Scott McClellan, Mary Kay, and the Triple Crown

NEWS FLASH is basically news or thoughts that may be changing over time - an update or an evolution of thought that covers a multiple of topics. It is what makes a blogger tick and it is the reason why we read. So, with that in mind, I came up with NEWS FLASH as an acronym that stands for what is going on in life:



News (or current events)
Entertainment (movies, TV, celebrity, etc.)
Writing (thoughts on the blog(s) or other writing projects)
Spirit (thoughts on God and/or the supernatural)
Family (or friends)
Love
Anxiety (a rant or a trouble)
Sports (also considered should be contests, reality TV, recreation, cards, games), and
Home (house, yard, or even another family type of thought.
___________________________________________________________________

NEWS - Former White House spokesman Scott McClellan wrote a tell-all book about some major issues in the Bush White House. In response, the Bush team all recite the same mantra: "It is puzzling. He never said anything to us at the time that he had these thoughts. It doesn't sound like the Scott McClellan I know."

Apparently, according to McClellan, Dick Cheney, Karl Rove, and Scooter Libby lied about their involvement in exposing CIA operative Valerie Plame. Also, and even more importantly, the Bush administration exaggerated and trumped up reasons to justify going to war in Iraq and relied on propaganda (McClellan's words not mine) to convince the American people to go along with it.

Excuse me, but is this really news to anyone?

ENTERTAINMENT - Can't Hollywood make a movie that critics will like? I get so tired of looking forward to a movie (read: Indiana Jones) and find out that critics chop it to shreds before I get a chance to see it. It is not that I believe the critics; I believe in judging for myself for the most part. However, reading that a movie stinks sure takes the excitement out of seeing it. I think that maybe movie critics should review movies in a more measured way. For instance, they might say if you like "x", then you will like this movie. After all, we don't all have the same taste, do we?

WRITING - I am mulling over whether or not I should apply to be on our local paper's editorial advisement board. Board members have input on the editorial pages and write one column per month. If you think I should try, what posts do you think I should send to the paper (I must submit three "articles").

SPIRIT - I just can't seem to get my priorities in order. Intellectually I can reason the right order of things, but they do not manifest themselves in actuality in my life. God first, family second, job third. I just don't seem to let God take the wheel enough.

FAMILY - My wife is now a Mary Kay Independent Beauty Consultant. Can you believe that? She is so introverted and shy that it just seems like a bad fit in that respect. However, she cares and knows a ton about fashion and make-up, so that part fits. This line is continued in the next section.

LOVE - My wife, the Mary Kay rep, originally decided NOT to do it for the reasons I mentioned above. However, since her father and another counselor told her that in order for her life and marriage to improve, she must step outside her comfort zone, she decided to do the Mary Kay thing. It cost us a fortune to get her started, but if it helps her and us, it will be money well spent. Now, who out there is interested in me recovering some of this investment, uh, I mean who out there is interested in Mary Kay cosmetics?

ANGUISH - My renter guy is really pushing me beyond the brink. All of the sudden he is trying to insist I put on a new roof on the house I am renting to him. The deal was that I would rent the house to him for an extremely low amount so he could put some money into the house. Therefore, when he buys the house (for a low, pre-improvement price) it will be in good shape. We knew that the roof was going to be needing replaced at some point, but there was no mention of ME doing it. I think it has a couple of good years left. He thinks that I should rent it to him (at about 40% discount, pay to have a new roof put on, and STILL sell it to him as if I didn't put a new roof on). I am this ---> <--- close to giving him the boot.

SPORTS - Two thirds of the Triple Crown of horse racing is in the books. There is a very good chance that the undefeated Big Brown will be the first horse in thirty years to win all three races of the crown. He was not even tested in the first two. However, a horse from Japan named Casino Drive is coming in to try to steal the crown from him. This horse has impressive credentials and is also undefeated. It will be quite the race to watch. For those interested, is Saturday, June 6 on ABC, at 5 pm EDT.

How Bad is Bush?

A dear friend of mine has raised the issue of the Bush presidency not being as bad as many perceive it to be. I thought it may be worthwhile to explore this.

My personal opinion of Bush is that he may be the worst president that we have ever had. The only thing I can think of that was positive is that he did a good job with Aids in Africa. I respect him for that. Besides that, though, he took an economy that was finally in the black and trashed it to the point that now we are in a recession. In addition, he put us in a war that was unnecessary and cost more American lives than the 9/11 tragedy. What's more, he has trampled on our liberties with his "anti-terrorists" tactics. He even trashed the reputation of his party. Barring some Democratic catastrophe, they have no chance in keeping the White House or recapturing either house of Congress.

These arguments did not dissuade my friend from removing her "I'm a Bushie, and Darned Proud of it" bumper sticker. Instead she countered my arguments with, "No, Bush is not the worst. Carter, Nixon, Clinton....all come to mind.We were in the black until 9/11 hit; our country just hasn't fully recovered from that. I think blaming Bush is a scapegoat. During his presidency home ownership has been at an all time high (esp among blacks), unemployment was at an all-time low, and we've had no other terrorists attacks on U.S. soil. I don't think people grasp what has been done to protect us. There are fascists out there who want to kill us. This is why I support the war on terror. After two years of fighting in the Revolutionary War, it grew quite unpopular. I doubt anyone would consider that a waste. Our liberties have been trampled by groups like the ACLU and even Congress. Bush has alienated folks in the Republican party because he is not tough enough. He has folded to the whims of special interest groups and the likes of Pelosi and Reid."

Her response is the kind of thing that keeps me an independent. When I see the Republican and Democratic talking points, I always question them for truth and accuracy. Her rebuttal reminded me that Obama is not the only one with Kool-Aid drinking followers. No offense to her, though. ;)

I will concede that Carter and Nixon were not good presidents. Carter was naive and Nixon was a crook. Nixon was bad, not just because of the crooked activities, but because he is a lot of the reason we have a healthcare crisis in this country. Clinton's job performance was fantastic, though. I can't believe any fair minded person could say, with a straight face, that it was anything other than glowing. As I mentioned in my post, personal and moral lackings aside, was it the peace or the prosperity that people such as my friend objected to the most?

However, Bush is at a whole other level of failure than Carter and Nixon - for the reasons I stated above. However, let's look at what my friend gives him credit for.

Yep, we were in the black before 9/11 - just months after Bush's first term started. Clinton put us in the black after fixing the economic mess that Reagan started and Bush, Sr. kept going.

Homeownership went up - Yes, and the reason was the subprime mortgage disaster. Blacks and Hispanics were hurt the worst with a record number of foreclosures.

Unemployment has been down and that is good, however, the confirming factor that we are, indeed, in a recession, is because in recent months we are losing thousands of jobs - 80,000 just last month and 150,000 since the end of January.

No OTHER terrorist attacks on US soil - I think this is the lamest of all "achievements" that Bushies claim. Gee, we have also had no large meteors hit the Earth, none of the seven plagues of Egypt has befallen us, and no invasions from beings from other planets, either. These things and the fact that California hasn't been detached and lost to the Pacific should encourage us all to put "W" on Mt. Rushmore. You know what? Bush has had more terrorist attacks on US soil than Richard Nixon.

The War on Terror ended, for all practical purposes when the US invaded Iraq. Bin Laden and al Quaida were not in Iraq, they were in the mountainous area around the Afghanistan/Pakistan border. The US diverted way too many resources to the mindless war in Iraq before the job was complete in the terrorist region. The War in Iraq should not be confused with the "War on Terror" - which can't really be won, by the way. We can only hope to contain it.

Comparing the Iraq war with the American Revolution has caught me speechless. I will just let it sit out there without rebuttal.

Our liberties have been trampled by tactics from the Bush administration that enables people to be bugged and have other privacy matters violated without a warrant all in the name of the "Patriot Act." New Rule: Republicans are not allowed to use the word "patriot" until the Bush administration has officially come to a close.

I am no fan of the ACLU, however, and think it has missed its "should-be" focus.

Bush has failed his own party because of all the things I have mentioned, not because of some perceived weakness. Popularity fuels a political party and Bush is one of the least popular presidents in history. If he was a stronger Bush (i.e. pursuing his failed policies more aggressively), I don't think he could survive to the end of his term. My gosh, why do you think the Republicans nominated McCain? It is because he is a maverick (by Republican standards anyway).

So there you have it, Jeff's view of the Bush presidency? What do others of you think? Give me some feedback or at least participate in the poll below (it is way down there so keep scrolling). If you do both, you get Psychosomatic Wit brownie points!

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	Who is the worst president of the US since 1900?
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NEWS FLASH #21

NEWS FLASH is basically news or thoughts that may be changing over time - an update or an evolution of thought that covers a multiple of topics. It is what makes a blogger tick and it is the reason why we read. So, with that in mind, I came up with NEWS FLASH as an acronym that stands for what is going on in life:



News (or current events)
Entertainment (movies, TV, celebrity, etc.)
Work (thoughts on the job or employer)
Spirit (thoughts on God and/or the supernatural)
Family (or friends)
Love
Anxiety (a rant or a trouble)
Sports (also considered should be contests, reality tv, recreation, cards, games), and
Home (house, yard, or even another family type of thought.
___________________________________________________________________

I hope everyone had a nice holiday (those that had one). Life has kept me busy going into and coming out of Thanksgiving. I haven't been neglectful of my blog - just unable to do much with it.
I also decided NOT to have "The Great Healthcare Debate II" on this blog at this point. I don't want to turn this into THAT. However, I am still willing to discuss it in small parts and in the comments for those who are particularly interested. As a little response to some of the criticisms to universal healthcare, I can say that no inconvenience or even small expense should outweigh some of our less fortunate the RIGHT to healthcare. It is unconscionable to deny healthcare to anyone - especally for selfish reasons ("it will cost me more or inconvenience me more"). Jesus, I am sure, hates this system. He taught that people should consider the "least" of society as they do God's own son. I doubt too many people would look favorable to the idea of turning Jesus away because of lack of funds, do you?

What also bothers me is that most of the people who are against providing unversal healthcare are the same people that support the pointless Iraq war and all the money spent on it. This would be conservatives and (Ready for the irony?) the RELIGIOUS RIGHT. It has cost us hundreds of BILLIONS of dollars to fund this war, but we let 18,000 people die per year because of the lack of healthcare available to them because it costs too much to provide it. Disgraceful!

But, I digress . . .

NEWS - I think from time to time as the primary season starts to heat up, I will give my take on some of the candidates. Today, it is Ron Paul. I like Paul for a number of reasons. For one thing, he is a Republican who doesn't keep rehashing the company line. He is a bit of a rascal and radical. I like that. I like the "idea" of some of his positions (e.g. he wants to do away with income taxes), but I fear that if he were president, he would spend a lot of time and resources on this type of thing, just to fall flat on his face because it doesn't look feasible. Even if it was feasible, there are enough politicians out there that do not believe it is, so they will fight it tooth and nail till it goes away (like Hillary's healthcare plan from the Clinton administration). In addition, Paul's libertarian philosophy and the strict "let the market decide" mantra is just not good or practical. If libertarians had their way, thier policies would lead to class warfare. Unbridled capitalism is just greed in action. In economics, a total capitalistic system is just a phase of a good economic model, not the end result. Unbridled capitalism leads to monopolies and the consumer ultimately is held hostage. With these kind of philosophies, Paul loses me because he is against universal healthcare which, to me, is essential for a civilized, compassionate society.

ENTERTAINMENT - I love this time of year because all the Christmas specials are coming on the television. I just can't get enough of "Rudolph" and "A Charlie Brown Christmas." Also, apparently I am getting TWO copies of "Sicko" for Christmas. I think it is an important film, but I only need one copy. :)

WORK - All is calm, all is bright. Not too many virgins, though. Work is calm and I generally take vacation around this time of year so I have no complaints.

SPIRIT - I have been in wonder over God's love and patience. He knows my heart. Although I have been failing in a couple of areas, God's mercy and wisdom surfaces and picks up the slack. The result: Peace.

FAMILY - We had a nice Thanksgiving. We went to my niece's house. We were the second team, however, as my niece's husband's family was there at noon and we came in at 4:00 pm. It was fine, though, and my famous turkey was awesome this year; I added a brine to the recipe.

LOVE - Things are pretty nice at home. My wife has been very helpful, loving, and appreciative to me. It is better than last year at this time so I guess we are steadily moving in the right direction.

ANGUISH - I have had a terrible time dealing with the water department. I may go into it later, because it sure would fill up a lot of space if I was to relay it here and now. When I get it settled, I will fill you in. Let's just say, that I am not a fan of the socialistic aspects of my city's water department right now. Kristen, I hope you are happy! ;)

SPORTS - I finally had a nice week in football. My Bengals acted like the Bengals of a couple of years ago and my fantasy team has high week (for the moment anyway). I am enjoying it while I can.

HOME - My tenant moved in and spent the night for the first time in the house last night. He is going to pay me Wednesday. Hopefully, this will be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

NEWS FLASH #14

NEWS FLASH is basically news or thoughts that may be changing over time - an update or an evolution of thought that covers a multiple of topics. It is what makes a blogger tick and it is the reason why we read. So, with that in mind, I came up with NEWS FLASH as an acronym that stands for what is going on in life:


News (or current events)
Entertainment (movies, TV, celebrity, etc.)
Work (thoughts on the job or employer)
Spirit (thoughts on God and/or the supernatural)
Family (or friends)
Love
Anxiety (a rant or a trouble)
Sports (also considered should be contests, reality tv, recreation, cards, games), and
Home (house, yard, or even another family type of thought.
___________________________________________________________________

NEWS - It appears that this country is heading toward a recession. Not only are interest rates high, prices of staples like milk and gas are high, the housing market in which I am being victimized about is horrible, but now we find out that unemployment is on the rise. Sheesh! With this quagmire in Iraq - and the nearly 4000 Americans dead because of it, the infringement of freedoms because of questionable "homeland security" tactics, the corruption of the presidential cabinet, and now the economy tanking, is there any doubt that GW Bush is one of the worst presidents in US history?

ENTERTAINMENT - I will contain myself from making any Britney Spears comments today after her bad performance last night on the MTV. Nope, I will return to Big Brother 8 (US). I know most of you don't watch it, but that is your problem. :P I just want to say that the Donatos are among the worst human beings that have ever played the game. There, I feel better now.

WORK - Getting busy! My blogging may suffer for the next couple of weeks. I have multiple meanings culminating with the BIG meeting (and my evaluation) next week. On top of that, I am screening intern candidates. Interns historically suck, so I am not optimistic.

SPIRIT - I am sad about the passing of D. James Kennedy. He was too political for my liking for a while, but he spent a lot of time on interesting topics the last few years (e.g. evolution/creation). He was very intelligent and made intelligent, not emotional arguments. As a matter of fact, I deal with this issue on my latest post of my "Present Truth" blog. I, by chance, got to meet Pastor Kennedy when he was touring with the "Delta Queen"riverboat when it made a stop in this town. He was a nice guy and I am sure he is enjoying being "home".

FAMILY - The father-in-law was in town this past weekend. I always enjoy his visits. We had the occasion to go out to breakfast Saturday - just the two of us. It was nice to get to know him more. I am hoping he moves here after his retirement in a couple of years.

LOVE - Well, the great relationship has waned some. I guess that can be expected. The honeymoon can't last forever, can it? However, things aren't bad. They are certainly better than months and weeks passed. Maybe it is normal. I wouldn't have any idea what "normal" is like so it is hard for me to say.

ANXIETY - I am really getting concerned about the money situation. We have only one mortgage payment left in savings. My wife still hasn't found a job. I think she is too picky. I don't remember holding out for a "fun" job in my past job searches. Sometimes I think she needs to be reminded that marriage is a partnership, not an entitlement program.

SPORTS - The NFL is here and my Bengals are on Monday Night Football tonight. I hope they perform better than my fantasy team. Going into tonight, I am in last place. However, I have guys playing tonight that may help me climb out of the cellar.

HOME - I am meeting with yet another realtor this week. If she is as gloomy about the prospects of a quick and equitable sale as the others, I think I am just going to sell to an investor and forget about it. I do hate being in debt over a house I will no longer own, though, but what are you gonna do?

NEWS FLASH #7

NEWS FLASH is basically news or thoughts that may be changing over time - an update or an evolution of thought that covers a multiple of topics. It is what makes a blogger tick and it is the reason why we read. So, with that in mind, I came up with NEWS FLASH as an acronym that stands for what is going on in life:


News (or current events)
Entertainment (movies, TV, celebrity, etc.)
Work (thoughts on the job or employer)
Spirit (thoughts on God and/or the supernatural)
Family (or friends)
Love
Anxiety (a rant or a trouble)
Sports (also considered should be contests, reality tv, recreation, cards, games), and
Home (house, yard, or even another family type of thought.

___________________________________________________________________

NEWS - There is still trouble with getting President Bush to come in line with what the American people (and everywhere else for that matter) want in regards to Iraq. What a legacy he is going to have. After starting his presidency akin to a hero, many (some even neutral) consider him one of the worst presidents that ever came down the pike. Pity.

ENTERTAINMENT - I have been catching up on all the America's Next Top Model programs when they run marathon-style on MTV. I know many may wonder how I got into that, look under the "LOVE" aspect of this NEWSFLASH. Anyway, what I have gathered is that Tyra Banks is WAY too full of herself. The contestants go live in a house that is over-saturated with Tyra pictures. Tyra becomes photographer in one part of the series, and every time the contestants get a message from the show, they get "Tyra Mail". Please. I am pretty Tyra'd of the whole self absorbancy thing.

WORK - I recently got my COLA (cost of living adjustment) raise. I needed that, as you know. Now I am gearing up for the next big meeting of my commission which is next week. I am finding that there are a lot of anal cavities in positions of managment in this part of the state recently.

SPIRIT - I had an interesting experience at church yesterday. First of all, the worship part of the service was led by an up and coming band from San Antonio Texas called Abandon. After that, the pastor got up and started his message. It was about being humble before God. He related a story about himself where he recently failed. He then got touched, confessed to God and kind of broke down. After composing himself, he stopped the message and asked Abandon to come back up and play the rest of the service out. It was a very unique experience to see God touch someone like that in front of the whole congregation. Abandon was very cooperative and understanding. The lead singer recognized the presence of the Spirit here when he announced that we are "REALLY having church here today."

FAMILY - There isn't too much to report in this area. Everything seems to be stable at the moment. I am planning to attend my family reunion this weekend (busy week since my birthday is this week, also). I am optimistic that my wife is going with me. She has been sick, though, and I am taking her to the doctor soon.

LOVE - This is the one that purtains to the Tyra Banks quip above. My wife is into the fashion thing as I mentioned before in this blog. She takes a lot of magazines and one of her programs is America's Next Top Model. I have looked throught the magazines and forced myself to get interested in the program because I feel it is important to TRY to do that for the person you love - to show that you have a genuine interest in them and what they like. I think if a person is open-minded, he/she can get interested in anything if they try. I owe my wife the interest I have in Jane Austen novels, for heaven's sake. Unfortunately, my dear wife doesn't reciprocate this 'open-mindedness'. It would be huge for me if she could get interested in my sports teams, western movies, or even Star Trek which I secretly enjoy (not so much of a secret now, apparently). I have mentioned this to her quite a few times, but no dice. However, I will STILL continue to share her interests with her because it is the right thing to do. Besides, maybe someday it just might rub off on her.

ANXIETY - I need to sell my house. This is a recording.

SPORTS - Thank God, football training camps are getting ready to start. My last place baseball team (The Reds) are killing my spirit. I was also asked by a friend to give him some pointers on drilling a major college basketball player for her summer workouts. Drawing on my experience with coaching, I did just that last week. This friend also wants the two of us to coach some sort of team this year. We'll see. In the meantime, I am suppose to help another friend coach youth football. Busy, busy.

HOME - The air conditioning is out at my mother's house. She doesn't mind much, but I worry about her. With my wife not working, it isn't easy to get something major repaired. My sisters and I are working on it, though. I swear, cutting three large lawns a week is taking its toll on me. I am exhausted and I have to cut more today. It is hot and humid. Not cool (pun intended).

That's it for another week. I have a few blogs to catch up on so look for me at your place.

Thursday Thirteen #15 - Hammer's 500 M-Word

Groovy Lady tagged me and this little exercise has thirteen components so I told her that I would devote this week's TT to it. It was created by Hammer (When Your Only Tool is a Hammer) on his 500th post. I hadn't read him before, but his blog looks pretty interesting and funny. I may have to include him in my blog reading routine.

Thirteen Random Questions About Me

1. What is the stupidest mistake you have ever made with money? I guess it was buying the house that I am trying to sell now. I never moved into it; my life changed about the time I bought it. Instead of NOT buying it, I bought it as a saving mechanism. Now, I will feel lucky if I can sell it without owing money, since the housing market has changed.

2. Do you think taxes are unfair or do you think it is your civic duty? Both. Depending on who is in office, taxes are collected and used unfairly. One party wants to throw money (yours and mine) at problems and the other wants to cut taxes and "protect" the higher income people. I remember when Bush was running in his first term. The solution to EVERY problem was cutting taxes. Press Corp: "Governor Bush, how can we ease the tension between Israel and Palestine?" Bush: "We need to cut taxes." We need taxes to function as a government, but we need more accountability.

3. Do you take risks and possibly turn your life upside down for new opportunity? It isn't in my nature, but I do. I bought that stupid house in #1 and I got married. Those things have turned my life upside down. I haven't quit any jobs to work on a crab boat in Alaska or anything like that, though.

4. Are you the Alpha in your household? I don't know. In some ways, yeah, but other ways no. Sometimes I feel like I don't have the energy to maintain the alpha position. I am the alpha over the three dogs, though, but the wife . . . Sometimes I would rather just give in than deal with the fallout over confrontation. I pick my battles. In the old days, it was simple. You established your dominance by slugging your wife with a leg of lamb. Today, you have to use other tools rather than physical ones. Let's face it; women are much better in that area than men (yes! I made that point without mentioning the word "nagging"!).

5. Do you compromise with your significant other or does someone always get their way? We compromise. Sometimes the person who is willing to give the most, does so to protect the peace. That be me.

6. What curse word do you use the most often? I don't really curse that much. The D-word or the H-word may creep in from time to time, but that is about as far as it goes. I think that words are too important. You can't take them back and people judge you for every word that comes out of your mouth. I respect myself too much to throw around words like that, but more importantly, I respect those around me more.

7. Do you easily change your mind or are you dead set on most issues? Both. I have a deep desire to know the truth. If I have a belief, I listen intently to opposing views in case I missed something. One needs to be compelling to change my mind (because I have given things WAY too much thought), but it is possible. We are never through learning. If you are stuck with one position on ANYTHING, chances are you are going to be wrong eventually.

8. What famous person would you like to trade places with for one week? When I read the question the first time last week, I had no idea. When I got to it as I was filling out this little questionaire, it hit me that I would trade places with GW Bush. In one week, I could sit down with party leaders in Congress, work out a compromise that would result in putting an end to the war. I would also resend the "tax breaks" and work to put more regulation on the oil industry to protect the consumer from all this price abuse that miraculously didn't happen in the previous administration. Besides, how many people can claim they shared a bed with Laura Bush? ;)

9. If you could go back in time and tell one person off, who would it be and what would you say? Truthfully, I can't think of anyone. I have been mad at people before and didn't tell them off, but I can't see going back and doing it would be constructive. I just let things go so they won't consume me. I guess I could go back and tell Hitler off, but he wouldn't care and my German is sehr schlecht.

10. Were you a good student or did you just do enough to get by? This is a recording, but BOTH. In elementary school, I was a good student and it came easy for me. In high school I did just enough to get by but was still in the top 10% of my class. In college, I got a wake up call and struggled to do both. However, in grad school I was a good student and made the Dean's list.

11. If you could give advice to someone just starting out on their own, what would it be? Buy low and sell high; most people are wrong so don't be taken in. The most important thing I would say is to let God find you. There really is no meaning to life without the divine. If there is no meaning, than it really doesn't matter what you do, does it?

12. Are most people good and honest or are most people opportunistic and predatory? People are not born good, they have to learn to be good. It would be wise to assume that people are greedy and out for themselves and then be pleasantly surprised when you find a good one. You don't have to teach a child to be selfish, but you certainly have to drill the concept of sharing in his head. Thomas Hobbes held that the only reason we have any kind of society and order is that people had to be willing to give up their actions that cater to their selfish nature in order to not be victimized by other people that have the same evil attributes. For Hobbes, man in the state of nature is brutal and greedy. I believe he is right and the Bible pretty much confirms that philosophy.

13. Is there someone you wish you could go back and apologize to? Yes, tons of people (I always made fun of the obese - just joking here - get it, "tons"). Seriously, I feel I owe a lot of people apologies. I didn't represent myself or God well on occasion. I hurt my first couple of girlfriends pretty badly because I didn't know any better and was immature about such things. Sometimes I wasn't as good of a friend as I should have been. It is sad, really, but I learned from these experiences. It is a shame they had to come on the backs of others.

That is it. I am not going to officially tag anyone about it, but feel free to consider yourself tagged if you have any interest. I would suggest that you do it if you don't have anything better to write about. It will help you learn about yourself - at least it did for me. Let me know.

Wednesday's Whys #2

Every once in a while, I have a post on Wednesdays called the "Wednesday's Whys". No this is not some meme floating around blogland (that I am aware of); it is something I made up and did one time before. Things get into my head and I can't find a GOOD reason for it so I simply ask "why". A lot, but not all of todays questions have to do with driving.

1. Why do people insist on going slow in the right lane on the highway? Is it that they don't know it is wrong, or do they simply not care?

2. Why is that people from rural counties do not enter into the intersection to turn left when the light turns green? They sit back like it is still red till the opposing traffic clears to turn and then everyone behind them has to wait for the next light? Are these the same people that cruise slowly in the left lane?

3. Why do some people (maybe the same ones mentioned above) stop TWICE at a 4-way stop? If they have to stop twice, they stopped in the wrong place the first time!

4. Why, if the Bush Administration claims the right move is to send 20,000 more troops to Iraq, is their best wartime buddy Great Britain calling their troops home? I mean, if the British troops are no longer needed where they are, move them where they are needed.

5. While I am on the war in Iraq, why is it that if one thinks the war has gone on long enough, he is accused of not supporting the troops? I can't think of anything MORE supportive than wanting them to keep out of harm's way.

6. Why is it that Chief Illiniwek (the University of Illinois' mascot) has to die? Tonight is the last time the Chief will appear at a U of I game because the school has finally bent from the pressure they are getting from the NCAA. I get it that 'some' mascots are offensive to certain groups. The stupid-looking cartoon indian that makes up the logo of the Cleveland Indians' baseball team could be offensive to some native-Americans. However, the Chief is not a mocking caricature. It is probably the most revered of all "mascots" that I have ever seen. The person playing the chief takes it seriously and is very much respected during his time in the spotlight. On top of that, the Illini indian tribe has been extinct for many years (hundreds of years I think), so who is it that is offended? I wonder WHY no one from Dublin is all up in arms over the Notre Dame Fighting Irish? I think it is because they are proud of it.

I am all for avoiding things that people find offensive, but this pc-craze is getting pretty tired. From time to time, some things are obviously offensive and they need to change. However, let those that are offended say so. I don't need a white, slick-haired nerd in a suit to be the pc police and dictate what we can and cannot say or do. I am offended by the extreme insistence that terms and traditions have to change, but evidently no one cares about offending me. Maybe it is because I am not extinct. One day I, and those of my ilk, will be.