This is one of those sayings that just grates my nerves. I understand that you dont absolutely need money to be happy and that having money doesn't instantly make you happy, but it goes a really long way.
This has come up today because of news about Tiger Woods poor unfortunate ex-wife getting a settlement of $100M plus a $3M house. So of course guys everywhere are saying that's insane and women respond with something along the lines of "She's been through hell, the money doesn't matter and wont make her life any better!" I call shenanigans. $100M will make up for just about anything. She will never have to work another day in her life unless she wants to and the same goes for her kids, and most likely their kids, and as long as there's a bit of investment and no Elton John level nonsense, probably their kids too. So what if she went through the pain of being cheated on and publicly embarrassed and the kids will now grow up in a broken home, welcome to everyday life! Oh but wait you're a multi millionaire nothing needs to be normal for you ever again. Want the kids to have a father figure? Spend some time finding a good man. You dont need to marry for money or status anymore, pick one you actually like!
Think of all the things you've had to sacrifice to make ends meet. All that time spent working that could have been spent doing things you love, or spending time with the people you care about. If I never HAD to do anything again and could spend all my time pursuing things that I actually liked I think I'd be pretty damn blissful. Sure you still need things like meaningful relationships in order to be truly happy but guess what you have all time in the world to find someone, you're incredibly marketable no matter how ugly you are, and you can spend all the time you want doing whatever you want to build that relationship. You are never limited in what you can do with that kind of money, as long as you're smart.
Basically what I'm saying is as long as you know what you actually want money can make it happen. Whether its actually buying it or just giving you the freedom to pursue it. All those miserable rich people you see got that way because they took what other people sold to them as happiness, and filled in the blanks with drugs, expensive cars, and imagined social status. If you can define your own happiness I'm willing to bet you can think of a way that a truckoad of money would make it easier to obtain. Stop lying to poor people!
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
What being conservative means to me
To many people the word Conservative is synonymous with Stupid, and there are many conservatives who seem to do everything in their power to confirm this. I think the main issue is the lumping together of the terms Religious and Right. While yes I'm religious, and yes I lean to the right, they're not connected in my case. Conservative does not refer to my morality, I'm perfectly OK with women wearing pants for instance.
For many the decision to go left or right is reached by one of two issues. Gay marriage and Abortion. You can almost cut cleanly down the party line on those issues because Politicians pander to their demographics. Therefor almost anyone with strong religious values will instantly rally to the right, regardless of where the candidate stands on other far more important issues, like say the Constitution. These things should be as far away from politics as possible, they have nothing to do with it, yet its often the first question asked of anyone running for any substantial office. Both are moral issues and should under no circumstances whatsoever be decided by the government. If it really must be decided put it to a public vote at the state or even county level and let the people decide. That's the only way any moral decision should be made, on an individual basis. Enough about what's not conservative, on to why I am.
There are several key items I feel represent my political philosophy. Small Government, Adherence to the Constitution as a very literal document, and American sovereignty. All three of which are polar opposite from our current administration but that deserves its own article. The first two are fairly obvious but the third may be a little vague to some. What I mean is that America should decide how things go in America. Our immigration policy should not need to meet the standards of a visiting diplomat. The UN does not get to decide which amendments are valid. All that jazz.
So thank you Fox News and crazy Tea Party members for so poorly representing our movement, and for muddling our shared goals with so much nonsense and scripture quoting. I'll be over here using my religious beliefs for personal decisions and basing my politics on actual issues.
For many the decision to go left or right is reached by one of two issues. Gay marriage and Abortion. You can almost cut cleanly down the party line on those issues because Politicians pander to their demographics. Therefor almost anyone with strong religious values will instantly rally to the right, regardless of where the candidate stands on other far more important issues, like say the Constitution. These things should be as far away from politics as possible, they have nothing to do with it, yet its often the first question asked of anyone running for any substantial office. Both are moral issues and should under no circumstances whatsoever be decided by the government. If it really must be decided put it to a public vote at the state or even county level and let the people decide. That's the only way any moral decision should be made, on an individual basis. Enough about what's not conservative, on to why I am.
There are several key items I feel represent my political philosophy. Small Government, Adherence to the Constitution as a very literal document, and American sovereignty. All three of which are polar opposite from our current administration but that deserves its own article. The first two are fairly obvious but the third may be a little vague to some. What I mean is that America should decide how things go in America. Our immigration policy should not need to meet the standards of a visiting diplomat. The UN does not get to decide which amendments are valid. All that jazz.
So thank you Fox News and crazy Tea Party members for so poorly representing our movement, and for muddling our shared goals with so much nonsense and scripture quoting. I'll be over here using my religious beliefs for personal decisions and basing my politics on actual issues.
Monday, August 16, 2010
The supposed Mosque at Ground Zero
First off I want to make a disclaimer to spell out exactly how I feel about this because it may become hazy by the end.
I don't take issue with at all. It's not actually a Mosque and it's not actually at "Ground Zero" but since the media has created such a stink, and I've had several discussions about it, I thought I would address it here. It's protected under Freedom of Religion and therefor we cannot and should not try to stop it. That's the extent of my case for it, I will now play Devil's Advocate for a bit. Disclaimer over.
The case against it:
Those speaking out against it have been labeled racists and that is a really lazy stance. To simply call them Racists and sweep their concerns aside will only widen the gap, not to mention the issue is with the religion and not the race. There are plenty of valid reasons to be concerned.
Throughout their history Muslims have built temples and other important structures on sites considered sacred by those they have conquered (Constantinople, Mecca, Cordoba, Jerusalem, etc). It was a way of saying "This is ours now and Islam reigns". The current situation can certainly be viewed in a similar light. This is the site where many died in the name of Islam, radical or otherwise, and now we will make it ours. That's a pretty easy pill to swallow for many and it certainly creates a sinister tone.
Islam is the worlds last true state religion. It is a reflection of the powers that be in the Middle East. Here's a quote from (Ret) Army Lt. Gen Boykin.
So it's not just another church to an alternate God, it's an embassy to a World Power. It is the truest example of why we separate church and state. Islam is the government not just an influence on it.
If that's not enough to make you understand why this freaks some people out then you may want to look up empathy. It's a pretty useful social skill. As in: Do I honestly believe those points have anything to do with this construction project? Nope. Do I understand how some people could believe that? Yup.
So now it boils down to Public Relations. The general consensus among many Americans is that Islam is a religion of violence, oppression, and hate. They claim the opposite but little has been done in the face of all the horrible stories we hear about life under Muslim law. This is a golden opportunity for Islam to earn some points. Publicly apologize for any offense taken and politely move the center elsewhere. Sure the public opinion is wrong, but by going with it they can show that softer side they keep assuring us exists. If the site holds no significance to them then changing it should be no problem and will show a willingness to work with us infidels. This would take the wind out of the sails of all the people claiming this is the first step of a Muslim Takeover and avoid anyone having to infringe on religious freedoms. Any expense incurred by a change in plans would certainly be offset by dodging the terrible press.
Another victim of this stupidity is Pres. Obama. For some reason he thought it would be a good idea to announce his support for Islam in this matter. Why did he have to open his mouth? Don't the nutjobs already have enough ammo for their Obama is pro Muslim and therefor anti-American theories? The one time he chooses to hold to the constitution and this is what he does with it? Come on man! Think! Say that they are within their rights but that you personally feel it would be in poor taste. That way you're not actually stopping them but you're not screaming Allah Akbar at the Republicans. At least pretend to care about what people think. Help them find a more suitable site "to foster a peaceful relationship between Islam and the West". You need better advisers, I don't even study political science or PR and this seems like an obvious solution.
On another note. can we please stop calling it "Ground Zero"? The attack was nine years ago, the site isn't contaminated or anything, build a monument and move on. Yes it was a terrible event so let's honor the dead by using it as an opportunity to grow.
I don't take issue with at all. It's not actually a Mosque and it's not actually at "Ground Zero" but since the media has created such a stink, and I've had several discussions about it, I thought I would address it here. It's protected under Freedom of Religion and therefor we cannot and should not try to stop it. That's the extent of my case for it, I will now play Devil's Advocate for a bit. Disclaimer over.
The case against it:
Those speaking out against it have been labeled racists and that is a really lazy stance. To simply call them Racists and sweep their concerns aside will only widen the gap, not to mention the issue is with the religion and not the race. There are plenty of valid reasons to be concerned.
Throughout their history Muslims have built temples and other important structures on sites considered sacred by those they have conquered (Constantinople, Mecca, Cordoba, Jerusalem, etc). It was a way of saying "This is ours now and Islam reigns". The current situation can certainly be viewed in a similar light. This is the site where many died in the name of Islam, radical or otherwise, and now we will make it ours. That's a pretty easy pill to swallow for many and it certainly creates a sinister tone.
Islam is the worlds last true state religion. It is a reflection of the powers that be in the Middle East. Here's a quote from (Ret) Army Lt. Gen Boykin.
"We need to remember that Islam is not a religion, but a totalitarian way of life with a religious component. Yet we protect the entire thing under the first amendment. Stop and think about it. Islam is a legal system, a political system, a financial system, a dress code, a moral code, and a social structure, yet we protect it as a First Amendment issue."
So it's not just another church to an alternate God, it's an embassy to a World Power. It is the truest example of why we separate church and state. Islam is the government not just an influence on it.
If that's not enough to make you understand why this freaks some people out then you may want to look up empathy. It's a pretty useful social skill. As in: Do I honestly believe those points have anything to do with this construction project? Nope. Do I understand how some people could believe that? Yup.
So now it boils down to Public Relations. The general consensus among many Americans is that Islam is a religion of violence, oppression, and hate. They claim the opposite but little has been done in the face of all the horrible stories we hear about life under Muslim law. This is a golden opportunity for Islam to earn some points. Publicly apologize for any offense taken and politely move the center elsewhere. Sure the public opinion is wrong, but by going with it they can show that softer side they keep assuring us exists. If the site holds no significance to them then changing it should be no problem and will show a willingness to work with us infidels. This would take the wind out of the sails of all the people claiming this is the first step of a Muslim Takeover and avoid anyone having to infringe on religious freedoms. Any expense incurred by a change in plans would certainly be offset by dodging the terrible press.
Another victim of this stupidity is Pres. Obama. For some reason he thought it would be a good idea to announce his support for Islam in this matter. Why did he have to open his mouth? Don't the nutjobs already have enough ammo for their Obama is pro Muslim and therefor anti-American theories? The one time he chooses to hold to the constitution and this is what he does with it? Come on man! Think! Say that they are within their rights but that you personally feel it would be in poor taste. That way you're not actually stopping them but you're not screaming Allah Akbar at the Republicans. At least pretend to care about what people think. Help them find a more suitable site "to foster a peaceful relationship between Islam and the West". You need better advisers, I don't even study political science or PR and this seems like an obvious solution.
On another note. can we please stop calling it "Ground Zero"? The attack was nine years ago, the site isn't contaminated or anything, build a monument and move on. Yes it was a terrible event so let's honor the dead by using it as an opportunity to grow.
Introduction
Howdy. This is where I'll describe a bit about myself and my so called world view to give you an idea of where I'm coming from.
I'm a conservative, and if your mind just jumped to Republican, then slow down. I do not align myself with any political party. I support many of the things that the GOP promises yet seldom delivers. I believe in small government and freedom in it's purest form even if it means making people uncomfortable.
I'm a Christian, raised Baptist though once again I dislike such labels. I do not currently attend a church, my relationship with God is private as is how I choose to worship. My religion very rarely has any bearing on my political views, which is rare since I claim to be both of the dreaded C's. Hopefully I'll be able to make some sense of that in the coming posts.
So yeah, now that that's out of the way, not all of the posts will involve politics or religion. Many will just be Nerd Rage. On that front, I'm a film maker, artist, and writer (though I hesitate to claim that last one) so I can be really biased about those subjects. I'm also an "old school" gamer, meaning I grew up playing games when 8-bit was hot stuff and portable games were almost unheard of. I've been known to shake my fist and say "kids these days" on occasion.
The title "All Aboard the Hate Train" is an inside joke, if you thought it had something to do with racism then this is not the place for you, my hate is not restricted by color, class, or creed. I only hate the stupid, and the willfully ignorant. If you think hate is a bad word, this is not the place for you. Hate is good, there are things worth reviling and worthy of absolute destruction. "Hate keeps a man alive"
Well that about sums up what you need to know. I'm sure to offend everyone at some point or another so don't worry I'll get around to you eventually.
I'm a conservative, and if your mind just jumped to Republican, then slow down. I do not align myself with any political party. I support many of the things that the GOP promises yet seldom delivers. I believe in small government and freedom in it's purest form even if it means making people uncomfortable.
I'm a Christian, raised Baptist though once again I dislike such labels. I do not currently attend a church, my relationship with God is private as is how I choose to worship. My religion very rarely has any bearing on my political views, which is rare since I claim to be both of the dreaded C's. Hopefully I'll be able to make some sense of that in the coming posts.
So yeah, now that that's out of the way, not all of the posts will involve politics or religion. Many will just be Nerd Rage. On that front, I'm a film maker, artist, and writer (though I hesitate to claim that last one) so I can be really biased about those subjects. I'm also an "old school" gamer, meaning I grew up playing games when 8-bit was hot stuff and portable games were almost unheard of. I've been known to shake my fist and say "kids these days" on occasion.
The title "All Aboard the Hate Train" is an inside joke, if you thought it had something to do with racism then this is not the place for you, my hate is not restricted by color, class, or creed. I only hate the stupid, and the willfully ignorant. If you think hate is a bad word, this is not the place for you. Hate is good, there are things worth reviling and worthy of absolute destruction. "Hate keeps a man alive"
Well that about sums up what you need to know. I'm sure to offend everyone at some point or another so don't worry I'll get around to you eventually.
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