Welcoming home the troops
Current mood: rockin
Category: News and Politics

Yesterday I had the privalage of riding my motorcylce with a group that goes to to DFW airport to welcome home the troops from Iraq and Afganistan. It was a moving experience that every American should participate in. Whether you believe in this war or not, support our troops.

I shook over 150 hands and told each soldier,marine,airman and seaman."Thank you and welcome home"It's funny, but they even thanked me!It was heart warming and I wish I could do it everyday.

If you live in the DFW area, go to the airport and do this just one time, I know gas is expensive, I know you may have 2 jobs or you have to clean house of whatever your excuse is but do this just once for our men and women in uniform.Thank them, let them see you when they get off that plane. They are tired, and ready to see their families but seeing you smile and thank them when they get off of that plane is something they need for a big moral boost!

If you aren't able to go to an airport where the troops come in, go to the VA hospital in your area, sit and talk to a veteran...even if it is just for 5 minutes, They appreciate it so much and you will learn something you didn't know 5 minutes earlier!

Be proud of your country and the men and women that serve. They gave you your freedom. If you see a veteran out shopping or at a sporting event, thank them for their service. It just takes a minute and God knows the Vietnam veterans never hear it enough. Do it for your Grandfather, your Dad, your uncle, your Mom, your Son or daughter...chances are you know a veteran

Appreciate them and tell them so! God Bless America and our men and women in uniform

Currently watching : GoodFellas (Two-Disc Special Edition) Release date: 2004-08-17

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What are we coming to?
Current mood: betrayed
Category: News and Politics

Ever since my Son served in Iraq I have made it a point not to watch the news. Not only because I don't believe the media's take on the issues and that it is all about ratings, but because I simply don't want to hear any bad news concerning our men and women in uniform. They have a job to do over there and I trust them to do it with no interferance from the press. Don't get me wrong, I do believe in America's freedom of the press. It is in the constitution and is one of the freedoms granted to us by our forefathers that servicemen have fought for since 1776.

This is an election year and Pres. Bush and the war are by no means going to win any popularity contests. But just when you think you can't get any more disgusted with it all something happens that gets me so angry that I can barely contain myself. Case in point; 3 men of middle eastern decsent were charged with training terrorists to kill american service men.They were tried in the United States Their sentence? POSSIBLY life in prison.

The bomb in the western province of Farah targeted Marines helping to train Afghanistan's fledgling police force, said U.S. spokesman Lt. Col. David Johnson. One other Marine was wounded in the attack.

This is the result of what happens when militants are trained by terrorists. and now, they can not only recieve a fair trial by a jury of their peirs, but they can also POSSIBLY get a life sentence. What are we coming to in this country? Soon, everyone will be protected by politcal correctness to the point where it taints the law and infringes upon the rights we were given when this country was founded.

I watched as our men were spit on as they returned from Vietnam. Now our legal system is spitting on our marines by allowing these criminals and murderers to do less than a life sentence or have a comfortable bed on death row.

Currently listening : Ted Nugent By Ted Nugent Release date: 1999-06-22

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Thoughts and other random ideas
Current mood: content
Category: Life

It interests me how we have exchanged bits of time it takes to do something important in our lives for something else that has now become more important. Example...when I was a kid, you dressed up to go out of the house, gloves,hats,girdles and panty hose were all donned with great care. Now we have forgone the gloves and hats, traded the girdle for a thong and the panty hose for a tanning bed. Making dressing quicker. All of this accumulted time is now wasted on wading through emails and surfing the internet.

Before cell phones, you could take a vacation or just become incommunicado on a whim. Now, global tracking,micro chips and cell phones have made us not only easy to locate at any given moment, but Big Brother can tell us what color shirt we are wearing.

We had drive ins, roller rinks and lemon up shampoo. We were the epitome of evolution, the top of the cultural ladder. We were good doobies and space cadets. Our parents were the first television generation but television peaked in ours. The NBC Peacock was a force to be reconed with and "in living color" was the wave of the future. Ah, what possibilities.

I spend time with my 91 year old Grandmother every other Sunday and when I think of all the things she has seen in her lifetime it leaves me wondering what I will be saying to my great Grandkids in 2035..."Hey Granny, so you remember when President Timberlake was in some boy band  and singing parodies about his penis on television?" "Why yes, honey..I certainly do" And I also remember when we had a Republican party, but you can read about that in history class....oh the horror....

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The human condition
Current mood: contemplative

Human nature never ceases to amaze me.About 2 times a week I become so disgusted with my fellow man that I swear I am going to lock myself in my apartment and become one of those people that weighs 800 lbs because they eat 6 bags of potatoe chips at one time.Certainly better than the crazies that after becoming disillusioned/going off of their meds decide to shoot everyone at the mall or their school. I don't hate people enough to consider that...I am just a conciencious objector.

I like to watch old movies. I like the way the characters have witty things to say to each other. Like Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell in. "His Girl Friday" you know, playful banter, clever verbage that puts a smile on your face even as you are ripping someone a new one.The English language is a beautiful thing when used to it's maximum potential. Unfortunatly, most Americans have resorted to limiting their vocabulary to just about 50 words and about 20 of those are of the four letter variety.I mean really, the "F" word can be used as a noun, a verb, in past tense and as an adjective to just to name a few. Amazing.

They even have greeting cards that will cuss someone out for you...when you only care enough to send the very worst, thank you,Hallmark.I don't think anyone should put that much effort into making someone else feel like a scumbag. I would rather shop for a cute pair of shoes.

It has almost become a sport in this country to make sure that you get the upper hand regardless of others feelings. I recently witnessed 2 women proceed to give a young girl who was serving them such a tongue lashing that not only could every one in the restaurant hear what was happening, the folks in the drive through were neglected because the other workers were sucked into the drama. All of this ....over a taco.

It's no wonder that the rest of the world either can't stand us or simply tolerates us because we make cool movies and rap music. Having a Son in the military makes me proud to be an American. It's the rest of the jerks that imbarrass me. With respect to the older Americans, they still remember how to be curtious and the importance of good grammer. The ones that don't either have Alzheimers or became disgusted with the rest of us and finally broke!

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Will the real Mr Simpson please stand up?
Current mood: annoyed
Category: News and Politics

O.J. Simpson is not only back in the news, he is still in denial.This time, he may deny himself for quite a stretch behind bars. I continue to shake my head in disbelief everytime the Juice gets himself in a squeeze. Let's go over the recent events and see if we can get a good look at the situation. O.J. is in Vegas for a friends wedding(seriously, and can you imagine having OJ in your wedding photos?!) I suppose the trail of the real killer that he has been so dutifully chasing all of this time has allowed him a little R and R so that he could slip away and attend a buddies nuptuals.While he is out there, he receives a "tip" that some one is going to be auctioning off some of HIS sports memorabilia in a suite in one of the Vegas hotels. The man selling the items is wearing a tape recorder when several men break in and threaten him with weapons. I have heard the recording (minus the extensive use of foul language) and Mr. Simpson can be heard loud and clear.

Let's face it folks, O.J. is not a nice man. His wife locked photos of her beaten face in a safety deposit box because she not only knew that, she knew the rest of us just might not believe it.O.J. knows how to manipulate the media. Unfortunatly for him, the money that he has been able to hang on to since the "trial of the century" my just dwindle out after this latest brush with the law.

Hopefully, this time there will be no glove, no Mark Furman and no Johnny Cochran wanna be rushing to his aid. Maybe this time the Simpson charm will be replaced by a bitter man with an explosive temper. Maybe this time the law will prevail and O.J. won't be able to just sprint through the legal system the way he did in that american tourister ad easily bounding over the luggage when he was America's favorite record setting running back.

Currently listening : If Everyone Cared By Nickelback Release date: 28 November, 2006

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Respect for the armed forces...and their families!
Current mood: accomplished
Category: News and Politics

Recently I was mindlessly searching youtube, for those of you that don't know what that is it is obvious that you have a life and don't get on the computer as much as I do! But seriously, and this blog is serious...I went to a video about the Marines. My Son is a US marine, so I tend to go to their sites and watch videos about them. Unfortunatly, these videos have comment sections and again, unfortunatly, I read them. If you want to get me to go from 0 to outraged in 2.5 seconds post negative comments about our Marines (and this includes All branches of the military.)

First of all, it doesn't matter how many facts you think you have or how much "inside knowledge" you have received informing you that we are in Iraq for the oil, or Americans are war mongers who supply smaller countries with weapons etc. You can rattle on about those type of subjects all day long and twice on Sunday. All you are going to do is make people angry. You are not going to get any kudos or extra points on the "vote meter." All you are going to do is piss of veterans, active duty service men and women,their families and just about every other red blooded American who can read.

Second of all, you are talking about my Son, and the children of my friends. They are not mindless killing machines sent out by the government to bully the more unfortunate. They are young people wanting to serve their country, most of them enlisted knowing they could be sent into combat. They are kids wanting to earn some college money. They desearve every ounce of our respect. When we go to work every day, we grumble and complain and wonder what we are going to eat for lunch. They go to work to protect your right to even eat. I sleep well at night knowing those marines are at their post.

We all have the right to free speech...why? Because men and women FOUGHT for that right. Burn the flag? You have that right because Americans shed blood. Spout Anti-American rhetoric? You had better preface your comments by thanking a Marine,soldier,sea or airman.

When you go to view videos of the Silent Drill team, comment on their precision and skill. Don't call them names or puke all over yourself trying to be as hateful as you can about our troops and this country. You don't have to live here. In fact, don't. Move to Cuba, or Bosnia, or any country in the middle east where your wives and daughters are treated like dogs. I'll help you pack.

God bless America and Semper Fi.

Proud Mom of a US Marine

Currently watching : Combat Diary - The Marines of Lima Company Release date: 26 September, 2006

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Academi...yawn
Current mood: contemplative
Category: School, College, Greek

At some point in our lives we are Godsmacked. If we are smart, we pay attention. If we are lucky, it pays off. Unfortunatly for some of us it happens later in our lives. I now know that in order to attempt anything beyond slinging fast food or working at walmart one has to have that prized piece of paper valued and respected around the world. I have on several occasions, attempted to go back to college only to be side tracked by the rest of my life! Occasionaly, the local community college mails out the schedule for the next semester and I glance through it with well intentions. Then there is the question of what to major in. In the old days it was easy for women. You were either going to be a nurse or a teacher. That was it, unless you were a housewife, those were your options. Now, the college student that waits on me at the local Mexican food place is majoring in refugee management and is going to Africa this year. So, why can't I decided what I want to be when I grow up?

I decided that it would be fun to go to college and take the career test that they offer in the counseling center. This is a rather extensive test (you know, the one where there are no wrong answers....) that is supposed to match you up with the job for your personality type. Number 1 on my list was ...pastor.So much for testing. I think I will go with my interests and what I enjoy. Unfortunatly, the last time I checked they weren't giving degrees in cocktailology or laying-on- the -beach tech.

The answer came to me after chatting with several recent High school grads...it doesn't matter what degree you have anymore, you just have to have one. I could actualy get a degree in business and become a counselor or better yet anything academic and become a teacher! What a stretch!...Look out folks, at this rate I can even get a masters and not even have a clue what I am going to do with it!

Currently watching : Match Point Release date: 25 April, 2006

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Aging gracefully OR How I became addicted to moisterizer and hair color.
Current mood: cheerful
Category: Life

Very little can be said in defense of growing older. Being the eternal optimist that I am has helped me to find that even crows feet and creeking joints can have their up side. Top of the list...WISDOM...if you ain't got it by now, ya ain't gunna get it,folks. If you are over forty you have had abundant life experiences and if you are lucky, they have been favorable. For instance, LOVE. Somewhere between jr. High and High school graduation most of us have experienced our first real heart pounding crush. Call it puppy love, summer romance or the reason for your first suicide attempt, it was there and very real. That my friend is step 1. As we travel along love's highway, we live and we learn and wake up in our 40s. Hopefully we can look over at the other side of the bed and smile at the tossled hair and drooling subject of our affection with pride and no regrets.For some of us, it takes a few hits and misses to get to this point. For the luckiest among you, that High School crush is now your aging bed partner. You had a couple of kids and now are scratching your head wondering where the time went.

Career choices are for some the fruition of a child hood dream come to life but for the rest of us they are something that we have chosen to do for a certain amount of time each day only to be rewarded with a pittence and something to complain about when our neighbor asks," Hey_________(insert name here) how's work goin?" Just once I would like to respond by saying,"Muy fabuloso,Wayne, I have just finished working on a formula for a high test rocket fuel that will cut travel to Mars in half and have just sold it to the government for more money than the national debt. What's new in your world?" C'mon, I can dream can't I? The truth of the matter is, we are coming up on retirement and our bank accounts have little to show for it. My advice, do what you love and you'll get what you need.

Friendships are something we as humans all experience at one time or another. We may like to think we are a rebel, a lone wolf, an island. But in truth, we are social creatures and even if you are Jeffrey Dahmer, you are going make a friend or two along the way. Again, if you are lucky, you keep in contact with a couple of old High school buddies that know your deepest secrets and even when you have a disagreement, you know your secrets are safe. The world has become a much more mobile place and the friends we make along the way keep us connected. Don't burn bridges here,folks...these people come in handy!

As we age we are going to make mistakes. It is inevitable, like a case of the runs...you know at some point they will happen but please God, not today I have jury duty. For you 20 somethings, listen to your elders. We survived Disco.Have a little respect.

Currently watching : The Iron Giant (Special Edition) Release date: 16 November, 2004

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Hicks and Pricks
Current mood: melancholy
Category: Life

Thankfully, I have the pleasure of having someone interesting in my life.Never assume that just because one lives in a small town that they don't always drive "thru" McDonalds (by the way, that is pronounced Mc Donalds, not Mac Donalds) go huntin' and sit around and drink beer in their garage. There are some folks in the boonies that relish a little culture now and then. Ok, because of gas prices, it may mean watching bravo or A&E to get my culture fix, but that's ok, I don't have to drive to the big city and drive amongst complete and utter idiots. I'm sorry, did anyone find passing their drivers test particularly difficult? At least hicks yield...

Because I live in a small town close to a big city, I get to experience both worlds. Yes folks, Crackers are alive and well in small town Texas. Where Hank Hill could easily be elected Mayor and Wal Mart is the closest thing to couture.

Let's be honest, if you are white  and you didn't grow up in a rural area but you live there now, you moved there to escape the city and all of it's trappings...ie traffic,crime,pricks,illegals,having to learn a second language. Now that you have made this place your home, everyone assumes that you listen to country music and know all of your neighbors...oh, and their business.

Don't get me wrong, I love hicks, they are my second cousins once removed, they keep the flag waiving and the bread baskets full. They might be boring, but give them a couple of beers and they can tell a good fish tale.So God bless 'em!

 

Currently reading : The Princes of Ireland: The Dublin Saga By Edward Rutherfurd Release date: 01 March, 2005

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And so I blog....
Current mood: contemplative
Category: Blogging

?...My friend Kristin died yesterday. I have been thinking about her almost constantly since I got the news of her death. I  loved Kristin, she never judged me and we could tell each other anything...and did! She was fun, and had been through so much of the same life experiences that I had. We liked the same music, motorcycles, cars, movies, had the same out look on just about everything. Yes, Kristin was quirky. like me. A kindrid spirit. The last thing she ever said to me was for me to be myself and just be happy because I have been going through a rough couple of months. Kristin made me reolize that it is ok to be me. That the things that bring me happiness aren't wrong. That I am a good person and although I have done things that others don't always agree with, I have to search out my own way and be content with myself. I could call her anytime, 24-7 and she would be there.

I am going to miss her, I was proud to be her friend.She was a great Mom and leaves behind 2 awesome kids. I will always carry a piece of her with me. We should all have such a good friend.If you do, hug them.

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