So everyday I attempt to read as many different news sources as I can. This evening I went to foxnews.com to see what the latest was on the energy blockade in Gaza City, and do you know what I found as the headline piece? "Heath Ledger Dead". My first thought was, "Who"? Not only is this on the front page, but several other stories on their main page are devoted to this topic. I understand that the media is in business to make money, rather than to inform, but why is this so important. Did nothing else happen today? Well let's just see. Today, Israel allowed medicine and fuel into Gaza City, Fred Thompson decided to drop out of the Republican race, World Powers decided to draft a resolution for sanctions in Iran, The Fed Chairman announced a 3/4 point cut in the federal-funds target rate, and Jose Padilla, the American accused of plotting with Al-Qaeda to detonate a dirty bomb is given 17 years.
I found these headlines in 10 minutes, and I believe that everyone of them is more important than another Hollywood 20 something that died. Do I care that he died? Sure, I don't like to see anyone die prematurely. However the media does us no favors when this is the focus. The average American wants nothing better than to sit down in front of the TV or the Internet and be spoon fed the important topics of the day. When this is the kind of garbage that is fed to us day in and day out, it is insulting.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Confessions of a Part Time Football Fan
I apologize for my lapse in postings. I was out of town last week and unfortunately, I was without Internet access. Surprisingly, this happens quite frequently when I stay in billeting on base.
The title of this post says it all. I am a part time football fan, at best. It's not that I hate the sport, in fact there is something about man vs. man vs. nature that makes me want to set up a lean-to in 20 degree weather. I've just always been an ice hockey fan. I enjoy the speed of a full sprint on ice, and the finesse of medieval juggler combined with the endurance to go toe-to-toe with a 260 pound Russian.
My issue with football, as well as basketball (even though I'm not convinced that basketball is a true sport) is the culture that it celebrates. These athletes have been raised to demi-god status for what they can accomplish on the field, however, thanks to the media, we know too much about their private life. There has been a rise of professional athletes involved in violent crimes over the last ten years. It seems as though the more problems the athlete has during his off time, the more attention he gets on game day. Am I the only one that sees a problem with this. These men are looked upon as heroes by countless children and teenagers. The more the media publicizes their exploits, the more it seems that their lifestyles are condoned. These are not the kind of role models I want for my sons.
The title of this post says it all. I am a part time football fan, at best. It's not that I hate the sport, in fact there is something about man vs. man vs. nature that makes me want to set up a lean-to in 20 degree weather. I've just always been an ice hockey fan. I enjoy the speed of a full sprint on ice, and the finesse of medieval juggler combined with the endurance to go toe-to-toe with a 260 pound Russian.
My issue with football, as well as basketball (even though I'm not convinced that basketball is a true sport) is the culture that it celebrates. These athletes have been raised to demi-god status for what they can accomplish on the field, however, thanks to the media, we know too much about their private life. There has been a rise of professional athletes involved in violent crimes over the last ten years. It seems as though the more problems the athlete has during his off time, the more attention he gets on game day. Am I the only one that sees a problem with this. These men are looked upon as heroes by countless children and teenagers. The more the media publicizes their exploits, the more it seems that their lifestyles are condoned. These are not the kind of role models I want for my sons.
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Shoot First, Ask Forgiveness Later
It's a good thing that I never stayed in the Navy long enough to obtain a commission and command a naval surface vessel. If so, I'm fairly certain that I would be the media's favorite target right now. Unfortunately for the military in today's society, I would also be relieved of command, and quietly be made to retire (see story).
Sixty years ago, if Japanese or German vessels had gotten that close to a U.S. warship, the Navy would have vaporized the offending vessel, the captain would be a hero, and the crew would paint the silhouette of a ship on its hull to depict the kill.
I know, this isn't WWII. If fact, outside of the DoD and the State Department, we're not really at war. However, even though we're not officially "at war", it seems to me that a shot across the bow, would have been warranted in this case. It certainly would have been a deterrent. However, the Secretary of Defense and the President would have come under extreme criticism from the Left.
My question is why? Attack boat crews don't just arbitrarily wake up one morning and say "gee, I think I'll play chicken with a U.S. Navy warship". By doing nothing we condone this behavior, and before too long we're seeing news footage of one of our vessels with a 20 foot hole in its hull.
Sixty years ago, if Japanese or German vessels had gotten that close to a U.S. warship, the Navy would have vaporized the offending vessel, the captain would be a hero, and the crew would paint the silhouette of a ship on its hull to depict the kill.
I know, this isn't WWII. If fact, outside of the DoD and the State Department, we're not really at war. However, even though we're not officially "at war", it seems to me that a shot across the bow, would have been warranted in this case. It certainly would have been a deterrent. However, the Secretary of Defense and the President would have come under extreme criticism from the Left.
My question is why? Attack boat crews don't just arbitrarily wake up one morning and say "gee, I think I'll play chicken with a U.S. Navy warship". By doing nothing we condone this behavior, and before too long we're seeing news footage of one of our vessels with a 20 foot hole in its hull.
Sunday, January 6, 2008
The New Rage
A California man was arrested for digging 50 holes on mountain bike trails. Apparently he had been run off the trail by a mountain biker and decided to exact some revenge. I'm a frequent mountain biker and I've ridden on trails, as well as through cities. It's pretty difficult to run a pedestrian off the road while biking (...no, I didn't try), which leads me to believe that he was already a few sandwiches short of a picnic.
I can already envision where this is going. Bike rage will quickly become an epidemic, especially since the eco-nuts want us to abandon vehicles and bike everywhere.
Soon there will be 12 step groups meeting throughout the country full of people suffering from bike rage. "Hello my name is George and I have bike rage. It's been two months since I last lined a trail with claymore mines".
You're walking on a bike trail, turn down George Michael on your IPod and pay attention!
I can already envision where this is going. Bike rage will quickly become an epidemic, especially since the eco-nuts want us to abandon vehicles and bike everywhere.
Soon there will be 12 step groups meeting throughout the country full of people suffering from bike rage. "Hello my name is George and I have bike rage. It's been two months since I last lined a trail with claymore mines".
You're walking on a bike trail, turn down George Michael on your IPod and pay attention!
Too busy running the world
I caught this article on When Evil Prospers about Roger Clemens and the Mitchel Report. I have to say that I agree with John on this. This Congress has done very little since they were elected, other than try to coerce President Bush into pulling the troops out. The government has no business in trying to regulate MLB. That's a job for the commissioner of baseball, not my congressman. If illegal activities are uncovered by the MLB, then judicial proceedings can start. Did I mention Congress in my last two sentences? Of course not. That's because their business is the running of this country, not the running of our national past time. Congress can spend our tax dollars to hold hearings to determine whether or not Roger Clemens used steroids, or whether his trainer just said he did (can someone say cat fight), meanwhile we're in the second quarter of fiscal year 2008 and the defense budget hasn't been signed yet.
Did someone forget to remind the Congress that we're at war!
If Congress wants to get involved in baseball then I suggest they do what the rest of the country does, buy a ticket, a ballpark frank, and a beer and enjoy the game.
Did someone forget to remind the Congress that we're at war!
If Congress wants to get involved in baseball then I suggest they do what the rest of the country does, buy a ticket, a ballpark frank, and a beer and enjoy the game.
Saturday, January 5, 2008
An idea Time Magazine will surely follow
So here I am, sitting here on a rainy Saturday afternoon reading the news when I run across this:
Dallas names the Illegal Immigrant as Texan of the Year
Texas is the largest state in the lower 48 and somewhere within that vast population I'm sure that someone must have contributed enough to qualify for this. Past recipients were George W. Bush, and a former police officer who's two sons were killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. This is truly a sign that our great nation is in danger of failing as long as these liberal chowder heads are in control.
I'm sure that Time Magazine's vaunted "Person of the Year" will go to that woman who got herself fixed so she wouldn't pollute the environment.
Dallas names the Illegal Immigrant as Texan of the Year
Texas is the largest state in the lower 48 and somewhere within that vast population I'm sure that someone must have contributed enough to qualify for this. Past recipients were George W. Bush, and a former police officer who's two sons were killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. This is truly a sign that our great nation is in danger of failing as long as these liberal chowder heads are in control.
I'm sure that Time Magazine's vaunted "Person of the Year" will go to that woman who got herself fixed so she wouldn't pollute the environment.
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Born Again Republican
I have to start out this posting by saying I was foolish in my younger days. You might say "Gary, don't be so hard on yourself, we were all young once and did foolish things, it's part of growing up". I would thank you for the kind words and then drop the bombshell on you. Yes, that's right, I used to be a Democrat! I know I know, how can a career military man be a Democrat? That's a good question.
To understand the answer, you have to know where and how I grew up. I hail from Maine, which in case you live in a vaccuum, is a very liberal state. Additionally, I grew up in a household that prized television above all. I was a TV junkie. What's worse is that I actually believed the garbage spewing out of that demonic box. Since the majority of programs and news channels available during my youth were liberal, a young naive boy was easily steered toward a democratic life.
I never considered myself a democrat, as a matter of fact, contary to my wife's upbringing, politics was rarely, if ever discussed in my home. I didn't care about current affairs (unless it involved the Boston Bruins), nor did I pay attention to what was happening around me. I was perfectly content to live out my life in a bubble, oblivious to the world around me, as long as it didn't affect me personally.
Three things happened to me that would forever alter the course of my life and how I view the world. The first eye opening experience happened at the ripe old age of 18. I entered college immediately after high school not because I was ready, but because that is what everyone else was doing. I was immature, which became apparent at the end of the first semester when the University put me on academic probation because of my horrible GPA. Along with probation came the loss of my financial aid. It was at this point that my parents made a very sensible decision (although I didn't think so at the time). They informed me that they would no longer pay for me to attend college as I had proved too irresponsible. So it was off to the working world. I worked several factory jobs long enough to see my future and decide that I needed to do something else.
The second experience came when I decided to enlist in the Navy. This decision came not out of patriotism, rather out of an intense desire to leave home and do something meaningful. It was during my initial 8 years in the military that I began to have an interest and appreciation for something other than my own world. However I have to credit my wife and my father-in-law for really broadening my horizons. Through them I learned how powerful the human brain can be when it is occupied by something other than the television.
The final event happened on September 11, 2001. Although I had started down the road to conservatism several years prior (it's amazing what kids can do), I can look at this event as the turning point in my view of the world. It's as though I'd been in a deep sleep, awoke suddenly, looked at the alarm clock and realized I was late. The rush of adrenaline that accompany's such a feeling is an apt description.
Being older and a tad bit wiser, I am now striving to teach my children the importance of current affairs and the responsibilty our forefather's have given to us.
So I throw myself on the mercy of the court of world opinion and ask for forgiveness.
To understand the answer, you have to know where and how I grew up. I hail from Maine, which in case you live in a vaccuum, is a very liberal state. Additionally, I grew up in a household that prized television above all. I was a TV junkie. What's worse is that I actually believed the garbage spewing out of that demonic box. Since the majority of programs and news channels available during my youth were liberal, a young naive boy was easily steered toward a democratic life.
I never considered myself a democrat, as a matter of fact, contary to my wife's upbringing, politics was rarely, if ever discussed in my home. I didn't care about current affairs (unless it involved the Boston Bruins), nor did I pay attention to what was happening around me. I was perfectly content to live out my life in a bubble, oblivious to the world around me, as long as it didn't affect me personally.
Three things happened to me that would forever alter the course of my life and how I view the world. The first eye opening experience happened at the ripe old age of 18. I entered college immediately after high school not because I was ready, but because that is what everyone else was doing. I was immature, which became apparent at the end of the first semester when the University put me on academic probation because of my horrible GPA. Along with probation came the loss of my financial aid. It was at this point that my parents made a very sensible decision (although I didn't think so at the time). They informed me that they would no longer pay for me to attend college as I had proved too irresponsible. So it was off to the working world. I worked several factory jobs long enough to see my future and decide that I needed to do something else.
The second experience came when I decided to enlist in the Navy. This decision came not out of patriotism, rather out of an intense desire to leave home and do something meaningful. It was during my initial 8 years in the military that I began to have an interest and appreciation for something other than my own world. However I have to credit my wife and my father-in-law for really broadening my horizons. Through them I learned how powerful the human brain can be when it is occupied by something other than the television.
The final event happened on September 11, 2001. Although I had started down the road to conservatism several years prior (it's amazing what kids can do), I can look at this event as the turning point in my view of the world. It's as though I'd been in a deep sleep, awoke suddenly, looked at the alarm clock and realized I was late. The rush of adrenaline that accompany's such a feeling is an apt description.
Being older and a tad bit wiser, I am now striving to teach my children the importance of current affairs and the responsibilty our forefather's have given to us.
So I throw myself on the mercy of the court of world opinion and ask for forgiveness.
Why I want to be famous
Well, after months of poking and prodding by my better half, I've finally decided to start a blog. I don't necessarily want to be famous (mostly because I want to be able to wander through my house in the buff without fear of paparazzi's taking snapshots through my windows). However, I understand the nature of the information highway's ability to spread my literary rhetoric to the end's of the earth.
This blog will cover a variety of topics based what I'm reading as well as the current affairs I feel need to be discussed.
This blog will cover a variety of topics based what I'm reading as well as the current affairs I feel need to be discussed.
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