i can't help it, i'm a dork.

On an entirely different note, Happy Star Wars Day! May the 4th be with you.

if you had one prayer, what would it be?

I'm back. I took some much needed time off... I had to remove myself from the political banter warfare before it removed me from reality.

...BUT I've seen something I just can not ignore... a Facebook group entitled 'Dear Lord, this year you took my favorite Actor, Patrick Swayzie. You took my favorite Actress, Farah Fawcett. You took my favorite Singer, Michael Jackson. I just wanted to let you know, my favorite President is Barack Obama. Amen." (The group's title is actually in all caps, yes... it was done on purpose. Why do you use all caps?)

Seriously, there is a group that is praying for someones death? The elected leader of our country, our FREE country? And who are these people who pray for someone to die? They need to take a long hard look in the mirror and figure out what kind of person they are. Does the Lord you believe in, teach you to pray for the death of someone you disagree with?

Yeah, I didn't think so. Instead pray for a cure for cancer or for world peace, not for someones death. Yes, we all have a our differences and there was a lot of negative responses to President Bush, but I have never once said I hated him... dislike some (most) of the things he did and stands for, yes. But hate, never. He was the president of the free country where I had the right to vote against him without the fear of being punished or prosecuted for it.

So according to our Constitution, this hate group as every right to say what they want to say just as much as another group entitled "Petition to remove Facebook group praying for President Obama's death" as the right to say it should be removed. (This group's title is in regular font.)

There is so much negativity in this country! When is enough, enough!?! When is someone going to take the high road and end this bullshit? Show a little respect and patience (I'm pretty sure that is what the Lord teaches) and even though you might not agree with or understand where the other person is coming from; don't just listen, but hear them. You might be surprised what you find.

But if you are going to pray for another human being's death at least choose someone who wishes the same on you... not the leader of the free world.


Oh... and before I go, it's Farrah with two R's and it's Patrick S-W-A-Y-Z-E, so they were your favorites, huh? Really? You wouldn't know Crazy for Swayze if he rose from the dead and did the Pachanga with your uptight, cantankerous ass.

healthcare.

No one should die because they cannot afford health care, and no one should go broke because they get sick.

makes me want to move to Canada.

what is magic?

Does it matter if the world knows how we interrogate? It doesn't mean it's going to suck any less when it's getting done to them. So they know about 'water boarding'... does this mean they are going to invent invisible nose plugs or evolve into fish so that they can breathe underwater? Are they going to have impermeable or bionic muscles so it doesn't phase them when they are getting thrown into a wall? Or are they going to watch the special "Magic Secrets Revealed" so they know how to slip their hands out of handcuffs, make planes disappear or pull bunnies out of hats. Whoa! Now that be a threat to national security!

You can call it what you want, it is what it is... and everyone knows it. The ones that condone it, also know if the tables were turned, they'd be against it too and would call a duck, a duck.

"The funny thing about that little white speck on the top of chicken shit. That little white speck is chicken shit too."

the tea party of '09

It kinda sorta maybe made sense... but had absolutely no resemblance (in theme or concept) to the original except that both had the word 'tax' in them and had something to do with 'tea bags' (not to be confused with douch bags.) Coupled with the very little media coverage, it just makes me conclude what I already knew - conservatives are just too conservative to put on a good protest. Next time guys, ask a liberal. They have more experience fighting on the behalf of the less fortunate and their rights. Oh, wait... what's that? That's not what you were doing? It was about you? Right... so sorry. I've just been busy enjoying my extra $20/paycheck from of the state of North Carolina courtesy of the stimulus package... I must have missed the memo.

the bad news bears

Is it just me... or has the news become an extremely biased, relatively uninformative negative source? You can't turn on the television without seeing someone bashing someone else, a group defending itself or just a plain out hatred upon a belief? Everyone has an opinion and you have to be on one side or the other. There is no middle ground. No happy median. I think if it doesn't change soon... it will be the downfall of this country, if not already. [Update 4/16/09: I guess I'm not the only one that has noticed - http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/220128066]

I really can't say how wrong it is when it's engraved in our minds from the moment we are born. Me versus You. Us versus Them. Pick a side. It's black or white where gray is unacceptable because that means it's unclassifiable. And what will the computer do if it can't classify someone by checking a box next to a definitive answer. Would the system really malfunction? I doubt it.

Ever play dodge ball? It sucks. The bully (which is often the bigger, stronger, more forceful type who is probably that way because they have a poor home life and being the bully is the only way the way they express themselves and hide their feelings so that they do not get emotionally more damaged than they already are) picks other 'bullies' for their team thus leaving the kids that have to forfeit their ham & cheese croissant sandwich with sprouts and organic cheese doodles so that they do not have to suffer humiliation in the form of the classic wedgie or the iconic trash can over the head (with push) manoeuvre. Heaven forbid you be the one that tries to stick up for the poor kid with the wedgie... you'll get the ole' stuffed in a locker treatment because you defended wedgie kid when it had nothing to do with you. You were sitting on the bench in deep thought, contemplating life and writing poetry (even though you kick ass at dodge ball) but you stood up and got involved because you thought it was the right thing to do. Shame on you. Mind you're own bees wax why don'tcha... and pick a side buddy.

For some, it's all we knew. For others, it's all we're ever going to know. There are some people in this world that are going to spend their whole life with their panties in a wod. They are going to wake up every morning like someone peed in their cornflakes. That's their life and I will never, not even in my last breath on this earth, understand why people choose to live it. A little hope goes a long way even though happiness is perhaps the hardest emotion to feel, it's one of the most rewarding.

The moral to the story is not to not play dodge ball (even though it does seem a smidge on the barbaric side) or not have your mom make you croissant sammies (they are yummy)... it's to realize that you don't have to be one way or the other. You don't always have to be right or wrong because life is not black or white... it's more of a misty to smokey gray. Just pick your shade.

'that it only happens once, is what makes life so sweet.'

...you know who.

We’re on week two since President Obama signed the 800 zillion billion whatever dollar American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Now, those Republicans and some Democrats who voted against the package are having absolutely no problem taking the money they voted against receiving. I don’t get it. How can you accept something you so strongly argued was a bad idea and would ruin America has we know it? I just don’t understand? This is the most blatant form of hypocrisy and makes me nauseous. If you're going to fight against something... then stand up and fight against it. Just don't sit back and say, 'Ok. Show me the money!! Even though I voted against everything you stand for because I wasn't going to get exactly what I wanted.'

The senators and representatives that voted against the stimulus package should not be given the money that is proposed for their states or purposes because THEY VOTED AGAINST IT! What is wrong with people? How can they say NO NO NO but then TAKE TAKE TAKE? It makes you wonder why they even voted against it in the first place? Was it really because they didn’t believe in the contents of stimulus package or because they didn’t want to believe in the WHO of the stimulus package?

Politics… it’s a bitch.

http://www.recovery.gov/

Like the election, North Carolina was split right down the middle. Every Republican (1 Senator and 5 Representatives) voted No. Every Democrat (1 Senator and 7 Representatives) voted Yes... except for one. One lone Democrat voted No. Coincidentally, he is my representative and I voted for his re-election. Jeez...! Just when you think someone really does care about your mountain values...?

what is your dream?

Today, the man who is to become the next president of the United States asked Americans to go out and serve their community. A record number of citizens choose to volunteer today, including myself. I am lucky however, that my company is a small family owned business in which they encourage such community involvement. While at the local food bank, where I made Valentine's to put into children's backpacks along with enough food for the weekend, since that was more than likely the only food they would have to eat; we were asked if this was our first time volunteering... almost everyone raised their hand. So I ask you, how can one question the motives of our next president when he, even before he has taken the oath to serve, protect and lead our country... creates such change in our lives.

Change. The word almost had a cliché-isque quality to it during the campaign. But change reminds of another time in our history, September 11th. There was this 'commercial' for lack of a better visual. There were no spoken words, just simple images. The camera was panning down a quiet street of row houses intertwined with footage of the attacks. Then the words 'the terrorists wanted to change America' slowly scrolled across the television. The screen faded to dark and then reappearing was the same quiet street of row houses, except every house had an American flag flying proudly in their yard... and the words 'they did'.

Martin Luther King, Jr. wanted change. He preached for civil equality and public servitude. He just wanted everyone to get along. Such a simple thought, yet so difficult... even to this day... for some to believe in. Well... we elected our first African-American president in November and thousands upon thousands of new volunteers came out today to help the less fortunate. Change is here, Dr. King.

'Dream as if you'll live forever... live as if you'll die today.'