The Arena

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat."

-Theodore Roosevelt

Spot on....

A random commenter on "The Art of Manliness" said this about the men on the Costa Concordia:

"I have to say I just can’t agree with anyone ever saying that, because women want equal rights, we should abandon chivalry.

Chivalry, with all it entails, is not fundamentally about how we treat women, it’s about a standard to which we as men hold ourselves and each other accountable. It doesn’t matter how society views women, it’s about how we as men view ourselves.

And that is the great tragedy here: so many men no longer hold themselves to any standard, and it comes to its natural, if tragic conclusion here, in acts of shameless arrogance and cowardice."

I separated this quote so you could mull that over...especially the second paragraph.

2012

Happy New Year!! Hope everyone has a great new year.

Since the end of the world is coming on Dec. 21, we're still debating whether or not to do Christmas this year....

(just kidding. Everyone be safe, and God bless)

Occupy Manhood

"It is so sad to see thousands of students graduated every year from our grand institutions whose object it is to make stalwart, independent, self-supporting men, turned out into the world saplings instead of stalwart oaks, "memory glands" instead of brainy men, helpless instead of self-supporting, sickly instead of robust, weak instead of strong, leaning instead or erect. So many promising youth, and never a finished man!"

-Orison Swett Marden from "Pushing to the Front"

Gettin' better

I am almost a dad of 3rd graders. Today is their last day of 2nd grade, and for the twins, it's bittersweet. They can't play with their school friends sans one, ober the summer, but we have a staycation planed to Padre. So that will be good.

I kind of don't lke them gong nto 3rd grade. That just means another year has been ti ked off the calendar for me. Luckily, I'm like fine wine. I just get better with age. My wife says I look like I'm about 37, gray hair and all. I thik I don't look a day over 35.

Guns in college classrooms

recently, there's been a big to do in the Texas Senate about allowing faculty, staff, administrators, and any adult over 21 who has been through the concealed handgun license (CHL) course in Texas the right to keep and bear arms for self-protection inside the classroom.

So much so, that two Senators are lying about it.

The first, Sen. Rodney Ellis(D)-Houston, claims that Houston Community College will be paying up to $900,000 in additional premiums if concealed handguns are allowed on campus. That would be a first, with 71 colleges in 5 states never having their premiums raised-and to quote an article by Students for Concealed Carry on Campus, "... Robert Greene—a concealed handgun instructor, former police officer, and licensed insurance agent—to do a little investigating of his own. Mr. Greene noted, “In all my years of writing commercial insurance for businesses, schools, churches, and the like, I have never had an underwriting questionnaire ask or even allude to whether or not the insured allows CHL holders to carry on the premises. I inquired of my underwriters, and not one indicated that this had ever been an underwriting question.”
I would suggest HCC get a new insurance company.

But the biggest, most bald-faced lie comes from Sen. Eddie Lucio, Jr. (henceforth known as Eddie #2). Eddie #2 claims that there is a secondary school that shares a college campus...buildings, library, gym, everything. So, since all of this is integrated, he can't POSSIBLY vote for the bill. But wait--these 14 and 15 year old girls were sharing lunchrooms, gyms, and the library with young, virile men?

Well, it turns out, after a little investigating, that that is not the case at all. (You can rad the entire thing here.

He then states (incorrectly) that it is illegal to have guns on elementary or secondary school grounds. He went as far as citing the "Gun Free Schools Act." Well, I guess Eddie #2 didn't read all the way down. In 18 USC 922 (q)(2)(B)(ii), it states you may have a concealed handgun on campus:
"if the individual possessing the firearm is licensed to do
so by the State in which the school zone is located or a political
subdivision of the State, and the law of the State or political
subdivision requires that, before an individual obtains such a
license, the law enforcement authorities of the State or political
subdivision verify that the individual is qualified under law to
receive the license;"

and:(v) by an individual in accordance with a contract entered into
between a school in the school zone and the individual or an
employer of the individual;

So I am guessing some deep pockets are at work here in Eddie #2's case. His is the one vote that can make sure mature adults can carry and protect themselves and others. Whatever his motivation, he is working against the best interest of the students.

Yosemitebear Mountain Giant Double Rainbow 1-8-10

And this, boys and girls, is why I have been proudly drug-free for all of my 40 years.

Wow. I am almost the father of two eight year olds. Their birthday is in two weeks. Couldn't be happier. Christmas is coming. The holidays are a great time for all of us.

I have the walkway lights out and some decorations in the front yard. I watched "Invasion of the Christmas Lights (part deaux), and the wife turned to me and asked, "Does that make you excited?" I said, "No, it makes my back hurt."

We're kind of bizarre, though. Both us being Lutheran, we have an advent calendar. It has little boxes you can put stuff in. Well, there's one of Santa's elves who leaves notes in the boxes, and he gives the boys small little toys every night. They get up in the morning and read the note and play with (or use) whatever the elf leaves. Oh, and the elf's name is Walter. Last year, it was Tink.

It's kind of this pagan, Hanukkah, Christmas type of thing. But it works for us.

Oh, yeah, then there are the trees. 6, to be exact. One in the living room, one in the breakfast nook, one in the dining room, one each for the boys, and the Charlie Brown tree. Out of these six, we were only crazy enough to buy one live one.

I'm off Christmas Day, so I get to spend it with the family. And playing with my toys.

Billy Ray Cyrus - Some Gave All

Of Mosques and Marriage

As of this writing, there is a movement to build a mosque 600 feet away from Ground Zero. Now, IF the people who claim this is for healing and to memorialize those who gave their lives in 9/11, I would say, by all means build it. Do they have a right to build it? Well, let me see, the First Amendment, as President Barack Obama seeimingly just discovered, protects the right to build it. However, the leader of the group, one Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, who, as we speak is in the Middle East on a "goodwill" mission, refuses to label Hamas a terrorist organization. Someone who will not condemn must approve. This is in bad taste. In my opinion, it is a slap in the face of every person not just in the Twin Towers, but also on those planes that hit the buildings. Just becasue you CAN do something, doesn't mean you SHOULD.

If this goes through, how about the Ted Bundy school for girls? The Ted Kennedy Memorial Causeway over Chappaquidick?

From what I have heard and read, many union workers who would be building this will conveniently call in sick. If no one is willing to build it, it will not get built. But, it just might go through. If they find some people to build it, then all of those who refuse to build it can build something right next to it...Greg Gutfeld's gay bar. Classic.

Which brings me to the other topic in some dispute, gay marriage. Marriage is a union between a man and a woman for the purpose of propagating the species. It has been this way for hundreds, if not thousands of years, back when Og bashed his choice over the head and drug her back to the cave. It is noted as such in every culture around the world. With that being said,(here comes my libertarian streak coming out) if two consenting adults want the legal right for one of them to have access to the others' property, if they want to live together and do whatever they do in the bedroom, then so be it. The main point they want to make is that it is a "marriage". This is twisting the knife into those intolerant of homosexuality in general. It is a knee jerk reaction. They are playing with semantics. And, those who are pushing loudest for this know it. Should we make it illegal? No. It violates equal protection to ban it. Call it a civil union. Call it a partnership. Whatever your religious or political predilections are, both sides just need to use some common sense.

Has it been that long?

Wow...I must have been busier than I thought. Well, we have oil that should be in cars in the gulf. Where are the protesters? Where is Greenpeace taunting BP? Where is the Sierra Club? Where are all the wackos who are usually tied to trees? Can you imagine if this was a conservative president during all of this? All of these greenie weenie groups would want his head on a platter.

I'm thinking about writing again. Just columns in the paper. I REALLY need to get one out about Connor before he finds out I wrote one about Logan, and not him. Oops...my faux pas. I will...I just need to be inspired.

That's about it. More later.

Happy Mother's Day!!

Happy Mother's Day to all moms, not just mine. From all of us sons, daughters, grandkids, etc., thank you for all you do and all you've done for us.

You're one of the biggest influence in our lives, and we all love you.

Mom, I don't say it enough any more, but I love you. My wife loves you. And my kids all love you.

You made me the man I am today...well, the snarky part, at least. :-)

I.D., please

The Arizona governor just signed a "controversial" immigration reform bill into law. For those who have been under a rock, or just don't follow the news, the main tenets of the bill are:

1)Cops have the authority to determine if someone is in the country illegally, and ask for documentation to determine if they are, in fact, legal residents.

2)People can sue the law enforcement agency if they aren't doing their job by enforcing #1.

So.....where's the controversy?

People are worried about being racially profiled as illegal immigrants. Well, you could stay out of trouble and not give the police a reason to suspect you of any wrong doing. (in other words, DON'T RUN FROM THEM!!!)

True, there may be the occasional rogue cop who abuses this, but for the most part, I don't see this being put into effect 24/7. Like every law, it might only be enacted when, I don't know, people are breaking the law. Go figure.

Sheriff Joe Arpaio is all for this bill. So are, from what I hear, the majority of Arizonans. Only time will tell how this works.

The good ol' days...

How many of you have grandparents (or parents, even) who are like the Grumpy Old Man Dana Carvey plaed on Saturday Night Live...you know, the one who started out sentences with "When I was your age..."?

Now, how many you had parents or grandparents who MEANT it?

Seems like they had it rough....going to school, uphill both ways in the snow, with paper sacks for shoes...

Had to work 18 hours a day, 6 days a week to get enough money to buy a 5 cent hamburger....

Then split that up between themselves and 6 siblings... (And they always liked it!!)

This generation we can't do that. What are we going to tell our grandkids? "When I was your age, we had to lift our arm and point a remote control to turn on the TV set...we couldn't just blink."

"When I was your age, we had to put the car in gear for it to drive..not just tell it where to go!!"

How about these:

"When I was your age, people actually went out, got jobs, and were rewarded for doing hard work. They didn't give over all of their money to the government and were told they were the drain on America because they didn't want handouts."

"When I was your age, we had to earn things like cars, televisions, houses....we didn't just get them because we breathe air."

"When I was your age, we could own a gun and defend ourselves when some recidivistic scumbag broke into our house at 3 am wanting to rob and kill us, instead of being convicted of a crime because we decided the stuff we had was ours...including our family's lives."

And, how about..."When I was your age, we could speak our mind...we had a Constitution, not some "global hate speech" law..."

AND WE LIKED IT!!!

Smokin'...

Didn't post because it was Easter. Yeah, that's the ticket!! Been busy this week. Tired, too. Got some stuff the boss wanted planted in the front yard, been doing other bits and pieces of yard work.

My big news is that I got a new smoker. Yes, that's right, a box where you pop in a big slab of meat, spend about 10 minutes every 3 hours switching out charcoal and wood chips, and voila, in a few hours, you have some delicious smoked meat.

Got it Friday. Was at work, so had to wait until Saturday to use it. First thing I smoked was a rack of spare ribs that would have made Fred Flintsone proud. Took about 8 hours. Fan-freaking-tastic. Then, that night, smoked a brisket the size of a SmartCar and stayed up all night, switching the coal and wood chips out. That, too, was awesome.

Next up on Sunday, gonna throw two (dead) chickens in there, and see what happens. Hopefully they'll turn out.

I'll have a better rant next time. I promise.

So sorry...didn't post last night. I was so tired I forgot.

Anyway, just a quick rundown...garden is looking good. Boys are great, had an old friend come by Wed. night and it was like old times. I'm trying to talk my wife into getting a wind turbine for the home. No luck so far. After all, when the economy comes crashing down, we won't be able to afford our light bill.

Fedzilla is on its' way to every house. Fight for your right to property. They've already nullified 60 or so leases on federal land because someone might have seen a one-eyed albino willyjumper or some crap like that. And these were ranchers and farmers who were using the land properly and for the good of themselves, their neighbors, and because of that, their country.

Stand.

And so it begins...

If memory serves me correctly, if enough bad stuff was fed into his system, Godzilla grew, and became more powerful. Life is no imitating art. But, this time, it's not Godzilla, but Fedzilla. That bloated, self righteous, egomaniacal, fairy tale creature that has, sadly enough, come to life.

Congrats to the 224 morons who voted for this bill. For most of you, you just sealed your fate. Soon you will be out of the public eye and will have to face your (former) constituents and see what havoc you hath wreaked upon them. But, they don't care. They're set for life. They won't have to abide by the rules they themselves made. Fedzilla has demolished Washington, D.C., and will soon demolish the rest of America.

Can this be stopped? I think it can. Starting in November of this year (2010), I think the vision that Madison wrote about in the Federalist Papers (which every Congressman should be required to read, along with the constitution) will once again come to fruition. People WILL hold their Congresspeople accountable. People WILL demand a litmus test to see if this person who they choose to elect will do their will, instead of the will of lobbyists, many of which represent entities that go against everything this country stands for.

Standing up for our rights and holding the powers that be accountable are the best way of stopping Fedzilla dead in its' tracks. Keep fighting. Call your Senators and tell them to vote no. Also, read. But not the best sellers on the conservative book club's 10 best list. Or those books that Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh (if you listen to them) say are must reads. Read "The Communist Manifesto". Read "Rules For Radicals". Read the writings of Woodrow Wilson. More than that, however, understand what they say and what they mean.

Question what you believe. I have, and it made my faith in what I believe even stronger.

“If once the people become inattentive to the public affairs, you and I, and Congress and Assemblies, Judges and Governors, shall all become wolves. It seems to be the law of our general nature, in spite of individual exceptions.” Thomas Jefferson

The American Dream

I was thinking today about "The American Dream". What exactly is it? Well, I think it's something different for every person. For some, it's making as much money as humanly possible, all the glitz and glamor and the trappings associated with it. For others, it's a warm meal and a dry place to lay your head. For most of us, I believe it's just living your life as well as possible. Being good parents, going to your job, paying your bills. Do you really need the trappings? Do you really want all the money and all the problems? The money would be nice, don't get me wrong. But, I'm not sure about the headaches.

In the Declaration of Independence, it is stated that we have self-evident truths.That we are endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights. Among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Happiness itself, however, is not guaranteed. It can not be guaranteed by any edict, rule, or law. It can not be guaranteed by coveting what your neighbor has. It can not be guaranteed by any extrinsic factor. The happiness you pursue can only be found in yourself, and in your relationship with whatever form you believe that Creator takes. That is intrinsic in nature. No one, no thing, no place on Earth can make you totally happy. They help with it, but in the end, it's you and that Creator.

Every day, I wake up, go to work (or do chores around the house), come home, spend time with my family, kiss my wife, hug my boys, and know that I did my best. Every morning I wake up, I try to remember to thank God for every day, and for the ability and the freedom to do what I need and want to do. I am living the American dream.

Keep the positive attitude. I may sometimes seem frustrated, irritable, tired, and cranky, but then God gives me a proverbial slap on the back of the head and reminds me to be thankful for everything He has given me. And all I really need. My life, my freedom, and my family. I understand my needs, and my wants. And pursuing those unalienable rights--celebrating those self evident truths--help me appreciate the wants and the value of it all. For this, I am truly thankful.

Hollywood deaths

Okay, I have to get this off of my chest. Yes, it is sad that Corey Haim died today. My heartfelt condolences go out to his family.

With that being said, he brought it on himself. Putting that crap in his body means sooner or later he would end up dead. That is a foregone conclusion.

It must be something about that environment that does it to them. In that fishbowl called Hollyweird, as old family friend (the late) Allen Wayne Damron had on one of his album covers: "Everything in excess...Moderation is for monks."

Look at the LONG line of entertainers who died young due to drugs: Hank Williams, Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin, Jim Belushi, River Phoenix, Heath Ledger, Chris Farley...and the list goes on. Now, Corey Haim. He lasted longer than the others.

Who will be next?

And the WINNER is.....

As I sit in my kitchen, the vapid, insipid, vacuous, and banal sounds of the Academy Awards is present in the background. I don't know about you, but I find these awards shows to be self-aggrandizing PR ploys so some off the wall designer can sell some ugly, expensive clothes just because their label is on them, and to garner interest in a bloaded industry. It's a popularity contest among the popular.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy movies. Just not "Academy Award" type movies. I would rather cut my spleen out with a dull, rusty, feces infested grapefruit spoon than watch one of those. Unless there's lots of action, things blowing up, and gunplay. Then, I'll watch it. Until a James Bond film gets nominated for best picture, I might care. And, when they bring back saying, "And the winner is..." instead of reminding everyone, "Everyone here is a winner". No, Stuart Smalley, not everyone there are winners. There are four losers and one winner. Like life, which these award shows are not imitating.