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.