Daily Thoughts - XV

Friday is almost here and it is the end of another week. I sit here in a rather curious mood and will need to be careful and not let it spill over into my writing. I am definitely ready for some Mexican food at my favorite restaurant.

And like usual, another project come down today. I was wondering what I would do with my one free hour this fall. Now I know!

Our #2 son flies out Tuesday (8/30) to start his time with the Job Corp. We (Mom and Dad) have mixed feelings about this but at the same time we both agree it is the best for him to start making his way in the world and learn a skill. We don’t need any 40-year-old kids still living at home.

*****

Isn’t it just like the French to keep on trying to remove Lance Armstrong’s titles? Amazing how they have kept his samples since 1999 and just now decided to re-test them. Maybe if the French spent more time training they would not finish in the back of the pack. Come on guys, let up. He has retired so quit dragging up 6-year-old specimens to re-test over and over till you find what you want to find.

Oh boy, now I get to hear the District Leaders complain about the base closures for a while. I love it how they say any hospital is needed no matter how old and inadequate it is. Well, duh! What happened to the old and inadequate Southeast General Hospital you shutdown not long ago? I guess it is ok for them to pilfer money from it and bankrupt it so long as the Federal Government doesn’t do it to them.

If John Mohammed wants to starve himself in protest for being moved and tried in Maryland, then let him. When he dies we will save a lot of taxpayers money both from the trial and supporting him in prison for the next 40+ years till he dies. Why do we cater to the whims and wants of these mentally disturbed people and let the victims suffer? That old proverb, “an eye for an eye” sure looks good and makes a lot of sense. Empty out death row by carrying out the sentences and see how fast violent crimes stop. What do you say, “I am wrong?” Well, try it my way and prove me wrong. At the worse we will alleviate some over crowding and scare the crap out of some petty criminals who might decide the chance to die is too great.

I love the comment to day by a local commentator. “The majority of convicted violent criminals are not American Citizens.” Well, I see the solution in the previous paragraph as a very valid option. If they want to come live here is one thing but if they come to get rich quick and commit a crime and take away an American’s chance to live, then they deserve the same fate. My vote is for “it is time to clean out the prisons and I don’t mean early release.”

Daily Thoughts - XIV

Well, I just took our best friends to the airport so they could attend a wedding in Fairbanks AK. The other thing I am wrestling with is attending a good friend’s wedding in Guadalajara, MX on December 24. Besides Christmas I have to be in Charleston SC. for our Caribbean cruise. Decision decisions!

On the home front, #1 son is still working and that is good.

Still waiting to see if #2 son goes to Charleston WV for the job corp. I know I won’t stand a chance if she gets another $5000 Christmas bonus this year.

The wife got another 10% pay raise. They keep doing this and she doesn’t want to quit and I am ready to retire. Talk about a tough decision.

I have a new computer support contract starting 8/26/05. It will be a nice one if they hold true to the 20-25 hours a week. Especially since they will pay me $75 an hour plus a dispatch fee. It came to my attention, I could hire someone to do the work for me at $50 per hour and still pocket $25. I think that is a great plan. Now to find some kid who knows enough and is willing to work in order to gain some experience.

I have seen some of the “Going Tribal” shows and they are very interesting. I wish I had a job that I could do something like that once. It would be hard and a challenge but the memories and experiences would be great.

*****

Well, the gangs are still a problem and out of control, but now the Federal Justice Department has entered the fracas.

The next time you speak on extreme religious zealots, Pat Robertson, look at yourself in the mirror. I am saddened you have gave many a good Christian a black eye by your uncalled for comments.

If you ever commit a crime, do it in Aruba. While you are being interrogated as a prime suspect they will give you the weekend off and then you can escape. Can you believe this?

I am sorry Mrs. Sheehan for your loss. But in your grief you have been taken and manipulated by the press and the liberals. I wonder how the loss of your husband and another family member factors into this debacle. You have let them put words in your mouth, like David Duke and other extremist groups. Perhaps the best thing for you is to go home, be quiet and grieve the loss of your fine son and mend the fences you broke in your family.

Daily Thoughts - XIII

Well, Friday and another weekend approaches. I look forward to the down time. I visited a neighbor today who just had heart surgery. So with some luck they will go home tomorrow. Kind of hits you when your friends start having problems like that because “we are the same age.”

Hopefully this weekend I will get my new server built so I can register the new domain and get my web pages and bots all on one computer. Oh boy, more work and no pay.

Today is a gray and drizzly day -- the kind that is fun to just lie in bed and take a nap. But alas, I am here at work.

*****

Way to go – Atlanta Braves. The Nationals are showing us that they are just the Expo’s in different clothes.

Well, last week the D.C. Government decided that playgrounds and recreation centers was the way to stop MS-13. Well, yesterday MS-13 responded by saying they will “ambush and kill Virginia Police.” Then the police announced that several officers have placed their family in the Witness protection Program because of threats. Does that sound like a gang that will change just because you setup an after-school program? First thing they don’t go to school; secondly all you do is get all the young vulnerable kids congregated so MS-13 can recruit. These thugs only understand violence, sex, and drugs. So D.C. get serious and take that away from them. The police must be able to deal with them in a language they understand -- deadly force. But like all evil people we will take the liberal ACLU approach and try and reason with them while our children and recruited and people killed.

Daily Thoughts - XII

Well, let me see. Can I get this pencil working so I can scribble a few lines? Yes, I know I have slipped some in my writing but things happen occasionally. Gee, the fall bowling leagues start in two weeks. Hmmmm

Work last week was one long meeting. The bosses came up from Dallas and we had one meeting right after the other. The worse was the constant changing of all my project deadlines. Today, I could finally sit down and sort out what the flow would be. Yes, they gave me more money for the projects but shortened the deadlines.

The engineer they just hired about 3 months ago. They decided they didn’t need him anymore and gave him his marching orders on the 26^th. And these bunion heads think I will support them in all my free time. Believe me, the fat lady has sung and this pipe organ doesn’t pump anymore. They would rather contract to me at $75 than pay a full time employee $27. Go figure. So I said give me a contract for a guaranteed 20 hours a week for 1 year and I would consider.

Can’t wait for the cruise in December. Only 4 months and 12 days left. Yesterday we drove down into southern Virginia where at 5:30 on a Sunday afternoon the whole town was closed up. We checked out several state parks in an attempt to find some places to launch the boat and camp. So the peaceful country drive through forests and along the Potomac River, Rappahannock River, and Chesapeake Bay was great.

#1 son swallowed his pride and apologized and got his job back. Growing up?

#2 son still awaits the call of the Job Corps.

The youth bowling team I was on finished #1 for the second consecutive time. But the young lady I was coaching announced she was moving to New York with her family. So I will miss her and her skill. She went from an average of 89 to 141 in a year.

*****

I love it when they think they can change a violent gang like MS-13 by building recreation centers. The gang wars and attacks lately show us how much the police and the politicians are out of touch with reality. In most every case, the attack concerned someone violating “their” territory. Why won’t the new recreational center be a new piece of territory to fight over? These guys are hardened criminals with no value on life except theirs. Treat them as such and forcefully stop them, power is all they know.

I can’t wait to see the profit margins of the big oil companies this year. They were already in the billions and now it becomes astronomical. Also, how will they use the new tax breaks to protect those windfall profits? I wonder if the politicians realize that when we, John Q Public, finally gets mad that we will vote them out of office. We can’t hurt the oil company but the politicians can be hurt by losing their jobs. I know how I will vote, Do you?

Daily Thoughts - XI

Well, another week comes to a close. I can’t believe the hours I have spent sitting in meetings and on conference calls. All that time and the end result are “we need to discuss this more or the boss says, let me think this over.” “And you wanted that new laptop set up when?”

Someone please tell me why Novak gets sacked for saying ‘Bullshit” and there is a lot worse being said in most every movie, TV show, and HBO special? Seems to me if we are going to have a so called standard of clean language we should apply it across the whole media spectrum to include news, cable, movie and sports.

My vote is for Baltimore Oriole Coach Mazilli. They canned him because the team sucks. For that matter the team has sucked for years and all they do is fire managers. Has someone in Angelo’s little circle ever considered that the players they are hiring are the problem. Even a great coach can’t motivate perennial losers to win. Look at Joe Gibbs and the Redskins. So from my point of view keep the coach and get rid of the rest of the crappy team.

I continue to applaud the Brits for what they are doing about terrorism. They are fighting back like no other group of people has ever done. Thumbs up to deporting anyone (foreign national) that participates in terrorist activities or endeavors. Maybe someone on this side of the Atlantic pond will get a backbone and start getting tough here. Maybe even start with the ACLU and their liberal whiners.

The home front has added its fuel to the weekly firestorm. #1 son got tired of working and just up and quit. Never mind the car payment or insurance bill, just get tired and quit when you feel like it. Looks like #2 son is going into the Job Corps and he will be sent to Charleston WV. So let’s see how much he will grow up in that environment.

On a side note without too much personal information, I am growing to hate gang bangers with a passion. Specifically, MS-13. It wouldn’t take much for me to considered them open season just like a varmit.

Role-play is at a low point and stalled as I search for a new direction. . Perhaps in time it will become evident and the creative juices will flow and everything will get back on track. I guess even a target dummy will lose it stuffing after enough arrows are fired at it.

Just keep on smiling -- :)