It comes in 3s

I had a good, light-hearted blog in mind (to counteract my last few melodramatic pissed off blogs), but fate intervened. I woke up this morning in a decent mood, ready to start the day and inch one day closer to being on leave. So I walk outside to wait on my ride (explanation on that coming in a moment), and I'm about a hundred feet from the parking lot when I spot my car, and something looks wrong. As I get closer I know something is wrong, and this is what I found.



Talk about a hell of a way to start your day. Anyways, I had to file an incident report, go through a bunch of phone calls, complain and bitch a bit, and then later I realized something. This was just the 3rd thing to go wrong with my car. There's a saying "All things come in 3s". First, my battery died, and it was a PAIN to change it. Next, My transmission shifter cable crapped out, and my car has been stuck in the barracks parking lot for the past two weeks, forcing me to walk or bum rides. Lastly, this incident happened. I dunno if someone was drunk and just pulled an idiot, or someone is a truly bad driver, but they mangled my car.

The worst part of the whole mangling was that they didn't even leave a note with their number and name so I could call them and find out what happened. The car can be fixed, and besides pissing me off to have my personal property damaged, it could have been much worse. The lack of respect to take responsibility for this, and be a fucking coward... that's what made me madder than anything. Someone said I was being stupid for being upset about someone hitting me, and should not care because it's going to be paid for one way or another by me... but how would you feel if someone hit your car and drove away without manning up and taking responsibility? You'd be fucking pissed. I think I was and am justified in being upset.

Alas, there isn't any reason for me to be upset any longer, so I'm gonna let it go. I spent my time upset, but it'll get fixed. It'll buff. My trans cable is getting fixed tomorrow, and soon I will get the bumper and light fixed. Eventually my car will be whole again, and the cycle of 3s can begin again... hopefully further on down the road. I really need a break from fixing my car!

Who knew a new car would be such a pain! Jeez.

~Ian

Why can't we all just get along?

Let me start by saying I am probably going to piss people off with this blog. You may or may not be offended by what I am about to say, but I honestly, don't care. I have something to say, and I am going to say it. If you are sensitive or get offended easily, stop reading now.

I'm pissed off. Every day, everywhere you always hear about someone having issues with someone else. I'm not talking abut small trivial issues, because I get sick of other people's shit too. I'm talking about subjects that, in this day and age, we should not have. Things that should have died out years ago, but still live strong in a society that is so blended that we can't even say we are one thing or another. If you haven't figured out what I'm talking about, you're a fucking moron.

I'm going to be talking about some pretty touchy subjects. I'm going to get in deep to some subjects some people won't touch. I want to go there because I am willing to voice my opinions in hopes of helping people see that things aren't always what they seem. Read on if you dare.

I'm sooooooooooooo tired of racism. So sick of it. Yes, I'm white. By the claims of popular society, I should have no say or anger over the subject. I should feel remorse for what "my people" did. I should work towards improving the lives of those of color. I've got two words for all of that. Fuck off. What happened with slavery was wrong. Totally wrong. The way people in this country and around the world have been treated because of the color of their skin is disgusting. I definitely think that reparations should have been paid for what happened.

But I do not think that people should still be blaming anyone else or society for their situations now. I could claim that my life is forever altered for having Irish blood, and what the English did to my people. I could also be angry and upset about how the Irish were treated in this country. I'm not. I was never personally victimized or mistreated so why should I blame others for what never happened to me? I get that people still hold racist beliefs. I don't know why but they do. I've never seen the world in black and white. My four very best friends are black. I've had friends of every race, and never had a problem with them. I see the world as it should be... it doesn't matter what your skin color is. It matters what kind of person you are.

I'm sick of people talking about Obama. Yes he is half black. So what? It is well established that people of any race can be very successful. It was about time we had someone who wasn't white in the White House. Eventually, I know we will have a female president. We are the most culturally diverse country in the world, but we still have one of the worst race problems. We still act sometimes as if it is the 1950s. Some people still act as if they are superior just because of their skin pigmentation.

I also hate the judgement of a whole race or culture based on a select group. There are dumb, ignorant, fuck-ups in every group, and they seem to be the ones that everyone is judged by. Not every black person is a thug or gangsta or a n***a (I hate that word. I think it's not a term of endearment, and should not be used ever. Yes, I'm white, I don't give a fuck, it bothers me). Not every white person is a honky redneck hillbilly. Not every Native American is an alcoholic gambler living off the government. We have successful individuals from every culture and it's about fucking time we realized it.

Now racism is only part of my issue. I hate the way people perceive each other and treat each other. It bothers the hell out of me. But you wanna know what bothers me even more? People using their race or the past as an excuse. I HATE, abso-fucking-lutely hate it when people do that. I swear, the next time I hear someone say they didn't get something because of their skin color, I'm going to slug them. It's ignorant and stupid. If you can't get something because you aren't good enough, then accept it as that. Yes, there are still stupid ass racists who screw people out of things that they deserve, but that is getting to be less of a problem by the day. We can't use excuses anymore, we just have to suck it up and deal with things as they are. I also think that people getting free handouts or preferential treatment because of what you are is what's causing most of the problems. Again, i do agree with reparations, and giving back for what was taken, but I believe that in this day and age, that we can stop using that excuse. Helping people because they don't want to try and want to just use excuses to get by is shameful. Anybody who does that ought to be ashamed of themselves, and the people who give those handouts and BS are just as guilty and should be just as ashamed.

Now before you get too angry, I believe that some people do need help. I know people who have worked their asses off, but just could not get the same opportunities, and got a helping hand that launched them. I am ok with that. I am more than willing to give to and associate with a cause like that. What I am not willing to accept is helping those who won't help themselves, and simply live off others. People who believe they deserve something because of their color and think it is owed to them by society. If you can't earn it yourself, regardless of what you are, then you don't deserve it, period.

Something that goes along with racism is sexism. It's fucking silly. Women have earned the right to stand along side men in any venture they choose. I don't think that anything is strictly for men or for women. A lot of hard asses get all riled up over women doing their job. Get over it. Women are not subservient to men in any way, shape, or form, and to think so is really really immature. I remember how angry some people got over the movie G.I. Jane. Special Forces are still a male only thing, but I think one day, it could change. I don't know when or how but I wouldn't mind it. To assume anyone is not good enough for something because of gender is the same as doing it because of race. Everyone has the right to choose their own path, and not be told what they can and can't do because of who or what they are. We have come too far as a species to keep acting like this.

Ok now that I'm done pissing off one group of people it's time to move on to my next group.

Anyone who knows me, knows I am not a fan of organized religion. I think that it is the single worst thing in this world. I am a man of faith. Don't think me an atheist or anything like that. I love my God and I love my own personal beliefs. What I have a problem with is people telling what I SHOULD believe, and what is right to believe. I also think it's entirely hypocritical. The 5th Commandment says "thou shalt not Kill" yet Religion is the leading cause of death in human history. Billions of people have died for loving a "different God". Oddly enough, when you read the Bible... we all have the same God. Hmmmmmmm.

I've been to a few churches and study groups, and a few of them we good. They simply talked about worshiping, about loving God, and living a good life. They talked about being a generally good person, repenting for your sins, believing in a higher purpose, and spreading good will and love. I am OK with all of that, because their goal is to spread the Word of God (I'll get to this in a minute) and faith in a peaceful loving manner. Some churches and religions don't feel that way. They TELL people how to worship their God. They TELL people how to act, behave, and live their lives. They TELL them if they don't follow a strict rigid guideline, they will forever burn in Hell. No free passes, no forgiveness, if you fuck up, you burn. No pressure. They TELL people all of those things, then the people running that church commit awful crimes and act as if they are God themselves and are above human law. I think that is morally and just plain wrong. It's things like that, that make me hate Religion as a whole. I feel very bad for the good religious people out there because as with everything... the actions of few cause the pain for many. I have to say that I do fall in a hypocritical group in the sense that I judge all of religion by what a certain group does, but I feel in my heart and in my beliefs that the world would be so much better with out organized religion.

My next issue is with the Bible. I have read it, and do continue to read from it from time to time. I believe it is a great source for inspiration and for stories that teach good lessons. The Bible is nothing more than a book of inspirational stories. I don't get how people can believe it is the literal Word of God. Actually, I do know how people can be led into that idea, but that goes with that TELLING thing again. Besides the fact that some of the things in the Bible are scientifically impossible (I can hear the people getting very angry now) the Bible has been re-written, re-organized, and edited so many times, how can it be even close to the original thing? How can we know if any of it is even true? The Bible didn't just drop from the heavens. It was written by the hand of man, and is therefore, the Word of Man Supposedly Inspired by God. Again, I think it a great source of inspiration, but nothing to take literally.

All in all, my beliefs on organized religion and the fact that it is one of the worst things in human history (and also has brought on some of the best things, but it doesn't outweigh all the bad it has done) are held by others. I don't believe Jesus, or any of the spiritual leaders you read about in the Bible would condone the way people are acting in their name. I think that they would be ashamed of those people who call themselves Christians, Jews and Muslims. They preached peace, love, and understanding, and I don't feel or see any of that these days. All I see is anger, war, and ignorance. You can't preach love and good will with an assault rifle in your hand.

So I'm done complaining now about a few things that bother me. Maybe I will work on a few of my other annoyances another day but I hope you come away from reading this a little upset. Upset about how our world is and how people treat each other over silly things. Upset about how our belief structure is built. Upset that we can't grow up and get along with others. People always wonder how humanity will end. The answer is by our own hands. I hope you learned something here today. If you think less of me because of my beliefs and because of what I wrote, I'm ok with that. I can live with that because I am comfortable with myself and my thoughts. I will leave you to make your own assumptions. I will leave you to make or have your own opinions or beliefs. My goal here today wasn't to change your mind. It was to educate you a little bit on the way I see things. Goodnight everybody and God Bless.

~Ian

FML? How about you STFU

What is it with this whole Fuck My Life fad? Why is every one so damn whiny and upset about how their life is? Sure I make some complaints about my life.. I am not immune to feeling a bit down sometimes, but to build a whole subculture fad around the concept of FML is downright stupid.

Is this the society we live in today? Has the emo, slit my wrists, I'm so misunderstood, I hate the world mentality taken over? I hate it when suburban white kids with money, security and a shot at a good education cry and whine about how HARD life is and how much their life sucks. Shut the fuck up. Those kids growing up in a ghetto with one or no parents, struggling to make ends meet, getting a shitty education, but they still press on and won't let things get them down... they might have a reason to complain a bit. You crybaby middle class whiners need to get a clue.

I used to whine a little bit back in the day. Then my dad took me down to a GHETTO part of Dallas, and I understood... I had it EASY. I had everything I could ever ask for. I grew up and realized that life could be much much worse. I still have a few minor gripes with my world, but honestly, I have a good steady job, a steady income, a roof over my head, a car (when it wants to work), and a great family and great friends. I've got more than a lot of people, so I generally keep most of my complaining to a dull murmur.

So if you live a generally comfortable life, and most of your needs are being met... Shut up. Quit crying and go make something of yourself. Quit getting gay haircuts, putting on mascara, wearing stupidly tight jeans and bitching any time someone makes fun of you or picks on you. Act like a viable member of society and maybe people will stop treating you like the damn fool you are.

Stop with the FML shit. No one cares you wimp. STFU and get on with your life.

~Ian

For Fucks Sake... What were they thinking?

Ok, so my day didn't start so well. My car failed to start before work. No biggie, change the battery, all is well. I got a ride to work, and had roving watch from 8 to 4. I work nights so the different schedule threw me a little out of whack, but I got over it.

It was a pretty pointless and boring watch, and I figured it was just a whatever kind of day. So I get off watch, and check to see what kind of battery I need. I pop the hood... I can't find the battery. I know I am not mechanically stupid, and I'm no genius at it either, but I usually have no issue finding the battery in a car. So i look and I look, then I remember an episode of Mythbusters where they are working on a Dodge Intrepid, and remember them saying something about removing the tire to get to the battery. So I look near the passenger side tire, and under the air filter and there it was. COMPLETELY FUCKING INACCESSIBLE from above. You have to take off the wheel and remove an access panel to get to the battery. WTF? Pain in the ass.

So me being the genius I am, I didn't really pay attention to the sizes of the bolts, because I figured I could just buy a tool kit and I would be good to go. So I get a ride to get a battery and the place we get the battery has shit for tool kits. The only one they have with anything resembling what I might need was $250 and the salesman said all I would need was a 7/16 and a 5/16 wrench. He said he had replaced one before and it was a piece of cake. So i get the stuff, go back to my car and start trying to work.

I get the car jacked up, the tire off and look at the bolts..... both of the new wrenches I have don't fit. FUCK. So I ask around and find a socket set... that fits the bolts on the mount and battery but not to the access panel. Not only that but the space to actually crank out the bolts is tiny so it takes FOREVER. So I find a pair of vice grips and manage to get the bolts out of the access panel, and wrench it out because it doesn't just pop out... no... you have to finagle and torque and twist... FFS! So I start taking off the top mount bracket, and one of the bolts is just so that when you twist the socket, you touch the battery terminal and gr0und it so you get sparks and shocked. So I shocked myself like 12 times and finally got the bolt out, old battery out, and new battery in, proceeding to shock myself about 12 more times putting the mount bracket back in.

I finally got everything back in and together, and the car starts and runs fine now. After an hour or so of fighting with the stupidest battery set up ever. I was so worn out from the frustration, effort, and ordeal. I really think that some people don't really think out how they design things and some shit isn't supposed to be so fucking difficult. I mean would you want to remove a circuit board to get at your tv remote batteries? Or do you think they should be right under a nice accessible door? People really should think stuff like this out when they design things. Oh well... I hope it will be a long while until i have to deal with that again... and at that point I will be ready!

So how was YOUR day?

~Ian

A-R*d is a CHEAT!

I warn you now... this will be a pretty heated rant. This is a pretty serious subject in my eyes and I have very strong feelings about it. You've been warned.

*Steps on soapbox*

Alex Rodriguez used steroids. Surprise surprise. I mean, I always suspected he used. He is a world class douche bag, so it was logical to assume he was also using steroids. Anyone else see a pattern here? Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Alex Rodriguez... all enormous douche tools and all of them were users.

I get being an asshole. I am one, but there's a line between being an asshole and a complete ass clown. I also get wanting to be the best at something, but you have to play within the rules. I know what it's like to pound yourself in the gym, run your legs off, practice 'til you pass out, but I have never and would never resort to using steroids. I have seen what it does to people who I have played with and against, and it's just not worth the risk.

Those who take steroids and performance enhancing substances (not pot or alcohol, let's be smart here folks) are cheaters and should be banned for life. I have no tolerance for it. If you can't be the best within the rules, then you don't deserve to play at all. I have no sympathy, no forgiveness, nothing to those who use steroids. I think that everything you did while using should be taken from you along with all the money you made. I think you should be treated like a common criminal for lying, cheating, and stealing.

Anyways back to A-R*d who will now always be looked down upon (even more than he already was) and will effectively end all the talk about how he might end up being the best player in baseball history. He is now in the class with Clemens, Bonds, and McGwire of players whose enormous stats are now tainted with an *. He is now a pariah of baseball.

You know what I say to that?

Couldn't have happened to a more deserving person.

So Alex, I hope it was worth it to you. I hope you go to sleep every night in your bed made of the stacks of money you have extorted from the baseball fans knowing you cheated them. You have to live with that you dickbag.

I hope you get suspended. I hope you get kicked out. I hope the Yankees suck so hard this year that they miss the playoffs again. And I hope you get blamed for it. I hope they treat you like dirt, because that is what you are... dirt on the face of baseball. The man who spoke out against the use of steroids, and who said he would never use... way to go jackass.

Fuck Barry, Fuck Roger, Fuck Mark, and now Fuck Alex. I hope you all burn in baseball hell.

Have a nice day.

*Steps off soapbox*

Are you serious?

There is a picture of Michael Phelps smoking "what appears to be" pot.



Oh the uproar. Oh the humanity. How can one of our sport role models do such a thing. (Can you sense the sarcasm?)

He is a 23 year old. He is entitled to bonehead mistakes. I mean seriously.... how else do you think he eats a table full of food 5 times a day? Ever heard of the munchies?

This really doesn't bother me, and everyone who actually knows Phelps says it was out of character, and that he made a silly mistake. No one is really making that big of a deal over it, and even his sponsors and the IOC are just brushing it off. Now the idiot police in the county where the picture was taken, are thinking of pressing criminal charges. WHY? For what reason would it serve any good? What difference would it make to do that? All you are doing is bringing more unneeded light to a situation, that in my mind, is over and done with. Plus let us not forget he would have to test positive, or they would have to find proof of possession... neither of which they have. Case closed.

The picture was posted, the damage was done, the apology was issued... move on. I think his only real mistake was letting the picture get taken. So he smokes grass... so what? You know how many famous people smoke weed or do worse? How many of our upstanding public figures do illegal things? Lets charge them all and put them all in jail. While we are at it, lets look into the backgrounds of the police and the lawyers and judges. Put them in jail too. How about the media? Shall we just go ahead and put the whole of the human race in jail? Seriously... it was a picture, and he said sorry. It isn't like it was steroids... I mean pot really isn't a performance enhancing drug... except for enhancing your eating and sleeping abilities.

I still think Phelps is a viable role model and someone any athlete can look up to, and all this does is prove that he is human and can make a mistake. What happened to forgiveness? Aren't we all entitled to screw up now and again?

The worst part of this whole thing is the reaction of the public. Most people are just saying "whatever" but some people are blowing it out of proportion. A select few people... very select are claiming his race has something to do with him getting off easy. What? Where are your brains at? I have noticed an upturn in racism lately. I don't know why all of the sudden its all about race again. Bryan brought it up very well in a post he did on Facebook, where people are acting a fool because we have a half black president. I really don't want to go into this subject, because I think racism is stupid, and no one race is impervious to idiocy and lunacy. The color of your skin doesn't determine if you are a total mental case or dumb as a brick. It all has to do with what is on the inside... and guess what... we all look the same in there. So let us not be stupid and bring race into something so silly.

I support you Mike. You're still an American Sports Hero in my mind! Now put the bong down and go out there and swim some more laps!

Say NO to Hillary

I know I may have quite a few pissed off women on my hands after they read this, but it will be less than you would think. ( I have heard plenty of women tell me they don't like Hillary.)

I dislike Hillary for several reasons. First off, if it weren't for Bill, no one would care about her. If she had not been the wife of the president who got caught cheating, or hell, had not been first lady at all, she would not be where she is now. Someone honestly tell me you cared about Hillary before Bill got caught cheating.

She has no emotions, period. She cries on stage, tries to passionately reach out to her audience... bullshit. She's playing you. A can of Coke has more emotions than her.

She has done nothing worthwhile. She holds no candle to what Obama, McCain, or Huckabee have done. As stated before, she would not have been a Senator, and I would not be complaining about her now.

I don't think she will get anything done if she managed to get the Presidency. I think so many people would be opposed her being in office, that the Senate and Congress (or rather the lobbyists controlling the Senate and the Congress) would oppose her at every step.

And lest we forget... her being in the White House would bring Slick Dick Willy back there too. Is that such a good idea?

She has testicles. Why do you think Bill had to get ass elsewhere? She's more of a man than him. So you aren't voting for a woman, but a post-op gay man.

What I think is the most unfortunate part of her running, is the fact that she is taking away votes from the strongest candidate in the race, Barack Obama. He is the ONLY Democrat I would ever dream of voting for. His ideas, his track record, his influence, his poise, etc.... He is the best choice because he is out to clean the country up, and level the playing field for everyone, no matter color, gender, or social class. The things he has done in his political career are far more than Hillary ever did, or would ever be able to accomplish.

Also, her running makes this race a popularity contest and not an election of a competent leader of our country. Everyone is ignoring politics and voting for whether they want a black man or a woman in office.

If you think I am being sexist, I'm not. I would support any woman who pulled her own weight, showed she could make a difference, and got where she is on her own merit, not what her husband did. Like it or not, the truth is she is riding the "sympathy vote" and some women are so blind that they would vote for a woman no matter if she would not do the country any good.

Bottom line, I don't like Hillary, and I will never support her. I think Obama or McCain would be far better presidents, and they have the experience and determination to make a real difference.

Thats my opinion. Let the hateful comments commence.

Fool me once, shame on you...

Fool me again... and again... and again... SHAME ON ME.

I won't go into specifics, and I am sure that the person(s) involved here will get the point, but I will no longer play the fool.

I am SO tired of being "that guy"...

I don't care, I really dont...

If you're expecting any humor, stop reading this post now. I'll write a funny one later.

Is it just me, or does it seem like the media is being more and more invasive on peoples lives these days? As a member of the media, I have to say it kind of sickens me. I am a private person, so I naturally believe that a persons privacy is sacred, even if they are ultra-mega-superstars. There a re a few things called respect and decency that are no longer required by society.

I don't care who has been sleeping with who, what they are or aren't wearing (In several cases, many popular females forget their undergarments), What they are eating, what they are shopping for, where they are spending vacation, and whether they are pregnant and who the baby daddy is.

So what if Jessica Simpson, in her true blonde idiot glory, is dating Tony Romo, and perhaps costing him the game against Philly? Does it affect MY life?

So what if the Spears family is the biggest group of famous trailer trash ever? Am I the father of Jamie Lynne's baby? Well... actually it might be possible...

Why is so much of our time and interest invested in people whose lives consist of shopping, eating, lounging on some beach, sleeping around, and occasionally acting or singing for MILLIONS of $$$? Wouldn't our time be better spent on our families and friends? Or maybe on more worthy causes such as the state of our world in general? Couldn't the money that we pay these spoiled brats go to better things such as the education of our youth? I would rather pay a teacher a million bucks a year to teach children how to read and write, than pay some bitch or asshole that money to entertain me. Does anyone else realize that the practice players (scout team for those sport inclined readers of my blog) of ANY sport get paid more than any teacher around? (Scout teamers in the NFL earn a base salary of $400,000, while a teacher of 25 years might get around $100,000 if they are VERY lucky.)

It really sickens me. So to all of those overpaid stars and starlets, FUCK YOU. To all of those people who waste their lives following these people around with cameras or spend too much time telling the world about them, FUCK YOU. To all of those people who waste their lives keeping up with the daily gossip and what stupid thing Britney Spears is up to today, FUCK YOU.

You are all perpetuating the cycle in this downward spiral called society. Get some damn decency. And I know, I will get the obligatory comment that says "If you don't care then why are you writing all of this? Obviously you DO care." so now that I have covered that, there is no need.

I'M DONE.

*gets down off soapbox*