Got Plans?

Not sure what you are going to do tonight to celebrate the weekend's arrival?
Here's "What You Need" to do!

Little Moments

There a times in my life where everything seems to slow down and I take a look around and realize that "this moment is what makes life worth living". It doesn't always happen in the same way, and the situation surrounding this moment is always different, but it is always immediately welcomed and entertained as long as it will last. This past weekend was one moment after another for me.

To find myself lost in a place that demands awe, under a beautiful blue sky, surrounded by such a rich history with my father, is one of the grandest moments I will ever enjoy and remember.

Postal About Politics

I have known a certain person for a long time, and would have considered him a friend at one point in time, but now we are more aquaintances than anything else. It's cordial and friendly, but there's just no substance there. Anyways, I digress. That's not the point of this post.

The point is, he is super annoying. He's obnoxious and bullheaded and very outspoken. He speaks his mind, even when it would be more advantageous for him to remain silent. And he is all about politics. Now, I enjoy a decent political debate from time to time, but he takes it to an extreme that is beyond comprehension. Everything he says is politically motivated, as is almost everything he does. He constantly reminds me of a greasy used car salesman trying to sell me something I don't need, don't want, or (worse yet) I have already purchased.

People who are all about the opposite party are immediately incensed by him. Those who are indifferent to politics feel his wrath for not being passionate about something he lives for. People who actually hold some of the same views are most often mortified by his speech and behavior and shudder everytime he opens his mouth around other people.

This guy is, for lack of a better description, the antithesis of all common reasoning, logic and courtesy of others all wrapped into one. He's not only dangerous to those in the opposing party, but he is a devastation to his own party. I pity those who admit to him as having an ambiguous opinion regarding politics.

People from both sides tell him to shut up, and people from both sides shake their heads at his bewildering stupidity and profundity for overstepping his bounds.

Does anyone else have to deal with anyone like this in their life?

Ban the Butts

The issue of smoking bans has always been a hot topic of disagreement between those who do smoke and those who do not. The smoker may feel that their right to choose is being taken away or restricted, but I feel that this point is invalidated by the extension of common logic. If they have the right to smoke (which they do), that means I have the right not to smoke(which I do). Which leads to the place where these ideals collide.

My choosing to not smoke does not impact the health or enjoyment of others in any way, shape or form. However, if a smoker lights up next to me at dinner, not only am I smelling the smoke, tasting the smoke and eventually wearing the scent, but I am also inhaling the toxins that are present in that smoke. The impact that smoking has on a person's health has been well documented, as has the impact of second-hand smoke.

Would I ever be opposed to a ban that eliminates smoking from restaraunts (unless the restaraunt can actually seperate the section with more than a chest high wall and effectively contain the smoke - bars and clubs excluded)? Never!

Would I be in favor of a city-wide ban in such cases? Sure!
Would I be in favor of a county-wide ban? You bet!
Would I be in favor of a state-wide ban? Absolutely!

My favorite quote of the whole argument in the article is from a lady named Karen Kelly from St. Charles:

"I'm not sure that secondhand smoke has any more to do with health problems than air pollution you breathe daily."

Hey Karen! Wake up and smell the smoke! It's been well documented.

I choose not to smoke, so why not allow me to remain as smoke-free as possible?

Parish Politics

I read this article a few days ago and found it to be most intriguing.

The chaos of the Catholic church just doesn't ever seem to let up or clear up. You would think that with all of the negative publicity/news that the American Catholic church has generated in the past 5 years that it would want to make every attempt to not behave in such a questionable manner. I realize that one man's actions are not necessarily the church's stance or response, but things like this just keep popping up over and over again. And when that one man is a man who has been placed in a position of high authority within the church, then that raises the stakes even higher. Burke has apparently had some rather unfavorable dealings with a number of people in the past and he continues to refuse to deal with things in the present. Are the leaders of the church hoping that maybe he will change over time? How many people have to get raked over the coals until the church starts questioning his leadership practices?