Coarse Recourse

Thoughts

2011-11-22T15:59:00.001-08:00

In classic blogspot fashion when I went to publish this it deleted.
In classic BlakeGray fashion I forgot to ctrl+c it first

Yes, the stimulus saved current jobs and provided for future jobs.
Yes, but at the cost of current and future jobs.

Occupy wall street does not like how much "wall street" makes,
they also frame as the principle reasons of this problem the policies of Bush and Reagan.
Wall Street made more in the first 2.5 of Obama than in all 8 years of Bush.

Romney won't win because.....
he is not a "conservative republican" - The Evangelist
he is wierd - Obama Campaign Team
Insert instead "He is Mormon" and you get the same argument

Jack Welch is one of Obama's key men
Jack Welch took home $550 Million from 1997-2000
Jack Welch made an additional $200 Million in sale of stock options, selling most shares at $55 dollars a share before the value plummeted to about $23 today.
Now he makes a measly $357,000 from his pension and $377,000 for his consolting services, PER WEEK!
Maybe it is easy to stand by while your leader lambast selfish and unethical CEO's while continue to get rich. So when Obama or Jack are on the trail blasting selfish and unethical CEO's remember,
Jack Welch is one of Obama's Key men

The top five CEO's took home 4.8% of Corporation's profit in the 1990's (kind of ridiculous)
The top five CEO's took home about 10.3% or all Corporations profits around 2010.(Really ridiculous)
What is it that enabled or allowed the top 5 CEO's to take 1/10 off all profits home. ALL PROFITS created by ALL employees of the corporation. Madness.

2 quotes from a recent article, and 2 articles!

2011-08-04T17:07:00.000-07:00

"The new borrowing took total public debt to $14.58 trillion, over end-2010 GDP of $14.53 trillion, and putting it in a league with highly indebted countries like Italy and Belgium."

"Moody's said Tuesday that the government needed to stabilize the ratio at 73 percent by 2015 "to ensure that the long-run fiscal trajectory remains compatible with a AAA rating.
http://news.yahoo.com/us-aaa-rating-still-under-threat-204040123.html

hmmm so what you are saying is that we need to cut our debt by roughly 25% by 2015 to ensure our trajectory stays compatible with a AAA rating. Likely..... not. of course we could keep our dept the same and just let our GDP grow, let see it would have to grow by a rate of about 7.5% over the next for years assuming our GDP ends in 2011 at $14.75 Trillion. Congress is cheering about reducing our spending by $2 trillion over the next ten years. Assuming a rate of growth of 2% of GDP we would have to cut our debt by about 4 Trillion in 4 years to meet their trajectory. Truth is the current plan still plans to raise the debt by $7.5 trillion over the next 10 years.
http://blogs.forbes.com/peterferrara/2011/08/04/a-budget-cutting-deal-that-boosts-federal-spending/

Amazing.... Amazing

New American Slave Trade

2011-07-05T11:23:00.000-07:00

Who is it that is selling or sending Mexicans to America to work for lower wages and worse working conditions? (supposedly) Who is it that is forcing them to work in bad circumstances? Who is organizing and creating illegal ways to get to America from Mexico? It is not, by-and-large, America, it is Mexico. Akin to tribal Africans who sold captives into slavery (not just to U.S. slave traders) are those who pressure, force, or create the situation driving Mexicans to extreme measures. It is not Americans who enslave them, it is Americans who exploit them. I do not agree with either, I just see pictures of Mexicans piled into semi trucks and think of slaves chained in ships. Who is driving this? Is it America's responsibility? Do they also have a right to our goods?

Blake Gray

Gas Taxes, Subsidies

2011-05-18T10:18:00.000-07:00

So we complain because we give oil companies tax subsidies and then high taxes on consumers at the pump. Let's think for a minute, why don't we just lower taxes at the pump and stop given subsidies? If we don't want to give money to oil companies (and since oil prices aren't driven by domestic producers) then we shouldn't. The only way to directly lower the cost at the pump is to lower taxes directly. Effectively this diverst from benefits from the companies to the consumers.

The Brain Training Drain, by Thomas Sowell

2011-05-10T11:09:00.001-07:00

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2011/05/10/the_education_mantra_109799.html

A dangerous wish

2011-03-29T09:45:00.000-07:00

I love America. Its people, its cultures, its history. I love questioning its people, its cultures, its history, its beliefs. I dig into it, knowing that I will find at the root of it goodness. I am not afraid to question the reasoning of a perfect God. It does not make me afraid to ask why, as long as I have the patience and fortitude to know that my lack of understanding will not be His fault. So therefore I am not afraid to dig into the depth of what makes this country what it is. Seeing the discordant and disinterested population I felt as if this country was failing politically because the people could not be brought to believe in the government for any purpose. There was no unity, not together we stand strong attitude about any policy or move. America was divided and weak, unwilling to spring to any form of action. I felt as if we could just be united in some movement, even a mediocre thing, that we could begin to rebuild the pride of this country. That is where I was willing to fight for evil.

I had written, this I freely admit, in praise and support for Obama. I also wrote that if Hillary Clinton were elected president I would not fight her policies and make this country weak. Instead, I vowed to stand behind her movement, to work with her. If she moved to make health care better for the people then I would fight for that. I'm hurt by this realiziation now. I would be an agent for evil. I would be on the supporting side of health care? I know that my attitude would change but I am somewhat horrified that I would play a part in todays great evil. Apathetic, mindless, following. We do it because it seems right, because the world wants it. Who can fight for climate change? Then let's support green peace. Ok, (what are they doing.... well If A is bad than B must be good..... how can I question out loud, won't that put me into the same category as someone who fights for climate change....don;t question, don't fight, don't cause friction. Just put your shoulder to the back of the wagon and push, your face so pushed against the great movement you are helping so you don't see the world around. Bury your face in the work, shield your eyes from the work, act with one purpose, that purpose being the great mass of the movement.) Ok is the answer, the thoughts buried deep within. Amanda wrote, "I cannot imagine anyone thinking when they are young, when I grow up I want to spend my time, effort, and money avoiding responsibility. How did our society get to this point? Through misguided ideals?" (I didn't think that was too personal to share to my one blog reader, me)

My mom would say, the road to hell is paved with good intentions. I always thought that meant good intentions, but never anything done about it. But good intentions with blind actions are just as bad. Our end goal is making the road, but along the way we make excuses to not pave it correctly, not fix that pot hole, and mostly overlook and allow bad work to happen around us. What we end up with is not what we wanted. I have to fight to make sure the things I want happen, even if me and someone else have the same end goal in mind, something as sweeping as education or health care reform needs supporters, but not the mindless kind.

Strong, not impervious

2011-03-23T15:18:00.001-07:00

Built like houses, every reality would hit their roofs and slant off falling into the mud that had become their reality. Mixed with doubts and deep feelings of inadequacies, the mud was safe, and truth could hide in it’s murkiness. Neither the brilliance of their character, or the darkness of their failures could be clearly seen in the bromide. She, however, stood on the roof top. Strength had been defined as being able, not to withstand the world, but to avoid it. Push it away and down the road. Troubles and hardships became future battles and problems for another day. When life reared its sometimes ugly head and they raised their shields, she would step forward, and raise her fists. On the roof of life, drops of moments would fall to her, and opening her palms skyward she would catch the moments, and let them sink into her hair, skin, and clothing. Life was a part of her, she did not barricade herself from it, protecting herself and hiding. She was strong now, not impervious.
He pictured her as a Joan of Arc, or a womanly Alexander the Great. Charging ahead, acknowledging the arrows of the danger of acting in glory, accepting their danger. By being more vulnerable she was stronger than those who would only run into battle after seeing that one could survive it. Seeing her on horseback, she took the reins in her mouth, holding one sword high and the other outstretched towards the sky. I am strong, I am powerful, I will not settle for less, I am.
“She is cold,” Instead is what they whispered. He smiled as she tucked her feet under the couch cushions. Her feet were the only cold part of her body, because it was far from the great generator of her energy and beauty, her heart. He knew there was more warmth and truth in her then they could ever know. More intelligence than they can see through their squinted eyes, lids blocking what they were afraid to see. Her placid posture accented her dominion over the world around her. When conversations danced tepidly, trying to find meaning or display intelligence or humor, she was mapping, commenting and notating on the whole of it. They went from sentence to sentence, she stretched from eternal principle to eternal purpose.

Why I love Grant Hill

2011-03-17T10:12:00.001-07:00

http://thequad.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/03/16/grant-hills-response-to-jalen-rose/?ref=todayspaper

2011-03-10T16:39:00.001-08:00

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704132204576190260787805984.html

Battling the Uncertain

2011-02-14T13:33:00.000-08:00

In these situations,
I'll often act in patience.
Because things are so uncertain,
I'm afraid I will hurt them,
or myself;
So my eratic act shelf.
And I'll wait on the moment,
wait to take it and own it.
But then in a split second of fear,
I worry if I should hold her near.
I try to resist this impetus,
and wonder if she is into this.
In these situations,
I cannot yield to patience,
I should wrap her in my arms and dance.
I should risk it and take the chance.
The only way to know if things are right,
is to take this moment on Valentine's night.

2011-02-04T13:11:00.001-08:00

http://www.zerohedge.com/article/labor-force-participations-plunges-fresh-26-year-low

2011-01-23T19:19:00.000-08:00

I don't like to just watch movies,
I watch movies to move me.

She was the sand

2011-01-19T10:32:00.000-08:00

If there was a storm, she was always in the middle of it. Where the peace was and the person can see clearly. Nothing disturbed her person, she was not altered by it, it was altered by her. When her dark hair hung relaxed by her side the air would surround it and playfully toss a strand from time to time. When the wind raged her hair would ride the waves of the wind and stretch out against the sky in beautiful defiance. Her eyes would not cloud with the fear of the future. Her lips would never purse, so I would watch them and wait for them to open and her to smile. When she smiled the angels would sing and then her lips would close and the world would go silent again, and the birds would chirp peacefully in the trees.
In the field were she stood the sand rolled in the wind and danced across her feet. It would be carried for a while then lay quietly underneath and between the mesquite and the brush. The sand was sand before it began and sand when it ended. Just like when the storms raged and the clouds of fear crowded their eyes, she quietly let the wind carry her to a new place. She was beautiful when it began, and she was beautiful when it ended.

Sands

2011-01-19T10:25:00.000-08:00

I felt like the sands,
course and incomplete.
Pieces of a greater past,
crushed beneath the current's feet.

Like I was lost,
amongst the tussle.
Like I was the cost,
of the great struggle.

I lay like the wounded,
underneath the mesquite.
Where the wind laid me,
my forfeit replete.

Unfair winds had carried me,
had dashed me on the rocks.
I had been captured in,
lifes bars and locks.

I lay prostrate in the shade,
with other fallen soldiers.
With the dead I lay,
shoulder to shoulder.

Then again came the wind,
and laid me on the hillside.
And looking to the sunset,
I reflected on my killed pride.

I felt like the sands,
pushed by unknown winds.
I was with the beaten,
The lost were my kin.

Commitment Issues

2011-01-14T17:33:00.000-08:00

You can save $10 on 3 dozen roses if you order now.

2011-01-12T12:35:00.000-08:00

Sometimes inspirational quotes are depressing. E.g. In his speech The American Scholar Ralph Waldo Emerson states, "The true scholar grudges every oppurtunity of action passed as a loss of power." I stood up, looked around tried to do something, and then sat down at work. I got nothin' What the heck can I do with my life right now?

2011-01-10T11:09:00.000-08:00

Diversification, Index and Mutual funds have led us to overinvestment in poor companies.

I cannot believe

2011-01-10T09:54:00.000-08:00

I could not believe,
that steel could still your body,
or steal your soul.
That any thing could fill this hole,
and make me feel whole.

I could not conceive,
That reality could reel me in,
and to my chagrin,
make my skin to freeze.
---

I would not concede,
to the fatal reality of The Fall,
That our bodies could fall at all,
I would lie you could not lie there,
6 feet under, under His care.

I will not recede,
into black closets,
and sack cloths of loathing,
I will continue on holding,
that steel cannot steal your soul.

I cannot believe,
that blacktop could stop the seas,
of the beliefs of you and me.
I cannot, will not recede,
and back away from what you left in me.

I walked passed the poor

2011-01-07T11:46:00.000-08:00

I walked down the street,
and smiled as the poor passed by.
I had long yellow teeth,
and a glistening gleam in my eye.

I patted dusty shoulders,
and shook the stained dirty hands.
I asked them of the future,
and they did not have any plans.

I wondered why the poor,
cast their eyes down that way.
Why when I gave a smile,
a frown responded in dismay.

I wondered why the poor,
allowed this life to stay.
They woke with a curse,
and with curses end their day.

I continued to walk,
passed a long bread line.
And at the very end,
was the spot that was mine.

I waited patiently,
laughing with those near by.
When they spoke sorely of their life,
I paused to asked them why.

Taking my cut of bread,
and the small bowl of soup.
I waved goodbye,
To the little ragged troop.

And then started walking,
down a day labor line,
I saw a spot at the end,
and said that spot is mine.

I left the poor behind,
and joined the tired throng.
Who worked while out of work,
and kept their spirits strong.

At night when I climbed,
into my shelters little bed.
Thoughts of the poor,
ran slowly through my head.

I had left the poor behind,
yet had no home at all.
I had left the poor behind,
when I started walking tall.

For though I be poor in pocket,
my soul will not take pity,
I will not let my luck,
drag me to those trenches of the city.

I woke up with the poor,
and left them all behind.
Because today is a day in a life,
and today, that life is mine.

Nancy Pelosi

2011-01-07T10:31:00.000-08:00

When we were in the capital building walking around with R-Jeff Flake (or our Jeff Flake) we walked by Nancy's office and could hear her talking. I told Mr. Flake, I really don't like her (I probably said hate) and asked him what he thought. He said, "WEll, there are some things I don't agree with her on." He wouldn't play into it. He really is a nice guy. But she is not a nice person.

Field of Green

2011-01-06T09:55:00.000-08:00

They came upon a wanton field,
with rocks and weeds and trees.
And slowly they did labor there,
to shape it to their needs.
And side by side they worked and toiled,
to improve the landscape there,
The days were hard, hot and long.
But together, they did not care.
For day by day the field did change.
and began to be a grass field of green,
with smiles and laughs they relaxed,
and lived as if in a dream.
Every day, in the midst of play,
they would stop to make improvement there,
and a garden and flowers there sprung,
where once was a field so bare.
Small disputes would there arise,
minor, but disputes none-the-less.
But disputes were disproved and sent away,
with a smile and a gentle caress.
They stood proud and side by side,
on what they had made together.
They took the bare minerals of earth,
and with effort made it better.
But slow and sure, in independent demure,
they had made their dreams real.
But all the glory and beauty there,
could not match the way they feel.
But one day, from a sky of grey,
came a rock of insidious size.
And smashed in the middle, and made brittle
Their beautiful and glorious prize.
With anger complete, and determination replete,
they set out to tackle that rock,
but small indecision and silence's derision,
they started to cease to talk.
Unable to fix it, they decided to nix it,
and it sat obstructing their view,
and there they sat, back to back.
Unable to do anything new.

The rock could have been moved,
with the strength of them two,
but she blamed it on him alone.
And he is in anger,
berated her like a stranger,
and a crack appeared in their home.

A year passed bye,
you could see it in their eyes,
that slowly their love passed too.
And unable to act,
and with unflattering tact,
weeds began to infiltrate their view.

They left their lovely, once wanton field,
and went there separate ways,
and the passer-byes, and vagrant guys,
would pity with their wondering gaze.
The Field of Green, and what it did mean,
how did it pass from that to this?
The lover's quarrel, did erase the toil,
and freeze the warmth of the kiss.
Years later he too passed bye and cried,
as he looked on the Field of Green,
Because with all of the beauty and glory there,
the rock was all that could be seen.

Daily Rant

2011-01-05T10:03:00.000-08:00

Here is the link for the charts.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_United_States_federal_budget

Red herrings and charitable people with other people's money. That is how I feel this morning. The Republicans and Democrats in the proceeding months will begin to wage important and imperative battles to save people, to cut the budget, or other grandiose and important items. The reality if the government was serious about making changes the important budgets to cut are not the discretionary ones. I pulled charts and data from two sources and to be honest, government accounting gimmicks are the worst, so take all numbers at face value.
First, www.usgovernmentspending.com lists the budget as thus,
.7 Tril Welfare
1 Tril Social Security
1.2 Tril Health Care
1.1 Tril Education
.9 Tril Defense
1.8 Trill All Other Spending

Second, Wikipedia, who also provided the graphs and pictures and whom I trust more, given there numbers seem to come from the CBO have these percentages
19.63% Social Security
18.74% Department of Defense
16.13% Welfare/unemployment
12.79% Department of State
8.19% Homeland Security
For a total of 75.48%

So what you will not see is any serious actions coming for any of these top budgets. Really you can ignore the headlines and the strong budget cuts unless they are to drastically cut these programs. You'll notice from one chart I am attaching the mandatory spending is almost the total of our federal income. That is with the Department of defense place as "Discretionary." Right..... like at their discretion congress can cut that..... or would without losing their political career. So if we cut 100% of these red herrings and cut the DOD in HALF! We are still unbalanced and worse, things will continue to get worse with the expanded costs of health care under Obama care. Republicans will win the battle in the house and move to repeal it and congress will do nothing. So the Republicans will put the onus on the Democrats and score a major political victory with much fighting, effort, and most importantly, attention, but in the end it will amount to nothing but political shenanigans. Obama care will not be repealed and all of that will be spent on brownie points.
As a side note, not the main point, we need to end the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. Piling on the debt does not increase our homeland security, it weakens us. The US is threatened by a serious foe to the Republic, and it should be painfully familiar to Americans in this time, for that foe is Debt. We cannot continue in this way, we must change.

All Was Quiet on the Western Front

2011-01-04T06:04:00.001-08:00

All was quiet on the Western front,
and all the guns lay low.
There was no war and there was no hunt,
and Peace did quietly bestow.

Gifts of silence and time to think,
far from the fiery glow,
Hanging strong was the sulfuric stink,
and the soldiers still did know.

Of the battle that had raged there,
of the passion of the fight,
The war had taken every care,
and only paused at night.

Now the soldiers sadly sat,
without purpose, hope, or direction.
Without the valor of combat,
They could not hide in armors protection.

So home they came to enwrap their love,
and rebuild what they left behind,
But at home they found;
It was they that had been left behind,
and their loved one slowly unwrapped their love.

Uncovered, without proximity's protection,
At home there had been no combat,
and fight had fled another direction
At home the loved one sadly sat.

And thought while alone the cold nights,
Wishing to know of their soldiers care
Instead the passion of their fights,
Was all that remained there.

But the soldier did not know,
At home had hung his battle's stink,
He was far in the fiery glow,
And in the silence she could think.

A solemn kiss she did bestow,
Their was not the passion as at the hunt,
For now their guns lay low,
For all was quiet on the Western Front,
But how long would it last at home?

Lest we forget

2010-12-31T13:36:00.000-08:00

Do not forget fellow citizens, in this country, economics introduced the slave trade, and Christianity killed it.

Names

2010-12-27T09:57:00.000-08:00

I don't like remembering names. I would rather spend my time learning about the person. I don't care what your name is, if your around me enough I'll learn your name. I don't like that feeling when somebody knows my name but nothing about me. Like it validates them that they know my name. The minimum requirement for me to treat them civilly or for them to pretend we are friends. I throw away names, and remember faces, I remember people.

Ben Franklin is the man, Barney Frank.... is..... well.....not

2010-12-21T13:59:00.000-08:00

I am for doing good to the poor, but I differ in opinion of the means. I think the best way of doing good to the poor, is not making them easy in poverty, but leading or driving them out of it. I observed...that the more public provisions were made for the poor, the less they provided for themselves, and of course became poorer. And, on the contrary, the less was done for them, the more they did for themselves, and became richer. – Ben Franklin

Pity

2010-12-20T14:26:00.000-08:00

I hate pity. I could leave it at that but I feel it is the worst feeling in the world. When I feel it I feel like I am sinking. I hate to hear people admitting defeat. It is even worse when I can see they don't even believe they can succeed. I hate pity and whenever there is a hint of pity in the eye of someone around me when they look at me I instanstly burn inside. I cannot stand to be pitied. I cannot stand to hear people seeking pity. If things are bad for you, I am not the man to come to. I do not gratify and I do not validate. When a man is tired and feels like the task cannot be accomplished, what use would I be to take that task from him. Take away the pride of accomplishment? It would take away all of what he should have felt from all that he had accomplished so far. I don't want to help, only to encourage. When you feed a man, you starve his soul. When you give a man his home, you take away his chance of hope. Nothing is worse than pity. Perhaps not even death.

2010-12-09T11:53:00.001-08:00

I was walking on the beaches of Marinduque, Philippines when I stopped and turned to my Filipino constituencies and asked if they wanted to learn a little about economics. They didn't protest enough for me to stop. Looking out I saw about 40 canoe sized boats with fisherman not too far from the shore. Farther out in the richer waters were larger boats. I asked how many men could be put in each smaller boat. "2". Then I asked how many would be in the larger boat. "5". Then we discussed how much more fish the larger boat could catch. We settled on about 10 times as much. When asked why anyone would use the smaller boats the answer was money, they can't just go buy a bigger boat. Then I laid out the following scenario. A business man and politician wanted to increase the amount of fish that could be produced fisherman in that area, but wouldn't do it because of the political effects. First of all I pointed out it would take 4 of the larger boats to replace all 40 of those boats. The number of men thereby employed would be 20. Each of those fisherman would make more money, enjoy better hours, and would have the added benefit of reducing the pains their hit or miss way of fishing was causing. Politically it would be disastrous, for sure those 20 men and their families would vote for him, but he would face strong opposition from the 60 whose lives were now ruined. Politics and progress. Most of the time these two are very incompatible.

2010-12-09T11:45:00.000-08:00

Social Security is a regressive tax hitting lower income individuals harder than the rich. There is a cap that when you reach that income level you do not have to pay that tax any more. Cutting the social security tax for employees is the smartest way to cut taxes in a simple effecient way to benefit those who WORK and make less than $106,800.

2010-12-09T11:42:00.000-08:00

The government should not focus on propping up poverty, but rather give individuals the tools to rise out of it.

2010-12-07T10:50:00.001-08:00

California State prison guards make 3 times as much as Texas state prison guards.

It was a GAME!!!

2010-11-18T17:23:00.000-08:00

One of the most maddening things about playing sim city on the super nintendo was how when you took a loan to build the city I would always reach a point I had no cash and I would lose the game. THE GAME. That means there is more accountability on a game then in real life..... that is humorous. The state didn't bail me out, nor did the Fed. Nowadays in real life we just kick it further and further down the road. One day the rock with grow too big to kick and we will just be stuck.

The No-Grow Zone and the new American Civil War

2010-11-10T14:59:00.000-08:00

Another post in which I am grossly under read and my idea is very underdeveloped. The elections have set off another wave of predictions and indications of our future. The reference to the No-Grow Zone is a reference to the Euro Zone and the problems faced with the PIGS (Portugal, Iceland, Greece, and Spain) When Greece reneged on their financial obligations they faced a serious debt crises. Who picked up the tag? Those more financially conservative countries, notably Germany. This set off a firestorm of blame and anger with nationalistic zeal with Greece recalling Nazi Fascism and Germany posting animations of Greek statues motioning vulgarities. The relation?

Today America is in a very real and a very hotly debated financial hail storm. Bush, Obama, Clinton, Reagan. It is deeper than that, pretty much everyone is to blame generally. The point is is that major decision and sacrifices have to be made now. So..... lets see back to the no-grow zone. The recent elections pointed to a movement away from government control and intervention on economical and fiscal matters. Lower spending, decentralized government structures. Except in California, in fact California rejected some movements to temporarily suspend their dramatic and expensive initiative to cut carbon by 30% in 10 years. Just like the health care bill parts that are yet to be enacted the costs for this legislation is being front loaded and effecting the economy now. California has and is refusing to enact legislation that puts some environment and social goals on hold until it heals from the onslaught. To put it in perspective the wounds that are being widened and added, California is adding debt of $25 million a day, it currently has a 12.5% unemployment rate and accounts for nearly one-third of the nation's welfare participants (when compared to having 12% of the population that means Californians have nearly 3 times more people on welfare than the national average). The legislation (AB 32) to cut carbon is going to RAISE the already high cost of living in California by $7,857 per year. California also taxes high with having the nation's highest sales tax rate and the third-highest state income tax. How is it then when a state is hemorrhaging financially that it passes these dramatic climate legislation? It couldn't be evil businesses like in Texas could it? No it must be because of the good tree-loving unemployed hearts of Californians. WRONG, AB 32 was kept in tact while hedge managers, solar companies, and alternate energy companies pumped three times as much campaign dollars into upholding the legislation then other energy companies. Hedge managers being involved in this is the evilest, vilest move of all since many are actually shorting energy companies and betting on their DECLINE in California. Californians suffer, hedge fund managers gain, this my friend is California, confused and blinded under liberal agendas and do good initiatives. California without knowing it, is engaged in a form of class warfare. Clean energy companies are pushing legislation that hurts the common people for their own gains. It is liberals, climateers, and alternative energy companies working together, for different purposes, to get their personal needs answered while drowning the state in debt and costs. So while the nation is moving quickly in one direction towards less government, lower taxes, reducing deficits, and making strides towards less regulation and a more business friendly environment, California is doing the opposite. We all know this can't last, so when the divide is so dramatic what will happen when California goes belly up? Or when California face a several fiscal catastrophe? Who will rush to the rescue? Texas? After all that California has done and said and will do in order to establish some egotistical identity as a greater, kinder, and moral superior to Texas? Ads frequently displayed Cowboy hat wearing, smoking, "evil" business men destroying California. Obviously these were references to eViL Texas who is STEALING jobs from kind peace loving Californians. All this is driven by greed by those companies and the payer is not customers who choose to buy, but tax payers who will have to pay the bill in the future?

The large ideological shift is becoming increasingly split as well across races. As the old majority (white) is fading as a segment of the population it's importance is fading. A recent article pointed out that blacks voted 90% for democrats, Latinos 64%, and Asian-Americans 56%. Whites on the other hand voted 60% for Republicans. I am not overly alarmed as to the voting except to point out two important points. Minorities generally align for Democratic and Whites for Republicans and blacks vote for Democrats 90% of the time. The Republicans are cited as a racist party because it is mostly made up from White voters but that is at 60% of the vote! Compared to 90%? I don't feel either way my vote is swayed by race, it is swayed by IDEALS! Politics is money. Let us be honest. So while states swing back and forth based on economics or social issues let us be honest and look at why and when. When the economy is good we look at social issues and debate topics. Then back to economics and so forth. Whites swing widely on these issues. When it comes time to vote on economics swing voters vote to make difficult decisions and fix the economy. States higher in minority population percentages are less affected by these changes. When viewing the California representative map, large Hispanic areas maintained their Democratic holds. South Eastern states did as well influenced largely by minority voting as well. The dangerous civil war reference is classic of me potentially crossing a line. Ideologies are sharply dividing coinciding with racial portions in those areas. Unfortunately some of those states are have 2 things in common. High minority ratios and high debt ratios. As the economical and political landscape changes one of my greatest fears is race will become more divided and the day will come when State debt becomes a national issue. When heartland states that were fiscally conservative like Germany will with great anger will stop funding Californian spending. The moves will divide upon political battle fields which are becoming more and more racially divided. I am not speaking of violence but of deep resentment. Economic problems breeding social issues. The new American Civil War.

The Kiss of Death

2010-11-03T08:47:00.000-07:00

No, this is not a post about actual kissing. So put those teenage fantasies behind you and focus for a moment because this is something I have been thinking about for a while. First you need to understand what some financial analysts and accountants call the kiss of death. It has to do with cash flows. There are three different cash flows. Finance, Operating, and Investing. Finance principally moves by loans and interest, operating by the cash flow of day to day operating, and investing by the purchase of land, capital and the likes. That was a very simplified definition but it will suffice for the example.

Some will argue that our government is ruining our country with their free spending ways and egregious debt intake. They are mortgaging our future. They are selling the future of our children. They are putting us in bondage. The government is driving our attitudes some will say. The government is spending without constraint so what do you expect the everyday citizens to do? Start saving like crazy? Who affects the decisions of who? Where does it start. Is it the mindless spending of the people? Or the careless spending of the government?

Both are mired in the problem. Personal savings rates for American households are abysmally low. In the last couple of years they have even been in the negative. The current depression has forced Americans to start being more prudent, but to be honest there isn't extra money lying around for people to save. So Americans are spending and not saving, plundering their retirement accounts, and losing their #1 investment (their homes) while looking to the government to save them. The real problem is less with the current mindset and more with the mindset of the the pre-depression 2008 American whose savings rates were negative.

A perfect example about how the government is leading the bad behavior is our beloved government of Arizona. In the financing category it would be hard to believe you didn't know we were mired in debt and threatening to shut down almost every stinking year. This year's propositions noted several moves to plunder other account kept separate from the general state account for other spending initiatives. This is much like Americans moves to pilfer their retirement savings. So let us go ahead and put a + for cash flow for financing. Operating..... Really? Is it a real question about whether or not tax income is greater than spending? Not even close. I have a definite - for operating. And in the most amusing and interesting section we even have a plus in investing. Now before we start to say that is a good thing think of this. When you purchase equipment that signifies on outflow of cash, therefore a negative. When you need money for spending you sell assets. Our state actually sold the state capitol building and are now leasing it in order to keep up with spending. This triggers a positive in the current account. Now that wasn't this year, but if you do the addition of the + for financing, to the - for operating, and + for investing you have.... +_+ The kiss of death.

So we clamor as Americans. What a horrible example they are setting for us, and we once again begin the chicken or the egg argument. The government is making us act like this, no it is the people that are making our government bail them out! When are we going to quit switching sides of the fence? First we claim the government is of and for the people, then claim the government is not of the people at all. It is a separate entity that should be held to a higher standard than we hold ourselves. If we as individuals are debt ridden and going through the perils of foreclosure, wouldn't our government be as well. Isn't it made up OF the people? It is OF the people, and elected BY the PEOPLE, I am not surprised they are reflecting our individuals attitudes and habits. If our attitudes and habits were grossly different, we wouldn't stand for this at all and neither would our elected politicians. So until we start being prudent, the change really still starts with us. Save more than you spend, put aside for a rainy day, and don't wait for other people to take care of others and make a difference. If we start doing it, and not stand for our government not doing it, that will make all the difference.

What I want

2009-09-04T19:01:00.001-07:00

What I want is to be able to walk away,
and not care, not be afraid.
Afraid you will laugh harder than before,
Afraid you will love more and more.
What I want is to be able to shrink and fade,
and make what we were to dissipate.
I'd hate for forever this taste to hang,
for the happiness and joy forever remain.
Contort, rewrite, make joy into pain.
Hate, be clever and waste each refrain,
that sings and flow, instead constipate
I want to be able to wink and evade.
Make you afraid that I will be there forever more.
Make you afraid you will never laugh as hard as before.
I won't care, I won't be afraid,
But I still won't be able to walk away.

Another tryst with stilted talk and bore

2009-08-27T23:55:00.000-07:00

Another tryst with stilted talk and bore,
You turn to talk, but I ignore.
What's more, my eyes begin to glaze,
another comma, some words, and then a phrase.
I pity your pithy lips, even though others praise.
I gaze into your throat, into the maze.
Maybe your brain has fallen down there, down a ways,
maybe that's why you speak of mayonnaise,
for 30 minutes......... no pause, no break.
So as you sneeze, this opportunity take!
"What think ye of Shakespeare, Chaucer, and Blake!"
"Oh your so cute when you talk smart Blakey-Blake"
This is the Chalice that others seek!
Easy to master, easy to teach.
You touch my nose, I wanna sneeze,
and blow some intellect in with the barren debris!
You turn to talk,
I walk away.
For someone else,
wrote a sonnet today.

Havasupai - 12 adventurers, 5 jumps, 4 falls, 3 blessings, 3 sleepless nights, and 1 heck of a time

2009-08-20T08:14:00.000-07:00

An old Indian's face is much like the walls of these canyons, etched slowly by time, each wrinkle or crack a living history etched on the face.

What a trip. What an epic adventure. What a group of people. Almost everyone jumped off the cliffs and everyone made the hike. No one flew out their packs either. The water was so blue and green. Unbelievably beautiful and every night there was a sell-out crowd of stars to look at. There were times that I couldn't stop the theme music from "Last of the Mohicans" from running through my head. Mostly when we would climb up behind the waterfalls and then jump out. There was one jump that was just ridiculous. It was super high and the overlook that we were jumping off of was dirt that was crumbling and falling into the river. I was the third to jump but I "helped" the people in front of me by encouraging them with words like "Don't do it man!" or "what if........ and then you die!" They were really lucky to have me there with them. I was so courageous, so confidant. (not) I also came to realize that Dave might be the craziest person I have ever met. At one point he was walking down the river looking up at places to jump from and we were like "Veto! Veto!" the was standing about waste high in water so I'm sure he wasn't serious, but it is hard to tell sometimes with him. OOOHHHH, and then there was Beaver Falls. Super high! There was another group of hikers that got there and just waited around to watch us jump, and there was no way any of them were going to jump. Niki jumped there too! It was amazing. I came to realize there really are daring and adventurous girls out there. Actually I don't care who you are, if you jumped where she jumped you are adventurous, boy or girl.

The only gripe I have about the trip is my own fault really. Tiny blanket + hammock = 5 hours of sleep in 3 days. That 5 hour estimate by the way is pretty generous. The wind blew every night. On the last night about the only sleep that I recieved came after I made myself a cup of hot chocolate and fell asleep kneeling and curled up. That lasted, oh maybe 15 minutes. When I got home I slept like a rock. Well, I slept like a rock that also slobbers. I went to bed at 8 last night. Mostly because I was incoherent and was afraid I might fall asleep while waling or something ridiculous like that.

I'll post some pictures after I get home from work but until next time, ta ta for now!

AIG

2009-03-26T13:20:00.000-07:00

I've been watching this AIG thing for a while and it just makes me sick. I was reading an article a former employee of AIG wrote and this is excatly what makes me sick.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/25/opinion/25desantis.html?scp=1&sq=Desantis&st=cse

LYING.

The politics of this just makes me sick. First the government buys out AIG and decides that politicians (former school teachers, athletes, grown up rich kids, crazy liberals) should make the decisions for one of the largest and most complex companies in America..... scary. Then they tell the company, you cannot give your employees more than $1 million in bonuses. So the government blankets all these employees and says since we own the company no one hear deserves more than a mill in bonuses. Well some of these employees have already been promised a million dollars and have been working for nothing based on the premises that when the year is over they get that money. Not any more. Well, even though the government figured their worth was only this much, the corporations and economy didn't. Other companies would have swooped in and picked up a lot of these guys. So the government changed their minds and changed the bill and legislation, they negotiated and promised these guys their bonuses so they would stay. Then a couple of months later the politicians are all screaming THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS!!!!! WHO WOULD BELIEVE!!!! You should, you moron. You approved it. You promised them this compensation and like most of your promises it was a bold faced lie. And how dare you go on TV with bold statements and lie to the world that you knew nothing about it. You specifically went back and wrote those bonuses back in. Just because you are in a position of leadership does not give you the right to lie and cheat and steal. I see you on TV blasting CEO's use of airplanes. Pelosi, were you taking a private military jet around the country the other day....... ooohhh all the time, thats right. It make me sick. Don't worry though America. If we go communist all of our best talent will go over seas seeking more compensation and we will just export all the earnings potential.

Oh what glorius days are ahead.

The year of Blake

2009-02-05T13:47:00.000-08:00

So I want everybody to know that this is the year of Blake and so far things have been going great. I grew a beard thing and it came in good and I was able to keep it for a while and trim it and not look too much like a bumb. It did get some chuckles from Elder Perry when he came to see us, and my girlfriend even defended me on it several times. oh yeah. My girlfriend...

another reason this is the year of Blake. Those who know me know that the idea of dating a girl seriously is enough to put me in a coma, well, I can't help it, she is really sweet. The other night I actually kissed her. (again, narrowly avoiding the coma) and it was just a little peck but we were talking and laughing outside for like an hour. It was a great night. The next day she told me she threw up later that night. Yeah, THREW UP! I told her, "sorry, jeese, it has been a really LONG TIME SINCE I HAVE DONE THAT." haha, guess I just couldn't save those virgin lips like I had always dreamed. P.S. her name is Erin, and she is in accounting! YAY! hahahaha

Tax season is upon us at the office and somehow I am doing taxes. I don't know what they are thinking, just prepare the cell and bed for my poor boss who accepts me as a liability. I do try hard and am going to start working from home though.

I got a new computer. A netbook to be excact. The battery lasts 7 hours, it only weighs 3 pounds, it comes with XP, it has a gig of RAM, and only cost $380. What more could a man ask for, except maybe a screen larger than 10"......

Today for my birthday Erin and I are going to my grandma's to make taffy. I love my gramma.... and Erin is nice too so it should be good times.

I love my family, thanks for the calls today. Wish the best to everyone.

Here is to me! happy birthday!

Excited for Obama

2008-11-07T14:45:00.000-08:00

I admit it. I am excited for Barrack Obama to be President of the United States of America. I think we should all be. I liked McCain better, liked his stances on the moral issues better, and agree with McCain's economic views (Purely that they were less damaging than Barrack's, not because they were more promising).

I do not want to hear any more jokes about Barrack Obama. He is the President elect and put your sore-loserness aside and be patriotic. It does not mean you should or shall agree with what his does, it just means to be optimistic and ready to be involved and active in things you see that are good. I have spent the last 4 years watching bitterness effectively null promising policies and ideas from the Bush administration. People unwilling to put love of country ahead of personal pride killed the oppurtunity for many to get involved and active in truly effective Bush policies.

I will not be that person with Barrack. I will work and be involved with things that I agree with, and not take part in what I do not. Barrack will not make me encourage abortions are make me participate in homosexual activities. I do not condone them. I will not take part in them. I do believe however that Barrack will usher in a new culture of social responsibility. We need that. We need to be kinder, and more willing to serve and give to those around us. We can do with a little less, and give a little more. So I am willing. If I get super rich, I will be okay with getting taxed more. I would be the one living the American dream, and my conscience mandates I extend that oppurtunity to others.

Be patriotic,
get ready to support President Obama.

(Palin is still hot)

I'm not the proton you need

2008-10-24T10:36:00.000-07:00

You were like an unstable electron,
looking for a proton,
any proton.
And that's why you were so wrong.
Bouncing around the universe,
unversed, yet traversed,
you thought tou knew it all,
you just didn't get it doll.
You tried to hit it wrong,
and fouled off,
each swing a foul ball,
you got it all out,
and ended up a foul mouth,
you flew way south,
and lost my respect.
Now your bet,
is I'll still be at the plate.
Ready to take another swing,
But the truth is another thing,
I'm not even on deck.
This was Toulouse,
So now I gotta Trec.
and now your cryin,
sayin your goin through heck,
baby, wait a sec.
Yeah, you wagered a bad bet.

So I got it figured out,
I know what your all about.
Power player sayin what you want,
and then you pout.
We know what you're about,
about me?
Let me get it all out.
I'm not about to get up and give you my time.
I keep on smiling because I know you know I'm lyin,
I won't be back around to see you,
I don't need a sign,
I'm walking out because my hind-,
sight is 20/20, back then I was blind.
So baby take your time.
Pledge your promises,
like rhombuses,
their awekwardly shaped.
Over frivolence their draped,
baby my ears you've taped.
But while I've got my sanity,
I passionatly say,
baby go away,
come back another day.

BeLeave

2008-10-15T09:26:00.000-07:00

BeLeave, and just leave it behind. Talking with non-member friends the hardest thing that is going on in their conversion is believing that they will be like a member. Somehow in their head they got this screwy idea that members are saints or something..... DOH! I mean perfect or something. No member who had lived their whole live preparing for a temple marriage will marry me when my life seems to have been a life lived so wrong. How can I date a member, I don't want to explain to them my shortcomings but I also don't want to leave them in the dark as to who I am? Doubtful, unconfident, and hurt is how we feel when we don't understand how truly beautiful the atonement is. When someone accepts the atonement and the forgiveness therein they are completly forgiven. Their sins are forgotten. Their hearts are mending and they are allowed, no, commanded by God to forgive themselves. Then they MUST forgive others. Why is it that we still dabble in doubt? 2 scriptures

Prov. 3: 26 For the Lord shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken.

Prov. 25: 19 Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble is like a broken tooth, and a foot out of joint

Both scriptures refer to the foot. This is what we have to stand on. With the Lord as our confidence we can procede steadily knowing that He has forgiven us of our sins. Without repentance and forgiveness we are as unsteady as a man with a foot out of joint. Nothing to stand on, our belief shaken and our confidence as ashes in the wind.

Forget the fools unwilling to forgive. FORGET THEM. I wish that those who have stepped outside the church and those wanted to step in will do so with confidence that those who have accepted the atonement will also accept the responsibility of "taking upon us the name of Christ" and forgiving other. Especially when they didn't know the gospel before those mistakes were made. If you have overcome so much to get to where you are, and someone dismisses you because when you were 13 you went to football games instead of church and drank before you were baptised your freshman year of college, forget them.

The key, in my mind, is repenting and recieving that confidence, and if they don't repent and recieve that, well, then don't stoop to their level.
I mean, I have lived my whole life being a Peter Priesthood and hanging out with Molly Mormons. I have never drank, I am still a virgin, and I went on a mission. If I wasn't raised a member, I can't say that any of those would be true, so why would I excpect it of others?

Ok, gotta get back to work, I just had to get that out of me. Get it out of my head

Ben is married

2008-10-12T10:24:00.000-07:00

Ben is married.

Let me just let that have its own line. I think today I finally hit me. It is crazy but Sterling and I are the last amigos. Single and happy. We high fived each other each time we saw some kid screaming or something happening that made us happy to be single. Of course the wedding was awesome. Ben and Brittany looked so happy, and a little stressed. The decorations were amazing as well.

Ben is married.

Meanwhile my dates have consisted of cops ruining the view and making us put out hands on the car, rattlesnakes stopping hikes, park rangers locking up the car, and brothers and sisters watching movies with us. Maybe one of these days I will actually do something but I doubt it. While I hang on to my BAVL status (Born Again Virgin Lips) I increasingly realize I have no moves.

Ben is married
I have no moves
Things aren't looking good

Meanwhile I think I am catching up to life since the car wreck. I was ordered by the MD to totally abandon sports for the last almost month. It has been bad, I finally played soccer last week and scored in 2 minutes, puked in 6. So I was a victorious loser. I am not yet caught up in work but I am no longer behind in school. I joined the xTax team and am hoping to actually win from ASU. We're going to go buy suits and work hard so that may take all my extra time for the next month. I think maybe a national tax championship will replace my so-so grades this semester. I also want to win for the money and the lavish trip to Washington D.C., but who can blame me..... seriously.

This trip has also reminded me how much I love my family and am so thankful for their example. It has been so fun hanging out and playing with my nieces and nephews. Mos definatly the best part of the trip. It was funny all the single ladies at the reception were all over me, grabbing me by the hand and taking me to the dance floor. The only thing was is that all of the single ladies at the receptions were my nieces. Sarah learned how to do a spin and Sariah learned how to go behind my back switch hands and spin. Both demanded two dances so it was pretty tough, lol. Sarah is two so she would go back forward and then spin, I was really impressed. She is one of those girl who loves to imitate.

Ben is married,
and I am glad.

Dreams.... Dreams... Dreams

2008-08-26T16:54:00.001-07:00

The recent restart of school and work and everything else that dominates the life no longer mine has left me delirious and sleepy in the hours I can claim to rest. This has made me ever more susceptible to those deep dreams that you remember for days. I think they have significance and some of them are rather chilling, but I will leave that up to you to interpret beyond what I think.

First, I have been playing soccer 2 or 3 times a week. For hours. I get tired, I run around, I try really really hard and am playing well but it seems lost because my Spanish team isn't winning. We also can't communicate and they won't play me where I will be most effective. So one night when I stumbled in at like 2 in the morning I dreamt that I was in St. Johns and that I had a game and I had arrived late. I ran onto the field took a pass and scored. The announcer said, "Blake Gray is now the all time leading scorer for St. Johns High School!" I was so excited and happy and I felt vindicated for all the hard work I had put in. I raised my arms above my head and looked into the stands and saw..... no body. It was weird when I woke because I ran my hands over my head and thought, there are some things that I do that honestly don't matter. It hit me hard. It made me think.

I also got called to be the Ward Mission Leader, if I get anything accomplished there it is a testament to the power of God to make weak people workable. After a long day of ward and stake meeting I went to a "Sunday party" to play board games and did nothing but talk about the gospel. When I got home I sank into my bead and dreamt about the ward mission and about the ward missionaries and how many haven't experienced the "Declaring of the Gospel" and are so excited and green. In my dream I walked into a room where one of the new ward missionaries was teaching and I sat there and admired how she taught point after point so well and clearly. One of the students raised his/her hand and asked some rude question about some misconception coming from some pastor. The girl was flustered and soon the classroom swirled into uncontrolled contention and she lost control of the lesson. I got so mad. I was screaming and throwing things and challenging them to answer doctrine to which that had no answer. I was screaming, "In the beginning was God, who was before God? If no one or thing was before God who created Satan?" I just kept screaming that over and over again, "Who created Satan!" It was weird, I lost control and even when the students quited I still kept railing them and proving to them that they had so much to learn. I assume these students were not members. When I woke I was a little stressed about the prospect of setting up a booth at ASU and putting ourselves out there to be destroyed and conversed with by those around us, who have so much to learn. I was worried for those who were about to teach and those who get teased. Then I logged on to realclearpolitics.com and read some articles about Mitt Romney as a possible VP pick and when I read the comments at the bottom my heart dropped. Comment after comment was more of the same 'ole Anti-Mormon closed sentiment that they would never vote for him. What Bigotry was displayed. I started to honestly feel afraid that he would be chosen and me as a green inexperienced WML would face the brunt of this influx of attention toward the church as politics delved into religion.

Side note to current topic of dreams and stuff, this year has been ugly for politics. We have seen Feminism and Ant-feminism, The Race card, the White guilt card, and the reverse racism card played, we have seen Religion being thrust in the face of voters and tempers flared over items that were never meant to be part of the political system of the United States of America. As the campaign continues on, I wonder more and more if the individuals and families of this country will make the difference, because if it is BH Obama or McCain running the country it really comes down to how we run our lives and our families.... to much attention is put on things that don't matter ...... which goes back to dream # 1

Who's to blame for record profits for the oil companies?

2008-08-03T10:20:00.000-07:00

Much has been made of the recent profits that oil companies have made at a time when gas prices are making headaches for Americans. Democrats lead by BH Obama have proposed a windfall profit tax to tax oil companies for their "excessive profits". While such a strategy is sure to make oil prices increase by adding additional costs to oil companies, I never saw that oil companies were really making extreme profits as many posted only a 3% profit margin. This last week though the top 5 oil companies all posted record profits and incredible profit growth over the last year. It actually started to bother me. For once maybe I saw some reason in the unreasonable. So I started to delve into the major question, who is to blame? Oil speculators? Greedy oil profiteers? Democrats? Wait, wait, wait, could it really be the Democrats... weren't they the ones against big oil?

Yes, but once again in their quest through unreasonable means they have caused the opposite of what they want to happen to happen. By reducing the areas that oil companies can drill in legislation has effectively limited the supply of oil and the ability of oil companies to increase that supply. Combine the limited supply on the WORLD market for emerging market's (like China) desire to secure future energy shares for their growing production need you have the rights (futures) of future oil shares being bought up for ever increasing prices. Some have blamed speculator for driving up prices, and/or US oil companies for driving up production but the US isn't the number one producer of oil and speculators' purchases of oil pale in comparison to the aggregate world purchases of oil for actual use. The DEMOCRATS proposals of punishing speculators and oil producers have one fatal familiar flaw; they can only punish AMERICAN producers and speculators leaving foreign producers free to carve a larger share of the oil market out for themselves and making us MORE DEPENDENT ON FOREIGN OIL. Reduced profits for American companies also mean more induced hardships for American citizens.

All of these has produced a higher-per-barrel price for companies. Unlike many companies, oil producers have had no control over the price of barrels. Once on the world market, competition for oil shares decides the price. Basic economics, when competition for a product increases and supply remains stagnant, prices increase. This has played to the advantage of oil companies as no additional costs of production were incurred. So as prices increase and costs remain stable, all the additional rise in oil price is PROFIT. This is why Exxon was able to post record profits of $11.68 billion. So when prices were pushed from $100 a barrel to $120 a barrel that equated to nearly $20 a barrel PROFIT. So who is to blame for increasing oil prices? Legislation on regulation. AKA, the Democrats. This blew my mind when I realized that these profits were directly links to the Democrats. Of course then when they propose to punish oil companies for these profits.... I shake my head. More control, more power, please.... no more Democrat moves like these.

Days go bye.... They go bye too

2008-07-28T19:14:00.000-07:00

Things are as they should be. I just got back from muh hometown and enjoyed the July 24th celebrations. It was everything that it should have been, from the country dancing to the parade. We also had our Crosby reunion at the same time and it was the first one I have been to without my Grandpa being there. We had a part where each child of my Grandparents got up and told stories about them and that, couple with my own personal memories drove me to think of the duty that I have as their grandchild to be something more. I think that if I had been given to tough life that my grandpa had been given.... Well I don't think I would have made it. I just have always been so proud of him. I remember always going to the apache county fair and finding the sheriff's booth and going up and asking them if they knew my grandpa, because he used to be the sheriff. I would point to his picture if it was up and say proudly, "That's my Grandpa." He was also a lesson in reform, from the rough and rowdy boy to the Grampa who demanded respect and whose spiritual presence was demanding, even if he never said much. I remember his last words to me before I left for the Philippines. Learn to trust the Lord. It seems hard at times because I have so much family to trust and it always seems like we can work things out. I don't pray to ever be pushed to the point where it is just I and the Lord, and no one else, but I wonder if I would have the fortitude. Like my Grandfather and Father before me. We must always remember who we are, and who they were. Whoever it is for you, we all have so many inspirations and rather then sitting around waiting for those inspirations to happen we must become the inspirer. Most of our influences in our lives are not those who were given much, but those who made much from very little. So we know so can we.

En requim
Grampa

Work

2008-07-18T13:10:00.000-07:00

I feel like with everything I write there has to be a corresponding journal entry. If I add a sentence, I should credit my stock hold of sanity in my brain. So I have been working at a CPA and pretty soon my brain will be MIA. Actually that's not true, sadly, I really like it. It's like a big puzzle you have to put together and if it doesn't fit, you'll know. The people here are really nice too and it is such a relaxing environment. Paid lunches, call a friend.... just keep working too. (I'm not comfortable enough to do stuff like that though.... except the paid lunches and the blogging during lunch) Everything else in life is going well. I meant to take a social timeout for the summer but it hasn't worked out so I am going to try again...... I'm single what am I supposed to do!

I've been spending a lot of time focusing on economics and politics. I just finished my first non-scriptural book .... "Basic Economics" written by Thomas Sowell (great book). I just finished watching Al Gore talk about his version of solutions for our energy crisis. He had some good points, even though several times during his speech I felt to boo him. One of the things that we need to do as a country to improve our energy independence is start with the infrastructure. We need to start by revamping our outdated power grid. Power outages and defects costs American business $120 billion dollars a year. Thats a lot of billions.
The thing is though is that in order to revamp our power grids, build cleaner and more efficient power plants, and provide long lasting solutions to our current problems Americans have to unite under a common banner. This is going to be expensive and will need funding. Why doesn't the US give Americans the opportunity to put their money where there mouth is by offering energy bonds? With our highly regulated domestic electricity markets the government has much say in how the companies conduct themselves. Whether or not this is advantageous to our economy is not my point, my point is if we are to cut on energy consumption and increase energy production then we should make Americans the invested stockholder in our futures. The energy bonds could be converted into a common stake in such things as updated power grids and new power plants. Power companies already have to pay fees to other companies when their power travels across their lines, so the bonds could be repaid through those fees. The cut in energy loss should provide these companies with a cut in costs which would allow them the financial mobility to repay these bonds. I know, I am just firing this out, but it gets you thinking a little bit to.

So maybe I am a staff accountant/intern at a small public accounting firm. Maybe I don't know what the heck I am doing anyway (well not actually maybe) But I think that I have a vested interest in my future and I think that someday I will either end up in politics or will be on TV saying something about politics, even if it is only a 5 second clip, I gotta get in there somehow.

Say what? What you say?

Blake Gray

Life

2008-07-02T00:45:00.000-07:00

Sometimes life really takes you by surprise. Sometimes it kicks you in the face. I think this last almost year of being back from the mission has been a huge roller coaster. In the end, I think I'm finally starting to really get comfortable with the flow of life. This, is of course great news..... at least I'll not call live links so often now.... it was starting to get kinda expensive. Totally kidding. Most of all I have to say the past year has been a rough change. I've always been as happy as always, but accepting that things will never be the way they were takes time. It is sort of a coarse recourse. I am happy to say a friend will be getting sealed soon. I think that has given more of that real happiness than anything else lately. I've had no role, no influence (positive), on anything to do with it. So good for them....

I started working at an accounting firm. My main prima set me up with it and now she is training me. It is fun to watch her twitch as I work. I really suck, but I'm learning. (I know it is hard, just be patient please) I have been happy with the past couple of months because I have returned a little more to my family. I could be successful in school, work, sports, politics, or anything. But if I am not a part of my family. I am nothing. I don't even want to be successful in my family, however that would be measured. I just want to be there when the pictures are taken.

This is what you get when you don't post for a while and find yourself looking back on the past in overview. I guess it is a little healthy.

2007-12-05T08:01:00.000-08:00

Finals week. Man this is crazy, finals are coming up and I am borderline A or B in pretty much all my classes. I hate finals. This is just kind of a post because I haven't posted forever but seriously, I hate finals.

Huh? a missionary?

2005-08-14T17:06:00.000-07:00

Ladawn took this picture of me.

.....

yay?

Back home...

2005-07-29T18:18:00.000-07:00

Well summer camp with its crazy kids and its tired counselors is over. No more "Who's poopy underwear are these?" and no more "Blake, your my favorite counselor ever." It makes me sad but its over. I wish everybody could be a counselor at least once. It is demanding and greatly rewarding. 1 day off every 2 weeks means 13 straight days of 15 hour days. No one tells you thanks for the work except maybe the ones you let cut you in the lunch line. But in the end its the ones that love you that matter.....

Now that I am back I spent my first day skydiving with Ann. It was awesome! now I am, I don't know, getting ready to go to the Philippines. Wish me luck. Salude

Today is Sunday Today is Sunday

2005-06-19T10:23:00.000-07:00

Once again I have a little time to scrabble a little message here on my posting block. Yesh it is Sunday, and the camp director has given me time to worship and rest. I snuck up to the chapel here and played some hymns and sang for a while and now I am waiting for a ride to the singles ward in Prescott from Rick who lives on campus. Things are going great and I am anxious to get my call.

Other news. I opened a bank one account so they can direct deposit my check there. I figures this was a good idea since uhhhh I spent my last check.....

The youngers are doing a play tonight and I have a major role. (Yay?) Its all the (7-9) years olds except me out there, its going to be great. Whoops, dang it forgot to get their costumes......

2005-06-17T21:21:00.000-07:00

YEE-HAW

Bye Ozule

2005-06-17T21:12:00.000-07:00

Yes, Ozule the big half draft horse attempted to buck me today. But what kids, who am I, JOHN WAYNE!! So no more riding Ozule for me. I am loving it here. I end every day with a bit of a struggle to say to myself, Good job Blake. But thats okay, because these kids love it and are getting better and are getting more and more into. Hey I made one laugh so hard he peed his pance. Mission Accomplished

WOW

2005-06-15T12:55:00.000-07:00

I rode ozule today, a half draft horse that was huge. It was awesome! This is all I have time to say, does that mean I am busy?

Refiners Fire

2005-06-11T09:17:00.000-07:00

The Lord does many thing to ensure that we can be tested and can be made better. The trials that we go through have been titled "the Refiners Fire." Most of the time we are not too thankful for these trials but all these things are for our good. Last night I went to Prescott with all the other counselors. Last time they went I stayed home alone and this time I wish I could have. EVERY single counselor drank that night. Well, our driver didn't I think... But still it was bad, I felt horrible, the spirit WILL NOT stay around in that environment. People drinking Jack and Corona's is not the way to ensure the companionship. So it answers one critic. The "how can you know it's wrong unless you've tried it?" Look I was there, the mere presence and consumption of alcohol made me empty, and fast. Another Critic I have learned to answer is the one who has the "Don't get caught attitude." "In the Bible it says only drunkenness, look I love my whiskey and there ain't nothing wrong with that." Okay you can say that, but what is right about it. How great it would be if every righteous decision was a clear white button and every sinful decision was a black one. We would pop through life and perfect beings right? But its not that way, we are being tested and trained! We must learn obedience and faith when it not clearly obvious. This accompanies my belief in being kind and generous. That bum I gave 5 dollars to? What do I expect to get back, I honestly don't expect a "You gave 5 dollars to a bum get out of hell free card." Or even a sin eraser worth 5 dollars of kindness. I expect nothing, the greatest test and triumphs is when a man chooses what's right when no one is watching and when it doesn't seem like he'll get caught.

That's why I was thankful when last night ended and I was reading my scriptures. Look it's a new perspective that might be helpful on a mission, or even more importantly later on in life, when I teach my children....

Long winded?

Meet Blake Gray

Enviromental Issues....

2005-06-09T16:21:00.000-07:00

Well, coming to a ranch camp I excpected at least a couple of religious fellow employees instead I got none. It was quite a surprise to find absolutely no religon with most of my cohorts resulted to the default I'm just not ready right now, I don't have the ability to have that kind of faith, and I will do it later. The enviroment is odd with neutral showers (goes back to gender specific in a few days) and very foul mouths and perverted language.... It's true that the spirit is gone in a lot of group setting and so am I. They talk of drinking or there topics are crude so I can't join in, so I am now the quite one..... Odd eh? but thats life, and I find quite releif in reading the scriptures or finding what I want to think about in my mind. I want so badly to go to MTC camp but I have to wait....

Un-en-titled (you have no right to title me)

2005-06-07T16:35:00.000-07:00

I saw the change in your eyes,
As I changed from Blake,
to a Mormon guy.

I thought, this wasn't right.
Before I was a person,
now I am covered with ignorant night.

Before you said hello and smiled,
now your greeting is hollow,
and your excitment mild.

I have not changed a fiber,
I'm still the same ole' boy,
But how can I be a liar.

How can I deny my faith,
What horrible thing is asked.
Why would I withdraw my face,
When asked about my past.
Should I become a sculpture,
And shape myself each day.
That is not what I hoped'for.
I hoped I was what I say.
I hoped I was a real person.
I hoped I was a single being.
Now the situation will worsen,
as you turn to blanket me.

I guess I will have to smile,
as you turn your intuition away.
I will not meet you with guile,
As I enter the fray.
As I face the duty,
of being an example today.
Please God, please root for me.
As my face is replaced.
I am still me, you know me.
But I would rather them see your face.
I'd rather them feel your love,
not mine.
I'd rather them look above,
then to me.
I'm thankful I am your child,
I'm thankful for what I have.
But don't you; Ally, feel a bit odd,
when you miss my face?

Don't replace me Ally,
Why do you miss my soul?
I am just a peice,
not a carbon-copy of the whole.

I know I'm an emissary,
Just a little reluctant to accept the role,
But I beleive in this work,
With every bit of my soul.
So bless me in my weakness,
Make my soul stand strong.
Because no matter how I look,
If I serve you,
I can't go wrong.

Summer Camp Blues

2005-06-05T18:17:00.000-07:00

well, first day of summer camp blues and that was because it is Sunday. Today we got off early at 5 and everybody went to Prescott to shop, which I abstained from, which is why I am lonely and sad and have time to write this little post. Things here have been a little bit diffucult lately, no one here is a hint religous, I only here the Lords name when it is used in vain. Most of the questions and respect are good but there have been questions asked where they don't want an answer, they just want to ask a diffucult question. I have done nicely though firing from the hip like JOHN WAYNE (or GRAMPA CROSBY) Church was bad too, not only did I not know anyone but there like was no youth, there were 5 of them and 4 of them left (including me) after sacrament meeting. I didn't want to make my ride who came out to get me stay. I didn't want to stay either. Which is bad because I got up and bore my testimony and then left after. I'm hoping to go to Prescott single ward next week, but I'll see if that Rick guy who lives on campus and who is LDS still lives here and goes every Sunday.

Everything truly is fine and dandy, but it wouldn't hurt to pray for better Sundays...

Quotes

2005-06-02T21:05:00.000-07:00

"When the kids see you, you are John Wayne. BE John Wayne"
-Tim Magell

"Can I pack heat on the horse"
- Frank, Franky, or Francios the frenchman
Seriously he asked this, his secret friend gave him a toy pistol which he accidentally was wearing.

Orme Summer Camp

2005-06-01T12:26:00.000-07:00

Well now I am at Orme Summer Ranch Camp. I have already saddled and caught a horse and tonight I will saddle and ride my own. At this point I am still a greeny, but soon I will be, in the words of summer camp leader Tim Magelle "John Wayne." I have had a blast so far and the experience looks promising. I'll filled an odd role so far, those of you who know me, know this is weird, they think of me as the "Mormon kid who goes into his room to read all the time, and is really quite" I really am intimidated by this enviroment really but Ally has been really nice and taught me how to saddle etc. and Pete really took me uinder his wing for the first 30 minutes (then I retreated to his room.) The boots fill great, and so do the wranglers. The only complaint that I have with clothes is I killed four, what they say is, Daddy Longlegs after shaking my pants to loose the after one night infestation. The only complaint I have with that classification of the Daddy Longlegs is that they have major ghetto Booty and I remember them more like my sister Leslie. lol. I can't wait to get crackin with all the kids and everyone here, and it might be a little diffucult. But no matter what I must remember, "Be John Wayne"

Talmage Burleson

2005-05-20T02:38:00.000-07:00

Well after not seeing Talmage for a long time, the tall lean machine and I finally got together anddddd played starcraft and sat around and talked. It was good, the guy hasn't changed that much, well he has but certain things are still the same. He has 20+ character passwords which he can memorize with ease, but fails to remember where he put his mail key. He is still way into computers and has this monitor I am typing on right now which is gosh, bigger then my TV. In fact it's one of those TV/moniter things which normally run around $2,500 dollars but he worked for best buy on got the discount so it was "only" $1,200. As always he insisted I stay up all night playing on his screaming fast machine and stay at his house the next day as he and his wife would be gone to work and I could stay here and play all I wanted. His wife is a graphic designer and he is getting about a billion certifications from microsoft to networking to one that only Talmage could acheive - Ability to send a technical message to MSI motherboard in which it ends with 8 greeting, Allah be with you, God bless you, I love you, and how much would could a woodchuck chuck if a wood chuck could chuck wood. Such an easy going funny guy. It's good seeing him again....

Star Wars and the Gospel

2005-05-19T13:51:00.000-07:00

For those of you who don't know I am a huge fan of Star Wars. Always have been, probably always will be. I am also a huge fan of the gospel of Jesus Christ. But, alas, what really hit me about the new Star Wars movie was a lavish and rich opportunity to draw a comparison to the Preisthood. There are two principals of the preisthood that are very very important to take into account. One, the preisthood's sole purpose is to bless Heavenly Father's children and will only work when the preisthood holder is worthy and the purpose or blessing given is in accordance with the will of God. (loosely quoted as I don't have the source) "When one seeks to use the preisthood to gain power over another, amen to the authority of that Preisthood holder." - (A really good guy) Two, is that holding the preisthood is giving allegiance to God, following him and trusting in his ways. Anakin (Pre-darth) had the force (Preisthood) and he was on the light side. One quote from the movie that can be likened to the power of the light side and the preisthood is when Anakin says "The light side is self-less" You cannot give yourself a blessing, the preisthood exists for the blessing of others. But Anakin had a dark secret that he was hiding, he was married to Padme (Queen Amidala and later Luke and Leia's mother) and Padme was pregnant. Anakin had made a bond there, he had acted outside of the ways of the force. Padme's pregnancy (addiction) forced him to no longer be able to be selfless, he was no longer able to act within the ways of the force. Instead of admitting this and committing to a sort of repentance he was fearful. The big decision began to be made as he started having dreams that Padme would die in labor. Was Padme supposed to die in labor, was it her destiny? Yes, it was. The Jedi Master's advice to him was prepare for the departure of the loved one. But Anakin couldn't handle that. He wanted power. He wasn't selfless now, Padme and HIS CHILDREN were know a major part of who he was. Now he needed more power, a promise made to him by Darth Sidous that if he joined the dark side he would have that power. He wanted an extreme power promised him by Darth Sidous, the power to stop people from dying (Which in no way is a power that Satan can give) He was fighting fate, fighting a decision made by something in charge of everything. This can be likened to fighting God. It is sad though, the light side is the power of healing, the dark side is the power of death. What he really needed was healing, for a path, for knowledge of his purpose, To do good. It was hard to watch as Anakin and Padme were arguing after Anakin's siege at the temple, and as Padme started to realize that what she wanted was no longer there. That Anakin was no longer a Jedi (righteous preisthood holder) but a Sith Lord (John Kerry, lol) If only, in only Anakin had remained true to the truth he could've been there for his wife, instead when she came to him he hurt her.... What Padme really needed was a kind and self-less Jedi (A righteous preisthood holder). Liken that to preisthood holders themselves. There will be times that we are called on to give a blessing or to be a blessing to others. Are we worthy? AT ALL TIMES, are we worthy and ready?

The flip side of the force is darkness. There is a light side and a dark side. There is good and evil. There is a God and a devil. There is the Savior's fold and there is those fooled by Satan. And what reward is given to those who labor for Satan? "for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself." 2 Nephi 2:27 How was Anakin rewarded for his obedience to Darth Sidious? Remember the way Darth Sidious told Darth Vader that Darth Vader had killed Padme in his anger. Then as Darth Vader stepped forward and yelled out in anger the way that Darth Sidious sat in the background smiling, probably thinking "yes, yes, give in to your anger, be a slave to your pain."

In the end we must realize in this struggle for out souls that it is us who chooses what fold we are in, who we follow, and what actions we take with the situations presented us.

2 Ne. 2: 27 - Book of Mormon
27 Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself.

flipping steak is tooo snnnnnoooorrrreeee

2005-05-17T23:40:00.000-07:00

Hard working father

Elder Gray

2005-05-17T23:33:00.000-07:00

Elder Gray

YESH!!!!!! finally

2005-05-17T23:03:00.000-07:00

mission papers are in. Nuff said. Look at my new profile picture.

Repentant and volunteer flowers

2005-05-14T20:02:00.000-07:00

I was longboarding to the gas station to get a drink. (several reasons for this, first I was sick of packing, second there is a hill leading to the gas station so it looked like fun, and third because I just bought a longboard and since my job on the ranch starts on the 30th I got start using it.) Anyway, on my way I saw Mrs. Broadbent outside working in her garden. She has always been a great neighbor and she is so nice, so I stopped to help her. We were working and there were some dead flowers and I asked her if she wanted me to dig them up, and she replied. "I was hoping they would repent, but they just wouldn't come around." Later on she pointed out some plants and told me she didn't know what they were and that they were just volunteer flowers. I wanna be old, they are so funny.

More proof that SJ is the same

2005-05-14T14:31:00.000-07:00

This morning I was awoken by the knocking of the fat kids from across the street asking to jump on the tramp. I seems audacious to you, but in SJ kids do it all the time it drives me crazy. We honestly believe if they get hurt there parents won't sue us. Then they yell at me to watch the "CHOKE SLAM" and then yell at me to watch it again. I don't care at all, unless you give me the op. to choke slam you off the tramp...

Home in Saint Johns

2005-05-13T22:32:00.000-07:00

Getting more was highly relieving. Which was odd since I dreaded being home again. I was afraid of seeing this person and that, I had some apprehensions about the social scene in good ole' SJ. But getting here the first thing I did was hang out with Ben Brown and scramble to make Jordan Rothlisburger hang out with before I got home and all we did was play some basketball, some risk, and sit around and watch the suns game. It was good, it was Saint Johns. The best was seeing Mrs. Broadbent my neighbor and taking her some peas, broccoli, and salad that my mom had made and wanted me to take to her. She and her husband were happy to just have me sit down and talk a while and were so happy for the assistance. (Her husband has had some medical problems lately, they are older) The best feeling was just coming back to where your home, where people greet you with a smile like, "oh Blake, its so good having you home again." It the people that make this ugly town beautiful.
P.S. I found a summer job, working at Orme Summer Camp for kids and teenagers. Though the intrinsic value of is low ($1100 for the summer) the extrinsic benefit are great. I am going to be a mentor to the 5 kids I will be living with that will come and go. I will constantly monitor them and take care of them. It's great because some of the most special moments in my life is when I have felt like, honestly, a father to my nieces and nephews. (I don't know, I say a father because it is a glorified uncle) I'm so excited. You? (Work start may 30 and ends either late July or August)

My last blog at college...

2005-05-12T01:40:00.000-07:00

Well thats it. It's all done and said. I'm so home to be ready. But then again, I have to job a find. thats fun no. ): I wonder where my blog will go after this, more imortant what I will be when the years come around and find me here again. Just remember Blake, when times get hard, he's there, the phantom of the opera. (I watched it around 20 times in almost a week.)

2005-05-08T23:48:00.000-07:00

ahh sweet serenity.... I'm going home...
Dr. Blake Gray

School year is ending. New rules for summer.

2005-05-07T09:56:00.000-07:00

Seeing as I will proly have either a new audience or no audience for my blog (my current audience average is around 2) as soon as summer hits. Here are no rules. No being too serious, no chest thumping orangutang stuff etc. Okey Dokey?

Hey mom!

2005-05-05T19:18:00.000-07:00

I need you to go to the website http://www.ormecamp.org/ormecamp.aspx?pgID=879
and click on the references link. Print off three and distribute them to Donna, Otis Connely, and Mrs. Burdick. Thanks mom and the link to the family blog is http://lmgrayfamily.blogspot.com/

A little more on Evan

2005-05-04T00:35:00.000-07:00

You know, that last comment made Evan look like a prick. For some reason I feel okay when I say things that makes Brady look bad, but he does them in good fun and Even was dead serious. So I will proceed to get churchy and tell you how Evan taught me humility. You see at the beginning of the year in missionary prep we all had to give a short little talk. I took quotes from each person and even proudly added my own, went home and typed it up and posted it at the foot of my bed. Every night I would look at it and look at how the only thing I could squeeze out of what Evan had to say was "I will go and do." Then I would proudly look at my own well articulated phrase and be proud that I had, I don't know, mastered the art of crafting my religious words so well. But now I'm so embarrassed of that. I'f only we'd all go and do. Evan is putting in his missionary papers now, and I have to wait. What if I had "gone and done" instead of mucky-mucked my snobby way into a little trouble. Sure its all in the past, but really what do the prophets tell us when they are at the pulpit. Simple things to go and do (and not do.) When President Hinckley wakes up in the morning he doesn't start with a heavenly manifestation, he starts by praying and reading his scriptures. Besides in a missionary respect, the best articulator of the gospel is the Holy Ghost and Christ himself. We are magnified a hundred fold if we but "go and say" what the Lord is whispering. Perhaps if my mouth were shut and not babbling on, perhaps I would have heard sooner.

Evan Quotes

2005-05-04T00:32:00.000-07:00

"How much do you get for graduation, I guarentee you guys got more then me. ... I only got 2 grand."
- hmmm that means you got more then all of us all right, put together.

"I'm not rich, we don't even make a million dollars"
- His denial at Wendy's when we called him rich

It's been a while

2005-05-04T00:05:00.000-07:00

Yes, I know. Sorry. I have been very busy, on top of being Blake Gray, which can be a strain from all the media attention I get, I also have bee nvery busy with finals. Which I am happy to report, have gone extremely well. .... I think, nonetheless I expect about 3 A's and 2 B's or better to come out of this semester, which is okay. I guess. My summer plans are shaping up right now I am applying to work at a summer camp. It should be fun, there is a military one right by where I live but, uh, military. Hmmmm Blake = lazy, Military = intolerant of lazy people like me. I might try to get a job at that one too. Reform a few buggers. School is almost over, its crazy. I'll miss my friends and classmates a lot... especially occasionally seeing girls and being able to fantasize that their wonderful people and have great morals to go with their beauty, which is in no short supply at ASU. Morals? Rare as diamonds, and thats what were looking for. Diamonds. So naturally we got nothing, we'll just go on missions.

Brainstorming

2005-05-04T00:03:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to give my fans all a chance to interact in my life.....
Okay so here's the deal gang. We want to play a trick on the girls upstairs but don't want to do something thats been done before. So we need your suggestion, thats right, you can make a difference.

My take on the President's Remarks

2005-04-29T01:47:00.000-07:00

Friday, April 29, 2005
Presidential talk-athon

So the president concluded his remarks about his plan for the future of America. Social Security, Iraq, Bolton, and the energy crisis were discussed. Me being me I scrutinized what the president had to say about Social Security, Iraq, and the energy crisis the most.

But a short note on Bolton, The Democratic senator from New Mexico stated that though he would not vote for Bolton he does feel that Bolton should be allowed to have his office. The reason, the president is the man who selects his cabinets, the filibuster, or nuclear options are new ways to mangle the presidents plan. The problem with an unchecked cabinet is the fact that voting for a president does not include voting for his cabinet. With attention spans as low as they are the presidential campaign does not include and in-depth look at the president's cabinet. How could they? Has the president even decided who he is going to elect by that time? The problem with filibuster is that we decide the president and he decides the cabinet, and we know little or nothing about his choices. Who knows about Bolton, I certainly want a blunt man in charge of US relations to the quagmire (A democrat term admittedly) that the UN is. But is he the best man for the job? Who decides. Well the president, and there is little or no democracy or republic when we can't vote for an important post like that. Admittedly, Bolton does fit the outlines that Bush had for his country, so if you voted for Bush, you can say you expected Bolton. By the by, I approve of Bolton. (that wasn't a short note at all.)

Social Security The problem with social security is clearly a partisan problem. Whether the date that the system will become insolvent is 2041 (Bush used this number in his speech) or 2056ish (the Congressional Budget Office's estimate) it is mutually decided it will become insolvent. If it becomes insolvent then we have two things, broken promises to people who have paid into the system all these years, and a truly privatized account system. It is a problem, and to those who say its a problem Republican's have brought up I say, yeah, your right, Republican President Bill Clinton was the first to raise Social Security as an issue. By any account there is a major crisis looming without a fix. I have been very pleased that there is no true Bush plan, you idiots who oppose it, your opposing your own plan. Bush has set up general guidelines for what he thinks will work and now wants to send it to congress to get decided upon. Being open is something Bush is often criticized for not being, on now he does it and you shut him down, come on now. Even when I was little I wanted private accounts, not that I knew what that was but I always felt that if I could take care of my own money I would do better with it then the government. I think its sad that the government has to force our citizens (with payroll taxes) to not blow their money they should be saving for their future. I know that one argument is an example argument that Crawford county Texas does it and its working great, and the entire country of Chile is doing it with crazy good returns. But what they don't say is Argentina is doing it and it is terrible. An Econ TA for Roberts is from Argentina and he brought up the point which Dan (another TA) said, its because your government is corrupt. Which TA Argentina replied, it is true. Look enough blabbing, Democrats need to stop moping and fix this, its bad enough that I can single out a group of people that are moping around in the first place. I want a better social security in the future, one where my returns are better then what I would receive with the current plan. To those who doubt privizitation because of wall street fears I say, that's a good point, and Bush has said its a voluntary option, you can go straight bonds if you want.

Iraq Look, we know that Saddam had WMA's because he used them in Iran and against his own people the Kurds. You can still argue, and may be right that he didn't have them when Bush claimed that he did. But he still did have them, and when US intelligence, Russian intelligence, and British intelligence, all say they have WMA's now I think its better, in the words of Bush, "To assume that he has them, rather then assume he doesn't and be wrong." I always had a problem with the missing WMA's because that was Bush probably using fear to get us to go to war. But what I wanted to hear is what he is saying now, We wants to liberate oppressed people, stop the mass graves and concentration camps, and work for peace in the mid-east. I do not believe that Bush, as ballsy as he is, led us to war in Iraq because he had a personal grudge, or could get personal gain from oil. Some say it is a war for oil, I disagree, but still can say at least it would alleviate our Energy Crisis.

Energy Bill. Okay, for those reporters grilling the president about energy prices. What makes you think the President likes higher gas prices. We seek blame in our society, but what benefit would the president have from foreign crude oil being more expensive? The energy bill is not a quick fix, but it is sorely needed. The only way to alleviate short term pains from the gas crunch is to lower the price of oil which Bush says comes from coercing other countries to increase capacity to lower prices (I checked up with the theory of demand-pull inflation, and it would work) The plan that Bush is pushing is a long term fix, for goodness sake, who would do a long term fix, it wouldn't help his approval rating? Bush claims that it should have been done long ago, and since were having an "energy crisis" now he may be right. I don't believe we are having a crisis by the way, the reason we are freaking out is because gas hits us where we live, at the margin. To prove my point, the savings rate in the US is now below ONE FRIGGIN PERCENT.
I think we need to decrease dependancy on not only foreign oil, but also domestic oil. In fact, all oil. WE need to look for, as Bush stated more ecologically safe ways to produce energy. Bush of course will not be lauded for his push for cleaner energy, the same way he got nothing for women's right when he freed Afghanistan from the Taliban.

Overall, I think I like Bush's plan for the future, because it is refreshingly non-quick-fix oriented. Politics as usual often makes politicians want to make moves to improve the appearance, but forget to fix the problem there-in. Long term goals are what are important in moving a society forward.

I accept all comments as long as they are rational, and excuse myself from any misquotes or misspelling as I wrote this after tossing and turning in my bed another sleepless night.

Poem I wrote a long time ago about why I write Poetry

2005-04-29T01:44:00.000-07:00

This pen makes sense,
perfect sense.
Like red blood,
this pure ink tells the depth,
The Sorrow, The Pains,
things that make me break into song.
So in confidential nights,
I drop tears of ink onto perfectly understanding pages,
and I feel alright.

Brady Quotes

2005-04-27T17:19:00.000-07:00

"Don't worry, the birds will eat it."
-as he was throwing a DVD out in the patio

"I let him win cause I feel bad about slavery."
-Brady explaining why he lost in Halo 2 to an african-american

Short Pencils

2005-04-26T18:40:00.000-07:00

In Psychology the professor handed out course evalution sheets and had a stack of short pencils. Thats when it hit me! Short pencils are just recycled used eraser pencils. Nobody makes short pencils, thats where those pencils you don't know what happened to go to. You used up the eraser and you don't care what happens to it, so you just let it go. Then some one comes and takes your pencil, hacks off the eraser end, and makes a stubby little pencil. There are pencil collectors everywhere raiding school campuses in order to get more used eraser pencils to recycle. There sort of like those brown recycled paper we used to use in first grade, nobody like those either!

School.

2005-04-26T11:05:00.000-07:00

To be truthful school should be over. COME ON ALREADY!!! I'm tired and sick. I'm sick of being tired. This summer will be an adventure, maybe. Actually what the heck am I going to do. OH NO!! Given all the negative image of school in the last year though, I do want to state that I have learned one thing. That is to not dress like the posted picture and strut around like the "bleep" gobbler.

2005-04-26T11:04:00.000-07:00

I don't do this anymore!!