NONE OF THE ABOVE

I wrote this earlier today, but just now found this 16 minute speech by Ron Paul. I think he makes the point much better than I do.
http://cspanjunkie.org/?p=459
If you are still here you can read my initial post below.

In the 80's Richard Prior and John Candy starred in a movie called Brewster's Millions. One of the gimmicks of this instant millionaire was to run a campaign for "NONE OF THE ABOVE".

As a kid I found it funny, as an adult I find it an acceptable slogan. Who shall I vote for? NONE OF THE ABOVE. And in the great state of California my vote will be discarded if I write in a candidate. So because my choice isn't 'officially' listed on the ballot, my vote is invalid.

So what shall I do? I could do as I've done in the past and vote for "the lesser of two evils". That seems to be the popular thing to do. I could join the majority of Americans who chose not to vote. I could write in the Candidate I believe is best for myself, my children and my country, knowing my vote will be cast away. I could vote for a third party candidate whom isn't as scary as the majority party candidates, and is at least closer to my views.

The short term net result of what I do is simple; One of two men, neither of whom will better America, will become President.

Could my choice have a long term effect? Can my generation work to escape the two party trap we have lived in for most of our nations history? If not, our gov't will continue to grow, a house with no foundation. And we will continue to be the camel of the world carrying an enormous burden until finally the straw will break our back.

So, I won't tell you who to vote FOR, but who not to vote for. Vote NONE OF THE ABOVE (Democrat or Republican). For a vote for either of the two majority party candidates is a vote for more gov't, more layers of straw on our backs.

Don't do this for yourself. Do it for your children, grandchildren, and future generation who will inherit the burden we give them, just as we have inherited the burden our fathers left us. And maybe someday the silent majority will follow our lead and help vote out the two party system.

A DAY AT THE BEACH

My wife's niece came to visit us for 3 weeks. She comes every year.

On her last day hear I decided a day at the beach would be nice. We drive down to the beach and have to hike in about 400 yards. The whole way they are griping and moaning. I made them carry things, like towels and boogie boards (so heavy). By the time we arrived at a clear spot on the beach I was so annoyed I was ready to leave. Eventually the chaos settled and the water was calling. I ran down to my old friend (the great Pacific Ocean) and dove in with gusto. Swam out, body surfed back in. It was a glorious time.



As I came back in to shore I was walking towards my wife and Caleb who was not liking the moving water when I felt my pocket. In the chaos and annoyance of the kids wining I had completely forgot to take my keys and phone out of my pocket. FYI Saltwater and Cell phones are a bad combination. On a brighter note, both keys and phone stayed in my pocket and were not swallowed by the ocean.

So I spent a whole week without a cell phone. It wasn't as bad as I thought. But alas, today I bought a new electronic leash.

Anyone reading who actually knows me, please call me or e'mail you phone number since I lost almost everyones number.

STANDING OUTSIDE THE FIRE!

I've been at my new job about 3 months now. I'm just getting settled in. I'm developing good rapport with my my guys. I'm loving the swing shift. And truthfully my job is easy.

Now I've been asked to step into a different role. It's day shift which mean I have to start waking up to alarm clocks again. And it's way more stressful that what I do now.

There is actually a long list of pros and cons for both positions. I guess I'm just reluctant to change when I'm just getting used to what I'm doing and I know there is still so much to accomplish with my guys. I'm reluctant to jump back into the stressful life of planning and scheduling. I'm enjoying the stress free life and was looking forward to enjoying the stress free life for at least a season.

Actually it has been a season. OK I was looking forward to the stress free life for more than one season.

I've already decided to accept the new position. I'm mourning the anticipated loss of the easy life. But you can't move forward in life by sitting in the path of least resistance. "Life is not tried, it is merely survived, if you're standing outside the fire." So back to the forge I go.

Wish me luck.

DEATH OF THE KING

2 years ago my wife and I went out to buy a new bed. She was pregnant with Caleb and with her growing belly we just didn't fit together on a full sized matress. We only wanted to upgrade once so we decided bigger was better. After a lengthy discussion we decided a King over a California King would be better. The reason being is my skinny self sprawls out and takes up lots of space, so we chose the widest bed on the market.

Recently we've been bed cover shopping and much to my chagrin we've found that it is impossible to find coverings for a King sized bed. When I asked a sales associate why I was told "We don't carry King anymore, only Cal King". YOU WHAT?

Of course I thought this was just one store. "Oh now, it's company wide." Fine, I'll go look elsewhere for my covers. So the next major store chain we tried brought the exact same results.

Apparently, unbeknownst to me, someone decided to phase out King sized covers from department stores and now all you can find are Cal Kings. Quite perturbing when you own a King sized bed. Because I live in California I can't have a regular King?

I'm beginning to wonder if this is only a California problem or if it is happening elsewhere in the world. One of the stores I tried was Sears (believe it or not). And on our way out the door we passed the matress section, where oddly, they offered only King sized matresses (not a Cal King in sight).

I must be in the twilight zone. Oh wait, I'm in California, which is just as bad.

A DYING BREED!

I have had the privilege of working with some very talented men in my life. Self motivated hard working men who learned through the school of hard knocks and as such can do most anything at some level. Most of these men are older and on the verge of retirement.

Now for the sad part. The torch isn't being passed. Instead the flame of knowledge is burning out as these men take their knowledge and talent with them to retirement or to the grave. I've asked why they haven't shared their knowledge with the younger generation. Almost all of them give the same answer. "No one wants to learn. It takes time to learn what I have to teach and your generation wants the quick fix answer".

In the age of "Instant Gratification" we have lost the patience of dedication in search of skill and knowledge. We have taken away the school of hard knocks and now just look for specialized talent or contracted work. We pay someone else to do our work and then wonder why "our" team has no talent. We fail to train our men, and then complain when they know nothing.

I fear shortly I will be left in a world of ignorance. I fear the knowledge pool will be gone before I have finished drinking from it. The gap will be huge and the shoes left empty impossible to fill.

Am I prepared for this up and coming loss due to retirement? I don't think anybody is. This is going to be a hard decade for technological fields. Those of us left in the coming knowledge vacuum will have to step up. We will need to be motivated and dedicated to learning what we failed to learn while the Wisdom was still readily available. Are there enough of my generation with the drive to meet the task? So far the answer seems to be no.

So what can I do? Hmmm, lead by example, dedicate my own life to salvaging the outgoing wisdom and keep my team of workers motivated in the search of deeper knowledge and understanding.

Comedians

"Black kids are magicians, they make their fathers disappear!"

Did he just say that? *blinks* He did just say that.

Actually I didn't. The black comedian I watching at 1am did. Not sure why I'm up at 1am, but I am. Now I don't know about you, but that line had me rolling. (it's probably funnier when delivered by someone other than me)

"the average white man gets pulled over and he's thinking, 'I hope I don't get a ticket'. I get pulled over and I'm thinking, 'I hope nobody who looks like me did something'."

I love great comedians, but I think black comedians have an unfair advantage. They are allowed to throw out the borderline if not blatant racist jokes that would get anyone else blacklisted. Labelled a bigot.

Guess that's just part of living in our politically correct world.

Ok, one more joke. Read it slowly with an Irish accent.

"This jokes about an Irishman working in England. As you know there's alot of Irishman working in England. They go over there and help em to build the skyscrapers, the highways, the supermarkets, the hotels. And then they go back a couple of years later and blow them all up... and then they go back and build them again.. and than they go and blow them all up.. and then they go back and build them again. And the English haven't caught on yet. They think it's political. It's not. It's Job Security!"

and on that note, I'm off to bed.

Living for Posterity

I've lived my life in survival mode. Always living to get through the day, but rarely looking to future.

In my defense, I am a dreamer, as my wife likes to remind me. I've spent many an hour dreaming of possible futures, possible business ventures, possible realities.

So where has a life of dreams and survival gotten me? As the song goes, "Another day older and deeper in debt". This would be acceptable to me if it was just me. But it's me, my wife and my three kids. Poverty, sofa hopping, dreaming without pursuing of dreams, living on whims, seizing the day without care or worry of tomorrow; all a me I can no longer be. The future matters. It's something to plan and prepare for. To strive for. Survival worked when I was a bachelor but it has become a burden as a family man.

Today PP gave a sermon on planning for the future. Part of Israel's failure before God was her failure to look ahead. It had me thinking about other Bible passages. God says we are to build an inheritance for our grandchildren (and I would say for our great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren). This being both a spiritual inheritance and a physical inheritance. The blessings God gives to me and my wife are supposed to be carried on to my posterity. This means I have to do more than survive, I have to excel. I have to get out of debt, and learn how to wisely invest my money to create an empire for me and my family. I need to teach my children the lessons I've learned; about God; about debt; about family; about all of the knowledge God has given me. If I don't pass what I have learned through the school of hard knocks onto my children, than I am failing them.

I sat thinking about what my parents and grandparents left me. My grandfather had a stronger work ethic than anyone I've ever known. This man came to America with nothing and died with 7 homes paid for in cash and a small fortune in the bank all earned through hard work at normal everyday jobs. He left it all to his wife and kids when he died. My grandmother, being a product of the great depression, was the most frugal person I ever knew and she certainly didn't waste it. But their children did and all that my grandfather worked for in his life vanished in less than a decade. See, my grandparents were two very talented people, and some of that they passed on to their children, but they failed to pass on their financial knowledge, and they failed to pass on any real spiritual knowledge. The net result is they left their children bankrupt (financially and spiritually).

So my father had little to pass on to me (my mother had even less). What little they had, not even that was passed on to me. It's as if I grew up in a vacuum. Survival is all I've ever known.

So now what? Now I learn the hard way. Now I move forward. Now I pass on to my posterity what I have had to teach myself. Now I live for the future, not just my future (that's the least of my worries), but my childrens future, my grand-childrens future. It is they who will see the greatest rewards of my labor.

I've learned late in life lessons which could have benefitted me greatly when I was younger. Now I'm digging myself out of a hole of my own creation. Maybe my children's hole won't be so deep if I can teach them rightly in their youth. And maybe my grand-children's hole will be even shallower.

My wife and I are both 1st generation Christians. We are bound to make many mistakes. But I think we are headed on the right path and I am confident my posterity will be blessed because of it. Maybe the Lord will let me live long enough to see the benifits of my labor proclaimed through my grand-children and great-grand-children.

I thought I was so wise when I was a teenager. Am I going to look back at me today and say, "what a young fool you were"?

CrossRoads

It seems God has a way of keeping me on my toes. My world has been turned upside down all at once. Today I sit at the crossroads of my life with a slur of beginnings and endings wondering what tomorrow will be like.

May 13th at 10:16am Jahaira Lynne O'Brien was born. 8lbs 10oz 20.5 inches. My first new beginning. I've been a Dad for quite some time now. First to my stepson, then to my firstborn son and now a baby girl. I was surprised at the different feelings I developed. I've always heard the phrase "Daddy's Girl" but never understood it until now. Not that I don't love my son's, but I'm not very protective of them. I expect them to figure it out and experience the school of hard knocks. Yet I already feel myself being very protective of Jahaira. I'm thinking at this point, I'm going to have to count on Mom and bro's to teach her the school of hard knocks, cuz Daddy wants to build a wall (Pink Floyd anyone).

My first ending is also my second beginning. End of unemployment and the beginning of a new job. Quite frankly I was enjoying unemployment. Not waking up to an alarm clock, spending time with the wife and kids. My new employer has expressed very high expectations. Me being me, I'm of course questioning if I can meet them, when in reality, I'll set my mind to whatever task needs to be done and it will get done. I love the challenge, yet always question my ability to meet the goal. I make the least sense when dealing with me. Tomorrow is the day. It's a good job. Better pay, full benefits, plus 401k match. 2 weeks vacation starting and a boss who doesn't want to be my boss, but instead just expects me to perform so he doesn't have to worry about it. My kind of job so far. It's swing shift, that will take some getting used to, but it should be bearable. At least it's not graveyard.

Next at the crossroads is an ending. My good friend WJS graduated from Law School. He's been my best friend (before I met and married my wife of course) since I was a teenager. He was blessed to marry his High School Sweetheart. And he's been struggling through school for many years, while handling marriage and children (2 boys so far). Today, 2 days after his graduation, he is on his way to Texas. This is to be his new home. I must say his graduation has been a bitter sweet event. I will greatly miss my friend and his family. At the same time I'm thrilled for him and his family. I'm certainly glad he could escape the cesspool of Los Angeles. So farewell my friend. Keep fulfilling those dreams.

Today also marked the beginning of a month long visit from my mother-in-law. I'm hoping it turns out to be a blessing of grandmotherly assistance, yet fear it will be a battle of wills between mom and daughter.

So I now move forward through the crossroads into a new world trusting that God knows what he is doing. May God give me the wisdom to raise my daughter up right, the fortitude and guidance to succeed in my new career, and comfort in knowing that WJS and family have moved on to a better place.

Worlds Apart!

I recently ended a debate I was having with a Mormon. His final response was clear. "Our worldviews are so far apart we will never find common ground." I couldn't argue with him as I agree with him. This debate led me to wonder, why are the things which are so crystal clear to me, so hard for others to see?

Here is a list of a few
-Big government is bad (no we don't need the welfare / warfare dictatorship we have)
-Government doesn't belong in the private sector. (let business and people take care of themselves, they will do a much better job)
-My money belongs to me (God only demands 10%, why should the gov't get more than God?)
-Credit is bad (my grandfather bought 7 houses in cash. Wish I had learned this lesson much earlier in life)
-An armed nation is a safer nation (no, I don't own a gun, bun I'm working on it)
-God is omniscient and in control of everything (he means evil for good and good for good)
-Welfare is bad (hellooooo, since when is stealing from one person to give to another a good idea?)
-Everyone believes in God (they do.)
-Gov't controlled schools are destroying our youth (so we should stop giving them our money)
-the Feminist movement is evil (and no, I don't hate women, I'm married to a very beautiful woman who happens to have spent the first 30 years of her life engulfed in a feminist world)
-a Christian Democrat needs to re-evaluate his faith. (before you scream, I don't like the Republicans either, but at least their political view is slightly closer to their faith which they proclaim)

I could go on for a long time and create a list that would raise all sorts of controversial issues. And then everyone would hate me and never read anything I wrote again. I guess I'm assuming that someone is actually reading this. But that isn't my point. My point is no matter the issue, the response is always the same.

Fictitious Example:
This is what I hear from my perspective.
"Tell me you don't really believe that... the earth is round" and I reply, "Well YES, I do believe... that the earth is round, and I believe it because... I've been around the earth"


Now for what they hear.
"Tell me you don't really believe that... the earth is flat" and I reply, "Well YES, I do believe... the earth is flat, and I believe it because... wah wah wah wah wah wah"

It's always as if I'm bringing some absurd notion to the table and all they can focus on is that I believe this absurd notion. The rest of my argument falls on deaf ears.

I feel like saying, "If you can just step out of your box for a few minutes, we can get past your belief that my view is absurd." Even those who seem open reach a point where there is an impenetrable wall. Usually a wall built by years of self indoctrination via church / media / and other propaganda. It molds their thoughts into notions which, to me, stand outside of common sense and reason. Yet these are notions which I highly doubt they would come to of their own volition.

My 8 year old can figure out that if you walk into a room full of armed men, it is probably a bad idea to try to rob it; or that it is wrong to steal from one person and give it to another person: or that God is either in control or he's not in control:

Ok, not all of my viewpoints an 8 year old can understand, but many of the most hotly debated ones I'm sure he can figure out.

Is there a point to this blather. No, just me being frustrated at those who walk through life with blinders on repeating the nonsensical propaganda that someone has been feeding them all of their life, not really seeing, sensing and learning for themselves, but clinging desperately to their views, taught them by some inspired leader, in spite of all rhyme or reason.

We live in a world which has forgetten the most basic of questions; WHY? Why do you believe it is right to take money from A and give it to B? Why do you believe gov't has a right to my money? Why do you believe the world is round? Why do you believe you have a free will which supercedes the will of God? Why don't you believe in God? Why do you believe in killing babies? Why do you believe that America should be the world Police building other nations in our "perfect image"? Why are your marriage vows so easily discarded?

What about me you say? Fair enough. Why do I believe in God? Why do I value the life of a child who is still in his mothers womb? Why do I believe the world is round? Why do I believe America should return to the Founding Fathers belief of "Alliance with none, commerce with all"? Why do I fear what public schools are doing to our youth?

I have answers to all off my why's, answer formed through life and studious observation, not through brainwashing by media, religion, school, gov't propaganda, or whatever draws people to irrational conclusions.

Ok, vent is over, I feel better. Now dear reader, don't forget to ask yourself Why? Why you believe whatever it is you believe.

Quotes of Thomas Jefferson!!!

In reading the writings of our nations Founding Fathers, it saddens me to reallize in how little regard our society holds their views. We pay them lip service by celebrating Presidents Day and the Fourth of July and such, then chose to ignore almost all that they believed in. The rights and freedom for which they fought to secure, we throw away. In modern America, their views are considered antiquated. Washinton, Jefferson, Franklin, Hancock, Adams, Revere, Paine, and such. Great men, great leaders of their time. But their way no longer applies to us.

We study the warriors of ancient China, the philosphers of ancient Greece, many of us adhere to Biblical concepts written millennia ago. Yet the political wisdom of 200 years ago is antiquated.

So here is some political wisdom from 200 years ago from the pen of Thomas Jefferson

-Government big enough to supply everything you need is big enough to take everything you have ... The course of history shows that as a government grows, liberty decreases.

-I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them.

-We must not let our rulers load us with perpetual debt.

-The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not.

-There is nothing more unequal, than the equal treatment of unequal people

-Democracy is 51% of the people taking away the rights of the other 49%

-If people let government decide what foods they eat and what medicines they take, their bodies will soon be in as sorry a state as are the souls of those who live under tyranny.

-The spirit of resistance to government is so valuable on certain occasions that I wish it to be always kept alive.

-I have seen enough of one war never to wish to see another

-That government is best which governs the least, because its people discipline themselves

-Every citizen should be a soldier. This was the case with the Greeks and Romans, and must be that of every free state.

-We in America do not have government by the majority. We have government by the majority who participate

-Never spend your money before you have it.

-I would rather be exposed to the inconveniences attending too much liberty than to those attending too small a degree of it.

-I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies. If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around [the banks] will deprive the people of all property until their children wake-up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered. The issuing power should be taken from the banks and restored to the people, to whom it properly belongs.

We all should spend more time reading the writings of the men who Founded this nation, and then practice applying their wisdom to our world. If we don't, we will continue down the road of less freedom, less property and less rights.