Right or Wrong, They Serve Our Country

Yesterday, General William C. Westmoreland passed away at a retirement home in South Carolina. Here is the article from Yahoo! News:

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050719/ap_on_re_us/obit_westmoreland

General Westmoreland was best known as the commander of U.S. forces in Vietnam during most of the Vietnam War.

If there were to be any blame regarding the conduct of the Vietnam War, I would place it at the feet of the politicians, not the military or their commanders. Per our Constitution, the military is ultimately controlled by the civilian leadership.

While there is no such thing as a "good war", I feel that our government did not have a strategy, or even a resolve, to see the Vietnam War through to total victory, just as we did in so-called "good wars" such as World War II. BTW, General Westmoreland was a veteran of World War II and Korea, as well as Vietnam.

As for the war in Iraq, I do hope that our politicians do not repeat the same mistakes as they did in Vietnam and that, unlike Vietnam, our troops can come home with pride, dignity, and to a public that appreciates their service and sacrifices.

Regardless of how you feel about Iraq, or war in general, remember that, right or wrong, the people of our armed forces selflessly serve wherever Uncle Sam sends them. After all, they are the ones who are sworn to uphold and defend our Constitution, thus protecting our freedoms here at home.

I do draw the line on anti-war sentiment, however, when folks like Jane Fonda visit the enemy and spew treasonous remarks such as telling our troops to put down their guns. A couple of years ago, the Dixie Chicks came pretty close when they ran their big mouths in London during a concert. (Note to Entertainers: We, the American public, want to you entertain us, not "preach" at us. Your compliance would be appreciated very much.)

General Westmoreland, thank you for serving our country. May you rest in peace and may God comfort your family. May God also bless America and be with the current generation of troops and their families.

Right or wrong, our troops serve our country, so please give them your support.

That's all for today. Thanks for visiting and please come back soon.

Why Spend Dollars For "Common Sense"?

Last night at the dinner table, my wife and I got to discussing the motivational speaking industry.

The "superstars" of this industry include (but are not limited to) Zig Ziglar, Stephen Covey, and Anthony Robbins.

While I do like some of the stuff that many motivational speakers talk about and publish, let's face fact's, y'all... 99.9% of it is pure old-fashioned "common sense".

For example, Stephen Covey's "7 habits" and Anthony Robbins's books, tapes, and CDs on "living your dreams" (or something like that) all boil down to these:

- Successful people have self-confidence.
- Successful people have goals and work toward them.
- People who have any degree of ambition are the ones most likely to succeed in life.
- People who succeed in life do not let setbacks get in their way.

I did not have to go buy books, tapes, or CDs to learn these things. Mosf of my learning on these subjects came from life itself.

Again, I do like some of the stuff they speak about (i.e. Willie Jolley's "A setback is a setup for a comeback"), and, for the most part, they can be very entertaining. However, I do not really find most of their stuff to be extraordinarily enlightening, since it's mostly rehashing "common sense" stuff.

If you do want to work on your self-esteem, communication, and leadership skills, then I highly recommend that you do what I did... join Toastmasters!!!

Since 1924, when Dr. Ralph Smedley started the first Toastmasters Club at the Santa Ana, California, YMCA, Toastmasters has provided a positive, constructive, and non-judgmental environment for people of all walks of life to build their self-esteem, their communication skills, and their leadership skills.

In a typical Toastmasters Club, you learn not only "public speaking" per-se, but you also learn how to "think on your feet" through an impromptu speaking exercise called "table topics", how to evaluate others postively and constructively by doing actual speech and meeting evaluations, and even how to run a meeting as the master of ceremonies (whom we call the "Toastmaster of the Meeting"). This is all "hands on" training that can be applied in both your professional and personal lives.

The typical Toastmasters Club charges around 60-to-80 dollars per year in membership dues, and for that, you get professional materials from Toastmasters and countless learning opportunities through helping each other. If you compare that to seminars which last mere days or weeks and cost several hundred (or even several thousand) dollars, Toastmasters gives you the same type of quality training for mere pennies a day, especially if you are a member for at least 2 years.

I have been a member for over 15 years, and as a result, I have learned how to deal with people better, plus I have learned better ways to respond in job interviews. Those skills alone have been worth every penny in dues and every day I've spent in Toastmasters. As a "fringe benefit", I even met my wife in Toastmasters and I'm happy to say that we've been happily married for a little over 2 years. :)

If you are going to spend your money on self-development, don't go out and buy a bunch of expensive materials that most likely will collect dust on your bookshelf after awhile. Find a local Toastmasters Club in or near either your workplace or community. They are on the web at www.toastmasters.org.

That's all for now. Thanks for visiting, have a great weekend, and hopefully, we'll see you in Toastmasters!!!

Metro Atlanta Is Out Of Control

Yesterday afternoon, I was taking I-285 from Peachtree Industrial to GA 400, a trip that should take mere minutes, but literally had taken nearly one hour!!!
Once I got on GA 400, it took me an additional 45 minutes to travel up GA 400 to Northridge Road, Dunwoody Place, and finally Roswell Road, all to get to Roswell to meet my wife for dinner.

Last I remember reading, Metro Atlanta now has at least 4 million people, with tens of thousands more coming every day. Thanks to the infinite wisdom of our elected officials and their developer buddies, our traffic situation is getting worse and worse and worse. You can add all the new lanes you want to our roads, but we will not begin to get any kind of relief until our federal, state, and local governments have the guts to stand up to developers and say "no more".

Not only does out-of-control development exacerbate traffic problems, especially on roads that were never designed to carry tens of thousands of vehicles per day, it also put way too much stress and strain on our schools (which become trailer parks the moment the doors open), public safety services (law enforcement, firefighters, and EMS personnel unable to respond as quickly to 911 calls due to gridlock, plus not even having enough personnel to do an adequate job of helping and protecting us), and finally, our environmental resources (i.e. water and sewage).

Our elected officials get put into (and kept in) office only due to about an average of 1/3 of registered voters who do cast ballots on election days. If we want change, then we, the people, better get our own act together, register to vote, and then vote. Once those we have voted into office are in place, it is furthermore necessary to hold each and every one of them accountable for helping us improve the quality of life in our communities.

The best place for our elected officials to start is by putting serious growth restrictions in place so that the infrastructure and natural resources are not overwhelmed by more people and vehicles. Over the past 25 years, Gwinnett County, where I was raised, has turned into one big gridlock mess, plus a whole mess of abandoned shopping centers. The out-of-control growth has even contributed to a rise in crime. As a result, the quality of life has gone downhill and people have moved even further outside of Atlanta to places such as Cherokee, Forsyth, and Hall Counties.

We live in Forsyth County and are already seeing the growth overwhelm us as farms are constantly being turned into subdivisions and strip malls. I am afraid that 20 years from now, Forsyth will be another Gwinnett. When will the madness stop?!!!

Again, it's up to us, the people, to combat this problem before we all have to commute to Atlanta all the way from Tennessee, Alabama, and the Carolinas... just to have a decent quality of life at home. If we don't do something, then we all will eventually suffer.

That's all for today. Thanks for visiting and please come back again.

P.S. If it weren't for 96Rock, I would've gone totally bonkers after that trip. Thank you, "Southside Steve" and Rhoades. :)

Power and Authority - Don't Abuse It!

Last weekend, while reading the Jacksonville Times-Union online, I was looking up an obituary of a fellow Toastmaster who recently passed away.

I found the obit I was looking for, but while I was there, I found the following story on the front page of the website:

Pastor collected child porn, police say

It saddens me when those who are in positions of power and authority do not hold themselves to higher standards.

While the Bible says that we have all sinned and fall short of God's glory, we are still obliged as adults to know what's right and what's wrong. Child pornography, and the possession thereof, is not, and should not be, something that a civilized society should allow. How we treat and raise children is a yardstick which we, as civilized people, measure ourselves by. If we do not treat our children with love, respect, and dignity, then our society will ultimately implode upon itself.

Unlike the Roman Catholics and their child sex abuse scandal, however, the United Methodist Church did a very good job of "self-policing" for the sake of their parishoners. While I do not believe that Catholics and their clergy are all bad, I do fault the Vatican for doing more to protect clergy than their parishoners. BTW, I am a United Methodist and I commend both the Jacksonville church in question and the leaders of the Florida Conference for their vigilance.

I believe that we, as a society, should respect authority, but in a free society, we, the people, need to take responsiblity to assure that those who are in authority over us (politicians, public safety, clergy, etc.) are held accountable for their actions. If we are in any kind of position of power and authority ourselves, then we must take responsibility for our own actions and hold ourselves to a higher standard.

Power, if left unchecked, corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Look at people like Hitler, Stalin, and Saddam, and you'll know what I'm blogging about.

In the meantime, I pray that the Jacksonville church in question will rise above this controversy and carry on the work He commissioned us as Christians to do.

That's all for now. Thanks for visiting and please come back again.

Terrorism and Public Safety

Yesterday, London suffered its worst attack since World War II when terrorists set off multiple bombs in their subways (what the British call the "tube" or "tunnel") and on one double-decker bus. As a result, at least 4 dozen lives were lost and hundreds more were injured.

Given the magnitude of the situation, I commend London's people for effectively dealing with the situation in their "stiff upper lip" format and pulling together as a people. Even some foreigners, such as one visiting EMT from New Jersey, rolled up their sleeves to help their fellow human beings. As they had done during World War II, the British again proved to the world that they can and they will exhibit the best of humanity in the face of humanity's worst. God bless the British and please keep the victims and their families in your thoughts and prayers.

I pray that British authorities will soon capture and swiftly punish those cowards who prey on innocent civilians. People who commit terrorist acts, be they Al-Qaeda, the Ku Klux Klan (KKK), or even our most recent home-grown terrorists, Timothy McVeigh, Terry Nichols, and Eric Robert Rudolph, deserve no sympathy whatsover and we, as a society, must send a perfectly clear message that we will not capitulate.

Your garden-variety terrorist would attempt to justify their actions by calling themselves "freedom fighters", yet they are afraid to go face-to-face with their opponent. Some such as Al-Qaeda and the KKK claim to be fighting in the name of God and their respective peoples. Others such as McVeigh and Nichols claim that they are fighting a corrupt government. Rudolph justifed his acts of terror by claiming to be "pro-life".

How can you be for God or pro-life if you think that killing and maiming others is okay so long as you think your cause is noble? In the Ten Commandments, one of them is "thou shalt not kill", and that means both the born and unborn. Ultimately, God will judge our actions and He will act with His perfect justice. It is not up to me to determine what He will or won't do to someone. As Jesus said to Him while dying on the cross, "Not my will... but thy will be done."

Finally, it is unfortunate when terrorists take advantage of free societies to perpetrate their cowardly acts. We, as free people, though, must take responsiblity for our own safety. Here are some tips:

- If you see someone or something suspicious, be it in your neighborhood, your office, or other public places (stores, buses, trains, etc.), report it to the police ASAP. In other words, be aware of your surroundings.

- Don't take bags or packages from strangers at airports or other public transportation stations, no matter what they may say to you. Chances are, they may contain bombs, guns, or even drugs. If you get caught with such bags or packages, then you will be the one taking the heat from the police.

- When you are out-of-town, try not to look too much like an "out-of-towner". For example, if you are in another town for a convention, don't wear your convention badges or other such items when you leave the facility. Local criminals love to prey on "out-of-towners", because they see them as "easy pickins".

- If someone comes up to you at a gas station or in a parking lot claiming that they are "stranded" and need for you to give them a lift... don't. If they are truly stranded, then they usually can contact family, friends, local authorities, or aid groups such as The Salvation Army. Otherwise, why would they be asking you? I've had a few guys try to pull this trick on me and I just tell them "sorry" and go on my way.

- Most of all, don't go around paranoid, because that would mean that the cowards win. You only have one life to live, so live it as best as you can.

Thanks for visiting, have a great weekend, and please visit again.

Weird, Weird, Weird!!!

From the latest "News of the Weird" via AT&T Worldnet's home page (www.att.net), here are a couple of real gems:

Body of Steelers Fan Viewed in Recliner

A deceased Pittsburgh Steelers fan loved football so much, the family had his body dressed and posed like a store mannequin, complete with recliner and big-screen TV with football scenes being shown. For the rest of the story, please click here.

Virginia Teen Nudist Law Challenged Reinstated

In the State of Virginia, you better accompany your kids if you send them to a teen nudist camp.

The nudist group who runs this place is challenging the law in court.

This begs the question, "Who the heck in their right minds are going to send their kids, especially teens, who tend to be dealing with their hormones at that stage of their lives, to a nudist camp with other naked teens?"

For the rest of this particularly bizarre story, please click here.

While the football fan story was weird in its own right, at least it involved a deceased consenting adult. As for the teen nudist camp, I believe that reason has gone straight to the dogs.

My wife and I volunteer as youth counselors at our local church, where kids have opportunities for worship, fellowship, and good old-fashioned clean fun... all particpants being fully clothed, thank goodness!!!

Here are my parting thoughts for today:

If you want to make the world a better place, please start by using some common sense. (Boy, what a concept. )

That's all for today. Thanks for visiting and please come back again.

And The 2012 Redneck Games Go To...

It's down to the last two candidate cities for the 2012 Summer Olympics... London and Paris. New York City was a candidate, but the snooty America-haters known as the International Olympic Committee (IOC) decided to drop them from the consideration.

Fear not, New York City, I have a great idea... be a host city for the 2012 Redneck Games!!! :)

Now you may be wondering, "Why New York City?". Well, why not? IMHO, it would be a great way for New Yorkers to reach out to rednecks all across America. After all, you don't have to be from the South to be a redneck. For example, Gretchen Wilson, America's #1 "Redneck Woman" and modern-day country outlaw, is from Illinois.

Here are my thoughts about how it can be organized:

- Create a governing body, which would be called the "United States Redneck Games Commission" (USRGC) and place it's world headquarters in East Dublin, Georgia, the birthplace of the games.

- Establish uniform standards for each sport (belching, hubcap throwing, etc.).

- Like the Olympics, award Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals for each sport.

- Hold state and regional Redneck Games competitions.

- Each state Gold medal winner per sport would advance to regional competitions (South, Midwest, Northeast, West).

- Each regional winner would advance to the finals, the 2012 Redneck Games in New York City!!!

Here are the people I would pick for the charter USRGC Board of Directors:

- Jeff Foxworthy
- Gretchen Wilson
- Hank Williams, Jr.
- Larry The Cable Guy
- Ron White
- Tim Wilson
- Kid Rock
- Charlie Daniels
- Tanya Tucker
- Bill Engvall

I know that all these people would represent "redneckdom" very well and insure that the Redneck Games are truly "the people's games".

BTW, "Southern" would be the official language of the Redneck Games and the official games song would be "Freebird". :)

New York City, please don't let it get you down that you've been snubbed by the IOC. The Redneck Games would give y'all a wonderful opportunity to shine before all of your fellow hard-working, God-fearing, flag-waving Americans. We love you and we'll stand by you just as we did on 9/11.

God bless America, thanks for your visit, and "y'all come back now, you hear".

A Peace of Quiet

I hope you had a happy and safe Independence Day holiday.

Like most Americans, it's now time for me to go back to the day-to-day routine of work, commute, e-mail, etc.

Mary and I spent our holiday at her family's 100-acre farm just north of Rome, GA. It is best described as being conveniently located in the middle of nowhere. You will find a lot of beautiful mountains, farms, and fields, but here are some of the things you won't find there:

- Cell Phones
- Beepers
- E-mail
- Web
- Subdivisions
- Strip Malls
- Traffic

The best thing you find there is "a piece of quiet", the way it was meant to be.

At the rate that Metro Atlanta and North Georgia have been growing, it is becoming harder and harder each day to find places where you can find that "piece of quiet", so we feel really blessed to have a place where we can go and get away from everyone and everything.

You may wonder exactly where it is, but I'm not gonna tell. I'm afraid that if the greedy-grabbing developers ever discover it, then they'll be doing just like they've done, and continue to do, all the way up GA 400 into Dawsonville and Dahlonega... build, build, and build until they have turned every farm, field, and mountainside into subdivisions, strip malls, and heaven knows what else. Ironically, people are moving up there to "get away from it all", but in the process, they're bringing it with them.

Hopefully, not all of North Georgia will become suburbs of Atlanta, the latest addition to the Atlanta Metropolitan Statistcal Area (MSA) being Dawson County. (Will Lumpkin County be next? Wait for the end of the 2010 Census to find out.)

For now, Mary and I still have the farm where we can get a really big "piece of quiet" whenever we need to get away from the Atlanta ratrace. Thank goodness no one's discovered it yet, and if we have anything to do with it, then no one else will.

Thanks for visiting and please come back again.