Why Rick Santorum makes me want to throw up

So obviously the republican field this election season is a bit...weak.  No one is garnering more than a quarter of the votes and it seems to me that no one can really front a strong enough campaign to take down Barack Obama.

That being said there is one specific republican cantidate that I would like to talk about....Rick Santorum.  Santorum is one of the most pompus, ridiculous and shitty public representatives that I have ever seen.  This is a guy that things that government and religion should be the same thing.  I am not saying that religion is bad, nor is politics, but they aren't (and shouldn't be) the same thing.  In fact there is a very specific law that says exactly that, the separation of church and state.  Now you have a guy who pretty much wants to institute the laws of the church.

That's not how the US system works dude!  The laws of this country are to be seperate from churches of any kind.

Also how can you be so vehemently against partial birth abortion when your own wife (authorized by the Santorums) had a partial birth abortion?  What it's ok to save your wife, but other people's wives doing it is horrible?

No good man.

Does it seem like the word raid is getting thrown around a lot lately?

So I would like to start off by saying I am neither against or for the occupy wallstreet movement.  I think its great that people are protesting things that they believe in, but I feel a little bit like they are protesting too broad a range of ideas to really make a change.  Regardless of that there is a very troubling trend regarding the occupy wallstreet movement.....raids

It is becoming more and more troublesome to hear that raids are being carried out across countries.  Raids on law abiding citizens.  Some would argue that they are not law abiding due to the fact that  they do not have the proper permits and things of that nature, which I would grant you.  However there is a huge difference between a law breaker and someone who doesn't get the correct permit.  The majority of these people are not criminals, and yet are being pepper sprayed and arrested.....

This is the United States of America people!  We are entitled to protest under our constitution.  Public land is just that, public.   Why are people being pepper sprayed and beaten?  I don't care how much they piss you off, there is no reason to take those kinds of extreme actions.

And for those of you that are thinking I am anti-police you are dead wrong.  As a first responder I understand that those responding are under a huge amount of stress, however police are not above the law.  If a cop beats a protester its still assault and battery.  I don't understand this free pass to pepper spray/beat people.  Police can use force if necessary to remove someone that is breaking the law, pepper spraying someone at a sit in is NOT the use of force if necessary.

Raids are scary to me.  Its one thing to disperse a crowd, but a whole other thing to raid and arrest 150 people because you don't like the fact they don't have a permit/are ruining the grass.  This is the US not some dictatorship that raids people.  Police, state and local politicians do your jobs, but you do not have the authority to conduct raids on the people of the United States!

When did having a personal opinion become a crime

This Florida teacher is currently facing possible termination from a PUBLIC high school for comments he made regarding his belief that gay marriage is an abomination....When did it become it a crime to have an opinion?

This teacher is a teacher-of-the-year winner and have a 100% clean record. His opinion has not been uttered in the classroom, he made a comment on HIS Facebook page. Just because someone doesn't agree with this teachers opinion (myself) doesn't mean that his First Amendment rights can be violated.

It seems like people are forgetting that the First Amendment covers all speech, regardless of what people think of the statements. It amazes me that this is even a possibility, the school system has no right to fire him. This is a publicly funded institution and for them to take a stand against freedom of thought is absolutely appalling.

Whats next? I believe in owning a gun so I get fired? I don't like polygamist so I get fired? I believe in God I get fired? People need to see how dangerous this way of thinking is. This is not a question of whether or not his opinion is correct, its an issue of the government being able to DECIDE what is right. Unreal

College campuses and gun owners

Today I read this opinion article on Boston.com. I really wanted to right a response to it, so here I go.

The idea that fully licensed gun owners cannot conceal and carry on campuses is completely ridiculous. This is the same argument pro and anti gun people have had since the begining. How is a rule like people cannot carry a weapon on campus going to stop those that are willing to shoot people? It's not because they do not care. If someone is willing to shoot another person for no reason they certainly don't care about breaking this rule.

As for those kids who drink too much and then go waving a weapon around then that's a problem. However there is already a precedent for that, arrest them, charge them and remove their permit to carry. I mean the rule is already in place to deal with that issue. Gun owners do not want their permit to be removed and will not go waving it around like crazies.

This guy is saying lets just prevent those who are licensed from carrying, how does that teach you anything? When you get a permit you accept certain rules, you mess that up you go to jail,I do not see the issue.

The bigger problem in this whole thing is getting people to follow the rules, that's easy just enforce the already standing laws. If a person waves a gun, gun and person go downtown. This is why you have all these crazy things happening at colleges, apparently they operate outside the law. The college campuses have a responsibility to enforce the rules.

I don't understand why its different if you are under 21 and get caught drinking on campus vs off campus. Sure the campus has rules and they should be followed, but if a kid break the law report him/her thats pretty easy.

Many people will say this is a black and white outlook, well yes it is its called the law. Kids will continue to drink, I certainly did despite being at a military school where I would get demerits and extra duty. But if they are dumb/unlucky enough to get caught well thats the way the cookie crumbles.

Gun owners aren't the issue, law breakers are. Proceed accordingly.

Breaking news!!

Breaking news! Congressional leaders have agreed to a four year extension of the USA PATRIOT ACT

NO GOOD AT ALL! This piece of legislation has ZERO regard for private liberties in the United States!

Please call/write your senators and tell them to repeal this legislation!!!

Wet houses...an interesting option

Last month I read a story about a wet-house

and I have been tossing the idea around in my head for a couple of weeks now and I think its an interesting option...

A wet-house is sort of the other side of the coin from a dry-house. A wet house is a community house that allows alcoholics to drink. At first the thought goes against everything we have been raised to think, but lets break it down.

A wet-house provides a place for alcoholics, many of them homeless. to go and stay. The person is given a stipend of 89$ per month to do with what they will, including buying alcohol. The issue that some people have is this is partly financed by the taxpayers, with the rest being financed by Catholic Charities. It seems very odd that someone would be able to spend taxpayer money on alcohol, but lets think think it through for a second.

The amount of money paid to the residents of St Anthony's residence in St. Paul Minnesota is 89 dollars per month. There are approximately 60 people taking advantage of this service.

$89*60 people=$5,340 per month

$5,340*12 months=$64,080 per year

Yes 64,00 dollars a year is a lot to you and me. However in the United States a hospital cannot refuse care to any patient, regardless of their health care situation (which is the way it should be) How much money do you think is spend every year in illness and injury due to homelessness? lets take a look (the below information was found at CNN.com and belongs to them)

"A University of Washington research team studied a group of 95 chronically homeless alcoholics and found that in one year, they cost taxpayers more that $8 million in hospitalizations, detox centers and incarcerations.

When the same group spent one year in Seattle's Housing first program-- residences where they are allowed to drink--the same group cost $4 million in taxpayer money." (This study was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association)

This is a simple math equation here guys. If it is cheaper to have houses where they can drink, then thats the way to go. They cannot get better until they decide to, which is the truth no matter where they live. Why wouldn't we at least give them a place to live??

Saying no is a part of being a parent! / Its not tobaccos fault you smoke

So I was reading through my usual morning news this morning and found this article. This woman is suing McDonalds because of their marketing ploy towards children. Putting aside the fact that's an idiotic lawsuit lets talk about this specific quote.

"We have to say no to our kids so many times and McDonald's makes that so much harder to do. I object to the fact that McDonald's is getting into my kids' heads without my permission and actually changing what my kids want to eat."

Are you serious right now? What you are saying flat out is that you don't want to/can't say no to your kids about McDonalds? What kind of shitty parent are you? This is one of the things that has really gone wrong in the world. Your a parent lady, its your job to say no when it needs to be said. It's not McDonald's problem that you don't want to say no to your friggin kid!

Ok that being said lets go to the other great news story (sarcasm) of the day. In Massachusetts the superior court just awarded $71,000,000 tot he family of a life long smoker because tobacco marketed towards her as a child. Dude what are you two? The woman was 54 years old when she died and still smoked up to that day. Take some responsibility for yourself dude. How is it a company's fault for her continuing to smoke? If this was any drug other than smoking this would not happen, people die of liver issues from alcohol every year and people don't sue Budweiser.

This is a really big issue for my generation. I can only hope that we have more sense than our parents and take some personal responsibility for things. It's not always other peoples fault, in fact i bet most of the time its your own personal fault. Ugh!

What is a libertarian part duex

So I was looking at the Libertarian website this morning and decided to post their platform...I think these ideals just make sense.

Libertarian platform

Sure it may be a right, but personally you suck

I was reading this story on CNN today and it got me thinking. It is absolutely the Boy Scouts of America's right as an organization to not allow gays to be in it. Just like they should be allowed to exclude any other person because its a private organization. That being said what does that prove?

As a former Boy Scout who was very active throughout my time it sickens me that the BSA is going to take this stand. You are required to get 3 separate citizenship badges in Boy Scouts in order to rise in rank. How is it being a good citizen to hate someone because they are gay? If anything they should be encouraging people from every aspect to join. The more variety that is allowed in Boy Scouts the more the scouts will learn.

And its not a matter of someone teaching "gay" thought either. No BSA leader should be bringing in their personal views to try and change the way a kid thinks. You are there to teach them how to be a good person and how to camp. If you hate black, do it on your own time. If you hump goats, do it on your own time. Continue the rule that you must have at least two adults at all time. It's not like gay's are going to rape boys more than straights, its the rape part thats the issue not the penis loving part. Don't allow rapists, do your background check and let gays in. Where is the issue?

The point is for kids to have fun and learn there things. As long as that happens I don't see why someone being gay should prevent them from helping kids.

This is not a political post, but more of a social post. I think the BSA should be allowed to exclude gays, I just don't think they should.

Since when is the Pentagon authorized to disagree with the Court?

Alright so usually I am very pro things that the military, as a whole, does. But where the hell does the Defense Department get off telling soldiers to remain quiet until pending appeals go through? This is America and the United States Court system has ruled that Don't Ask Don't Tell is unconstitutional. Fuck you DOD. You don't have the right to punish anyone who is following the law. Thats not how the United States of America operates. The law is ridiculous and unconstitutional in the first place, but you making a move to disagree with the court and not assure that the courts decision can be followed is unacceptable. Fuck you and the horse you rode in on D.O.D

Ps. A gay person can protect and serve just as well as a straight person. This is America home of the free, not America home of the free unless you are gay in which case you need to pretend you are straight or you may hurt your fellow soldiersfeelings. Your fellow soldiers don't like it then they should take a dishonorable discharge. They sign up to protect and serve the people and constitution of the United States, including people they dont agree with. If they don't want to carry out that charge then get the fuck out of the military you stupid cowards.

All the MMA kids will cringe at seeing this but it's the truth in this case.
" Mine is not to question why, mine is but to do or die" Do your jobs, I'm sorry your big macho-ness is offended by a gay person, just do your damn job

Why would you trust your children to an 11 year old?

Check this out

Putting the fact that she killed a baby aside why would you ever trust an 11 year old to watch a child. Ok so before anyone gets worked up and starts saying that they were babysitters at 11 I am not saying that it's an 11 year olds fault for not having the skills to babysit. I am sure there are plenty of 11-15 year olds (my sister in law LF is one of them) who do very well watching children. But think of it from the mindset of an 11 year old. To do that I will pose a scenario

Lets say that you are an 11 year old babysitter watching a 2 year old (like in the above scenario). Lets say that said 2 year old is running around and falls. Lets say they had something in their mouth. Now all of a sudden a fall is a very seriously thing that many (not all) 11 year olds aren't capable of handing. I think i would be ok at 11, but I am not even that sure of that.

Interestingly I discussed this thought with BQ and she mentioned that she took a baby sitter class before her parents allowed her to babysit. Fantastic idea! At least that way they will have a basic knowledge of first aid, CPR and many other emergency situations.

Conscientious Objectors

For the longest time I had a real issue with conscientious objectors. I didn't understand (beyond getting drafted) why you would join the army if you didn't want to fight. After some news reading today I came across this article and it changed my views dramatically on what bravery and a conscientious objector really is.

To me this is the true measure of honor and duty. Here is a guy who was a conscientious objector, finding fighting to be against his religion. Instead of saying o hey I don't want to fight I am out of here, he took a fantastic approach. He became a medic. It seems to me this is the perfect thought for what a CO should be. This is saying that he wants to help people, he doesn't want them to be hurt. He is going out of his way to help his countrymen (and any others for that matter) by healing them. The fact that he won the Congressional Medal of Honor is not relevant (although I think its fantastic) Here is a guy who didn't abandon his post nor his duty and still followed his beliefs. I think more people should do this

Want to go for a drive? Careful they are watching!

A recent news story caught my attention as an amazing affront to the US Constitution and freedom in general.

In 9 western states now law enforcement can place a gps tracking system on your car without a warrant or any type of court order. Say what? This is America, we have the clever thing called freedom. If I want to drive around in the desert where drugs are being grown (example from the news story) that is allowed! Driving past them, looking at the drugs, is not a crime. So why does the US Government have the right to track my car? Its not their business where I go. Nor is it there right to know.

Now I know the popular thing to say to things like this "Well if you haven't done anything wrong than you don't have to worry" That's not the way it works. I am a free citizen to go and do what I choose,so long as I am within the law. However if I just happen to have a friend who is a drug dealer or something that means that a GPS tracker could implicate me in drugs or something? No its up to the state to prove I am guilty, not up to me to prove I am innocent.

This, to me, seems like one of the worst decisions in legal history. Whats next? Tracking devices on phones, shoes, in our heads? Yes its a big jump from GPS in the car to GPS in our heads, but its not out of the realm of possibility. Are we going to have to carry around a little national ID card with a GPS chip in it "for our own protection"?

You know what give me my right to bear arms, my right to go where I want, and I will take care of myself. I don't need your help government, thanks for asking.

Scott Brown/Sarah Palin/Current Events

I am not a huge Scott Brown supporter (neither am I against him on everything though) I am not even a fan of Massachusetts, I think this state sucks. But Sarah Palin shut the fuck up. Don't talk about Massachusetts, your from Alaska, talk about that. Don't tell me what the people of Massachusetts want, obviously the majority wanted Scott Brown. Thats how democracy works. You failed to win vice president then decided that the end of your run in Alaska wasn't worth it so just shut the fuck up.

That being said I wanted to do a shout out of topics in the news recently that I have read about which fascinate me.

First up Jimmy Carter in North Korea to free a US citizen from the DPRK. Now I have always been of the mindset that, if a country holds a US citizen hostage then we take action, but not if we break another countries law. This guy broke the law of North Korea, guy deserves to be in a N. Korea jail. Do I think his sentence was fair, no I don't, but that DPRK law. So why are we sending in people to negotiate for his release, a guy breaks our laws in our country and I hope we don't let him out.

The UN peace keeping forces and how much they suck. So how do 400 people get raped when a UN peace keeping force is down the road? They use the excuse well we didn't know. What do you mean you didn't know? You were warned of a large force in that area, you know that these types of forces have a history of rape. Put 1 and 1 together people. I am not a huge fan of the UN (love the idea, meh with the reality) but if you are there to do a job then do the job right.

Mothers/Fathers killing their babies. So when did it become a mental health issue to be annoyed with your baby. Like the fact that you don't want to have a baby, or that you are annoyed with it doesn't give you the right to kill it. There is the person in Europe (I think Britain but im not sure.) who killed 8 of her babies because she didnt want to have them or ask for contraception. I'm sorry to any mental health person who thinks this is a mental health issue, but these people are shit. I think they should be taken out back and shot like the dogs they are. You don't kill a baby, that's just off limits. Even many murders think child killers are scum.

Thats all for now. On a more personal note the wedding is in less than a month. It has been a very up and down ride to get to this point (with planning and all that fun stuff) but we are almost there. So hope to see you all at the wedding on the 25th!

The running of the brides

While we are on the topic of society I would just like to point out that this is the stupidest even in the world. I mean people get hurt and fight at this thing...it's a dress you will wear once!
Crazy man

So what if you deaf your still a theif

Ok as many of you know I think that the whole PC movement is the worst thing that has ever happened in human society. No I am not saying that being PC is the worst thing a person can do so don't get all worked up. However as a society PC is what's going to cause us to collapse (that is if the machines don't get to us first.)
Read this

First of all the response by Forever 21 was fantastic, the security guard didn't follow protocol so he is already suspended.That right there (and any further court proceedings due to the violence of the guard is a different story.) What does this guy being deaf have to do with anything. They didn't tackle him because he was deaf, they tackled him because he fucking stole shit. The fact that he is deaf shouldn't even have been mentioned in this story. Being deaf shouldn't afford you any different rights then anyone else. I mean how is this story about a deaf guy and not about the fact that people are mad a security guard at the mall tackled someone? I dont give a shit if your gay, black, white, middle easter, Australian or have no legs. It doesn't make you special or anything, you are just like every other person. So if you steal shit then you should pay for it.

"An advocacy group for the deaf wants the clothing store chain to train workers to be more sensitive to hearing-impaired customers.
"We're making sure that it won't happen again," said Patricia Hughes, CEO of the Greater Los Angeles Agency on Deafness (GLAD)."
That statement right there says it all. Be more sensitive? The mother fucker stole shit. Its not an issue of him being deaf, he broke the law.
Stupid PC

Bad parenting actually exists....

Are you serious?

So I read this news story and it actually went as far to say that people who leave their kids in the car (the kid died of hyperthermia) are not bad parents. What the fuck are you talking about?? That is the DEFINITION of bad parenting. You forget about your kid in the car, leave them there, and they die?? I mean if thats not bad parenting what is?

I am not saying that those people are bad people or meant for this to happen, but it IS bad parenting guys. Sometimes people are to blame for what they do! Criminy

"Is a happy meal happy with out a toy?"

That is a fantastic question and was asked in this article

Apparently this group CSPI has decided that McDonalds (a private organization) having toys in their happy meals is making our children have bad eating habits. Its not that parents who bring their kids to McDonalds and pay for said happy meals. It's the 4 year old that wants the toy thats being influenced. Dude i don't care they are kids, just ignore them. Tell them no, its really that simple!

Best quote ever
""If you can't control a 3-year-old child for a toy, God save you when they get to be teenagers," Gage told the Los Angeles Times"

Fuck this lady

Sorry for the lack of link in my first post....click here

Fuck this lady. Just because you don't like something doesn't mean you can demand to have it taken down. Just because a portrait is of someone you find to be a reprehensible person doesn't mean that every one has to tip toe through the tulips when mentioning him around you. This lady claims to not want to forget the past, well fuck her. I think she is a goddamn hypocrite who wants to remember just the good and not that bad. And don't get me wrong, if she wanted to do that thats fine. However the second you demand that a picture be taken down because you don't like it i think you are a pathetic human being who wants to live in a little fantasy world.

Fuck you lady, grow up! If you don't like it don't go, don't prevent other people from seeing something they might enjoy.

trying people for someones suicide.

So the story of Phoebe Prince has been an interesting one to say the least. It is sad that a young girl felt the need to take her own life, but I have been having a real hard time coming to grips with the fact that they are trying others for bullying her to death. I am not even saying that that isn't why she killed herself, but I can't help but see a place for abuse of this legislation.

First off what is bullying? I tried to google the legal definition in Massachusetts, but couldn't find any so this will have to do.
"A person is bullied when he or she is exposed, repeatedly and over time, to negative actions on the part of one or more other persons, and he or she has difficulty defending himself or herself."

Let me put out a scenario for you right. Lets say that your teenage son doesn't get along with your neighbors teenage son. They go to the same school, but are fine there, its only when they are at home that its a problem. They like to call each other names and bluster about like young adults (boys) are prone to do.
Now lets say that the neighbor boy kills himself. Lets ASSUME for this scenario it was unrelated to what your son is doing. Obviously there is no way to prove that, but for a second lets assume. Now his family could say well your son bullied my son and now my son is dead therefore its your fault. Well in this assumption we know that this isn't the case.

Obviously thats just a thing that could happen, but in there is one very important factor...THERE IS NO WAY TO PROVE IT. Bullying doesn't equal suicide. And its not even considered negligence or anything like that. Maybe in this case it doesn't apply, but the thought needs to be put forth before it becomes a law. What about the first person who isn't nice to someone, but isn't the cause of their suicide...what about them?

By making legislation against bullying they are saying that its never ok to do anything that anyone doesn't like. Can you say the beginning of the end????...I can