Will this blog exist after this week?

I've censored the following, in protest of a bill that gives any corporation and the US government the power to censor the internet--a bill that could pass THIS WEEK. To see the uncensored text, and to stop internet censorship, visit: http://americancensorship.org/posts/25201/uncensor

If you are ███████ ████, ███████████████ on ██████ a ████ ███████ ████████ ████████ ██████████. "████," you █████ be ██████ ████████, "is ████ ████ ███████ █████ now?" The ██████ is █████ ██████. ██████ ████ the ██████ and █████ of ███████████████ ████ ████ are two █████. █████ ██████ aim is to ████ the █████████████ of ███████ █████. Don't get me █████, the █████ are ████ ████████. It's the ███████ ████ ████ ████ on █████ ████ are not. █████ █████ are the "██████████ ████ ██████ ███████ to ████████ ██████████ and █████ of ████████████ ████████ (███████-IP) Act of ████" in █████ of the ██████, and "████████ ██████ ██████ Act (████) of ████" in █████ of the █████. You █████ be █████████ why ██████ who ███████ █████████ █████ █████ ██████ in a █████ and ██████ █████ or ██████ █████ be ███████ ███████████ █████ at ████████ the ██████ of ████ █████. █████ all, it's a █████ ████ ██████ ██████ of ████████ ███████ ████████ ███████████ to the ██████ ████ of ████ ███████ for █████ of us who do pay. I'm not ███████ ████████ the ██████. I'm ███████ the ███████ ████ █████ █████ are █████ to █████ if ██████ ████ law. I'm ███████ the ████████ of ██████████ in the ████ ██████ █████. I'm ███████ the ██████ of ████ ████ ████ █████ ███████ of █████ █████. And █████ ███████, I'm ███████ my ████ ████████ ████ ███████ any ██████! █████ and ████████, █████ are two ███████ █████ █████ are ████████ on █████ to ████ the ███████ ███████████ of ███████████ ███████. The █████ of █████ is ██████ DNS ████████████. For █████ of you who do not ████ the ██████████ I do in in ███████ ████████, DNS ████████████ is █████ an IP ███████ is ███████ at the ██████ ████ ███████ (DNS) █████. ████ ████████ ███████ ████████ █████ be ███████ ████████ to █████ ████████ IP █████████ on █████ DNS ███████, ██████████ █████ █████ ████ ████████ █████ █████. The ████████ ████ ████ are █████-████. █████, ███████ ████ the DNS ██████ is ████ a ███████ at a ████. And yes, I ███████ ████ it's ████████ the █████████ ████ are the ████████, but █████ me for a ██████. ████ ███████ has a ████ of ██████ who are █████ █████████████. ██████ █████████████ █████ up and █████ ████ the ████, but he's on the ███████ ████. So the ███████ █████ him ████ he can't. Now ███████ ████ ol' ██████ was ████ of a █████ of ██████, ████ of █████ ████ any ████ who he is, ████ he's ████ up to, or ████ ████ he ██████. He's ████ a ██████ of ████ █████ of █████████ █████████ who ████ ████ █████ █████ ███████████ in ██████. The ████'s ██████ ██████ is ████ █████ ██████ is a ██████ of ████ █████, no one ████ ████ █████ is ███████ in ██████, ██████████ of ███████ ████'ve ████ ████████ █████ or not. The ████ is the ISP, and the █████ ████ ██████ is in are the █████ ████████ ████ ██████ to be ██████ █████ the ████ IP ███████ as the █████████ ███████. ████ of ████ █████ ███████ █████████ has any ████ ████ █████ is an ███████ ███████ ████████ █████ ██████ █████████ ████, but ████ are █████████ ██████ ████ ISP's are █████████ ████████ to █████████ ████ IP ███████. And it's not ████ ████ can ████ go to █████ web ████ or ██████████ ████ and say, "I ████ to ████ ████████ ████ you're ███████." Any ███████ ████ ████ up █████ ███████' ████████ ███████████ █████ be out of ████████ and ████████ ██████ ████████. You ████ can't ██████ a ████ █████ IP ███████ to █████ ███████ ████████ ████ web █████ and ██████████ █████ ████ ██████. █████ ████'t ██████ ████ █████ ████, █████ ████ of the █████ isn't █████ yet. ████ if █████ ████, it █████ be ████ ███████████, ████ to ███████ █████████, web █████, and ISP's. The ██████ █████ I ████ ████ DNS █████████ is ████ a ████ ███████ ██████████ ████ now ████ ███████ ██████████ █████████ at the ████ of the ███████ ██████████. The DNS ██████████ ████ ████ ██████ ████ ████ a ██████████ ██████ who ████ ████ be ██████ ████ ████████ ████ ISP's are █████████ ████. And the ISP ████ ████ to ████ up the ███████ ███████ to █████████ ████ in the ████ of man-█████ and █████ █████████. ████ ███████████ ████ ████ ███████ ████ █████ on the ISP's ████, and if I ████ the ██████████, █████████ ███████ ████ █████ █████. █████ █████ ████ ISP's ████ ████ to ████ ████ out to █████ DNS ███████ in █████, and if █████ ███████ ██████████████ won't ██████ the █████ ████████ ██████ in at ████████ ███████ ███████████ ████ ████, ████ ████ ████ ████ to ████ up █████ ██████ ████, █████, at █████ own ████. Now let me ask you, ████ ████ you ████ █████ a ███████ to ████ the ████ for █████████ ████ can ████ as ██████ ████ ████ to █████ █████████? I █████ ████ ████ ███████ ████ a ███████ ██████ up █████████ ████ ████ can be ████ for (PSN ██████ ████ ████ ██████ █████ ███████ had ██████ to 10 ███████ ██████ ████ ██████, ██████?). The █████ █████ I ████ ████ DNS ████████████? It's not █████████ ██████ the ████████████ ██████ has ████████ ██████████████ ███████ of all of █████ █████' ████████ ███████ ███████. █████ ██████, ███████, █████████, ███████, ████ ████████… And █████ are ████ the ████ ██████ ████. So, how ████ of you are ███████ to ████ ████ ███████ of █████ ████████ ███████ ██████ you ████ in ████ ████ to ████ ISP? No one? Wow. ████ a ███████. And the ██████ ████ DNS ████████████ is not █████████ in an ████ ███████████ ████ ██████ all ISP's ████ is ████ any Tom, ████, █████, or Amy can ██████ ██████ █████ DNS ██████ ████ ████ to use in █████ ███████ ████████ as ████ as ████ ████ ██████████████ ███████ ████ the ████████ ████ are on. All it █████ ████ is ███████ to set up an ████████ DNS ██████, and the █████████ ███████ ████████ is now ████ to ██████████ █████ to US ████████. █████ are █████ ████████████ to ████, but I'll █████ █████ in a bit. For now, █████'s ██████ ████ one way to ████ ████, and I'm ██████ ████ we'd ████ to ███████ █████ █████ █████ █████ ████████, ████ to █████ ████ █████ for ████ and █████'t so ████ we can ████ ████ ████ ██████ ████ ██████. I'm ██████ ████ ████ █████ ███████ the █████ █████████ █████ of ████████ ██████. █████ DNS ████████████ is ██████ ████ a ██████ ████ so ██████ ████ ██████ █████ ██████████, the ██████ ██████ ████ █████ use is ██████ ████ ██████ ██████████. No █████████ ████. ███████████ is ████ in ████ ███████. ██████ ██████ of ████ and you see ████ was ████. End of █████. No bit of ███████████ you ████ █████ ████ be ███████. ████ to ████ a ███████ ███████ to ████ ██████? █████ now, █████'s █████ a one in 100 ██████ ████ ███████ ████ █████ the ████ ████ see it. If █████ █████ are ████ ████ law? ████ ████ a one-to-one ██████. █████ ████ the ████ ████ ████ █████ ███████████ ██████ ████ ██████ █████████ █████, it █████ ████ ███████ ██████████. Why █████ you █████ ███████ the ██████████████ for █████████ ████ ████ ████████████ ISP ████████ █████ █████ ████ █████████. Or ████ ████. Or ████ █████. █████████ ████ ████ on ██████ ███████ or █████████████ █████ ████ to ██████ all of █████ █████████. At █████ the ███████ ████████ █████ ████ up █████, ████ all of the ████████ █████. ████ █████████ █████ ████ any and all ████████ ██████ █████ at ████, ████ if ████ ██████ it to do █████ job. ████ to ████ an █████? Not ███████ the ███████ you don't. ██████ ████████ ████ ████ █████ ████ ██████ ███████, but ████ ████ you ████ a ████████, you run the ████ of an ████████████ ██████████ ████████ ████ ████████. ████ █████, it █████ be ████ you ██████ ████ ████ ██████ ████. █████ ████ the █████████ ██████ I ████ ██████ █████, █████ are a few █████ ████ as ████ ████ irk me. I've ███████ █████████ the ██████████████ ██████████ ████ are ████████ in █████ two ████. ███████, the ██████ of █████ █████ be on the ███████, not the ███████. The way ████ it ████ ████ ██████ ████ is ████ you ████ be ██████ █████ ██████ ████████. ████████████, a ███████ █████ can ███████ ████████ ████ the ████ of a ██████ web ████ is to █████ for the ██████ ████'s ███████ and ████ the ██████ web ████ ████ ████. For ████████, █████ are fan ██████ I ████ to █████ ████ ████ ███████ █████ and ██████ ████ ████ █████ ██████. I █████ █████ was an ██████ ███████ of █████ ██████ the █████ █████ ███████. ████ you, the █████ are ███████ ███████████, and ███████ are ████ the █████ had a ███████████ in the US ████ ████ the ██████ to it. So say a █████████ in ███████ ███████ to ████ a ███████ █████ █████ ██████ ████ ███████, and █████ ████ ███████ ████ ████. It is ████, and it █████. He ███████ to █████ the █████ ████ ████ ██████ ███████████ via his ███████ ███████. BAM! In █████ the ████ and the ████ ████ a █████ and ██████ ██████ for ███████, now not ████ ██████ for the █████ to be █████ ████, but ████ for ███████ to ████ ████ ████████████ █████ the ████ ████ to █████. I ████ ████ at █████ one of █████ █████ ████ ██████ ████ we ████ ████████████ ████ the man who ██████ ████ █████, ████ ██████ he is a ████████ and ███████ of ███████ ███████. I'm ██████ ████ you ████ to ████ an ███████████ █████ for ████ ████ of █████, and ████ █████████ ████'t █████ to ██████, ███████ ████ █████████ ██████ the ████ out of ████████ █████. For ████████, The ██████ Bay is one of the █████'s ███████ ███████ █████, and ████ are in ██████. Do you █████ ██████ ████ ████ ████ ████ and ████ ████ █████ ██████████████ to us? I █████ it, ██████████ █████ ██████ has ███████ █████ ████ on █████ own, but the █████ is the ████. All ████ █████ ████, I don't ████ to try ███████ one of █████████ in the ███████ ████ my ██████ and ██████, and ███████ a 404 █████ ███████ one of the ███████ at ███████████ ███████ to ████ ███████ ██████'s ████████. And I ██████████ don't ████ to be ██████ $100/█████ ████ ████ for █████ ████████ ███████.

I am not a selfish prick for being a parent

     I know it's been a while since I posted anything, but that's because lately I've been doing other things that matter to me as much as my writing.  Today's post is a rebuttal specifically to this post, and generally to this post, both written by Childfreeeee.  From what I can tell, this blogger has chosen not to have children and is tired of the "child-centric" society we live in.  Apparently she feels that having children makes you less of a person because you are focused solely on raising that child, and that having children means you hate the environment (referencing both posts that I linked above).
     Before I get too in-depth into my rebuttal, I would first like to respond openly to one commenter on the first post.  Her comment reads:
     "As always, I agree completely! Very well said! I love that you mentioned the childfree being excellent at conversation. I was stuck with a bunch of women with kids at a party last weekend and all they talked about was pics of their kids and different child photographers. Dull! They were so involved and selfish about it, they didn't even notice I was there. Or so it seemed. I have witnessed the selfishness of parents so many times. They feel they deserve more and take priority because 'we have kids'."
     To which I have to respond: You were at a gathering where the majority of the attendees were parents, and you expected the topic of their children to not come up?  Seriously?  Since you obviously didn't like the conversation, did you at least try to come up with a topic that was relevant to all of your interests, or did you just sit there and silently sulk to yourself?  Whenever I'm at a gathering and I find the conversation dull, I try to interject conversation that is relevant to all of our interests.  If I'm being ignored at a gathering despite my best efforts and I no longer feel welcome, I leave.  If you absolutely find talk of others' children that abhorrent, don't attend events where parents will be present.  If you absolutely have to, then try to be a polite guest and join in the conversation with a topic that is relevant to every one.  If you can't find one, then obviously you need to find a set of friends who you have more in common with.
     There, my bitching is done.  On to the rebuttal!
     The very first point in the first post I linked was "the myth that until a person becomes a parent, s/he doesn't know what love is and doesn't know what it means to be a giving, selfless person."  I honestly agree with this.  It's an utter load of horse manure that a person can't know true love without being a parent.  I know many people who for one reason or another don't have children, and they are all normal, healthy, sane, caring, giving people.  Love, to be blunt, is a set of chemical reactions in your brain tied to specific memories and events that all tie together to form a feeling you get.  It is entirely possible, and even probable, that a person will know love prior to ever becoming a parent.  The reverse is true, too.  It's possible to be a parent and not know true love.  It all depends on your experiences prior to either event happening.  Were you raised in a home with parents who cared for you, supported you, and made sure that you knew the difference between right and wrong?  Then you knew true love right off the bat.  Did you or do you have a friend that no matter what happens, you'll be there for them?  You know true love.  I could fill a book with the examples that don't entail being a parent.  As a father, I can honestly say that since my child was born out of the love that my wife and I share, and that I would do anything to ensure his well-being, I love him.
     However there were a few points which I have to disagree with both in the first and second posts.  The first of those is that you state that it is not selfless to meet one's responsibilities.  It depends on the circumstances.  I am obligated by law and my own moral code to feed, clothe, educate, and not be negligent to the recipient of my wife's and my genetic material.  However, I am not obligated in any way, shape or form to do more than that.  But I do, because I love my son.  I love watching the smile on this face when he mimics something that I do, or when he does something completely on his own that his little baby brain finds amazing.  I read to my son because it brings him joy.  Sure, I could just put him in his playpen and play video games, watch movies, etc, but I willingly postpone things I enjoy doing until he is asleep or having quality mommy time so that I can spend quality time with him to ensure he knows that his daddy loves him very much.  You also state that a truly selfless person looks around, identifies problems that existing people have and gives of themselves to help them.  Is it impossible for me to be selfless as a father and as a person in general?  I think not, as my primary job is an unpaid one where I volunteer my time to assist those with problems.  I don't seem to have an issue balancing being a caring father and a resource guide to those in need.  I know at least 150 more people who are in the same boat I am that have that issue either.  Therefore I submit that your statement that meeting your responsibilities is not selfless is false if it is applied to everyone in general.
     You also state that parents are in many ways more selfish than non-parents, and that non-parents are in many ways more selfless.  I'll state right now that my wife and I chose to become parents because we wanted a child.  It's as simple as that.  We're both healthy, young, adults who are compatible with each other in pretty much every way that there can be, and we decided to turn our love for each other into a child.  Did my son ask to be born?  No.  Will he regret the life we've given him?  Only time will tell, but hopefully not.  Did we decide to have a baby because we wanted a miniature version of ourselves running around the house?  HELL no.  It is our intent to introduce our son to art, literature, history, science, music, and a myriad of other subjects.  And when he starts showing signs of critical thinking, we're going to start asking him to make decisions about what he likes.  If he likes something we do, great.  If not, also great, because it means that he is capable of choosing for himself.  If my son decides he doesn't like sports, I'm not going to shove them down his throat.  I might be disappointed that he doesn't want to watch football or play catch with me, but I will try to encourage his other interests and take an interest in what he does, even if it's not something I personally find interesting.  So tell me again how that's selfish of me?  And just because I have a child it doesn't mean that I won't be able to advance in my chosen field or spend time doing things I enjoy.  Yes, I will have to plan more carefully, but that is a choice I made when my wife and I decided to bring a child into this world.  Having a child means that I will have to work harder in order to get noticed at work.  Having a child might mean that I have to go through a complicated scheduling dance to spend time with friends if they want to do an adults only activity, but I had to do that before I had a child due to the nature of the field that I used to, and will in the future, work in.  There's no change there.  If a friend truly needs me, then they won't mind if I bring my son along.  I'm capable of entertaining my son while a friend get's his/her car fixed.  Not only that, but I ENJOY entertaining my son.  And if I get to do so while helping someone else, so much the better.
     You state that those without children are better employees.  Not in my book.  If you're a good parent, you're also good at time management.  You have to be able to make dinner and pay attention to your child at the same time.  You have to be able to talk on the phone while paying attention to your child.
People without children are better conversationalists?  HA!  Where did you hear that?  In my circle of friends, I'd say that about 85% of them have children.  When any number of us get together, the topics usually cover a wide range of things, and -gasp- most of them aren't child related!  Sports?  Check.  Current events?  Check.  Politics?  You got it.  New art exhibit?  Only if it's something we're interested in seeing.  Best beaches on the island?  Always.  New technology?  That is almost always a topic of conversation because we're all technophiles in one way or another.  Gossip about our different jobs, interesting anecdotes, funny stories, pretty much nothing is taboo as a topic of conversation.  And yes, we talk about our children too, because everyone in my circle of friends loves their children.
     I also want to point out that you said being parents makes married couples less happy because they aren't able to fully love, support, and appreciate their spouses.  Really?  Since becoming parents, both my wife and I have grown closer than we were pre-parenthood.  I don't know, maybe we're an oddity.  Except that I know lots of people who seem to have grown closer as well since having children.  Having a child is a bonding experience for couples.  You get to see sides of your partner that you never knew existed.  If your relationship is strong, you grow closer for having seen those facets of their personality.  If not, then yes, your relationship will be put under strain.  How you deal with that strain is up to you though.
     In the second post I linked, you give 100 reasons not to have kids.  While a small few are valid points, the bulk of that list is for selfish reasons.  Be able to veg on the couch all weekend and not be judged?  Really?  Be able to eat what you want, when you want?  Not have to sit through "school-related drudgery?"  Those sound like selfish reasons to me.  So what if I am interested in how my child does in school?  Just because that doesn't sound interesting to you, that does not mean it isn't to me.  Be able to indulge in your interests without distraction?  I may not be a masters level chef, but I enjoy cooking, and am somehow able to produce different, interesting and delightful dishes each night, all while entertaining a child.  Watching TV shows or movies without constant interruption?  Doesn't seem to be a problem.  I may not get to watch House when it airs each week, but I do get to watch it uninterrupted.  So what if I don't get to go to a movie on opening night.  I didn't do that before we had a child, so what challenge does that pose.  Doesn't this post almost completely invalidate your thought that those without children are more selfless?  I guess it just depends on your perspective.
     Wrapping up, I applaud you for making the choice not to have children.  It proves that you are a rational, sane human being capable of making your own choices.  However I think it unfair of you to demonize people for choosing to have children.  Responsible child bearing will not contribute to societal decay or the over-population of our planet.  Responsible parents don't drive gas-guzzlers.  Responsible, caring, loving parents raise children that might one day be running this country, or be the doctor who saves your life, or even be the nice orderly in your retirement community who brings you fresh flowers every week because it makes you happy.  And sure, some parents can be over bearing, because most parents tend to think of their children as precious little unique snowflakes that everyone should cherish.  Polite parents don't shove their kids down everyone's throat though.  So before you make generalizations about how having kids ruins parents, please take into account that there are parents who are perfectly happy, and capable of contributing to their communities, work places, and the general betterment of everyone around them.

Abercrombie tells the NFL to suck it

The interwebs seem to be aflutter lately about a press conference that Hawaii's governor held this past Thursday.  In it, he stated that he couldn't see spending $4M on the NFL Pro Bowl every year, when that money could be sent to education programs.  Most of the comments are from people who apparently didn't take high school economics.

2009 was the first time that the Pro Bowl was not held here in Hawaii since it's inception.  This pissed a lot of people off, because every year prior, it had been a sold out game.  So come 2010, a deal was reached by then Honolulu mayor Mufi Hanneman to bring the Pro Bowl back to our little island, to the tune of $4M per game  to come from state taxes.

So, here's how the numbers broke down for the 2010 game:
 - Number of visitors to the state for the game: 17,000
 - Total amount of revenue generated from the game: $28.15M
 - Amount the state received back from the game: $3.07M

Now let me get this straight...  Are these people advocating that we should throw away $993K/year, just so we have the privilege of hosting an NFL game that has absolutely no standing with regards to the players, the season, or the post season?  If I'm correct, this game is literally just a way for my state to feel like we're included in the NFL because our total population is too small to warrant having an actual NFL team.  No wonder the Governor wants that money to go to education.  Hawaii already has the shortest school year in the nation (163 days), in addition to having one of the poorest funded public education systems.  Now in terms of education $4M might not be much, but it's $4M more than they're getting now.  Maybe it will teach people that spending $4M to make back only $3.07M is a poor investment.  Of course, if we're already at the panem et circenses stage, then maybe said people just don't care.

Bin Laden is dead... Now what?

I promised myself I wouldn't say anything about it, but I have to.  I've been reading reactions from people celebrating that Osama Bin Laden is dead.

Yes, it's true that he was the leader of an organization responsible for some of the most devastating attacks against US citizens in recorded history.  And yes, it's true that it will probably take some time for Al Queda to regroup.  I estimate it will take...  Oh wait.  They've already started?  Yep.  A pipe bomb was found this morning on the Coronado Bridge.*  And one of their ideologues has promised retribution against the US.

So, let me tell everyone what they can celebrate.  We have killed a man who was seeking revenge against us for abandoning his cause back in the 80's.  The problem was, he happened be charismatic enough to inspire others to follow him in his revenge using religious propaganda.  Al Queda is not one of those movie terrorist organizations that will simply crumble because we have killed their leader.  What we have done is martyr him to his followers.  Not only his current followers, but now thousands of other Muslims who otherwise may not have have gotten involved.  With the attacks on the US, Bin Laden catapulted himself from mere terrorist to figurehead for a movement.  What we have done is catapulted him from figurehead to martyr, a reason in and of itself for attacking the US and it's citizens.

For years, Al Queda has been our bogeyman, and Bin Laden was the face of that monster.  Now Al Queda is a faceless monster, the kind that is even more terrifying.  There will be people who will be screaming his name as they willingly blow themselves up in just the hopes that they will get a chance to take a few US citizens with them in retribution for his death.

So go ahead.  Celebrate the fact that we have gotten our revenge against the mastermind behind the 9/11 and USS Cole attacks.  But be ever vigilant against the attacks to come.  For those saying that they wish they "had been the one to execute Bin Laden," I say this to you.  Remember the cost it took to do so.  Remember the lives of the military members who have died on this road to revenge of ours.  And for those who are thinking that now Bin Laden is dead we can relax and have some of those freedoms back that were taken away in the interest of safety and security, remember that the threat is still out there, and as long as there is a perceived threat, the government will not relent in it's pursuit of safety and security.



*EDIT: Special thanks to my friend for catching me on my blunder.  It was not in fact a pipe bomb.  Full story is here.

Santa, Iraq/Afghanistan, military pay, and sexual assault...

To start, I would just like to say that this is a rant, pure and simple.  I decided to pick up a paper this morning to look up the goings on around my little island so that my wife and I could find something reasonably priced (or even free) to fill some time today and spend some much needed couple time together.  Unfortunately, reading the news either depresses me or pisses me off.  Today, it depressed AND pissed me off.  So while my wife takes a nap, I decided to write out exactly what was pissing me off because writing is way cheaper than therapy and helps me calm down.  So if you don't like reading the rantings of a 30-something white male, read no further.

The first thing that pissed me off: Christmas.  What the hell happened to Thanksgiving?  I realize it's this week, but I have seen Christmas decorations and such up since before Halloween!  The Navy Exchange had a 30' tree up outside our local NEX/Commissary mall at the beginning of November.  Don't get me wrong, I like Christmas.  It's a time to relax and share with family members.  Granted with the economy the way it is, I will be sharing lower priced things with my family, mostly of the aloha variety.  But I read today that Santa will be making an appearance at four of the my island's six malls this weekend as opposed to the weekend after Thanksgiving (biggest shopping weekend of the year), or even the first weekend in December.  Seriously?  When did Christmas start overtaking Thanksgiving AND Halloween?  Aside from Thanksgiving, Halloween is probably my favorite holiday as I get to dress up and act like a fool while giving candy to my neighborhoods' kids!  And the sad thing is, I know that corporations are only fueled by consumers.  People: stop encouraging the corporations by trying to buy Christmas themed stuff earlier and earlier every year!  I want to celebrate Halloween and Thanksgiving in their respective months without being reminded that Christmas is in December.  At the rate things are going, Christmas themed items will be displayed in stores starting in September, which is way too soon for my tastes; September is my birth month, and I like to focus on me that month, dammit!

I read two articles about troops in Iraq and Afghanistan as well this morning.  One article was the amount of food that troops in Iraq and Afghanistan will have for their Thanksgiving feast (244,854 lbs of turkey, 4,308 cans of cranberry sauce, 38,292 pies, etc).  The next was the number of deaths for the last week in Iraq and Afghanistan (15 last week, 5,784 total for Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom combined).  While it warms my heart to see that our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines are doing it up right for Thanksgiving, I'm saddened to see the second set of numbers I provided.  Come to think of it, the first set of numbers makes me a little sad too, because I know what it's like to be eating Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner while on a deployment.  Yeah, the food is great, but it sucks because you aren't with your family and friends.  What makes these numbers even worse is a quote from President Obama while he was campaigning for president:

"I will promise you this, that if we have not gotten our troops out by the time I am president, it is the first thing I will do. I will get our troops home. We will bring an end to this war. You can take that to the bank."

I tried to take this promise to the bank, but it got declined due to non-sufficient funds.  Notice how he worded this.  It's the "first" thing he will do.  First as in, first.  Not after he and congress bail out the banks, automakers, etc.  Not after he and congress take away our right to choose what appliances we can have in our homes in the interest of of energy conservation.  Not after he and congress take away out right to determine how we pay for our health care.  The war on terror started as a way to get revenge on Al Qaeda for attacking our home soil.  Well now there's speculation that it was in fact a U.S. led job to scare the population into compliance with measures that take away our civil liberties that are guaranteed by the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.  The war in Iraq started as a preventive measure to ensure that Iraq would not use stockpiled weapons of mass destruction against, well, anybody.  It has been proven time and again since we invaded Iraq that aren't WMD's in Iraq, and there never were WMD's in Iraq.  After that, the party line for both Republicans and Democrats during President Bush's remaining time in office, and now President Obama's time in office is that we have to help them get back on their feet.  When will the government realize that we are at the point where Iraq and Afghanistan will let us provide security and money to them without end until we we go broke?  And all the while, OUR military members keep dying and getting severely wounded.  Presidents Obama and Bush, I ask you, "Why?"

Which leads me into the next thing I'm pissed about.  I read an article this morning concerning military budget cuts.  Some of the things on the table are an across the board pay freeze for military members, reduction in Tricare benefits (the military insurance provider for family members and retirees), reduction in retirement benefits, revamping retirement pay calculations, and delaying retirement benefits.  I'm not even sure where to start with this.  Seriously.  Looking around the neighborhood where I live, I see that a lot of married service members live in a single income situation.  It's not that the spouses don't want to work, it's just hard for a spouse to get and keep a decent paying job when their military member is moving every 3-5 years.  What company would want to hire you for a decent amount of money if they know you will be moving on after you've been there long enough for them to train you but before they see a return on their investment in you?  Therefore, the military member is the breadwinner in such a family group with the spouse often either being a homemaker or taking lower paying service industry jobs that traditionally have a high turnover rate anyway.  Freezing the pay levels for three years would have disastrous consequences, as the cost of living goes up approximately 6% every year due to inflation.  And I'm speaking of basic cost of living (groceries, rent/mortgage, gas, utilities, clothing, insurance payments).  Throw in retirement pay calculated at less than 1/3 of the average for your last 5 years in the service and not receiving any retirement pay until you hit retirement age anyway.  Who would want to stay in the service long enough to retire?

Now there are some people who will say that military members are compensated too much anyway, and a pay freeze is only right.  To those of you who think that, I ask you to please spend a tour on a ship as part of the crew, or even better, a tour at one of the lovely camps we have in the middle east.  Then come back and tell me that the military is overcompensated.  There are studies out there that say there is now no gap between military compensation and civilian pay, and the military is in fact out pacing the civilian sector when it comes to pay increases.  What those studies don't take into account are that the military member is often on call every second of every day, and that most work weeks for them are Sunday to Saturday, with 12 to 16 hours being the average length of their work day.

On to other military matters...  This one saddened me.  I read that the ACLU is a STAUNCH supporter of the Westboro Baptist Church.  You know, the guys who protest at military funerals, holding up signs that say things like "God kills solders because America tolerates gays," and "God loves IED's."  While I'm a firm supporter of the right to free speech, I do think that a measure of respect should be given to the fallen service member's family.  They've lost a loved one, and they don't know what that loved one died for other than to further American interests.  I know the WBC is nothing but a bunch of hate-fueled bigots, but come on ACLU.  I thought you guys at least had some tact.

And finally...  I promise, this is the last thing that is pissing me off.  The TSA started rolling out the full body scanners last month.  And naturally, Honolulu International is one of the airports that received one first.  For those of you not aware, the full body scanners take some rather detailed pictures of you, which are viewed by an agent whom you aren't allowed to see.  The purpose of these scanners is to show that you are not carrying anything under you clothing.  They are more effective than metal detectors because they can see things that are non-ferrous as well as things that are.  Now, I don't know about you, but when did it become ok for some goon to look under my wife's, my children's, and my clothes?  Supposedly the images are wiped as soon as the security verification is complete, but how do we know that?  We're supposed to take the word of an agency who's primary goal is to violate our civil rights?  I just typed in the words "TSA saved body scans" into Google, and got back three news stories about two different occasions where they were not only saved, but leaked on the internet!  Naturally, you can opt not to be scanned, but then you will have to submit to a pat down.  And TSA agents have been instructed to be very aggressive with their pat downs.  One news story recounts the tale of a woman who had a hand up her skirt, and another where their genitalia was firmly groped.  I'd like to give you a definition:

Sexual assualt: unwanted sexual contact that stops short of rape or attempted rape. This includes sexual touching and fondling. (source: http://www.rainn.org/get-information/types-of-sexual-assault/was-it-rape)

Of course the TSA claims that this is not, in fact sexual assault as you are submitting to it voluntarily so that you can make it onto your plane and not have your travel plans interrupted.  If only there was some word or phrase that defined the requirement of sexual favors to achieve a personal benefit...  Oh.  Right.

Sexual harassment: intimidation, bullying or coercion of a sexual nature, or the unwelcome or inappropriate promise of rewards in exchange for sexual favors. (source: Paludi, Michele Antoinette; Barickman, (1991). Academic and Workplace Sexual Harassment. SUNY Press. pp. 2–5. ISBN 0791408299)

I don't know about you, but sexual assault and harrassment should not be a prerequisite in order for me to continue my travel plans.  And before anyone asks, "Well why not drive?" the answer is that I live on an island more than 2500 miles from the nearest city in the continental U.S.  There is no bridge, and even if there was, it would be so long that it would need gas stations and hotels built along it's length.  I could feasibly take a boat, but I can't afford a cruise liner every time I want/need to go to the mainland, and considering the type of work my wife does and that I will hopefully be doing soon, we can't afford the time it would take to get back and forth.

And that, my friends, is that.  If you've made it this far, thank-you for reading.  I feel much better now.

My Dream

Recently, media talking head Glenn Beck led a rally with fellow Tea Party activist Sarah Palin on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on the anniversary of Martin Luther King's "I Have A Dream" speech.  While the event was billed as non-political, there were strong Christian-centric overtones that meshed with the stated goals of Conservative Republicans.  The theme of the rally was that they wanted to restore honor to America by returning the country to God.

The message of this rally, after reading many reports, seems to have been this: America was founded by God, America is blessed by God, America became the greatest country in the world because of God, and America is declining because we are becoming Godless.

I have to congratulate the organizers of the event on masterful planning.  They specifically avoided any overt political messages.  There were no claims of "Obama is a racist."  Attendees were specifically asked to not bring any political signs to the rally, though there were lots of "Don't Tread On Me" flags waving.  This event was targeted at the Christian conservatives of the nation, and they delivered what that group wanted: lots of prayer, and lots of "go to church."  No specific flavor of Christianity was being pushed, but there was no mention of any of the other major religions being practiced in our country either.

In my short life, I have witnessed too many miracles to be in doubt that there is a "God."  If there isn't, then I have had a lot of coincidences happen in my life that can only be otherwise chalked up to an extraordinary amount of good luck on my part.  When I was in a bad situation as a child, a person was inspired to report it to get me out of there.  Instead of being stuck in the system until I was an adult because I was considered too old to adopt (at the age of 9, no less), I was adopted by the most wonderful person: the person I am proud to call mom.  Instead of my mom being forced to work two jobs just to support my brother and me, she met and fell in love with the man I am proud to call my dad.  I know I wasn't the easiest of teens to raise, but I was blessed with parents who were firm with me while trying to teach me why I shouldn't do certain things.  I like to think that I am the man I am today because of the way I was raised.  No, my problem isn't with God.  It's with organized religion.  In my experiences, no single religion has gotten God's message 100% right.  Sure, they say they words, but then they turn around and tell you that everyone else is wrong and needs to be brought to the "right" way of thinking.

With that being said, I would like to share my dream with everyone.

I have a dream where all the people of America can celebrate our differences instead of trying to make ourselves into the same thing; where we are all American, no matter where we come from, what religion we practice or don't; where we can celebrate our individual heritage while participating in our national one.

I have a dream that Christians, Muslims, Jews, Taoists, Shintoists, and every other person who practices a religion or doesn't can celebrate the fact that we live in a country that allows us to choose how to worship, whether we want to worship, and be happy about it instead of saying that a person is wrong for not practicing a specific religion.

I have a dream where there is a true separation between church and state; where leaders are elected for their merits and not their appeal to one interest group or another; where leaders do what is right for this country without thought of lining their pockets and without increasing the national debt; where taxes are actually used to pay for programs and assets that benefit the people of this great nation instead of funding programs that only treat the symptoms and not the problem.

I have a dream where Americans are proud to be Americans; where we can work together as Americans without a common threat to band us together; where Americans can work with Europeans, Asians, Africans, and all of the countries of the world to form a more perfect world; a world where each country is able to maintain it's distinct cultural identity, and each country is respectful of the others' traditions, religions, and people.

I have a dream where racism and sexism are, once and for all, completely abolished; where programs like "affirmative action" are no longer needed; where each day is a celebration of ethnic and gender diversity instead of having a specific day or month set aside for a specific race or sex.  Lord knows that I have met enough men and women of different races and religions, and the only difference between us are the physical ones.  If we're created in God's image, then God is male and female and composed of all races, which means the physical differences between us do not matter.

Yes, ladies and gentleman, I have a dream.  But this dream is not possible unless we all work together.  This dream will not come true over night, and it cannot come true while we have people in positions of power who tell us what to think instead of encouraging us to think for ourselves.  This dream will not be possible until we allow ourselves to be freed from the yoke of popularism; this dream is not possible while we feel entitled to government handouts; this dream cannot come true while we, as people, allow ourselves to be blinded by hate and ignorance and feelings of entitlement.

So I ask each of you: can you do it?  Can you think for yourselves instead of being told what to think by talking heads and ad companies?  Can you think of someone else before you think of yourself?  Can you look at another person and be glad that they are different instead of mad that they aren't the same as you?  Will you?

Violations of the U.S. Constitution

Today, I had the distinct honor of being called a liar by someone who disagreed with something I commented on in response to a friend's innocuous post about today being Constitution day.  Considering the speed with which this person responded and called me a liar, I'm forced to conclude that they did not do any research to back up their claim that I am a liar, and instead were relying on their innate "superior" moral compass when responding.

The gist of what I stated was this: The Bush Administration is guilty of violating the First, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, and Eighth Amendment rights of several U.S. citizens, foreign nationals legally residing on U.S. soil, and prisoners under U.S. care.  Additionally, the Bush Administration is guilty of violating several civil rights of the same.

The person who accused me of lying responded by stating, "I have rarely seen such outright lies posted by libs. Of course, with demos totally distancing themselves from Obama, they have nothing left but to bash W with a bunch of lies. Memo: Bush is not running for any office."  I will not be posting this person's name as I did not receive permission to quote them.  I will say that they called me out on a specific point regarding posse comitatus, and they were in fact correct on that point, though they neglected to include all of the facts associated with it.

I offered this person the opportunity to carry on a private, logical, and fact-based dialog with me, however it's been a few hours since I made the offer, and they have not yet responded.  I've always been a little impatient, and with this slur against my honor, I feel the need to show the research I did prior to making my statement.  For those of you who are a little rusty on your U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights, I will be providing links to each Amendment on www.usconstitution.net.

Bush Administration violation of the First Amendment: This violation is outlined in no less than the USA PATRIOT Act of 2001, specifically Section 215.  Under the USA PATRIOT Act, Sec. 215, the federal government is authorized to obtain or use ANY information to determine if you are a terrorist.  This includes, but is not limited to: medical/dental records, library records, ISP logs, etc.  Under this statute, the federal agent just needs to submit a request for these records to a federal judge with no more than a suspicion that you might be involved with a terrorist activity.  This includes U.S. Citizens who are protected under the First Amendment for what they say and read as long as it is not a direct threat to another person.  This law also violates the First Amendment by allowing for "sneak and peek" roving wiretaps that do not require a warrant.  Basically, anything you say can be used against you, whether you are a threat or not.  President Bush is guilty of violating the First Amendment of the Constitution by signing this bill into law, the 107th Congress is guilty for voting for it, and the Administration is guilty for not raising any red flags against it.  To be fair, the entire Obama Administration and the current congress are guilty for allowing this law to continue with very little changes. (USA PATRIOT Act of 2001 is available for viewing here)

Bush Administration violation of the Fourth Amendment: This one is a biggie.  Legal counsel to President Bush, Alberto Gonzalez, specifically asked the Office of Legal Counsel in the Department of Justice if there was a way to get around the Fourth Amendment.  In their response, they stated that if the action fell under the Department of Defense, then the Fourth Amendment did not apply.  As the National Security Administration falls under the DoD, this effectively grants them the right to bypass the Fourth Amendment as long as they say they are conducting "domestic military operations."  Actions that can be taken include but are not limited to: warrant-less  wire-tapping, search or seizure of persons of interest without probable cause, search or seizure of property without probable cause.  You may be saying to yourself, well, at least I have my Fifth Amendment rights...

Bush Administration violation of the Fifth Amendment: Whoops, hold on there.  In a later memo issued by the DoJ's OLC, if you are declared to be an enemy combatant by the government, then you have no Fifth Amendment right.  You can be stripped of liberty and property indefinitely and without due process as long as you are "held abroad."  That is why the Bush Administration wanted to use Guantanamo Bay Navy Base, for "enemy combatants" that were "identified" domestically.  The violation occurs here because according to U.S. law, a military asset located abroad (ship, base, outpost, outhouse, etc) is considered U.S. soil, and persons detained at these assets are to be treated as though they were physically in the U.S.

Bush Administration violation of the Sixth Amendment: Anyone who has seen the news knows this one.  Lots of detainees being held for years without trial or the opportunity to confront their accusers.  I'm not sure what the legal precedent is for alien unlawful combatants, but for American citizens, this applies whether you are guilty of a misdemeanor or high treason.

Bush Administration violation of the Eighth Amendment: Quick!  How do you get away with torturing someone and doing away with human rights standards?  Call it something else and don't leave any marks.  This is what happened when detainees were forced to stand in stress positions, were "aggressively interrogated," were water boarded, and sleep deprived among other despicable acts.  There's a very good article on Wikipedia about this, and it links to the sources they used in writing the article.  Sources include DoJ memos which tell how something which would normally be considered a human rights / Eighth Amendment violation can be redefined by the President so that it's not.  As for this, crap by any other name still smells bad.

Now I realize that this rant of mine may look like it is a very "leftist" view of things.  If you're a hard core conservative and have made it this far, congratulations!  The truth is that if the Obama Administration was serious about addressing the rightful grievances the American people have against the U.S. government, they would attempt to get the USA PATRIOT Act either repealed or rewritten so that it does not violate American civil rights.  Having been in the military, I can understand a need for a certain level of security.  However it does not need to come at the cost of having my personal life invaded because I "might" be associated with a terror group.  If the American people would be more vigilant on their own instead of letting Big Brother watch over their every move; if the American people as a whole actually gave a damn about taking care of themselves instead of being taken care of; if the American people as a whole were just a little more proud of themselves and each other for living in a country known as a symbol of hope and freedom, then perhaps we wouldn't have to worry about losing our freedom to the government.