....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.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.

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!!!

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!!!!!

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.

Outside the Bun, I Must Run, Run, Run

It calls to me. I hear it many a day. It's like a Siren's song calling me to the rocks. I can not resist. It is my mistress, my addiction and it's name is... Taco Bell.
That's right I love Taco Bell. It's almost Tex-Mex styling and less than average cost has me going back more times than I care to recount. It has me hooked. I'm like a trout on a fly fisherman's bait. Snagged.
From the first time I stepped foot in one it's been an on going love affair. I can't put my finger on it but I do crave the off beat fast food chain's culinary treat. It's like a fast food paradise away from all the burgers and fries. It's tacos, nachos, and the burritos, oh, the burritos. A swell concoction of  beef, melted cheese stuff, and spices brought together by a dollop of sour cream and lettuce.  I can taste it's Tex-Mex goodness right now!!!
Every time I go in there the smell, the lighting and the menu make me feel at home. The brightly colored walls, the offset grey tile with red brick it all seems homey to me.
You step up to the fake green slate counter and give your order( for me it's always the same; a nacho supreme and two burrito supremes and a small soda.) You get rung up and they ask for your name. When the order is ready the person behind the counter bellows your name, announcing to those gathered inside, my Tex-Mex bliss is about to begin. I grab a black spork to get every last yummy morsel. Next it's a few napkins because good food is messy food. The drink station is where my small cup will be filled to full with Taco Bell's own flavor of Mountain Dew.
Time to find a seat. I rush to a window booth eager to unwrap my tasty treasure. I'm so happy!!!
With every bite my attitude becomes brighter and brighter as I know my hunger will be conquered by this Tex-Mex greatness. To me every day spent at Taco Bell is a great day.
It's not top quality, it's not real Tex-Mex, but like I said, I just can't get enough.
For some people it's the opera, for others it's fine dining, but for my money to escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life I seek out a "run for the boarder."  Lawsuits and controversy aside Taco Bell is my favorite place to go relax and enjoy a low priced almost Tex-Mex meal with friends and family. I maybe a good cook in my own right, I'm just not a snob. I don't need a fancy plating, or three stars to have a good meal. Just don't throw some forty minute old burger on my tray and call it fresh. I've done my home work and I can pronounce the stuff in a taco from Taco Bell, I can't say the same thing about Mickey D's and their offspring. Call me crazy, but I'm thinking "outside the bun" and enjoying every bite of it!!!!

Give Peace A Chance?

We believed we could change the world. We were fool hearty. Our music was split between those who believed in fun, and us that believed in change. We weren't hippies, we really believed in change. Hippies used the cause to get laid, we used it to wake people up to the wrongs of world. It was the best of heavy metal. Bands like Megadeth, Exodus, Testament, Metal Church, and yes Metallica...we were the voice. We wanted the same thing the hippies wanted, world peace, a voice in American government, we wanted our voices to be heard. The soft sell never took in the 60's, so we turned it up all the way to 11. We were in your face, but we understood our limits. We weren't violent, but we were loud. You ignored us, dismissed us, called us troublemakers. We were just looking for a voice. We never gave up, and we never gave in, we pushed the system as far as we could. We were rebels, and some of us still are. I'm going to be 42 years old at the end of the month, a father to three(20,15, and 8) and I still cling to the beliefs of my teenage years. You can't force change, but change can come. I will never stop fighting, I believe in peace and love, I just now use God as my weapon!!!!

I dedicate this blog to the memory of Matt Hillenbrand and to those who knew him, God Bless you my friend, I just wish I knew you better. You were an institution, and a hero to many. You helped create a safe place for all us headbangers to gather, Thank You!!!

A Man Walks Into A Bar......

I don't know about you but when I was a kid I joked around a lot. I remember laughing and having a good time. Sometimes too good of a time and then it was off to detention. I may have been a little hyperactive but no one tried to shove pills down my throat to calm me down, I was just being a kid.

Today's kids walk around like little ghetto rats or depressed Grunge zombies. Kids are so filled with rage or self pity they never smile or look you in the eye. Sad really. Childhood is suppose to be the greatest time of your life, not some drama filled stink pile. Is the world out there really that bad or have we as parents and role models failed so miserably that our offspring have forsaken their childhoods?
I blame us as parents. We teach our kids to lookout for bad people, to get good grades or they will end up failures. I believe we have forgotten to tell these kids it's alright to laugh and have a good time. It's easy to dismiss a child when our lives remain unfulfilled and so we pass that thought process on to them. Not cool. Maybe if as parents we worried less about our lives and spent more time on our kids happiness, they wouldn't be bringing guns to school or be as violent as they are. Sitting a child in front of a television and letting them watch violent programs or playing ultra- violent video games is not an alternative to outdoor activity. Let them get the fresh air and learn to interact with the other kids in the neighborhood, just keep an eye on them and they will be fine. Who knows by letting them play games you may find yourself joining in and recapturing that child-like innocents you lost when you grew up. It couldn't hurt to try. So let's all try and get our children involved in having fun.

Now I know not everyone will agree with what I say next, but have an open mind. I belong to a wonderful church and go on Sundays with my girlfriend's son. We enjoy the time together and he interacts with some wonderful people. The pastor and his wife are involved with his life as well. They treat him to breakfast and take him after church when they can. We have found a place for us where we are excepted for who we are and he responds well to that. Now I'm not saying he's perfect, he acts up now and again, but over all he is a polite well adjusted kid with a bright disposition. Maybe more people should make time in their lives to spend a few moments a week in church. I'm not saying it will work for everyone,(though I believe it should), all I know it's turned my life and my families life around for the better. 

Twigs And Berries Are Not A Meal!!!

Vegans and vegetarians are a species I don't get. Since when did vegetables become a main course, where I come from the garden dwellers are a side dish. Period. Now here we are overrun with a bunch of carrot munching people who believe veggies to be the best thing ever. Don't get me wrong, I understand the religious and philosophical applications of vegetarianism, I have no problem with that. I do, however, shake my head at the people who choose to eat like a bunny for no other reason than they think it's healthier. I got a hint for you all, you are going to die no matter how you eat. Sure it's a morbid way to see things but my point is this, life is short, you might as well go out and enjoy as much as you can in moderation.

The other reason people give for the herbivorous lifestyle is the cruel way some animals are raised. Understood. As a cook who enjoys dining on animals I can tell you this, the better the animal is treated the better it tastes. Low grade poorly raised beef tastes like horse meat, not that I go around eating horses.
 Cruelty to animals is wrong on all levels and should be dealt with harshly. I recommend doing some research before buying any meat in a grocery store. Ask where it came from, know if it is reputably solid farm. Only buy free range chicken or poultry. Know your pork, learn the difference between good swine and bad. Never be afraid to ask your local butcher where he gets his product from, if he doesn't know maybe you should change butchers.

Also if you know your Bible it is in the good book that God gave us dominion over all the creatures of the earth, sea, and sky. If God says it's okay to eat meat, that's good enough for me.

Okay, to show you I'm not some prehistoric caveman clubbing T-Rex's for the family bar-b-que, here is a recipe I have for an Indian style vegan soup. I actually like it a lot, it fills you up quick and tastes great, enjoy.

Curry Bean Soup

1 cup each of rinsed Navy beans, Great Northern beans
1 cup Green Lentils
1 whole red onion roughly chopped
1 Green pepper roughly chopped
1 Yellow pepper roughly chopped
1 Red pepper roughly chopped
3oz. Baby spinach fine chopped
6 cups cold water
24oz. veggie broth
1/4 cup Indian curry powder
1/4 cup cumin
2tbl. Cayenne pepper powder
Salt and Pepper to taste

In a medium stock pot combine beans and lentils, broth, and 6 cups of water. Bring to a boil. Add in spices and let simmer for about 40 minutes. Add veggies (except spinach). Bring to boil again, stirring frequently. Let simmer on low heat for about an hour, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Finish soup by adding spinach and let seep for 15 minutes. You can serve the soup with a flat bread or alone.

This Has To Be A Joke, Or A Nightmare!!!!

According to Yahoo News The Jersey Shores' Snooki was asked to give a commencement speech at the University of Rutgers. This is not a joke. Snooki was invited by a student committee to speak at graduation. Now this in itself is bad but when you add in the fact she is getting paid more than a Nobel Prize winning author, it becomes insulting. So now fame trumps education. It's better now to be famous for nothing than it is to be educated and motivated?

Has America lost it's mind?  What is wrong with this next generation, have they become so jaded about life that they would rather listen to a "party-girl" than a professional?
In all my years as an adult I have never felt so disgusted at a news item. I haven't lost all hope in the great American way of life, it's just getting hard to keep alive. We used to be pioneers, a people willing to dig in and never take "no" for an answer. Now the only things we seem to care about are slacker celebrities falling off the wagon and messing up their lives. We seem to have become sick voyeurs waiting for the famous, which we made, to fall flat on their faces. It somehow makes some people feel better about their lives. It's out of control. Why should we care about people who are nothing more than famous for being famous?

What can these self serving "me monkey's" add to anybody's life, really?
When a Nobel prize winner is treated like a second banana to an over- bronzed, drunken mess who has never accomplished a thing in her life outside of starring on a reality show, we are in serious trouble kids. It's time to stop being these shallow, empty headed selfish individuals and start contributing to society again. We are zooming toward a dangerous abyss at full speed while most of us sit back and let it happen. It's time to wake up and smell the reality. We are sinking. Sinking in a pool of stupid. The way we are headed our next president is going to be the guy from the Old Spice ads. I don't know about you but to me fame for fame's sake is like being right-handed when you only have a left arm.....useless.

Just in case you are interested her advice to the graduating class: "Study hard, but party harder." Now I'm not sure but I believe this was Richard Nixon's campaign slogan.   

Sometimes It Snows In April

It's hard for me to get excited about Baseball's opening day when there is a threat of snow in the forecast. Why are we starting baseball in such a unpredictable month?
To me baseball is about warm weather, the smell of fresh cut grass, and young kids wolfing down hot dogs. You watch the opening day games and you see a bunch of die hard fans bundled up in winter clothes. It looks more like a fall football game than the summer past time.

Some how the sparkle of a bright sunny warm day,  the crack of a wooden bat, and the smell of concession stand food says baseball. When you have grey skies, cold weather, and snow I don't get the same fuzzy feeling about my favorite childhood sport. Maybe I'm looking back on my past Little League days and transferring them upon a tarnished enterprise. The sport I use to love and cherish has become but a shadowy figure of it's once storybook past. Greedy players being paid outrageous salaries that never seem to be enough for them, owners gouging the fans for every dime they can get to pay the players. It's no longer a sport for the fans, but a financial tug of war between players and owners. Baseball should be a sport for kids and the kids at heart to enjoy, a summer's diversion for children to watch their favorite teams play a game. But alas the game has been over shadowed by greed, cheaters, and cry-babies.

I can't speak for anyone else but the once poetic endeavor that was played by men who loved the game has been replaced by a nightmare mired in controversy and greed. For me it was something I always looked forward to, opening day was like Christmas, now it's somewhere between Arbor Day and a root channel. I guess until America's Past time rediscovers it's roots, I can always think back to my days as a kid playing for the love of the sport and nothing more. That's my happy place!!

Stuck At The Kids Table...Again

                                                                                   Why do we cook?
Well I guess there are a million answers to that question. We cook to feed our families, because raw meat can kill us, we have too, or for a great many of us it's a passion. A passion to create the ultimate dish that sends others into a catatonic state from pure bliss. I know I cook because I grew up with a mother who was the best cook I ever knew. She made everything so delicious, from pasta to steak, and everything in between. She never made a dish I wouldn't eat. She also could bake, her lemon squares should be contraband.

My love for cooking comes from her. I love cooking for my family as well as friends, it makes me happy. It doesn't have to be some big complicated feast, it could be a simple comfort food like beef stew. Eating brings people together and, if the food is good, puts us in a good mood. Wars have been stopped over dinners, arguments ended over a simple bar-b-que. Lets face it, we love to eat good food, and when we do we are open for just about anything. When people come together over well prepared food they seem to leave in a better mood, that is after their naps.

Food and cooking is a way to bring people of all walks of life together. No one has ever turned down a well cooked meal. We don't need a holiday like Thanksgiving to bring us together to sup. We could use any excuse to get friends and family together to chow down upon some fine vittles. Haven't seen the cousins in a while, let's eat, Mom and Dad in town, how about dinner?

It's easy if you think about it, we all need to eat, so why not share our culinary expertise with those we love, kind of like, or just tolerate, who knows by the end of dinner you may find you have many more good friends!

Skydiving Without A Parachute Is Just Falling !!!!

I like Henry Rollins. He speaks to a side of me that wants to yell at all the bad guys. I just now understand that you can't yell at the top of your lungs all the time without losing your voice. Sometimes a subtle touch is needed to make an argument, other times a more direct approch is nessessary to get someone to see the light. Knowing when to use each is an art form unto itself. Christ himself wasn't always mild mannared, he also knocked over tables and kicked chairs to get a point across. He also would use mild tactics when teaching his enemies how they were doing wrong. Just because you don't agree with someone doesn't mean you have to yell louder than them to get a point across. Try a little compassion when talking with someone you don't agree with and see if that doesn't go farther than a screeming match. Henry Rollins has a lot of good ideas and could be very helpful but most of that gets lost in his "angry guy" rants. My advice to Henry is continue doing what you're doing, just find a way be be more like Christ; yell when you must, be compassionate and calm when you can. Most importantly always stand on the side of rightiousness and never compromise your principles for any reason. And heck it never hurts to have the Word of the Lord on your side.

Shamrocks and Shillelaghs!!

It's my favorite time of the year. A time of leprechauns and clover, a day when being Irish means you are king for a moment. Saint Patrick's Day.

The pubs will be packed with "Want to Be's" chowing down on corned beef and cabbage along with carrots. They will be drinking beer, if you want to call Bud Light a "beer". It is as predictable as sunrise and sunset. Someone you know, or maybe you, will be found staggering down the street singing Irish songs drunk beyond any sence of reason. This my friends is St. Patricks Day in America.

Up until 1970 St. Patricks Day was a solemn day, a religious day and day to reflect on what it meant to be Christian in Ireland. St. Patrick wasn't even Irish, he was a Romano-Briton slave brought to Ireland to work the fields. His claim to fame isn't chasing snakes out off the island,  he is in fact credited with bringing Christianity to the Irish. Before 1970 the Irish government even ordered bars and pubs be closed. 

Tonight I will be celebrating the minor holiday by mixing tradition with a bit of Americana. I will be dinning on an Irish stew made of beef, potatoes, and carrots and washing it down with a stout Guinness and a shot of Irish Whiskey. This meal is closer to what an Irish family may have on this day, (just substitute lamb for the beef), unlike the whole corned beef and cabbage thing. So to all I say a Happy Saint Patricks Day!!!

Helping Never Hurt

It's nice to see so many people throughout the world coming together to help the Japanese people whom were effected by the earthquake/typhoon. It is in times of trouble that mankind seems to be at it's best. We have seen an outpouring of support for Japan and Haiti as they struggle to come to grips with major catastrophes and loss of life. These people will never have the same life they had before the disasters. They have lost homes, security, and family members all in the blink of an eye. The Japanese and Haitians are going to need alot of help for many years just to get back to what most people take for granted, so we need to help anyway we can.

With that said I also believe we cannot forget that everyday many Americans go without shelter and food as well. I am not posting this as a political debate so leave your opinions of the homeless to yourself and hear me out. Homelessness in America mostly gets swept under the rug because some people don't want to believe that the most powerful country in the world can have that kind of problem. We do. The homeless population continues to climb as the economy continues to tank. Some of the homeless are even employed but don't make enough money to support themselves or their children properly. They occupy shelters, if they are lucky, or even live in their cars and frequent food banks as well as soup kitchens. We need to remember that people are struggling even in our neighborhoods, you may even know someone whom has lost everything or your kids go to school with a child that spends his/her nights in a shelter, car, or worse. So I say for every dollar sent to help foreign countries recover we should send the same amount to the local shelter, food bank, or soup kitchen. Many of these places are running low on funds to remain open or to accept new comers. In other words they need our help as well, so why not help locally as well as globally. Let us not forget that charity begins at home.

Faster Doesn't Mean Better!!!

Fast food. Not true. Why hasn't anyone sued fast food places for false advertising?

Take it from a person who has seen the other side of the counter in more than one fast food chain, calling it food should be criminal. A tasteless, overcooked, below grade semi-meat patty should never be consittered a culinary treat. Processed food is the number one reason a society should rethink it's definition of "good food fast". Lots of salt, fat, preservatives, and stuff like oat kernels as well as things I can neither spell or pronounce. Exercize all you want but a steady diet of pre-packaged processed "food" is still going to make you unhealthy. Loads of sugars, salt, and  white bread can all lead a person to have high blood pressure, sluggishness, and even fat.

Now I know it's easy and convenient to head to the nearest drive-thru at the end of a hard day of work, but sometimes convenience comes with a price. In this case you give up taste and health. Rewarding your kids with these "treats" is only re-enforcing bad choices in our youth's eating habits.  All I know is that when the local police department feeds the prisioners, they feed them fast food, now hows that a "treat". When you think about it by giving your kids fast food, you're feeding them like a prisioner. I can't remember the last time someone went to prision because the food was outstanding.

So how can you break the cycle of bad eating?

Simple. Keep cold cuts on hand as well as large sized tortillas and let the kids make and eat wraps. Frozen beef patties can be baked in the oven and served on wheat rolls for a healthier alternitive to burger joints. Salad mixes are easy to find at your local food store and can be combined millions of different ways to create healthy and delicious summer dinners. The things all these suggestions have in common is that they are quick and easy as well as healthy.

 My favorite fast and easy dinner is canned tuna in water seasoned with garlic powder, black pepper, and onion powder as well as diced fresh celery with light mayo on rye bread with a soup of rice noodles cooked in chicken brooth and flavored with green onion. Quick, easy and healthy as well as full flavored. It will leave you satisfied and feeling good. So please try to find ways to feed your family fast and easy without resorting to ordering pizza, or visiting the drive-thru. I think you'll find your family won't miss them.

One last thought, if you are going to eat at a chain restaurant please give Panera Bread a try. I've had both breakfast and lunch there and I was blown away. The menu is a culinary delight. They have many diffrent soups and sandwiches on fresh baked bread. You walk in that place and the smell alone hooks you. everything they make from breakfast sandwiches like Asiago Bagel Breakfast sandwiches to Ciabatta Breakfast Sandwiches. You also get the freshest coffee I have ever had anywhere outside of Starbucks. They put the time the coffee was brewed right on the carafe so you know how long the brew has been out. On both of my visits never once did I see a coffee more than 20 minutes old before it was changed out with a fresher pot. 

The lunch I had was also great, I had a Cuban inspired sandwich that was excellent. The Black Bean soup was a rich and hardy side worthy of it being a main course. And again the coffee was fresh and robust without the bitterness that you find at other coffee shops. The end result was an amazing meal in a comfortable dinning room that didn't break the bank. To make things even better they have a kids menu so the whole family is welcome!!!!