Tree Surfing

With so much negative news going around I thought it appropriate to give credit where credit is due. Of course since I’m still a little bitter, I’ll prove my point by pointing out those who are failing miserably.

A great round of applause to these wonderful people, counties, and organizations:

India: For their pledge of aid and medicine to the hurricane battered south. They stand out as a great example of the good in foreign countries. Although the USA arguably quite able to take care of itself, the concern and goodwill of the Indian people is greatly appreciated especially compared to those like the Germany’s environment minister, Juergen Trittin who shamefully dared to blame the disaster on America’s supposed environmental negligence.

Wal-mart: While many like to deride Wal-mart for encouraging consumerism and accuse them of unfair wages practices, you can’t help but nod appreciatively at the MILLIONS donated by the corporation in money and goods. Compare that to the warehouse where I work, where the company will match employee gifts up to $20,000. A nice gesture, but come on! If you’re going to help, why don’t you really help? 20 grand is a pinprick when your company is making millions every year. You’re only in it for the PR: Cheap Bastards!

Many Nameless heroes: Those who are actually getting the shit done! Pulling people off roofs, handing out food, giving around the clock medical attention… You are to be commended above all. You give selflessly and ask for no glory. Compared to today’s greatest example of Hollywood idiocy: Sean Penn. Instead of leaving matters to those trained in rescue he gets in a leaky boat filled with groupies and a PERSONAL PHOTOGRAPHER. Gee, I wonder what your goal really is?

Respectable Victims: Those who prepared and persevered. Those who lost everything but still manage to move on without blaming the rest of the country. As opposed to those who freeload, and blame the government for their discomfort.

These people know that the hurricane wasn’t anyone’s fault. They thankfully accept the assistance that is given to them, and make due, being brave, and trying to start over again. They realize the world will keep on spinning, even though their home and jobs were destroyed. They stand up, and refuse to be defeated. They represent the true spirit of American.

Rock ON with your bad self!

This kid gets mad props. If you’re hardcore democrat, anti-war, or consider yourself a liberal you may not like the above site. However I encourage you to read the page and leave me a comment about it anyway, especially if you disagree with something. I’d love to hear about it. In fact it might make my day.

Last night while I was at work I was thinking. (How’s that for a really bad opening sentence?) I was pondering the friends versus family concept. I’m sure you’ve all heard the quote: ” You can choose your friends: but you can’t choose your family.” (And the more amusing little boy humor: “You can pick your nose, but you shouldn’t pick your friend’s nose.”)

I grew up in a wonderful family. Like all families we had our good and bad moments. However, I think that overall, I was a very lucky kid. My parents weren’t alcoholics, or druggies; they didn’t beat me; they always showed interest in what I did, and even when I made choices that they didn’t approve of, they stood behind me. Not to mention just simply feeding, educating, and guiding my path into life.

In high school and college I made a lot of interesting friends. I loved my family but I had grown tired of them and yearned for something new, more interesting. People with whom I could freely express myself and not have to worry about what they would think.

George Burns: “Happiness is having a large, loving, caring, close-knit family in another city.”

At one time I fully agree with George on this one. In fact until quite recently I’ve not really had the desire to live anywhere near my family. (Side effect of spending the first few months of marriage living upstairs perhaps?) After 2+ years of being married, working a blue collar job, and with another kid on the way: my perspective has shifted.

I’ve had some truly wonderful friends in my short life. There have been a multitude of people that I wish I could have hung out more with, but I’ve been blessed with a couple really close friends. The sort of friends who help you bury bodies.

One’s friends are that part of the human race with which one can be human.
George Santayana

Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art… It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things that give value to survival.
C. S. Lewis

But when things really get tough, its your family that will take you in. If I loose my job, or my wife dies, or any other number of truly terrible things happens; it will be my family that carries me through. True my friends will still be there, and my really close ones will also help out, but it will be my family that takes the bulk of the load.

Even my best friends, as dedicated, and well-intentioned as they are, simply don’t have the means or ability to say: adopt my kids if I die, or give my family a roof if I’m unemployed. Even your best friends forget about you when you’ve moved farther away, but your family will always be calling your house, or try and stop by for a visit.

A good family is one of the most valuable things you can have. It’s another one of those intangible riches that you can’t just find, or buy in a store. This spring I’m moving back near my tiny hometown, to work on the farm again, and take some time to raise my kids in the country while my family graciously allows me even more time to figure out just what it is I want out of life. The scary part is, even after all my wanderlust, and complaining about how crazy my family: I’m looking forward to it!

George Moore: “A man travels the world over in search of what he needs, and returns home to find it.”

Hello again my tiny internet audience. I thought I’d take a moment and share a few thoughts with you. Mainly about the projects I’m working on and my plans for this blog.

As some of you already know I recently started this blog after writing with Live Journal for almost a year. I’m attempting to focus more on quality posts and avoid the “dear diary” writings that plague far to many amateur blogs these days.

One of the main things I’m working on in regards to this site is establishing a solid base of profile, or “get-to-know the author” posts. You’ll see these sorts of post being linked to in my rather sparse Love/Hate List. I feel that it’s important for my internet readers to get a good feel of my opinions and have the option to find out what kinds of things interest me.

My movies and songs pages are defiantly not as fleshed-out and organized as I’d like. In the coming weeks I will be adding to these posts. I also plan on adding a great deal of information to my favorite books and authors page.

Some rather large posts being worked on at the moment also include:
*My detailed blogroll; a listing and description of the numerous sites that I enjoy reading extensively.
*My thoughts on illegal immigration.
*More inspirational quotes and commentary.
*A tiny introduction to RSS and ATOM readers.
*Several other minor posts.

Obviously my life doesn’t revolve solely around this blog. I’m also working on a number of projects offline. An epic poem, a fantasy/science fiction (aka Sci-Fan) novel, a survival horror story, and dabbling in many other areas. All this in addition to working the graveyard shift at a shipping warehouse and attempting to be a good husband and father. Quite the busy guy I am lately.

As always suggestions and questions are encouraged, even begged for! Feel free to leave me some feedback. I’m a rather easy-going guy who loves comments and commenting on other’s sites. Hurray for internet interaction!

In an effort to provide more information for those who are curious about how my mind works, here’s a collection of different posts telling more about things I like.

Favorite songs
Favorite movies

On a related note there area a few sometimes unusual topics that I’m interested in. Zombies for example. I like zombie movies, and comic books, actually survival horror in general.

Techno music is my genre of choice, although rock is a close second. It depends on my mood.