AdNONsense

Ok, I am a little hacked off at Google Adsense. The canceled my account for clicking the links on my site. I would click any time a new Google Ad was generated to see what was being offered to my readers. Apparently that is inappropriate. There was over $20 in that account and I highly doubt my clicking a few links generated more than a few cents of that. I used no robots or special programs, I only clicked a few of my links to review the content my site was linking to. A simple warning might have sufficed but they instead cancelled my account and took all of the money in it. Not cool Google... Not cool at all.

The greatest nation on earth

In this great country of ours I have seen an outpouring of love and brotherhood that makes my heart swell with pride. In my last post I called out for all who can help to do so. I have watched people load huge trucks with water and clothing and others take strangers into their homes. I am proud to be an American.

In this great country we are also free to speak our minds, no matter how low our IQ. On every news channel there are a small vocal few who blame racism, the government, and God for this disaster. They say the response was too slow and had this been a predominantly white community they would have been helped more quickly. New Orleans is a bowl, up to 15 feet below sea level. The City should have prepared itself for this. The federal government has done an exceptional job considering the scope of this disaster. The City Government on the other hand has whined and bitched the whole way. Why was there not a mass mandatory evacuation before the storm? Why did the city not shore up the levy? Why are they expecting everyone else to move faster when they could have staved off some of this through their own preparedness? I know I am barely coherent in this but damn this pisses me off.

I hate that these morons have to point their fingers and say stupid things. But I thank God I live in a country where they have the right to say it and I have the right to call them freaking idiots.

Water water everywhere and not a drop to drink

I want to let all affected directly by the ravages of Hurricane Katrina know my thoughts and prayers are with you. I also know that thoughts and prayers don't save lives without action to back them up. I spent last night loading trucks of water that Navy C130s were waiting to fly to New Orleans. We expected enough to load one 25 foot U-haul. We ended up loading 2 26 foot U-hauls, a 30 foot delivery truck from the local fitness store, and a 50 foot flatbed semi. It felt so good to know that by my sweat I was helping save lives. This small miracle was organized in a matter of hours by Pastor Bill Cornelius of the Bay Area Fellowship. I urge everyone who reads this to go out and do something RIGHT NOW. The biggest need in the disaster area is water. Call you priest, pastor, rabbi, or Red Cross and find out how you can send water, food, clothing, and money. Or you can use the link below to donate right now:

http://www.redcross.org/donate/donate.html

If the server is slow you can call in your donation at 1-800-HELP-NOW. Please give all you can. If you don't have money, give time. Call you local Red Cross office to find out how you can help. Our brothers and sisters need you RIGHT NOW. Every hour that passes finds another dead of dehydration, drowning, or sickness caused by the rising water. You can make a difference.

I was going to complain about gas prices today (which topped $3.00 a gallon) but rethinking that I realized, to use my voice on the net to whine about filling my tank when I can raise my voice to help save people was just wrong. Help our fellow Americans. Show the world why this is the GREATEST NATION ever to rise. Let us open our hearts, homes, and wallets to help our neighbors. America bless those in need, and God bless America.

Hosting Space

I am currently looking for some hosting space and trying to come up with a domain name on which to host my personal site and this blog. I will continue to use Blogger but I will be hosting the actual blog myself along with an actual site. Anyone have any good recommendations?

Danger: Political Commentary!

Warning: The following rambling is of a political nature and is not for the regular viewing public.

Ok, now I have that out of the way and have the attention of only those who give a crap about politics I can get down to business.

First, to Cindy Sheehan, your son is mourned by all who have ever donned the uniform of any military branch. Know that this man's prayers are with you and your family. You want answers and in your position I think it is your right to have them. Any who defame you for it cannot possibly understand the loss of a child and can go to hell. I am sorry there are so many opportunistic people willing to use your grief for their political gain.

Second, Mr. President, quit talking about winning the war on terror and do it. Blow every radical cleric straight to hell. We don't need to beat around the bush (no pun intended), we need to blow all who would dare attack us on our soil to bits. How? Stop bowing to political pressure and take out the real sources of terrorism. I speak not of the stone age Afghans and Pakistanis but instead of the space age Syrians and Saudi's. Men with rocks are not what are killing our troops. Men with RPG's, bombs, and high tech communications are. These radical Islamic nations are not friends. They will destroy us.

Third, our borders are currently overrun with people coming here illegally. I speak not of Mexican immigrants who love Americans. I know and love many whose immigration from Mexico was less than legal. I speak of those who come through Mexico and Canada from other countries. They run to the nearest INS office and apply for temporary entry with easily obtained foreign identification under various pretences. They are required to report within 90 days to the local INS office in the city they enter for further processing. Only 10% of these people actually show up for these hearings. How much damage could one terrorist do with the belief that his death will bring him a one way ticket to Allah and 79 virgins. We must shut this down NOW!

I have many other rants but I also have a job so I must continue this later.

ADD, ADHD, and other loads of crap

I was watching a news article on the Today Show in which they were interviewing a doctor with a "startling new breakthrough" in the study of ADHD. People who have ADHD symptoms as children have a high risk of having symptoms in adulthood. Thank you for that oh master of the freaking obvious. As a child I was diagnosed with ADD (I pre-dated the ADHD diagnosis a bit). I was put on cocaine, oops, I mean Ritalin (they are molecularly very similar, hence the confusion). I did well in school but noticed some side effects like stunted growth and a bit of a dependency on it. At the age of 10 my parents decided to take me off this narcotic and in the span of a summer I grew nearly a foot. I began to study ADD and noticed a trend. Not one person I met with this "disorder" had an I.Q. below 145 (140 is the generally accepted line for genius). I myself hit the mark of 160. I began to notice a trend. ADD students did better on tests and in pressure situations. Non-ADD students tend to perform better on homework situations where extended time was allotted. In my own experience, if it did not challenge me, I didn't bother with it. The only reason I made it through school was that I found teachers who understood my study habits and despite my disdain for homework passed me.

So how do we help ADD kids? Find teachers who are smart enough to challenge these students and teach them in the way they learn. Stop teaching ADD students the way less intelligent students are taught. Don't drug them, challenge them. The thrill of conquering a challenge is all the drug they need.

Trains of Thought

Topping our news today, a train of thought derailed in my head earlier carrying an undisclosed number of passengers. Authorities are examining the wreckage for any survivors. This is the third derailment of this kind this morning. An investigation into the cause of the derailments is underway and will continue until investigators get distrac...ohhh...shiny things....I'm sorry, where was I?

In other news, adult attention deficit disorder is on the rise...

On Nostalgia

First, Happy Birthday to my beautiful wife. I love you honey.

All the birthdays got me thinking about the good old days. Good old days remind me of the foods I grew up on so I had corn dogs for lunch. Somehow food can take you back to a simpler time. Charles was still in charge, life had very few facts, nobody knew what the hell Willis was talking about, and Michael Jackson was still black. I could stop at the corner store for a pack on candy cigarettes with which to freak out all of the parents on the block and Pop Rocks and Pepsi were a "fatal" combination. The internet was for geeks only and music didn't suck as bad. It truly was a golden age. Life was good.

Wait...a lot of 80's music did suck, Charles was never really in charge, nobody cared what Willis was saying and Michael Jackson has NEVER REALLY been black. Candy cigarettes caused me three trips to the dentist and Pop Rocks and Pepsi tastes like crap on a stick. The internet was only for geeks because it was boring as all hell and the fact of life was that it sucked. Funny how age puts a shiny glow on crap as long as you don't think about it. Guess that is what I get for thinking. I want my MTV...

On Aging

Tiff and I went out with the gang last night till it was so late it was early. I slept for 3 hours and then had to come in for a full day of work today. I feel like I drank a keg of the thick nasty Bock beer last night, right from the bottom of the barrel. Sad really. I don't drink anymore yet I am still reaping the hangover the next day. I am getting too old for this shit. I need a nap and a tall glass of Maker's Mark...

On Evolution

I read a report on MSNBC today on the "attacks" on the theory of evolution as it is currently taught in schools by "creationists". It got me thinking *DANGER, I'VE BEEN THINKING*. The following is the result.

For the record, I am Mormon and thus a "creationist" by definition. I diverge from standard Mormons and Christians in general when I say that Genesis is NOT the whole story. I believe through my own research that the creation spoken of by Moses in that holy book speaks of the spiritual creation. I believe the Earth, the rock we stand on now, was created physically first millions, perhaps billions of years ago. I also believe not all life on earth was created by God. As a Mormon I believe God himself has a Father and that we all have the opportunity to become like God. Just as a child grows like their parents, we can grow to be Gods. Many Mormons don't take the doctrine that far. I on the other hand take it further. For me there is a part of the story missing in Judeo-Christian theology. Why are we here going through all this hardship to "prepare" us for life in Heaven if it is all sunshine and roses. What if this is basic training for a much larger war against evil. This is where I start weirding people out. Have you ever seen the Archangels in anything but battle dress in scripture? Why is that? Add to that the Book of Enoch speaks of a race existing on Earth before man named Nephilim that supposedly fathered the giants by mating with the daughters of men. They were the "Men of Old,or Men of Renown" spoken of in Genesis. Enoch clearly states that these Nephilim were "Fallen" and "not of God". Could he mean they were not his creations in the first place? Also, one must ask how creation accounts for dinosaurs and the monstrous beasts roaming the earth long before the "time of Adam". There are gaps in the scriptural record which allow room for interpretation. I think once those gaps are filled, we just might find out that both evolution and creation occurred. To think that this many genetic variances could have occurred from one set of parents as recent as 10,000 years ago just doesn't add up. To think we came from apes also doesn't quite add up. There has to be a place where science and religion meet.

Or maybe I'm just full of crap.

Music of life

I'm listening to Dave Matthews "So Damn Lucky" from his solo album. The lyrics got me thinking. For those who haven't heard the song, the whole song takes place in the moments after his car starts sliding. His heart is racing and his last few moments are flashing. "Everythings different, just like that, Oh my God, wait and see, what will soon become of me, frozen heart, screaming wheels, or does that screaming come from me..." Words that draw a picture so poiniant you can't miss it. Do words set to music carry more meaning? Why? I have no idea why this struck me as an interesting concept.

The other day Tiff and I went with our friends Heather and Austin to karaoke and sang till our voices were raw. I sang one just for Tiff, Billy Dean's "If There Hadn't Been You," and the emotion of that song makes me love her more. I've said these things to her thousands of times but throw them to a tune and suddenly, just by singing them, they are amplified. I know I'm no Frank Sinatra but I love to sing. I love the power it gives me. The ability to make someone smile, laugh, cry, or feel loved. I must also admit, being true to my Leo form, being in the spotlight makes me happy. I heard one guy say, "...this guy is good..." to his date and it made my night. Having the crowd go nuts for "Margaritaville" also rocked.

Why is it I can't do this for a living? Maybe me and Austin ought to put our heads together and figure out our own act. Austin is a guitarist and, as it turns out, a kick ass singer. I'm thinking I could learn rhythm, he could take lead, we get a bass and drums and we have a band a la Brooks and Dunn.

Or maybe I am just talking out my ass again and should stick to karaoke Monday and Tuesday nights...

Bad Cop, No Doughnut

So it looks like the cops finally tracked down a hardened criminal. Apparently the doughnut budget has been cut and cops have to fill the coffers again and it is so much easier to stop someone going a couple of miles over the limit. For the record my speedometer read under 40 mph and the cop claimed it was 45 mph. Note the car in front of me was traveling faster and was let off with a warning. It was not a school or construction zone and all of the surrounding vehicles were moving at the same speeds. Go find a real criminal. No one ever died from traveling a mile or two over the speed limit. If I had been going 60 mph it would be another matter. But if I fight the ticket it could cost me more than just taking it up the ass from the city. As it stands it will cost me around $135 for the ticket. Poll of the peanut gallery: should I fight it or just grab the KY and bend over?

Birthday

So, my birthday is coming up this week. I turn 27. It is hard to believe how time flies. I have served in the army, traveled the entire Western U.S., been married twice and had 3 children. I have been on top of the world and I have contemplated swallowing a bullet. All in these 27 short years. It still blows my mind.

I'm still alive and kicking. I havn't posted regularly because my life is weird right now. So little to do and so much time...wait, reverse that...

You ever felt like no matter how hard you run, you're going backwards? That is my life. I can't catch a break. I fix one thing and ten more things break. Why can life ever be simple? I just don't get it.

Been a while since I've updated. Life has been topsy turvey of late and my work schedule has been insane. Things have been so strange.

First, Tiff and I went over to our friends John and Shannon's house for a barbecue. He has a newborn son. I sat on the couch watching him for a couple of hours. I didn't want to pick him up but I felt drawn to do it. I finally gave in and picked up an infant for the first time in 7 months. I held him until his bedtime. Even then I didn't want to let go. It hurt so much yet felt so good at the same time. It has been 7 months since I held Diana's little body in my arms. The pain never fades. All you can do is cope with it.

Second, I've been feeling a bit smothered at late. I have bad credit as a result of some really poor decisions (i.e. my first marriage) so I live with my parents and work for their company to pay off my debt. It started over a year and a half ago at about $25,000 of debt plus living expenses month to month. If I stop working for them, my wife and I are homeless. I wouldn't mind so much if I knew how long this tunnel was but they refuse to give me any idea of how far I have to go until I can get out of this indentured servitude. I would leave today if I could get hired somewhere else but with my credit rating I can't get my family a place to live. I would stay here if I could see light at the end of the tunnel without the sound of a train whistle.

Third, I got a call from my old friend John. I haven't heard from him in over 6 years. It felt good to talk to him and reminisce about the old days. John and I were two of the Three Heathens. John and I were good friends through our church's single adult program. Then a guy named Carl came home from a mission and we all became like brothers. When Carl got up to give a talk in church we were there. The three of us all wore goatees at the time. When Carl began his talk he said, "I was talking to the Bishop and he pointed at my beard and said I've become a heathen." Thus the Three Heathens were formed. I miss those days of movie marathons, cold pizza, and the most hilarious disjointed conversations ever. Friends come and go but brotherhoods like that never die.