I Believe...

In America.

I believe that this is the greatest country in the world. I believe in the melting pot and that the diverse make up of our country is what makes it so great. I love my heritage (Irish/Italian) and believe it was the values and beliefs my fore-fathers and yours brought from their homeland to here, then expanded and shared with others that made this country.

I believe in our Constitution, our Declaration, our Bill of Rights. I believe in our laws (not so much the system) and I believe in the theory of our government. For the past 200 years America has been the home base for invention, art, society, strength, salvation for the world. Nowhere else can a man or woman start with nothing and end with everything. Whether it is millions and your own jet or just a nice house to raise your family in, success is based on you and what you want to achieve. You can live in a high rise with millions of people as neighbors or in a nice little cabin in the woods with no one around for miles and miles. You can have your say, speak your mind, mind you business or be whatever you want to be!

I believe this country gives us the freedom and chance to do anything we want and I believe that is part of our downfall. I believe big companies have made their money and are pulling up shop and settling down in countries with cheap labor; I believe movies, TV, music and video games while entertaining are creating a generation of emotionless automatons that think they deserve everything but do not have to work for it. I believe our government is becoming that rotten apple in the barrel, they have lost sight of what matters in the country, US. Not special interest while we spend $2.50/gallon for gas, not more aid to foreign countries while millions go hungry, not ignoring the borders while illegals take jobs from us, not Terri Shivo, the 10 Commandments and Napster while millions can't afford health care, our jails are overcrowded and teens are killed for their I-pods.

Rome is burning and Nero is playing his fiddle and no one can stop him but us. It is time to retake America and shine up the dull silver, clean up the streets and reform government. It will not be Ward and June Cleaver with pearls and pipes but I want to let my child roam the neighborhood and enjoy childhood, I want to be able to go to the movies, or the Grand Canyon without bankrupting us, I want to walk down Main Street and not see homeless or be mugged or watch a family live out of a car. America is tired and a little worn around the edges but should not take too much elbow grease to make her shine again.

Friday Feast

Appetizer
What time do you usually wake up each day? If you could choose your wake-up time, when would it be?

I wake up at 7:00am everyday. I think that is fine with me, I would like to sleep in till 9am but I think that is too late and I would feel very lazy and wasting daylight!

Soup
When was the last time you bought groceries? What store did you go to? Name 3 things you purchased.

I went last week to a place called Fresh Mart, all natural, organic stuff. I am not a big organic person but they have great fresh fruit. I bought Bare Naked, peaches and a big tomato.

Salad
How many books have you read so far this year? Which was your favorite and why?

13 so far. My favorite would have to be Under The Eagle by Simon Scarrow. It begins a series following two men in the Roman legions at the time of the first invasion of Britain, now on book 6.

Main Course
What is something you consider to be very elegant? In particular, what about that item/place/person conjures up the feeling of elegance?

I am dieting and will skip the Main Course today.

Dessert
Who taught you how to drive?

My parents. My dad took me out to empty parking lots and we drove around all day. My mother would drive with me when I had my permits and almost put her foot through the floorboards, but we all survived.

Flag Burning

So the Congress if finally giving this piece of legislation a shot, and people are crying foul. Well good for Congress, I think it is time to ban flag burning. I think if I saw someone burning the American Flag I would put the Flag out and punch the motherfucker in the face. This is the symbol of our country, the country that gives you the right to say what you want, to do what you want and to be what you want, but I think we have let it go to far. These same freedoms we enjoy are what is destroying our society. Recently we had a protest here which lead to vandalism of our state capital building. People throw blood/paint on fur, acid on Hummers, pies in faces, carry signs of aborted fetuses near children and generally destroy property of those that do not agree with them. Why do they think they can do that, why do they think they can get away with that, that it is acceptable to protest like that. I will tell you why, because a person can burn the American Flag on the steps of the White House and nothing would happen (OK not the White House but it is an illustration). Peaceful Protest, yes; Destructive Protest, no.
I think it has to do with yesterdays post, it is a matter of respect! Maybe if a few protestors were taken down while burning a flag they would think twice before doing damage during a protest. This is a symbol of our great country, men and women have died for that flag, the blood of generations runs in the red of those stripes so you can watch your MTV, sip your Starbucks, and rip your mp3s. You can read a book on any subject and marry whomever you like, worship how you wish, vote your party and speak out against your government because of what that Flag represents.
American Flags are burned everyday in the Middle East and it has lost it's effect on us, we do not bat an eye. But a report says that we might have flushed a Koran and there is hell to pay, fuck that!!!! Maybe a ban on flag burning will take away a bit of our Freedom of Speech, but you can express yourself and your displeasure of the government in many other ways. Ask a veteran what is was like to see Her raised over Iwo Jima, or see Her rescued from the World Trade Center and flown over center field at Yankee Stadium during the World Series, or lined up on the graves of brave men and women on Memorial Day, or handed to the family of a fallen Hero. They understand what it means!

Old Glory is a mess and needs to be restored to her former self. She is the symbol of this great nation and as such should be treated with great respect. People have forgotten and now need to be reminded.

Kid Gloves

People are afraid of discipline. You can no longer yell at a child,
or spank, or give a good smack to the head. And that is a shame.
When I was young, all adults were potential disciplinarians. If the
old lady down the block caught you doing something bad you knew you
were going to get it when you got home. One would never act out in
front of a friend's parents and when at sport events or school
concerts you acted on your best behavior lest you get spoken to by an
adult.

Today there is no respect for adults and largely because milksops and
granola crunchers have pussified the parents in to believing a) things
like game scores, punishment and yelling would harm the fragile minds
of kids and 2) you can be sued/jailed and the kids removed if you beat
or spank or speak harshly to a child. End result is out of control
children and helpless parents.

We need to take back our families and get the courts and government
and ACLU out of our homes. Sure if a child is abused then things need
to be done but let the parents raise their children and discipline
their children and 'grow' their children.

Better children = better grades = better schools = better teachers =
better young adults = better communities = better leaders, volunteers,
coaches = better parents = better children.

I'm just sayin'.

I Want to Be A Hilton

You want to be taught how to be a success by Paris Hilton's mother.
First episode will be how to be a self-centered, uneducated, vacant
slut. Episode two will be how to get your sex tape on the Internet.
There is no episode three as most of the contestants will lose
interest and move on, or hook up with an 80's star's daughter and not
need the show anymore.

I Believe...

In Family.

Family is the most important thing in life after God, plain and simple. With family you can do anything and be anyone! Without you are flying without a net. I would do anything for my family, when young that ment beating bullies for my brothers/sister, now it means being there when needed. I lived with my wife and boy for many years on our own. We did great, fantastic even and brought my son up right. But through those 10 years my family was never far away...mentally; physically they were 12 hours away, but need a babysitter this weekend, we'll be there, going on a business trip, tell us when. Can't get Christmas off, we'll spend it out there.

Growing up in New York City and being Italian I have tons of family all over the island. I grew up with more aunts, uncles and cousins then 3 families have. Each one important, each one there for you, each one as close as a brother or sister. Christmas lasted a month back then so we could visit and see everyone. Sunday dinner was always packed, at least 14 people and family gathering were HUGE. We once had a Bar-B-Que with close family only and 300 hundred people showed up. Many families have problems, mine as well but in the end you are blood! The only thing more important than your family is the family you make with your spouse. I would move the world for my wife and son, and as a hot blooded Irish/Italian I have... I am very protective of my family, have been known to confront people in defense of them and sometimes do the stupid thing as well. When my family is hurt or attacked or wronged I do lose control and the wife has to reason with me to calm down. There is nothing too big for them to ask and nothing to stop me from protecting them as best I can.

God first, Family above all others!

Batman Begins

Let me begin with peeyou, stinkeroo!! Yes I am calling Batman Begins out!! We just finished watching Be Cool, the Get Shorty sequel and that stank to high heaven, what a waste of a free rental and 2 hours of my time. So we go to Batman Begins for Father's Day and bam! another stinky movie. DO not get me wrong, as action movies go this was OK but as Batman flicks go it made me long for nipples on the batsuit. Without giving too much away let me knock out some complaints:

1. Alfred calls him Master Wayne for almost the entire movie, it is Master BRUCE (OK nitpick)

2. Bale's Bruce Wayne is ALL off, I did not even believe him as Bruce Wayne, the cartoon The Batman hits the nail on the head as young Bruce Wayne. This is not Bruce Wayne in this movie.

3. The Batmobile sucks! Plain and simple, hated it (2 snaps)

4. The villains were terrible, The Scarecrow (an underrated evil doer) was a wimp, no class and taken out like a BITCH, I'd rather have Freeze (Ahnold) and he sucked. Rah's al Gul was greatly done, the best thing of the whole movie, played perfectly but his evil plot was dumb, an excuse to have Scarecrow and it did not work.

5. Love interest, as usual no connection made.

6. Batman: two words, NOT PRESENT. This was not Batman as we know and love with several decades of history (comics, books, movies, TV) behind him. While I will admit the last 2 Batman movies sucked and they wanted to go in a different direction, this was not it. Everything he did was out of character. I understand this is supposed to be Batman: Year One and he was to make mistakes but not this far out.

The wife loved it (loves Bale) but as we left we asked the boy how he liked it and he said, that was not Batman, before I even said anything to him. His exposure to Batman is mostly the Animated Series, Justice League and The Batman and even he did not think he was done right.

"Batman would never ruin all that property or attack police", that's right son and he wouldn't make this movie!

Happy Father's Day 2005

Happy Father's Day to all you Fathers out there. A father is a special thing and I hear a rare thing to have these days. I am lucky in that not only did I have one but he helped to shape me into the man I am today so that I may impart some of that knowledge to my son. Whatever my father said was gospel when I was growing up. And I got into several fights because of it, my momma might wear combat boots but dis my Dad and I was all over your ass.

Two true stories:

The first was when I was in 7th/8th grade. A school mate and I were talking/discussing something (I remember not) when I had a fact (from my father) that he disagreed with. The debate raged until he let fly with "IF that is what your father thinks then he is stupid." There wasn't much more after that as I had punched him in the face and he was down on his ass. When I returned home and my mother found out (his mother called) she dragged me down the street to apologize. After I said I was sorry and my mother explained my hero worship for my Dad, his mom said something and we left. On the way home my mother looked at me and said, "What a smart assed family, I am glad you knocked him on his butt and taught him a lesson."

The second was when I was home from college. We went from an Archie Bunker house in New York City to an acre of land outside of Cleveland, Ohio when I left for college. While staying there the first summer my Dad's new rider lawn mower broke and was sitting in the garage waiting for the service people to pick it up. It had been over a week and the mower was sitting outside where they told us waiting to be picked up. The grass was very tall and my Dad comes home from work and almost hits the mower because they said they were picking it up that day. He was very upset and was going to call the company again in the morning, I told him I would take care of it. He said thanks cause he was tired of dealing with it and was just very frustrated. I called the next morning and was being given the run around from the secretary when I asked to speak with the owner. I started to explain about what had happened and the broke mower and the wait when the guy said, and I quote "Listen kid, I run a very busy business here and have no time for this, we'll get there when the girl up front tells you we'll be there." I was so pissed right then I said "Listen, my Dad has been dealing with this shit for 2 weeks and now I am stepping in, he works his ass off everyday and shouldn't have to deal with this bullshit when he gets home, so here is the deal, get this goddamn tractor out of our driveway by 5pm today, fix it and return it by this weekend, if my father has to see this thing when he comes home tonight I will get several of my friends to drag it to your shop and throw it through your fucking window." At this point he started to say something when I said "Listen, I might be young and a kid but I am also stupid enough to do it, so don't fucking test me." Then hung up. Tractor was gone that day and the next weekend the lawn was mowed. Stupid yea, all for love, hell yea! Happy Father's Day!

I Believe...

In God.

I am a Roman Catholic and believe in God, the Bible, Jesus Christ, the Saints, the Pope and hope. I believe in going to Church on a regular basis (which I do not always do), I believe God is good but is a hands off kinda God. I believe in prayer and that one must help prayers to be answered. I believe God created the universe but I believe in the Big Bang and evolution. I have no conflicts with religion and science. I can live in a world that has evolved from apes and ooze and dinosaurs but believe that God had a hand in pushing things along. I believe the Bible is a book of oral history in written form. Just like Washington and the cherry tree and Franklin's Kite there is truth and then there are tales, but I believe that the gist of the true story is there. I do not fear or hate other religions and believe that we all worship the same God just in different form. I believe in Heaven and Hell and feel I will be going to one in the end with everyone else. I believe God has a path set for us but we may wander as we like and might never reach the end of it if we stray too far. I believe in my God for me and mine and will not shove it into the faces of others. I believe God wants me to live a just life and to teach my children to do the same, he does not want me to convert the heathen or kill in his name or damn the sinner. I believe He understands I am no saint, I sin, I hate, I fear, but I also try, try to follow in His example as best I can, and that is what He wants and all He expects.

My Beliefs

I have been thinking on this post I long time, was going to make it a list of what I believe and then started adding to each belief so that now I think I will be doing a series of posts of what I believe, while it is more for me than for you gentle reader I do hope you enjoy it..... Look for it coming soon with links replacing my profile....

On other notes....Father's Day is fast approaching, we built a photo album online last night for one father and have bought gifts for the others (I have 2 father-in-laws).... So make sure you mail early and give a call on Sunday... and to all fellow fathers....Happy Day!

Just like Assholes

Everyone has an opinion on the Jackson verdict. As a member of the media, a father and a man who doesn't like bullshit, here is my reaction......

Fuck all, the man is guilty as sin and even though he seems to have slipped through the cracks of the incredible California Justice System there is one judge he cannot fool with fame....may he burn in hell forever....

Remind me to move to California if I want to murder my wife, her friend, touch children or sue and wins millions after being beaten on TV while shooting at cops/high speed chase/resisting arrest/threatening the lives of innocent people.

I was always worried of visiting California because I truly believe that one day the entire west coast will slide into the Pacific Ocean. Now I am not worried that it will happen I am praying for it to happen.

Cry Baby

So Time magazine does this piece on a terrorist held at Gitmo and puts forth the notion to close Guantanimo Bay. Apparently they dripped water on his head, sleep deprivation, etc.......to get information on terror cells, plans, etc. This is apparently "mean", and these poor people deserve better treatment, say cable TV, internet, no mean interrogators.......

Oh, did I mention that this terrorist was part of the 9-11 cell and had planned on flying himself and several dozen innocent Americans into buildings for Allah.......

Reason number one why America is on the downhill slope towards hell

Friday's Feast

Appetizer
Name one thing that made you sad this week.

Soup
What was the last object (not person) you took a picture of?
An Indy Car at the Indy 500

Salad
Who do you talk to when you need help in making a decision?
My wife, then my wife and if that does not work, my wife

Main Course
If you were a weather event, what would you be, and why?
A blizzard. I come on strong, an blinding, overwhelming, then lay about for awhile until you are just sick of me, then maybe I come back and hit you again. And although a pain in the ass, most people will talk about me and remember the few fun moments had during my stay.

Dessert
Suggest a website that you think your readers would enjoy visiting.
The Encyclopedia Mythica.
An online guide to myth and legend from around the world. See the influences of some of your favorite authors or the myths of your ancestors.

Friday Favorites (Several)

What is your favorite topping on...
1. ...Ice cream?
Whipped Cream, rainbow sprinkles and always a cherry

2. ... Pizza?
We just discussed this at work, mushrooms and onions with pineapple on the side. Things that should never be on a pizza: Ham or Chicken

3. ...Steak (A1, mushrooms, nothing)?
Grilled mushrooms and onions.

4. ...Salad (Dressing, bacon bits, etc.)?
Blue Cheese dressing or Italian dressing with blue cheese crumbles

5. ...Yourself (Hat, T-shirt, etc.)?
I have a comfortable Yankees cap that fits just right.


What is your favorite...
1. ...Soft drink?
Tie, Vanilla Coke or Stewart's Grape Soda or IBC RootBeer

2. ...Hot beverage?
Hot Chocolate with whipped cream on top

3. ...Comfort drink?
When sick room temp, flat Canada Dry Ginger Ale

4. ...Mixed drink?
Jack Daniels and Coke

5. ...Drink to combat a hot, steamy, sticky, miserable August afternoon? Ice Cold Iced Tea (Liptons powder not bagged or sun tea, sugar, sugar, sugar)

Immigration

I know, my favorite subject. Seems a man here in the Indy area is
being deported today back to his home country in Africa (Nigeria, I
think). The thing is he has lived here in America for more than half
his life. He came to America for an education and has received 3
Masters and owns his own business. He is married with children and
GRANDCHILDREN. He came here over 30 years ago and has made a
fantastic life for him and his family. Problem is he forged his visa
papers years ago and has been living here illegal since then. He has
been Ordered to Surrender twice before in the early 90's and has
appealed each time. And each appeal was denied and he was ordered to
surrender to the court for deportation the last time in 1999. This
past weekend on the way to his grandson's little league game he was
pulled over for a traffic violation and then hauled away in cuffs and
is now in Missouri awaiting deportation. His family was on TV, crying
that this was not right and that he is more American than Nigerian and
has spent 3/4 of his life as an American and his entire family is here
in America and are all American (his wife is an American citizen).

While I do feel sorry for this fellow and his family, we do have rules
here in America and the man had 30 years to become an American citizen
and has known for 5 years he was living here on borrowed time when his
last appeal was denied. He needs to step up and take it like a man
and try to return and stay here LEGALLY. The only trouble I have with
this story is that I drive by 2 work corners everyday to my job. A
work corner is were illegals sit on a corner and wait for trucks to
come by and they jump in the truck and the drivers take them to farms
or warehouses to work for pennies an hour. So I see these same
illegals everyday taking jobs and money away from Americans and never
once do I see INS or the police picking these men up but an
established business man is picked up and shipped out within a week.
While I believe all of them should be shipped off it is a shame that
the American family will have to suffer the loss of dad/grandpa for
the next months/years while they try to do things right and that the
illegal's family is right down the street waiting for their father to
bring home $20 a day and then go on welfare and drain away my tax
dollars.

I Robot

It seems the technology dreamed up by SciFi writers of the early 30's,40's and 50's have mostly come to pass. Microwave ovens, men on the Moon, commercial airlines, pocket PCs, Satellites for TV, radio and communications, robotics, medical advances and cell phones. I write because I sometimes go into my way back machine and dig out some old stories to read (even further back in Wells, Verne, etal) and most of the stuff they dreamt of seems mundane today, commonplace even but to them it was fantastic!!!! It was a trip of wonderment for them, utopias, world peace, man freed from the common to chase dreams and follow one's heart. Today's writers and filmmakers have run out of the fantastic. It seems the future has arrived and now the fantastic looks like your backyard but with a robot to pick up the dog poo or moving sidewalks and they throw in a flying car. Where's that wonderment, the fantastic, the yearning for a future better than our present.

Why today's post? Well I got me that cell phone (the whole family got one) and the technology that goes into these things is awesome. Text messaging, picture phone, the Star Trek flip, instant connection to loved ones, friends, the stock market and eateries. All in the palm of my hand. Different sounds for different calls and a function that "IDs" the caller so you know if to answer it or not!! Stuff only dreamed of by Asimov, Wells, Dick, Heinlein, The Jetsons now available to everyone. A new dawn comes and with it the future...let's make it a better one.

Back In Black

I am home and on the Internet. After several gruelling hours on the phone with a man in India I finally have a new hard drive installed and Windows XP reinstalled and most of my drivers and core programs installed. Do not know what happened, not a virus, not a worm, just a bad hard drive, sucks. Now I have to bring the old one to the PC store and hope and pray they can strip a few things (favorites, documents some save games and projects) off of it. Keep your fingers crossed.

Tons going on in the world and me without internet (5 whole days!!!!!). The big news was we finally entered the 20th Century and got cell phones. For the price of 1 we got 3 and now me, the wife, and the boy all have a cell phone. We went Verizon and got the unlimited Text and Pix messaging package (an extra $5) and it seems to be worth it. I know where the boy is all summer and it teaches him some responsibility and he knows the first bad grade and bam no phone. We'll see how that works out.

Had an incident over the weekend here in Indy. Some group is opposed to a planned expansion of a highway to go down south, it starts up at I-90/80 on the Great Lakes and goes right through Fort Wayne and then Indy and then a little south and stops, State wants it to go all the way to Kentucky to increase commerce, blah, blah, blah. So several towns and groups oppose it as it will cut through some farmland and increase car pollution and all that. Good for them, have an opinion and speak up, the American Way. So this weekend they stage a protest outside the Capitol Building and a protest for hire group "Roadless Summer" showed up. What happened next was a disgrace to the people opposed to the expansion and to free speech. The protestors proceeded to spray paint inside and out the Capitol Building with slogans and logos against the expansion. 24 people arrested and a beautiful 100 year old building with limestone exterior and oak trim interior vandalized. Makes you wish for the days of Kent State.........

On another front, a man after a high speed chase took up a hostage in a gas stop and held police at bay for 20 hours. In the end while trying to hand off a cell phone to the hostage a rescue attempt was made but the hostage was tied to the criminal. The man took a shot at police and they returned fire, man dead, hostage rescued and police home safe. The family of the criminal is crying that the police murdered him, he would never hurt anyone, just had a problem with cops (already served time for bank robbery and assault) but would never hurt anybody. He was executed. Hostage said he was a nice normal guy except he had a gun to my head. Autopsy revealed cause of death was single gunshot to the head, self-inflicted. He turned on police, received return fire then chickened out and took his own life. I know I would sleep easier in that town at night now.

Hard Drive Failure

No virus, no worm, not even a cough, but after a few months my brand new PC stopped working....the hard drive failed an Dell wil replace but it takes 4 days and I am without a PC since Tuesday and will not have one agian until Monday....hope to salvage my data off the corrupt drive but who knows.....

Have a great weekend....

PS Work internet time is limited...must check e-mail and run ebay business on 20 minutes per day...so no more posts till home is up and running again.