ljandkjdad's Xanga

Wednesday, December 07, 2005

Wed, 07 Dec 2005 22:36:43 GMT

I had another one of those rotten days today. It seems that they have been happening more frequently lately. There wasn't any one incident that got me down, just a series of nagging events that seemed to string themselves together.

On top of the events of the day, I've had a cold for about about a week and a half now. That doesn't make things any better. The fact that I hate winter doesn't help matters either.

Oh well, at least I got that out of my system.

Sunday, November 27, 2005

Sun, 27 Nov 2005 15:20:26 GMT

I have been away for a while. Time for another entry.

I have ten more questions that I need answered. I may have asked some of them previously, but no one has answered them to my satisfaction.

Why is Oprah popular?
Has anyone ever seen Lindsay Lohan and Frankie Muniz at the same place at the same time? I think they are the same person.
Why is the typical female so devoid of any logical thought process?
When is Massachusetts going to apologize to the rest of the country for subjecting us to Ted Kennedy and John Kerry?
Why is reality TV popular?
Why do so many young people feel the need to get tatoos or pierce various parts of their bodies?
Why is rap music popular?
Why do some people believe that Al Gore really invented the internet?
Why do people camp out in front of Best Buy on Thanksgiving night so that they can be among the first ones in the store the next morning?
Why do some people evidently forget how to drive in snow every year?

Tuesday, November 15, 2005

Tue, 15 Nov 2005 22:19:31 GMT

Usually I come on here to rant about something. Tonight, I will try something different.

My wife tells me that I am totally sarcastic and that I never say anything nice about anyone. She is probably right. For some reason, I find it difficult to express my positive feelings--no problem with the negative ones. The following will not make up for my past remarks, but it is the best I can do.

Kevin, I am proud of you. I know that I pushed you toward sports when you were younger--probably to the extent that you could never enjoy them. I am glad that you have found something like acting that you really enjoy. I could never do the things that you do in front of an auditorium full of people. You are a great kid with a big heart and I don't tell you how much I love you enough.

Laura, most of what I said about KJ also applies to you. In addition, I do not know where you find all of your energy, enthusiasm, and drive. You work harder than I ever have and I am sure that you will be a great teacher--despite all of the b.s. that teachers have to put up with these days. Even if you change your mind and decide to do something else, I know that you will succeed as long as you find something that interests you.

Sandy, I really don't know where to begin with you. I have no idea why you put up with me. You are the best thing that ever happened to me. I love you with all my heart and plan on doing so for a long time.

Because this has been very difficult to express, it will probably be too long before I do so again. Therefore, the next time that I say or do something outrageous, just log into this entry to remind yourself of how I feel about all of you.

Sunday, November 06, 2005

Sun, 06 Nov 2005 16:45:52 GMT

Oh, well. I guess my musical tribute to my favorite ladies is not working. For your information, I intended for my favorite Elton John song to be played. See if you can guess which one.

Sunday, November 06, 2005

Sun, 06 Nov 2005 16:39:13 GMT

I hope that you like my current musical selection. It is in honor of many women. Take your pick--Hillary Clinton, Barbara Boxer, Dianne Feinstein, etc.

Today, I would like to comment on a popular topic in the "Letters to the Editor" portion of the newspapers these days. There have been recent media reports that indicate that oil companies are realizing record profits these days. Of course the reaction has been predictable. That evil term "price gouging" has even become popular once again.

Now, don't get me wrong. I don't like paying $3.00 for a gallon of gasoline any more than the next guy. But, if drilling and refining operations are shut down due to the hurricanes in the gulf coast area, what do you expect? Lower supplies always lead to higher prices. Now that the production has been gearing back up to near normal levels, guess what is happening. The prices are coming down.

I have always been ticked off by people who are quick to use terms such as "obscene profits" or "price gouging". How are these terms defined? Who gets to define them? Is a 10% profit margin acceptable, but 10.01% "obscene"? It makes no sense to me. I guess these individuals would prefer that the oil industry be in a similar situation as the airline industry. Maybe they would be happy if the oil companies laid off thousands of workers, putting their families in welfare lines. I don't want to live in that world. I want every company to make money. Companies that make money add jobs, not subtract them.

However, all of those out there who cannot stand oil companies earning profits at record levels, I have a suggestion for you. Lobby your congressmen and senators to pass legislation that rolls back the environmental restrictions that have prevented oil companies from constructing new refineries in the US since the 1970s. Then the oil companies will be able to take some of those record profits and invest them in new facilities. Oh yes, I forgot. Many of the idiots who are screaming about record profits are the same idiots who lobbied for those environmental restrictions in the first place. These are people who don't want solutions. They want problems to perpetuate themselves. This way, they continue to complain, the media drools over itself reporting these complaints, and the endless cycle goes on and on.

Tuesday, November 01, 2005

Tue, 01 Nov 2005 22:20:41 GMT

Previously on this blog, I admitted that I was officially old. Just as my parents before me, I have little or no understanding regarding many of the items that today's youth value.

Why are tattoos so popular? I am totally clueless on that one. When I was growing up, the overwhelming majority of the individuals with tattoos fell into three categories--military personnel, individuals who had spent time in prison, and those who had gotten their body art when in the midst of a drunken stupor. The first two groups used their tattoos to show that they were tough. The third group is just evidence that alcohol impairs judgment.

Now it seems like all teenagers are getting tattoos. I don't understand it at all. The thing that is most perplexing is that tattoos are so popular among young ladies. Is it a sign of rebellion? Is it a lack of self respect? Is it a sign of mental illness? Please help me understand. I doubt that you will succeed, but please try.

Thursday, October 27, 2005

Thu, 27 Oct 2005 23:00:48 GMT

I want to take this time to make a very important announcement.

I am a heterosexual.

I would like to thank Sheryl Swoopes for making it known that there evidently was a memo distributed that instructed everyone to announce their sexuality. For some reason, I did not get the memo. Without Sheryl's leadership, I would not have been able to fulfill my duty to society. Thanks, Sheryl.

Monday, October 24, 2005

Mon, 24 Oct 2005 23:34:58 GMT

Laura is always telling me that I am a racist, sexist, bigot, homophobe, etc. I do not agree with her, although I admit that I probably am considered all of the above by the practicioners of political correctness.

I was listening to the radio today and the host was talking about a program in California where they teach bilingual education. They start this program in kindergarten and it usually lasts through the fourth or fifth grade. In kindergarten, the class is taught in Spanish 90% of the time and English 10%. As each year passes, the Spanish percentage drops 10% and the English percentage obviously increases 10%. By the time a student completes the program, the lessons are half in Spanish and half in English. I guess that when the program is finished the graduates can sing Kum-By-Yah in both languages.

What a crock! Now, I know that I will be labeled a racist for this opinion, but I maintain that the supporters of these types of programs are the real racists. When someone makes this type of proposal, what they are saying is that the Hispanic of today is too stupid to assimilate into an American society that speaks English. Such was not the case of the immigrants who came to the land of opportunity during the late 19th and throughout most of the 20th Century. During this time, there were untold numbers of Germans, Italians, Greeks, Jews, Eastern Europeans, etc. who came to this country with no knowledge of English. They tended to congregate in distinct areas within large cities and would usually keep many of their old customs, including their languages, while in their new communities. However, when it came to functioning in the overall society of their new country, they did so by learning and speaking ENGLISH. They did not expect everyone in America to stop what they were doing and learn forty-seven new languages so that they could interact with these individuals who came here. These individuals realized that to succeed in America, they had to learn English and they did.

My father's two sisters married cousins whose families came to America from Germany. These two uncles of mine grew up speaking German in their homes--in fact, one of them still has a very thick German accent. Other than speaking German with their other family members, the only time that I ever heard either one of them speak German was around my Grandpa James because Uncle Raymond knew that it pissed him off so much. Anyway, the moral of that story is that my two uncles may have grown up speaking German in their personal lives, but they knew that they had to learn English to become successful professionally.

As I said before, the politically correctsters of today are basically saying that the Hispanics of today are evidently too stupid to thrive in America the way that my uncles and countless others from immigrant faimilies did prior to the politically correct movement unexplicably grabbing such a stranglehold on our society. Personally, I do not believe that to be the case. It is my belief that all Hispanics, whether they come from Cuba, Mexico, Central or South America, can learn English and function in this country as well as all of the other immigrants that have come before them.

Yet, by today's definition, I am the racist because I do not think that traffic signs, ballots, and other governmental forms should be written in English and Spanish. Go figure.

Monday, October 24, 2005

Mon, 24 Oct 2005 02:16:48 GMT

Sandy has been spending tonight just like she does most Sunday evenings--watching the most hideous show on television. Of course, I am speaking of Charmed. And to make matters worse, because of the wonders of satellite television, she can watch it about thirty-seven times a day.

I do not see what Sandy sees in the show. She says something about good winning out against evil, but I have a hard time understanding why the good guys--or gals in this case--have to be so skanky and have tattoos everywhere.

It is also World Series week. When I was growing up, this would have been an important event for me. I would have watched every game and would have anxiously awaited the next game. Now, I couldn't care less. I could not name five players on either team. I probably have not watched a full game combined all season. For some reason, I cannot get excited about watching spoiled rotten multi-millionaires play a game that I used to play for free growing up. I don't know when I lost interest--I just did along the way. It just seemed like the game was better when I was growing up. Pitchers used to have ERAs under 3.00 and if someone had a forty home run season, it was huge. Home run hitters looked like George Foster or Ernie Banks and not like the Incredible Hulk. Players stayed with the same team for their whole careers and even stayed in that city after they retired.

I guess that you are officially old when you do nothing but reflect on the good old days. Oh well, such is life.

Thursday, October 20, 2005

Thu, 20 Oct 2005 22:19:00 GMT

So, the new NBA dress code is racist. What a crock!

If the dress code said that blacks could not wear outrageous jewelry, but the white guys could, that would be racism.

The reaction that several of the players have expressed is a result of the Jesse Jackson syndrome. Everything that happens in the world can be tied to racism. For example, the sun rises in the east--racism. Two plus two equals four--racism. People calling the Reverand Jackson to task because he is a clergyman that fathers children out of wedlock--racism. You get the picture.

In my opinion, the real reason deep down that Mr. Iverson and the other individuals are upset is that the dress code represents a rule. You know--a restriction. Gifted athletes, regardless of race, color, or creed, have long been told that rules only apply to everyday stiffs, not stars like themselves. You are an athlete who cannot get a 700 on your SAT--no problem, someone smarter can take the test for you. You are an athlete who needs to pass a drug test when you and Ricky Williams smoked some weed last week at a party--no problem, someone else will pee in your cup. You are Ron Artest and you get hit in the face by a plastic cup--no problem, go up in the stands and beat the crap out of him and anyone else who gets in your way.

Mr. Iverson and his cohorts are so accustomed to getting away with murder--excuse me, that was O.J., not A.I.--that even the implication that one has to do something as simple as dressing in a tasteful, respectful manner is repulsive. That is something that normal people do, not number 3. He is not subject to things like that.

I know that I am getting old because my retort to Mr. Iverson and others that share his opinion is that things were different when I was young. I was taught that the sport was much bigger than any individual. The team was much more important than any one player. Don't rub it if it hurts, especially if the area in question is the groin. Things were different in life as well. Be courteous to others. Be respectful of things bigger than yourself, like your family, your community, and your country.

No, not everything in this world is related to racism.

That is my rant for today.