Going on a short vacation

Just wanted to say I am going to go on a short cruise starting tomorrow. I will be back Friday so I should be writing again on Saturday. Don't miss me too much!

World of Warcraft

Okay so today is not so serious. Today I just wanna say, "I like playing World of Warcraft!" There I said it. Does that make me a geek, a freak, a nerd or whatever? I only mention this becuase we all need an escape from the everyday grind and troubles in the world. WoW is mine.

I have 10 characters (or toons) I play ranging from level 11 to level 49. 8 are alliance, 2 are horde. I have a character for every mood I might be in. For example when I have a bad day and want to relieve frustration I play my warrior and just beat the crap out of stuff in the game. If I am feeling good, happy and helpful I play my priest and assist others.

The one thing about this damn game though is that it is addictive. I find myself spending 8 - 10 hours at a time playing, sometimes for 2 or 3 days in a row. Yeah I know - it could be considered a waste of time but I am not killing anyone and I am not drinking and driving. Which leads to another point. Violent video games do not lead to violence in life.

If anything the opposite it true. Boring, silly, non-violent video games lead to violence. When I was a kid the granddaddy of all video games was the only one - pong! After countless, mindless hours of watching that black and white screen with a square ball bouncing back and forth I wanted to go out and kill someone.

Video games are a modern escape no different than other generations escapes in the past. My grandfather used to go hunting as a child to pass the time - seriously how much more violent a passtime than that can you have unless you are Jeffrey Dahmer? He never once in his 98 years hurt or killed another person. Modern video games are just an escape from reality. Kids CAN distinguish between games and life and if they can't then the game is the least of the worries.

Wait a second - that was pretty serious stuff. I just wanted to talk about my geeky habit of playing a game. My bad!

Well, with all that I guess I have said enough. My main toon is named Ammanra on the Turalyon server so if you are also a WoW person and see me online say hi - and give me a lot of gold or I will beat the crap out of you - ooops! I mean ... so I can give you a big game hug!

Take Care of America First

Well election time is coming. I am personally not a fan of George Bush. I am sure as a person he is a nice man and I would not even want his job but as a president he just doesn't do it for me. Sometimes when I listen to him speak I think his speech writers are just laughing their collective asses off at some of the drivel they can get him to say. Some kind of a big joke on the big guy.

I know it is time for the presidential election but honestly the president is just the guy that catches the blame for everything. So I think it is time to start ousting some of the career representatives and senators that don't seem to listen to what the people want. These are the people that really decide what happens in our country so lets get some fresh blood in the place. Some of these old dudes have been hangin out in congress since Lincoln was in office.

I myself have not decided between Obama and McCain. I am a democrat but I believe in voting for what is best for the country. Seems the politicians have lost all sense of what they are supposed to be doing. Politics have become quite partisan these days. Congress needs to stop voting along party lines and start voting according to what their constituents want and what is best for the country.

After we get some fresh blood lets start taking care of America first! I know Saddam was a really bad guy and the middle east is important to us for oil but let's keep a limited hand in that pocket. Keep supply lines open and oil on the market and other than that stay the f*&k out of their business. All the money we are spending on rebuilding their country (and word is they have an $80 billion budget surplus this year) would sure go a long way toward education in our country. A long way toward feeding all of our own people. A long way toward helping people get off the streets.

Here is an idea. Instead of spending billions of dollars in a foreign country that is getting rich off of selling oil why doesnt the government just pay off everyones mortgage in this country. Would prevent a lot of families from losing thier homes. It would also prevent a lot of empty houses sitting around to be vandalized.

How about using all that money toward helping to lower the cost of gas. Why should I be paying 40 cents a gallon or more in taxes when apparently the government just has money to throw around in Iraq anyway. Let George just spend all that money from the war effort and rebuilding projects to buy the damn oil and give it to the people struggling here in the US.

These are just my thoughts for today and my message is:

Lets vote in some fresh blood in the house and senate where the real power is. Make a difference as an American and exercise your right to vote.

Just about me today

Okay, I decided to start a blog. Well here I am. I want to have a place to just say what I think, be it about politics, social issues, the crazy ass driver in the car in front of me or just what happened today. Thought I would start with an entry to tell you a little about me.

First off I am an aries (March 29) so I have a short attention span. Will I keep up with this blog? I will try. It may get sporadic at times but I will do my best.

I am a mature adult (at least chronologically) but I will never fully grow up - nobody should. I joined the navy at 18 and have been around the world twice. I speak with some sense of life experience and perspective. I also have a wierd sense of humor at times.

I am a big fan of comics like the late great George Carlin, David Brenner and Seinfeld. I like to look at life with a sense of humor and enjoy the absurdities in everyday life.

I love to go sailing. I used to own (and lived on) my own boats. Boating in general is quite relaxing to me. I don't sail much anymore living in the desert and not owning my own boats but I do go on a lot a cruises - small promo for Carnival Cruiselines here. Ah screw all of you that think Carnival is low end - it is fun and that is what life is about.

A couple of years back I decided to play an instrument. I picked the most obnoxious thing I could - drums (okay bagpipes would have been the most obnoxious.) I like to relieve frustration by pouning the s#%t out of them when I can. I even took some drum lessons but I stopped, maybe again sometime soon.

I also enjoy bowling. I haven't done it in a long time but I was fairly good at it. I only had about a 180 average but what other sport can you drink like crazy while you do it and still have a good score. Yeah, I know it isn't really a sport. Personally, I am not into sports. I do enjoy going to a hockey game or soccer - to me it is only a sport if there is a chance for severe body damage and bloodshed.

In the past I have been in the navy (sonar technician - ping jockey), worked for attorneys, waited tables, even made porn - oh grow up! If you are able to get on the internet you have probably seen porn - then again porn is subjective - get two bears to do it on the nature channel and it is the circle of life, get two people to do it on video and it is porn - my ass! (oh and my ass looks great on video)

Right now I am in cosmetology school - stop giggling, it made Jose Eber rich (and if you know who he is you are way ahead of all the kids I go to school with.)

I was born in Washington, D.C. (my father worked for the IRS from college to his retirement) and raised around the Kansas City, MO area. I lived in Tampa, FL for a short while before quitting school and moving back to MO. I finished my junior year of high school and quit. I did take my GED after I joined the navy. Let me just say that I may have dropped out of school but I have a very high IQ.

I have taken college courses on and off for several years but as I said I get bored easily. I took classes mostly in computers - programming (basic, visual basic, C, C+, C++), applications (MS Access and Excel) and web programming from writing my own code up to using Dreamweaver.

I have spent my life basically doing what I want and enjoying it. Unfortunately, I grew up with my mother who was a Jehovah's Witness (no offense if you are one but it is not for me - at all.) This pretty much gave me a bad attitude towards all organized religions. I gave all spirituality up for several years. In recent years I have dabbled in wicca and most recently started looking at Buddhism. I think you need some sense of spirituality in your life no matter what it is. I do not consider myself a religious person in any way - doesn't mean at some time I may not talk about my past or present interest in religion.

I am the oldest of 4 boys (for my mother, only child for my father.) My brothers live in AZ, FL and now TN (I think.) I practically raised my next youngest brother. He is like my firstborn.

About 10 years ago I was taken ill with TTP - a lot of big words but google it if you like. When I was in the hospital I had to be resuscitated twice. So being dead - albiet for a short few seconds - gives you a whole different view on life and how you need to enjoy every minute of it.

Okay, I think that is a good first post. I have some other things I want to share but I will post them later today or some other time. Keep checking back to see if I can put a smile on your face or piss you off (it will give you something to talk about.)