Quotes of the Day - Fathers

Posted by JCE

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This post is in remembrance of my best friend's best friend...BGH, your dad will always be in your heart.

“By the time a man realizes that maybe his father was right, he usually has a son who thinks he's wrong.”
~Charles Wadsworth


“It is a wise child that knows its own father, and an unusual one that unreservedly approves of him”
~Mark Twain quotes

“Good fathers make good sons”

“My father didn't tell me how to live; he lived, and let me watch him do it.”
~Clarence B. Kelland quotes

and my personal favorite:

“When I was a boy of 14, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be 21, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in seven years.”
~Mark Twain quotes

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Scared As Hell

Posted by BGH

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The man who raised me, taught me right from wrong and beat my butt when I defied him is lying in an intensive care unit with the possibility of not waking up.

I love my father so much. We have our disagreements but we are so much alike I see myself turning into a replica of him as each day passes. I am stubborn... just like he is, I am anal-retentive... just like he is and I am ALWAYS right... just like he is, except when we disagree. He 'used' to win when we were at odds, now I have taken over that role.

I treated my dad as if he would always be around when I was younger, always too busy with friends to 'hang out' and listen to the game, now I can't get enough time. My son looks up to him, my son's friends look up to him and I now more than ever look up to him, understanding all that he imparted in me to make me who I am today.

I can't stop crying and I am scared as hell....

-Song: Forever
-Artist: Dropkick Murphys
-Album: The Meanest Of Times


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7 Years, 700 Billion Dollars And 4000+ Caskets

Posted by BGH

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We have been fighting the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, for a total of seven years. When I say we I mean the soldiers who volunteer for service, the families that anguish over the safety of their loved ones involved in the these conflicts and the taxpayers who this immense financial debt is heaped upon.

Where have we traveled in these long, stressful years? Apparently nowhere. The G.A.O. (Government Accountability Office) has issued a report that illustrates essentially the same terrorist threat to the United States that existed seven years ago in the Afghanistan/Pakistan area of the middle east, persists nearly untouched today, in the same area of the region. The same safe haven in tribal Afghanistan that harbored Osama Bin Laden and fellow extremists at the beginning of the war is still effectively providing shelter for the planning of future attacks on U.S. interests.

Billions of dollars have gone unaccounted for in Iraq, hundreds of thousands of civilians have been killed or injured and little deterrence has been exerted on true 'enemies' the while our president and his cabinet profess, “Mission Accomplished”, “It’s not a quagmire” and “The surge is working”. During this time opinion of the U.S. has declined on the world stage, domestic public opinion of the president has sunk to one of the lowest levels experienced by any U.S. Commander In Chief. We have seen this administration blatantly deny scandal after scandal regarding this war; Democrats seek resignation of top VA mental health official, only seems to be the most recent incident from a laundry list of cover-ups and suppression of evidence.

As Rob Riggle from The Daily Show poignantly stated, we have been driving in a fucking circle for seven years and the guy leading the way is fucking clueless.



Way to make daddy proud George W., your ineptitude, ignorance and corruptibility is unsurpassed. You are certainly first in your class.
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On Censorship

Posted by BGH

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Throughout history of the written and spoken word there have existed efforts to deter or silence opposing viewpoints. This type of attitude, while having the appearance of protecting and insulating your stance from criticism, only indicates the insecurity of your position and gives others an open door to also squelch your ideas from being heard.

Once we start censoring ideas we don’t agree with, all ideas can be silenced, even our own, and nothing is beyond reproach. I don’t agree with the neo-Nazi, the 9/11 truther, the extremely far right, the extremely far left, or many other viewpoints for that matter, but they have a right to speak their mind.

I am strong proponent of free speech, defending the marketplace of ideas and protecting all speech, even that with which I strongly disagree. I feel I can make my case, defend my arguments and if someone can prove me wrong or convince me otherwise, I am willing to accept it. Censorship has no place in society, to wall up sensibilities from scrutiny and brand certain discussion ‘off limits’ pushes modern society backward, causing regression of thought and basically creates automatons from the citizenry.

Say what you will; say what you want, if we disagree, great! At least there is a discussion, and no one’s viewpoints are silenced. We learn best when being confronted with many varied and wide ranging viewpoints, we remain ignorant when only having access to like-minded speech.

On this blog we do not delete comments we disagree with, we let the criticism remain, we state our case in response but DO NOT expel differences of opinion.

"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it” - The Friends of Voltaire (1906), written by Evelyn Beatrice Hall under the pseudonym S[tephen] G. Tallentyre
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Psychics say they shouldn't have to prove they are genuine

Posted by Pariahjane

The 'spiritualists' are a little bent out of shape because of a change in laws that might actually force them to prove their gifts are real!

Fortune-tellers, mediums and spiritual healers marched on the home of
the British prime minister at Downing Street on Friday to protest against new
laws they fear will lead to them being "persecuted and prosecuted."
Organizers say that replacing the Fraudulent Mediums Act of 1951 with new
consumer protection rules will remove key legal protection for "genuine"
mediums.

These psychics are concerned that they will have to prove their abilities are genuine in a court of law and think that is unfair. Oh, boo hoo. These people charge money for their so called services. I would think, as a consumer, that someone would want to know whether the person they are paying can actually do what they claim to.

They think skeptics might bring malicious prosecutions to force
spiritualists to prove in court that they can heal people, see into the future
or talk to the dead.
Psychics also fear they will have to give disclaimers describing their services as entertainment or as scientific experiments with unpredictable results.

I think they absolutely should have to prove they can heal people or talk to the dead. I personally think the fakers who say they can talk to the dead are the worst ones. Not only are they manipulating people out of their money but they are also messing with their emotions. Shame on them!

Put your money where your mouth is, so to speak. If a person tells me that, for a fee, they can talk to a dead relative then they better damn well prove it to me! If I think they are full of it there is no reason why I should not be able to either a) get my money back or b) insist that they validate their claim.

The reason these people are up in arms is because they are full of it. And they know it.

"By repealing the Act, the onus will go round the other way and we will
have to prove we are genuine," McEntee-Taylor told Reuters. "No other religion
has to do that."

I think every religion should have to corroborate their claims but that's a whole different story. How is talking to do the dead a religion, exactly? I fail to see how a 'spiritualist' falls under the religion category. Religions don't charge for knowledge anyway. Well, Scientology makes it's members pay to gain information but Scientology is a cult, not a religion. Yes, I realize that many churches require tithing and the like but there is a huge difference between passing around a collection plate and charging some poor sap $100.00 or more to talk to her dead husband.

There are a lot of silly naive people in this world who have had their lives destroyed by so-called psychics (remember Cleo?) If you claim you have a 'gift' you better damn well back it up with some evidence.

How Will The George W. Bush Legacy Be Taught In Thirty Years

Posted by BGH

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How will President George W. Bush’s legacy be taught in social studies or history class thirty years from now?

I am old enough to remember much what happened during the time in office of the last four presidents, my memory gets a bit fuzzy around the Carter administration, but Ronald Reagan, George Herbert Walker Bush, William Jefferson Clinton and George Walker Bush are pretty clear. As each president leaves office they leave behind a legacy of things they will be remembered for, some scandal and some good things, but a legacy nonetheless.

With Ronald Reagan we remember:

• The Cold War
• The Berlin Wall
• The assassination attempt
• The Iran-Contra scandal
• Reaganomics
• Nancy’s “Just say ‘no’” policy
• Grenada
• Booming 80's economy resurgence
  

With George Herbert Walker Bush we remember:

• “Read my lips, no new taxes”
• Desert Storm
• Dan Quayle misspelling ‘potato’
• The fall of the Soviet Union
• Americans With Disabilities Act
• Panama / Noriega
• Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START I)
  

With William Jefferson Clinton we remember:

• Monica Lewinsky
• A thriving economy
• Somalia
• NAFTA
• DMCA
• Serbia / Kosovo
• The Branch Davidians
  
• Elian Gonzalez
  
• Soaring public opinion
• Low unemployment
  

So what will we remember of George Walker Bush?

• September 11, 2001
• The Patriot Act
  
• The Afghan War
• The Iraqi Quagmire
• Torture
• Water Boarding
• Abu Ghraib
• Falsified intelligence
• Suppression of climate science
• Sinking economy
• Soaring gas prices
• Sinking public opinion
• The Katrina debacle
• Cheney shooting someone in the face
• Wire Tapping
• Loss of Habeas Corpus
• Veto of stem cell bill
• Inflation
• Rising unemployment
• Firing of U.S. Attorneys
• Alberto Gonzalez
• Scooter Libby
• Enron
• Tyco
• Blackwater
• Faith Based Initiatives

How will the history books salvage anything positive from the last eight years of the George W. Bush presidency? With other presidents, scandal and success seem to be mixed, and if not mixed, an administration is usually labeled ineffective at worst. With G.W.B there is little from his time in office that can held up as a success or accomplishment, and more than a fair share of items that can be viewed as complete and utter failures. George W. Bush and his administration seem to have caused nearly irreparable damage on the world stage and unfortunate regression in domestic policy.

While I may not be democrat or republican, I lean more towards libertarian, though I am not fully there either. I value civil liberties and am entirely ready to accept some risk in order to preserve freedom. This administration has done more than almost any other presidency to infringe on our rights in order to make us feel safe, though we are in reality no more safe than we were eight years ago but we are whole lot less free.

When my grandkids are in school what will they learn of the G.W.B. presidency? They say the victors write the history books, well we all have lost something during this presidency, what will be written by the historians?
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(Alert - This post has been buried by Digg. After 186 Diggs and 45 comments Digg decided this was 'Lame' and buried it. Thank you Digg for showing your true colors of censorship. 186 Diggs, 5 Buries and my post is gone from the community even though others may want to read it.)

Surviving in a tough economy

Posted by JCE

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A recent article in Yahoo News discussing the spike in food prices mentioned some possible, scary measures people may take in order to cut their food budget:

For some, that means adding an extra cup of water to their soup, watering down their milk, or giving their children soda because it's cheaper than milk, DiChiara said.

As a lifelong thrift-monger cutting my food budget has become so much of a habit that it never occurred to me that others don’t do the same. Basically, I have never had a lot of money and the thought of dumping excess of what little I did have into something that was simply going to be consumed and then, uh, deconsumed (?) later is just repugnant to me. So…here are a few tips that I follow to reduce my grocery expenses. Keep in mind that not all of these work for everyone and there are many other tips that won’t be mentioned but if you try, you can probably come up with some that work for you:

1. Do NOT water down milk. There are many ways to reduce a budget but this is not one of them.
   
   
2. Do NOT give your kids soda because it is cheaper. Water is cheaper than either milk or soda. If your children absolutely refuse to drink tons of plain water buy a lemon or lime and squeeze it into the water for flavor. Koolaid is cheaper than soda too. I only add about ¾ cup of sugar when I do make this because a full cup makes it too sugary for my taste. Then again, I am not one for sugary stuff. (Side-note: My kids no longer ask for soda – they know my answer will be no and soda is reserved for very special occasions such as parties. Sound cruel? It isn’t.) Oh! No bottled water! Invest in a few refillable bottles instead.
   
   
3. Stretch any meal by adding starch – pasta, rice, potatoes, etc. You can add extra vegetables too, ya know. Meat is one of the most expensive grocery items and we really don’t need as much of it as we eat anyway.
   
   
4. For god’s sake – cut your damn meal portions in half! Americans eat too damn much at home or at a restaurant so cut your portions. This rule applies ONLY to adults! Please be sure to serve adequate portions of HEALTHY food to children, especially teenagers.
   
   
5. No name brands…unless it is absolutely necessary. I am a real stickler about value for my dollar so I will buy a name brand only, ONLY, if it gives me a bigger bang for my buck. Ask around and test things for yourself to see what give you the best value. Example: Gain laundry detergent costs twice as much as Arm & Hammer, but it lasts 4 times longer. This is value. Macaroni and Cheese? Who cares? My kids don’t complain when I get an off brand and I don’t need to eat that much of it anyway. Cereal – this is a big one! First of all, I think cold cereal is just about the biggest waste of money out there. It never fills up anyone in my house so I seldom buy it. When I do, it is usually for a snack and I get off brands. People who are truly attached to the stuff? Buy off brands, get a membership at a warehouse place (like Sam’s or Costco) and possibly split the cost of cereal on sale with someone else in order to take advantage of the discount.
   
   
6. Do not eat out. Yeah, that is a no brainer, I know, but it is hard when folks seem to be constantly running around with kids to various sporting events, working endless hours, or have multiple community commitments. One solution? Frozen meals are quick and sort of nutritious. Don’t even have time to stop at home? Pack peanut butter & jelly sandwiches and some fruit in a cooler with a frozen container of water. You can stash it under your desk if the weather is too warm to allow it to stay in the car and eat it on the way to the event or have it for dinner when you are working late at the office.
   
   
7. Plan ahead. Difficult, I know, but well worth it. Saturdays and Sundays I usually shove some kind of meat into my slow cooker and then use it during the week to prepare fast meals. Chicken and pot roast work best for this and after it is cooked you can shred/cut up the meat and freeze it for later use.
   
   
8. No chips. They provide no nutritional value and are a monumental waste of money.
   
   
9. Co-op or share with friends. If you are lucky enough to have a space available in the neighborhood, establish a community vegetable garden. Or, if there is an older couple in the neighborhood ask if you can use their yard. They usually don’t have bratty ass kids running through them and can also use a break in their budget but lack the physical skills to care for a garden. It also provides a great excuse to check on them. Look for sales on basic items and divide the cost with friends/relatives. This is especially useful on perishables.
   
   
10. Try discount food stores. Locally, we have Aldi’s and they can be very useful for stocking up on basics. Many will pooh-pooh this idea, but I don’t really give a damn. Even if I only go twice a year, it is worth it for things like flour, sugar, etc. FWIW, I bake and will not use their products in my baking. I am kind of a snob that way, but with baking quality matters so I save my higher grade supplies to be used strictly when baking and use the lower grade stuff for cooking. There has never been a noticeable difference in taste…according to my kids anyway and believe me, they would be the first to register a complaint.
    
    

I didn’t mention coupons simply because I find them to be a waste of money. For me it has always been more effort to pick through them for products I regularly buy and they seem to encourage spending on products one normally would not buy. If they work for you, great.

Basically, it is a matter of priorities. The economy is slumping so badly now that this is not just a matter of saving money, it is a matter of being able to continue to eat. Decide what you can live without and scratch it off the list. The adjustment might be tough for a while, but keep trying. Nutrition is the only reason we need to eat anyway – it isn’t necessary that every meal makes us feel good or special. It is just food.

For more information, a quick google search for "cheap eating" brings up multiple useful sites and blogs with recipes and tips, however, if anyone has any other suggestions or tips they would like to share, please feel free to post a comment or send an e-mail. With a little ingenuity and community help, we don't have to allow ourselves to become victims to the economy.

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