Washington's Cash Explosion

I received the below note the other day that I thought was pretty interesting:
This is too true to be funny. The next time you hear a politician use the
word 'billion' in a casual manner, think about whether you want the 'politicians' spending YOUR tax money.

A billion is a difficult number to comprehend, but one advertising agency did a good job of putting that figure into some perspective in one of its releases.

• A. A billion seconds ago it was 1959.


• B. A billion minutes ago Jesus was alive.


• C. A billion hours ago our ancestors were
  living in the Stone Age.


• D. A billion days ago no-one walked on the earth on two feet.


• E. A billion dollars ago was only 8 hours and
  20 minutes, at the rate our government is spending it.

That' good for a start. Want more???? Good!

While this thought is still fresh in our brain, let's take a look at New Orleans It's amazing what you can learn with some simple division.

Louisiana Senator, Mary Landrieu (D), is presently asking the Congress for $250 BILLION to rebuild New Orleans . Interesting number, what does it mean?

• A. Well, if you are one of 484,674 residents of New Orleans (every man, woman, child), you each get $516,528.


• B. Or, if you have one of the 188,251 homes in New Orleans , your home gets $1,329,787.


• C. Or, if you are a family of four, your family gets $2,066,012.

Washington, D.C .. HELLO!!! ... Are all your calculators broken??

Accounts Receivable Tax
Building Permit Tax
CDL License Tax
Cigarette Tax
Corporate Income Tax
Dog License Tax
Federal Income Tax
Federal Unemployment Tax (FUTA)
Fishing License Tax
Food License Tax
Fuel Perm it Tax
Gasoline Tax
Hunting License Tax
Inheritance Tax
Inventory Tax
IRS Interest Charges (tax on top of tax)
IRS Penalties (tax on top of tax)
Liquor Tax
Luxury Tax
Marriage License Tax
Medicare Tax
Property Tax
Real Estate Tax
Service charge taxes
Social Security Tax
Road Usage Tax (Truckers)
Sales Taxes
Recreational Vehicle Tax
School Tax
State Income Tax
State Unemployment Tax (SUTA)
Telephone Federal Excise Tax
Telephone Federal Universal Service Fee Tax
Telephone Federal, State and Local Surcharge Tax
Telephone Minimum Usage Surcharge Tax
Telephone Recurring and Non-recurring Charges Tax
Telephone State and Local Tax
Telephone Usage Charge Tax
Utility Tax
Vehicle License Registration Tax
Vehicle Sales Tax
Watercraft Registration Tax
Well Permit Tax
Workers Compensation Tax.

STILL THINK THIS IS FUNNY?

Not one of these taxes existed 100 years ago, and our nation was the most prosperous in the world.

We had absolutely no national debt, had the largest middle class in the world, and Mom stayed home to raise the kids.

What happened? Can you spell 'politicians!'

And I still have to 'press 1' for English.

I hope this goes around THE USA at least 100 times

These are, after all, the musings of a mind that wanders.

My Top 10 List Things Washington Has Forgot

Oh no he didn't!.... I finally got so fed up with the way things work in Washington that I have devised my own top 10 list. Read carefully and remember it is my list...If you want one go make your own. I wouldn't mind knowing what yours would look like. If you decide to make one you may comment here or on your blog and link back to me with a comment. It would be interesting to see what others think.

Well, here we go.....

• (10) From the presidents oath of office..."I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."
  No where does it state that those powers extend beyond our borders.



• (9) The President shall be Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and of the Militia of the several States, when called into the actual Service of the United States; he may require the Opinion, in writing, of the principal Officer in each of the executive Departments, upon any Subject relating to the Duties of their respective Offices, and he shall have Power to grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offences against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment...
  He may manage the personnel and their job description. He may get from congress the authority to deploy on RARE occasion.



• (8) The president shall have Power, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, to make Treaties, provided two thirds of the Senators present concur; and he shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, Judges of the supreme Court, and all other Officers of the United States, whose Appointments are not herein otherwise provided for, and which shall be established by Law: but the Congress may by Law vest the Appointment of such inferior Officers, as they think proper, in the President alone, in the Courts of Law, or in the Heads of Departments.
  He can't take the power and then ask. He must ask first and it must be by their advice not against it. In other words he can't do anything unless the Senate says he can.



• (7) That congress is impotent to do anything unless elected to do so. Such election is by the people they want to represent.
  Unions, Political think tanks, Corporations, TV reporters, Newspapers, Glamour Rags, the United Nations and, Political Action Committees, (though run by people) do not qualify!



• (6) It is not a right to serve. It is a pleasure and it is at OUR pleasure that they do.
  'Nuff said?... alright then.



• (5) Rush Limbaugh believes so little in the values he purports that he rarely takes time to vote.
  Do you really believe he should be the front man for conservative thought?



• (4) Political Parties should be something you attend, at your leisure, not something you attend to, as in "I got your back".
  Try something our forefathers used in designing the constitution.... Free thinking! It'll be less expensive for all of us.



• (3) If it walks like a lobbyist, Talks like a lobbyist, and offers money like a lobbyist....regardless of what they might say, it IS a lobbyist.
  While I want you to work for full employment, it's okay for this job to go away....give us back our country!



• (2) Please rediscover your moral compass.
  Set it on "God-Country-Family" and let it be. Religion guides us to lead moral lives; patriotism gives us a feeling of national unity; and our families are a home base - we can always count on them when in trouble.



• (1) Remember your mission statement! A Government of the people, for the people and by the people.
  All of them, not just your cousin Jake downstate, your "mam maw down in alabamaw" or the Political Action Committee you purchased your seat from. (I wonder if that's where the NFL got the idea for "personal seat licenses"?)

These are, after all, the musings of a mind that wanders.

The Jesus of Liberal Conservatism

Merriam-Webster defines Liberalism as: a movement in modern Protestantism emphasizing intellectual liberty and the spiritual and ethical content of Christianity b: a theory in economics emphasizing individual freedom from restraint and usually based on free competition, the self-regulating market, and the gold standard c: a political philosophy based on belief in progress, the essential goodness of the human race, and the autonomy of the individual and standing for the protection of political and civil liberties. And conservatism as: disposition in politics to preserve what is established, a political philosophy based on tradition and social stability, stressing established institutions, and preferring gradual development to abrupt change; specifically : such a philosophy calling for lower taxes, limited government regulation of business and investing, a strong national defense, and individual financial responsibility for personal needs (as retirement income or health-care coverageThe tendency to prefer an existing or traditional situation to change. What follow is, I hope, a discussion showing how 2 diamtrically opposed points of view are not really so far apart when viewed in the context of Jesus.


In Book of Matthew chapter 25 Jesus ascends to the throne and, after separating the flock, looks to those on his right and says "take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me."
And to those on his left he said, "Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me."

Some would segregate these differently. The first group, those that found favor with the King, would be labeled liberals. And those that did not find favor, conservative. Others still would say that the conservatives had found favor for understanding the difference between true need and those who were willfully dependant on kindness and generosity while Liberals were sent away for not understanding the difference between need and desire, misfortune and slovenly habit. The truth lies squarely in the middle. That's where you'll find Jesus.
Again in Matthew chapter 7 Jesus says, "Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you."

And in Matthew chapter 10, "Whatever town or village you enter, search for some worthy person there and stay at his house until you leave. As you enter the home, give it your greeting. If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you. If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town. I tell you the truth, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town. I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves."

Clearly Jesus is telling them look, there are all kinds of people out there. Some will need what you can provide and know it. They will seize upon the gift and come to a greater understanding of me. But just because you see a temporal need doesn't mean it is in you to fulfill it. Share me. Let me provide. There will be some with temporal needs who would take what you offer, reject me, then take from you what they don't need simply to say they have it. Simply because they want it. Your job is to provide for the need. Talk to me. I'll tell you when it's time to dig in and when it's time to walk away.

Both sides of the aisle have their eye on serving God and fulfilling the mission. One views suffering and injustice and wants to quiet and fix it without regard to circumstances. Without regard for the choices each has made in how they live their lives and how those choices honor the God who created them. The other wants to be sure that the suffering and injustice is not a circumstance of the victims own choosing thereby condemning them, without redemption, by the choices they have made in their past.

In the middle is what Jesus intended in his teaching. While we want to reduce human tragedy and suffering, often times they are brought on by the choices individuals make in their lives and while it may make us feel better, it is often the adversity that draws them to God. Don't rush in and fix it, he says. Don't tell them their bad decisions were good ones. . If they make bad choices, I wont adjust my expectations. But walk with them and be there for them. Show them I love them and let me fix what needs to be fixed. Don't stand on the sidelines exhorting them to change their behavior so I can demonstrate my love, he says. But walk out onto the battlefield with them and bring them the healing and confirmation of my love that they so desperately need. It is possible to acknowledge the sin as sin and still care for the sinner. After all....I've done so for you.

These are, after all, the musings of a mind that wanders

The Coming Economic 9/11

I found this interesting ...and frightening.

“In 2008, we’re going to see some major, giant
financial firms fall as they get hit by an economic 9/11.”
- Gerald Celente, The Trends Journal

He goes on to say:

"And what do we have to save the Ship of State from sinking? Well, look ahead – that’s what we do as trend forecasters. We have a know-nothing President and a do-nothing Congress and want-to-be people in waiting that lack the intelligence, integrity, the competence, credentials, character and courage to do what a wise leader would do in times when the ship is sinking. So, we’re saying, it is going down! There is nothing to save it."

The truth is:

we, as individuals, are most responsible for the pending crisis. We have allowed big business to convince us we need to be more available, more productive, more upwardly mobile. We need to buy more things so that big business can make bigger profits. We no longer do business with the local meat cutter, grocery store, department store, service station or banker. We, instead, allow people we don't know and probably shouldn't trust convince us that bigger is better. We no longer measure success by how we performed, rather, by how much our performance made for the company. In a heartbeat, we went from a caring community to one that moves you in and out of the door as quickly as possible after spending as much as possible.

We don't even understand what we've lost. Most of us grew up never knowing the level of service and connection that come from small "mom and pop" drug stores or butcher shops. We have sold our future, and with it that of our children's, down the drain for a quick stop at the big box store with products made by "American" companies and Chinese or Mexican workers. It appears the most American made vehicle today is the Honda. These "American" companies threw you out with the bath water not only in terms of economic viability. Your safety and that of your children's were traded away for as little as a penny to companies in countries where things like lead poisoning and chemical additives are just matter of reducing population. They have no regard for you or your heath. They simply want to sell you as much as they can for as much as you'll pay and not have to deal with the real " inconvenient truth". That being....their pockets are more important than your health and welfare. They don't exist to produce anything that adds value to the American way of life. They want only to find ways to convince you that they are necessary and you can't live without them. They have taken our jobs and sent them overseas so they bring back what once was produced here and take your money. They even use our system of providing health care to those who are unable (and in some cases unwilling) to work as a primary piece of their medical package.

Do yourself a favor. Take three months. Find a local barber, butcher, farmer, grocer, service station and banker. All "mom and pops". Give them your business and see what happens. Then think back to the last time you went to a Walmart, Target, Kmart, Sears or any of the big nationals and ask yourself; Whens the last time they greeted you by name and welcomed you and cared enough to know what you usually purchase, asked how the family was and offered some assistance during hard times. That's the American dream. We didn't lose it. We sold it to corporate America for a few pennies and and a little convenience.

These are, after all, the musings of a mind that wanders.

Glass Houses???

I am and always have leaned toward the Democratic party. Partly because I was raised that way. Partly because I didn't feel that republicans were interested in anything but themselves. But mostly because my heart says it is right. Democrat's have always been the party of the people. The party of Jimmy Carter. I know ...I know.. most think Jimmy Carter was the worst President we have ever had. I disagree... No I strenuously disagree.


I liked who we were when Jimmy Carter was President. I liked who we became when Jimmy Carter was President. We were a caring, inspired, kind people. We were good neighbors. We were peacekeepers. We defended the down-trodden and sought to identify values ...American values and implemented them at home. That was democracy and that was the Democratic party I respected. The problem is we have turned away from what made the Democratic party great. We have listened to the likes of Rush Limbaugh who believes he can define the Democratic Party for us.

I am no fan of George Bush. I believe he and Dick Cheney are liars. In my opinion, they have used the Office of the President to promote their own personal agendas tied to oil, personal profit, and revenge. And I don't like the country we have become through their leadership. We are neither caring nor kind. We are stuck in the grip of a party who clearly views the word as their sandbox and manipulates countries like sandbox toys. It is disconcerting that in the eyes of many around the world, we have become that which we have fought against for so long. It is this President, and his cabinet, which brought us to this point. Regarded as foe not friend, and conqueror not liberator, aggressor not defender.

All that being said, it is this which most disgust me:

Moveon.org on General Petraeus

I have come to expect poor behavior and double standards from republican politics. They are the party of the closed mind after all. But I did not expect it from the party to which I most identify. To rail against a report before you've heard it, call names of the people who are honestly trying to change the course of events and bring honesty back to the table, and argue a counterpoint before a point has actually been made is dishonest, unconscionable, reckless, unpresidential and really does "require the willing suspension of disbelief".

This not the democratic party of the people and I am left wondering in whom I can believe. It seems to me someone is living in Glass Houses. I suggest they put down the rock.

This is, after all, the musings of a mind that wanders.

Dobbs: Mexican President's Blatant Hypocrisy

By Lou Dobbs
CNN

Lou Dobbs' commentary appears weekly on CNN.com.

NEW YORK (CNN) -- Mexican President Felipe Calderon Sunday demanded the United States surrender its sovereignty, abandon the rule of law and accede to Mexico's inherent supremacy.


Lou Dobbs says Mexican President Felipe Calderon is showing "blatant hypocrisy" on immigration.

In his state of the union address to the Mexican nation, Calderon established his imperialistic imperatives: "I have said that Mexico does not stop at its border, that wherever there is a Mexican, there is Mexico. And, for this reason, the government action on behalf of our countrymen is guided by principles, for the defense and protection of their rights.

Calderon protested the U.S. government's increased raids on illegal employers of illegal alien employees and work site enforcement. In what is little more than a faint nod to the Bush administration's responsibility to enforce U.S. immigration law, the Department of Homeland Security had planned to send out notices to employers from the Social Security Administration informing them of non-matching records between an employee's name and Social Security number. These employers would then be forced to resolve any discrepancy within 90 days or be required to dismiss the employee or face up to $10,000 in fines for knowingly hiring illegal immigrants.

But then, ethnocentric advocacy groups and some labor unions, trying to bolster their membership, sued to stop the crackdown on hiring illegal alien workers. A federal judge in California last week issued a temporary restraining order blocking the plan, giving a victory to the AFL-CIO, the American Civil Liberties Union and the National Immigration Law Center, all of which brought the suit alleging DHS exceeded its authority in making the rule.

That U.S. District Court judge ruled as if she were an employee of the Mexican government, rather than the U.S. government. Homeland Security was simply enforcing existing immigration laws. Are we not a nation that follows the rule of law? If not, we're no country at all.

Calderon must have been delighted by the judge's decision. Calderon, like his predecessors, Carlos Salinas and Vicente Fox, has failed miserably to establish policies that would create jobs for the Mexican people and to eliminate shameful, unchecked corruption and incompetence in the Mexican government.

Don't Miss
Previous Lou Dobbs commentaries
Lou's book, 'War on the Middle Class'
Even by Mexico's standards, Calderon's blatant hypocrisy is breathtaking. Calderon told the Washington Post more than a year ago that he believes laws are not a relative concept, nor subject to a personal concept of justice. Calderon declared a big difference between himself and his rival for the Mexican presidency, Manuel Lopez Obrador, was this: "I believe in the rule of law." Obviously he does not believe in the rule of U.S. law on U.S. soil.

Calderon can't have it both ways. He cannot fail his citizens at home and then act as the Great Imperialist Protector of his citizens who are driven by poverty and corruption to enter the United States illegally. The United States provides Mexico with an annual surplus of $65 billion in trade, an estimated $25 billion in remittances from Mexican citizens living and working here illegally, and at least another $25 billion generated by the illegal drug trade across our southern border.

But it is President Bush and this Congress who should be most embarrassed, because they are failing to assert rights for Americans in their own country, rights far short of those demanded by Calderon for his citizens living illegally in our nation.


These are, after all, the musings of a mind that wanders.

I Found This ....Interesting.....

At a time when the Supreme Court and many politicians seek to bring American law in line with foreign legal norms, it’s noteworthy that nobody has argued that the U.S. look at how Mexico deals with immigration and what it might teach us about how best to solveour illegal immigration problem. Mexico has a single, streamlined law that ensures that foreign visitors and immigrants are:

in the country legally;

have the means to sustain themselves economically;

not destined to be burdens on society;

of economic and social benefit to society;

of good character and have no criminal records; and contributors to the general well-being of the nation.

The law also ensures that:

immigration authorities have a record of each foreign visitor;

foreign visitors do not violate their visa status;

foreign visitors are banned from interfering in the country’s internal politics;

foreign visitors who enter under false pretenses are imprisoned or deported;

foreign visitors violating the terms of their entry are imprisoned or deported;

those who aid in illegal immigration will be sent to prison.

Who could disagree with such a law? It makes perfect sense. The Mexican constitution strictly defines the rights of citizens -- and the denial of many fundamental rights to non-citizens, illegal and illegal. Under the constitution, the Ley General de Población, orGeneral Law on Population, spells out specifically the country's immigration policy.

It is an interesting law -- and one that should cause us all to ask, Why is our great southern neighbor pushing us to water down our own immigration laws and policies, when its own immigration restrictions are the toughest on the continent?

If a felony is acrime punishable by more than one year in prison, then Mexican law makes it a felony to be an illegal alien in Mexico.

If the United States adopted such statutes, Mexico no doubt would denounce it as a manifestation of American racism and bigotry.

We looked at the immigration provisions of the Mexican constitution. [1] Now let's look at Mexico's main immigration law.

Mexico welcomes only foreigners who will be useful to Mexican society:

Foreigners are admitted into Mexico "according to their possibilities of contributing to national progress." (Article 32)

Immigration officials must "ensure" that "immigrants will be useful elements for the country and that they have the necessary funds for their sustenance" and for their dependents. (Article 34)

Foreigners may be barred from the country if their presence upsets "the equilibrium of the national demographics," when foreigners are deemed detrimental to "economic or national interests," when they do not behave like good citizens in their own country, when they have broken Mexican laws, and when "they are not found to be physically or mentally healthy." (Article 37)

The Secretary of Governance may "suspend or prohibit the admission of foreigners when he determines it to be in the national interest." (Article 38)

Mexican authorities must keep track of every single person in the country:

Federal, local and municipal police must cooperate with federal immigration authorities upon request, i.e., to assist in the arrests of illegal immigrants. (Article 73)

A National Population Registry keeps track of "every single individual who comprises the population of the country," and verifies each individual's identity. (Articles 85 and 86)

A national Catalog of Foreigners tracks foreign tourists and immigrants (Article 87), and assigns each individual with a unique tracking number (Article 91).

Foreigners with fake papers, or who enter the country under false pretenses, may be imprisoned:

Foreigners with fake immigration papers may be fined or imprisoned. (Article 116)

Foreigners who sign government documents "with a signature that is false or different from that which he normally uses" are subject to fine and imprisonment. (Article 116)

Foreigners who fail to obey the rules will be fined, deported, and/or imprisoned as felons:
Foreigners who fail to obey a deportation order are to be punished. (Article 117)

Foreigners who are deported from Mexico and attempt to re-enter the country without authorization can be imprisoned for up to 10 years. (Article 118)

Foreigners who violate the terms of their visa may be sentenced to up to six years in prison (Articles 119, 120 and 121).

Foreigners who misrepresent the terms of their visa while in Mexico -- such as working with out a permit -- can also be imprisoned.

Under Mexican law, illegal immigration is a felony.

The General Law on Population says,
"A penalty of up to two years in prison and a fine of three hundred to five thousand pesos will be imposed on the foreigner who enters the country illegally." (Article 123)

Foreigners with legal immigration problems may be deported from Mexico instead of being imprisoned. (Article 125)

Foreigners who "attempt against national sovereignty or security" will be deported. (Article 126)

Mexicans who help illegal aliens enter the country are themselves considered criminals under the law:
A Mexican who marries a foreigner with the sole objective of helping the foreigner live in the country is subject to up to five years in prison. (Article 127)

Shipping and airline companies that bring undocumented foreigners into Mexico will be fined. (Article 132)

All of the above runs contrary to what Mexican leaders are demanding of the United States. The stark contrast between Mexico's immigration practices versus its Americanimmigration preachings is telling. It gives a clear picture of the Mexican government's agenda: to have a one-way immigration relationship with the United States.Let's call Mexico's bluff on its unwarranted interference in U.S. immigration policy. Let's propose, just to make a point, that the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) member nations standardize their immigration laws by using Mexico's own law as a model.This article was first posted at CenterforSecurityPolicy.org.

This is, after all, the musings of a mind that wanders.

Fellowship Of The Unashamed

This was shared by a friend. I had not known it before. I doubt I will ever forget it.

I am part of the “Fellowship of the Unashamed.”
The die has been cast. I have stepped over the line.
The decision has been made.
I am a disciple of Jesus Christ.

I won’t look back, let up, slow down, back away, or be still.
My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, and my future is secure.
I am finished and done with low living, sight walking, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, chintzy giving, and dwarfed goals.
I no longer need pre-eminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits, or popularity.

I now live by presence, lean by faith, love by patience, lift by prayer, and labor by power.
My pace is set, my gait is fast, my goal is Heaven, my road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions few, my Guide reliable, my mission clear.

I cannot be bought, compromised, deterred, lured away, turned back, diluted, or delayed.

I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of adversity, negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity.

I am a disciple of Jesus Christ.

I must go until Heaven returns, give until I drop, preach until all know, and work until He comes. And when He comes to get His own, He will have no problem recognizing me.

My colors will be clear.

I am not ashamed of the gospel . . . Romans 1:16

***The above was written by a young African pastor before he was martyred for the faith***


These are, after all the musings of a mind that wanders.

Forest Gump might define it this way:
"Funny is as funny does."

Or as Jamie Cullen could have written:

I could have laughed all night
I could have laughed all night
And still have begged for more

I think everyone loves to laugh. It just makes sense. Even the people who work very hard at pretending laughter is painful can't help but like it. America loves to laugh and we are at our best when we can laugh at ourselves. That's how you can tell a society feels safe...when they can laugh at themselves. When they can poke themselves in the ribs, slip on a banana peal, and smash a cream pie in their face, you have a society that is comfortable with their station in life and one that everyone enjoys being part of.

Sadly, we are not as funny as we used to be. We still laugh. We laugh a lot. We laugh hard....and we still enjoy laughing.....most of the time. It seems, more often, we're too busy laughing at others expense rather than our own. In fact, we don't laugh at ourselves at all anymore. We're far too successful, far too important and , lets be honest, its' had a profound effect on our society. You can see it in our TV shows and movies, news casts and radio shows, in our schools and at our grocery stores. Stop with the funny...show me the money, unless it's about you. Let me explain.


There was a time when if we lived in a community we were just that ...a community. Our parent sat around a fire or on the porch or stood a cross a fence and talked. The kids would run off and play while the adults grabbed their favorite beverage and chewed the fat about the events of the day, upcoming events and who needed what. Infused throughout the conversation were outbursts of laughter which settled into more conversation and an occasional debate. They laughed at their expense about the mistakes they made and the silliness they encountered. It was caring, nurturing, all-inclusive. I can identify with that kind of humor. It encourages closeness and sharing in good times and in bad and offers everyone an oppurtunity to see themselves as part of larger community . I submit to you that it isn't distance that makes the heart grow fonder. It is laughter and our parents had it in abundance.

Somehow, sometime that changed. We no longer laugh at ourselves with everyone else. Instead, we laugh at other people, and their misfortunes while isolating them as the butt of the joke. The result is a two prong attack on the very bindings that solidifies us as a nation, a community, and a family.

1) Our humor isn't good fun anymore. It is mean and nasty and is meted out without regard for the feelings of the person we joke about. It isolates all of us at one time or another as none of are completely spared. Some of us are cast aside regularly and ridiculed over some silly incident or bonehead mistake. Eventually the most isolated become true victims and some seek their revenge. The events that unfolded at Virginia Tech or Columbine serve as a good example as to what can happen in the most extreme cases. We should all take note that the incidents are becoming more frequent and more violent. The intended result may be a good time but there is an unintended result and and you may be surprised to find its affect on your life.

2) What we practice in common with others and what we do to others all in pursuit of a laugh eventually come home to roost. We barely know our neighbors, we aren't very open with our achievements and our failures. We in fact are quite terrified of the world in general and have developed technologies that "force" us not to interact with our community. Computers, Internet, TV, Movies, Video game systems. All of these allow us to stay at home avoiding that cruel world that lurks outside the door. We don't go out to the movies anymore... we order movies through the mail or through cable, We don't go to dinner..we have it delivered. We don't have to go out to shop for groceries...a truck will deliver it. In fact we don't have to go out to buy anything..we can buy it on line or on TV.

The unintended result of our humor is that we avoid any interaction to avoid being the victim. We can't talk to our neighbors because we cant look them in the eye. We cant look them in the eye because of the fun we've had at their expense. We are also afraid to be caught in the gaze of someone who might "find out" about us and then we will become the victim of our humor as well. And it gets worse. We can't help our neighbor when they need it because they're afraid to ask. We can t ask our neighbor for help because we are afraid that while they may help us, we will later become the topic of discussion at somebodies yap session. It is a vicious circle and the only way we can break it is for someone...anyone to venture out, risk ridicule and talk honestly, openly, earnestly and funny....ly about themselves and their circumstances. We might just be surprised that humor comes back in vogue and the world will become a nicer place to be.

I wonder who it will be?

These are, after all, the musings of a mind that wanders.

Our parents would and should be ashamed. Their children are slothful, uncaring, self-absorbed, sniveling, fat babies incapable of taking responsibility for their own lives. It's my generation and I ought to know. If our marriages fail ...we run back home. If our schooling is done...we run back home. If our businesses fail...we run back home. If life doesn't work out the way we would hope we rap ourselves up in a pill bottle and blame it on a "disease". When life isn't perfect we drown ourselves in liquor and blame our parents for disciplining us to sharply.

And OUR kids are paying the penalty:

• We don't discipline them.
  
• We don't teach them discipline.
  
• We don't require they accomplish anything.
  
• We don't ask them to help at home.
  
• We don't teach the value of hard work.
  
• Or the value of a dollar.
  
• Or the worth of a person
  
• We don't teach them to save.
  
• We don't teach them the correct way to treat women
  
• or treat men
  
• We don't teach boys the secrets of being honorable men.
  
• We don't teach our girls to act like young ladies.
  
• We don't teach them to be on time.
  
• We don't teach them to care for themselves.
  

The list can go on and on. But the short and the long of it is.....we don't take personal responsibility for anything. Is it any wonder that our children are failing miserably at school no matter how much we dumb down the material and water down the curriculum. We've laid the responsibility for teaching our family values at the feet of the local school board and then cry foul when they try to teach them to be a responsible citizen. We have abdicated our responsibility as parents and as children to our neighbors, child care centers, nursing homes, school boards, coaches, and local, state and federal governments. We don't take care of our aging population. We send them away and maybe, just maybe...we visit them.

It isn't our fault. We can't help ourselves.We have been ingrained for too long with our own sense that we are the most important people in the world. We were fortunate enough to live in an era when the hard work of those that came before us made our life infinitely easier and have convinced ourselves we deserve it. We know we haven't earned it. But dog-gone we deserve it.

I work in a call center for a major company. My job requires that I talk with many people who for one reason or another their account has cancelled. No one is perfect that's for sure and no company is perfect either. But my company believes if we have made a mistake we better make it right. They understand the meaning of corporate and personal responsibility. They practice it and they require the same of me. It truly is what makes them a leader in the their industry.

I also talk to people on a regular basis for whom an account has cancelled due to their own negligence. One man I recently talked to claimed that it was my responsibility to make sure the forms we needed signed were signed and that he filled them out correctly. After contacting him no less than five times by mail and sending 5 emails and calling him once he failed to respond with the signatures required and it was our fault. His reasoning? He gets 500 pieces of mail a day and can't be held responsible to read our requests. You should know he signed it and sent it back, he just didn't read it. Just above his signature we the instructions for correctly filling out the form. He failed to fill in the information necessary to correctly record his account. Which in the end cost him more money.

Unless we reign ourselves in and start accepting personal responsibility, not just for our mistakes, but for all our actions, good and bad, we are doomed as a generation. More than that we have doomed the next generation to an even worse fate and so it grows exponentially. My hope is that we understand we created the mess and it is our responsibility to correct it. I've said my piece.

These are, after all, the musings of a mind that wanders.

I have 4 children. They are older now. In their teens and 20's. I think back to each of their births and remember them as all children must be remembered by a parent. Innocent, fresh, wide-eyed and curious. It is a journey. From the earliest startling discovery, an infants eyes open wide its body shutters and his mouth draws open as the applesauce moves around his mouth (as if to say, "whoa, what was that) to the quiet painful resignation that some times...life just hurts.



But its the in between I'm drawn to. The first step, the first word.... (both a parents delight), the exuberance of the first bike and riding all by themselves, the first trip to the zoo, the first day at school. I remember when my oldest, now almost 25, came home from school. His mother and I were divorced (an unfortunate part of his reality). I picked him up from the babysitters. He was chattering on about school, his friends, his bike....his life. Sitting in the front seat of the car, his back against the door, he was speedily recounting the day. I was taken with the simplicity of his life yet the pure joy he felt in sharing it. He didn't want me to simply know what had happened. He wanted me to FEEL it. And I could. I believe he relished his position as the older brother but even today would never admit it. I miss him...I really do. He is a very special child and when he finds himself, will do great things.

His 2 younger brothers, one a care-taker whose job it had been to make sure everyone had a pillow and blanket at nap time before he could get one himself, the other a perfectionist who climbed into bed by sitting on his pillow and scooching down because the lines on his blanket had to be straight, were not much different. They recounted their day in much the same way, discovering much the same things. There was A difference. While I was regaled with the news of the day, I was not the intended audience. It was okay for me to hear and it was expected that I listen, but their older brother was the real object of their exuberance. They could not wait to tell him about their first time riding a bike, just like him. They had been there for his first soccer game and now they wanted him to know about theirs. One thing did remain the same. It didn't matter who was the audience, you couldn't just know the facts, you had to resonate in their joy. I can not imagine life without them. The world will be a better place because they are it.

And then a daughter. A frightful proposition for a dad. Uncharted water. Shes a funny girl. A bright and sunny disposition always cheerful always on about something. A talker...and an expressive one at that. She had her firsts too and once again I was the intended audience. I vividly remember her first day at school. She had been there when I took the boys to their first day and tried to help soothe the separation anxiety and wipe the tears from their faces and, unbeknown st to me, she had learned the routine. She was excited to just get dressed for school. As she walked in to class she was introduced to the teacher who showed her what to do with her things. From that moment, the teacher had competition. It was a race to the door to see who would greet the children first, show them where to put their stuff and then tour them around the room. The teacher says they came to an understanding. It was teachers job to greet the children, my daughter could show them where to put their stuff and walk them around the room. As I left it was I who was feeling the separation anxiety and even a wink from the teacher who quietly mouthed the words, "she'll be okay" couldn't wipe away my tears. When she got home she had a full sail of new life events to tell me about. We were long past painting my fingernails and toenails or every size, color or shape of hair clips used as she was "doing my hair". Her daily tails were different. The were about events, yes.. but more about the people around those events and for me that was very hard to keep up with. I know this for sure....There is more color in the world with her in it and one day the world will take notice.

As I reflect on their past I naturally must reflect on my own. It saddens me a bit. Its not that I don't remember the exuberance, I do. I miss it. I'm not sure when it happened... but somewhere along the way the reigns of pure joy and excitement slipped from my hands and I had picked the club of responsibility. I no longer relished the fun of rolling around a mud puddle, I was to busy trying not to have to clean it up. I was no longer a seven year old boy, clothes thrown aside, climbing a tree as a member of the Bare Naked Club. I was too busy figuring the deductible owed on my health insurance policy just in case someone got hurt or searching for that very tree I climbed to picket it as a site of unspeakable unmentionables.
Boys climbing a tree naked indeed!!!

When did it happen? When did we stop trying to swing as high as we could and then jump when we got there? I long to think about what could be and not dwell on why they weren't. I have sadly lost the joy of living and replaced it with the pain and, worse than that, I risk doing the same to my kids. I don't want to do that. Its time I started pay attention to the little things and ignoring the big ones. After all isn't that where God resides??

Starting today, I will take the advice of that esteemed psuedopsychologist, Sidney Freeman who said:
"Sometimes you gotta pull down your pants and slide on the ice"

These are, after all, the musings of a mind that wanders.