If they say that it’s for terrorism, then it's ok- that is how we live today...

If they say that it’s for terrorism, then it's ok- that is how we live today. It is a shame to see a company like Verizon forced to hand over tons of data. What happened to Big Business sticking it to the Government? Like not paying taxes, hiring illegals- and shipping jobs overseas?

 Yeah, fuck you America- (in my Big Business voice).

Nope- they did a 360 degree turn on this one. According to Obama back in 2007, our civil liberties were the most important thing on his agenda. I am against these sorts of actions happening in our country for several reasons.

One, I believe in the people, but I do not think that a majority of people are informed enough to understand how important all this information is and what can be done with it.

And secondly, I do not trust our government.  They have a history of abusing power.   

Maybe we should all have thought about it before we accepted the internet into our homes- nothing but a military technology packaged up for civilians.

I’m not against all this because I have “something to hide”- But rather, because this is the opposite of freedom.  People are in an uproar over keeping their guns and repealing health care- but why the fuck aren’t they screaming to get rid of the PATRIOT ACT.

Why is collecting data so important for our government? Because the government can use this data to do a lot of things they shouldn’t do.  For example, they can gather information to identify and track certain groups of individuals that might share the same belief.  Maybe…. Track their location using GPS data, and their calls, and where they gather.  Doesn’t sound too bad if you are thinking “terrorist”, right?  But replace “terrorist” with something else- anything.  Replace it with “Civil rights activist” or “Jew” or “Someone who doesn’t think like us”.  Scary?

This is too much.  That is way too much information for the government to have on its citizens. The common position “I am doing nothing wrong, so who cares if they track me” is nothing more than apathy and ignorance.

I have seen what happens to organizations that stand out and really try to make change-  they get roadblocked. I have seen what happens to individuals like Martin Luther King, and JFK.  Assonated- for their beliefs, their thoughts, and letting people know there is a choice.

We have a choice- here right now. The next few years will be a huge turning point in our lives. Data will become an even bigger business than it is already is and more laws are going to be created to protect and use that data in anyway a company or government sees fit.  

While we sit on these digital soapboxes and share our lives with the world, we are being watched.

I know there are some of you that believe that there will be some revolution- sorry to be real with you- it isn’t coming. WE the People could not overthrow our Government.  

What did our government do with the data that they collected when Russia rang the phone about the Boston Bomber? They dropped the ball- they did not react and allowed a suspected terrorist to conduct a terrorist act.

I understand that we have to sacrifice some of our privacy- things that are not really private. Like when I am walking down the street in front of cameras- attending a sports event- or even shopping at the mall. They can watch me.

But collecting all of this data and storing it “just in case” is not a good reason to take away our rights. To some, this is something that should be done in the name of safety.

But what if freedom of expression became something that was connected to terrorism.  It’s happening all over the world.  Is that acceptable? What if every child was forced to wear a name tag that had a GPS in it? Is that acceptable?

My point is simple- get informed and stay informed. Of course America is safer. But I do not think that it is because personal data has been collected and stored.

And while I am writing this, we just got word that the Government is now tapping into 9 Internet companies. Microsoft, PalTalk, YouTube, AOL, Yahoo, Google, Apple, Skype, and Facebook.  They are providing video, text, audio- pretty much anything you do on your computer.  So now the NSA is all in our shit-

Yeah they know how many guns that you have if you took a picture and placed it online- that little teeny bopper site that you are following- now they have placed you in a category with other people engaging in the same behavior.

There is no reason for these types of actions. I was told once by someone that we were close to tyranny- shit, I think I am staring at it directly in the eyes…

Don’t Stay in the Kitchen

Have you heard these clowns running around talking about the destruction of marriage and the natural selection cycle of the human race on the decline? (http://nymag.com/thecut/2013/05/watch-fox-news-panic-over-female-breadwinners.html)

Simply because some women are forced to be breadwinners due to the absence of a male in the home, and others have chosen to have a career that offers them excellent wages.

Of course, the economic situation in our country has changed the landscape of the workforce. Factories have shut down; construction jobs crept to a halt- and let’s face it, a lot of men do not have the skill sets that are sought after in this current economy.

We all know the way that Fox spun the issue with their news reporting style. They turned the story into the Armageddon of Man. Sort of how Eve is always to blame for the world that we live in. If she would have never eaten that forbidden fruit- Eve put that iPhone down!  Serve me woman!

Since a majority of the population has decided not to take statistics but instead enroll in ballroom dancing, it is easy to see why this story has caused so much controversy. FEAR- if the black unemployment rate was lower I am sure that Obama would have another scandal on his hands.  

There is nothing wrong with a woman being the breadwinner. Just because a woman is making more than a man does not suggest that marriage is under attack. Maybe it suggests that women have adapted to the society they live in and have gained the necessary skills to survive instead of being on Welfare. Maybe we should applaud these women instead of vilifying them.  

Just because a women is making more than her husband should not mean that their son is going to be bound to life in the kitchen watching Sports Center, or How to survive in the wild with a toothpick.

This subject cannot and should not be talked about by people that do not have any experience with the issue. The stats are misleading. It needs to be broken down by several other factors as well. For example how many of these households are educated, how many decided that this was right for them, and finally how many mothers have no other options.

I personally am a part of this new phenomenon (or destruction of so-called marriage). My wife is a business professional. We have two children and have decided that the best way for them to be raised is with one parent at home.

The deciding factor on who was going to stay home, was based on who had the lowest salary.  I am not ashamed to say that I was defeated in this little challenge.  I could have taken a job at the local 7-11 and been forced to work multiple jobs in order to put a roof over our children’s head ten years ago- but WE decided differently.

Did my manhood simply vanish? Nope. I have a beard, I still pee standing up, and I even knocked out a few degrees while I had the time. Our son enjoys so-called “manly” activities- you know- shooting avatars with military style weaponry and farting then evacuating the room. Our daughter wears pink, understands that women can achieve anything they want in life, and is not simply forced to remain barefoot in the kitchen.

Look, numbers are just that- numbers, but they do not talk, they do not explain every single detail. Numbers are often so skewed in the direction of those in control that their intended audience does not even check the facts but regurgitates the same insane rhetorical hysterical fairytale gibberish. Tow the party line is what they must say in their morning meetings.

If they were really concerned about marriage, then they would have allowed the man to stay in subsidized housing with their families. Instead men were not allowed to stay with their children and family.  If our society really cared about marriage then we would not allow for men to get locked away on silly drug possession charges and denied financial aid to attend college.

If we really want to examine the breakdown of family and marriage we should not be looking at employment statistics only, but education and social issues as well. With a 50% divorce rate- marriage has been under attack for years.    

You want to know what helps the community in situations like these- It’s when men spend time in the community.  Men like me, who have taken this opportunity to spend time at my children’s school. The field trips that I have attended, the Site Council meetings, and the Superintendent / Parents Board, these things help the community.

I have seen so many fathers picking up their children from school, helping them with their homework, and even at the playground with their children during the day.  No longer do they have to wear that shirt with the fake baby in a pouch, now they have a baby in a pouch. 

Marriage and the male role in our society are not being destroyed- they are changing. Of course most men would be scared of this. Men ran everything for a while and look what the hell we turned into. We turned into a society that is so hyped up on violence that video games are nothing but recruiting tools for the military.

Look, without women our silly asses would not be here, history has skewed the role of women so bad that they still have to fight for justice and equality. And now that women have started to shatter that glass ceiling- ditching baking bread in the kitchen for earning bread in the workplace- men are threatened. 

Grab the Stagecoach and Hit the Road

Anytime California representatives suggest a new law addressing gun control, I always hear a handful of California residents proclaiming they are going to pack up and move to Texas.  Many point to the fact that Texas has fewer regulations than California. This may be true- but then I point to reasons for regulations- like the plant that blew up in West Texas, and destroyed a neighborhood, killing several people.  I also point to the fact that they are using money from the Obama Administration to rebuild… and repair their roads.

As a Californian that lived in Texas, I lived it. I lived the isolation of another perspective. I faced racism on a regular basis.  One day, I was standing outside watering my grass and a female neighbor said “Hi Negro neighbor”, in a half- joking, half-serious tone. Now, don’t get me wrong- this is not all of Texas, but this is my experience.

There were days when I was stuck driving behind a pick-up truck covered in “I hate Obama” stickers and a Confederate flag waving in the air.  Yes, this new law to some can be considered a removal of rights. Why should you have to subject yourself to a background check to get bullets?

Well, if you have nothing to hide, then you should have nothing to worry about, correct? Never mind that the Government has just made it mandatory for Google to hand over your data- including the search for how many bullets it will take to kill a deer and religious quotes to be plastered on a Facebook wall directly from the Bible Belt.

A background check for a gun and a background check for bullets is nothing that the law abiding citizen should be afraid of. If you are using the gun to go hunting- killing animals that you fed- or for the intruder that happens to be lurking around every corner, than you are fine.

Shouldn't there be one more layer of protection for our children? I know that those who are worried about this background check live in a bubble. A bubble of Faux News, Rushmouth commentary, and the Sarah Palin Pit-bull and lip stick speech. I wonder if she had any other quotes but couldn't fit them on her hand.

There is a lot to love about Texas. I loved the thunderstorms, the cheap homes, and the spirit of the average Texan. I loved watching the Cowboys and their owner, Jerry Jones build that masterpiece of a Stadium. I even love the slogan “Don’t Mess with Texas”, but… that was started due to the high amount of liter that is often left on the road.

I loved Friday Night Football, even with the Natural Gas oil rig spewing toxic fumes in the air and underground the stadium… and our homes.

And of course, California is not perfect. Houses are expensive, gas is high, and by only speaking one language- I am the minority- and I’m not white. But I do live in the countryside of California. I get to see horses and cows run free, smell the farmland in the summer, and see the seasons change. I hate the traffic and I hate the disparity between the advantaged and disadvantaged. No place is perfect. Not Texas. Not California. Not even the United States.

But we have to understand the point that I have stated may times. We are so fucking divided by religion, economics, race, and political affiliation that we cannot see through the rhetoric. We often say that Freedom is not “free”- as the soldiers return in caskets. But then take away freedoms in every state.

I did find that it was rather odd that Texas had its own Pledge of Allegiance. Personally I believe that this increases the division of that State from other states. But that is fine. You can enjoy the intellectual properties that come from California- and enjoy the natural gas that may be linked to disease and deaths of citizens across the country.

California regulates to save lives- Texas deregulates to make money. California is strapped because of mismanagement and the programs that often help the disadvantaged and maybe offer them an opportunity to climb to middle class status.

Look, if you live in California and hate the laws then move. Climb in your futuristic stage coach with your loaded guns and head east. There is no place like Texas, like there is no place like California. A matter a fact there is no place as we know, like Earth- so enjoy where the fuck we are. Just remember what they say- the grass always looks greener on the other side of the fence.

I like many of the laws in California- I like the diversity in culture. I love the weather, I love the ocean, and I like not being pulled over by a cop and being asked if I am driving my car and where the fuck I work- Maybe my skin tone played a role in my experience. It is kind of hard to not take a racist joke off the lips of a redneck personal without wanting to shove my Nike Airs up his ass.

We should all be Americans, instead of individuals that are restricted by invisible state lines.