Texas Pride

Texans are known for their pride, but I would venture to say that most people are just as proud of where they are from as Texans are. What is the difference you ask. Well let's just say if you drove an El Camino you wouldn't go bragging to the guy who pulls up next to you in a Porsche, that you have the best car ever. So when people meet Texans, they can't help but keep tight lipped about their good, but not great states.

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

As I have recently moved near a railroad track it has occurred to me that we still use trains. What has escaped my knowledge is why. For the love it is 2008, we have telephones that get the Internet. Are trains absolutely necessary. And if they are, why are they so inefficient. It's like train and rail technology stopped with World War II. The only thing that should have stop progressing with World War II is the Great Depression and if you will recall your history, it did!

The Powers That Be

I don't how the rest of the world feels about the upcoming election, but I am very concerned. The American Public has proven time and again that we don't have a whole lot of sense. I'm not sure that people understand the impact that this election is going to have. The only reason I say that is because Obama is still a contender. Are you aware that Obama studied under a man for almost 20 years who preaches against white people? Hello, that isn't a good sign going into things. Not to mention that nothing he says has substance. His voting record has no substance. He has gotten by on his charisma and ability to speak well in front of others. How can you vote for someone if you don't know what they believe in? This is very much the case with Obama. Please do not waste your vote...if you are that seriously against McCain, write in Svetlana Monsoon. I will take care of all midget issues that plague this country as well as making all your wildest dreams come true!

The Five Languages of Love

I was lucky enough to listen to a book on CD of The Five Languages of Love yesterday. It was an interesting and informative book. I recommend that everyone listen/read it. Although it is tailored to marriage relationships the information within will be useful in all of your relationships including friendships. I'm still not clear on what language I am but I sort of think Physical Touch and Quality Time.

Atlas Shrugged (Book Review)

Let me start with the declaration that Ayn Rand is most definitely a philosopher who writes novels and not the contrary.
The purpose of the book is to condemn socialism. Ayn Rand was born in Russia, but lived most of her life in the United States. My assumption is that her parents had strong emotions against what was happening with Russia's government when they immigrated to the U.S. thereby instilling certain ideals in their astute daughter. Despite what may have inspired Ms. Rand's thinking, she was right and gave a very valid thousand page novel to defend her opinions. I must at this point admit that I did not read the novel, but listened to an abridged book on CD.
In the novel Rand has a definite line between good and evil. The bad guys, for lack of a better term, constantly assume someone else will take care of their problems. They very much live under the mantra "You are your brother's keeper." What I found to be interesting about this group of men is that they all seemed to be wealthy-they were a contradiction to their own belief of communal support. To exhibit one of their off-kilter schemes I'll relate an instance from the book: they decided to pass a law prohibiting any new books from being written so as to give old books and lesser known books a fair chance. How can you take pride in achievement if you didn't have to work for it? Furthermore, what are the writers of the world doing while they are not allowed to publish new works? It becomes a waste of talent and causes society to pick up the slack of this non-working portion of the population.
The good guys on the other hand were fighting for free enterprise. One by one the most powerful businessmen in America were vanishing. As it turns out, they were all living in the great state of Colorado in an Atlantis like city. They refuse to live in the destruction that was sure to take hold of America in such socialist conditions, so they created a society of their own.
Eventually, they bad guys have ruined America with their socialist leadership. No one takes pride in their jobs, people become mindless and expect everything to be given to them like caged rats at feeding time. And worst of all everyone expects someone else to fix the problem. Of coarse we find in the end socialism is a terrible idea with horrible repercussions.
Ayn Rand does a wonderful job conveying her ideals. A few things I didn't like include: the rigid nature of her characters. Either they were totally and completely good or totally and completely bad. There was no gray area or internal struggle, which takes out the human quality of characters. I also feel that the love triangle is very predictable and slightly corny. These facts aside, it's an excellent book that truly depicts a very real picture of socialism.

Clod Trompers

I am very aware that Meg Ryan is America's sweetheart and Julia Roberts has a gorgeously toothy grin, but has no one else notice that they both walk like men? The lack of femininity is mind boggling and unfortunately a sign of greater problems. Young women in this day and age take no pride in their God-given grace and beauty. It's cute and adorable to be clumsy and loud according to Hollywood. And neurotic twits too self-absorbed to notice anyone around them are taking over as heroins in romantic comedies.
As I walked through Target (the Mother Ship) today I couldn't help but notice the trashy clothes that not only teenagers, but adult women were wearing. I'm not necessarily talking about scantily clad women, I mean those that come out in their sweat pants and an old T-shirt.
Ladies, I implore you to acquiesce to your womanhood. Be gentile and divine. Walk with grace and speak with softness. Just because you are a woman of character doesn't mean that you can't be opinionated and listened to. Frankly, a man will listen more readily to a woman who knows how to be a woman rather than a woman trying to be a man.

Going Green

Going Green is in fact the new Breast Cancer Awareness. This statement may confuse and even anger some of you...well, both of these topics anger me! Let's start with Breast Cancer Awareness, it's older and take a little more heat. The problem I see is that the cause has become so commercialized that it is no longer about researching to find a cure for a life threatening illness, it's about buying everything you can think of from plungers to Kitchen Aides in the only shade of pink that makes me want to vomit. That's right, there is one shade of pink I gag when I see. Further more, if we started promoting prostate cancer research and selling everything under the sun in a tacky shade of blue, there would be a women's rights group ready to protest...what is that, I thought the idea of Women's Rights was to be equal, not belittling.
Moving right along to going green. The environment is important and let's not start littering or anything, but when we start taking Al Gore's "theories" as gospel, we need to stop, take a deep breath, and look at the twisted trail we are spiraling down. I promote buying hybrid cars, but do they all have to be so ugly? I've only seen two models that didn't look like we should drive them over a cliff to end there aesthetic misery. The truth of the matter is, Hollywood tries to be socially minded at times, the result is that the army of mindless drones that follows Hollywood like they're gods and goddesses follow as quickly as they can. Well, much of Hollywood has decided that being environmentally conscience is necessary, thereby turning the Green Movement into the latest trend!