Afraid

What holds us back? It's fear. It's the idea that we may fail. We're content. We'd rather be entertained than entertain. We aren't natural adventurers – if there isn't a map, we're afraid to attempt the journey. So what do we do?

We can cry. We can point out the mistakes of others, and their flaws. We can look inward and search, though sometimes fruitlessly. We search for things we love, enjoy. We can classify needs as wants and wants as needs; those that have come before us have defined such, but it's different for every individual. I need to feel free. There is no such thing as destiny, there are the paths I choose and the decisions I make. I don't care about what Laszlo thinks he has figured out.

We look to our mentors and idols and role models for courage, but being their clone can never make us happy; most of us don't have one, we have many or we have none.

We want to ask for help but don't know the words; we can say the word 'help' but that's the extent of our knowledge of what we require. Whether it be a level of nurturing or love or duty, does anyone know what the next growing step is? We can only hope that there is a next step, a next corner, a next obstacle, and that when we reach its summit, that we feel accomplished, if but only for a moment.

Sometimes we're alone. Those whom watch us grow and mature and blossom, those who counsel us and nurture us, they know us and know 'where we're coming from' but unless they're you, they can never fully understand us. The only person who can completely glimpse into the decisions we make and the reasons behind them are ourselves; unfortunately, most of us will never be capable of this feat. And quite a feat it would be. Perhaps upon reaching our death bed we can look back and see and understand ourselves purely, though that could only benefit the dying.

What are we left to do? Risk. Risk change, risk losing wants and needs, risk failing goals. Risk losing the love others have for us. Risk sanity. Risk control. Risk others not following through on their commitments. Risk others' opinions of you, positive or negative.

We crave. We need challenge. Occasionally we are willing to go all in. Sometimes once in a lifetime, sometimes never. Wants and needs become forever blurred; perhaps challenge is a want, for it is not air, food or water. It is, however, an appetite by definition. Without hunger can we consume the air and the food and the water our bodies and life-forces require to survive?

Some reach their bar, their level, their capacity. Others will not and never can. Behind every goal is another. Be a hero. Help those in need. Have a family, provide for them, guarantee their success, or, at least guarantee that they will never struggle. But is struggle not appetite of another flavor, that next level? Without that taste in their mouths, do our children stand a chance to succeed? If my children cannot surpass me then I know I have failed.

And what about others, those who help build and shape a system that confuses equality with will? I refer to a system favoring degrees over a hunger that cannot be taught or certified or diplomaed. Ancestory and income level are not things that can teach us how to be insatiable, nor is school or college. Perhaps you're born with it or learn it through struggle at early life stages. I have it. Success is not a want, it is a need. I don't know what happens if it doesn't occur, if it isn't reached. Give up? To what end?

I'm ravenous. Sometimes I think there's something wrong with me, though most times I know there's something wrong with the expectations of society. I refuse to conform to the ideas and the teachings of mediocrity. These lessons are not for me. I like to fail. I was able to ride a two-wheeler before my third birthday and somedays, with all my heart, I wish I was still that fearless, relentless three year old with bloody knees and holes in his jeans. I must have that drive left in here somewhere, in some forgotten, uncharted chamber of my heart. Where did the disconnect happen that I now consider mediocrity, a consideration that makes me nauseous and sick to my stomach to oblige?

Some days I think the world should shape itself around people like me, until my compassion gets the best of this thought. Most people need to be protected by someone bigger, stronger and smarter than themselves. I constantly battle to fit into a mold designed for people that couldn't be farther from who I am or what I need. But I'm searching. I want to know which crevice to conform to. Frankly, right now I feel like the world was not build for me and I was not built for it; the 'if you can't beat 'em, join em' attitude is approaching the horizon and it is not one I have yet fully indulged. What if this new horizon yields nothing to my needs?

My frustration asks why the world is like this, how it has grown into a system that gives into the weak and lazy. To be clear, by weak and lazy I refer to those not willing to live up to their ability.

So what's next? Where do we go from here, as man? As humanity? Around the next corner will we find the future or a turn to the past? To be prepared for everything means to be successful at nothing. Specialization is the word of the information age, but what are those of us whome are bored of specialization left with? We're left with internal storms ripping and roaring between conformity and success, in a town that feels like it's called Failure. Some of us are mayors of this town, but I want to move. Failure isn't trying and not succeeding, failure is not trying.

Self-motivation is perhaps the most difficult eating utensil to find on our metaphorical tables. Where does it come from? Sure, hunger tells us we have need. But self motivation must be some far off, foreign, long-forgotten recipe that must be too good to be real. A 'holy grail', so to speak. It's well above and beyond what a set of jumper cables can do. Answers, where are you?

Is there some voice, some carelessness, some ringing in our ears that tells us when there's an opportunity in front of us we shouldn't pass up?

What's wrong with us that instead of searching harder we would rather pierce those almost invisible chinks in the armor of those who show us love and compassion and future? While we lie in wait, while we anticipate being the figurative phoenix rising from the ashes of what our childhood selves knew we could be, we choose battles that don't matter. We start arguments so we can feel like we've at least won something. But those who love us, and stick by our sides, they don't deserve this from us. They deserve more focus, more caring, more love. They deserve not to be victims and casualties of our merciless search for success and perfection, they deserve our recognition, and our thanks, and our undying love.

We all, to some degree, remain stuck inside ourselves. We all reside in coffins within our own brains, buried alive and suffocating to death. Our dreams will die this way unless we claw our way out, dig tunnels to the surface and emerge survivors dedicated to meeting and conquering every challenge.

The worst saying I have ever heard is, “Think outside the box”. I refuse to think that there is a box. I refuse to think that originality is dead. There are new ways of doing things, of saying things, of telling people things, of selling things and of creating things. They're out there. Maybe it's because we've seen so many flavors of these 'things' over the years and decades and centuries that it's just easier to pick one that's worked and has been working than to think of a new way. A better way. A cleaner way, a way that is less harmful. A way that protects those whom cannot protect themselves. The computerization of the world has further pushed us into conformity. We have lost creativity, originality, and character. We think inside the box more so now that ever, especially now that the box is a physical, identifiable, tangible thing. If the computer can't do it then we can't do it. I'll tell you what, people – we accomplished unimaginable things before the implementation of the computer; from an engineering standpoint, we went to the moon. We created an aircraft that is the fastest and highest flying naturally aspirated human-piloted machine ever build by man; we did it over 60 years ago. And we did it all without computers. People and their brains thought this stuff up, not computers and websites and social media and the cloud.

We all give things up, we quit, we 'sell out'. For better or worse, we have to admit those things cannot be undone. It doesn't matter how much we miss those things and activities and freedoms, they're gone and it's over and it's time to grow and move on. It's time for what's next, it's time to let go. You've shed your tears and you've said your goodbyes but you fell like you're stuck and that next step feels impossibly far away. Meanwhile, through the fog that is need and want, you try to identify what you want. I just want to feel like I made a difference. In a life, in two, in three. A difference significant enough to improve lives. I search around for something to mimic and I can't find it; the difference I'm searching to be a part of may not yet exist.

For right now, for tonight, until tomorrow, I sit in tears. What's the answer? I'm patient but I want to know, I need to know. What's next, what do I do, where do I go from here? I'm on the top rung of the ladder frantically searching for the next step, looking for that next ledge to reach up for. I refuse to give into the notion that I'm a climber who's reached his peak. The mountain I'm on is higher than this, it's got to be. I just need to find that next handhold, that next foothold, to get me to that next foot further up. Where is it? I'm going crazy searching, waiting, attempting patience, and searching again, then waiting, and questioning whether I'm on the peak, and the searching more. I need to know. I need answers. What's next, where do I go, what can I do, who should I talk to, what can I say? Utterly, truly, tonight as I sit, I am without a paddle. 

Tax Cuts

I Just posted this on Facebook:

$248.6 billion of individual income taxes were collected in 2007. Our population is roughly 300 million people - this includes the elderly, working people, children and infants. That means the 'cost' per person in income taxes is just un...der $900 a year, per person. That would mean that a couple with 3 kids would cost $4500 a year. Fact is, most Americans don't paid their 'fair share' of taxes because the rich do for you.

If you're not paying your 'fair share' every year, you you have no right to complain when those who are paying your share get a tax cut.

A Recent Self-Relevation

"Comfort is the Father of Procrastination."

A Few Recent Thoughts

First thing's first. I think Netflix should offer another premium option to be able to stream anything that's not already streamed. Maybe limit to two a day or something - it's the only way they'll ever be able to compete with cable and satellite providers (with the exception being those folks who watch live sports). I love to watch streaming Netflix on my PS3 - everything I've seen is of acceptable quality. Unfortunately, some things I've seen look better on a PC than on the PS3. This, I'm sure, will improve with time. As another premium add-on package, Netflix could offer streaming shows a day or two after they air. Likely? Probably not for years - most networks already host their own ad-driven streaming shows on their respective websites (and these use technologies not compatible with my PS3, and also, there are commercials). I can't get cable where I live and satellite isn't a good choice, either. I'm just trying to maximize the potential of my 10mbit connection!

I just feel like writing

So I haven't really written anything longer than 160 characters for a long time. I don't know why that is - I'd like to think that I just haven't had time, or, busy doing other things. I haven't been in the mood? Maybe the reason is that have been letting my mind drift. Probably the biggest reason is that I haven't read any books or even any complete stories in the paper. I used to like writing about vampires, but now it's way to mainstream and impossible to be original. Don't get me wrong - I love me some True Blood, but the teenie-bopper hype for Twilight is quite nauseating, there is some pretty bad acting in it, and it's written for teenage girls - it's not bad, but it's not for me.

I've developed a type of 'rain dance' to encourage the weather to bring us some snow so I can get out and run some dogs. Been running on the gravel roads around here, so I'm stuck with two options: running lots of short, 14-15 mile runs, or running fewer, longer 20-26 mile runs. As soon as we get some snow the trail will be easier on their feet, and as soon as we got a lot of snow we can just run out of the house and not have to truck anymore.

Mainstream media has been driving me nuts. I can't even watch it anymore, because the stuff the news that they create is usually ridiculous. There's no point. I haven't had TV for a while, and these days I don't hardly read news online or listen to the radio like I used to. It seems that the media is becoming more liberal and further from reality, likely because the general public voted the most radical President in the history of the United States. In the 60's we called people like the President what they were - communists. What happened? Since when did we stop loving our country and start hold out our empty hands expecting everything for free? If you choose to live a crazy life and smoke, and drink, and take other huge risks in life, then why the hell shouldn't you have to pay more for healthcare? It's not "the government's fault for letting" you. You're less healthy than the rest of us and boatloads of you think you should be taken care of for free. Get a clue. Take care of yourself.

This is why I probably don't write much anymore - all I do is rant about the same stuff over and over. It's boring for anyone to read and in the end, it really doesn't make me feel any better. I should probably start to focus on the smaller scale, and try to effect the things that I can touch.

I love the irony that 30 Rock has to offer. It's actually pretty funny. Alec Baldwin's character is gotta be on of my favorite on tv.

That's all for now.

My Brain Is Hungry

Lately I've been going through a bit of a nervous breakdown. The things I usually enjoy I'm not, and I haven't been able to relax at all. I've been easily frustrated and highly irritable, which are both unusual since I usually have so much patience. I've been thinking a lot about it and I'm starting to think that my brain is hungry. There are things my brain needs that my daily schedule will not allow.

I just figured out that lately I've been on this never-ending quest to become completely self-sufficient. I tend to dive head-first into new things. Example: this summer the transmission in my car died. Instead of paying the shop $2800 to replace it, I found a wrecked car and replaced my automatic trans with a manual - in my driveway. And before that I'd only done oil changes and brakes. But now if I ever have trouble with the car, I know that I can replace an axle, transmission, or an entire engine while on the side of the road.

Normally things that I'm good at I can't concentrate on. I've misspelled every 8th word so far, and usually I'd notice it on my own a little better. Yeah, maybe my brain is going through an OS update. There are tons of things that I want to do.

Introducing SpaceDuds

I'd just like to take a quick moment to tell everyone about my new website, SpaceDuds. You can see it at http://spaceduds.blogspot.com/

I look forward to seeing your comments on the new site! I'm also looking for folks to help contribute content. If there's something you'd like to see, let me know!

Iditarod Restart 2009 - Willow, Alaska

This is a video I made. Hope you like it!

Man Does Not Warm The Earth

Below is my response to an article from green.foxnews.com that was originally written by t he London Times. Click Here to see the article.

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I recently read that Scientists who don’t put up outrageous claims rarely receive much grant money, because apparently real science isn’t exciting enough.

Dr. Craig Loehle is a real scientist who completely recreated the climate record for the past 2,000 years, just after he discovered (or remembered from third grade) that there are many other things that effect the annual growth of trees (like rain, floods, direct sunlight, and living next to a bigger tree). It was warmer around 900 A.D. than it is today. That’s a proven fact.

On another note, why are warmer global temperatures even a problem? Crops grow better. People tan better. There’s less snow, and sometimes more rain (again, great for those crops AND good for preventing droughts).

One could argue that warmer global temperatures will reduce the amount of CO and CO2 in the atmosphere because all of the trees grow better and more trees will grow, thereby increasing Earth’s ability to remove CO2 from the air.

This is one of Mark Levinn’s favorite questions to ask whining greenie weenies: What’s the number one greenhouse gas?

Water Vapor.

Thanks for listening.

Dr. Loehle: http://www.worldclimatereport.com/index.php/2008/02/11/a-2000-year-global-temperature-record/

Water Vapor: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenhouse_gas_emissions

Obama Plays Dirty

I just read an article about President Obama's recent visit to the White House press core offices. The article, found here on the Fox News website, was written by the AP. It's pretty obvious that Obama intends to continue what he started on the campaign trail - make the Press love him.

The article talks about how he headed down to the press offices to say hello to everyone and be casual, and that he wasn't there to field any serious questions. But he apparently made a few disapproving comments in reference to who had the bigger desks and why, saying "This is worse than the Middle East here -- who's sitting where and all that stuff." For a politician who has publicly spoken out about his personal disapproval for certain media outlets and their members, and urges forth legistation that attempts to publicly silence those individuals, it makes one wonder who he wants a smaller desk for in the press core office of the White House.

What bothers me most, though, is how President Obama continues to manipulate the media into liking him more. Granted, every President attempts to improve their public image through the eyes of the media, but Obama is already going further out of his way to do so than any before him. He's really some kind of expert. In the press core, sneaky comments like "I've got to say, it's smaller than I thought," hints that he pities the press and that he intends to make their situation better. Way to be their buddy, Mr. President. How moral is that?

Does it surprise anyone that a man whose recent peers, to include people like Gov. Blagoyovich, likes to play dirty politics everywhere he can? What kind of Drama Queen did all those idiots vote for? I'll start saying to the libs now what I'll be ear-to-ear about in 4 years (keep in mind I train dogs): What did you do! (And then I rub their nose in the huge heap they've landed us all in.)

On another note, I went gun shopping today and I'm going gun buying tomorrow.

If you're still reading and you find yourself nodding, you're a great American.

Cheney, We're Going To Miss You

Vice President Dick Cheney is on his way out of office along with President George W. Bush. We're going to miss them both. I haven't paid much attention to Dick Cheney, though there are a few things that are drawing my attention to him. Namely, he seems to be a man who is blatantly honest and calls it like it is. From telling Senator Lehey to go fuck himself, to voicing his disagreements with President Bush as well as their own Republican party, he's not afraid to speak his mind. This is a man that we can hope remains in politics, as men like him are few and far between.

President Bush and Vice President Cheney, thank you for serving our country in these most desparate of times. We're going to miss you.

~Joe Holod

Happy Holodays

Merry Christmas to Everyone,

And a Happy New Year!

Politics?

So it seems that the more and more I think about what's happened in the last week, the more upset I become. I'm a pretty mellow person, so for the time being I need to consider whether or not it's worth getting all fired about things that I don't necessarily understand. Looking back, the rants that I've authored are little more than that - rants. The type of rants that continue on about a specific topic without offering examples or solutions. I don't like ranting with no solution - I call people who do that Whiners.

It may be best that I begin to play a role in my community as an observer, and decide as I go along about the individual issues that matter to me and which way to side with them as I become more and more involved. It just amazes me with how much time is spent dealing with semantics.

I think that the decisions made right here at home locally have a much greater and immediate effect on my life than the issues we're having on a more national level. I'm also coming to realize that if I want to make any sort of a difference, I need to start right here on a local level.

Eddie Burke Post

So I listen to Eddie Burke because he's funny, but mostly he's really smart. I saw a post on his blog today about giving $425,000 per adult to the people. Actually, the math was off and it was supposed to be $425. Anyway, here's a link to the original post. It has to be approved by a moderator, and I'm sure it will be, but anyway, below is my response:
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Alright, so the math may be off on his post. I just can't honestly believe that companies that make bad decisions get helped by the government like this. If you make $85 billion in horrible decisions then you shouldn't be in business anymore. De-regulation really shows us which companies in our Country have the self-control to make it and which ones don't.

We're talking about an industry with many major players who rely on the government to give them rules to protect themselves, and just as soon as those rules are slackened and begin to let free market reign - as it should - the same players blame the government for their own bad decisions. De-regulation is the way to demonstrate which are the smart businesses and which are the dumb ones. If you can't ride an investor's bike once the training wheels are off, then go do something else.

I am completely opposed to this bailout. We can see (especially after today, Friday the 24th) how the idea of this bailout effects faith in the market - people just don't trust a market that can't sustain itself. Folks will trust the market a lot more knowing that the Free Market system will protect us from situations like this on it's own - companies like AIG that make poor financial practices will have to close their doors and will NOT be around to lose investers' money again. It's PRETTY SIMPLE.

Granted, $425 per person, or even $1,000 per person won't get the economy out of this slump (like we saw in June). But at least something like this would put this money back where it belongs - in the hands of The People.

Thinking about this just gets me all fired up, and I think this should be on a ballot on November 4th under the title "How to spend $700 Billion." Choice A, proceed with proposed bailout. Choice 2, give $3,500 to every NON-ALIEN, tax-paying adult in our country (that's $700 billion divided by 200 million adults, if my math is right). Choice 3??? Choice 4??? There are a lot of different things we can do with that money, but in the end, it belongs back in our hands. This amount of money could pay $7,000 to working couples on the brink of foreclosure from losing their homes. It could help a single parent pay 3-6 months of amortgage or rent. If they really want to revive the economy and the housing market, that would be the closest to a sure thing I've hear about.

Obama's right, we need change. But he's completely wrong about how - we need to give money back to the people and not the other way around. If he actually gets voted in, I'll be investing in Gold and in chains for my chainsaw because I know I won't be able to pay for heating oil. And if he wins, God help us all.

~Joe Holod

What's writing all about?

I suppose I can't speak for everyone, but for me, I'm still trying to figure out what writing is all about. In fact, I'm sure that the reasons I write have change and will change over the years, so all I can write about is Me, right now. And in now way do I consider myself a writer, I'm just a guy who likes to write sometimes.

The first thing about writing that does it for me is that one perfect sentence, or perfect paragraph, that perfectly describes the message or scene that I'm trying to convey. It's that grouping of words that describes exactly what I'm feeling or thinking.

There a lot of other things I like about writing. I don't feel that many people realize this, but there really are no rules in writing. Perhaps a writer has his or her own rules that they choose to follow, but when it comes down to it there really is no right or wrong way to write. You can write about whatever topic you choose. And if you want to follow conventional sentence rules, you never start a sentence with 'and.' But if you want to choose your own style, then you can start a sentence with 'But' and there's nobody who can tell you that it's right or wrong. Writers can even create their own words, like Shakespeare did, and that can be alright as well. So many writers use so many styles and, generally, it's up to the readers, the target audience, to decide if they like it or not, or if they care to read it, and if they read it then I suppose you're doing alright, even if you don't care to use short sentences.

Writing is freedom.

I am Ironman

So I just saw Ironman tonight and I thought it was pretty sweet. Here's a guy who doesn't like the direction of the world, mainly the United States (as well as some of it's corporate buddies who get government slack) and takes matters into his own hands. I think we can all take something important from this film. I'm referring to the valuable lesson that says that if you don't like the direction you see the world going in, then you need to change it. Don't stand around and wait for someone else to try to so that you can just jump on the bandwagon, what I'm trying to say is BE THAT GUY (or GIRL). Be a leader. Step up and say what you feel. Don't lie about your beliefs to fit in, be yourself. Don't conform to conform. Don't take others' words as truth about things, be smart and find things out for yourself.

"Those consistently relying on others for information open themselves to the biased truths and half facts of the members of society whom insist upon forcing their will unto others through fear, lies, and manipulation, thus becoming pawns of the very game they criticize but are too weak to correct."

~Joe Holod on Blogger.com, October 1st, 2008

Alright, so that probably will make whichever book I write first. So I made it a quote. I love it's simplicity, and I think it really sums things up for most of those who live in the world today. Title that 'I Am Ironman.' I guess that's all for today. I would highly recommend Ironman, rent it today.

Late Night Ramblings: 2007 Budget

I was thinking about some things earlier today and I came up with an interesting question: at what point (in income) do you stop giving the government and start being just dependent? I mean, we all pay taxes that go towards roads, schools, and things like that. But which taxpayers at the lower end of the brackets are getting more than they actually pay for? I just couldn't come up with any sort of an idea. And so, would these people be considered freeloaders? Certainly some of us contribute more to the government than others, I just wanted to know how much of it I actually paid for, I suppose. Or perhaps discover whether or not the tangible government property is more mine than someone else's, or less mine than some others. Or would the 'one vote per person' system mean that we all own the same amount?

Here's another thought, while I'm on taxes and things like this. The next time I file income taxes, I want a detailed receipt detailing what my money is spent on, per the hundredth of a penny. We'll put the biggest items at the top of the list, such as military, transportation.

Ok, I just found a few different pie charts about government spending, since everyone has their own take and everyone's accountant apparently has a different opinion. This one is on Wikipedia for the year 2007. So here we go: Last year the federal government spent just over $2.8 trillion. That's $2,800,000,000,000. And let's say, for basic example, that my income taxes, soc, medicare, and medicaid last year I paid $4,000. I contributed to just over a billionth of the national budget, so that's not bad. Now let's see how much of that went to things that don't help me whatsoever.

About 43.59% went to health care. This does not help me. Social security, medicare, medicaid and State's programs for children's insurance. That's a lot of money (only $1.2 trillion, but whose counting?), especially considering that I paid about $1700 out of my pocket for nothing. I could have spent that $1700 to pay off the credit cards that have been bought by the collections companies who are owned by the banks that were almost about to close, until this week when the federal sabotage-out kicked in and now they're done altogether. Now they're just closing. So who do I owe that money to now? Good Job, Federal Government. The federal government shouldn't meddle with things they don't understand.

About 9.1% went to unemployment, welfare, and 'other mandatory spending.' What the hell does that mean, exactly? Anyway, I did participate in our state's unemployment program last year, though here in Alaska we have unemployment insurance, so I believe that I was not contributed to by this 9.1%. So over half the money I paid last year in taxes was not spent on me.

The DoD had about 16% of the budget spent on itself last year. That's for our soldiers and lot of important stuff. And a lot of unimportant stuff. This number is far too small - we need to be able to supply our soldiers with bullet proof vests and our borders need to be protected. We could be reallocating a lot of money wasted by the DoD playing real-life Space Invaders and NASA forgetting simple English-Metric conversions when bombing Mars, and putting these dollars towards useful projects. Or better yet, not taking the money from us to begin with.

I won't get into the rest of the budget, I think I've made a pretty large point. When I file my taxes, I should be able to decide how much I pay and what my money gets spent on. There should be a line for every thing on there. I'd throw some money towards finding some cheap alternative fuels. But when NASA makes a $125 million mistake and then asks for more money, guess what guys: my dollars are elsewhere because you proved to me you're incompetent. If a particular road that I drive on every day is in really horrible shape, then I should be able to say that 'I want this $500 to go towards repaving the Parks Hwy between mile 52 and mile 70' for example.

These are the things we need to be telling our legislators, but they don't listen. They're too caught up on getting a vote than to actually spend our money for us in ways that help us out. We need to rely on individuals for the budget, not a bunch of suits.

Also, the word 'couldn't' is not in the blogger spellchecker for some reason, fyi. Neither is Wikipedia, or everyone's.

Conservative Rant

What if Barack Obama becomes the next President of the United States? Will we give all of our hard earned money to poor people and people in other countries, so that us working class citizens can go day to day wondering now we're going to buy fuel for a cars to get to work tomorrow or to heat our homes next week? The answer is Yes.

You see, I've been paying extra attention lately to the way people behave and act, and the stories they tell. From these experiences, often with complete strangers, I predict their political bias as being either liberal or conservative. And without asking or baiting a conversation, I usually find out before the meeting is over, because right now everyone wants to tell you what they thing about Sarah Palin (this is Alaska, after all). I challenge you all to try this on your own, but hear this: I've been right 100% of the time so far. That tells me something. That tells me that people are not as 'on the fence' as they claim to be. But it also tells me that others can accurately guess that I'm conservative. That can be a scary thought. Earlier this week I was in an area of town that is known to be a very liberal area, and I wasn't able to strike up a conversation with anyone for the life of me. I was just being myself, and it was as if people just spoke to me through their actions, "Oh, you're one of those." And did I waver? Nay. But I did stop to think that I'm not this way toward others, at least as far as I can tell.

So here's the breakdown: people who are whiney, lazy thinkers, people who cry for help in the simplest situations, expect things for free, and people who say everyone should care about less fortunate people as much as they do, are liberals. These are the people who say "Oh, this and that should be illegal." These are the folks that complain about a problem and offer no solution. I'm talking about the folks who try to fix the small little issues of huge problems, then behave as if they had solved the entire issue. The people I'm taking about are the ones who like to have more laws and rules because they're not smart enough to take care of themselves. Don't forget how Liberals are limiting our personal freedoms, including those freedoms guaranteed to us by the Bill of Rights as well as the Constitution. They want government intervention in everything. They want to further enable the government to watch over us and eavesdrop on us, raping us of any sense, or protection, of privacy.

The conservatives, on the other hand, are usually more independent. We want to keep the money we earn and spend it on what we decide to. We want less government control because we know how bad they screw everything up. We know that the world operates as a better place when the decisions of individuals are not controlled and ruled by groups of politicians, elected by 'electoral' votes, who take complete advantage of situations and eventually lose any and all sense of reality. We're the people who own guns for protection because we know we can't rely on the government to protect us from much, and we realize that one day we may need to protect ourselves from the government itself (remember 1776?). And we don't want to give away money to other parts of the world when most of us are struggling to make ends meet, and we lose huge portions of our paychecks to things that don't help us. It's not the government's job to help us, it's our responsibility to help ourselves. We're the ones who believe in National Sovereignty and in only letting qualified individuals into our Country. We don't like the idea of letting people from other places of the world coming here for free and living off of our tax dollars as they contribute nothing (taking illegal employment in picking fruit and vegetables does NOT contribute to our country in a positive way).

There are so many things in this world that we need to just say "NO" to, and Conservatives are the ones standing up and doing it. Liberals are the ones feeling sorry for people who can't help themselves. Now, usually when someone can't help him or her self, it's because they're too lazy and too accustomed to getting things handed to them by people like these very Liberals I'm speaking about. If they're starving because they're too stupid to move to where there's water, then Darwinism comes into play the way nature intended. Liberals are the ones who pity the homeless drunks on the sides of the streets and give them money, and that's just fine by me. But don't try to pass legislation to 'help these people' by giving them my money. If they could be helped, they would've helped themselves a long time ago. Wake up already! If people are warned to leave an area because of an impending doom approaching, then LEAVE THE AREA! Don't sit around and wait, and just about lose your life, and then cry for help or complain when it doesn't come 'soon'. "Danger is coming. You must leave if you value your life" - I think that is help enough. Again, if people can't help themselves, then it's time for the rest of us to move on.

Disclaimer: this is pretty rough but I'm posting it anyway. Keep in mind, what I am conveying are general thoughts of mine. If you consider yourself a conservative but disagree with 99% of what I said, then (a) I'm sorry, no offense and (b) you may want to reevaluate what you call yourself.

Elton John

So I made a comment earlier to a friend that I thought Elton John was way under-rated. I was corrected once she enlightened me that in his time, in fact, Elton was a HUGE hit. I think he's genius (as a musician, let's be clear on that point.) Tiny Dancer? Love it. I don't what what there is about it, but i think it's that 'reminiscent' feeling. You know, that feeling you get when you watch The Sandlot, or anything else that makes you remember back to 'The Good Ol' Days.' Musically, I was born about thirty years too late. I guess I just have an old soul.

Who is Mac for?

Alright, so there's a lot of people switching over to Mac. But why? Is it because nobody wants Vista? I think that for a lot of people, this is true. And for these people (especially those who never fully adjust to osX), as soon as the next version of Windows is released they'll be switching back over.

Also, has anybody seen the 'I'm f***ing Matt Damon' movie? Or the Ben Affleck answer to it? I just found on youtube the Obama version. Now, I won't be voting for this clown, let's be clear on that. But I do love youtube videos, lol. You can watch it here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skIlZflDs9Y&feature=related.

Alright