LLH
Lost Localhost

Where I was...

I was working at the paintball field. It was just Chris and I - the field was closed on Tuesday, but we had work to do. The only electricity we had was a generator to run the tools we needed to build the new awning on the main building. We had been working for a while when we needed more supplies from the main shop about 15 minutes away so we jumped into the truck to head back. I think when we first turned on the radio, we quickly changed the station trying to find some good music instead of talk - but when every station was void of anything pleasing to the ear, we listened. "An airplane has hit the world trade center". Our initial impression was probably what most would have had "What a horrible accident". It had just happened, and just as we got back to the main shop we heard a second one hit and we knew what was happening. We ran into the store and grabbed a cheap old TV to get some picture of the news. The TV was old and barely worked - we actually used three hangers and tin foil to get a fuzzy picture of two burning buildings. To be honest, I don't remember much after that.

That's where I was.

Of all the reasons for me never to forget my six years working for Badlandz, Bad Boyz Toyz, and Shocktech, that's the worst.

Are you SERIOUS?!

In my one post here praising the big O's administration I expressed my concern for it...
This speech was a pep-talk to school children accross the country. When the discussion about him bringing politics into the speech came up and considering the fact that the speech was not released early, I was skeptical and pretty angry. If you control the perception of the children of a nation, you control the nation. (10 points to whoever can tell me who thought that in history) Calling on impressionable youth to "help [the President]" is wrong - maybe they shouldn't help you and your socialistic friends destroy our founding piciples. Maybe they don't beleive what you beleive. With that said, it seems he listened to the American people this time and reworked his words. Thank you, Mr.O.
Today a video came out of school children singing praises to Mr.O. WHAT?! This is taking a page right out of Hitlers playbook! The school should be ashamed of themselves. If this happened with Bushor Reagan, there would be a shitstorm already. Where is the storm? Click here for details.

What the kids are saying...
Mm, mmm, mm!
Barack Hussein Obama
He said that all must lend a hand
To make this country strong again
Mmm, mmm, mm!
Barack Hussein Obama
He said we must be fair today
Equal work means equal pay
Mmm, mmm, mm!
Barack Hussein Obama
He said that we must take a stand
To make sure everyone gets a chance
Mmm, mmm, mm!
Barack Hussein Obama
He said red, yellow, black or white
All are equal in his sight
Mmm, mmm, mm!
Barack Hussein Obama
Yes!
Mmm, mmm, mm
Barack Hussein Obama
=======
Hello, Mr. President we honor you today!
For all your great accomplishments, we all doth say "hooray!"
Hooray, Mr. President! You're number one!
The first black American to lead this great nation!
Hooray, Mr. President we honor your great plans
To make this country's economy number one again!
Hooray Mr. President, we're really proud of you!
And we stand for all Americans under the great Red, White, and Blue!
So continue ---- Mr. President we know you'll do the trick
So here's a hearty hip-hooray ----
Hip, hip hooray!
Hip, hip hooray!
Hip, hip hooray!
All praise Kim Jong Obama.

OK, so I added that last line myself. With things like this and schools needing to notify students on how they don't need to say the pledge of allegiance I'm sooooo homeschooling my kid.

Democracy vs. Republic

"I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America,
and to the Republic for which it stands,
one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."


I thought we lived in a democracy, too. I'm starting to do some research into the difference between a democracy like we're taught to think of ourselves as, and a republic which is the true intention of our founding.
Please post up your thoughts if you know more than me (not hard to do) about this, or what you find interesting about the conept. To get you started, here are the breif definitions from military training manuals. The following comes from Training Manual No. 2000-25 published by the War Department, November 30, 1928.
DEMOCRACY:
  • A government of the masses.
  • Authority derived through mass meeting or any other form of "direct" expression.
  • Results in mobocracy.
  • Attitude toward property is communistic--negating property rights.
  • Attitude toward law is that the will of the majority shall regulate, whether is be based upon deliberation or governed by passion, prejudice, and impulse, without restraint or regard to consequences.
  • Results in demogogism, license, agitation, discontent, anarchy.
REPUBLIC:
  • Authority is derived through the election by the people of public officials best fitted to represent them.
  • Attitude toward law is the administration of justice in accord with fixed principles and established evidence, with a strict regard to consequences.
  • A greater number of citizens and extent of territory may be brought within its compass.
  • Avoids the dangerous extreme of either tyranny or mobocracy.
  • Results in statesmanship, liberty, reason, justice, contentment, and progress.
  • Is the "standard form" of government throughout the world.
Old manuals, I know. These were ordered destroyed back in the Rosevelt Era, BTW.
More ramblings and whinning from me to come on this after I put forth my 8th grade reading skills to work. =)

Now Time for Something Completely Different!

I'd like to think I'm a fairly open-minded person. Most of my political rants are pretty damning of the current administration as a whole, and not always specifically about the man in the office. But I also will absolutely give credit where credit is due.

Nice speech, Mr.President. It was refreshing to read it.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/MediaResources/PreparedSchoolRemarks/
I have not seen the video, but I read the transcript - so maybe I need to say "Nice speech, Mr.Speech Writer" but I'm sure the Big O had something to do with it.

This speech was a pep-talk to school children accross the country. When the discussion about him bringing politics into the speech came up and considering the fact that the speech was not released early, I was skeptical and pretty angry. If you control the perception of the children of a nation, you control the nation. (10 points to whoever can tell me who thought that in history) Calling on impressionable youth to "help [the President]" is wrong - maybe they shouldn't help you and your socialistic friends destroy our founding piciples. Maybe they don't beleive what you beleive. With that said, it seems he listened to the American people this time and reworked his words. Thank you, Mr.O.

I try and bring up things about this speech that I don't like and I'm stretched thin.
I try and say I can do without the "I'm just like you" crap, but kids do need to see the sucess from a child who grew up in poverty. Even if I don't agree with his policies, he has done more than I can dream to. Having a good work ethic is something lacking in many of these childrens role modles.

I don't like that this speech has a feeling of going to young black kids in particular. "I know that sometimes, you get the sense from TV that you can be rich and successful without any hard work -- that your ticket to success is through rapping or basketball or being a reality TV star" He redeems himself at the end of that sentence though "when chances are, you’re not going to be any of those things. ... being successful is hard." Despite putting that as a complaint, I am not blind to the differences in racial quality of education and life in general. It is well documented that minorities have a higher drop out rate, get into more legal troubles, and score lower on standardized tests. Because of this, at least I understand where he's comming from. (perhaps someday I'll go into what the causes of these things may be, but not here or now)

I think that's about all I could complain about.

He basicly told kids "Life is hard work - and if you want great things, you have to decide to have an education. Get off your butt and do it". THANK YOU! Other presidents have talked to students, but I don't think it ever got accross as well as this speech does.

"But at the end of the day, the circumstances of your life – what you look like, where you come from, how much money you have, what you’ve got going on at home – that’s no excuse for neglecting your homework or having a bad attitude. That’s no excuse for talking back to your teacher, or cutting class, or dropping out of school. That’s no excuse for not trying.

Where you are right now doesn’t have to determine where you’ll end up. No one’s written your destiny for you. Here in America, you write your own destiny. You make your own future. ."
Bravo, Mr.President. Bravo.