $87 billion to bail out states that overspent on other programs and didn’t leave money for Medicaid spending.
The Numbers Don’t Add Up. President Obama claims that spending $800 billion would create 3.7 million new jobs. That means taxpayers pay $217,000 per job! Even the average pediatrician or lawyer does not earn nearly as much as these new jobs would cost. It would be cheaper to mail each of these workers a $100,000 check.

It is a power grab by the liberals, and I for one am going to let my voice be heard!

Motivate

I recently watched a video (http://www.maniacworld.com/are-you-going-to-finish-strong.html) that reminded me of the hardships we all must endure. Each individual will be judged according to the decisions we make. We have the freedom to make any and all choices, good, bad or indifferent and the fact that each decision affects someone besides ourselves is one of the aspects of life I believe we have to learn. I'm still having a hard time learning that one! I always think I'm right (especially in politics) yet as I continue to write this blog on a consistent basis, I have to take into account the feelings of others. I'm getting better at it, but some of the things I write still offend people. They aren't meant too, but they do. What my writings are meant to do is to get the reader(s) to think. The written word is one of the most powerful tools in the world we live, and some writers would have you believe that the world is much more devastating than what it is. Don't believe them! You have the power to accomplish whatever you desire. You have the capabilities to do anything and go anywhere. Don't let government or the media or the written word destroy your desire to succeed. If you allow them to do that, then they have successfully thwarted the human spirit. Pick yourself up, be strong, be courageous, and live a good life!

The Jackpot!

Did liberal groups just hit the jackpot? I believe so...various groups like Planned Parenthood, International abortion groups, Acorn, and many, many others have all been told they will receive millions and billions of dollars from the 'stimulus package'. Nice job Democrats, seize the power and reward your constituents with as much of our money as you possibly can. That way you will always remain in control and you can enjoy exactly what it is you are proposing...socialism. One word of warning; socialism has failed everwhere it has been tried, and it will fail again. I'm just sorry that you will ruin America in the process.

Restaurant News...

I've been on a health food kick lately, which isn't as bad as it sounds. I am eating vegetables, fruits, salads and (my mainstay) meat much more often than I was last year and I have lost a total of 8.5 lbs this year. My goal is 20 lbs by the end of March. Much of this focus on eating healthy is primarily because my wife is so limited as to what she can eat. She is told by one doctor to eat more protein, by another that she needs to add carbs, and another that tells her to watch her sodium and potassium levels. We actually have to laugh at times because one doctor will add a food to her diet, the next doctor will tell her to stay away from that very same food. I've also been drinking a lot of water which (at the very least) helps me maintain a full stomach. Since I am being much more cognizant of what I am eating, I'm also checking carbs and calories of what I enjoy eating and have discovered that the burgers at most sit down restaurants are up to 2,000 calories and filled with all kinds of fat. What a bummer! Now what am I supposed to eat when I go out? I guess its just steak and salads for me (what a shame).

Environmentalists rejoice!

Today Barack Obama ordered the government to quit "standing in the way" of tougher emissions standards for California and other states. He said "for the sake of our security, our economy and our planet, we must have the courage and commitment to change". What the heck is he talking about? At a time when the automakers are requesting billions of dollars in 'bailout' funds, Barack wants to push even tougher standards on them. Great idea! Now that's really going to put America in a more secure position. I'll never understand how tougher emissions standards equates to better security, or how they will affect the economy (except in a negative manner) but remember change is what we wanted, and change is what we get!

Something smelly in the senate

Rhetorical question; does the world seem much more evil today than in years gone past? It sure seems that way to me. Headlines blast the senses about senators involved in scams, senators in airport bathrooms, senators remodeling homes, senators traveling the world in private jets, senators wishing to 'nationalize' the oil industry, senators who believe that taxpayer's money is their money, senate wrongdoings in buying/selling positions, and even senators who fail to pay taxes. Lumping them all into one tarnished pot is probably not the answer, but the problem continues to grow and when we as citizens are held in contempt by those who are supposedly elected by us, to represent us, then something is terribly wrong. The culture found in the Senate is one that is corrupt and should be washed clean. How we accomplish that is the question of the day. Any suggestions?

Abortions abroad and other changes!

Any of you that voted for the change that Obama promised should now be jumping for joy. He is preparing an executive order to reverse President Bush's ban on American tax dollars being distributed to international abortion groups. Our tax dollars paying for foreigners to kill babies. That is what I call real change. Not only is he signing that executive order he also plans on the following steps (if you don't believe me, check the White House website!):

1. Defeating all state and federal constitutional efforts to defend the millennia-old definition of natural marriage from attacks by "gay marriage" activists.

2. Repealing the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) signed into law by Bill Clinton in 1996. This is the only line of defense keeping all 50 states from being forced to recognize so-called "same-sex marriages" from extremely liberal states like Massachusetts and Connecticut.

3. Repealing the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy despite the fact that the vast majority of military commanders and personnel say it will dangerously disrupt unit cohesion and troop morale.

4. Passing constitutionally dubious and discriminatory "hate crimes" legislation, granting homosexuals and cross-dressers exclusive rights – denied other Americans – based on sexual behaviors that are deviant, changeable, and widely regarded both here and around the world as immoral.

5. Passing the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) which would force business owners (religious and otherwise) to abandon traditional values relative to sexual morality under penalty of law.

6. Creating intentionally motherless and fatherless homes and sexually confusing untold thousands of children by expanding "gay adoption." (Barber, 2009).

There's your change folks, it did not take long did it?

Family Foundation

Here I sit, feeling rather melancholy. I took my wife to the nephrologist yesterday, he is referring her to a surgeon for placement of a shunt so that she can begin dialysis. I've watched over the past seven years as her body has slowly deteriorated, but hoped that somehow the disease would miraculously reverse direction and once again she would be the vivacious, assertive, outgoing lady that I married. On the way home she asked me "did you think this was how it was going to be?" I knew what she was talking about but what was I supposed to say? When a man and a women commit to each other, it's not just words, it's real, it's life, it's reality. I look around at all the misfortune, all the chaos in society and it all comes down to one truth: the family is society's foundation. Without that familial foundation, society flounders. When society attempts to circumvent the process (allowing gay marriages etc.) the effects are catastrophic on all members of society. This fact has hit home lately as I've observed my wife's condition. Without the foundation and support of family, we as a society are lost.

Chance for change

For all those individuals out there spouting out the words "give him a chance, let's see what he can do!" the following evidence is presented; 1) Barack announced today that he was expanding the "hate crimes" statutes to include additional punishments for those crimes committed because of sexual orientation, 2) Barack supports full civil unions (marriages) and federal rights for gays, and he is attempting to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act, 3) Barack is repealing the military's "don't ask, don't tell policy" and wants gays to serve openly in the military, 4) Barack wants gays to have full adoption rights because (as he states) "a child will benefit from a healthy and loving home, whether the parents are gay or not" 5) Barack wishes to increase funding for family planning and comprehensive sex education while removing restrictions against contraception (such as getting parent's approval). All this in the first day, wow what changes have been wrought!

Hope?

I "hope" for our future, but I fear that such hope is ill-founded. After all, almost anyone can say the right words and get enough people to believe them. With Barack assuming the Presidency today all you hear from the major media is "hope, hope, hope". To me they are just words. It's a person's actions that I critique, and when the country is in a major recession, thousands of jobs are lost, billions are spent on 'bailouts' and our new President says 'everybody has to do their part" and then spends 4x as much on his inauguration than the next closest one, I'd say that was pretty damn crass! ACTIONS not words show the true character of a man. "I did not know Bill Ayers was a terrorist, I did not know Reverend Wright was a racist pig, I did not know the governor of Illinois was selling my seat, I did not know that my pick for Treasury did not pay taxes, I did not know my choice for Commerce was being investigated by the FEDS, in fact I did not know nothing!" Nice to have a President that knows so much.

Captain Bush

I recently read an article that disparaged President Bush's eight years in office to a degree that made me cringe. What editorials like the one I read fail to recognize is the job responsibilities of the President can be condensed into a series of negotiations. These negotations take place between the President and Congress and the American people (lately the American people's voice has become less and less a factor). When the President wishes to wage a war in order to halt the advance of a philosophy that seeks to rule the world, he must first consult with Congress. Congress then either agrees with him, or does not. In the majority of circumstances, Congress allows the President to conduct the war, approves the funding for the war and in return gets more flexibility to do what Congress wants, which is to spend more of the American people's money. Sometimes, this is a good thing. When we have been attacked on American soil and thousands of citizens have died, then of course we must reciporcate. If we do not, then the perpetrators of such evil deeds will feel emboldened and will continue to press their advantage. However, many in Congress could not care less about protecting the citizenry. The way they see it is they now have carte blanche to spend more dollars on other programs, thereby cementing their reelections. The additional spending on the war coupled with the additional spending on new and existing government programs adds up to billions (and now) trillions of dollars. If the economy goes into recession because of this spending, is anyone surprised? I'm certainly not. It's human nature to blame the 'Captain', but in this case, blame can be equally porportioned to Congress as well.

My kingdom for a shoe!

I find it very pathetic that some people in Salt Lake City are throwing a block party next week to say goodbye to our President. At this party will be a caricature of President Bush at which individuals are invited to throw a shoe. I considered attending with the sincere desire to pick up a shoe and throw it at the organizers! Just goes to show how deeply obsessed some people are. Perhaps what they should do is take a good hard look at themselves to discover why they harbor such animosity. They just might discover that it is them, not President Bush who should be blamed for the troubles in their respective lives. If only I had a shoe!

Give em an inch

Desire is a strong human nature. We humans constantly desire things we do not have. We want what everyone else has. If you give us one thing, we want another. It's true in all aspects of life. When the 'quit smoking' fanatics from 20 years ago started their campaign of getting rid of smoking in the workplace, I said at the time, if you give them an inch they will take a mile. If you effectively ban cigarettes by raising taxes and passing prohibitive smoking laws, then once they are rid of all the rights of smokers, they will move on to the next thing, and then the next and the next and the next. They will do this by empahsizing the fact that they are saving our lives, they are protecting us, and lastly they are saving us money. They will couch their terms in the use of simple, but effective language that declares that they are only thinking of us. How sweet! A perfect example is the American Lung Association's recent report that gave the majority of state governments an 'F' grade for not regulating smokers.

"Effective tobacco control saves both lives and money," Charles D. Connor, president and chief executive officer of the lung association, said during a Monday afternoon teleconference. "Tobacco use is the number one preventable cause of death in America."

My biggest beef with all this is that what started as a program to get people to stop smoking in the workplace has ballooned into spending massive amounts of dollars, passing a vast amount of restrictions and laws that affect a small portion of our society. These groups want government to intervene in our lives, not only on the federal level, but on the state and local levels as well.

Vince Willmore, vice president for communications at the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, said: "This report underscores that we know how to win the fight against tobacco use in the United States, but need strong political leadership to implement proven solutions at all levels of government."

I'm using cigarette smokers as an example, but it could be any group that gets targeted. New York is now passing laws about what restaurants can sell, and California is looking to regulate what can be offered in grocery stores. Is it just me? Am I the only one worried about government regulators run amuck? Probably, but at we should be aware there are powerful groups out there that wish to regulate our lives, and I for one say to these government wonks, "stay out of my life, I can regulate it myself quite nicely thank you."

The can't do that bunch

I'm so very tired of listening to people say "that can't be done" or "you can't do that" or even "that's impossible" I could just scream. Instead of saying no, or can't, how about saying 'it can be done!" or "nothing is impossible!" With a little hard work, perseverence, dedication and discipline anything is possible and mountains can be moved. Now let's get with it America and quit canting to the side!

Individualism or 'cradle to grave'?

I was speaking with a lady in Ohio who was very into politics. She was on the county Board, she was running for office, and she was promoting an anti-gun bill. I asked her why she would want to do away with the right to bear arms guaranteed by the Bill of Rights, and she said "to protect our children". Hmm, I think I would much rather keep the right to bear arms and protect my own children. The question of the day is "why do liberals think they can do a much better job at 'protecting' us than what we can do for ourselves?" Ronald Regan had much more faith in the individual citizens of America than do any of the elected liberals now attempting to lead this country. Big government is not the answer, never has been, never will be. America is home to more independent, entrepenuerial, rugged individuals than any other nation ever and to take that away, is to take away the heart and spirit of our great nation!

Home schooling

I like to read, and I especially enjoy reading news of happenings around our great country and the world. I recently read an article about Idaho lawmakers who feel it necessary to pass into law a bill that protects parents in Idaho against social workers who charge them with 'educational neglect'. The social workers charge some parents who are home schooling their children in order to demand that they return the children to public schools. Once again, I'm going to rail against those government employees who think they know better than we parents do about what is the right education for our children. I wrote an earlier blog about the liberal bias to be found in the educational system, and these abuses by social workers are just another example of how liberals believe that everyone should kowtow to their idea of what is the right, and what is the wrong approach. I like the bill being submitted to Idaho's lawmakers in that it explicitly spells out the rights of parents to keep their kids from being brainwashed by liberal teachers. I considered holding my children out of public schools for a while, but decided not to because they were already learning conservatism in the home, as my wife and I constantly reminded them that they should never take any statements (even by teachers) at face value. I'm glad that I did not pull my kids because they were able to experience firsthand the nonsense that some liberals like to espouse as education. All four of my sons have learned to laugh at such silliness.

Combating Liberal Bias

How does the common citizen combat the rampant liberalism displayed in the media and in our educational system? That is a question I ask myself on almost a daily basis, and one possible answer could be the internet. What a fantastic tool to disseminate information. The problem, however, is that liberal hypocrites use the media to continually bombard us and our children with their nonsensical ideas. Especially disconcerting are those that attack conservatives through insidious comments that no one in the major media counters. I've received a few emails that have asked me what can be done by those of us that are fearful of the direction in which the country seems to be moving, and to those I reply, "have faith! be strong, and pass these words along!" Like the hippie movement of the 60's "we shall overcome". Do not let us be dissuaded from our path to bring a modicum of sensibility back to America. Do not be fearful of those that would deride our efforts to live our lives in a conservative manner. Allowing those, in the media and elsewhere, who constantly purport the 'anything goes' mantra to continue unopposed will only continue to empower them. We must be willing to stand up to such nonsense and denounce it for exactly what it is, a weak justification for weak characters.

Stimulus Package?

Where have all the flowers gone? What is the meaning of life? How is a stimulus package stimulating? Answers to these and other important questions can be found blowing in the wind, or in other words, there aren't any answers. Instead we, the American people will be on the hook for another trillion dollars! It's like our elected leaders are the most stupid people on the face of the planet. They tried this 'stimulus package' last year and it did not work. What kind of idiot makes the same mistake again, and again, and again. Obviously its Congress and the soon to be new President. Who pays for their mistakes? Once more it will be the American people.

Intelligence Test

Okay, here's the scoop! After watching news coverage of our recent election where reporters asked people why they voted for Obama, and hearing the most nonsensical replies, I believe that it is time to implement a simple intelligence test before a person receives the right to vote. This is how it would work, as you walk into the voting location you are handed a card and directed to an electronic booth. You answer the questions on the card and have them scanned by the scanner. If you miss more than two of the five very simple questions, a buzzer sounds and you are escorted off the premises. You may try again, but remember the questions change with every card. Some sample questions might be; "who has been in charge of Congress during the last 4 years? or "what major issue has this candidate ever espoused" or even "how did your particular candidate vote on this issue?" Simple questions that any idiot wishing to vote should be able to answer. No pass, no vote!

Socialism running rampant

A recent quote by a senior regulatory expert at the Heritage Foundation caught my eye. The reason for my interest was because of President Bush's bailout of the auto industry. The expert, James Gattuso, said, "we've always had a free market economy, which means that companies rise and fall based upon what consumers say they want and how well [companies] manufacture a product without the government choosing who should win and who should lose in the marketplace." Gattuso also believes that the President was flaunting the law when he gave the money to the auto industry because the money came from the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) that was specifically approved by Congress to aid only financial institutions. I agree with Gattuso, how the heck is GM and Chrysler financial companies? They're not! Much of the trouble that GM/Chrysler find themselves in is due to their own making, and Congress is as much to blame as the companies are. Congress continually put into force laws that told the automakers exactly what they had to include in their manufacturing process and now the companies are paying the price. Who is there to bail them out? Congress of course! There are two really scary parts to this entire fiasco. First, the major media is going right along with Congress and the President by telling America that it is necessary for us to foot the bill. Second, the government is purchasing company stock making government major shareholders. Does anyone else besides me see anything wrong with this scenario? I never thought our country would have to face this type of crisis, and that we citizens would remain silent as government officials literally take over our lives. It is really scary! When you hear those who we voted into office say they want to 'socialize' the oil industry, put the coal companies out of business, buy banks and auto companies, something is really, really wrong. If we are silent about this, then we will deserve everything we get (or don't get as the case may be). It is my hope you readers will think about this, its our country, let's stand up to those who would take it from us!

Governor Corrupt

I'm so sick of reading and hearing about the Illinois governor that I could just puke. What a scumbag! Then today I read how the esteemed senator from Nevada, Mr Harry Reid, had called the governor before he was arrested to contribute his two cents worth to the situation. First Barack "I've never done anything wrong" Obama, and then Jesse "I have a huge contribution here in my pocket" Jackson Jr., now Harry "the hypocrite" Reid all trying to say they did nothing wrong concerning the governor's attempts to sell the seat. I think we should line them all up and horsewhip a sense of responsiblity into their little pea brains. They are a bunch of thieves, liars, philanderers and despots, yet they think they are above the law. Are we just going to sit back and allow these criminals to run our country completely into the ground? I sure hope not. Please America, come to your senses.

A little celebrating!

The more personal events in life sometimes can be quite joyful. First of all, my U-13 girls won the futsal indoor championship tonight by playing a dominating game, and then as I travel home through the slush and snow I listen to the University of Utah football team as they manhandled the Alabama Crimson Tide 31 - 17. Take that Nick Saban! Maybe next time you will learn to keep your big mouth shut and not put down your opponent for playing in a "non-BCS conference". Go Utes! Was Alabama even at the game? Utah scored enough in the first quarter to put it on cruise control until the end. Fantastic. One thing that I learned from watching this unfold, was that anyone can beat anyone. That's true in college football, competitive soccer, and even in life. My creedo: never give up, never surrender, never say die!

New Year's Resolutions

Ok, I know, I know, everyone makes New Year's Resolutions and then only a few actually follow through. One reason why I make very few each year is so that I can really concentrate on what I wish to accomplish and have a good chance of doing so.
My first resolution is to lose 19 pounds before the end of March. When I attend my Premier licensing course in Ft Lauderdale the first week of April, I want to be in good enough shape to keep up with the younger coaches and one way to do that is by losing the extra poundage I am currently carrying. I have printed a list of low carb and high protein foods that I plan to stick to (at least until March). I'm also going to drink at least one glass of water per day the entire year. I drink far too much soda and wish to cut down so I will substitute a glass of water for soda each day. Last but not least, I resolve to run, jog, walk or bike at least 1000 miles this year. This is the same as last year, and I did so. I am one year older though, so I'm not going to raise the mileage, instead I will try to ride and run more consistently (instead of piling on all the miles during the summer).
Those are my resolutions for this year. Nothing to extravagant, but at least they are realistic. Have a Happy New Year and may God bless you with all that you need.