Having just read about the riots breaking out, families and prison employees smuggling and turf wars over control of black markets on the inside, I almost thought I was reading about the meth or heroin trade in Californias prisons, but I wasn't. I was reading about the tobacco trade on the inside. It is still, at the bottom, a race thing, like all problems inside. The various race sects all want to be the top dog when it comes to any controlled substances and contraband in prisons. Contraband? Controlled substances? Riots? Over Tobacco? Yes, that's right, tobacco. All because the state has decidied that prisons should join the ranks of restaurants and bars as non-smoking establishments! Are you kidding me?

Don't get me wrong. I am all for prisoners whacking each other out so that society might be shed of the obligation of spending billions on people who, for the most part, couldn't care less about true rehabilitation. I have to say, however, that this no smoking policy in prison is ridiculous! I thought so when they did it in bars too. In a restaurant, I agree. People go there to eat and enjoy a clean atmosphere and they spend alot of jack to eat out. They should have the expectation of a clean and healthy environment without having the taste of teh food they busted for spoiled by the acrid odor of cigarettes, but a bar is a place people go to drink, and the vast majority of drinkers smoke. Hell. I know many people who don't usually smoke, but do when they drink! It's like going to a casino. If you don't want to deal with the atmosphere that almost always accompanies drinkers and gamblers, stay home! In prison smoking is about the only thing these guys(and gals)have to look forward to as far as enjoying themselves.

I am an anti-smoking NAZI! I HATE it, but I deal with it when I place myself in a situation where it is prevalent. It is a disgusting, smelly, obtrusive and costly habit that helps kill millions of people per year around the world. It is the scourge of socially acceptable behavior, and I say this as a former smoker(I quit in July 1991). What really gets my goat about the whole prison thing is that we are making such a big issue of it. I mean, we give them educations, medical and dental care, job training, gymnasiums, playrooms with big screen TVs and conjugal visits, but we wont let them smoke? Are you serious? It looks like the state has it's priorities screwed up again.

OK. Let's not let them smoke in their cells, you know, close quarters and all(I don't know if they could before this..does anyone know that?), and let's not let them smoke at chow, but no smoking period? I say we curtail the use of some of the things we KNOW the vast majority of prisoners are not going to put to good use or that they will simply take advantage of for the wrong reasons, like all the amenities I mentioned previously, and have them make big rocks into little rocks like they used to have to do, but if they want to shoot for lung cancer and emphysema, I say "Go for it"!

Maybe it's the officers health that is in question. Well, they can always go get another job! If they only let them smoke outside, what difference does it make? Stand away from them if you are so squeamish about it all. I mean, it's not like applicants for CO jobs think they are goint to be in a sterile, IBM office-like environment. They know what they are signing up for. I say they have no expectation of smoke free air or a healthy environment. It a PRISON, for cryin out loud!

Some of you may wonder why I am not supporting this wholeheartedly as a former smoker. Well, here is why. For the same reason I oppose the no smoking in bars and increased taxes on tobacco, I oppose this. It started in restaurants..OK I covered that, but then it moved to bars, now it's prisons. Taxes have made smokes on the OUTSIDE a great black market commodity by raising the cost of a pack of smokes ao a can of chew to well over five bucks! What are they going to decide is bad for us next? Cheeseburgers? Coffee? Dairy products? Give me a break, oh fearless leaders! Instead of saving the criminals from themselves, why not make some better laws aimed at saving us from the criminals?

Friday night I was called to a vehicle vs. train at Famoso-Woody Road. All I knew when they called me was that a car had been hit. I always hate those calls because I never know what to expect. I have seen glancing blows that just scared everyone, and I have seen cars so badly damaged it was impossible to tell what kind of car it was..and sometimes the people are still inside them.

This was one of the "good" ones, as it turned out. As good as such an event can be, I suppose. When I arrived there was nothing and nobody there. Everything ha dbeen cleaned up and everyone had left. That is good. That means that nobody was killed because the coroners folks will be there along with a cop until someone from the signal dept. arrives. I could see the impact area and drag marks along the tracks. There were pieces of the car scattered around and fluid everywhere. I tested the crossing warning systems and called in that everything was working as intended. Just as I was about to leave, an eye witness pulled up and told me that a car had stopped on the tracks behind a bunch of traffic stopped to turn at the intersction a hundred feet of so from the crossing and the car had died. When the warning system began operating the people vacated the car and watched helplessly as the train hit their vehicle at 39MPH. No one was injured at all. I like that.

These people did two things wrong and one thing right. First; They did not make sure that the road beyond the crossing was free of stopped or slow moving traffic traffic. Second; They stopped on the tracks. The thing they did right was get out of the car as soon as it was noted that a train was coming.

People. PLEASE; When you are approachin a crossing always make sure the road beyond is either clear or the traffic is moving steadily. If it is stopped, STOP at the white lines in front of the crossing gates. There are many crossings near intersections that leave little room between the intersection and the tracks. Most crossings with traffic signals are tied into the crossing so the traffic crossing the tracks will get green lights long enough to clear the crossing, but NEVER count on this being the case or that it will be working properly. Never assume everything will work the way it did last time you were there. Always protect your life by thinking "worst case scenario". NEVER, ever stop on the tracks. It takes a 5,000 ton train just about a mile to come to a controlled stop. They will NOT put a train in emergency to avoid hitting a car as that could cause more problems than it tries to solve. On top of that, stopping on the tracks is illegal(as is shifting gears over a crossing!). If you should find yourself stuck on the tracks and a train is approaching, GET OUT! Don't keep trying to start your car if it stalls, don't sit there and honk your horn, just get out! You can replace a car, you can't replace you or your family or friends.

Remember; Tie goes to the train, everytime.

Well, the teachers unions are at it again putting the education of our children in the caboose of the union powered Crazy Train and this time it is the Delano Elementary Schools that are in the crosshairs. The union is telling prospective teachers not to go to work there, trying to get existing teachers to quit and sending letters to all Cal state university professors to tell their students not to teach there. They are actually planning on handing out fliers at JOB FAIRS telling people NOT to apply there! Isn't that like an anti-job fair? Thanfully, the professors are not bowing down to the unions and are telling students to investigate the facts before making a decision not to work anywhere. It's nice to that baseless union rhetoric isn't winning the day at usually liberal leaning, union supporting colleges and that people shoud look at the facts, which seem to be in short supply where the union is concerned.

I spoke to a teacher at one of the schools in Delano who told me that, as usual, the union is not presenting all the facts to the media, who seem eager to sop up all the gooey union sob stories. The teacher said the union is making unreasonable demands such as a 15% raise(my biggest raise in 27 years with the railroad has been 6% with most in the 3%-4% range and that is only every 4 years), no concrete dates to meet on their part and the constant cancellation of dates set by the district, etc. Typical union tactics. It appears that Ron Garcia is accurate in his statement that these bully tactics are nothing new, as the relationship between teh district and the union has been one of open hostility for many years. It would appear that the union(and the teachers who support it)have learned nothing from the American auto industry, which due to unreasonable union contracts in the past have lost tens of thousands of jobs and brought a once mighty industry to the brink of ruin. I guess none of them are History teachers.

When people wonder why so many schools no longer offer wood, metal or auto shop, or why there is no longer a music or theatre department, they need look no further than overzealous union contracts. When schools tie up a significant amount of budgets whos power already is diminished by overcrowding, there is little left after districts tie up financial resources dealing with contract negotiations which can end up involving attorneys on each side. Schools can't afford these demands AND continue to offer our kids classes that will help our kids enjoy the educational experience that may help them stay in school and pursue higher education.

We can get by with decreased car production from auto makers drained by ridiculous contracts, but we cannot afford fewer kids getting through high school just so a union can pound its chest in victory. As a former officer(1st VP, VP and President)of the Brootherhood of Railroad Signalmen, Local 104, member of the AFL-CIO, I know what I am talking about.

We are five years into the economic expansion and Americans are still waiting for their fair share with inflation swallowing pay raises. Businesses are hiring but forecasters fear the economy is about to stall. "If this is a recovery" the leader of the opposing political party said, "I can hardly wait for the recession".

A slam on the economic effects of the president Bush's policy decisions? Nope. Try a speech from Bob Dole in his presidential campaign in 1996. The economy was expanding at a good clip, just like it is today(no matter what the naysayers would have us believe). It proves that policy decisions on either side during an administration have little to do with economic growth cycles. The consumers drive economic growth and their politics seem to be little more than a blip on the economic outlook radar. The dotcom revolution powered the economy in the 90s, not the Clinton administration, and todays growth proves that, even though the public has little confidence in the president, they still have a great deal of confidence in their buying power. When the dotcommers took a dive in early 2000 so did the economy. It was too late to blame Clinton and too early to blame Bush. Another example of consumer strength being the key to a healthy economy.

Research shows that more Americans were pessimistic about the economy in 1996 than they are now, proving that the Bush blamers either have short memories or that they just never knew it to begin with. The question for many seems to be, now as then, "When do we get our piece of the pie"? Hmmm..I dunno, maybe when those people start taking the same risks the shareholders in the market take. If you want your share but are afraid to risk any of your money, what makes you think you deserve a share in how that money was made? I am generally content to let my investments, few as they may be, sit and make what money they can without stressing about it, and so far, that is working out for me. One exception was my stock in Union Pacific RR. The company gave all its employees 200 shares at $55 a share in 1997 with the option due in 2007. Their money people figured that was when the stock would be about double the original value. It sat sat still for three years then started to go up a little and in late 2005 was at $81 a share and dropping slowly. Everyone was paranoid about the economy, predicting the end of the world because Bush was making bad decisions. Being a somewhat impatient man(no cracks form you, Mom and Cassie), I let economic talk I knew I shouldn't listen to drag me down the road to the stock dump. I sold my shares at $79.91. Today(the price is shown on UP's Website homepage everyday)that stock is at $102.26. So much for listening to the wind blow.

The next time I hear a Bush bashing prophet of doom claim the economy is in bad shape, I think I'll send them a bill for the $4,470 I lost out on by acting like a panicky ewe who thinks the other guy really has a clue as to what is happening.

Ahhh..Bank of America. That bastion of social sympathy. That towering pie in the sky for those seeking a better life. They are so touched by the plight of illegal immigrants that they are going to begin issuing credit cards to illegals. ILLEGALS! People without social security numbers, valid identification, credit history, OH, and no legal status in America, credit cards! Bank of America my hind leg! YOU try getting such a deal with no verifiable information! Granted the limit will be in the $500 range and interest rates are said to be in the 21% range, but still, this is a raw deal for everyone and this is why.

BofA is not a philanthropic organization. It is a business and it there for one reason, and one reason only. To make money. It doesn't care if you can't pay your bills or feed your family, it only cares if you can make the interest payments and that is bad for the illegals who only understand one line of the ad campaign. NO SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER REQUIRED. This was the brainchild of the president of the Latin American office of Bof A. He is not interested in the plight of his fellow latinos, but rather, he is interested in sucking every last drop of blood from his latino "brothers". That's why it's bad for illegals.

What is to stop these people from maxing the cards out and just not repaying them. No SSN, no ID, how do you tell if someone is honest or not? You have no reliable information concerning them so it would be impossible to go after them with any assurance of success, so would the bank even make the effort? What if a group of 10 people got together and maxed out, say one hundred of these cards using different names, sent the money to Mexico and headed back home where they whould be able to purchase $50,000 in drugs, bring it back here and make millions off the lunacy of our very own BofA? Even if all they did was take it home and get drunk till the 50K ran out, the bank is still out the money. I mean, what's to stop them? Has BofA not been paying attention to the news for the last ten years as illegals commit crimes here and flee across the border, never to be heard from again? And who pays for this financial boo-boo? BofA customers(which I am not, thank God), and possibly even the taxpayers if BofA can figure out a way to get the government to somehow foot the bill.

I am certain that there are many thousands who will do their very best to make good use of this terrible plan, and repay their debts allowing the bank to extend their generosity(but, I am sure, at the same rates). But the facts still remains that these people are here illegally and that is a crime, period. You can spin it any way you like, you can paint it in the colors of a rainbow and scent it with a potpourri, but they are committing a crime and being rewarded for it. It's another example of how the government refuses to step in and uphold the law for fear of being labeled racist bigots and another example of America cowtowing to another third world country, and that's why it's bad for Americans.

I see the state has decided to pass out 1.75 million bucks to help the farmworkers pay their bills due to layoffs after the "Big Freeze". I suppose it's a compassionate thing to do, but when I(along with many others)got laid off in 1980 when work ran out on the RR, nobody offered to pay MY bills! I got my $525 a month in unemployment, but it wasn't enough to get by, so I went out and got a job. Why can't these people do the same? According to the do-gooders who support them, there are plenty of jobs white folks won't do. What about the thousands of auto workes laid off in the last few years whos plants will NEVER reopen(as opposed to crops that will come in in a few months)? Is anyone doing anything for them? It shouldn't matter why a large number of people are laid off, the fact is that they were. I say "help one, help all or just don't help anyone at all". Unemployed is unemployed and dire straits are dire straits. It looks to me like Arnold and the state legislators are pandering to the latin vote at the taxpayers expense.

My grandson, Ryan Mathews, is almost famous! Well, around here, anyway. Anyone who pays any attention to the sports page or the sports section of the news knows who he is. It's kind of cool to have a celebrity in the family. He get's those "is that him?" looks from people when we are at a restaurant or a store, all the sports casters in town know who I am and say hi because I got to be down on the field with them at all the games this year with my camera and even had my own "coach" shirt(Ryan asked them to get me one..who was gonna deny the golden boy?). My wife had her pic in the online Californian hugging him after West won the league title against Centennial and we were all(his Mom, Brother and us)seated at his table in front of the cameras on "Signing Day" last week. We even had our own little placards! People who know I am his grampa always ask how and what he is doing, and until last week, where he is going!

His deal with Fresno State includes a five year scholarship with room, board and books, red shirting at his discretion, a nationally acclaimed academic development program aimed at keeping athletes on track and learning rather than simply attending and the University Medical Center is at the teams disposal should they be required. There are alot of other perks that go along with it, but you get the picture. His Mom told me that Coach Hill said "When you leave here you will have a degree and many of the tools you will need to succeed in life, what you do with them will be up to you". I like that.

So, the next step in his(and by extension, our)journey begins this summer when he moves to Fresno. I find myself wondering if he will make as big a name for himself up there as he did here. I know we will all be in his corner and in the stands to do our part. I know that he is driven not only to compete, but to win, and not just win, but dominate and he says he is prepared to do whatever it takes to make that happen. The family is trying to put a small "meet n greet" together for friends, family and well wishers and I'll let everyone know when that happens for those interested.

I have an example of how he has impacted some of the young players coming up through the football leagues here in town. The Vice principal at West said a boy came to his door on halloween dressed up in Green Bay Packers gear. The man asked if the boy was Brett Favre. He said "No. I'm Ryan Mathews"!

How about that new girl on the block? Ain't she a dandy? All chuckles and grins and the sweetheart of the American left. Well, most of them anyway. I speak, of course, about Nancy Pelosi. Other than the fact that she is a liberal, I haven't had much of a chance to formulate a true opinion of her as the new Speaker as far as how she runs the ship. Well, there IS that matter of 100 hours having come and gone(216 hours and counting since Jan. 1st not counting holidays) with no real changes having been made anywhere. I realize that is not ALL her fault, but she IS the one who made such a production of the timetable. But I digress.

My curiosity at this point is concerning her and her staff's request for a larger plane, a MUCH larger plane, than the Gulfstream-5 she currently utilizes. Have you ever seen a Gulfstream-5? It's a very nive ride! It is the cream of the crop in private jets and the one she uses is as trick as it gets with all the upgrades in electronics and communications we can buy for it. But she wants the military version of the Boeing 757. A plane that carries up to 50 people in its dimplomatic configuration and up to 111 in its regular configuration. Even at the 50 mark, that's a lot of sweet seats for those she is schmoozing for support. She(her staff, I am told)say it is necessary in the name of security. The security issue being that the Gulfstream has to refuel once between Washington and her home in San Francisco at one of those dangerously well guarded Military bases. The 757 would alleviate this necessity at the bargain basement price of around $300,000 one way across the country. That's alot of jack to avoid stopping in Omaha or Colorado. On top of that is the fact that the 757 dumps over 10,000 TONS of CO2 into the air each year, four times the amount of the Gulfstream. Now I don't care about that number, but according to her, SHE does!

If this were a republican speaker asking for such a plane, Nancy would be asking for his/her head on a platter and so would her supporters. Don't get me wrong, I believe that the Speaker of the House SHOULD be kept safe and sound(even if I am not a supporter)and proper measures be in place to see to that..And they are. They have been for a very long time and I don't like my tax dollars going toward an unecessary upgrade. Now I am not saying that all, or even any, democrats think this is a good idea, but it does make me curious about how people feel about it in general

As I cruise through different websites, blogs and message boards, I see something that the vast majority of posters and owners have in common. That is that they take themselves far too seriously. It's a fact that most of the posts on all blogsites are political in way or another, and if the original post isn't particularly political, it has a way of becoming so through comments and replies. I am always taken by the number of people who seem to believe they are experts on the subject at hand and how forceful, overbearing and redundant they can be. Now, I don't know what anyone other than Mom and I do for a living here on the Bako board, but it's a pretty safe bet that none us are true politicians or analysts of any kind. As most everyone here knows, I work for the railroad as a Signal Maintenance Foreman and my only interest in politics is in the general sense. I feel I have the right to say my piece on politics because I vote. If I didn't vote, I wouldn't say a word and I believe that should apply to everyone who doesn't vote! The only things I am a real expert in are motocross, the Space Program history and WWII History. I am an amateur astronomer and have an awesome telescope with all the bells and whistles, I am a published poet, a decent guitarist who can actually read music, a very good photographer, a general history buff and a serious Harley rider(That doesn't mean I disrupt social functions or rape and pillage on my scooter, it just means that I ride an awful lot).

Yeah, that's alot of stuff to be interested in and I really enjoy myself doing it and, as I said in a previous post, I enjoy showing off my ability to do each of the things I mentioned. So, when I post on here, it's just opinions, ideas and the like that I am sharing and backing up anything I have to say with facts doesn't make me an expert, it just makes me thorough. With all the things I am intersted and involved in, it's easy to see why I am not an expert in much of anything, Just a man of many interests, and on top of that, I have a job and a family.

Ahhh..The family. That's what it's all about to a man like me. I am not thought of by my my family as a political animal or analyst. I am thought of as a Dad, a Grampa and a Husband. I am seen as a provider of sustanence, comfort and love(and the ocassional grounding or argument). To my family, my hobbies are seen as my reward for doing what I have to do to see to their needs, and for the most part, wants. That's OK with me, I don't want them to see me as anything else. I sometimes wonder, when I read what some folks write, if they believe they are experts just because they have an opinion or an idea. It is hard to think that some don't just by reading what and how they write. I know that I have written blogs before just to see who's hackles I can get up and how long I can keep them there. Don't get me wrong, I am very passionate about certaing things, but many things are just blog fodder and it's fun to see how certain people react to certain post, whether mine or not. It's so predictable! I think most of you on the Bako board are able to see when I am not that dedicated to a topic. I know some of you are by the way you respond to my prods!

I guess my point is this. None of us are going to be remembered for our political expertise or by what we say on this board. At least not to the people who matter most in our lives. We are a bunch of working class stiffs(even if we are retired) who enjoy putting our opinions out there so we can see what comes back. We are family people with Moms and Dads, Kids and siblings and friends, all of whom we want to remember us as doing the best job we could at that. My legacy will be one of family and friends and when they remember me, they may think of me when they see the a camera, a motocross race, a Harley, or one of the guitars I will surely leave my kids. I don't talk much politics or religion around my kids, allowing them to find their own way in life, so they aren't going to think of me when they see a blog or a political debate, but they will think of me when they see a Daddy hug his little girl. THAT'S what I'm talkin' about!

Here I go again bashing the homeless! Actually this applies to a great many persons in the area of Old Town Kern and I don't know what their status is. The article was in last weeks paper and it dealt with homless advocates pressuring the city to put a traffic signal at East Truxtun and Williams St. at the homeless shelter because two people had been struck and killed there in the last year and they argued that a signal there would alleviate the problem. Enter, once again, reality. A situation this morning reminded me of that article and the fact that I wanted to post about it.

This morning, on the way to my office on Baker & Sumner, as I approached Baker St eastbound on Sumner with a green light, a woman, without looking either way or even breaking stride, walked out in front of me at a liesurely pace against her red light. I am accustomed to such behavior and had already seen her walking toward the intersection, so I was able to easily stop without incident. But what if it was someone who wasn't familiar with that area? What if there had been a delivery truck in the left turn lane or someone distracted by a cell phone. It could have been very ugly. As I said, this is not uncommon and I lost count years ago of how many times it has happened.

The point is that many of the folks in that area don't pay any more attention to a light than they do to any other rule or law. They don't care if they inconvenince you, piss you off, or just scare the crap out of you. They don't pay attention to lights, cars horns or whatever and I don't believe the city spending twenty or thirty large on a traffic signal is going to change much.

If I had one question I could ask every liberal I met, it would be "Don't you ever get tired of being mad"? It seems like I never hear anything but pessimism from them, even when they talk about their own side. When thing's don't go as I voted or feel, I don't claim disenfranchisement or cry foul. I don't cry at all, I just move on to whatever is next that will help my agenda next time I vote. Liberals are STILL grousing about the 2000 election! Get over it already! Even if the election was questionable, what good is it going to do to keep shouting your objections right now? The '08' election is just around the corner and you will have the chance to put your best foot forward again and I suggest you spend that time coming up with a better plan than complaining and fingerpointing. It didn't do you any good in '04' and it won't do you any good in '08'.

When Clinton was elected in '92' I was very disappointed because I knew what kind of man he really was, but I didn't get mad and I certainly didn't hold on to anger and feed off of it for eight years. I wrote conservative representatives, the RNC. I gave money. I did what I thought was my part to get Republicans back in office. Not just any Republican, but one who was ready to lead America in the direction I felt was the right one. Of course, you disagree with what I think is the right direction, but that is neither here nor there. The point is that I didn't mope in the meantime. I took action to see to it that my views were represented as best as they could be. You should be doing the same, but already you are infighting in congress and the candidacy. I was proven right as to what kind of man Clinton was, but I still never hated him for what I considered to be very poor leadership. I just helped my party vote defeat his progeny and I didn't do it by complaining. We had our chance in 2000 just as you will in 2008. I wonder if one of the things that keeps liberals so angry is the fact that they know they have no honestly electable candidates and no real solutions to the problems they are so quick to point out at every opportunity. To listen to the liberals, you'd think nothing was wrong in America or the world until February 20, 2001.

I don't believe the left has the stomach to lead America into, and through what is to come. They accuse the right of keeping their heads buried in the sand, of blind allegiance even as they live in denial of the threat of terrorism here at home. The terrorists aren't going to go away if a democrat wins, or even if we pull out of Iraq. Contrary to what they would have the public believe, Bush didn't piss the madmen off, America did, and THAT is who they are fighting, not the right or the left. It's not about politics or personal vendettas to them, it's about religion and culture. They would have attacked us in 2001 no matter who won. They planned the attack for five years and weren't about to say "OH! Gore won! Let's all go home"! They hate us for what we represent, not for who represents us and that will carry on against whoever is in office.

So, I would say that if the liberals insist on being pissed and bitter all the time, they should aim their venom at the REAL enemy and not a man who, no matter what happens, will be gone in 2008.

I started doing this because I am, at heart, a showoff. Whether it is riding a dirtbike, a Harley, playing a guitar or writing, I like people to see what I can do and how well I can do it when I put my mind to it. In the case of blogging I wanted to show off my communication abilities, general knowledge and my passion for this, that and the other while getting in a little writing practice and having some fun. I wanted to voice my opinions to a wider audience than whoever happens to be sitting in my living room or the guys at coffee and show folks I am able to utilize the english language properly without being arrogant(unless it's tongue in cheek) and using as few fifty cent words as possible.

My intent form the beginning was never to engage anyone personally in attack. Debating or arguing with an individual is one thing, making it personal is another. I have had plenty of debates/arguments on this and other sites, but have never resorted to neme calling or personal attacks of any kind and I am quite proud of that. Just because I disagree with someone doesn't mean I don't like or need to be unkind to them. Everytime I see someone call another any type of insulting name such as "stupid" or whatever name they feel the need to use, it takes a little away from the spirit of what reasonable debate in a forum such as this should be. I don't dislike liberals, I merely disagree with liberalism, but I respect those who's views differ from mine when they stand their ground and the thought of calling someone I am arguing with a name of any sort is repugnant. If I ever even come close to doing it, please, put me in check!

When I post on issues that are non-political, such as the recent posts here thet became so personal, I am not pointing my finger at an individual here. I making a point beased on my opinions of an issue or event. Nothing more. If someone disagrees with the way I see things, that's OK, that's what we do here, but purposefully creating an atmosphere of personal animosity through attacks on me or those close to me is unacceptable. It's not why I came here.

I dont expect everyone(or anyone, for that matter)to agree with anything I have to say, but I do expect people to behave in a reasonable and mature fashion and keep personal attacks off the board. If someone has a problem with me, take it up in e-mails, on the phone or face to face. Other than that, they should keep it to themselves.

I apologize to all the folks I have enjoyed debating, arguing and argeeing with on the board for all the crap that was said a few days ago. I went in and deleted the entire exchanges as I don't believe it was relevant to any topic or had anything to do with keeping in the spirit of what we all share here. Thanx everyone! I'll have something to say soon that, I am sure, will piss at least half of you off and I look forward to more healthy, fun filled silliness!

Well, it's happening again. Another step toward American irresponsibility, super profits of medical care and a step toward the time when taxpayers will foot the bill for parent's abuse and neglect of their children. I am not speaking of beatings or sexual abuse, I am talking about childhood obesity. It is abuse and neglect plain and simple. It is, in my opinion, as much a crime as starving a child or emotionally abusing them, and now the medical field is stepping into the void left by disciplinarianally challenged parents. That's right. Being the caring, sensitive conglomoration they are, big medicine is here to help us take care of our children with Bariatric proceedures to rid them of the weight that is causing problems with health and emotional issues. The quick fix that has been offered to obese parents is now available to their kids and it is catching on quickly.

It is not uncommon for adults to claim that their obesity is causing health problems serious enough to warrant the surgery and have it covered under insurance plans. Medi-cal for the low income folks is sure to follow suit especially where kids are concerned, which means that you and I, Joe taxpayer, will get to pay for some parents lack of discretion where thir kid's diets are concerned.

Again I ask, "where is the personal responsibility"? I mean, it's not the kid's fault really, they haven't been brought up to eat right. It's pretty clear the parents are to blame. Did you not realize your six year old had a gut and a double chin? Did you not notice they couldn't get into or out of a car without great difficulty? Did you not notice that they ate constantly? Of course you did! You were just(insert lame assed excuse).

Just as parents who use video games to babysit and calm kids from the time they are old enough to hold a controller then wonder why the kids aren't interested in school or leraning anything but how to play the newest game, there are parents who use food for the same reasons then wonder why their fourteen year old has diabetes, high blood pressure, bad joints, back problems and heart conditions, not to mention the emotional problems that go woth being obese among the relentless chides of schoolmates and peers. The health risks of obesity are well documented and so are ways of avoiding it. My kids don't eat perfectly healthy stuff all the time. I let them have some junk food and sweets, but they are required to eat fruits, veggies and real meals and are not allowed to overeat. It is ingrained in them and I rarely have to say anything, but I will jump them in a heartbeat if need be.

It is not society's fault that your kid is obese, It's YOUR fault. Don't blame McDonald's for their condition, YOU took them there. You taught them that poor eating habits are OK as long as YOU didn't have to listen to them(insert disobedient behavior) or have them interfere in your(insert seemingly important activity). When they are sick because of your neglect and/or over indulgence, YOU need to take responsibilty and not expect someone else to foot the bill for whatever care they may need to get back into a healthy lifestyle and sound emotional state.

Kids only know what they are taught and most of that teaching comes when they are young andit is the parents who are doing the teaching, so step up and do the job as it is meant to be done or watch your children pay the price.

I read about the jeep crashing into the house here in town in todays paper. A driver lost control and went into a womans living room, pinning her under the couch which was pinned under the jeep until rescue workers could free her using jacks and airbags, all the while not knowing if the Jeep would fall back on her and do who knows what damage. She was listed in critical condition this morning, her home was badly damaged and you can bet her life will never be the same. As someone who has suffered major injuries, I speak from experience, and that is just the lingering effects of the pain associated with my injuries, all of which I brought on myself, mostly racing(actually crashing)bikes.

This woman had no such choice. Her life is changed through no fault or decision of her own. She will always feel the injuries and it is unlikely she will ever be able to just relax at home on the couch and watch TV again. The sound of a car gunning it, screeching its brakes or just a bump in the night may cause great anxiety.

Why did all this have to happen? A drunk driver? A crackhead or speed freak tweeking out? A high speed chase through a quiet neighborhood? No..None of the above. Her life was changed in an instant by someone looking at their laptop computer while driving. A LAPTOP! What in hell is the matter with us? Have we bocome so spoiled, so rushed, so arrogant and self absorbed that we can't wait until we get home to get on the computer? Hell, we could, at least, pull over! What could possibly be so important that this man would endanger the lives of others(not to mention himself)to gaze at a computer? What was his passenger thinking allowing him to do it? How utterly irresponsible of both of them. What is worse is that the driver was not arrested for reckless endangerment! He wasn't arrested for anything and I don't know that he was even cited! The article said the guy was visibly upset. I am sure that makes the family of the woman feel better. I say he was visibly stupid, and people have the gall to wonder why cell phones will soon be illegal while driving.

I say it shouldn't stop there.The following should also be made illegal while driving: Eating, preparing food(you'd be surprised how many times I have seen this), smoking(my cousin, Connie, was killed when the driver of the car she was in lost control while lighting a smoke), reading, putting on make-up, doing your hair and having a dog in your lap. There are others also, but I digress.

The point is that driving is a very serious business and should be the only thing you are focused on while doing it. You want to change a CD, do it at a red light or pull over. Are your tunes worth the risk of an accident? All the things I mentioned are things that distract you from the task at hand and I say you don't have the right to endager my loved ones because you are in too much a hurry to pull over for a minute once in awhile. Driving is a privelege and people need to remember and appreciate that fact.

It's time people stopped being so self centered behind the wheel and started being accountable for their actions there. I will say this..If someone were to injure a loved one doing something so stupid, I would be the one in the cop car..They would be the one in the ambulance.

Polls..Have you ever seen one? I don't mean the results, I mean the poll itself? I have. They go something like this..

Do you approve of the war in Iraq? Y or N

Do you approve of the way the president is handling the war in Iraq? Y or N

Do you think we should committ more troops to the war in Iraq? Y or N

End of poll.

HEY! Wait a minute! Where is the part that asks our opinion about the alternative? Where is the part that asks if we approve of the plans the other side has? The questions aren't there and here is why. The alternative is diplomacy and the radical insurgency are not interested in diplomacy and they have proven it hundreds of times since 1979, so there is no real alternative and every rational, non-Muslim in the world seems to understand this and I just don't understand why so many others DON'T get it.

So, if diplomacy, which has failed in Iran and Iraq for the last 25 years, isn't going to work, what is? What is the new plan? I would be very interested in hearing it. Hell, I amy even agree with it, but it has to exist for me to know! Like Dubya said in his debate with Kerry in 2004, "A litany of complaints is not a plan". I'll admit that the president isn't the orater Reagan was, but that was pretty astute observation. Dubya's numbers may be way low, but the actual numbers on the war are still about 50-50 when you look at all sides and not just the side the media want's you to see. I agree that things suck over there and the president has done a poor job of prosecuting this war, but the public has to share the blame for that. America has lost it's stomach for war. We(not me) are simply unwilling to do what it takes to defeat an enemy. If the public had been consulted and listened to like they are today on the things we do to win(interrogation techniques, mass bombing)we would all be spaeking German and goosestepping to publiuc rally's.

In the war on terror thousands of lives have been lost and thousands more will be lost, but we didn't start this crap. We didn't bomb the Khobar towers, the Marine Barracks, the Cole or take down the WTC(although the conspiracy theorists would have you belive we did), but at least Dubya tried to do something about it. You can't blame him for everything when you hogtie him and the military because you are squeamish about the realities of war. A war WE din't start. Even if we had never gone into Iraq, thousands of innocents and military would still be dead either at the hands of Saddam himself in Iraq and in Afghanistan and elswhere because the insurgents would have eventually came to where were fighting the radicals. They want to kill us wherever we are and that is not going to stop with diplomacy and UN sanctions. It's not about borders to them. It's about their hatred for us no matter where we are or what we are doing and the WTC proved that.

I sometimes think the president should just throw up his hands and let the chips fall where they may. Then everyone would see just how unprepared his detractors are to keep terrorism and despots at bay. Strongly worded diplomatic letters just aren't going to cut it with these madmen. It's one one thing to piss and moan about change, but it is another thing entirely to affect it. I am saddened and sorry to say that it will, most likely, take another attack by the REAL bad guys to wake the other half up...AGAIN!