I am going to get some PVC pipe to fix mt aquarium filter. We have a set up where to pump pulls water through the filter medium, but the intake is not big enough to continuously feed the pump so the filter is basically worthless. A piece of PVC pipe with vents drilled into it will fix that.
No plans for 4th of July, BBQ with neighbors, maybe, if he remembers, If not we will have chicken or something. I need to fill the propane tank, it is on the way to the pet store and hardware store.
It is only going to reach 104 today. The sky is pure blue, so it will make it. I watered the tomatoes and the backyard to keep them happy and help cool the south side of our apartment.
We got out bid by a developer on a house yet again. This can't last the market will not hold. They come in and place bid 4 to 8 thousand over asking. The house is not worth that. We hate short sales, the stupid bank is a pain to work with. We are glad we did not accept a house in another county with 4 dollar fuel. If we do consider a house out of city, we will have to include the cost of a Yaris or a hybrid.
going to get some sparklers and poppers for the kids. It is not like when I was growing up and had fun fireworks, it is all safe and sane fireworks. We were silly and had bottle rocket fights, luckily no damage or haystacks burning down.
I am going to clean the back yard today, and take care of my fish tanks. I lead such an exciting life. But if the president calls, tell him I can't talk now, that Iran thing can wait until my fish tank is fixed. :)
There was a fun (sarcastic) debate last night of a woman’s right to choose.As usual with this topic the darkside flowed through everyone. Every cheap shot was fired, and insult used. I am not a female nor am I a seahorse, so I am not qualified to tell a woman what to do with her body, especially about child bearing.My job as a father is simple from the start, then I am like ground crew I help keep her comfortable and going, and then the rest of the job is a lifetime of stuff with the kid.
I openly support feminism, which bothers some of my friends, and from others bring insults supposedly aimed at my “lack of manhood.”Oh yeah I am so pussy whipped please pass the fuchsia pillows, and the ling-ling stinky bath stuff. Laugh.Do note I do not consider plotting gold digging psycho bitches to be women.
Why is it less macho to support a women’s right to vote? Her right to walk around un-harassed? Her right to hold office or run a company?Why am I less macho because I feel a woman should be paid the same for the same job as a guy? A man welcomes a challenge, a man will rise to meet the new standard, a man will compete honorably.Kicking someone who had no chance from the get-go is not being competitive or brings out the best of everyone’s ability.Better/stronger women require better/strong men to qualify themselves to be in her presence. Some say today's men do not meet a challenges, well here is a challenge, now go meet it and prove you are a man. Don’t belly ache because 100 years ago you could legally beat her with a stick and today she can tell you to buzz off.The old saying if you can’t take the heat, stay out of the kitchen.
How does a woman having equal rights undermine fatherhood? PLEEAZZEEE! Any woman will think a good father, good companion, and good provider is better than sliced bread. But if the male is a worthless pile of shit and takes away quality of life from the woman and her kids, yeah she is better off alone. That is a no brainer.
Those types that bitch and moan about others claiming entitlement, why do you feel entitled to her body?Are you on sex welfare? How does having second-class citizens promote a free and prosperous society? How can anyone stand and judge other cultures when you are promoting the exact same thing? Are you not man enough to give a woman a reason to bed you other than simply taking her property and tossing her in the street? If you are man enough that women want you because of your attractiveness, then why fear her having equal protection and access to the law?
How is a fair contest less manly? It is not! It is the same as the mafia paying off referee before the game. Yeah your guy wins, but it is not a real win, it is all a fraud. A skewed test, a skewed law or skewed societies are all frauds, the fraud will be exposed, and it will fail. Always has always will fail in the long run.Equal rights are not special rights, so the pendulum can’t swing the other way, but needs to be balanced.
So logically if you do not honor equal rights for women do you not honor your grand mother, not your mother, not your sister, not your wife/girlfriend, not your daughter. You see them as second class solely for your benefit. A bully is not a man, and please do not think of yourself as such in my presence. If you want to dark ages back, give up your own rights, leave the rest of ours alone.
I’m a going to rant about something that annoys the heck out of me. Something I am sure annoys the heck out of everyone at one time or another.I get frequently fed up with irresponsible dog owners. Of course I like dogs more than I like many people, so beware of my bias, grin.
General neglect and ignorance:
So many people forget that a dog is a living thing with a 10 to 15 year life span. Pooch will need water, food, medical care, and human attention. So often I see a bunch of dogs just tied outside. The weather is too hot, too cold, the water dish is empty or filthy, and the dog looks like a prison camp survivor.Puppy looked cute in a pet store fresh from a puppy mill. Thinking it is a stuffed animal home comes the dog. The dog becomes work or inconvenient, then is not cared for or ends up in the pound.With out interaction from family dogs act up like humans, many social creatures use acting up to get attention. The "bad dog" ends up at the pound to be destroyed.
Dog Waste:
This is a big pet peeve to a runner like me.Running down the sidewalk at 6am and splat, I did not see a dog bomb.I have to clean my shoe, it stinks, it is gross ect ect. I know it just happens, I grew up on a farm, but it is frequent. Also the dog waste gets washed into the rivers when it rains, making harmful bacteria multiply, and shutting down recreation, getting into irrigation, and killing fish (1). I am an aquarium hobbyist, I know what nitrites do to aquatic creatures.
Macho dogs:
I am in the “punish the deed not the breed” camp, but often the deed is people getting fighting dogs to be cool or look tough. Pit bulls, Rottweilers, Presa Canarios and their mixes are responsible for 74% of attacks (2). Often these dogs are from poor stock ran by poorly trained people.Fighting breeds would have those traits replaced if people would select for strength and hardiness not to combine those positive traits with aggression. Poodles would become killer when treated in such a way.
The result is more government:
I would need to research to see how much is spent nationwide for local dogcatchers, and ASPCA, but it would interesting.The few yo-yos not caring for dogs is giving government and busybodies another reason to intrude, and you are guilty until you prove your innocence. A life long dog expert can be dragged through a ringer if an uppity official gets a hair up their backside. Animal rights cannot supercede human rights, but no sane person wants animals to suffer unnecessarily. They make computerized dogs now, get one of those if you are not truely committed to your dog owernership.
Well my son had an interesting birthday. For a while we thought the only SNAFU was going to be that everyone ate the cheese pizza first pass, we got cheese because one friend does not eat pork, but he was happy with the veggie pizza.
But wait there's more.
Ok we are watching Speed Racer, it starts slow, and takes a bit to get used to the comic book style camera shots. I was sitting about five rows back with one boy, my son and the older boy on one side of the isle, then the Three Amigos on the other side of the isle, front row.
On the screen I noticed something on the screen it was where the faces on the screen was, I pretty much ignored it, hell the Imax screen has rip in it, why worry about the discount theatre?
Finally someone yelled "knock it off with the spit wads." I stood and took a good look at the lower right of the screen. I was like you (bleeps!) now what am I supposed to do. Then here comes the manager, takes the Three Amigos to the office, I tell the other boy to go sit with my son and the older boy. Off I go with them.
The manager was wanting 200 bucks to clean the screen or he was going to the police. I am on my cell phone telling Becky what happened and to tell parents to get over here, I do not have 200 bucks to cover this. I felt a bit bad because I was the adult with them, but I am so used to my own son, and never having this crap happen. So I let them sit where they wanted.
Some peeved, lets stress that to PEEVED parents showed up. One single mom just moved and was hurting, so we covered their part, 70 bucks, and now we will have yard work services of a young man for a while. Two other young men have a plate full of chores for the next week or two. For statistical purposes one of the young men has a strong father at home full time. One is in a separated home, one is raised by a single mom, so the political statistics have all three categories. Of course this is just a kid prank, not anything serious, if lessons are learned now.
I am very proud of my son, other peoples kids do show how nice I have it (so far.) We were very sure to let our son know how happy we are with his mature behavior and well mannered disposition. His room might be a pig sty, but his heart is pure. :) It is also good my son was not involved the manager is going to be his math teacher next year!
Probably needs a haircut before swimming lessons start!
I never felt old until I had kids, then they get old, and I really really, I mean really get old. I remember being 12, it really was not that long ago, in tree years maybe, please no more dog years, lets use tree years.
My mom was almost as wigged as I was when I turned 40. I mathematically should live to see my son turn 60. I think I will worry about that later.
Funny how kids do thing way beyond their years, and you are the proudest parent in the world, then they off and do the most irresponsible silly things. I know it is done just to keep parents off balance. As a kid I was never part of an evil plot, but I know he is, my wife recruited him to the do evil secret society. Muhahaha!
It looks like we are taking a bunch of almost teen age boys to see Speed Racer, have pizza and video games. Becky made a chocolate on chocolate with more chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream.
Customers are to blame for high cost of healthcare according to some CEO
Consumers need a dose of culture change to understand the cost of health care is more than a $20 co-pay, CEOs Kenneth Melani of Highmark Inc. and Joseph Frick of Independence Blue Cross said Tuesday.
Melani and Frick believe the merger of their companies -- which would create the state's largest health care insurer -- would give them the geographic, financial and membership size to compete against even bigger for-profit insurers.
It would also give them the funds to educate consumers that they have a stake in controlling in costs, the CEOs said.
"Health care costs continue increasing dramatically, and the affordability of health care greatly concerns us," said Melani, 54. "We need to change the culture, how we deliver health care and how we as consumers should expect to receive care. Together, we hope to help change that consumer culture." Melani and Frick spoke to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review editorial board.
Sorry scumwads, we will expect to receive what is contracted, we will receive what we pay for. Educating us about your profits is bunk. The reason for high cost is government interference and so many "middlemen" with their hands in the pot. We pay, we need coverage we expect it to be there, it is not customers fault lamebrain butt heads. Whaaa poor Ceo's could not afford two Hummers and five new swimming pools this year? Did a fixed income retiree, who is going broke because of health care costs complain that you make too much money for nothing, whhaaa whaaa whaa. Health care is like energy, the market is fixed, put it in a free market where they actually have to compete for business and watch healthcare costs drop.
I guess in a way it is the customers fault we the people allow government to be stupid. Government and other silly institutions indoctrinated us, why not health care?!!?
I never had any type of artistic talent. I can't play one note of music, when I draw my stick figures are all deformed. No you do not want to hear me sing. I can't paint because I do not see colors the right way. Photographers see the world is all types of colors "look how the sun refelcted off the rock using my ZX440T9UXR-7 lens" I would just fire off enough photos that the law of averages say I would have to get a good one eventually. Then we have word smiths, their thousand words bringing a picture alive with memories and emotions. Well I can almost wirte! smile. So I wrote a romance poem.
Ode to Smut
He thought of smut
Each time he peered upon her butt
She was not a mutt
And she was old enough for you know what
Through the chase she wanted to cut
But she did not want to appear the slut
They really wanted to rut
But they were eating at Pizza Hut
She learned about his nut
And did not want a baby in her gut
Then the door was shut
They would position like King Tut
He was a romantic lut
Thus they married, and began a life of forever together smut
A thing I love about children is they accept people without judgement. Anyone kind to them and their close circle is ok.When my son was young I thought it was great how if a space alien landed and had dinner, he would not be scared or anything, the alien was just someone from another place. We are all someone from another place one way or another.
But we can’t have this! What? Teach our children to get along with others? Teach children that people can have their own ideas, and choose how to live! Hell no!It is not enough to teach our children values, but we must teach them how to hate others, or else our agenda might not fail. We cannot have people living differently! So to truly screw up our kids lives, here is a guide to teaching children how to hate. Hate in the name of goodness is good hate, remember that! Forget being rational, it is good hate, righteous hate, justified hate. We do not want to socially and technologically advance, no!We want hate!
General rules to hating:
We must tell our children to dislike anyone different. If THEY are not a carbon copy of US, they are “ONE OF THOSE” only ONE OF US is acceptable, all of THOSE that do not become one of US must be dealt with. THOSE are not qualified to live their own lives as THEY see fit. Therefore hate is justified, forget being rational remember.
Religious hate:
Now son THOSE over there go to the church across town. THEY pray weird, and think God said different things. OUR interpretation of the same holy book is correct, WE are the favored ones, the unfavored ones will be toasted by god. Some of THEM do not even pray at all. THEY want to separate you from god!THEY want you to do weird things too, avoid THEM, kill THEM, hate THEM. Our endlessly loving god said to!
Racial hate:
Young lady beware of THOSE types with that skin color. All THEY ever do is take jobs, breed, and steal, steal, steal from US, then breed again before stealing more. Everything that is wrong with the world is their fault, THEY cause every bit of misery that ever happened to US. Remember THEY want to breed with you for better status for THEM, then steal more money from US.Lets forget science and that all humans come from the same place. Our gods favor US, and those who look like US, only mate with those like US. And never run over one of THEM riding a bicycle, it might be your bicycle!
Sexual hatred:
Now there are some who only want romantic relations with the same sex as they are. Let’s ignore this is found all over nature, and could more than a choice. THEY only do this to make US hate THEM therefore THEY are irrational. THEY do not deserve to be treated as people. THEY only exist to play with your butt. Every waking moment of each and every day all THEY think about is playing with your butt. THEY do not have jobs, because THEY are thinking about your butt. THEY do not seek education because they are thinking about your butt. All THEY do is sit and collect government handouts because THEY carry disease, and THEY want to plant it in your butt. THEY do not go to movies, THEY do not read books, and THEY do not converse with others, unless the topic is playing with your butt.THIER entire existence is centered on your butt.
Political hate:
Remember children other political parties only exist to ruin the country. THEY want to destroy the principles of the nation, THEY want us all broke and homeless. Do not mind that we all have the same goals just different ideas of how to get there. Forget that both sides lie like bear rugs, THEY force US to lie, because THEY can not accept responsibility like WE do. THEY must be stopped at all costs. THEY have no morals, or else they would be in OUR political party.
Additional ways to hate:
To hate others find insulting words, and address THEM by it continuously.
For added points call them closed minded and stupid after they give up trying to speak with you.
Think of outlandishly ridiculous reasons to hate them, and then make up evidence that they do those things, and spread it all over. The internet is great for this.
For added points call them closed minded and stupid after they give up trying to speak with you.
Then use the made up material as factual source material, and instantly claim victory.
For added points call them closed minded and stupid after they give up trying to speak with you.
When presented with any solid evidence against your hate agenda cover your ears, shut your eyes, and loudly repeat your hate mantra over and over until the others give up.
For added points call them closed minded and stupid after they give up trying to speak with you.
Remember you must place THEM in a narrow scope, and claim that all of THEM are exactly the same. They are not just people living their lives, they only exist to destroy YOU! And your butt!
For added points call them closed minded and stupid after they give up trying to speak with you.
Only surround yourself with those like us. Only read books written by us, or else you might discover THEY are regular people like US. We can’t have that!
For negative points think about walking in another’s shoes.
This concludes your guide to teaching kids how to hate. We hope you enjoy spreading unnecessary misery to the next generation.
Kids these days, parents these days, TV these days, Democrats these days, Republicans these days, the media these days, prices these days, these days theses days. "The good old days weren't so good, and tomorrow is not as bad as it seems".. Billy Joel
A new things some people are up in arms about is Hanna Montana. While this is not as outrageous as the Rachael Ray scarf, it is a still a what is the deal question. My friend Lilli who lives back east had a bigger WTF are they thinking blog about teen girls (linked click here). I decided to write about Hanna Montana yesterday just so everyone knows I am not blog kyping. Grin
I guess Hanna Montana did a photo shoot for Vanity magazine, and some parents are up in arms. The first photo is the one causing all types of talk. Billy-Ray says he was not there for the shoot but Miley had adults representing her. It is not a typical picture of a 14 year old, it does look like something from a Goth dream magazine (or worse). The second picture is a typical Hanna Montana poster, no big deal.
The third picture of Miley-Ray and Billy-Ray together really raised some eye brows I guess. Removing jokes about being from the south I guess married couple will take a photo like this.
Disney was peeved! But they can't do anything to Miley-Ray because she will bring them over a $billion during 2008.
Yes that first photo is provocative, a bit much for a 14 year old. I do not see Miley-Ray "that way" she is a kid, I remember when Billy-Ray announced he was going to be a father. Billy-Ray is a very good father, and is not far off his TV characters in real life. Raising a celebrity child is a challenge I can't imagine. Billy-Ray has a reputation of being a good guy, and is very family orientated.
Seems once someone is famous you still have to watch your back because everyone wants something from you. Vanity Faire might not have meant harm, but.... One must be careful they will just consume you for their own purposes and not give a damn if they trash your career or not. Look how many adult celebrities self destruct suddenly in public life with millions.
Hopefully Miley learned from this mistake early in her career and will be able ot be vigilant in managing her career. I doubt she wants a Paris Hilton or Pam Anderson reputation. With camera phones everywhere she will have to wear alot of clothing, and when she is dating keep the blinds shut, in three layers of kevlar and steel, so no scandal tapes flood the internet.
I dream of enough money to own a medium sized company to give jobs and help to others. But fame, not everyone is going to be all adoring, and even if they are, they can be a royal pain. I would not want public life, I would not want to be president even if I were qualified. ANy public figure or celebrity the yaps dogs and attack dogs will show no mercy.
Do weight belts work and how? Yes they do work, here is how. Look at the lumbar spine cut away picture at the top. We humans walk upright, and need our spine to give support yet be flexible to absorb shock, while also able to provide range of motion so we do not walk like robots. The spine as you know is many disks stacked on top of each other, with a spongy disk in between each to provide cushioning. The only real support your spine has are muscles the erector spinae and the transversospinalis groups. Think of your spine as a bunch of stacked soup cans held together with rubber bands. The figure 12 picture shows how this looks.
When you wear a weight belt it will compress the fluids and tissues in your abdominal cavity together giving increased support the the lower spine. This relieves the Erector muscles of much of their burden as the fluid pressure hold the spine in place.
This can work against you while trying to reach fitness goals. People who wear a lifting belt all the time during resistance exercise deny the erector group stimulus to adapt to. The rest of the skeletal muscle adapts and become stronger, but the erector and other spinal muscles remain in an less or even de-conditioned state. This creates a dangerous imbalance vastly increasing the changes of injury.
The proper times to wear a lifting belt is. 1-when a power athlete is in a peaking phase and is training an 3 Rep-max range or higher. 2-When athlete is doing conditioning that requires heavy repeated lower spinal loading while near an exhaustive state. The exhausted spinal muscles could relax and cause a disk to herniate. 3-When the athlete is recovering from low back injury. The belt will keep the disks and muscle in proper alignment for healing, while client does no spine loading exercises. Once the low back is recovered sufficiently the athlete may return to spinal loading exercise under the supervision of a doctor or physical therapist.
Athletes and exercisers must be trained to self monitor loads on the body to decrease the chances of injury. Everyday life and many athletic events do not have people wearing weight belts, so the law of specificity says to decrease injury, allow the spinal muscle to exercise and adapt along with the target muscle groups.
I bet you do not do the courtesy of a reach around!
Over on Blackwatch's blog (linked) we were discussing how California now has homosexual marriage. I was curious how Gov. Arnold stood, and was shocked.
“Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger told a group of gay Republicans on Friday that an attempt to ban same-sex marriage by changing the state Constitution is a "total waste of time" and promised to oppose such an initiative if it qualifies for the state ballot.” LA Times
Gay Republicans!???!!Sorry, I hit my head when I fainted.
Then it was mentioned that gay marriage is not federally recognized, so I can see it now, here comes the lawsuits. Married openly homosexual people trying to enlist in the service. Married federal employees like postal workers trying to attach his/her spouse to federal benefits. Then states that have banned gay marriage, they will not be able to divorce in non-gay marriage states, more lawsuits.
I do understand how some will be upset because they do not support homosexuality, as is their right, but they will in some fashion be paying for lawsuits.
On the other side they say observe the civil rights progress of non whites, as most people today think racists are loony and disgusting.
As much as I hate the idea of the Feds telling states what to do, this appears it is going to be a reenactment of the 60’s civil rights stuff.
Of course knowing me you know my stand. You want a "waltons marriage" cool! You want an heretosexual yet nontraditional marriage cool, if you are bi, poly, upsidedown, downsidup, bald, or dress like a squirrel, it is your business. The only people who can define yoru relationship is you. We should all have equal protection of the law. Just dont shove your stuff down others people's throat, and don't play the offended at every turn game either.
Life is a plethora of choices I love calling life a smorgasbord. You can go to this table and have a little bit of this, and go over there and have a little bit of that, then dive at the dessert bar.Today I feel like talking about a big part of the human smorgasbord, and guiding young people. Todays is sex education day. No not sex, AHHHHHHH help help!Being a health instructor I do see many things that bother me, and are half-truths presented at the entire picture. That is unethical at least, and a bold lie at worst.
Sex education would be very easy if we were amebas, you eat, you split into two, eat more, and split in two again. Even if we were dogs it would be easy, female dog reaches estrus, male dogs smell it, come hit that, then puppies are born.Do we humans get it that easy, NNNNOOOOOOO! But we can keep perspective on it. I teach sex as I do life. It is another set of choice you will have to make, the more true information you have, the better your choices will be.So I am going to “fail” abstinence only sex education.
Before any of you release the attack dogs on me, remember I said abstinence ONLY education. First lets examine where healthy sex education and abstinence only education agree. Sex education for young people does and should encourage abstinence. No pregnancy, no infections, no other issues. Now we will branch off where we disagree and where ab-only education fails.
The journal of adolescent health showed that 85% of young people break the until marriage oath. ( people under 20) Not having any other education than don’t do it until married guess what, they go straight to unprotected intercourse. Well we know what is going to happen with unprotected intercourse. So what happens next? Government and busybodies go up in arms over the teen pregnancy rates, and demand more abstinence education to stop the screwing.The same journal article shows that billions are spent on ab-only education, thing is we the people are financing more and more failure.Promoting something that is a proven failure confuses me. See no sex, heard no sex, speak no sex is not human nature, and to ask a young person, or any person to fight millions of years of hard wiring is ludicrous.
The options? Abstinence does include (coughing) masturbation. (whew I said it and the sky did not fall). It is a very valid choice for young people, and is not evil, nor will you go blind. Your body is not filthy, your thoughts and urges are not dirty. They are part of being human. It is really no different that eating or breathing. So you are not going to hell or going to go blind. 90% of all people admit to having done this, 10 % lied about having done this.
Even with in the realm of young persons first romantic relationships it is a sound choice. All kid these days have cell phone, why not call each other while alone, and talk about XXX? Even if they go so far as to (bleep) in the same room, they can agree to a "one must be dressed" contract. They gain the human intimacy, they get the urge out of the way, no pregnancy, no infection, no harm. To counter the argument that this will lead to intercourse faster than abstinence. No, the young people are not thinking in all or nothing. It actually teachs young people negoation and relationships skills. (J Am Psychoanal Assoc. 2008 Mar;56(1):123-46.)
The next option is (if I can say it), “going down.” (wowI have a filthy mouth today huh? smile) Again they can have a one-person dressed agreement and the others gets to be the “treat.” This does carry more risks, as we are now as high as lottery odds of infection or pregnancy, not zero. It can be mixed with option one to give more things to do other than have intercourse.
Of course next we hit the on the hot topic of news shows. Condoms. There is a mountain of research that demonstrates that this barrier is 98% effective when used properly. They always have been 98% always will be 98%. You get to be far more intimate with your partner, and the risks are now 2 in 100. Actually you still have a higher risk of a car wreck than infection or pregnancy.Of course those are mathematical odds, children of broken condoms will attest to that.The odds are not better than outer-course, they are better than unprotected sex, big difference.But in the universal scheme of things it is far far safer than unprotected sex.
So with young people having options they know of they can make better choices. Virgin until married is a valid choice, being a responsible person with your body is also a choice, neither is completely wrong or completely right. As a health fitness profession I am ethically bound to provide accurate information to empower people.
We need to remind young people, actually all people. It is your life, it is your body, you are in command, you own your decisions. Not some government official, not some yap dog on TV, not some local official, not someone who wants to screw you, nobody is more qualified to say what happens to your body. Everyone has an agenda including you, but we know where the lines are and where when they are crossed.Anyone who tells you that you are not qualified to make your own choices is not on your side. They are only interested in their own agenda. The first thing any manipulator will do is limit your choices. Life is not that small, don’t let the small brains convince you other wise. Informed consent is your right, and anyone with your best interest in mind will see you have it.
Last week I managed to offend about everyone on my list with my blogging. I know most of you think “your blog say what you want.”I was not calling anyone out or saying anyone was wrong or stupid, but my life observations and questions bothered a few of my favorites. Plus I do rib people affectionately, and it often misses the mark.
One of my favorites friends has aversion to hot women pictures. She did not say anything but I knew she was like “grrrrrrrr.” She see hot pics the same as farm animals being displayed for breeding purposes only, the human element is removed and one might as well be an animal. I try and say it is not me being disrespectful, I appreciate women as people. I can enjoy the intelligence, wit, and spirit of the woman as well as her curves. I do see her point, it would be hard to be the CEO of a company, or a professor if others can’t overlook your big breast. Women to act like a sexy dolly in public are defeating the quest for respect. There is several studies where hot women in low cut tops got hired more than very qualified modest women.
My next oops was that I assumed all women were feminist. Equal pay, equal rights to promotion, and equal access to the government. I finally caught on to another friend hinting to me that she was upset about abortion. I do not hide my pro choice stance but, I am not a woman I am not sure why I can even speak about abortion. I just know that once a woman says what will or will not happen to her body, the discussion is over. Up to the third trimester is it a bunch of cells, and a mouse has life more than the fetus. But the third trimester, any issues should be known, if she was raped she should have made a decision, and the brain of the fetus is becoming active, thus a sentient being, thus civil rights. My friend is convinced that once conceived poof, end game, it is a person. Her assertion that if an 8 week pregnant mom was killed by a psycho, the prosecutor will get him for a double murder. But trailer skank can have 20 abortions and be untouched. Why is the law one way and not the other? That is a good question I admit, pages of legaleeze on and on.
Then me going on about seafood and PETA, my long time and very cool online buddy who thinks humans should move beyond using animal products because we are no longer cave dwellers. I often wonder if her husband ate a cheeseburger if it would be the same as an affair? :) Yesterday I did not even go have seafood, we went for a picnic instead. I had to let my bullfrog go because he out grew the 30-gallon tank, so we took him to the frog pond.Then we went to the river to catch a crawdad, not to eat him, but I wanted to observe his intelligence, and fill my empty tank so we would not miss froggy. As I was looking for crawdad I thought “watch of all days for her to log on and read my blogs, she will hit that one first.” Guess what happened, she read me calling the one PETA article bunk and such. On their side the research about pigs is not bunk, pigs have the same intelligence as dogs and dolphins. Yes I have been to meat packing plants and know how they run. The movie Fast Food nation is not far off, it is more honest than Ben Stein “documentary.” So yeah pigs are alive when hung on the hook as the stun gun often fails. But your ham sandwich looks nice and neat. My wife visited a Tyson poultry plant once, she vomited and does not like to think about it. The chickens being slammed against walls are true, not staged.My saying I love animals and am an omnivore does not compute and me saying we have food animals and friend animals to my friend is about the same as saying I like the Irish, but we eat the Italians.
For about a month anything I said offended my friend back east, but we reached a good understanding of each other in the end. I did expect to find myself deleted, but I was not meaning to be a dick. Then of course me saying the bible makes no sense, add all my Republican and Democrat jokes, or me just Emailing a black friend and asking are you Black or African-American, and what is the difference between a Nigger, a nigger, and a nigga? I am just a heap of trouble aren’t I?
I really do appreciate and understand how you can see smut houses, abortions clinics and meat packing plants as places of filth and death, and needing a shower thinking about them. It is not that I take you or your issues lightly, I am giving you credibility. I want to extend my appreciation of your tolerance, and that I appreciate not being deleted or having a mafia hit called on me.I have as many silly quirks as anyone. To me it is a show of affection to rib fun at those you like. Logging onto a vegetarians page and saying” I was going to have a Bocca burger today, but I ran out of arrows hunting Boccas,” or a Republican and say “ Hi I became a Democrat I am here to cause drama with Obama.” Or to a Democrat singing " Who put the O in Obama-lama-ding-dong, who was the man, Id like to shake hie hand." Or “Here is your smut with nekkid girls and sheep who got drugged for vile purposes.” they may not always appreciate it.
It is my twisted way of saying I do appreciate you. I do offend but I really do not mean it, and I am conscientious of your feelings, support your fight for your beliefs and enjoy you as a unique individual. I would also appreciate you if you were a eunuch individual, but that would take balls.
Whew I am not a cold-hearted mean, cruel, evil, amoral individual. Anyone who knows me knows I love seafood. Yummy! Being fathers day guess who gets to pick dinner. Woo hoo!
One draw back about seafood that haunted me in the back of my mind. To cook shellfish they take the crab or lobster, and throw it in a pot of boiling water alive. Some claim to hear it go EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! Being the overtly macho guy I am, I think that is terrible I can’t do that to a living thing! You can hit it between the eyes with an ice pick before boiling, but I doubt many go to the trouble.
Hurrrray for research, and the evidence. A meta-study of literature, EKG & brainwave studies show that they do not suffer. Crustaceans are relatively unchanged for over a billion years, they survive as is and had no reason to change. They are in no way direct ancestors.More importantly they are nothing more than bugs we are not grossed out eating.
Their nervous system is primitive and it has a nerve bundle not a brain. It can do very very simple learning, but most of its reaction is instinct not thought. So when it thrashes for a few seconds it is reflex not suffering, the nerves and brain cannot register pain, just a rapid temperature change.The screaming sound is steam going through the shell. Where a higher animal would be terrified, a lobster can’t be, it is not equipped to be.
Yes much of this research was to investigate PETA claims. PETA claims that dropping a pig or a dog into boiling water is the same as a lobster. No it is not, a dog or a pig will suffer and be terrified as they are highly evolved animals with excellent brains and nervous systems. So PETA’s full-page ad is essentially bunk. Say straw man!
I support not being cruel to animals, but when we can eat with no more guilt than squishing a spider, that is different.A cabbage feels no more suffering being picked, than a lobster being cooked. Crabs are essentially spiders, actually less evolved than spiders. Spiders are much more intelligent tests have shown, some scientists wonder why they never became sentient, they are predatory and can grasp like our early ancestors did, and they do think strategically. (Cold bloodedness and un-evolved respiratory system is probably the answer to no higher evolution)
So pass the plate and some drink, I am not an evil bastard for enjoying my seafood.
I come here to have fun. To me having fun is important. I enjoy connecting with others, and seeing the world through the eyes of other people. Lately it seems hostility is increasing. Totally floored by what some people are saying, my friends PM me about bizarre assertions. It would be funny if they were not do militant about it.
Much of this friction comes from what I have to call a misunderstanding of a document. This document is a very old and popular guide of how to do things, build societies, write laws, heck, it even has a bread recipe. Many claim it brings them peace, joy, a sense of purpose and belonging, way cool. Even though most talk and believe in the peace, love, and joy section, things do get dark, and it is strongly asserted by a few readers that those who do not follow this document are the moral equal of rapists, murderers, and child molesters. They make no bones that any questioning of this document and they will be glad to remove your head from the rest of your body.
It starts with this happy couple running around a garden having a good time. Then they make the mistake of asking a question. Then the shit hits the fan and things go south from there. The rest of the document is filled with hate, war, disease, oppression, torture, suffering, more war, more disease, a bit more suffering, death, murder, and even cute little froggies become a means of suffering.There is eventually a teacher who teaches love, peace, comfort, and joy to man. But he also gets brutally tortured and killed, and his students get fed to lions, so then people run out kill in his name. In Jr. College the psychology department offered IQ tests, I hit 132, I am no genius, but I am reasonably intelligent. I read this and wonder what kind of guide to life is this? Why am I not to question it?
So an advocate of this document will ask what did I think. When I reply that is makes excellent Charlton Hesston movies will get a smile. Then when I am pinned down to my true feelings I reply that this is the most hate filled, sexist, bloody and generally twisted thing I ever read, nobody in good conscience can take this serious. The person acts as if I hit them with a baseball bat. They exclaim that is it not sexist, racist, or hate filled at all. So I show passage after passage clearly in black and white of hate, killing, torture, and that 51% of the population is too stupid and filthy to run their own lives, and should be treated only as baby machines and kitchen help.
I am told I am reading it wrong and twisting the words, that is not what it means at all. I am somehow at fault and lacking for not understanding that war and torture is not want is meant, even if that is what is written???????????
A guidebook to build a model plane gives the instructions clearly, and if you do not follow them word for word your airplane looks stupid.So if this life-guiding document does not mean what it says, why is it written with this stuff in it?Why am I stupid, wrong, categorized a kooky liberal, and told I am personally responsible for all the suffering in the country because I think this an immoral guide and cannot bring morality? It says to kill and torture for minor things, but yet those who do not follow this document word for word are on the same moral plain as rapists, murders, and child molesters?????
If you or I sat down and wrote a life-guiding book claiming it was non fiction and filled it with hate, sexism, drowning, torture, incest, killing, and war, they would figure we were on drugs, or completely wacko and need sent to a hospital for help. Yet this popular life-guiding document is freely handed out at hospitals and places where people ask for help & healing. Then you are helped and healed by reading this book, about death and suffering?
How can I be less moral picking and choosing inspiring concepts while others do it as well?Why can one group that ignores certain passages be upset at others who do the same? They are talking the talk of peace and joy, but walking the walk of hate and oppression. The document is working, but in a way many do not see or acknowledge.
Honesty is such a lonely word every one is so untrue, honesty is hardly ever heard and it’s mostly what I need from you…..Billy Joel
I am sure most of us here know that honesty is a two way street.Not just in the sense of you give it and you get it. I am meaning building an atmosphere where it is just the norm, not big lectures on it, not drama about it, people are just honest because it builds on it’s-self and we have a good thing going.
Supervisors and parents are the start of the atmosphere on honesty. There are two roads one can take. This will show what I mean by honesty being a two-way exchange.
Work scenario, Martha a young junior associate gave the wrong quotes to the Smith firm during the presentation. She caught the mistake as soon as she returns to the office. She approaches you and admits how she underbid horribly by confusing Smith with another account.
Do you contact Smith has soon as possible explain the situation, and renegotiate the contract with Martha involved to help correct her error?Do you see it as a one time learning mistake, or do you accept responsibility that maybe you pushed Martha too soon?
Or do you hit the fan, dress down Martha as the stupidest, most incompetent, blonde bitch Barbie doll to ever walk into your office, and offer her a dunce hat, with a flashing light.
Well if you do the latter congratulations, you just lost that person. No she may not walk right then, but her heart is out the door. You will never see her best effort again, she will never ever come to you again with any problem. Good managers have the reputation as someone with everyone else’s problems. Why, because your coworker trust you to solve them, and protect their dignity.So Martha will be taking her services elsewhere, enjoy seeing her smiling face on the cover of fortune 500, and you did not get any of those commissions.
Now a more important scenario, eight year old Jimmy runs in and tells you he hit a baseball through Mr. Jones window.
So what do you do? Well Jimmy need to learn respect and responsibility. You grab him by the hair, take your belt and beat Jimmy’s ass as long and as hard as you can.It is tradition, right? You were beaten and you are fine, right? Kids need self-discipline, right?He will never forget this lesson I bet.
Congratulations, you are damn right!He will never forget this lesson. You just lost your child, way to go.Your child is human and does not want to be beaten, but guess what, the odds of not getting beat are much better not being open and honest with you. Why? Simply because telling you the truth guarantees a beating, lying and hiding gives a chance of no beating, any smart kid will choose to try and not get a beating.So now your child does not trust you enough to tell you about a broken window, your child will defiantly not trust you with anything important, like sex, drugs, guns, and other growing up issues. Congratulation parent of the year, take a bow.The boy who cried wolf concept works in reverse too. Your child might do things to get a beating to get your attention but that is a separate issue.
No you are not your child’s best buddy that is just as bad. Yes, responsibility must be accepted, the child must correct the situation, and yes you will guide them. Normal life mistakes can be fixed with out abuse or belittling.You have a prime learning opportunity here. You can review money and how it works, you can review how nice or not nice Mr. Jones was about it and doing the right thing is in spite of others. Apology and thank you letters?
With older kids you can even show how windows attach to houses. You could play CSI with your kid and calculate the air speed velocity the ball came off the bat to fly that far to shatter a window in that pattern.Your job is to help a kids become an emotionally mature person that can face life, set the example necessary. Condoms are convenient, children are not.
If you want to be in charge of people the first qualified person must be you.Collaborative leadership is not weak appeasement. Excellent leaders give a framework that all those around you can follow, they are someone people come to for all types of advice.If you are so narrow minded as to only lead by the stick, you will find the captains chair too much for you. Your best people will leave you for those who lead by the carrot. To be apart of something special, be someone special.
This is a refuge from political refuse. Some time to chill out from your regular day and get to be yourself and not worry about the "other side" ruining your life. No news station, no speeches, no attack dogs, just relaxation.
First we have some relaxing mood music
We have a table of yummies for your indulgence, it is ok to indulge now and then, trust me I am your fitness trainer, mental health is just as important.
Next for your enjoyment we have a comfy massage chair and big screen TV for your viewing pleasure.
The Original 
The first photo is the one causing all types of talk. Billy-Ray says he was not there for the shoot but Miley had adults representing her. It is not a typical picture of a 14 year old, it does look like something from a Goth dream magazine (or worse). The second picture is a typical Hanna Montana poster, no big deal. 
I can understand why some parents would be up in arms. My four year old watches Hanna Montana then she might emulate and want photo shoots that could be a bid older than they should. 
