5 People I Wish Would Simply Go Away

WARNING: I'm going on a rant for a bit. Read or don't...it doesn't really matter to me.

1. Nicki Minaj: This little heifer can't sing, period. She can't. Someone thought she could rap but all she does is spew out words in rapid-fire and have her voice digitally manipulated. She also pulled that ignorant anti-Catholic Church stunt on the Grammy Awards. She needs to simply go away.

2. M.I.A: This big heifer is rude and ignorant. Her little stunt at the Super Bowl proved she has no respect for herself or anyone else. Her self-centeredness is only overshadowed by her stupidity. If she simply went away, the world would be just a little bit better.

3. Nancy Pelosi, Maxine Waters, and a host of other Democrats: These two, in particular, are Satan's minions. They and their ilk are responsible for the current culture of death we are experiencing. They are pro-abortion and anti-life. They spew vitriol and hate when they speak and they absolutely make me wish they would simply go away!

4. Barak Obama: Do I really have to explain why it would be a good thing if he simply went away?

5. Westboro Baptist Church: They aren't really a "church" and they do heinous acts of hate in the name of God. The only consolation I have is knowing that some day they will face God and he will make them answer for their ways. Still, it would be a good thing if they simply went away.

Why I Believe Tony Bennett May Have Dementia

I'm sure you've heard by now of the passing of Whitney Houston. Her death is untimely but, in my opinion, not that surprising.

Whitney has long suffered and fought the demons of drug and alcohol abuse. Her condition is not so different from the string of recent celebrity deaths. Amy Winehouse, Michael Jackson and others have lost their battles in similar fashion.

All of these deaths are tragic, to be sure. They are not, however, justification for legalizing drugs as Tony Bennett would have us believe.

It was reported that he made the statement that drugs should be legalized because we've lost Whitney, Amy and Michael to drug overdoses. He even mentioned that Amersterdam has become a good place after legalizing drugs.

Poor Tony seems to have forgotten that Michael died from a lethal injection of the prescription drug Propofal that may have been given to him by a physician. He also forgets that there were a LOT of legally prescribed drugs in Jackson's residence as well. Amy Winehouse passed away from alcohol poisoning. Preliminary reports show that Whitney had prescription Xanax and other prescribed drugs in her room when she possibly slipped into unconsciousness and drowned in her tub.

None of these celebrities have died from street drugs or from illegal drugs. They all died from the misuse and abuse of legally prescribed drugs. Tony's assertion that legalizing drugs is, sadly, an indication that he fails to understand the difference between the two. Failing to understand this simple concept leads me to believe he's possibly suffering from dementia.

Perhaps the greatest tragedy in this is the fact that hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of people look to these celebrities as role models. They mourned the passing of Michael and Amy as if we'd lost Martin Luther King or Mother Teresa. I'm sure Whitney will be no less mourned. Sadly, I fear the lessons of Martin and Mother Teresa will be less remembered than the "contributions" these three made.

Certainly, it is sad and tragic that some people with incredible gifts in music, art, and other areas become so caught up in the fairy tale lives they live that the only way to keep the illusion alive is through medication. If you know fairy tales, there's always a lesson to be learned and there's always some tragedy. Amy, Michael and now, Whitney have found that out the hard way.

Tony Bennett needs to rethink the validity of his statement. Legalizing drugs would have probably resulted in a much faster death for these three and many others. His comment is irresponsible to say the least.

I truly hope that Michael Jackson, Amy Winehouse and Whitney Houston have finally eluded the demons that tormented them here on earth. I hope they are at peace and singing with angels. I also hope Tony Bennett shuts his mouth.

When Easter Eggs and Turkeys Fall from the Sky

In news unrelated to anything...I'm ready for vacation. Not just any vacation, though. A vacation away from my children.

The Boy Child, he who is all of 12 years old, seems to know more than The Spouse and I in just about every realm of knowledge. He's evidently quite an expert on everything and The Spouse and I are not.

For instance, The Spouse told him that our neighbor's pastor is going to drop 3,000 eggs from an airplane on Easter Sunday into a field. The Boy Child begins to expostulate on the possible dangers and inaccuracy of such an endeavor. He explains that it would be "impossible" to be accurate in the drop because of the physics involved.

The Spouse responds by saying that she's sure the pastor has checked it all out with the pilot, the city and other experts. Not being one to give in so easily, he responds, "Who knows more about airplanes than anyone else in this family?"

You see, The Boy Child plays Microsoft Flight Simulator X daily. He's watched numerous YouTube videos on model plane flying and he's watched several shows on Discovery and the Science Channel. All of these experiences make him an expert on airplane physics and dynamics.

Meanwhile, The Spouse and I waste our nights watching The Big Bang Theory, MASH reruns, Once Upon a Time, American Pickers, Dog The Bounty Hunter and Glee episodes. You can see how he would find himself superior to us in both intellect and attitude.

What could two adults who've lived for over 40 years, have both completed B.S. and M.A. degrees, have worked for untold years, have given life to two children and have been gainfully employed since the age of 14 possibly know about a pastor who wants to drop 3,000 Easter Eggs on a field?

On a side note, I was immediately reminded of the episode of WKRP in Cincinnati where Les Nessman reports on live turkeys being dropped from a helicopter on Thanksgiving. I'm hoping this "egg drop" is at least vaguely similar to that.

Mea Culpa, Mea Culpa

Okay, I've been away for a while and I apologize. I had the best of intentions. Really! I did! I wanted to update the blog every day and I wanted to make it part personal and part educational and whatever.

Here's the truth: LIFE HAPPENED!

Actually, work picked up and I have been traveling and working like crazy. So, a month after returning to work, I think I can do this again...at least, part-time.

Here's a feeble attempt at catching you up on a few things: (I will be blogging about these in more detail if/when I have the time.)

1. Financial Woes and Triumphs: In October, I lost 20% of my monthly salary. While that was a serious blow, it was better than the alternative...unemployment. We weathered the financial storm through the end of January. I've gone back to full salary and they've changed the compensation plan in such a way that I can make more money than before. So, the tragedy turned to triumph, or, at least, it will once the commission checks arrive. I owe our survival during this storm to three people and in this order: God, Elizabeth (aka The Spouse), Dave Ramsey. I'll blog more about this financial miracle soon. It's truly a story of faith and divine intervention.

2. Medical: I recently had a wreck in my Expedition (The Beast). It was a snowy, cold, windy morning in Northwestern Illinois and I was getting the heck out of there before the "blizzard conditions" hit. I made it about 20 miles before I was made snowblind by a semi and began to spin my way down the interstate. I came to rest in a ditch full of water. I was relatively unharmed but The Beast, she suffered mightily. She's back in action but I'm keeping a close eye on her. More to come and a picture of the damage.

3. Personal: The Girl Child is now playing basketball. She's the smallest girl on her team. Actually, I think she's the smallest kid on any team in her league. Don't let the size fool you though, this kid will throw an elbow if she has to. The Boy Child is a drumming machine. I swear he's actually enjoyable to listen to. We bought him noise cancelling headphones for Christmas. We should have bought some for ourselves, too. The Spouse has been, continues to be and always will be my hero. She puts the kids together each morning, gets them to school and back, makes sure homework is done, cooks, cleans, pays the bills, keeps me from bankrupting us and caters to my every whim, etc.

Okay, that's enough for now. I've got to get to work. I'll be back soon and I hope you will too!