But, from what I can tell, it seems to actually WORK like this:

Does anyone else take issue with this? Is anyone else tired of having a tyrant essentially DEMAND things instead of allowing the properly elected group of representatives come to their own conclusions?

Just checking…

But, you know, if we really like the way that we’ve been doing things for the past, I don’t know, 30(?) years, why don’t we just friggin’ change the laws so that we’re actually doing it CORRECTLY?

(image source)

Television is called a medium because it is neither rare nor well done.

I like it. A lot.

In fifth grade, I was given an assignment to memorize the Preamble to the US Constitution. You may be familiar with it – perhaps the School House Rock musical version is playing over and over in your mind now – but here it is:

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, ensure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution of the United States of America.

Now, if you recite that in the way that I learned it, or in the way that you learn it from School House Rocks, I think you miss part of it’s intention. I recently realized that I was thinking the Preamble said this:

We, the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union [do the following]:

• Establish Justice
• Ensure domestic Tranquility
• Provide for the common defense
• Promote the general Welfare
• and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity

[and for that purpose, we] do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

However, I think it’s supposed to be read more like this:

We, the People of the United States, in Order to:

• form a more perfect Union
• establish Justice
• ensure domestic Tranquility
• provide for the common defense
• promote the general Welfare
• and secure the Blessings of Liberty for ourselves and our Posterity

do Ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

If that doesn’t make a whole lot of sense, you could rearrange it:

We, the People of the United States, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America, in Order to:

(see bulleted list from above)

So, with that in mind, how do you think your Federal Government is doing to accomplish the goal(s) of the Constitution? Isn’t that what we have elected them to do? I venture to say that, if we really evaluate the bills, laws, motions, etc. that are currently in front of our Legistlators, we should be disappointed at how distracted they really are. It’s as if we have allowed them to be directed/guided/influenced by lobbyists and special interest groups to the point that they no longer represent their constituents AT ALL.

Here is just one minor, almost trivial, example:

There are some REALLY substantial things happening in/with our nation right now. Whether you are focused on the Troops that are still actively serving our country in the Middle East or the financial troubles that so many are facing, there is a lot going on. However, one of my own local representatives has sponsored this bill in the US House:

Requires the President to issue a proclamation each year: 
(1) recognizing the anniversary of the birth of President Abraham Lincoln; and 
(2) encouraging state and local educational agencies to devote sufficient time to study and appreciate the significance of Lincoln in the development of American history and the spread of freedom worldwide.

Really?! Hmmm.

Just out of curiosity – do you see a place in the Preamble that covers “Celebrating the birthday of a past President”? Perhaps that falls under “provide for the common defense”? Hmmm.

I started to read up on the drafting of the US Constitution, and I found it interesting to read that the authors intended for the rest of the Constitution to work towards the goals outlined in the Preamble – almost as if the Preamble was really the Mission Statement that was intended to drive the budding nation toward success. And even though the Preamble is fairly broad in its statements, it still seems to imply limitatiosn on what the Federal government should be focused on.

In later years, with the discussion of establishing a national bank, the people of the United States found it necessary to limit the powers or responisbilities of the Feds to only cover the items specifically outlined within the Constitution. This was the beginning of what became the Tenth Amendment, which essentially says that the State governments are responsible to address everything that isn’t either outlined in the US Constitution or otherwise prohibited therein.

So let’s go back to the previous example – who’s really responsible for determining which President’s birthdays should be recognized? Or who should legislate the requirements for primary and secondary school performance? Or who should determine which roads need the most attention? I’m guessing the State and Local governments have a better idea of the things that will be most beneficial to the people within their respective boundaries.

But there is one more piece of the puzzle that I haven’t even begun to mention yet – the REAL reason that the Federal Government has taken so much control for themselves. I doubt that many of you are truly oblivious to this fact, but nearly all of the legislation that passes through the US Congress comes from lobbyests and special interest groups. Hardly any of the actual legislation is proposed because of the needs of a specific district or state. Instead, it ends up being a whole bunch of silly bills that only benefit a small portion of the population.

Some legislators think that they can “do something” for their consituents by hooking their own special projects onto the more significant bills. But this is merely the dreaded “pork barrel spending” that gets so much bad press and really doesn’t solve any problems. It just means that more and more garbage is passed through to allow for the pet projects to go through as well.

Anyway, I’d like to ramble on this topic for a while longer, but I need to stop for now. I feel like I should do some more reading so that I can form a stronger opinion on the matter. In the meantime, what do you think? What is your take on the whole concept?

Acquaintance: hey there! R u open to making some xtra cash?
Me: That depends. Momma always taught me not to kill people…
A: Lol so much for the fun part! seriously thought r ya interested n the idea?
M: I don’t know yet – what are you proposing?
A: Near a computer?

And that’s where I knew it was going south.

There are quite a few things wrong with the above conversation, and even more-so with the rest of our little chat. First, I hate “txt short-hand”. HATE-HATE-HATE it! Second, I despise leading questions. The one and only reason I began to entertain the conversation is that I am often asked to help people fix their computer problems and I am often offered cash for the help that I provide (although it’s nearly always refused). Thirdly, I am offended by the inference that I might possibly be interested in a Multi-level Marketing “arrangement”. Do I really look that stupid? (hold your tongue, Champ.)

So if that wasn’t offensive enough, it had to come from someone that I really don’t know all that well, which means that this person doesn’t know ME all that well, either. It’s awful to think that someone would pose as a friend and yet want me to get sucked in to something so miserable as an MLM. No friggin’ way!

I’m not going to list any names of companies that are related to this particular scheme, but a very quick, very brief Google search showed me everything that I would have assumed – the company in question has changed names a ga-jillion times to avoid “anti-pyramid scheme” lawsuits, and yet still claims to be wholesome and helpful to those involved. As if that’s not bad enough, the branch of their scheme that has made its way to me flies under the banner of being “Christian”. Awesome. Prey upon the people that put a huge amount of trust into people that claim to be of similar faith and values. Awesome.

While I’m not trying to be offensive to the person that approached me, please note that I am not interested in any MLM arrangement, nor will I ever entertain the idea of participating in such. I hope that those that instigate these stupid things come to a realization of their mistakes before they approach the Pearly Gates.

So, what does hope really get us? Frankly, unless our hope is strong enough to get us to take serious action, hope is just an empty desire. It will get us nowhere unless we make a concerted effort to move forward. I can spend all day hoping that I will make progress on a project, but unless I actually focus and work on the project, nothing will be accomplished.

Although I haven’t heard/seen/read much of President Obama’s speeches, what I do hear a lot is about how he has placed an emphasis on hope. While it was a really effective way of capturing the hearts of so many, it will be worthless if nothing gets done. So many people will have placed their hope in a person, ideas, and/or promises and may not have anything to show for it at the end of the day.

Thus, let us all look at what we are hoping for and then find a way to attain/obtain it.

Here goes: How do you define “love”?

I can think of a few ways that I would DESCRIBE love, but I don’t know that I can actually define it in a succinct manner. I welcome the attempts of any who can adequately do so. Here are a few examples of how I would explain it.

First, love is unconditional. There are many people that I love dearly, but that I can’t STAND to be around. Sounds odd, doesn’t it. I know that I love them, because I know that if they were to call and say they needed something – anything – I would do everything within my power to help them. And, with a few of these people that have come to mind, I would even rush to help 30 seconds after they did something to royally irritate me.

One example of this is from a time where I was paired up with another guy for about six weeks while I was being trained in a church-related role. I honestly couldn’t stand to be in the same room with him for more that five minutes. I seriously struggled with nearly everything he did. But, at the same time, I always felt like I would do anything to help him. And, now that I’ve had a few years to grow up, I would like to think that I would still be there to help him now, even though I haven’t seen or spoken to him in more than 4 years.

Around the time that I was in this training program, I heard this quote: “To say you love someone means that you would take a bullet for them.” I have no idea who said that, but I agree. Even with some people that I can’t stand, I still love them, and I even think I would take a bullet for them.

Secondly, there is the love that exists within families. It’s innate, and although there are ways for people to destroy this type of love, it runs REALLY deep in my family. It’s something very special, something that I cherish, and something that I don’t think I’ll find anywhere OUTside of my family – both from by parents/siblings and from my (assumed) future offspring.

There is also a special love that I have found amongst my close friends. It is a mix between the unconditional and the family types. There are no conditions on the love that I have for my friends, but I typically like to spend time with them. I enjoy their company (thus the friendship), but since we’re all human, there are always times where we get irritated with one another. It’s unavoidable. And, like the love within my family, I really care for their well-being and find myself thinking about them when we’re not hanging out together.

Finally, there is the fairy tale love that we all search for (right?). This is the love that brings two opposites together in matrimony, and that attempts to be the glue that holds them together. As I have not yet found this connection with anyone, I can’t speak from experience, but I know what I am expecting it to be. I anticipate that I will find someone that I can’t stand to be away from, someone that I think about constantly, and someone that reciprocates. It will be someone that makes me laugh, someone that appreciates me for who I am, and someone that knows that I like them just the way that they are. There will be no awkward silence between us. And when I do something to screw up, which I’m obviously going to do many times, this love will be what causes us to work through it. It will be amazing.

Now, even though I see “love” as being more than just the fairy tale kind, I still hesitate to tell someone that I do love them. For example, I don’t typically sign a birthday card “Love, Me” if it is for someone other than family, because I assume that they are going to read more into it than I want I intend. But I know that I’m crazy; thus, the thought of finding that fairy tale love with someone that can tolerate my craziness…. well, it’s mind-boggling!

So how about the rest of you? How do you define or explain love?

My question: What’s the point?

Perhaps I’m becoming more cynical than I’d like to admit, but isn’t all of this a waste?

I’m not just suggesting that it is a waste because my vote didn’t go toward the winner of the Presidential contest. Instead, it’s because I’ve paused to think about the whole circumstance through a different perspective than before.

During the day today, my Twitter feed was filled with comments from people that were tracking the events from work, home, or wherever they were. For weeks I’ve heard and read comments in various places about how exciting the event will be. I keep ignoring comments about all of the wonderful performances that will take place. It all just seems like too much.

Today, during typical business hours, and while our company is in “cost-conscious mode”, one of our branch offices killed their internet connection entirely because nearly everyone was trying to watch the ceremonies live over the internet. This meant that the few people that were actually TRYING to keep their jobs were literally unable to work. Are you convinced yet?

How many people, do you suppose, skipped work today to watch the ceremony on TV? How many people went into debt to travel to Washington, D.C., to see it live? How much money has been spent on the entertainers and entertainment? Our economy is hurting, right? I realize that the tourism economy in D.C. is probably loving this, but that’s about it.

Again, this isn’t just about WHO is going into the office. It’s merely about HOW it’s all going down. We keep living our lives in excess and then wonder why there’s nothing left… I don’t get it.

Now, just to vent a bit on a similar topic, I wish that our celebrations surrounded GOOD things, not the promotion of crooked people. Regardless of who the national politician may be, he/she is bound to be crooked. I swear – they must take an oath when they first get their petitions signed that they will do everything they can to abuse their power. If they DON’T currently have such an oath, then maybe they should start doing this… at least then they would have a way to show the slightest bit of integrity…

So why celebrate? I suggest that when people take public office, we should hold a solemn ceremony that shows our respect to that office. These kinds of celebrations just further the notion that our elections are more of a competition than a selection of the best leader/representative.

Or maybe that’s just me.

I’ve recently had a few in-depth discussions with friends about various aspects of music, and so it made me stop and wonder – why do I listen to music?

I listen to music for different reasons at different times. In the car, I listen to music to be entertained while I drive or sometimes to release some extra stress after a long day (or morning over my lunch break). At home, I sometimes listen to music to occupy my mind while I clean or otherwise work around the house. Other times, I listen to music to experience new sounds and thoughts and for sheer enjoyment. At work, I often listen to music to keep myself motivated.

On top of that, I typically listen to music for the musical part of it. One of my friends tends to listen to music for the words so she can memorize them and sing along. Another friend tends to listen to mostly instrumental music because he gets distracted by the lyrics. I like to listen to music to see how all of the sounds come together to make the song. Sometimes I’ll play a certain type of music to relax or chill out. Other times I’ll put on some “heavy” music to blow off some steam. Sometimes I’ll listen to dance-type music to enjoy the beat, and other times I’ll listen to something that is more vocal-centric to appreciate the amazing talents that are out there.

There are times when I will re-listen to a CD ten times in one day, each time finding different nuances within each song. This sometimes makes be enjoy the music more than I did before, and other times it can be disappointing. I’ve found many CDs that end up being quite lame when it comes to complexity and musicality. There are some discs that have been great “sellers” on the market, but really lack in many aspects.

I don’t consider myself to be a music snob, however. I will sit through songs from all genres and from all artists, and then, perhaps after hearing it a time or two, I will form an opinion about the song. Some things are difficult for me to tolerate – excessive vulgarity (as found in most rap music) and an emphasis on the “twang” of country music can both be difficult to sit through, but there are rap songs and country songs that I really enjoy. I like classical, new age, techno/electronica/dance, rock, heavy metal, soft rock, indie, emo, oldies, classic rock, opera, show tunes, chamber, orchestral, a capella, folk, and pop, with a little bit of country sprinkled around the edges. There is SO much good music out there that I can’t seem to get enough of it.

I’ve shared my ever-growing love for Pandora Radio with many of my friends, although I wonder how many of them have actually checked it out for themselves. Pandora allows you to create your own internet-based radio station(s), based on your musical tastes, for free. You can create an account and then enter the name of a song or an artist that suits your fancy at that particular moment. Pandora will then begin to play songs that are similar, in some way, to the song or artist that you first entered. As it plays, you have the ability to “thumbs up” or “thumbs down” the song, which helps your radio station become “tuned in” to the stuff that you really like to hear. You can also add additional references to a station, either to make it more selective or varied. Then, once you’ve created a station you like, you can allow it to play from your computer while you sit at your desk, work around the house, or where ever you listen to music from a computer. They have also created means by which to play your stations from many cell phones and have worked with some manufactures to create home stereo components that allow your music to stream through your in-place hi-fi setup. It is really one of the neatest things I’ve ever seen. Now if they would just finish the application for the Blackberry so I can listen on-the-go…

That’s more than enough of my babbling. It’s your turn to reply. Why do YOU listen to music? How do you listen to music? Where do you do it? What do you enjoy the most about music? (C’mon, peeps – don’t make me beat it out of you )