A New Grump

 Ok, it has been like, a really long time since I posted a Grump, and I have been through some life changes in that time, some bigger than others.  The biggest change is that I was baptised into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  For those of you who don't know me personally, this is a path I have been on for a number of years, and I finally made the decision to join the church and was baptised July 28th 2014 and confirmed the following day.  Since many LDS beliefs and ideals are very similar to the feelings and beliefs I already have, most people don't really notice much of a difference really.  That is really the only major change, although there have been several other smaller changes (a few, like giving up coffee, brought on by becoming a Mormon), but altogether, one of the results of these changes over the last few months is an attempt at a more positive attitude, or outlook, towards life.  So I am going to start trying to post stuff here in the Grump again.  As I reread my previous posts, there was less that I would change than I really thought there would be.  Actually, for most of them, I think I if I were going to do them over, I would actually just add more to them than I did originally, adding more information and maybe toning the emotional rhetoric down just a bit.  New posts may or may not be frequent, as I am still as absent minded as ever, and now have more going on in my life, with church related activities and such on top of everything else I normally do.  However, not all of my posts here will necessarily be about things that grind my gears.  Some future posts may be slice of life, diary entry type of posts, others may be strictly informational, some maybe more spiritual in nature, and some maybe about news items that instead of making me want to grump, actually give me some glimmer of hope for the future of mankind.  Oh well, I have not been feeling well, so  I will end this here for now.  I will try to post another Grump after work tomorrow.




Vitum

              Libertatum

                                       Honorem

VMT - Vehicle Miles Traveled TAX

     You know what?  You gotta love our government.  Have you heard the latest way they intend to try and punish us?  The VMT Tax, or Vehicle Miles Traveled Tax.  They are saying now that it might replace the gasoline tax, but let's be honest here, can someone tell me the last time the government completely eliminated one tax to replace it with another?  I can't think of a single time.  I know when they passed the local school income tax, they said it would replace the school property tax, then after it passed, they left most of the property tax in place, and have since placed more property taxes for the schools on the ballot.  So if you think that the gasoline tax will "disappear" making gas cheaper, I suspect that you may be delusional and in need of medication.  Even if it does go away, that will drop gas prices by what?  19, maybe 20 cents?  That still doesn't drop the price of gas below $3.00 a gallon, so what you pay at the pump will still be outrageous, and you'll have to pay 1.1cents per mile on top of that.  Next we come to the three ways they are looking at collecting this tax.  Way number one (the easiest but also the method most open to fraud) :  Pay at the BMV when you renew your tags.  The estimates I have seen show the average driver would owe between $108.00 and $248.00, just in mileage tax on top of the fees for tags and registration, which in Ohio would push the cost of tags and registration each year from about $50.00 to $150.00 - $300.00.  Jumping Jehosaphat!  I don't know about any of you, but I wouldn't be able to afford that.  There goes my ability to have a decent job.  Method number two:  Pay at the pump.  A special remote reader at the gas pumps would read a gps unit in each car and determine how many miles the vehicle has driven since it was last fueled up and adds the tax to the cost of the fuel.  There are a number of problems with this.  First is that the tech to do this has to be developed, tested, installed, and implemented, at varying levels of expense spread out across vehicle owners, station owners, and the government.  Second is that even minor glitches in this system could create massive difficulties in correctly assessing and collection of the tax.    The third method they are discussing for this tax is requiring a vehicles to have a "blackbox"  type of gps unit to monitor how many miles are driven, and where those miles were driven so that taxes can be accurately assessed, and then distributed to the correct states as well as the federal government.  Of course, if you drive an older model car that doesn't have one of these factory installed, it will be your responsibility to buy one and have it installed.  And the sad fact is, regardless of which method is finally settled on, the odds of the gas tax going away are astronomically small.  Once again, rather than find a way to stop spending more money than they bring in with current revenue, they would rather take yet more money out of the pockets of the already overtaxed!

Vitam Libertatem Honorem

Ya know what I hate? I hate people who don't discipline their kids.  Or the people who just think if their kids get in trouble they (as parents) shouldn't be held accountable for what their children have done.  I would like to know when we stopped that?  When I was kid, if I destroyed someone's property, or broke the law, my parents were responsible for that.  What has changed?  Why are kids allowed to do pretty much whatever they want, wear whatever they want, behave however they want (without fear of any serious consequences), and then expected to have any respect for authority?  I mean seriously, could we possibly be sending a worse mixed message?  What has happened to discipline?  I really hate when someone says that children should never be afraid of their parents, as an excuse not to discipline their children.  Children shouldn't be afraid of their parents, however, if they aren't afraid of the punishment for breaking the rules, then where is the incentive to respect or follow the rules?  There have to be rules for acceptable behavior, and there has to be consequences, for violating those rules, and those consequences, have to be strong enough that kids want to avoid them.  Fear of consequences is an amazing motivator to follow the rules that society expects children to obey.  I am not certain why this is so freaking difficult for some people to understand.



Vitam Libertatem Honorem
   

Know What? I Hate Groundhogs!

Yea I know, it has been a few days.  I have been sick, and busy, and tired ....  Quite frankly I am sick and tired of being so busy all the time.  I may take this down to once or twice a week, I don't know.  I have decided I hate groundhogs!  I mean, I never have liked them much ...  They damage crops, tear up ditches, and can cause a lot of damage if they dig out the foundation for an out building or shed.  But ya know what? The biggest reason I hate them is where the hell is my early Spring?  Both Buckeye Chuck, and Punxsutawney Phil predicted an early spring this year.  Well, it is now officially Spring, and Central Ohio is expected to continue to have lower than average temperatures, with the chance of any approaching storms becoming snowstorms for another 3 to 6 weeks!  What the heck is this crap?  Last year we had the year with no Winter, now it is like Winter just won't go away!  ARGH!  But that is ok.  No really it is.  This just gives me a reason to try out a new recipe I have been thinking I might like to try .....  Groundhog stew!




Vitam Libertatem Honorem

Be Prepared! Food Storage

Ya ya, I know it has been a couple days since my last grump.  I suddenly developed a life.  But now things are back to normal for a bit so here is another grump.  Ya, know, there are a lot of things that could really cause some serious hardship for for people.  The increasing political unrest, here in the U.S. and around the world is just one of those potential problems.  There is also the possibility of economic collapse, a drug resistant plague, or any of a number of natural disasters, ranging from a bad storm (last summer large portions of the state of Ohio went without power for a week or more during the triple digit temps and near 80% humidity) all the way up to an asteroid strike.  You may not have noticed, but such events are occurring with greater frequency than ever before.  It seems we can't go more than a couple weeks without reading about an earthquake of 5 or better on the richter scale, not to mention hurricanes, blizzards, tornadoes, volcanic activity ....  Depending on who you talk to, these could be signs of the end times, or just random occurrences  and it only seems like they are getting worse and more frequent.  But be that as it may, is there any doubt as to the wisdom of being prepared for a situation where you and your family find yourselves without money, without power, without help?  Food storage is only a part of being prepared, but it is a very important part.  Dry goods, canned goods, seeds, hygiene items, all of that sort of thing.  Most prepper sites recommend having anywhere from 3 months up to a years worth of food, plus potential trade goods for bartering, largely depending upon what you personally are preparing for.  For instance, preparing for an earthquake or extended power outage, you would only need a 3 month supply at the most, but if you are preparing for an economic melt down, or an extended period of severe political and social unrest, you would probably want something closer to the year's supply.  It is something to think about.   You don't have to be paranoid or an extremist to be a "Prepper".  I will include a couple links at the bottom here for anyone who is interested in learning a little more about food storage, and Prepping.  I think everyone would do well to be prepared for bad situations...  I have a feeling that thing are only getting worse, and might not get much better for quite some time.  But even if I am wrong, and everything turns around and is all hunky-dory, and full of sunshine and goodness, being prepared certainly can't hurt, and could very easily save you and your family from some very difficult times if something does happen to disrupt things, even for just a few days.


http://www.greatnorthernprepper.com/food-prep/food-prep-lists/
http://endoftheamericandream.com/archives/120-powerful-pieces-of-advice-for-preppers

http://www.thesurvivalistblog.net/preppers-supply-list-for-economic-collapse/



Vitam Libertatem Honorem

I'm so Tired ....

     I'm tired.  I don't mean the I'm sleepy and go to bed kind of tired either.  I mean the worn out exhausted can't go on kind of tired.  I'm tired of politicians talking about how big the deficit is, and then raising the debt ceiling instead of reducing federal spending.  I'm tired of hearing about how the government needs more revenue, or how the wealthy aren't paying their fair share.  I'm tired of being told how  my rights have to be curtailed to keep me and others safe.  I'm tired of hearing excuses as to why we can't deport the illegal aliens that have invaded our country.  I'm tired of being told what is acceptable speech and what isn't.  I'm tired of being called a racist, because I believe affirmative action is destroying opportunities for young men and women in impoverished inner cities.  I am tired of being told I am a bigot for believing in the traditional family and in the traditional marriage.  I am tired of being told I am waging a war on women because I believe that life begins at conception, and that murder is an unacceptable form of birth control.  I am tired, my friends, of prices skyrocketing fast than my paycheck can keep up.  I am tired of a generation that wears their pants clear down on their hips like they were never taught how to dress themselves.  I am tired of people not having any respect for one another, or for one another's property.  I am tired people blaming society for the fact that their own poor decisions have placed them in poor circumstances.  I am tired of people who think that deserve things they have done nothing to earn, and then live beyond their means to be able to have them, and then cry because they have more debt than they can pay.  I am tired of being told that the government has to solve all our problems for us.  I am tired of hearing from some that the Constitution is an antiquated document that needs to be replaced, or at least updated.  I am tired of being told that since we are living longer than ever before, we should expect to work longer, instead of enjoying a longer retirement.  I am tired.  I don't believe that I am the only one.  I pray that I am not the only one.  We, as a nation, can not continue like this.  Something has to change, and soon, or something else is going to break, and then the darkness will come for us all.  It happened in Rome.  It happened in Germany.  It WILL happen here.  It is only a matter of time.




Vitam Libertatem Honorem

Daylight Savings Time

Here it comes again .....  Daylight Savings Time .... It's just another stupid ritual for the vacuous, that I am sure was basically created just to piss me off.  Jump an hour ahead, lose an hour of sleep, just so all Summer long, you can have the sun still be up for half an hour or more after I have already gone to bed.  Why do we still do this?  Hell it is just getting to the point that it is light enough out when I drive to work in the morning that I can see the damned deer along the road, now it is going to go back to being full dark for the drive for another month or so.  And is it just me, or does it keep starting earlier in the year, and ending later in the year?  So week keep making it longer when what we need to be doing is abolishing it altogether.  Thanks to DST, about the end May, all the way through Early September, I will be laying down to sleep, and the sun will still be in the sky, and kids will be playing in the alley, and dogs will be being walked  and all of this will make noise, which will keep me up, for no good reason.  I suppose, a long long time ago, it may have made sense to some people, but now it is just stupid.  Worse yet is the fact that not all the states use it. And in a few places, part of a state is on it and other parts are not on it .....  What a freaking boondoggle that has to be .....  I can't believe that we, as a society, have to continue to play these silly "Spring forward" and "Fall back" games year after year.  Why not just stay on regular time, all year long?  It will still be light until 8:30 or later all summer, and sun up will be early enough that most people won't have to drive in the dark in the mornings either (during the summer anyhow).  What the hell did I ever do to George Vernon Hudson anyhow????    Ahhhhh well, I will be turning my clock ahead this weekend along with everyone else....



Vitam Libertatem Honorem

Dark Times Are Coming

     Well, I'll tell ya what, sometimes ya just gotta shake yer head...   What is wrong with this world anymore?  Ya got Iran wanting to nuke Israel off the face of the Earth, North Korea wants to nuke the U.S., the U.N. wants unilateral world wide gun control, and environmental laws, and the president of the U.S. wants to use drones against American citizens.  We have unemployment at record highs, foreclosures all over the place, record numbers of people on food stamps and other government assistance programs, but the government just keeps spending more and more money that they don't have, and then want to raise taxes in an attempt to get more so they can spend it too!  Places are going out of business, or cutting employees hours and benefits, at the same time as healthcare and insurance costs are rising, and gas prices are through the roof!  Food is getting more expensive, and if interest rates start going up, inflation will probably start skyrocketing as well.  An ancient Chinese curse says "may you live to see interesting times", well folks, I think we are there.  I have a bad feeling that really dark times are ahead of us.  How dark?  I don't know, but ya here things, read things ... maybe a lot of it is conspiracy nut jobs going off the deep end, but sometimes I look around and wonder if some of these so called "preppers" don't have the right idea.  Is there going to be an American dictatorship, a Chinese invasion, a nuclear war?  I don't know ... I hope not, but I look at the way things are headed right now, and I just don't see things ending real well for anyone.... Especially for those who aren't prepared.  I try to keep some food stored up ... it's not nearly enough, but it is what I can afford ....  canned goods, dry goods, some hygiene and cleaning  items, but I doubt it would last me two months in a real emergency, like an economic collapse, or a war on American soil.  If you don't already have a food storage program, you might want to do a little research on setting one up (there are several really good prepper sites you can find to help with that) and start stocking up on things, a little at a time.  Maybe this bad feeling is just me being depressed, but I don't think so.....  I hope I'm wrong and just bent out of shape because I'd rather be living in the 50s when shit made sense .......



Vitam Libertatem Honorem

I Hate Unions!

    I didn't post a grump yesterday, because I knew what I wanted to grump about, but was still too upset by the situation to post about it last night.  I must warn you, if you are a big union man, or woman, you should probably stop right here. You can of course, keep reading, but as I am about to start grumping about unions, it might be better for your blood pressure if you don't.

     OK, let me start this this out by getting this off my chest ..... I am 45 years old, and have never, in all my life, paid somebody to either find me work, or to be allowed to work someplace ... ever.  That having been said, there is a union trying to get a foothold, in the company that I am employed by, Jeld-Wen.  This union, The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAMAW or just IAM), had people handing out literature (including union cards) by the entrances to the parking lot last friday.  I was a bit concerned then, but they were run off by management, and I had hoped that no one stupid enough to send a card in, had been given one yet.  Well, yesterday (Tuesday) we started having meetings, by department, to inform us that it wasn't just us, but that IAM is after every Jeld-Wen Plant in the country!  The Jeld-Wen corporate office hired a consulting firm to give us information about this union, how unions operate, and what we could expect in the coming weeks and months as they (IAM) try to get a foothold on our plant.  Now I am getting a bit concerned.  This must be fairly serious if corporate is sending professionals to make sure we get accurate information without any legalities being crossed.  Later that day, I heard a few of my fellow employees (and I heard more of the same from others today) talking about the changes joining a union could bring.  Now let me tell you something.  I am not here to "out" any of my fellow employees.  I have no intention of naming names now or ever .... that's just not the way I play the game.  But it does greatly worry me because this affects me in a major way.  First of all, once a union gets in and get a contract signed, you have to start paying dues, even if nothing else changed, and once the contract is signed, you could be forced to wait up to three years to get rid of the bastards (yeah, I don't like unions much .... I'll get to that in a sec).  Once that happens (because Ohio is not a "Right to Work" state) you either pay your dues, or you don't have a job.  Join or get the hell out.  I mentioned earlier that I have never paid anyone for the privilege of working at a particular company, well I sure as hell ain't gonna start now.  I have been with Jeld-Wen for 19 years .... 19 years and now this piece of shit union is going come in here acting all big and bad and if they get in tell me I have to join them or leave the company I have been employed by for almost two decades?  Seriously?  These stupid, leftist, socialist, ignorant, Obama loving, maggot infested, shit eating, low life, scum bag, scrotal lickers had better back the f__k up!  Ask the people who used to work for Hostess, how great unions are.  I kind of hope some retarded, shit for brains, asshole (we have our fair share of those at the Ohio plant, and several are warehousemen, but not all) tries to give me a damned union card, cause I will take it home and wipe my ass with it, then put it in an envelope and send it in.  Remember, unions arethe people who think it is ok for cops, teachers, and air traffic controllers to go on strike, allowing crime to run rampant, children to go untaught, and airline safety to decline.  These are the same people who think that sports stars, who even sitting on the bench make $50,000.00 a year, should go on strike.  These are the people who continue to push people (and by push people I mean tell their members who to vote for .... just sayin) to vote for the guys who think that we can spend our way out of recession  (it's never happened before, but nobody ever accused the left of being very bright), and of raising taxes on the job providers, to pay for services to the unemployed.  I mean, seriously, these people are the reason you have some people, who get paid $25 - $50 an hour to watch a machine work .....  and you all wonder why new cars cost so much?  If the IAM gets in, at the Ohio plant, the only way I will continue to work for Jeld-Wen is if the union goes on strike .... cause I will be a scab in a heart beat!  You better believe it!  I hate that this is happening.  I mean to be honest, no I don't really like my work, I do think I am under paid, and quite frankly I have a number of issues with management and how the operation is run, but that is between me and management.  I may not always be happy with my job, but it is a job, and more importantly, it is a job that I can do and do well.  I neither want, nor need a F__KI_G union to intercede on my behalf, or to "negotiate" for me, and I sure as hell don't need someone to tell me to vote for some libtard dumbocrat moron from Chicago!



Vitam Libertatem Honorem


PS.
     Rereading this, I think I may have wanted to wait another day, but you know what ... I kind of like it as is ... consider it posted!

Money, and My Lack Thereof

     I guess tonight I am grumping about money!  I don't know how some people make it.  My house payment is fairly low, and I have a married couple that lives with me who make the house payment for me, and I still can't keep up with the darned bills!  It's not like I am spending tons of money on frivolous stuff either.  I haven't been out to eat unless mom and dad were buying in forever, and I almost never get anything that isn't groceries or a necessity anymore.  and there is no help to be had for me.  I make way too much money to get food stamps, or to qualify for assistance with utilities.  plus I am now only getting paid every other week, which means I have to keep out enough money to last me two weeks, (gas, lunches, etc) and only make any payments on bills twice a month ....  I hate that .... Just another way Jeld-Wen is screwing me.  (yeah I know they aren't doing it deliberately to screw me, but it sure feels that way)  Hell it's bad enough that they forced me to have Direct Deposit!   I hate that.  The band didn't work for that money, why do they get it before I do?  How is that fair or equitable?  Now I am only going to be paid every other week inspite of the fact that I work every week!  What the heck is up with that?  So money is tight, and it seems I just keep falling further and further behind ...  My cell phone has already been shut off, and my electric and internet are getting close, and I just don't know what I'm going to do.  I worry about it all the time (yeah, I know it doesn't do any good, but I can't help it), it keeps me up at night, and leaves me short tempered and depressed (more than usual) during the day.  I haven't had anything in the house to drink but water since like november when I drank the last of the iced tea mix ....  And I have a decent job plus the roomies helping out ...  I don't know how someone with kids, even with both parents working can possibly be making ends meet right now .... gasoline is costing me a freaking fortune, food prices are up, all my bills are way higher than when I bought this house 4 years ago, but my paycheck is actually smaller now than it was then.  Well, that is my grump for the night ... going to try and get to bed early for a change ...

Vitam Libertatem Honorem

Local Meijer's Closing

  OK, yeah, I know I missed a couple days over the weekend .... So sue me.  my grump today is a bit more local, but one that is closer to my heart than most.  Meijer's is closing their Newark Ohio store.  This is where I do almost all my shopping, and the next closest Meijer's store is almost an hours drive one way.  Many people may not realize this, but the Newark store was the first Meijer's store in Ohio.  Now it is the smallest store the company operates.  They have repeatedly over the years tried to find excuses to close it down, but since it has always done a brisk business (enough to carry larger stores not doing so well) they always wound up leaving it open.  Well now, the last few years, they have allowed the store to fall into enough of a state of disrepair, that to remodel the store "to suit our customers needs" will be costly enough to justify their shutting it down.  Even if the other larger Meijer's stores were a bit closer, I would probably not bother to go there, as one of things I like about our Meijer's Store was the fact that it is smaller, and I don't have to spend forever walking about to get from section to section.  That is one of the reasons I don't care to shop at walmart.  I don't know very many people who will be willing to drive clear out to reynoldsburg to shop at Meijer's.  So basically, they are telling everyone in our city who shops there that they don't really care about us as loyal Meijer's customers, and that they are ok with all of us going to their competition to do all of our shopping? ? ?   How does this make any business sense?  Not to mention all of the local people that this will put out of work.  Yeah, they say they will try and find positions for all of their employees with other stores nearby, but really, there aren't any close enough for any but the highest paid full timers and managers to afford the commute.  Since they have increasingly been replacing full time employees with part timers, there will be a bunch of people looking for work in town, and the job market here is already fairly thin.  I just can't believe that they are doing this to us.  Why, as a business, would you seek to deliberately alienate an entire city of your customers?  I just don't get it.  The worst thing about this, (anyone who knows me should know this much already) is that I hate being forced into doing something I don't really want to do, and will never be happy about, period.  But they are now forcing me into changing all of my shopping habits, including forcing me into shopping at places I don't really like, and don't currently shop at because Meijer's is a better store.



Vitam Libertatem Honorem

Writer's Block

You know what I really hate?  Writers block.  That's right, you know how it is.  All day long, while your at work doing a menial job that almost, but not quite pays the bills, lots of decent ideas cross your mind.  You maybe even flesh some of them out a bit thinking you're going to get a couple days, maybe even three days worth of ideas worked out to write about.  Of course, you're working, so you can't just stop and grab a pen and start jotting this stuff down, absolutely not, that would slow production down. So you get home, help your roommate finish disassembling the kitchen sink (damn faucett broke a couple days ago), fix yourself a quick bite, check facebook, and then sit down to write .....  and nothing.   Not one dratted decent idea.  Ain't that a pain in the tail feathers?  So ya go through facebook again (cause there is usually quite a bit of stuff there to be grumpy about, but nothing tickles your feathers there.  So you hop over to twitter ... nope, not a darned thing there either.  So you get up and pace around the house for a bit, maybe get a little more to eat, drink some water, sit back down, and there is that blank monitor, mocking you.  Very frustrating to say the least.  You check your watch and it is almost 9:00.  You have wasted your entire evening, and instead of getting into the sack a bit early as planned, you are now going to be short on sleep.  What a load of bull!  What happened to the decent ideas that you had when you didn't need them yet?  huh?  Gone, your muse is teasing you.  I suspect she gets off on that.  I would call her bad names, but I think she likes that too.   So I guess this all you're going to get tonight, hopefully I can be grumpy about something tomorrow.



Vitam Libertatem Honorem

The Freedom of Speech

So, we supposedly have the freedom of speech in this country.  That is supposed to mean that you can say pretty much whatever you want right?  Not so fast, what about hate speech?  How about speech that offends large segments of the population (like women, or a religious group, or some minority group or even <gasp> a politician or political party)?  First off, let me explain a couple of things about the Freedom of Speech that many of my fellow Americans (having been educated solely by the Public Education System) don't always seem to realize.  The first is that speech deliberately designed to cause an immediate panic can and is a violation of the law (shouting "FIRE" in a crowded theater  for example).  the second is that the Freedom of Speech granted by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, only protects you from the federal government.  Your employer, as an example, can fire you based upon comments you make publicly at home or work.  Another thing many fail to understand is that while you do have the Freedom of Speech, you must obey other laws while exercising it ... for example, if the community park closes at dark, and you are trying to hold a rally after dark, you could run into problems, or if you are ranting loudly in the late evening and disturbing the peace, this too can get you in trouble.  Now, that having been said, let me tell you this ....  The government, using the media and the public education system as willing accomplices, has been doing its damnedest  to eliminate this vitally important freedom for decades!  Political Correctness, is a doctrine designed for no more reason than to control what you can say and how you can say it.  having won this battle already (for the most part) allows those in power to control the language and the dialog in every discussion, and ultimately, to control what the masses think, and/or find acceptable.  This has been going on for so long now, that there are few who even think to question it.  The framers of The U.S. Constitution realized that even offensive speech (actually especially offensive speech would be more accurate) must be as protected as speech we agree with, or really no speech is protected!  It is the whole entire reason that our Founding Fathers put the Freedom of the Press and the Freedom of Speech right up there with the Freedom of Religion in the very first Amendment.  Because, folks, once you start banning speech, or labeling some speech as "hate speech" or criminal speech, then whoever is in power can start limiting how often you hear from those who oppose the way they view the system, and this becomes a tool to sway public opinion, and eventually, carried to the extreme, to arrest and imprison those who hold a differing viewpoint.  Political Correctness isn't just wrong, it is evil!  And it will bring nothing but darkness, and eventually it will bring this nation to it's knees!  I may disagree with what you have to say, but I will fight to the death to defend your right to say it!  We as Americans really really really need to start standing up to Big Brother and his lap dogs in the media and start asserting our rights, the way our Founding Fathers intended!


Vitam Libertatem Honorem

Beacons of Ignorance

There was a shooting today in the parking lot of the Latter Day Saints Columbus Temple.  When the news story broke, and WBNS 10 TV posted it on Facebook, some of the comments were down right rude.  Some called Mormons weirdos, others suggested Romney had just signed their Concealed Carry Permits, and one other I saw suggested that the gun nuts were going after the religious nuts.  What the heck is wrong with these people?  First off, some things are (and should be) sacred, and respected if only for what they mean to the community that believes in the power and faith of the church.  That someone committed a horrible act of violence there should be an affront to everyone in the city and indeed the country.  Now imagine if you had a family member or friend who is a Mormon, how would you feel?  You have no idea who was shot, why they were shot, nothing more than someone or someones have been shot, and people are publicly making a mockery of your faith?  How disheartening is that?  And how rude is it for someone to do that?  If it had happened in the parking lot of a Catholic Church, would it be acceptable to joke about someone going after a pedophile?  I just don't understand how people can be so deliberately cruel.  If anyone cares, no, I am not a Mormon, although I have several friends who are, and they are amazing people who have had a huge effect on my life, also, as of the latest report, two people, one suspect, and one victim, were taken to the hospital in critical condition.  The events that led to the shooting did not start at the Temple, but just happened to end there.  A volunteer from the Church has reported that the shooting had nothing to do with the Church.  A relief for me since while I only a few Mormons myself and most of them are missionaries from out of state, they are my friends and I would not want them to have to feel the pain and loss of it having been someone they knew.  I can not imagine what was running through some peoples minds when they post stuff like that.  Even if this wasn't a tragic event, why must they allow their ignorance to shine forth like a beacon of darkness and insult and tear down something they not only don't understand, but have never even tried to understand?  Well, that is all I'm going to say on the matter tonight.



Vitam Libertatem Honorem

Illegal Aliens

I do not understand why so many Americans seem to have a problem with the term "Illegal Aliens"  I mean they are aliens (non-citizens) and the are here illegally (undocumented or on expired visas) so why not call them what they are?  But that isn't really my biggest gripe about this subject ...  My biggest gripe is when people like the Senate, or the President start talking about Amnesty for these illegal aliens.  Why in the world would we grant these criminals amnesty???  And they are criminals, never doubt that.  The very fact that they are currently on American soil, without having come through proper means is a violation of the law (this means they have committed a criminal act, just in case you are a leftist and a little slow).  In my humble opinion, it is a slap in the face to every LEGAL IMMIGRANT in the country, who worked hard to get here and become citizens through legal means, to allow these criminals to become citizens, or to have access to government programs and resources.  The are not citizens and as such have NO rights!  They should all be arrested, tried, and after serving time in a labor camp (this is like prison, but you are expected to work and I mean work like slaves for your room and board), and then shipped back to where ever they came from.  OH, and for those whop think they can come over and give birth and then get to stay because their child was born here ....  Take the child and put him/her up for adoption, the arrest the criminal etc.  Keep in mind these people are criminals already.  They have illegally crossed our border, they continue to be here without authorization, and they use government services (something that as non-citizens they have absolutely no right whatsoever to do).  We need to start treating them like the criminals they are. I can not believe that there is any ambiguity about this. We need to close our borders (by this I mean stop allowing anyone to enter our country illegally and if that means shooting criminals who continue to try and enter our country, then so be it), and then we need to get these illegal aliens out of here.



Vitam Libertatem Honorem

Short Rant about Welfare

Well, it's late and I should be in bed already so this will be a fairly short (I hope) rant on welfare.  I'm not sure why anyone thinks that it's "fair" to take money that I had to work my ass off to earn, and give it to someone else.  Quite frankly, I don't really care how badly they "need" it.  How is it my responsibility to feed, house, clothe, or otherwise take care of someone else?  Hell, I am so far behind on my bills that it is likely something will be shut off soon, and I can't really remember the last time I was able to afford to go out and buy groceries, but I have a job, so there is no help for me.  But my tax dollars can be given away to others who aren't working to feed them, and pay their bills?  Seriously?  Who ever thought this was a good idea?  That is not my responsibility!  It is not the government's job to do these things either.  Churches, social organizations, and community groups (not to mention family) is who should be looking to help the needy in or communities.  When you take my money, and give it to someone who hasn't earned it (it doesn't matter why you are giving it to them) all you are really doing, is A: preventing me from using my money to meet my needs and wants (thereby lowering my standard of living) B: teaching the recipients that they will be taken care of even if they do nothing, and C: giving me some major disincentives to not work as hard, because I certainly am not earning as much as I should be for my efforts.  I can not believe the number of people who honestly believe that the government should have the right to steal from me to give to people who have provided me with no services or products, for no more reason then they think I should.  I mean, I'm sorry, but did they work for that money?  I don't bloody think so.  Of course, if you try to eliminate these welfare programs or even try and scale them back a bit, people start to scream bloody murder about how you want to starve children, or kick pregnant single mothers out of their homes, or impoverish  seniors, or something else.  These things are completely untrue.  I don't want to do any of those things.  But it's MY MONEY!!!  Why should anyone else ever think they have any right at all to determine what it should be used for?  End of rant, I'm going to bed.



Vitam Libertatem Honorem

Right, blame it on Bush .......

     OK, so I see the post one of my friends on Facebook shared, that is a picture of Biden blaming the Recession on Bush, and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and other things Bush did .... Well let me tell ya, That is a load of crap!  What caused the supposed "Great Recession" (which I don't believe is over, recovery my ass!) was the policies started during the Clinton administration, with a Democratic House and Senate, forcing banks to give out loans to people that they knew would be unable to pay back.  Well, that created the whole sub-prime mortgage fiasco, and artificially inflated the value of homes, which made things even worse.  The housing market "bubble" that resulted look great, right up until it burst, in large part due to a down turn in employment, as two of the big three auto manufacturers, were about to declare bankruptcy.  Once the bubble burst, it was all over.  Alright, now let's look at what has happened since, shall we?  While the country was going through the worst economic situation since the 1930s (and I would argue that it was worse than then)  the government; bailed out the two failing auto companies (as opposed to allowing them to restructure under a bankruptcy agreement) bailed out the housing industry, passed the "stimulus" plan (where the hell did all of that money go????) passed a gigantic government takeover of the medical and medical insurance industries while at the same time raising, costs, prices, and additional taxes, and continues to spend money that we don't have, while printing more to "make up the difference" (quantitative easing) which in turn is devaluating  the dollar.  This whole cycle will eventually (maybe not today, but soon, I am certain) trigger an inflationary period where prices will sky rocket while people get paid less.  If it gets bad enough (and I think it will) total economic collapse is inevitable.  But yeah, it's all Bushes fault.  Because our fearless leader, the great apologist that he is, hasn't done anything to help bring us to this point .... right?  How long have we run without a budget?  How many times have we raised the debt ceiling? how much has he raised our national debt by?  WITHOUT MAKING ANYTHING ANY BETTER????  Seriously?  I will be the first to admit, that I was not real happy with many of the things President Bush did as President (he may have been a Republican, but he was a damned progressive ....  just like Obama), but to still be blaming him for this shit, (that was never really his fault to begin with) more than four years after Obama took office is patently ridiculous.


     And one other tiny little grump ....   I know people have been reading this (over 60 page views so far, not a ton I know, but more than I thought I'd have after just one week) but no one has posted a single comment???  Really?  Not one?  LOL Yeah, I know, as a grump goes it is pretty petty, but there it is.  Later folks.



Vitam Libertatem Honorem

A Rambling Bit About Faith

     Well, today I thought I'd talk a bit about faith.  Faith has always been difficult for me.  I know I should have faith, but I struggle with it every day.  I pray, not every day, but most days, before bed, and sometimes in the morning, but I really should pray more, and trust more that The Lord really will guild and protect me.  I know the adage the He never gives you anything you can't handle, but sometimes I really wish He didn't have such a high opinion of my ability to cope with stuff.  I see people, people who are happy, laughing together, having fun, and I get so jealous of them.  It has been a really long time since I have been happy much.  So I pray to Him for help, guidance, with everything from my finances, to relationships, and even to help me be a better person, (I also pray that He bless and guide all my family and friends around the world), but it just seems like things continue to slide down hill and go from bad to worse.... Still I try to have faith.  Faith, that He has a plan, even a plan for me, and this is just a tiny piece of that plan, and He will bring me out the other side of my troubles a stronger, better person for having been through tough times.  But it is harder than I would have ever imagined .... It is so hard to just let go of the worry, and put all of it into God's hand, and say I trust You, Lord to take care of this, and guide me to a better place ... It is something I try to work on every day, <sigh> but I think I fail more often than not.  I have had more reason to have faith than many, (including some excellent friends from out west),  but many times I see more hopelessness than I do hope.  But life without faith, is like two slices of bread with nothing in between to really sink your teeth into and fill your mouth with flavor (wow that is a really bad analogy .... LOL)  ok, so I just reread this and realized most of it is about my lack of faith as opposed to having faith, or even describing faith, which was my original intent, but maybe this is a better post really?  I don't know .... I think I am beginning to ramble, a sure sign that what ever I needed to say has been said.  I don't know how you (whoever you may be) feel about it, but for me, I think I will continue to try and let go of my will, and try to have faith in His will.




Vitam Libertatem Honerem

Short Rant about Election 2012

Ok, so like, it's way late, and I should be in bed already, but I do have a grump from a while back.  I had a fair number of friends who voted for Obama, largely because Romney "is going to set women's rights back 60 years".  Wow, really???  I have to wonder why some people seem to think it is ok to say "keep the government out of our reproductive rights (don't legislate abortion) but at the same time, seem to think it should be required that the government mandate that tax dollars be used to pay for abortions and birth control, or that the government should be able to force employers to pay for these things even if they are morally opposed to them.  I just don't understand how having government support free birth control, and abortion on demand, is worth having a president who continuously spends money we don't have, tries to find new ways of taxing everyone (if his taxes, fees, or penalties cause prices to rise, then they effect us all), and seems hell bent on finding new and inventive ways to violate both the letter and intent of the U.S. Constitution that he has sworn (twice now) to uphold.  I mean that is just rampant insanity!  That is almost as bad as the people who wouldn't vote for Romney because "you (the republicans) can't beat Obama without us" decided to prove it and all voted for a third party candidate who didn't have a prayer of winning, which effectively helped move Obama closer to having the needed votes to win.  While I will admit that Romney was not my first, second, or even really my third choice (all of my favorites were run over by the main stream media), Romney would have been a whole hell of a lot better than four more years of Obama.  We may have been able to recover from four years of Romney, but I don't know that we will ever be able to recover from this.  ok, I am done ranting now and heading to bed.

The Governments Job

     So I hear all the time about how the government should do this or do something about that ....  Really??? ok, look, we have a document in the country that outlines what the governments job is, sets up the frame work for various branches to accomplish it's tasks, and direct and limit what it can and can not do.  This document is the United States Constitution.  Problem is, we keep asking the government to do more and more things neither required nor expressly allowed in the constitution.  Things like, protect the environment, educate children, feed the poor, house the homeless, collect income taxes, and even choose what light bulbs we can use .....  None of this is the federal governments job.  Of course, there are a ton of people out there who will tell you that they (the federal government) have to do these things.  The fact is they not only don't have to do them, but there is absolutely NO constitutional authority for them to do them.  As a matter of fact, most of these things could much better be handled separately by the several states,  and by local (county, city, and village) governmental bodies.  We do not need the Department of education.  We do not need the Environmental Protection Agency.  We do not need Federal Housing, or welfare of any kind.  We don't really need a Department of Energy (although I will grant you that a much better argument can be made for it that the others).  We sure as hell don't need the wholly unconstitutional Affordable Care Act.  These things are not the governments job.  They are the states jobs, and the peoples.  You could solve a lot of problems by just reading the Constitution and throwing out every federal law, regulation, program, and agency that is not expressly called for and/or allowed in it, and making the states and local governments start fulfilling their role in the hierarchy of government as out founding fathers envisioned.



Vitam Libertatem Honerem