Wednesday, October 14, 2015

Time to offend as my right by the Bill of Rights (Freedom of Speech)

If you can make it through, I am sure somewhere along the way I will find away to offend you. If not, I owe you a beer....LOL. I would love to see this shared as much as possible, so that I can offend as much as possible....LOL. I really don't go out to offend, just to speak my mind.

As with all my posts, feel free to share.

PC Language and Behavior:

Let's start with this whole PC garbages, people getting offended so we have to watch what we say. When did it become so important that we not offend? When did this country become a bunch of Candy A$$ed pansies that get their panties in a bunch because someone said something they didn't like? That is BS, we have a right to say what we want, that is what freedom of speech means. Yet we can't say anything bad about the gays/lesbians, muslims, or any minority for fear of offending them.  But Christians and whites can be belittled, criticized and otherwise offended with impunity. Now as a white christian, I don't give a rat's butt what they say, my response is generally FO (if you don't know what that means, well....). But the fact is, that we are so concerned about who may be upset by what is said that the truth is never said, only what people want to hear. One thing you can count on from me is that I am never PC, cause as I like to say, "I'm Irish, I don't give a F***". 

People are too afraid to stand up for what is true or right now, because someone will say, homophobe, racist, whatever. Like I said, I don't care, "I am an equal opportunity bigot, I hate everyone regardless of race, color, creed, sexual preference, etc. You want me to like you, prove to me you should be liked."


Racism and Black Lives Matter and Police:

Let's get right to it, racism sucks, it's bad. We know that, so why don't we change it? Because we can't, why you ask, because it is not in the interests of some groups to actually change what they claim to be fighting against. People like Al Sharpton and groups like the Black Lives Matter movement (although at this point I would refer to them as a terrorist organization) cause more racial divide than they go to heal it. How? Because if you listen to them, the only time they protest is when the issue is white on black. If it is white on black then it is a hate crime and racism, but if it is black on white? Then they are silent, because it does not fit their agenda. White cop shoots black criminal in Ferguson (Michael Brown was wanted for a strong-arm felony robbery, that is why he was stopped) when said criminal attacked him (these are all proven facts by the way) and resisted arrest, what happens? We have rioting and the Black Lives Matter group starts, and they started based on a lie no less.  Black cop shoots unarmed white kid (similar case from what I have read) and nobody says anything, bet you didn't even know about that. 

Let's look at some facts:  over 90% of the deaths of young black men are not because of the police, or even whites, but black on black crime, white on black crime is less than 4% of the deaths, and deaths by the police of any color is less than 1%. (National statistics)

But what agenda did these groups choose to push, all cops are evil racists (yes there are some, but not that many, they piss off other cops more than they piss off the civilians).  And with this propaganda some of these groups are promoting killing cops and whites in the name of the movement, does anyone in the movement stand against the people saying this, does Sharpton speak out against this? No, and by not speaking out against it you are condoning it. Going to stop on this point because I could go all day on the racism of this group and their behavior.

Now let's talk about racism in general, I grew up in North St. Louis, and thought I wasn't racist because of my background, but many years later I realized that some of my behaviors were racist, why? Because I still thought of things as black or white, I had black friends and white friends and therefore I wasn't racist. Wrong, because I thought of it as black or white friends. Then I joined the Air Force, and my thought changed, I no longer had black, white, asian, arab, etc. friends. I just had friends, why the change? Because in the military you only recognize two things: Rank, and how well someone does their job. That's all that matters, the rest is BS. And whether they are your friend is based on their behavior, you learned to look at the core of the person, are they a friend or are they an A-Hole? That's all. I remember a story that a friend of mine told us one time when we were bar-b-queing in base housing. It was black history month and the person working setting up an event asked him to help, when he said no they asked didn't he want to celebrate African-American heritage, he said I am not African-American, I am just an American. When asked where "his people" came from, he replied 'Cleveland'.  That's the core of ending racism, we need to quit pushing division by saying white american, african american, mexican/latino american.  If you are a citizen then you are just an American. Anything else is just your heritage, it is not who you are, it is your history.

We also need to stop trying to re-write history and banning things from history, i.e. Confederate Battle Flag, Confederate Monuments, etc. (No some of you will really get pissed at this point) These are not symbols of racism just be cause one racist A-Hole took a picture with it before shooting up a church. If that were the case, then we need to ban the rainbow flag because a gay man killed a reporter and camera man during a live broadcast, does that make sense? Oh! But the flag represented southern beliefs and slavery cause that was the cause of the Civil War.  WRONG!!! Slavery was an issue that the North used to promote the war but not the reason, look at photos of the times, there were  almost as many slaves in the north as the south. The pictures of Grant and his generals where you see black servants in the background, those were Grants slaves "Because good help is hard to find". The Civil War was not about slavery, it was about money, the North could not let the South

secede from the Union, they couldn't support the government without the South. The South's biggest complaint was States Rights, the right of the State to guide their own destiny without the government controlling what they can and cannot do (like it does now). Slavery was a side issue that was actually starting to resolve itself in some areas.  Did you know that blacks also fought for the south? Maybe not as many as in the north but some did fight for the south. So when you claim it is a symbol of racism, at least study and have all the facts.

Yes, racism is bad, but every time someone starts screaming racism, they start promoting racism in someone else.  Something to think about. 

The way to defeat racism is to deny racism, not that it exists, but deny it in yourself, do not let it take hold. Do not promote it, do not behave in the manners of racism. Treat everyone equally, defeat it by leading through example. That is how this battle will be won.



Islam/Muslims:


There are two forms of lying to non-believers that are permitted under certain circumstances, taqiyya and kitman.  These circumstances are typically those that advance the cause Islam - in some cases by gaining the trust of non-believers in order to draw out their vulnerability and defeat them.

Islam in itself goes against everything that the Constitution stands for.  There are no freedoms under Islam.

First Amendment: "Congress shall make no law prohibiting the free exercise of religion" (Also does not say that religion can not be in schools etc - just that they can't prohibit any religion).

Quran states in Sura 4:89, “Those who reject Islam must be killed. If they turn back (from Islam), take hold of them and kill them wherever you find them.”  (No freedom of religion)

First Amendment: "Congress shall not abridge “the freedom of speech,”
yet Islamic law enforces dhimmi status on non-Muslims, prohibiting them from observing their religious practices publicly, raising their voices during prayer or ringing church bells.

First Amendment: "Congress cannot take away “the right of the people to peaceably assemble,”
yet Islamic law states non-Muslims cannot build any new places of worship or repair any old places Muslims have destroyed; they must allow Muslims to participate in their private meetings; they cannot bring their dead near the graveyards of Muslims or mourn their dead loudly.

First Amendment: "Congress cannot take away the right of the people to petition the Government for a redress of grievances,”
yet Islamic law states non-Muslims are not to harbor any hostility toward the Islamic state or give comfort to those who disagree with Islamic government.

Second Amendment: “The right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed,”
yet Islamic law states non-Muslims cannot possess arms, swords or weapons of any kind.

Third Amendment states one cannot be forced to “quarter” someone in their house,
yet Islamic law states non-Muslims must entertain and feed for three days any Muslim who wants to stay in their home, and for a longer period if the Muslim falls ill – and they cannot prevent Muslim travelers from staying in their places of worship.

Fourth Amendment guarantees “the right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects against unreasonable searches and seizures,”
yet Islamic law states if a non-Muslim rides on a horse with a saddle and bridle, the horse can be taken away. (Unlawful seizure)

Fifth Amendment states that “no person shall be held to answer for a capital or otherwise infamous crime … without due process of law,”
yet Muhammad said, “No Muslim should be killed for killing a Kafir (infidel)” (Hadith Sahih al-Bukhari, Vol. 9, No. 50).

Sixth Amendment guarantees a “public trial by an impartial jury”
Seventh Amendment states “the right of trial by jury shall be preserved,”
yet Islamic law does not give non-Muslims equal legal standing with Muslims, even prohibiting a non-Muslim from testifying in court against a Muslim.

Eighth Amendment states there shall be no “cruel and unusual punishments inflicted,”

yet the Quran states: “Cut off the hands of thieves, whether they are male or female, as punishment for what they have done – a deterrent from Allah” (Sura 5:38).

A raped woman is punished:
“The woman and the man guilty of adultery or fornication – flog each of them with a hundred stripes” (Sura 24:2).

Women can be beaten:
“If you experience rebellion from the women, you shall first talk to them, then (you may use negative incentives like) deserting them in bed, then you may (as a last alternative) beat them” (Sura 4:34).

The 13th Amendment: There shall be no “slavery or involuntary servitude,”
yet the Quran accommodates slavery as Muhammad owned slaves.

The 14th Amendment guarantees citizens “equal protection of the laws,”
yet the Quran does not consider Jews, Christians and other non-Muslims as equal to Muslims before the law.

Referring to Jews as “the People of the Book,” Muhammad said: “They are those whom Allah has cursed; who have been under his wrath; some of whom were turned into apes and swine” (Sura 5:60, 7:166, 2:65).

The 15th Amendment guarantees “the right of the citizens … to vote shall not be denied … on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude,”
yet the fundamentalist interpretation of Islamic law does not allow voting, as democracy is considered people setting themselves in the place of Allah by making their own laws.

The 19th Amendment allows women to vote,
yet in strict Islamic countries women cannot vote.

The 21st Amendment allows for the sale of liquor, yet Islamic law prohibits non-Muslims from selling or drinking wine and liquor openly.

We are bowing to a people who's very religion goes against our political belief structure of freedom. Our government seems to want to protect these people (at least the POTUS does in his actions) against our own people.  They go as far to tell us ISIS is not Islam, yet lets take a look at that:

An expert compared ISIS to the Koran, here are the results…

Fact: The Islamic State commits ethnic cleansing of non-Muslims.
Koran: Sura (2:183) “Fight against them until idolatry is no more and God’s religion reigns supreme. But if they desist, fight none except the evil-doers.”

Fact: The Islamic State rapes female prisoners.
Koran: Sura (4:24) “God is forgiving and merciful. Also married women, except those whom you own as slaves. Such is the decree of God. All women other than these are lawful for you…”

Fact: ISIS cuts the heads off of non-Muslims.
Koran: Sura (8:12) “God revealed His will to the angels saying: ‘I shall be with you. Give courage to the believers. I shall cast terror into the hearts of the infidels. Strike of their heads, strike off the very tips of their fingers!’”

Fact: The Islamic State promotes terror.
Koran: Sura (3:151) “We will put terror in the hearts of the unbelievers.”

Fact: ISIS gives non-Muslims the choice between death or conversion.
Koran: Sura (9:5) “When the sacred months are over slay the idolaters wherever you find them. Arrest them, besiege them, and lie in ambush everywhere for them. If they repent and take to prayer and render the alms levy, allow them to go their way.”

Interesting sidebar: Chapter (Sura) 9 of the Koran is the only chapter in the book that does not begin with the invocation “In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful.” The reason is because many scholars consider Chapter 9 to be a continuation of Chapter 8.

Fact: ISIS crucifies Christians.
Koran: Sura (5:33) “Those that make war against God and His apostle and spread disorder in the land shall be slain or crucified or have their hands cut off on alternate sides, or be banished from the land.”

Fact: The Islamic State persecutes Muslims who are hypocrites for not following a literal interpretation of the Koran.
Koran: Sura (9:73) “Prophet, make war on the unbelievers and the hypocrites and deal rigorously with them. Hell shall be their home: an evil fate.”

Fact: ISIS allows Christians to live if they subdue themselves to Muslims and pay them money.
Koran: Sura (9:29) “Fight against such of those to whom the Scriptures were given as believe in neither God nor the Last Day, who do not forbid what God and His apostle have forbidden, and do not embrace the true Faith, until they pay tribute out of hand and are utterly subdued.”

It sure seems as if Islamic State is DEFINITELY Islam in its fullest form.

So are these "Moderate Muslims" really moderate, or are they just like the sleeper cells of the cold war waiting to strike? And another thing you must ask yourself, do you want to live under Sharia Law? Because that seems to be what they want (The Muslims).

Gun Control:

I listen to the gun grabbers complain there are to many guns. They want to ban guns, regulate they call it. But banning is what they want.

Chicago has the harshest gun control laws and the highest gun violence rate. Gun control is not the answer. Why? Because even in countries like Australia where they have gun bans in place, they still have gun violence and crimes. If you look at the statistics (yes, online, but if you check government sites you can find and compare these stats) you will see, places where the general law abiding populace has access to and not prevented from owning guns and getting training in the proper use of guns, gun violence is lower.  Kennesaw Ga requires the head of household to own, be trained in the use of, and have ammunition for at least one gun. The violent crime rate there is about 1/4 - 1/5 the national average. Do you wonder why? Because the criminals know people are armed, and criminals are general cowards when they know they don't have the advantage.

Did you ever notice that the bad violence, mass shootings, such as the theater shooting, church shooting, Ft. Hood shooting, the killing of the Marines in Chattanooga and the latest shooting in Oregon all have one thing in common. These murders took place in "Gun Free Zones". The Aurora Theater shooter passed 4 theaters that were showing the same movie that were closer to him to go to the theater he chose. The 4 he passed were not gun free zones. What they don't want to publicise are the crimes that are prevented when someone tries this and someone else has a gun to fight back, and if you research you can find these stories, but you have to look because they don't make national news. On average 15-20 people are killed when they strike a gun free zone but on 2-3 people are injured or killed when a law abiding citizen has a gun (again, if you don't believe me, do the research).  Once you ban guns, the violence won't stop, Austrailia banned guns, yet they still have gun violence. Criminals will always find a way.

If banning guns would work, then why don't we ban heroin, crack, and other dangerous drugs? Oh wait, we did.

The second amendment

guaranteed us the right to keep and bear arms. It was not about hunting, it was about defending ourselves from criminals and from Tyranny. Banning guns has been the first step towards tyranny in the past. Or at least a socialistic state.

1) Healthcare — Control healthcare and you control the people
2) Poverty — Increase the Poverty level as high as possible, poor people are easier to control and will not fight back if you are providing everything for them to live.
3) Debt — Increase the debt to an unsustainable level. That way you are able to increase taxes, and this will produce more poverty.
4) Gun Control — Remove the ability to defend themselves from the Government. That way you are able to create a police state.
5) Welfare — Take control of every aspect of their lives (Food, Housing, and Income).
6) Education — Take control of what people read and listen to — take control of what children learn in school.
7) Religion — Remove the belief in the God from the Government and schools.
8) Class Warfare — Divide the people into the wealthy and the poor. This will cause more discontent and it will be easier to take (Tax) the wealthy with the support of the poor.

Looks to me like they are working on Step 4. 

If you want to get rid of things like these mass shootings, first we need to improve Mental Health Care. Many of these shooters had severe mental health issues and second we need to do something about Islamic terrorists (Chattanooga and Oregon, and don't tell me Oregon wasn't, he asked their religion before deciding to shoot in the head or leg).  These will cut down the mass shootings, not gun control.

Did you know that up until the 1950's gun safety and marksmanship were taught in schools. Students were even encouraged to bring in their own guns to learn proper use and safety. How the times have changed.

All gun contol laws do is prevent law abiding citizens from owning them, it does not stop the criminals.

Bernie Sanders:

Where do I start with Bernie Sanders, lets start with this, he is a Socalist, not a Democrat, Democratic Socialist, etc. His policies are that of a Socialist, but then, what makes him different from the rest of the Democratic candidates? Not much, he promotes, free health care, free housing, free college, etc for everyone. He has also said taxes will go up and we will be increasing the debt by borrowing money from China.

But who is going to pay for all this? Why the rich of course. An economist did an estimate on the internet (don't know how reliable the numbers were, but the are believeable based on what is happening in the country), if you tax everyone who makes over a million dollars at 100%, cut military spending by 100% for 10 years, we will only add about about 3 trillion in debt per year. Sounds to me like he failed economics. The problem with Socialism is that it doesn't work. Socialism only works on paper, because it assumes one thing, everyone working for the common good. People aren't like that, by nature they are generally selfish and looking out for themselves, the individual may think that way, but generally people don't.

There is a story about an Economics professor, whether real or not, shows the true facts of his socialism:

An economics professor at a local college made a statement that he had never failed a single student before, but had recently failed an entire class. That class had insisted that Obama’s socialism worked and that no one would be poor and no one would be rich, a great equalizer.

The professor then said, “OK, we will have an experiment in this class on Obama’s plan”.. All grades will be averaged and everyone will receive the same grade so no one will fail and no one will receive an A…. (substituting grades for dollars – something closer to home and more readily understood by all).

After the first test, the grades were averaged and everyone got a B. The students who studied hard were upset and the students who studied little were happy. As the second test rolled around, the students who studied little had studied even less and the ones who studied hard decided they wanted a free ride too so they studied little. The second test average was a D! No one was happy. When the 3rd test rolled around, the average was an F. As the tests proceeded, the scores never increased as bickering, blame and name-calling all resulted in hard feelings and no one would study for the benefit of anyone else.

To their great surprise, ALL FAILED and the professor told them that socialism would also ultimately fail because when the reward is great, the effort to succeed is great, but when government takes all the reward away, no one will try or want to succeed. Could not be any simpler than that.

These are possibly the 5 best sentences you’ll ever read on this experiment:

1) You cannot legislate the poor into prosperity by legislating the wealthy out of prosperity.
2) What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving.
3) The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else.
4) You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it!.
5) When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other

half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that is the beginning of the end of any nation.

That is what Bernie's economic and social plans will do, end this nation.


Freedom of Religion and the Establishment clause:

Amendment I

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

This is the First Amendment, is says that the government CANNOT establish a state religion and cannot prevent the free exercise of religion. It does not say that you cannot display or participate in religious activities on public property (actually the opposite since that is inhibiting the free practice of religion) or government property. There is no "Separation of Church and State" in the Constitution or Bill of Rights. Plain and simple, the Atheists have twisted this to try and drive their Anti-Religion agenda (which violates the First Amendment). You can be a Christian Nation without having Christianity as a State Religion, which is what we are. We are a nation founded by predominantly Christian people on Christian Beliefs. But we were smart enough to know that not everyone shared our beliefs (since a lot of the original colonists were leaving religious persecution). So with that we did not disignate a state religion such as England had, and we allowed for the free practice of religion. Which is what they are currently trying to take away by saying this or that is not allowed in public or schools or on government property because it is against the Establishment clause or may offend someone. Just because something is displayed on government property does not mean it is being endorsed by the government, it means it was endorsed by the people of the area. So if you don't like it, don't look at it, but back the **** off is you come at me about it. (Tired and losing my cool here)

Illegal Aliens:

I don't see what the problem is, they are illegal, therefore criminals. Illegal means against the law. I am not against immigration, what I am against is people who sneak in, if someone snuck into your house, would you let them stay and feed them, etc? No, that's what you want to do.

If they moved in and paid their rent (i.e. taxes) you would not have a problem. That's the big difference, these illegals are paying nothing in, receiving benefits and putting nothing back. Most of the money is wired out of the country (this has been proven). This needs to stop, the first thing we need to stop is thinking that the government needs to support everyone and provide for everyone. WRONG! It is not the governments job to provide for these criminal. They need to go back and come in the front door, not sneak in through the back window. But then a lot of them won't be allowed in because they are not nice people trying for a better life. A good portion of these illegals are criminals, who come to the US and commit more crimes. Ben Carson had the best plan I have heard so far:

1) We build a wall between us and Mexico, just like the one they have on their southern border.
2) Until the wall is built, we station 6000 troops on the border to stop illegal entry using what force necessary.
3) Drone bombing of all the caves they use to hide once they cross the border.
4) For the illegals already here, any with criminal histories, ship them back. For those without that, green card, and then when they pay back all the taxes they owe for the time they have already been here (and the government knows how long these people have been here), then and only then will they be allowed the to start the citizenship process. Which he also wants to trim down because the current process is cost prohibitive and burdensome.

These things will help weed out the undesirables and bring us the people that want to succeed and achieve the American Dream (what's left of it).

Hmmm, do you now know why that he, along with Trump, is popular with the latinos that came here legally?

Gay/Lesbians vs Christian Businesses:

This issue is so rediculous that it pains me. Gays/Lesbians suing christian businesses because they chose not to do business due to religious beliefs. Fine, but how come that is okay, but if a christian asks a gay/lesbian baker to make a pro-religious/anti-gay cake then they aren't punished for it? (And yes, it has happened, do a search on the web and you can watch the videos) It used to be a business could refuse the right to serve someone for any reason, no more in America, personally, I would refuse them service simply because they were A-Holes and no other reason. Because those people were looking for a fight when they went in knowing the beliefs of the owners. The other point is, what's to prevent the owner from say, adding to much salt? or peanut oil? Do you really want to do business with someone who doesn't want to deal with you? If you know this (and yes, they knew before hand) and go there anyway, you are just looking for a fight. And therefore, an A-Hole. Chic-Fil-A is a Christian company, the owner supports Christian groups, the company is closed Sundays for Christian beliefs (and I can tell you, as a Christian is sucks not being able to get a chicken sandwich on Sunday when I am craving one), so they obviously discriminate against Gays and Lesbians right? If so, you better tell that to openly gay/lesbian employees, managers, etc. that work for them. Because they all say it is a great company to work for. Same for Hobby Lobby, just because they support something you don't agree with, does not mean they are going to discriminate against you, unless you are a liberal, one thing I have noticed, if you disagree with a liberal, you are racist or sexist or homophobic, etc. But then, the liberal left is only tolerant if you agree with them. Now you are probably going to say, I am being intolerant, well, you are right. I hate stupid, and anyone who will not listen to dissenting opinions because they are right and everyone who disagrees with them is wrong. Is stupid. I feel the same about them as I feel about any fanatical group (like the bible thumpers we all make fun of), get your heads out of your butts. You are all idiot A-Holes.

End Note:

If you don't like my opinions and beliefs, feel free to unfriend me.  Many have, I spent too many years in service defending this great nation and the constitution to see it destroyed, which is what is currently happening, the liberals want us dependent on the government so that they can control us. Tell us what we can do, where we can live, what we can eat, think, etc. This country was built by free thinking, freedom loving Christian men and women. 

Friday, September 3, 2010

GROW UP ALREADY

Only one thing worse than a childish friend or co-worker to annoy you:

WHEN YOU HAVE A FAMILY MEMBER THAT NEEDS TO GROW THE HELL UP

      Let me start off with this statement, while the incidents may be real, the tone of this blog is all opinion and therefore neither liable or slander (the person that is there for is the subject of the blog and needs to reread the definitions of those two words).

      I have a relative, not going to name this relative, who is a ROYAL PAIN IN THE A**. Everything in the world is everyone else’s fault, this relative can accept no responsibility for their actions. This relative is female, I say this because it will make typing easier. Let's start with history, from what I have learned over the years she has never really liked her younger brother because when he was born she was no longer the baby in the family. Yes, as the baby of the family he was spoiled, but then, as the only girl in the family so was she. He wasn't the one given a car when he went to college, the first car that was truly his that he got from his parents he bought from them. But let's not go there, yet.

      Let's talk about careers first, this relative blames the fact that she does not like her career on her mother and her older brother. Her older brother's part was that he told their father that she would never be able to cut it as a lawyer, and because of this she feels that he is always putting down women and talking down to anyone who is not a lawyer. Not true, he was just looking at her past history and evaluating the situation, accurately too. And her mother forced her to go into nursing, again not true. Here is how the story goes from and outsider’s point of view, in High School she spent some time during the summer working at a camp for handicapped kids, and she loved it. So she decided she wanted to be a physical therapist. She goes to college for PT and to make a long story short, flunks out. (from here I am a little fuzzy because I was involved with my own life) But as I understand it from my parents, She decided to go to nursing school, got in, decided she didn't want to do it, quit and got a job. After about a year, decided to go back to nursing school, got in, completed it and became a nurse, she loved doing it for many years, until the last few when she had to work with jerks. Becomes burned out, and blames the fact she became a nurse on her mother, saying she wanted to be a lawyer in the first place. So we are looking at college and then two stints at nursing school. Which is everyone else’s fault that she had to go this route. Her spoiled brother who by her standards has been allowed to get away with everything, did one year at college, 1 semester at community college, and then was told to join the military or get a job, their mother didn't care which, but that he had 90 days before he had to move out of her house. That date got extended to his day he had to leave for the military. Yes, he has had to borrow money from his parents over the years cause he is a screw-up, no one’s perfect. But at least he is able to live mostly on his own with his family, and he seems to have his money troubles finally under control. His sister on the other hand, after having her apartment robbed - they didn't get much, they couldn't find the good stuff in the mess, had to move back home since she was too scared to live on her own (her words).

      She is a charmer in many other ways as well, she would sit at her father’s house bad mouthing and criticizing her brother and his wife in front of his kids, and then when she gets called on it states “your daughter must have been eavesdropping”. Hard not to since they were in the same room and she is speaking in her normal loud voice. She also told the younger niece she was getting fat, in front of her older sister, the younger daughter came home in tears, the older one told what happened. When confronted she denied ever saying it, which to me is calling the girls liars. If they were lying then why was the younger girl in hysterics? Tell me that, she hadn’t gotten into trouble for anything. (And trust me, any girl who plays soccer all year long and plays on not one, but three soccer teams, is not fat.) She is also quick to criticize her brothers weight, “under the guise of concern”, mainly to take shots at him. Of course that is the pot calling the kettle fat anyway. But at least her brother is doing the necessary things to lose weight, unlike his sister who diets, hires a personal trainer, exercises, and then drinks two to three beers, or several glasses of wine a day (and this is the minimum from what I have seen). I have never seen her on a social occasion where she did not have a least either two or more beers or two or more glasses of wine. Not good for weight loss now is it.  Now I won't say that this person is an alcoholic, I only know that all the symptoms of being a functional alcoholic are there, seen them many times over the years when in the military, and before that with my mother, whom while I love her/her memory dearly; I will go to my grave believing she was a functional alcoholic.

     This has lead to some estrangement in the family, oh well, at least now I have peace and quiet.  Until she is forced to live on her own, nothing will change.   When that happens then maybe, just maybe she will GROW THE HELL UP!

      Until, Peace and Long Life.......

Meaning of Labor Day

      Did you ever really think about what Labor Day was really about, I didn’t until my kids asked me why we celebrate the holiday.  To me it was always that final bar-b-q weekend of the summer season.  After a little research I found out it was more than that (and also found reasons why Bar-B-Q’s are probably the most appropriate way to celebrate).

Labor Day: How it Came About; What it Means
      Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.

Founder of Labor Day
      More than 100 years after the first Labor Day observance, there is still some doubt as to who first proposed the holiday for workers.
      Some records show that Peter J. McGuire, general secretary of the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners and a cofounder of the American Federation of Labor, was first in suggesting a day to honor those "who from rude nature have delved and carved all the grandeur we behold."
      But Peter McGuire's place in Labor Day history has not gone unchallenged. Many believe that Matthew Maguire, a machinist, not Peter McGuire, founded the holiday. Recent research seems to support the contention that Matthew Maguire, later the secretary of Local 344 of the International Association of Machinists in Paterson, N.J., proposed the holiday in 1882 while serving as secretary of the Central Labor Union in New York. What is clear is that the Central Labor Union adopted a Labor Day proposal and appointed a committee to plan a demonstration and picnic.

The First Labor Day
       The first Labor Day holiday was celebrated on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in New York City, in accordance with the plans of the Central Labor Union. The Central Labor Union held its second Labor Day holiday just a year later, on September 5, 1883.
       In 1884 the first Monday in September was selected as the holiday, as originally proposed, and the Central Labor Union urged similar organizations in other cities to follow the example of New York and celebrate a "workingmen's holiday" on that date. The idea spread with the growth of labor organizations, and in 1885 Labor Day was celebrated in many industrial centers of the country.

Labor Day Legislation
      Through the years the nation gave increasing emphasis to Labor Day. The first governmental recognition came through municipal ordinances passed during 1885 and 1886. From them developed the movement to secure state legislation. The first state bill was introduced into the New York legislature, but the first to become law was passed by Oregon on February 21, 1887. During the year four more states — Colorado, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York — created the Labor Day holiday by legislative enactment. By the end of the decade Connecticut, Nebraska, and Pennsylvania had followed suit. By 1894, 23 other states had adopted the holiday in honor of workers, and on June 28 of that year, Congress passed an act making the first Monday in September of each year a legal holiday in the District of Columbia and the territories.

A Nationwide Holiday
       The form that the observance and celebration of Labor Day should take were outlined in the first proposal of the holiday — a street parade to exhibit to the public "the strength and esprit de corps of the trade and labor organizations" of the community, followed by a festival for the recreation and amusement of the workers and their families. This became the pattern for the celebrations of Labor Day. Speeches by prominent men and women were introduced later, as more emphasis was placed upon the economic and civic significance of the holiday. Still later, by a resolution of the American Federation of Labor convention of 1909, the Sunday preceding Labor Day was adopted as Labor Sunday and dedicated to the spiritual and educational aspects of the labor movement.
      The character of the Labor Day celebration has undergone a change in recent years, especially in large industrial centers where mass displays and huge parades have proved a problem. This change, however, is more a shift in emphasis and medium of expression. Labor Day addresses by leading union officials, industrialists, educators, clerics and government officials are given wide coverage in newspapers, radio, and television.
      The vital force of labor added materially to the highest standard of living and the greatest production the world has ever known and has brought us closer to the realization of our traditional ideals of economic and political democracy. It is appropriate, therefore, that the nation pay tribute on Labor Day to the creator of so much of the nation's strength, freedom, and leadership — the American worker.

Taken from the Department of Labor Websites:  http://www.dol.gov/opa/aboutdol/laborday.htm

Meaning Of Veterans Day

Every year in November we celebrate Veterans Day.
      Many people, my children included, who understand the meaning of Memorial Day wonder why we celebrate Veterans Day.  To put it simply, we celebrate Memorial Day to honor the gallant men and women who have sacrificed their very lives for this country, Veterans day on the other hand, is to honor the gallant men and women who served in the military protecting this great nation, whether they died or not.

      The following is from Wikipedia (it’s very hard to find complete information anywhere these days).
Veterans Day is an annual United States holiday honoring military veterans.  A federal holiday, it is observed on November 11.  It is also celebrated as Armistice Day or Remembrance Day in other parts of the world, falling on November 11, the anniversary of the signing of the Armistice that ended World War I. (Major hostilities of World War I were formally ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918 with the German signing of the Armistice.)

HISTORY
      U.S. President Woodrow Wilson first proclaimed an Armistice Day for November 11, 1919. In proclaiming the holiday, he said:
            "To us in America, the reflections of armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism
             of those who died in the country's service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the
             thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her
             sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations."

      The United States Congress passed a concurrent resolution seven years later on June 4, 1926, requesting the President issue another proclamation to observe November 11 with appropriate ceremonies.  An Act (52 Stat. 351; 5 U.S. Code, Sec. 87a) approved May 13, 1938, made the 11th of November in each year a legal holiday; "a day to be dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be thereafter celebrated and known as 'Armistice Day'."

       In 1953, an Emporia, Kansas shoe store owner named Alfred King had the idea to expand Armistice Day to celebrate all veterans, not just those who served in World War I.  King had been actively involved with the American War Dads during World War II.  He began a campaign to turn Armistice Day into "All" Veterans Day.  The Emporia Chamber of Commerce took up the cause after determining that 90% of Emporia merchants as well as the Board of Education supported closing their doors on November 11, 1953, to honor veterans.  With the help of then-U.S. Rep. Ed Rees, also from Emporia, a bill for the holiday was pushed through Congress. President Dwight Eisenhower signed it into law on May 26, 1954.

      Congress amended this act on June 1, 1954, replacing "Armistice" with Veterans, and it has been known as Veterans Day since.
      Although originally scheduled for celebration on November 11 of every year, starting in 1971 in accordance with the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, Veterans Day was moved to the fourth Monday of October.
      In 1978 it was moved back to its original celebration on November 11.