Do vegetarians eat animal crackers?: This Is Not My America.

Do vegetarians eat animal crackers?: This Is Not My America.: What does America need to right itself? Answer: An end to this "political correctness." We real Americans are sick and tired of ...

This Is Not My America.

What does America need to right itself?
Answer: An end to this "political correctness."
We real Americans are sick and tired of tip-toeing around these left-wing wet noodles who bow down to every small interest group with an axe to grind.
 I get it, some bad apples do spoil the whole bunch, but, come on. Shouldn't we be trying to weed out the bad apples instead of throwing the whole bushel away.Why should we let the minority of the population have the loudest voice. Wasn't this country based on majority rule?
 Don't get me wrong I know prejudice exists, but remember it goes both ways. Black people hate white people too. It's not a secret. They feel slighted by the white man. What they won't tell you is slavery was around way before black people landed here on American soil. As a matter of fact the English and Dutch traded more white slaves than black slaves many years before the first black slaves arrived in Europe. The tribes of Africa would make the conquered tribes the slaves of the winning tribe. Yet not one black person will acknowledge this fact. Hell, it happens to this day.
 The sins of omission. The blacks will blame white people for their problems, yet the Irish, Chinese, Italians, and Germans all lived in ghettos in America. Fact is "ghetto" is an Italian word. Look it up.
Something goes sideways in a black community, they riot, loot, and burn down their own neighborhood. Then the press moves in. They start pointing fingers, adding fuel to the fire.
 Same thing happens in a low class white community, they rally together for a candlelight vigil.No shops robbed, no burning buildings, no cars tipped over, just people coming together for a cause.
 So why is it that people whom act like animals suddenly become the victim?
I'm tired of "white guilt". I never owned a slave.
 I've worked for minimum wage most of my adult life. I made it work. I didn't get assistance from the state or federal government. Most of my life I've been a slave to corporate America. You don't see me robbing businesses, burning cars, or shooting cops. You want to find the person who is holding you back, look in the mirror. Don't blame others for your short comings, take responsibility for your own actions. Like my grandfather always said " the world needs ditch diggers too."
Not every one can be Donald Trump, not everyone can be rich. Some of us are better suited to work for the rich in order to make the rich, richer. If everyone had the skills to be a millionaire, we all would live in huge homes. It takes all types of people to make a country great, it has nothing to do with race, it has everything to do with skills and there ability for you to draw a paycheck.
It's not a black and white thing. It's a " I want to make America great" thing. Accept who you are, own it, be the best "ditch digger" you can be. Have pride in what you do, if not for yourself, for your country.  

Peace Starts With You.

  I get tired of being bombarded by news of killings and other violent crimes daily. My heart aches for this country divided by it's own inability to love one another. We have bigots, paranoid nut jobs, and a government that creates fear. What has happened to this once great country?  Why have we gone so far off the deep end?
  All I know is that we enjoy freedoms most other people in this world will never see. Most people are content to gripe and groan about the way things are without a willingness to see where change starts. Change comes from us not our political leaders. We must stand up and fight for our freedoms against the powers that truly ruin our freedom...the greedy and the evil.
  I could talk all day long about the two powers and give you biblical examples of why we must fight, however most of you that will read this don't own a bible or believe in God. Most of you would rather try to govern yourselves in a self serving fashion.I know this to be true. I've witnessed the Godlessness of this country first hand. Non-believers try and crush the believers at every turn. I'm sick of hearing how it's the believers fault we are in this mess. Evil knows no God, it only knows it's own selfish desires. Greed knows only it's selfishness.                                                                                                                                        We are not fighting a war of the flesh, we are fighting an enemy that is unseen. We are fighting dark forces that control those who wish only to serve themselves. God commands us to be servants of our brothers and sisters in His name. We are told to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. We are not told to fear or disparage each other, we are told to love and care for our fellow man. We shouldn't judge a flock of real believers by the actions of a few people serving themselves in the name of God, we need to know believers by their good works. Anyone call call themselves a Christian, it's those who prove it by good works that should be our example. Christianity is not about lip service, it's about action in Christ. It's about what we do to continue the ministry started by Christ. Our ministry isn't about showing up to church on Sunday sitting in a pew and waiting for the service to end so we can get on with our day. Our ministry starts at home by living in the Word everyday, even when no one is watching.
 Christian or not a moral code starts with you. If you depend on your own righteousness to tell you right from wrong then all you are teaching is selfishness. Good works can be done without faith, however those good things can easily be undone by selfishness. A selfish work glorifies yourself and nothing else. What good is a grand house if it's built on mud? You must have a strong foundation from which to build. A moral code without God is worthless. Personal morals can change like the wind. Godly morals are set in stone by the words of the Almighty. Man distorts the words of God for his own profit, Gods word is without change. Gods words are in black and white, it's called scripture and scripture is found in the Bible.
  I want this world to change, I want this country to change but without a Godly world I'm afraid my prayers fall upon deaf ears. I will not give up on educating a non-believer why I believe, I too at one time ignored God. I know hearts can be changed by being a living example of a morally upright man, it happened to me. A morally upright man ( also my best friend) led me to Christ and my life has been better for it. I now speak with a voice that is based on a strong foundation and will do so even when no one is watching.
  We live in a violent world without peace (Gods peace), and yet I hear the Godless express their desire for a peaceful world. Well my friends I tell you this, Gods peace starts with you. God Bless.

....Of Poets and Madmen Pt.3

       Some readers have supplanted in there minds that I am not taking responsibility for my bad decisions. Truth is I am well aware of the poor choices I have made in my life, starting with losing my family at age fifteen. I'm the one who screwed that up, no one forced me to throw my young life away but me. For many years I have made bad choices and left money on the table time and again, this is my fault. I have filled my own head with self entitlement, grand delusions, and a false sense of pride. I have left many a good job just because I felt under appreciated or under paid. These things are my fault, I'm the one who walked away from perfectly workable jobs without compensation. I messed up my future by being a boorish snob without reason to behave like that. I'm nothing special yet I acted like a childish ingrate and pissed off a lot of people in the process. I have worn out my welcome in more than one business in many different towns. I screwed up.

     There have been some exceptions to this meteoric rise to the bottom of the food chain however. My last place of  blissful employment was Dollar General, a nine dollar an hour absolute joy. The people I worked with were great. The manager Jose was somewhat a kindred spirit. I loved that job even though I never made a ton of  money, it was a great place for me. That company had many plans for me going forward, up to and including a position in management. They sent me to open other stores in other states, I was moving upward quickly. i worked every hour that was available to me night or day. I got up at five in the morning and sometimes didn't get home until late at night, I worked my ass off for them. Why did I leave you ask, quite simple, I became homeless and the only people who could take me in lived many miles away. I don't own a car or have a way back to Torrington where Dollar General is located, so I had to leave that job. It broke my heart, but what could I do, I had to leave. Without a roof over my head and the state dragging it's feet to help me, the right move was made. I left behind two jobs, (the other job would have been K Mart, but they too were slow in hiring me), and the comfort of knowing I had finally found a place I felt appreciated. i fought hard to keep my place in Torrington, but alas, I failed in all attempts.

    Next was a job working for an old Greek couple at a  pizza place in Southington. I went back in time to my roots for this one. It's been almost twenty years since I stepped foot in a single owner restaurant. I begged my way into this place and worked everyday, every hour they wanted me there. I showed up early and tried my best to turn back the clock to when I was younger. I sweated behind a five hundred degree oven in a kitchen without air conditioning enduring twenty-two days straight of ninety plus degree summer heat. I toiled daily the best I could trying to keep up with the fast pace of this busy award winning mom and pop diner. I felt pressure I had not felt in two decades, yet I pushed on. I thought I was doing well even though the owner rode me like a prized race horse every chance he got. to me it felt like home. Most people would have packed it in week one, I just kept plugging along. One day I walked the two or three miles to work only to find the owners had replaced me with a much younger friend of the family. I was let go. I was told I wasn't what they were looking for and seeing how I was being paid off the books, my last day was that moment. They kicked me a little extra money (which was cool), alas, I was still left unemployed. That is where I am today, jobless and being turned down by such "exclusive" place like Dunkin' Donuts, McDonalds, Rite Aid, Blimpies, and Walmat, just to name a few.

   So don't tell me I'm being lazy or that I'm not trying because it's not true. I want to work but poor choices and bad luck have clouded my future. I am trying, that's why getting mental help has been so tough, no one believes I'm depressed because I do get up in the morning and look for work, I'm doing the right things. I've been told I should be lathargic and not be making good choices, I just want to survive. This has been determental to me getting the help I need, because my will to survive over rides my want to stay in bed and sulk. It's okay not to like my new found "darkness", it's just not cool to be chastising me for your misconceptions. I've had to swollow enough shit from Lucy's family and their cronies, I don't need other people piling it on. I can't force people to hire me, I wish I could. I've bugged people so much that I've been told to stop calling or showing up on several occasions. I've made plans to move on, I just need to catch a break and I may be able to move on. Until such a time I will deal with my situation the only way I know how...airing out my frustration in this blog.

....Of Poets And Madmen Pt.2

  It's funny how everyone has the answers to solve your problems without being in your situation. They love to expound about how they can put you on the right path even though they no nothing of how fractured your mind has become. Once in the grips of depression and pain even the most brilliant mind can fall victim to the disease. Depression hurts deeper than just what you see or read on the surface. When failure is the norm no matter what is a simple answer becomes a monumental task. Sometimes just getting up in the morning or falling asleep at night becomes a chore. Imagine never being able to feel happy for fear that something bad will come from it. Just picture yourself never getting joy from being around friends or family. Never feeling like you are good enough to achieve anything because you are always expecting the worse. No amount of words or macho bravado can comfort someone who expects to fail. When failure is your track record and bad luck your totem, you only expect bad things to happen. It's a cycle of self fulfilling prophecy that never ends. One who has never tasted an ounce of sustained success in life can not be expected to find solace in the words of other people unless they to are failures. Unsuccessful people only know the taint of failure and it's cruel twisted irony. Faith is lost and God seems so far removed from a person whose life has been plotted and shaped by failure.

   In many ways the constant failure begins to mark those who seemed a once normal person. They become sullen and angry at the world around them, never fully reaching any potential once thought attainable because of the expected failure or impending doom. They become contented in knowing that any success is short lived and that failure is right around the corner. Most people who suffer through this mindset fight themselves daily just to keep from exiting this life by their own hands. They have to find comfort in things most people try to avoid thinking or doing. The darkness become a cudgel to ward off the overwhelming feelings of self imposed hatred.

 That self-hate can lead many failures to destroy themselves by way of suicide. Many failures see this option as a way to stop the negative behavior that never seems to go away. When you live in a darkened world, light, becomes the enemy. Positive emotions only become a Siren Song leading a failure to his doom on the jagged rocks of life's torturous shores. Success for a failure is as foreign as a snowstorm in the Tropics. A failure doesn't expect to succeed therefor, they never do. Self-loathing and self-hatred undermine any shot at happiness. Many failures find the only way out of this maze of negative thoughts is to shut of the brain permanently. The only exit they find is self destruction. Through self destruction they finally find the peace they so desperately seek. They leave behind a cold cruel world and settle for a vast nothingness. Once again, the darkness wins.

  Do not read into this anything but the author trying to expose those out there, who do not suffer this kind of mental war, to the reality of someone fully ensconced in this kind of disability. Maybe then the enlightened masses will stop trying to impose their own opinions of what a person who has never felt happiness or success should do. When God seems like the enemy and Faith a fairytale, sometimes it's just enough to let a person suffering from this kind of malady know you are still a friend. Sometimes these people can seem distant and cold, just know they don't realize any other way to behave. You can't expect a failure to just snap out of it because years of felling like a failure will not go away in a moment. Sometimes it never goes away. No amount of rehashed catchphrases or religious passages will ever crack the hardened walls these people have built over the years. Just be a friend. Tell them they are loved despite their negative outlook and nurture their need to slowly evolve out of the darkness. Stand by them and let them know you care on a human level. Harsh words and Faithful diatribes only reinforce their belief that know one understands them. Try to understand this malady and go through it with them, refocusing their dark behavior in a kind and understanding manor. This disease will not go away overnight, try and hang in there when they relapse and don't get discouraged, you may be surprised what a sympathetic shoulder can do to change their mind. Let them know you are there for them, that is all most of them ask for to begin with.

....Of Poets and Madmen Pt.1

  When you are young, people never tell you that being a failure is a reality. We are filled with hopes and dreams that one day success will find us. We are never prepared to fail. The streets are filled with people who never realized the potential of their youth. Why?

  People lose sight of themselves and fall into the trappings of a society obsessed with beauty and wealth, never taking the time to discover the true meaning of who they are. They get caught up in the falsehood of the so-called American Dream. That dream becomes a nightmare with the realization that not everybody can be a success. People fail all the time never arriving at the top of any mountian, the mountian ends up on top of them. They fall into a state of dispair and spend the rest of their lives trying to unbury themselves from the tons of shit piled upon them, never finding help from family or friends or getting very little help from anyone. They become lost in a system of self lothing and depression, never able to step up to the challange of recovering the warm fuzzy feeling they had before they became failures. they wallow in the muck and mire of an unfulfilled potential that crushes them like bugs on a windshield, hopes and dreams are dashed by the wieght of  a cruel reality and a heartless world. Their pain becomes the only thing that they live for, living in a mass darkness which consumes every moment of their lives. The pain is the only thing that they can relate to, happiness is just a lie told to them by other people. Why does everyone insist on comforting others by saying "things will get better?"  How does anyone know things will improve?  Where is your proof?

   In a life filled with failure and pain the hope of a better tomorrow is just rubish. When all you know is heartache and disappointment, that is all you expect...nothing more. The darkness becomes sunshine to the ones who have done nothing but failed. Loss and grief becomes your daily sustinance. A world of a loving God becomes a fairytale to those who can no longer pick themselves up off the floor one last time. Why get back up when you're only going to fail again and again?
Despite what you are told by everyone else FAILURE IS AN OPTION. Failure happens everyday. There just comes a point in your life when getting back on your feet seems like a fruitless endevor. Sometimes it's just better to stay down and accept that you are a failure. Self lothing almost feels as good as a hug, darkness shines as bright as the sun and words of hope become useless background noise.

Ode To Lucy

Sometimes life throws you curveballs. On August 17th 2011 life threw me one. I lost my lover, my friend, and my soulmate Lucy Friend. She died leaving behind many people who loved her including her young son Reed. I miss her more with every breath I take. She was more than a partner in my journey called life, she was a teacher, a poet, and the kindest soul I have ever met. She inspired me to become a better father, friend, and in general a better person. She made me feel whole for the first time in a long time. She took a broken man and helped put the pieces back together. She was loving, kind and patiant to a man who had become bitter and angry over many years. She gave me purpose, hope, and helped me to find peace in a turbulent mind. She breathed new life into me. For everything she gave to me I am thankful. In a thousand lifetimes I could never repay her for the loving grace and kindness she gave to me. Lucy was a special person whos kindness echoes in the memories everyone who knew her will carry the rest of their lives.

She was a wonderful mother whom gave her son Reed everything she had. She taught Reed kindness and strength and in return Reed gave Lucy his heart. Reed loved his mother so much. Reed gave his mother a feeling of joy and happiness. They shared a special bond that can only happen between a mother and her son. Reed is a special kid with a heart that overflows with love and compassion. He is an obediant child who cares more about helping others than he does himself. He has grown up in the arms of loving parents and a mother who invloved herself in every aspect of his life. Reed was Lucy's life.

She lived not the life of kings and queens yet lived each day to serve others above herself. We lived a simple life together spending each day as if we were millionares. We did have the luxuries of the wealthy instead we fill our lives with the treasures of love. We were, in the truest definition, soulmates. Where one left off the other began, when one of us stumbled, we picked each other up. The world could not harm any of us as long as we were together. She anchored our family, giving us all the love we needed and more. She was our strength.

Now my journey has begun anew without my soulmate by my side. The waters have been rough yet I continue to push forward into the great unknown. Each day presents new challenges for me to overcome as I move forward witout her. I no longer have her physically here to help guide me through the tough times, so I can only pray that from Heaven she will continue to help me take on lifes unending tests. For now her voice is the wind in my ears, her hope the smell of spring blooms. Her strength will be the little voice in my head driving me on and her love is a warm blanket on a chilly night. Lucy will never leave us as long as we remember her boundless love and selflessness. I miss my one true love and will try and carry her flame with me to find my way in the darkness the is the forever unknown. Rest well my queen as for one day we will be reunited in the house of God and spend all eturnity together as it should be.

My Opinion, That Is All!!!!!

I was going to sit down and write some clever diatribe about the state of the world and how down right depressing it is. I've been wracking my brain trying to come up with something that could put a positive spin on our obsession with the negative side of living, but I just can't bring myself to do it. The following is verbatim how I feel about the actions of most Americans today,  if you don't like it, tough, life isn't a spectator sport. Get off your ass and do something to change your way of life positively. That way you won't be getting angry at my opinions, you'll be too busy healing the world to care.

First off people like Glen Beck shouldn't be allowed near a microphone when voicing their opinions. These gutless loudmouthed jerks have nothing to say positive about our world or how to repair it. I have an idea for Glen, instead of running off at the mouth why don't you focus your energy on helping us reach an accord so all people can live on this planet on harmony. Either be part of the solution or stay in your little hate filled corner and leave us believers in a better tomorrow alone. I know all about the first amendment, but I just don't believe people should weld it like a club to bash the snot out of people they don't understand. Try a little compassion, it goes a long way in healing those who seem to be outcasts. Him comparing a group of murdered young political ideologists to "Hitler's Youth" is not only tasteless but a clear and contrite picture of why the rest of the world hates us. Glen Beck is a parasite and should be treated as such. Hey Glen I have two words for you "Shut Up!!!". Whatever happened to "if you have nothing nice to say, say nothing at all?"
My mom would wash your mouth out with soap and put you in the corner.

"A man who dares to waste one hour of time has not discovered the value of life."  That was Charles Darwin. He knew the value of an unwasted life. The man barely slept. He did a lot of good as far as biology is concerned. Lets examine what a wasted life is. Amy Winehouse is a wasted life. Kurt Cobain is a wasted life. They both committed suicide, one by shotgun, the other by drugs. To me it's sad, both left grieving people (family members and fans alike), to ask the question why. They should not be deified, but held as flawed humans. Both had been offered help and refused believing they were right. Sad.
The majority of people in this country seem to have some Shakespearean  reverence for  actors and musicians who die young from self indulgence, so wrong. They are humans, people who chose the cowards way out. There is nothing cool about that. Why worship at the alter of a coward when an almighty God calls to you.

You want an answer, I'll give you an answer, go to Church. You want a better life, worship a God that is all loving and wants you to do well. God wants you to be successful, He just wants you to acknowledge that it was He who helped you achieve your goals, nothing more. Is it that hard to realize that you aren't in control, maybe you should get off your high horse and realize you can't do it alone. I don't know you, but as a Christian I want you to be successful. In this "dog eat dog" world I know that my statement isn't cool but, I do wish all well. I want the world to heal. I want all of us to learn tolerance and humility in the face of God. We can all come together under the flag of God's justice. We must learn to love one another as God's children, not hate those who don't think like us. Understanding is a powerful tool, tolerance is a powerful tool, God is a powerful tool.  This is God's world not ours, maybe it's time to treat it as such.

Hydrox and Pepsi, Please!!!!!!!

He was a rebel. A man different from most fathers I knew. To me he always seemed like he could've been one of the kids. He had a sense of humor and an easy smile that made you realize his inner child wasn't so inner. He was a man who studied people. He would people watch for hours if you let him, of course in our new paranoid  world he'd be creepy. He was gentle with a warmth that always seemed to permeate every situation he was in. He was hard to hate, believe me I tried, but it's hard to hate a man who believes The Three Stooges are high art.

My father was well read and loved books on all subjects. He could read and glean all the information he needed in just one sitting. He loved books about nature, one of his favorites was James Herriot's "All Creatures Great and Small", he even made us watch the television adaptation on PBS. It was like living with a modern day Davy Crockett, I think I knew how to fish before I learned how to swim thanks to my father. He chopped wood, ran a chainsaw, fished, and was an all around outdoors man. He once built a shanty out of plank wood in our backyard that stood for over a decade. Unfortunately not much of his woodland skills rubbed off on me.

My father was our coach for most of our baseball/ softball careers. He learned the sport right along with us just so he could be involved in our lives. My dad was a soccer guy who never really liked baseball, but for his kids he toughed it out and became one of the greatest coaches my hometown ever saw. He went from knowing zero about the sport to becoming a guru. People from all over sought his advice on how to teach "windmill" pitching for softball. He would read for hours, attend clinics, get dirty himself all to learn the sport better, it was amazing to watch.  While most men his age were putting in overtime, or watching the game on television, my dad was living it.

I believe I learned a great deal more from my dad then I ever knew. He taught me so much in a short time frame, I just wish I had realized it earlier in life. My dad and I barely talked for most of my grown up life, partly my fault, some of it his. He died January 11th 2006 from bone cancer. We never made up for whatever reason, call it stubbornness, but I never stopped loving him. He was a great man who was loving yet firm. He always seemed to have an air of confidence that left him without fear. He mentored a lot of kids in my hometown probably without them even realizing it. I realize now at age forty-two he mentored me more than I ever knew. I thank you dad for being you, never giving in to convention and always being yourself no matter where you were, I love you and miss you and only wish to say I'm sorry for all the trouble I caused you and the family. I just pray one great day, God willing, you and I will stand side by side as friends for all eternity.

He Shoots, He Scores!!!!!!!

To those of us who understand the sport Hockey is a treasure. It's an endeavor steeped richly in tradition. Men become heroes and heroes become legends. Names like Howe, Gretzky, Richard, and Orr ring through it's hallowed halls like a beautiful symphony greater than anything ever written by a single composer. We cheer at the exploits of brave men who play a sport that combines the grace of ice skating, the thunder of American Football, and the pugilistic science of boxing, it's the perfect storm. It's fast and furious without having to watch men huddle up and kill the clock. Hockey's clock runs for a fast sixty minutes only breaking for any length of time to recap each period. Most of it's detractors bemoan the fact that it's too fast and they can't track the puck. With a little education and a better understanding anyone can be a hockey fan able to follow the little black disc.

Most people don't realize that American Football is slow and filled with very little action. Studies have shown that on average a football game features only twenty-six minutes of contact. Hockey on the other hand is pure action from the puck drop to start the game all the way to the final horn. Hockey doesn't huddle, run slow down offences, or call many time outs to stop the clock. To the point, in a hockey game each team gets only one time out to use as they see fit. Hockey teams must have a flexible strategic plan because the lines roll non stop as the game flows. Players have to be quick because there is no "play clock" to replace tired players or get the perfect match ups teams want.  Coaches roll four lines seamlessly throughout the game trying to create mismatches to improve their chances of scoring. Unlike football's stop and go plodding pace, hockey is a whirling dervish of  kinetic energy from start to finish.

Hockey has been around since 1917 and it's original six era started in 1942, that's when it really started to blossom. Hockey now has 30 teams spread across America, including places like Phoenix that have never seen ice, and Canada. Each team plays  82 games a year during the regular season. It's a long season that grows longer if you make the playoffs, then you may play another three rounds of four to seven games before you get to vie for Lord Stanley's Cup. It's grueling and unforgiving which makes it unpredictable, unlike most football and baseball seasons. Hockey is a sport where work ethic is demanded not expected. No one in hockey "takes plays off" because if you do you may end up carried off on a stretcher. These guys fly around the ice at twenty plus miles an hour and can weight up to two hundred and twenty five pounds, you do the math on contact force. It's a sport where whining is not an option, I've watched guys spit teeth on the ice get up, go to the bench, pull out the other loose teeth and climb over the boards for their next shift. I can't imagine someone like T.O. doing that, not in a million years.

So if you're bored with sports that promote prima-donna millionaire brats and long for an exciting fast paced "hardhat and lunch pail" thrill ride, I suggest you take in a live hockey game. You'll be hooked for life. If you aren't able to see a live game, as most hockey seasons have ended, tune into the NHL Stanley Cup Finals on NBC starting Wednesday June first as two of hockey's best fight it out for one of sports biggest prizes, The Stanley Cup. I'm sure you'll be amazed at how cool this game really is. Pun intended. Thanks for reading and God Bless.

I Light Fires!!!!!

Summer has a rhythm all it's own. The sky's are bluer and the air is filled with the scent of new life. It's a time to celebrate the passing of the gloomy demeanor known as winter. No longer are we locked away in our domiciles hiding from the cold and blustery season. We are free to roam the wild yonder under the sun's yellowy-orange warmth. We are released from the doldrums of  the grey season and awakened to play in the lush vibrant radiance of newness. We are reborn. We once again feel the energy of our childhoods rushing back to us. Many feel the primal call of the wild and choose to live within the wide open frontier, if only for a few days. We feel the need to return to our roots and become one with nature as a means to escape the rat race around us. We yearn for the quiet simplicity of a by-gone era before the great expansion of machinery and technology stole our souls.

The simplest of escapes, cooking over an open fire. Nothing beats that. The roar of the flames, the smell of the searing flesh, it's as old as man himself. Nothing beats the unmistakable taste of a steak seared to juicy perfection over an open flame. It's like tasting food for the first time all over again. A man will stand at his grill all day flame-broiling proteins for mass consumption just to taste that smoky sweet flavor. For most of us, it's a compulsion, an unconscious desire that as soon as the sun shines and it gets warm, we must grill. I've even been known to stand outside in zero degree weather buried by snow grilling, I may have an addiction.

The grill is a magnificent tool. For some it's like an appendage, to others a complete mystery. Grilling can be made more complicated by bright shiny gas grills or worse, the dual grill. It's a hybrid of technology that gives you the choice to cook with either gas or charcoal. Honestly gas is fine but it leaves a strange taste on your product. I use charcoal, plain old charcoal in a kettle grill. No fast light stuff for me because like gas it too has a funky aftertaste. I also light my charcoal with newspaper soaked in vegetable oil instead of  lighter fluid. The propellant can leave a strange smell and flavor on your food.  With the vegetable oil it burns slower and lights the coal and wood chips more evenly without the gassy smell and taste. Squirt a little veggie oil on the black nuggets and wood chips as well, it will help you regulate the heat more.

So I say unto you my fellow grill geeks stay true to the ancient ways and you will find a better tasting, more flavorful piece of protein. From bovine to the kingly pig, all things are better over the naked flame. Grab your friends, relatives, or neighbors and get together to celebrate our ancient heritage and cook a hearty meal over natures greatest cooking instrument, the glorious open flame. Enjoy and God Bless!!!  

Just A Little Change.

My local paper had published a story by a Wal Mart cashier explaining how they were raising lots of money for CMN (Children's Miracle Network).They do it by asking customers to round up their total purchase to the next dollar and donating the change. It's called a "round up". In this stunted economy she was saying the company was actually well beyond it's goals. I'm thinking good and happy thoughts for once about this much bedeviled corporate giant. Maybe there is some good in the world after all. That is until I make the mistake of reading people's comments to the story. At first they were all positive and encouraging. Most people seemed as surprised as I was that this company known for it's stinginess was being so thoughtful and helpful.

And then it happened. Some woman posted a reply saying she was "offended" that every time she went into the retailer she was asked to surrender her change for charity. Offended?
How could you be offended by a cashier asking you to drop a few cents for a child's charity? It could be one cent, or it may be ninety-nine cents, no big deal. Her reasoning was "times are tough and getting tougher." Her pocket book was going to be empty just because she was asked to donate a few cents.
I am unemployed and not collecting any state assistance and have no car to drive to Wal Mart to be "harassed" into giving up my change, so I know tough times. Thank God my girlfriend and I have been able to support our family on her retail store paychecks. Hard times, sure, but every time she is asked to donate her change to CMN she does it with out blinking.

I understand to some people being constantly asked to fork over a portion of your hard earned money, no matter how small an amount is annoying. It's not like it's a huge bother, nothing to fill out, no little trinket to carry around, they just want your change. I look at it this way, every penny I turn over to Wal Mart they in turn give it to a charity that allows sick children to get the medicine and treatment they normally couldn't afford. For me it's a chance to be someone's hero. I need no superpowers, no funny tights, and no special training to help save someone's life, or at least make their life a little more comfortable before they pass on.
No one should have to watch their child suffer just because some people felt "offended" enough not to donate their spare change. We live in a country where "helping thy neighbor" used to be automatic and done without whining about "tough times." It was done out of kindness and concern for other people. Most people I run into today can only think of themselves. We are at a crossroads good readers, we can continue to walk the wicked path and only do for ourselves, or we can go back to a time when charity started at home. Just picture yourself or your family in need and there is no one there to help. We live in a world where heroes are few and far between, this maybe your chance to be a hero.

We all have tight budgets now, it's the way of the world. It doesn't mean we shouldn't be charitable, especially when it comes to the children. I could quote some cheesy Whitney Houston song explaining how they are our future, but by now we all understand that. All I ask is never be "offended" by someone asking for a little help from you. I challenge my readers to say "yes" every time a Wal Mart cashier asks you to "round up". I want to believe that everyone who reads this blog can be a hero.
                                                                      http://childrensmiraclenetworkhospitals.org/

Fear And Loathing Here On Earth.

The end is near. According to some it's Saturday, bummer. Haven't we heard enough of these wacko predictions in the past to realize it's most likely false. I just keep flashing back to Y2K. It never happened, we all have lived though this before. I just keep wondering on who's authority do these people get the right to scream "the sky is falling." The Bible talks of the end of days, but real Christians don't run around proclaiming the end is near. They don't know when it's going to happen so they live their lives the best they can every day. Shouldn't we all take a hint from them and just live really good lives, bringing peace to the world, doing good things, and being really cool people overall?

It's simple, life is hard. We watch bad things happen to good people, friends and family die, and bad people get ahead. Some people just get angry, others just ignore it, and still others turn to God to help them understand the world around them. It's called faith. Faith is a beautiful thing because it allows you to have strength you never thought you had. I used to fear death, when I became "Born Again" that fear disappeared. Now I am free to live my life the best I can because I believe God knows better than I do. I pray everyday for wisdom and inner peace so I can go out into my community and do good works in His name. The coolest thing is that I haven't stopped being myself, I'm just a better version of me. I've cut down on the stupid stuff in my life. Who can't use a little of that?

So I say to all the people who keep bringing up the "End Times". Live a little. If the world ends you can't stop it, so why worry. Concentrate on what you can change, your destructive behavior. I guess what I'm trying to say is have a little faith and you too won't care when the "End Of Days" happens because you'll be a Godly man who will spend eternity with our Lord. Now what could be better than that!!!

A Field Of Nightmares

Tradition. That's what lacks in sports today. Gone are the days of the myth makers, the golden boys who were treated like royalty everywhere they went. We would later learn just how flawed many of them were as humans, but in the moment they were our heroes. They shined brighter than any star in the sky ever could, and they soared high above us in the clouds. They were untouchable. We as kids dreamed of one day being just like them, bigger than life. Call it naive, or juvenile but these were our dreams.

Add in the fact that these heroes played in monumental palaces like Yankee Stadium, The Polo Grounds, Candlestick Park, and The Boston Gardens. These iconic buildings became as famous as the people who played within their walls. They were as much the identity of the team as the players were, sometimes even more. The buildings each had a nuance that went unmatched anywhere else. Seats that were hailed as sacred, overhangs that made the cheap seats seem really good, and groups of fans that were so fanatical they in turn had their own fans. Sports seemed magical.

Fast forward to now. Most of the players have become spoiled millionaires who could care less about the fans and the sports they play. They bring guns into locker rooms, fight amongst themselves, and of course the drugs. Not just the ones the are used for enhancement, also the ones for recreation.  It seems between the generations somehow our games were stolen from us by greedy owners and greedy players. Even the great hallowed halls fell to the wrecking ball of greed. Now we have mostly cookie cutter stadiums with all the warmth and charm of a cobra. You can blame free agency all you want, but the truth is we allowed this to happen. It's our fault as fans, we let our need to cheer and support our favorite teams get out of hand. We started paying the outrageous ticket prices to see our teams play, never thinking it would get this out of control. Pretty soon you're going to have to mortgage the house just to see a ball game with your kids, sad really.

I guess the bottom line is this. I miss the games of my youth, the heroes of my youth, and most of all the dreams of my youth. Maybe someday these millionaire cry-babies will remember a far away time when people played sports for the love of the game, not for a paycheck. Until then I just teach my kids to respect the tradition of whatever game they choose to play. I hope you do the same. If we teach our children to respect the game and their God given talent, maybe we can raise up a generation of pro athletes whom care less about money and more about the pure love of the game. This is my grown up dream.

Not The Same Old Pork And Beans!!

I know what you are thinking, how can you dress up the old stand by pork and beans?
Well it's not quite what you think. The pork is boneless chops and the beans are French cut green beans. It's a quick and easy way to have a tasty dinner you and the family will love.

First heat an 8" skillet and add just enough oil to thinly coat the bottom of the pan. Next add a cup of chicken broth, a half cup of apple juice, and two heaping tablespoons of minced garlic, this will create a brazing liquid. Let simmer for about a half hour before adding three or four boneless pork chops you have tenderized and lightly salted. Cook until chop starts to turn white on the bottom side, flip over and repeat on uncooked side. Now return to original side and cook for five minutes per side. Finish cooking when the chops inner temperature is 160 degrees. You can use a meat thermometer to check for doneness.

While you are waiting for your brazing liquid  to come to temperature you can heat up a frying pan to toast a half cup whole almonds. After the almonds are toasted, lightly salt them and rough chop them in a food processor. In a dutch oven boil one cup of chicken broth and add a pound of French cut green beans . Cook the beans in the broth until most of the liquid is absorbed. Strain out the rest of the broth to use with the pork chops. Put beans in a small casserole dish and combine with a can of cream of mushroom soup and sprinkle the almonds evenly over the top. Place in the oven at three hundred and fifty degrees for about ten minutes.

So there you have it, a quick meal for you and the family and none of those nasty pork and beans. Enjoy and God Bless.

Look Ma, No Hands!!!!!

Mom's are great, they patch us up when we fall. They give us love when we fall down. Mom's feed our tummies when we're hungry and our spirit when we need nurturing. My Mom is the reason I cook. She taught me a love for food and cooking for others. She cleaned our rooms, washed our clothes, and helped us with our homework. So today and everyday, no matter our relationship now, we should remember how our Mom's influenced our lives. So to all the mothers around the world I say Happy Mother's Day and God Bless.

I Cry For Those Who Seek Revenge.

I can't do it. I know he was a bad man and plotted to kill thousands of Americans, but I just can't do it. Bin Laden was a terrorist and a madman. He held the western world in contempt while training extreme Muslims to take innocent lives in the name of their belief system. He called himself a holy man while murdering those who opposed him. Still I will not celebrate his death, to me that just seems morbid. I would not celebrate the death of any man, woman, or child no matter their crime. I leave the final judgement up to my Lord and Savior, only He can judge the wicked. If I celebrate his death than I am no less evil then he and his kind are.

I will celebrate life. The lives of those who must live without loved ones killed in this war, I celebrate them. I pray for them. I am saddened that human kind has become so bent on revenge that we can no longer feel the sanctity of life. Life is what is important. We need to remember even our enemies are just people confused by what they don't know, or understand. Most violent people are just crying out in pain, or just plan scared. If we continue to think in cycles of revenge or vengeance what will happen to this world?
Will it come to a point where the last man on earth will pull the trigger on himself because he's avenging the death of the second to last man?

It's got to stop before it's too late. I know I will not teach my children to hate or hold grudges against other people. Sometimes the best thing to do is smile and walk away before things escalate to violence. Bloodletting is not a good way to settle disputes.

I just want to finish by saying I pray that there will come a day when everyone will live in peace and harmony. We all share this big beautiful marble we call Earth, and if we spent as much time taking care of her as we do fighting, this would be a great place to live. God Bless you all.

Smoking Is Good !!!!!

Not cigarettes. Meat. Smoking meat is awesome. Sure it is laborious but it is so worth it.
You haven't lived until you've tasted a chicken smoked for sixteen hours with a sweet BBQ sauce and garlic mashed potatoes.
That was what I did for my birthday on Saturday, I smoked a chicken. We ate like kings. I put the chicken to smoke at midnight Friday seasoned with salt, pepper, paprika, turmeric, and cumin, after it soaked for four hours in a brine of  salt, pepper, sugar, and rice vinegar before it was introduced to my smoke box.

Slowly that box smoker cooked that beautiful bird at 150 degrees until four o'clock Saturday. First off, the smell was enough to drive you crazy, second, the skin was crisp and a dark reddish brown. The taste was a smoky, salty flavor with a hint of sweet spices.
As the chicken finished off in my oven (about 10 minutes), I concocted a Kansas City style sweet BBQ sauce from Rice vinegar, brown sugar, cumin, paprika, ground sage, majoram, and a dash of ginger for a little heat.
The sauce  cooked for about a half hour to forty minutes while the bird set up and cooled off a little.
The chicken itself fell from the bone as I touched my 7" santoku to the legs and wings. The breast just surrendered when I carved the succulent poultry as I needed to add it to the sweet tangy BBQ sauce.
So let me tell you this, if you ever get the chance to have smoked meats.......just do it!!!!!

How Many Guys Does It Take To Make A Burger?

Way back in the year 1986 a husband and wife from Arlington, Virgina would create a concept to serve a better fast burger product. It is known as 5 Guys Burgers and Fries.Using 100% pure ground beef that is never frozen,  freezers aren't allowed in a franchise restaurant. They have only fresh product from the beef to the hand cut skin on french fries that are cooked in peanut oil.

Any time you serve me a thick juicy cheese burger and tasty all natural fries in a paper bag, I'm hooked. The fries are fresh and plentiful, a small order is a small cup with an extra scoop added to the bag. Imagine almost another small order of super hot perfectly cooked golden gems floating around the bottom of your brown paper sack. It's like french fry heaven. The fries are crispy on the outside but oh,so tender on the inside and just melt in your mouth leaving you only wanting more. They're so confident the fries are the best quality they tell you daily where the spuds are from. The other places don't even have 100% potato fries, it's more like a potatoish product. 5 Guys guarantees quality every time you  bite into their all potato french fried delights.

The burgers are grilled to tasty bliss. They are well done and still juicy. Two patties make up a regular burger giving you a hand full of char-cooked goodness. Every bite is a fresh new taste experience. All of the condiments are fresh and full of flavor. It doesn't matter if you add the grilled peppers or onions or the vivid green jalapeños they are all super market fresh. Each burger is hand crafted for every order, there are no heat lamps, warming stations, or precooked food.  It's all made to order. Sure it takes a couple of minutes more, but why comprise flavor and freshness just to have a quick bite. It's worth the extra minute or two to get your hands on these burgers and fries.

The over all atmosphere is one of friendly people, clean tables and floors, with a brightly lit dinning room. It's a place to go to relax with friends and family while enjoying really delicious fast food. Plus while waiting for your food you may want to sample the free shell on roasted peanuts. A perfect warm up for the main course to come. So if you want fresh fast burgers and fries and don't care to wait a minute or two longer for them, then you need to get a car load of friends or family and seek out the closest  5 Guys. These guys my not be clowns or kings, but they sure know quality and quantity.

Wilie E. Coyote, Super Christian!!!!!!

You read right. Wilie E. Coyote is a Christian. No I'm not nuts, I have proof.
Item one: Acme is God.
 God gives us the tools to get through everyday life and to smite our enemies. It's just a matter if we use them as God wants if they are successful or not. God gives us talent, it's up to us if we use them to glorify Him.
 God wants us to be pure of mind and heart and rely on his wisdom to know when and where victory will occur. It's when we as mortals try and pigeon hole God  that He punishes us with failure. He wants us to have patients and let Him take control. Harder than it sounds.
That is why so many man driven enterprises have failed. We left God out. We must give God the benefit of the doubt when it comes to his timing. We didn't build the trees, create water, or even the birds in the air. God did this. So we must let him guide us to a final solution to our problems. That is one thing Wilie E. teaches us. Man cannot do it alone!!!!

Item Two: Never Give Up....No Matter What.
God gave us talents to glorify him and we should use them in our everyday life. If we fail at an enterprise that we have clearly heard his voice in, we should pick ourselves up and try, try again. Just like Wilie E.
He never gave up. When he failed, he sent to Acme (prayed to God), and was given another chance to smite his enemy(The Road Runner). Though he let his timing override his faith in Acme(God), Acme (God) always answered with another solution. Wile E. just never learned that Acme(God) just wanted him to trust in Him and God would provide what Wilie needed (the Road Runner).


Bottom line is this: we need to let God work in our lives on his time to receive the blessings he wants to give us. If we trust in God and have faith, He will provide for us. I guess what I'm trying to say is more people should be less like Wile E. Coyote and have patience and faith that God will make every thing alright. Maybe not on our time, but on His.