I deliver papers for a living. But I feel that, at nearly 35 and a father of five, I've outgrown the label of "paper carrier". Being self employed, I am usually able to fend off questions by the condescending by simply stating I'm self employed. But for those who press on, I am a media distribution specialist (after all, that is what I do; distribute media). It sounds better. That being said, it's not a job for the faint of heart. Frequent driving means I see and am affected by the daily c...
While the presidential elections of 2008 are still three and a half years away, they should be at the forefront of thought for supporters of third parties. While our primary focus at this time should be the 2006 midterms, even those are targets because of their potential to build support for the '08 contest. Why should '08 be different than elections before it? Well, every day into the internet age, we grow and increase in our understanding of how to properly use this new medium to its fulles...
I am a baseball fan. I will always be a baseball fan. The above two rules being kept in mind, it is only a matter of time before I read any baseball oriented book written by an ex-player. Their inside experience and understanding take me to a place I never had the ability to go to in reality. And thus, my reading of Jose Canseco's book only awaited the library's obtaining it to put on their shelves. The media circus surrounding it only helped to encourage. The book is actually a fair pi...
Well, one of the latest flame wars is heating up, and I have to wonder, why bother? I've been involved in a couple of back and forths with individuals, but our arguments usually centered around our areas of disagreements, not ridiculously juvenile attacks like "You're an idiot!", or other such random name calling. I find it hard to believe that anyone has ever made it to adulthood without enduring some level of name calling somewhere in their past. While such name calling isn't usually app...
I am not a Catholic. I have never been a Catholic. In fact, of the handful of masses I have attended in my lifetime, I have not been able to sit through one without smirking (no offense to those who ARE Catholic). But I confess: I liked Pope John Paul II, and feel the world is diminished by his demise. The pope was an influential man well outside of Catholic circles. Although I don't agree with many of his decisions, he was a man that spoke out against poverty, and urged Catholi...
From Yahoo! News, it seems Japanese prison officials are working to make their prisons more comfortable places for their inmates by using more aesthetically pleasing uniforms and calming, soothing colors within the prison. Given that prisons are built to house CRIMINALS, I'm personally infuriated by attempts to coddle these individuals. Maybe this is all fallout from Martha Stewart's incarceration here, who knows? Nice Outfit! Well, Yes, We Are Still Convict...
Well, today's a big deal for me. Though a long time Libertarian, I have lacked the funds to gain "official" status by paying membership dues. Since I want to organize the party within the county, however, and run for city council next year, I felt I had to get this in order. So, I went down to the site and officially sent in my dues to make myself official. This got me to thinking, though. How many Greens and Libertarians never pay party dues but want the benefits of being associated with ...
I have struggled to fight off hyper obesity most of my adult life. Until I was 18, I was fairly fit, but a year's incarceration began a general 15 year upward trend in my weight. The last two years, I have been successfully working downward, with some pitfalls. To those without eating disorders, it always seems simple. While, for most of us (myself included) it's a matter of control, that control isn't as easy to obtain for some as for others. For me, the reasons I overate were psychological....
I have noticed a trend that definitely concerns me in regards to the gulf war,opinions towards it, and American politics: As quick as the media is to attack George W. Bush, the entertainment industry reaches out to silence the most virulent among them. While Michael Moore made great strides with his "documentary" "Fahrenheit 9/11" (which was only slightly less credible than "Spinal Tap" and "the Rutles"), Hollywood stars that have spoken out strongly against US policy in Iraq seem to have dis...
Apparently in a snafu that was dubbed "NOT an April Fool's Day joke", the BBC sent a request to the Bob Marley foundation to request an interview with the singer, who has been quietly decomposing somewhere in Jamaica for some 24 years now. Article below: BBC asks long-dead Bob Marley for interview 1 hour, 19 minutes ago LONDON (AFP) - A red-faced BBC apologised for requesting an interview with Bob Marley, the Jamaican reggae legend who died...
Eric Crouch, formerly of the St. Louis Rams and the Green Bay Packers (and a now forgotten Heisman Trophy winner in 2001), is attempting to revive his football career with the Hamburg Sea Devils of NFL Europe. There's just one problem: Crouch is a two time quitter. When he was with St.Louis, Crouch retired because the team put him in the position of wide receiver, a position he had not played much since high school, and frankly did not want to play. After bailing on the Rams, he went on to...
JillUser wrote an article about an idea to replace food stamps ( Link ). Her ideas, and the ideas for respondents are insightful and I would highly recommend this article. There is, however, an excellent private organization that is working to solve the problems of America's hungry. For those of you who are unfamiliar with it, it is called America's Second Harvest ( Link ). Second Harvest is celebrating its 25th year, and this from a press release on the website: In ...
Even the best of us can make mistakes. After many years of wandering in the political wilderness with a Democrat lean, I have decided that it is prudent and practical for me to change my political affiliation. While I didn't want to acknowledge the truism of the concept of a wasted vote, I realize that belonging to any party outside the big two is politically imprudent, and is basically the equivalent of pissing in the wind. No good can ever come of it. To that end, I am rejoining the D...
Once again, a vocal joeuser has been blacklisted by another vocal user. And once again, the "complaint blog" is logged. In the several months I have been on JU, I have seen this happen regularly as part of the life cycle of the community. When one blacklists another, the other feels obligated to press their "free speech" rights in the hope that public opinion will get them removed from the blacklist. Apparently, they misunderstand the purpose of the blogs. This blog is MY journal, it's ...
The title of this blog is a statement that has oft been echoed by liberals whenever conservatives attempt to write morals based legislation. And you know what, they're right? One's morals are shaped by a number of factors, and no matter how well intentioned the law, those who don't respect the moral standards upon which a law is based will be inclined to disobey it. This is why, despite massive infusions of cash into the "war on drugs", the drug industry's annual cash flow rivals that of Micr...