As part of his campaign for presidency, Barack Obama stated that all combat troops would be out of Iraq by the summer of 2010. With the war becoming increasing unpopular, many people (especially those who voted for him primarily on that premise) are expecting him to make due on that promise.
It's interesting to note, though, that combat troops were sent to Iraq as recently as March 2010. And instead of a short trip and having those soldiers come home to their families by the projected deadline, I've been informed that combat units will instead simply be redesignated. For example, the '3rd Brigade Combat Team' from the 4th Infantry Division will be changing its name to the '3rd Advisory Assistance Brigade'. Their job will not change whatsoever. They will continue to conduct patrols and interdict enemy targets as a 'combat' unit would, only without the official title.
I don't see why I should be surprised. This is simply one more shameful act by an administration who clearly has no regard for the promises they make (and continue to break) or the lives they continue to rupture by their irresponsible actions and wanton careless, un-American policies. Hopefully the citizens of our fair nation will eventually see them for what they are and display their displeasure at the polls.
Friday, April 30, 2010
Thursday, April 29, 2010
A Thought on Working Later Than planned...
Well once again, work went a little long today, so there will not be a mind stimulating blog post of stellar information from me today...better luck tomorrow.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
An Apology Thought...
Yeah, I know, that's lame, but sorry, no blog today, gotta work late tonight. I promise I'll make up for it tomorrow.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
A Quick Thought on Family...
So once again a long day equals exaustion equals a short blog post. Today was my 27th Birthday (on the 27th, yes I know that makes it my Golden Birthday, whatever the hell that means). And my wife is awesome. I had a long day at work and she still managed to cook me an amazing dinner that finished right on time...plus she got me a cake which was delicious (I love you, Sweetheart). Just so everyone is aware, I have a fantastic family. I have quite possibly the greatest wife in history (why she likes me so much I haven't quite figured out yet), and two absolutely GORGEOUS little girls who never cease to surprise or amaze me. In July, our son will be born and our family will be complete. I am blessed beyond measure.
In case you don't know, or if you don't have one of your own, family is great. It's not always easy, and at times you may contemplate homicide, but the good times far outweigh the bad, and your loved ones will teach you what true joy really is. Even if you don't have a family yet, or even if you're not even married, you'll know what I'm talking about when you find it. Just remember that you're not perfect. And whoever it is you're with, even if you think they might be at times, they aren't perfect either. But the question you have to ask yourself is: Are you perfect for each other? If you can answer that possitively, then you know you've found someone truly special (like I did).
In case you don't know, or if you don't have one of your own, family is great. It's not always easy, and at times you may contemplate homicide, but the good times far outweigh the bad, and your loved ones will teach you what true joy really is. Even if you don't have a family yet, or even if you're not even married, you'll know what I'm talking about when you find it. Just remember that you're not perfect. And whoever it is you're with, even if you think they might be at times, they aren't perfect either. But the question you have to ask yourself is: Are you perfect for each other? If you can answer that possitively, then you know you've found someone truly special (like I did).
Monday, April 26, 2010
A Quick Thought on Mud...
So this is gonna be short because it's late, it's been a long day, I'm kind of tired, and my wife might kill me if I spend too long on here instead of spending time with her.
But anyway, what's the deal with mud? I don't know if it serves any good purpose whatsoever...unless you like putting it on your face for whatever reason. But besides that, it royally sucks. It gets everywhere. It fits into little cracks in your shoes and gets under your fingernails. It's horrible to try to clean off of stuff, such as your carpet or your clothing. It also makes your skin feel all coarse and grimy.
So I'm at work today and we're driving, and the vehicle we're in is sliding all over the place because of the stupid mud...one truck even got stuck, although we eventually got it out. And walking around in the stuff is simply awful. Like the truck, I was constantly slipping, and after a few minutes of tromping around, it's like I'm wearing platform shoes because of the new layer added to the bottom of my footwear.
So seriously, what's the use? I mean, without even mentioning the millions of dollars in damage that mud slides cause those houses in California every year (I know, those people are retarded because they know that crap is gonna happen), everything else about it is just flat out annoying. Mud is like the mosquito of weather (I'll harp about mosquitos another day). Water, I like. And dirt has plenty of uses. But when you put them both together, all you get is mess.
But anyway, what's the deal with mud? I don't know if it serves any good purpose whatsoever...unless you like putting it on your face for whatever reason. But besides that, it royally sucks. It gets everywhere. It fits into little cracks in your shoes and gets under your fingernails. It's horrible to try to clean off of stuff, such as your carpet or your clothing. It also makes your skin feel all coarse and grimy.
So I'm at work today and we're driving, and the vehicle we're in is sliding all over the place because of the stupid mud...one truck even got stuck, although we eventually got it out. And walking around in the stuff is simply awful. Like the truck, I was constantly slipping, and after a few minutes of tromping around, it's like I'm wearing platform shoes because of the new layer added to the bottom of my footwear.
So seriously, what's the use? I mean, without even mentioning the millions of dollars in damage that mud slides cause those houses in California every year (I know, those people are retarded because they know that crap is gonna happen), everything else about it is just flat out annoying. Mud is like the mosquito of weather (I'll harp about mosquitos another day). Water, I like. And dirt has plenty of uses. But when you put them both together, all you get is mess.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
A Thought on Purchasing a New Television Online
So, with the release of the Blockbuster Megahit, "Avatar" this week, my mother-in-law made the comment that my wife and I should upgrade our television (a 37-inch Olevia) to something larger (she mentioned something in the 52-inch range). Just to preface, we currently own three flat screen LCD TVs (the other two being 32-inchers). Now, anyone who knows me knows that I am always willing to spend a buck here and there, especially if it is for some sort of electronics upgrade. However, I was perfectly happy with the entertainment set-up that we currently find ourselves with. My wife, on the other hand, can be rather Jewish at times with money, but saw this as an oppurtunity get new furniture and redecorate the living room a bit, since a TV of any greater size would not fit in the entertainment center we have right now. Oh, and by the way, she absolutely loves selling stuff on Craigslist. So right away, she starts the process rolling, putting the current entertainment center, and the television from our bedroom up for sale (the plan was to move the Olevia up to the bedroom after the new TV is purchased), and she began hunting online for good TV deals.
Now, I'm sure that the majority of you out there have gone HDTV shopping before, but let me tell you, for people who aren't very experienced at it, it can get pretty hectic. Do I want to get LCD or Plasma? Am I good with 720p or do I need to get 1080p? And what the hell is the 'p' for anyway? What's the difference between 60hz, 120 hz, and 240hz? How many HDMI ports do I need? What does the contrast ratio need to be? Did you know that TVs these days come with the ability to show over one billion colors? One Billion! That's nine zeros! I didn't even know there were that many colors. I try to think of every color in the spectrum and the 64 crayon box that I used to have in third grade pops into mind. Do I really need Picture-in-Picture? I mean, seriously, when is there ever a time where I want to watch two shows at the same time so bad that I need to have them on the same screen...and of course, having one broadcast in silence? Is one brand really that much better than another? How long of a warranty do I need on one of these things? I'm under the disctinct impression that if I'm going to drop a cool grand on something that has the sole purpose of displaying images for my viewing pleasure, that it should be able to handle that task for some time...basically until I die or I replace it with something better.
Well, to make a long story short, we ended up finding a deal on a 47-inch LCD that came packaged with a DVD player and surround sound for a little over 900 bucks, which I thought sounded like a good. We debated for several hours between this, a 55-incher for $1400, and driving over an hour away to buy a 52-inch TV for about $1150. I thought that I was doing the noble, unselfish thing by going with the slightly smaller TV for a good deal. I was, however, chastised for this choice, being told that this size still isn't going to be big enough (I won't mention by whom, but this person doesn't even live with us). I mean, how big of a difference can five inches of screen make? Is it worth paying and extra $200 for? I personally don't think so, but I guess we'll find out when it gets here. I suppose we can always take it back if it just doesn't cut it and get something bigger.
Now, I'm sure that the majority of you out there have gone HDTV shopping before, but let me tell you, for people who aren't very experienced at it, it can get pretty hectic. Do I want to get LCD or Plasma? Am I good with 720p or do I need to get 1080p? And what the hell is the 'p' for anyway? What's the difference between 60hz, 120 hz, and 240hz? How many HDMI ports do I need? What does the contrast ratio need to be? Did you know that TVs these days come with the ability to show over one billion colors? One Billion! That's nine zeros! I didn't even know there were that many colors. I try to think of every color in the spectrum and the 64 crayon box that I used to have in third grade pops into mind. Do I really need Picture-in-Picture? I mean, seriously, when is there ever a time where I want to watch two shows at the same time so bad that I need to have them on the same screen...and of course, having one broadcast in silence? Is one brand really that much better than another? How long of a warranty do I need on one of these things? I'm under the disctinct impression that if I'm going to drop a cool grand on something that has the sole purpose of displaying images for my viewing pleasure, that it should be able to handle that task for some time...basically until I die or I replace it with something better.
Well, to make a long story short, we ended up finding a deal on a 47-inch LCD that came packaged with a DVD player and surround sound for a little over 900 bucks, which I thought sounded like a good. We debated for several hours between this, a 55-incher for $1400, and driving over an hour away to buy a 52-inch TV for about $1150. I thought that I was doing the noble, unselfish thing by going with the slightly smaller TV for a good deal. I was, however, chastised for this choice, being told that this size still isn't going to be big enough (I won't mention by whom, but this person doesn't even live with us). I mean, how big of a difference can five inches of screen make? Is it worth paying and extra $200 for? I personally don't think so, but I guess we'll find out when it gets here. I suppose we can always take it back if it just doesn't cut it and get something bigger.
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Thought on National Day of Prayer...
Recently a group known as the "Freedom from Religion Foundation" filed a lawsuit against President Obama stating that the National Day of Prayer is a violation of seperation of church and state. On April 15, 2010, Judge Barbara Crabb ruled in favor of the group, stating that the day was unconstitutional. The Obama administration is planning to appeal the decision, stating that it is not merely a religious event, but a national tradition.
The National Day of Prayer was set into motion in 1952 when the bill passed unanimously in both houses of congress, and was signed by President Truman. The bill stated that every year the President would choose the date on which the National Day of Prayer would occur. In 1988, a new bill was ratified, declaring a set date for the event, placing it on the first Thursday of May, and each year since then, it has been so. This year, President Obama will declare the 59th annual (and possibly final) National Day of Prayer.
Annie Laurie Gaylor, the Foundation's co-president, was quoted as saying, "It is such a profound violation of conscience for Congress to direct our President to tell all citizens to pray, and that they in fact must set aside an entire day for prayer once year."
I personally believe that the guiding force for the Freedom from Religion Foundation can be summed up in one word: Ignorance. To think that the President is in some way 'forcing' the American people to pray is absurd. A 2008 poll posted in the Washington Post showed that 92 percent of Americans believe in God or some higher power, including one in five people who claim to be atheist and more than half of those who claim to be agnostic. So, out of the 300 million or so citizens of our country, 24 million of those do not believe in some sort of higher spiritual being...hmmm, I'm not sure but that seems like a gross minority. And I think I would be correct in assuming that only a small fraction of those believe as the Freedom from Religion Foundation, and even care if there is a National Day of Prayer.
Prayer is something that emboldens people. It comes from our very core and exposes the deepest nature of our being. Even the most astute, non-believing, secular being, when facing strife, might find himself inwardly asking for help and/or guidance. He doesn't know who he's asking, but something inside of him is reaching for an answer.
A National Day of Prayer isn't forced upon us. On the contrary, it's a benefit to living in a free country. The government isn't telling us that have to pray to any one being or even how we have to pray...in fact, the government isn't telling us that we have to pray at all. With a National Day of Prayer, we are simply recognizing the fact that our country and our constitution were founded on a set of principles. God and religion were paramount in the minds of our founding fathers while they set up the framework of our fair nation. Now, to be fair, I will point out that both James Madison and Thomas Jefferson both opposed an established National Day of Prayer, with the latter stating that "Every religious society has a right to determine for itself the time for (prayer)...". But as I stated earlier, this is not forced upon anyone, and for the majority of Americans, it's a glorious way to come together to celebrate what they believe. And it's not just for one belief structure, but for them all. The National Day of Prayer is for anyone who feels the need to pray, regardless of what they believe. I don't for one instant feel that everyone should believe just as I do. But there is nothing derogatory, invasive, or unconstitutional about a National Day of Prayer. I suppose next people will want to remove the celebration of Martin Luther King Day simply because we're not all black.
The National Day of Prayer was set into motion in 1952 when the bill passed unanimously in both houses of congress, and was signed by President Truman. The bill stated that every year the President would choose the date on which the National Day of Prayer would occur. In 1988, a new bill was ratified, declaring a set date for the event, placing it on the first Thursday of May, and each year since then, it has been so. This year, President Obama will declare the 59th annual (and possibly final) National Day of Prayer.
Annie Laurie Gaylor, the Foundation's co-president, was quoted as saying, "It is such a profound violation of conscience for Congress to direct our President to tell all citizens to pray, and that they in fact must set aside an entire day for prayer once year."
I personally believe that the guiding force for the Freedom from Religion Foundation can be summed up in one word: Ignorance. To think that the President is in some way 'forcing' the American people to pray is absurd. A 2008 poll posted in the Washington Post showed that 92 percent of Americans believe in God or some higher power, including one in five people who claim to be atheist and more than half of those who claim to be agnostic. So, out of the 300 million or so citizens of our country, 24 million of those do not believe in some sort of higher spiritual being...hmmm, I'm not sure but that seems like a gross minority. And I think I would be correct in assuming that only a small fraction of those believe as the Freedom from Religion Foundation, and even care if there is a National Day of Prayer.
Prayer is something that emboldens people. It comes from our very core and exposes the deepest nature of our being. Even the most astute, non-believing, secular being, when facing strife, might find himself inwardly asking for help and/or guidance. He doesn't know who he's asking, but something inside of him is reaching for an answer.
A National Day of Prayer isn't forced upon us. On the contrary, it's a benefit to living in a free country. The government isn't telling us that have to pray to any one being or even how we have to pray...in fact, the government isn't telling us that we have to pray at all. With a National Day of Prayer, we are simply recognizing the fact that our country and our constitution were founded on a set of principles. God and religion were paramount in the minds of our founding fathers while they set up the framework of our fair nation. Now, to be fair, I will point out that both James Madison and Thomas Jefferson both opposed an established National Day of Prayer, with the latter stating that "Every religious society has a right to determine for itself the time for (prayer)...". But as I stated earlier, this is not forced upon anyone, and for the majority of Americans, it's a glorious way to come together to celebrate what they believe. And it's not just for one belief structure, but for them all. The National Day of Prayer is for anyone who feels the need to pray, regardless of what they believe. I don't for one instant feel that everyone should believe just as I do. But there is nothing derogatory, invasive, or unconstitutional about a National Day of Prayer. I suppose next people will want to remove the celebration of Martin Luther King Day simply because we're not all black.
Friday, April 23, 2010
Opening thought...
For anyone who is interested in listening,
I'm starting this blog today (April 23rd, 2010) to express my own personal views. Each day, I will attempt to get on here and put some thoughts down on 'paper'. Topics will range from politics to sports to hectic things that are going on in my life to basically anything that I feel like blathering about at that particular moment in time. No item will ever be taboo, and I will try to keep this as clean as possible (however, when I get angry or overly excited, some unsavory words tend be unleashed, so, there's my little disclaimer). Now I'm new to the blogging experience, so if something about this seems absolutely retarded to anyone, feel free to shoot me some advice...please do not get offended though if I choose to blatently ignore anything you say. Lastly, if any of my future posts offend anyone's delicate sennsibilites...well, no one is forcing you to read this.
So, without any further ado, I will get to my very first blogging topic (exciting!). Human-induced global warming has been at the forefront of discussion for years, and got a huge boost in esteem with the release of Al Gore's documentary, "An Inconvenient Truth". You can't listen to a radio talk show or watch a news broadcast throughout the week without hearing some sort of dicussion about it. Liberals wholeheartedly agree with it, while conservatives stauchly refute it. Obviously it is very popular to believe in man-made global warming, with everyone 'Going Green' and the boom of Hybrid automobiles, but that could all be clever market gimics. So the question remains: Is there such a thing as human-induced global warming?
According to CNN.com, a survey of more than 3,000 scientists was conducted, showing that 82 percent of them agree that humans have been a contributing factor to rising global temperatures over the past 200 years. However, scientists that disagree would state the majority of those who agree with man-made global warming study data while looking for proof that it is happening, instead analyzing the facts objectively.
Now, the only true way to see climate change is to review temperature records throughout history, and if you look at the records from about 150 years ago, temperatures have indeed risen with the increase of human industry...an entire degree! Now, this may not some like much to most, but think, if this trend continues, in about 3000 years, we could be in some big trouble. That is, of course, unless that one degree is a natural climate shift that the earth is going through since the earth temperature does wax and wane over time on its own. So, I am inclined to believe that it's a tad bit self absorbed to think something as small as we are could have such a significant effect on something as large as a planet.
It's difficult to look at the earth the way it is now and get a definitive answer. Earth's climate is very complex and unpredictable. You look at the one degree increase over the past century and a half, and compare that with the fact that air temperatures in the lower atmosphere having really been rising at all. While a recent discovery shows Greenland's ice sheet to be slightly thinning, the sea ice around Antarctica has actually been growing over the past 20 years. Now to me, that sounds more like Greenlandian Warming, as opposed to Global warming, but what do I know, I'm just a lowely army soldier.
I suppose the debate will continue over the years and one of two things will happen: (1) We will eventually burn up and all blow away as space dust, or (2) Nothing. Only time will tell.
I'm starting this blog today (April 23rd, 2010) to express my own personal views. Each day, I will attempt to get on here and put some thoughts down on 'paper'. Topics will range from politics to sports to hectic things that are going on in my life to basically anything that I feel like blathering about at that particular moment in time. No item will ever be taboo, and I will try to keep this as clean as possible (however, when I get angry or overly excited, some unsavory words tend be unleashed, so, there's my little disclaimer). Now I'm new to the blogging experience, so if something about this seems absolutely retarded to anyone, feel free to shoot me some advice...please do not get offended though if I choose to blatently ignore anything you say. Lastly, if any of my future posts offend anyone's delicate sennsibilites...well, no one is forcing you to read this.
So, without any further ado, I will get to my very first blogging topic (exciting!). Human-induced global warming has been at the forefront of discussion for years, and got a huge boost in esteem with the release of Al Gore's documentary, "An Inconvenient Truth". You can't listen to a radio talk show or watch a news broadcast throughout the week without hearing some sort of dicussion about it. Liberals wholeheartedly agree with it, while conservatives stauchly refute it. Obviously it is very popular to believe in man-made global warming, with everyone 'Going Green' and the boom of Hybrid automobiles, but that could all be clever market gimics. So the question remains: Is there such a thing as human-induced global warming?
According to CNN.com, a survey of more than 3,000 scientists was conducted, showing that 82 percent of them agree that humans have been a contributing factor to rising global temperatures over the past 200 years. However, scientists that disagree would state the majority of those who agree with man-made global warming study data while looking for proof that it is happening, instead analyzing the facts objectively.
Now, the only true way to see climate change is to review temperature records throughout history, and if you look at the records from about 150 years ago, temperatures have indeed risen with the increase of human industry...an entire degree! Now, this may not some like much to most, but think, if this trend continues, in about 3000 years, we could be in some big trouble. That is, of course, unless that one degree is a natural climate shift that the earth is going through since the earth temperature does wax and wane over time on its own. So, I am inclined to believe that it's a tad bit self absorbed to think something as small as we are could have such a significant effect on something as large as a planet.
It's difficult to look at the earth the way it is now and get a definitive answer. Earth's climate is very complex and unpredictable. You look at the one degree increase over the past century and a half, and compare that with the fact that air temperatures in the lower atmosphere having really been rising at all. While a recent discovery shows Greenland's ice sheet to be slightly thinning, the sea ice around Antarctica has actually been growing over the past 20 years. Now to me, that sounds more like Greenlandian Warming, as opposed to Global warming, but what do I know, I'm just a lowely army soldier.
I suppose the debate will continue over the years and one of two things will happen: (1) We will eventually burn up and all blow away as space dust, or (2) Nothing. Only time will tell.
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