Lots of great stuff lately! I spent last week at my parents' home in Missouri with my kids. I picked up the girls about 10AM last Tuesday and hit the road. It's become a "thing" so we stopped in KC at a Steak & Shake for lunch. I love this restaurant and try to take my girls when I can. They have grown to love it, too, and with my love and my oldest daughter's love for KC, we try to combine those things. We also spent some time driving in downtown KC. My girls had only seen the skyline from a distance, so it was cool for them to see things up close. We also drove through Crown Center. I just wish I had more time to show them some of the places I frequented in KC and where I lived. In the future we will pick a different part of KC to go through each time.
We arrived at my folks' place just after 5pm. We ended up going to the Montgomery County Fair, which my dad was supposed to ride in for the American Red Cross. While they were getting the parade in order, Mom took us to El Rancharito. Very nice Mexican food and environment. We sat outside to watch the parade. We thought Dad was supposed to be at the front of it, but as more floats passed, we were beginning to wonder where he was. Paige was collecting candy with the occasional help from Brittany. After most of the parade had gone through, Dad came walking up the sidewalk. The van they used for the American Red Cross had made it about 2/3 of the way through the parade and then broke down. They had to push it off the route and start hoofing it the rest of the way. At least they made it through most of the parade. This little town has a huge fair and the parade can last a good 90 minutes or so. We were able to leave not long after Dad arrived.
Wednesday was spent at the St. Louis Zoo. It was very hot out, but we made a route that allowed us to see many of the animals and still stay cool for much of the day. We didn't see any large cats, hyenas, or giraffes, but those animals were probably staying cool, too. We did get quite the entertaining show from a certain puffin that was taking a bath and dancing on the water. He even got close to the edge a few times and splashed us. We got back home about 4:30pm which allowed us to hit most of the zoo while leaving a few places out to hit next time.
My mom made some great meals all week long. We had my favorite meal, meatloaf, on Wednesday evening. We had roast beef au ju for one dinner. We had biscuits and gravy the final morning we were there with other meals including breakfasts of pancakes and sausage and an eggs and bacon day. It's always great having home cooking.
We spent a lot of time swimming in their pool. The girls got a lot of time in doing that and even invited a neighbor girl over to swim with them. We also learned about Sudoku puzzles, which I had never heard of before. The girls made key chains and spent time doing other crafts with their grandma.
We got together for dinner with SB and Patti and her kids on Thursday evening at Denny's in Kingdom City. It's always great seeing friends that you don't see often. We had a corner booth and spent a lot of time visiting and laughing and letting the kids goof off.
Friday morning I took Brittany to Mexico, MO, with me. I used to work at a local grocery and the public library there so I was anxious to see if I knew anyone still working there. We initially stopped at this gorgeous woman's apartment. (Yes, I'm finally seeing someone.) We visited there for about 45 minutes and saw her new, but empty, apartment. She was pretty excited to get this move of hers over with. We then went to the grocery store and ran into two former co-workers there and had a great visit. One of them used to be my boss so we caught up on what a few other people were doing these days, too. I then headed to the library and was able to see three former co-workers there. That was probably my favorite stop as I used to have a lot of fun at that library. It was great catching up and seeing everyone that day.
When Brittany and I returned to my parents, we awaited the arrival of my youngest brother and his wife. When they arrived, we grilled out and then they took us in to the Def Leppard/Journey concert, which you can read about below. It was a great evening of great music.
We took off after breakfast on Saturday and stopped in KC for lunch again. The girls were anxious to get back and so was I. It was a long, exhausting drive, but after such a great trip, it is something we all hope to do again soon. We are looking forward to Thanksgiving where my other brother will join us with his family and it will be a great holiday with all three generations of my family together. It's amazing how much more important family becomes the older we get. I can't wait to see everyone again.
Thursday, July 27, 2006
Sunday, July 23, 2006
Summer Jam 2006
I really debated hard about going to Summer Jam. It had nothing to do with the bands, but with how tired I still was from the drive home on Saturday. I'd spend the week in Missouri at my parents' home and the drive was just exhausting! Sunday, I knew I really wanted to see The Atomic Punks, Ratt, and I'd never seen Kansas before. I'm also a Ted Nugent fan and REO fan. Even though I was still exhausted, I decided to go at the last minute. I got their in time to see The Atomic Punks on the second stage. They originally were to hit the main stage, but a scheduling conflict with the arrival of REO's sound equipment.
The Atomic Punks had a set list on stage, but I think they veered from it a bit. The printed list is as follows:
On Fire
Every Body Wants Some
Mean Streets
Runnin' With The Devil
Eruption
You Really Got Me
Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love
Dance The Night Away
Jamie's Cryin'
Ice Cream Man
Panama
Unchained
Hot For Teacher
The guitar player has only been with The Atomic Punks for 3 months but has the licks down. Ralph Saenz is the ultimate David Lee Roth impersonator and had a lot of fun with the crowd that gathered at this stage. I was able to meet Ralph and the guitarist after the show. They were very kind and hope to be back this way in the future.
Ratt is the main band I was anxious to see. I have always been a fan and they have never disappointed. The set list was:
Lack Of Communication
Lay It Down
Over The Edge
You're In Love
Way Cool Jr.
Nobody Rides For Free
Wanted Man
I'm Insane
Back For More
Walkin' The Dog (John Corabi sang lead on a verse.)
Round And Round
Jizzy was excited to see such a large crowd. Robbie was rocking out the entire time and seemed to have some fun with Jizzy on stage. Warren DeMartini is the consummate guitar hero and shared the mic on some background vocals with John. Bobby didn't miss a beat and led the band through the set. From the side of the stage, Barry Sparks (Dokken and Ted Nugent bassist) and Ralph Saenz were enjoying most of the Ratt set and the Ratt gang seemed truly appreciative to have them there.
Kansas was up after a set by the Hat Trick Heroes. I guess HTH is some kids that play from Florida. I just didn't pay much attention. Even during the Kansas set, I found myself wandering around while listening. It was a tight set and many people seemed to be into the show, but I didn't know most of the songs. They played about 5-6 songs before whipping out Point Of Know Return. They played another tune before leaving the stage. They really sounded great and seemed to have most of the lineup from the Freaks Of Nature CD. They came out to encore Dust In The Wind and Carry On My Wayward Son. For me, this was finally the payoff. I was hoping for Play The Game Tonight, but Steve Walsh didn't sing on that song so it was expected that they may skip it. It just may have been more familiar to a guy like me who only has 3 of their CD's in my collection and mostly has heard them from the radio. Still a great band and I'm glad they are still around.
Ted Nugent was up next and the crowd was constantly chanting "Ted" even while the drum kit was being brought on stage. This was one fired up crowd! Uncle Ted didn't disappoint, either. He kicked off with the American Anthem backed by Barry Sparks and Mick Brown, both from Dokken. These guys are tight! Ted's tunes tend to jam out with some great guitar and the band really was on fire supporting him. I've got some titles wrong, so feel free to correct me, but the set list was:
National Anthem
Get Ready
Wango Tango (You Really Got Me was in the middle of this.)
Who The Hell You Think You Are (Yea, this title is wrong.)
Free For All
Wang Dang Sweet Puntang (Some great blues playing!)
Klstrphnky
Rawdogs And Warhogs
Soul Man
Hay, Baby (Barry Sparks sang lead on this tune.)
Dog Eat Dog
Fred Bear
Kiss My Ass
Stranglehold
ENCORE
Cat Scratch Fever
Ted had the crowd eating from his palm the entire set. He is an icon and a full bluntal frontman. He used the bow and arrow to shoot Osama and the crowd went nuts. He constantly brought up his hunting and politics and love of America and rock 'n roll. Barry and Mick were genuinely having a blast and this truly seemed like a band with a leader.
I left after Ted, so I don't know how REO did, but I'm sure it was great. I've seen REO a couple of times and they never fail to put on a great show. I hope someone got a set list and review of this part of the day.
KGGO did a pretty good job of putting on this event. I'm not sure how many were in attendance in comparison to Waterstock, but the area was spread out more and there were more food vendors. There wasn't a real tattoo parlor, but you could get temporary ones if you were into that. There just didn't seem to be the variety of the Waterstock event. Tickets were a bit higher and the VIP tickets were $150. I heard complaints about the VIP tickets as there was no band interaction that I heard of and their area ended at the corner of the stage where Lazer at least added some front of the stage access at Waterstock. The VIP tickets apparently included only one meal and 5 beers. This seems to be less than Lazer provided for their $125 ticket. Both stations have a long way to go to make this a real value.
While the crowd was large, it was a bit older since KGGO is more of a classic rock station as opposed to Lazer. The big drawback to the crowd is the fact that there are still idiots who seem to represent the worst of Des Moines concert-goers. There were actually people there expecting to be able to sit in lawn chairs at the front of the stage the entire day. Signs need to be posted at these events or a roped area that lets people know that chairs aren't allowed within 30-50 feet of the stage. This is a rock concert, not a picnic. People need to realize that and leave the chairs in back of the people who want to rock out and represent the best of Des Moines down front. Live music needs real energy feedback and sitting on your backside at the front of the stage does nothing for any band. Jizzy Pearl even poked a little fun during Ratt's set at these people by asking if they were comfortable and could use a sandwich or something. The only other drawback is the women who want to show off their chests at these shows. Please don't lift your shirt if you don't look young and nubile. Overweight or flat and saggy boobs are not what these bands want to see. Sixty year old women in thongs and bikinis are not appropriate at these shows, either. It's embarrassing to live in a place like this and try to enjoy a rock show when there are people like this showing up at the shows. I'd prefer to make a good impression on these bands so they will want to come back often. Just my humble opinion, but I heard this voiced by many others, too.
Overall, Summer Jam was a great day of great music. I wish I hadn't been so tired so I could have stuck around for all of it.
Pictures are up at http://sonofapreacher.spaces.msn.com if you want to check them out.
The Atomic Punks had a set list on stage, but I think they veered from it a bit. The printed list is as follows:
On Fire
Every Body Wants Some
Mean Streets
Runnin' With The Devil
Eruption
You Really Got Me
Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love
Dance The Night Away
Jamie's Cryin'
Ice Cream Man
Panama
Unchained
Hot For Teacher
The guitar player has only been with The Atomic Punks for 3 months but has the licks down. Ralph Saenz is the ultimate David Lee Roth impersonator and had a lot of fun with the crowd that gathered at this stage. I was able to meet Ralph and the guitarist after the show. They were very kind and hope to be back this way in the future.
Ratt is the main band I was anxious to see. I have always been a fan and they have never disappointed. The set list was:
Lack Of Communication
Lay It Down
Over The Edge
You're In Love
Way Cool Jr.
Nobody Rides For Free
Wanted Man
I'm Insane
Back For More
Walkin' The Dog (John Corabi sang lead on a verse.)
Round And Round
Jizzy was excited to see such a large crowd. Robbie was rocking out the entire time and seemed to have some fun with Jizzy on stage. Warren DeMartini is the consummate guitar hero and shared the mic on some background vocals with John. Bobby didn't miss a beat and led the band through the set. From the side of the stage, Barry Sparks (Dokken and Ted Nugent bassist) and Ralph Saenz were enjoying most of the Ratt set and the Ratt gang seemed truly appreciative to have them there.
Kansas was up after a set by the Hat Trick Heroes. I guess HTH is some kids that play from Florida. I just didn't pay much attention. Even during the Kansas set, I found myself wandering around while listening. It was a tight set and many people seemed to be into the show, but I didn't know most of the songs. They played about 5-6 songs before whipping out Point Of Know Return. They played another tune before leaving the stage. They really sounded great and seemed to have most of the lineup from the Freaks Of Nature CD. They came out to encore Dust In The Wind and Carry On My Wayward Son. For me, this was finally the payoff. I was hoping for Play The Game Tonight, but Steve Walsh didn't sing on that song so it was expected that they may skip it. It just may have been more familiar to a guy like me who only has 3 of their CD's in my collection and mostly has heard them from the radio. Still a great band and I'm glad they are still around.
Ted Nugent was up next and the crowd was constantly chanting "Ted" even while the drum kit was being brought on stage. This was one fired up crowd! Uncle Ted didn't disappoint, either. He kicked off with the American Anthem backed by Barry Sparks and Mick Brown, both from Dokken. These guys are tight! Ted's tunes tend to jam out with some great guitar and the band really was on fire supporting him. I've got some titles wrong, so feel free to correct me, but the set list was:
National Anthem
Get Ready
Wango Tango (You Really Got Me was in the middle of this.)
Who The Hell You Think You Are (Yea, this title is wrong.)
Free For All
Wang Dang Sweet Puntang (Some great blues playing!)
Klstrphnky
Rawdogs And Warhogs
Soul Man
Hay, Baby (Barry Sparks sang lead on this tune.)
Dog Eat Dog
Fred Bear
Kiss My Ass
Stranglehold
ENCORE
Cat Scratch Fever
Ted had the crowd eating from his palm the entire set. He is an icon and a full bluntal frontman. He used the bow and arrow to shoot Osama and the crowd went nuts. He constantly brought up his hunting and politics and love of America and rock 'n roll. Barry and Mick were genuinely having a blast and this truly seemed like a band with a leader.
I left after Ted, so I don't know how REO did, but I'm sure it was great. I've seen REO a couple of times and they never fail to put on a great show. I hope someone got a set list and review of this part of the day.
KGGO did a pretty good job of putting on this event. I'm not sure how many were in attendance in comparison to Waterstock, but the area was spread out more and there were more food vendors. There wasn't a real tattoo parlor, but you could get temporary ones if you were into that. There just didn't seem to be the variety of the Waterstock event. Tickets were a bit higher and the VIP tickets were $150. I heard complaints about the VIP tickets as there was no band interaction that I heard of and their area ended at the corner of the stage where Lazer at least added some front of the stage access at Waterstock. The VIP tickets apparently included only one meal and 5 beers. This seems to be less than Lazer provided for their $125 ticket. Both stations have a long way to go to make this a real value.
While the crowd was large, it was a bit older since KGGO is more of a classic rock station as opposed to Lazer. The big drawback to the crowd is the fact that there are still idiots who seem to represent the worst of Des Moines concert-goers. There were actually people there expecting to be able to sit in lawn chairs at the front of the stage the entire day. Signs need to be posted at these events or a roped area that lets people know that chairs aren't allowed within 30-50 feet of the stage. This is a rock concert, not a picnic. People need to realize that and leave the chairs in back of the people who want to rock out and represent the best of Des Moines down front. Live music needs real energy feedback and sitting on your backside at the front of the stage does nothing for any band. Jizzy Pearl even poked a little fun during Ratt's set at these people by asking if they were comfortable and could use a sandwich or something. The only other drawback is the women who want to show off their chests at these shows. Please don't lift your shirt if you don't look young and nubile. Overweight or flat and saggy boobs are not what these bands want to see. Sixty year old women in thongs and bikinis are not appropriate at these shows, either. It's embarrassing to live in a place like this and try to enjoy a rock show when there are people like this showing up at the shows. I'd prefer to make a good impression on these bands so they will want to come back often. Just my humble opinion, but I heard this voiced by many others, too.
Overall, Summer Jam was a great day of great music. I wish I hadn't been so tired so I could have stuck around for all of it.
Pictures are up at http://sonofapreacher.spaces.msn.com if you want to check them out.
Journey And Def Leppard in St. Louis
I was fortunate enough to be able to take my daughters to see two great bands in one night. I got lawn seats so they would be able to see more since they are still quite young. It was also cheaper since this tour isn't easy on the wallet. My lil bro and his wife drove us out from High Hill where I was spending the week visiting my folks. It sprinkled on us a bit on the way in, but as cloudy and dark as it got, we didn't get any rain during the show. We thought it looked like it was just going to pour, but the weather held out for us. There was an opener, Stoll Vaughn, but we didn't pay much attention. If I remember correctly, he had some Johnny Cash influence in his bluesy old fashioned sound. I'm sure it was ok, but just not my thing as I was more anxious to see the headliners.
Journey came out with Jeff Scott Soto filling in for the ailing Steve Augeri. I've been anxious to see Jeff sing for years as he has performed with Yngwie Malmsteen, Talisman, and others over the years. After hearing his collaboration with Neal Schon and Dean Castranova in Soul SirkUS (Dean recorded a released version of the CD, but had to leave the project due to other committments.), I was quite anxious to hear Jeff on some Journey tunes. He was fantastic! I think he's a better frontman than Steve is, but vocally on a similar level as they are both great sounding on the Journey classics.
The show started with Neal doing the American Anthem and the video screen behind him was lit with stars. The crowd was on its feet in honor of this great nation and anxious to hear this show. From the solo they kicked into Any Way You Want It. After that tune, Jonathan Cain announced that Steve was not there this particular night, but their good friend Jeff was filling in. I appreciated this as many probably didn't know. The crowd just went nuts as Jeff sounded great and looked good fronting this band. He was obviously thankful for the fans making this the best summer of his life. Ask The Lonely was followed by my favorite Journey tune, Stone In Love. These guys really cranked it up this night and I'm sure they are doing it all tour since Def Leppard is following them. I'm glad they came out to rock. The set list is as follows:
National Anthem (Neal's solo)
Any Way You Want It
Ask The Lonely
Stone In Love (Cain on rhythm guitar)
Keep On Runnin' (Cain on rhythm guitar)
Who's Crying Now (Dean on lead vocals)
Chain Reaction
Lights (Added a progression of Wind Cries Mary to end the song.)
Jon's Keyboard Solo
Open Arms (Dean on lead vocals)
Lovin' Touchin' Squeezin' (Cain on harmonica and lots of blues throughout.)
Wheel In The Sky (Cain on rhythm guitar)
Escape
Dead Or Alive
Faithfully (Dean on lead vocals)
Be Good To Yourself
Don't Stop Believin'
ENCORE
Separate Ways
Def Leppard came out with the full staging they haven't used in quite some time. They had the steps up the side leading to the walk in back of the drum riser. They used this on several occasions. The screen lit up with graphics that included live shots of them as well as album art in several spots. That digital screen looked sharp! The boys were in full force as the entire crowd seemed to stay and rock out to both bands. Def Leppard cranked things up from where Journey left it at Separate Ways. Def Leppard came out with Let's Get Rocked and went right into Make Love Like A Man. Over 15,000 people were singing along from the beginning. The set list is as follows:
Let's Get Rocked
Make Love Like A Man
Promises (My kids were glad to hear this as they grew up on Euphoria.)
Bringin' On The Heartbreak
Foolin'
Hysteria
No Matter What (Vivian sure can play some slide!)
Rock On (Featured Sav's bass solo intro.)
Rocket (Vivian and Phil traded licks at the end. I love a good guitar dual.)
Photograph (Ran right into the next tune...)
Armageddon It
Animal
Rock Of Ages
ENCORE
Love Bites
Pour Some Sugar On Me
After Hysteria, Joe introduced the new CD, YEAH!, and said to check it out for their true influences. The transitions from song to song were flawless and the run from Photograph right into Armageddon It was really a great rhythm turn. Joe kept getting the crowd fired up all night and had us all screaming before Rock Of Ages. When they came out for the encore, Sav thanked the crowd for their support and Joe later added how great it is that after all these years we are still turning out to see them. It really is true what he repeatedly says. We don't forget them and they won't forget us. This crowd hasn't forgotten either band and this sold out show is proof that this music will live on for generations.
Journey came out with Jeff Scott Soto filling in for the ailing Steve Augeri. I've been anxious to see Jeff sing for years as he has performed with Yngwie Malmsteen, Talisman, and others over the years. After hearing his collaboration with Neal Schon and Dean Castranova in Soul SirkUS (Dean recorded a released version of the CD, but had to leave the project due to other committments.), I was quite anxious to hear Jeff on some Journey tunes. He was fantastic! I think he's a better frontman than Steve is, but vocally on a similar level as they are both great sounding on the Journey classics.
The show started with Neal doing the American Anthem and the video screen behind him was lit with stars. The crowd was on its feet in honor of this great nation and anxious to hear this show. From the solo they kicked into Any Way You Want It. After that tune, Jonathan Cain announced that Steve was not there this particular night, but their good friend Jeff was filling in. I appreciated this as many probably didn't know. The crowd just went nuts as Jeff sounded great and looked good fronting this band. He was obviously thankful for the fans making this the best summer of his life. Ask The Lonely was followed by my favorite Journey tune, Stone In Love. These guys really cranked it up this night and I'm sure they are doing it all tour since Def Leppard is following them. I'm glad they came out to rock. The set list is as follows:
National Anthem (Neal's solo)
Any Way You Want It
Ask The Lonely
Stone In Love (Cain on rhythm guitar)
Keep On Runnin' (Cain on rhythm guitar)
Who's Crying Now (Dean on lead vocals)
Chain Reaction
Lights (Added a progression of Wind Cries Mary to end the song.)
Jon's Keyboard Solo
Open Arms (Dean on lead vocals)
Lovin' Touchin' Squeezin' (Cain on harmonica and lots of blues throughout.)
Wheel In The Sky (Cain on rhythm guitar)
Escape
Dead Or Alive
Faithfully (Dean on lead vocals)
Be Good To Yourself
Don't Stop Believin'
ENCORE
Separate Ways
Def Leppard came out with the full staging they haven't used in quite some time. They had the steps up the side leading to the walk in back of the drum riser. They used this on several occasions. The screen lit up with graphics that included live shots of them as well as album art in several spots. That digital screen looked sharp! The boys were in full force as the entire crowd seemed to stay and rock out to both bands. Def Leppard cranked things up from where Journey left it at Separate Ways. Def Leppard came out with Let's Get Rocked and went right into Make Love Like A Man. Over 15,000 people were singing along from the beginning. The set list is as follows:
Let's Get Rocked
Make Love Like A Man
Promises (My kids were glad to hear this as they grew up on Euphoria.)
Bringin' On The Heartbreak
Foolin'
Hysteria
No Matter What (Vivian sure can play some slide!)
Rock On (Featured Sav's bass solo intro.)
Rocket (Vivian and Phil traded licks at the end. I love a good guitar dual.)
Photograph (Ran right into the next tune...)
Armageddon It
Animal
Rock Of Ages
ENCORE
Love Bites
Pour Some Sugar On Me
After Hysteria, Joe introduced the new CD, YEAH!, and said to check it out for their true influences. The transitions from song to song were flawless and the run from Photograph right into Armageddon It was really a great rhythm turn. Joe kept getting the crowd fired up all night and had us all screaming before Rock Of Ages. When they came out for the encore, Sav thanked the crowd for their support and Joe later added how great it is that after all these years we are still turning out to see them. It really is true what he repeatedly says. We don't forget them and they won't forget us. This crowd hasn't forgotten either band and this sold out show is proof that this music will live on for generations.
Sunday, July 16, 2006
What A Weekend
This weekend was better than I imagined it to be. I have a wonderful friend who came to visit me for the weekend. She's just awesome. She arrived about my normal time home on Friday, but I had gotten off work early to get some things done before her arrival. When she arrived, we spend the evening in together and probably didn't get to sleep until about 2AM. We visited, we watched a movie, and I gave her a gift of a CD case with some CD's I thought she might like.
We had to get up early Saturday morning because I had a softball tournament. We listened to a couple of CD's on the way there and back. We won the first game, lost the second, and won the third. It was a double elimination tournament that they drug out over one day, so we lost players after that third game and forfeited the rest of the tournament. Last year they did the tournament over a couple of nights of play. This year, some bright person thought it might be fun to have it all in one day. This may work for other types of leagues, but not for a church league. There were a couple of teams that couldn't take part and some that had to forfeit later games like us. Weddings and other church activities occur on Saturdays, so it just wasn't condusive. Anyway, I got to show off a bit. I pitched the first and last games and pinch ran the second game for a guy who has a broken toe. Every at bat I was on base. I hit a double, several singles, and even walked 3 times, which I can't stand. There is nothing worse than playing what I call "looky-lou slow pitch". At least we did well for the most part, but I'm not sure why we lost the second game by one simple run against a team we normally beat.
After we exhausted ourselves playing softball in the excruciating heat, we headed back to my place so that I could get a much needed shower. I felt so dirty from the sweat and heat. We puttered around the house for a bit and around supper time headed out for an evening I had planned. I drove her around Des Moines, concentrating mostly on the nicer west side. I pointed out some things like the many businesses and shops and malls for the purpose of selling her on the idea of moving to Des Moines. There are so many more opportunities here than where she is from. Of course, I did this light-heartedly, but with a point. Maybe in a year or so she may be able to actually make the move.
We had a good dinner at Court Avenue Brewery. I'm not a drinker, but I heard they had a fairly upscale restaurant. We first sat in the pub awaiting our seat. We got a table in that half, but elected to go to the quieter side once our table was ready. It really made a difference as it was tough to hear each other in the pub. We had some good food and conversation. We left to go to Grey's Lake for a walk after dinner. It was light out when we started, but getting dark when we finished. We walked the entire trail around the lake and probably should have just done a short portion of it, but we made it. It was great just walking, talking, and joking. When we came home, it wasn't long until it was time to get some sleep. It was an early bedtime, but it had been a long, hot, exhausting day.
We both got up a bit earlier than normal for a weekend today, but just spent some time relaxing and watching EuroTrip before she needed to make her journey home. I wish I could have convinced her to stay longer, but there is so much to be done back home for her. She really needed the time. We bid farewell before noon.
It was such a tough parting on both of us after such a great weekend. We will see each other again soon, but it doesn't seem soon enough. I thought I was too old to feel that way...but I do.
We had to get up early Saturday morning because I had a softball tournament. We listened to a couple of CD's on the way there and back. We won the first game, lost the second, and won the third. It was a double elimination tournament that they drug out over one day, so we lost players after that third game and forfeited the rest of the tournament. Last year they did the tournament over a couple of nights of play. This year, some bright person thought it might be fun to have it all in one day. This may work for other types of leagues, but not for a church league. There were a couple of teams that couldn't take part and some that had to forfeit later games like us. Weddings and other church activities occur on Saturdays, so it just wasn't condusive. Anyway, I got to show off a bit. I pitched the first and last games and pinch ran the second game for a guy who has a broken toe. Every at bat I was on base. I hit a double, several singles, and even walked 3 times, which I can't stand. There is nothing worse than playing what I call "looky-lou slow pitch". At least we did well for the most part, but I'm not sure why we lost the second game by one simple run against a team we normally beat.
After we exhausted ourselves playing softball in the excruciating heat, we headed back to my place so that I could get a much needed shower. I felt so dirty from the sweat and heat. We puttered around the house for a bit and around supper time headed out for an evening I had planned. I drove her around Des Moines, concentrating mostly on the nicer west side. I pointed out some things like the many businesses and shops and malls for the purpose of selling her on the idea of moving to Des Moines. There are so many more opportunities here than where she is from. Of course, I did this light-heartedly, but with a point. Maybe in a year or so she may be able to actually make the move.
We had a good dinner at Court Avenue Brewery. I'm not a drinker, but I heard they had a fairly upscale restaurant. We first sat in the pub awaiting our seat. We got a table in that half, but elected to go to the quieter side once our table was ready. It really made a difference as it was tough to hear each other in the pub. We had some good food and conversation. We left to go to Grey's Lake for a walk after dinner. It was light out when we started, but getting dark when we finished. We walked the entire trail around the lake and probably should have just done a short portion of it, but we made it. It was great just walking, talking, and joking. When we came home, it wasn't long until it was time to get some sleep. It was an early bedtime, but it had been a long, hot, exhausting day.
We both got up a bit earlier than normal for a weekend today, but just spent some time relaxing and watching EuroTrip before she needed to make her journey home. I wish I could have convinced her to stay longer, but there is so much to be done back home for her. She really needed the time. We bid farewell before noon.
It was such a tough parting on both of us after such a great weekend. We will see each other again soon, but it doesn't seem soon enough. I thought I was too old to feel that way...but I do.
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
Softball and TV
Just about have one softball season down and then the fall league to go. We are 11-11 and got rained out Monday night. We are seeded 4th in the tournament on Saturday, but may not have enough to play. Most of our best players will be gone. We are making up our regular season games next Monday. If we win both, we could get a 2nd or 3rd place trophy. That wouldn't be a bad thing.
Last Comic Standing is down to the final 5. They had a guy break a few rules and had to ask him to leave last night. Funny guy, too. I'm not sure these should be the final 5, but the audiences voted and the show only shows some clips, not their full acts. That's part of the show that should change next time around. Let us see the entire act. We are tuning in for the laughs more than the "reality".
Rock Star: Supernova has been an interesting watch. I do not like the fact that it's not a real band, but a side project. As much as I enjoy the music of Gilby Clarke and Tommy Lee and Jason Newsted, this is just not a band that will make an impact beyond one CD. Even that CD will be a novelty item since they all have regular bands to return to. There is some talent on the show, though. They really came down hard on the young lady who did a great rendition of You Really Got Me last night. That was an awesome version and I loved it. I also loved Ring Of Fire. That girl almost scared me! I can't stand Nirvana, so throwing a tune in every freakin' week by that dead guy just really irks me. What? Am I the only one who thinks Nirvana was just a one hit wonder? I loved the back and forth about what is expected of the talent pool in this competition. They haven't made their "style" known so the singers don't know what to expect. All they know is the past of these superstars, but not what they might be cooking up together. With Tommy Lee doing rap and Jason doing weird (Voivod?) and Gilby being a classic rocker, what are these guys really trying to do together? Tommy Lee said it was a new/fresh sound. What does that mean? Have the singers only heard the one tune when they were introduced in the studio? I love what some of the girls are doing and the guys seem weak this year. It has only been two episodes so we shall see what the future holds.
I've been watching ECW on Sci-Fi. Not a bad start to getting this brand back on the air. I miss the gritty stuff, but at least they are trying to establish themselves. It's going to be fun seeing how they do since they are really part of WWE.
Two other new shows to check out: Psyche and Blade. You almost know what to expect with Blade as they are taking up after the movies. Psyche is one of the coolest new shows and it's on USA. It's a detective style show, but with a great premise. There are comparisons to Monk and that may only be part of the style, but certainly not the substance. Check both out as they will surprise you.
I'm getting ready to kick off about 10 days of pure enjoyment on Friday. I will try to get everything covered as best as possible. I have a beautiful visitor this weekend in addition to the softball tournament. On Tuesday I head to Mizzou for the week. I have the Def Leppard/Journey concert in St. Louis. Possibly Faster Pussycat/Bang Tango in Cedar Rapids. Summer Jam on the 23rd. It's going to be a fun one and I can hardly wait!
Last Comic Standing is down to the final 5. They had a guy break a few rules and had to ask him to leave last night. Funny guy, too. I'm not sure these should be the final 5, but the audiences voted and the show only shows some clips, not their full acts. That's part of the show that should change next time around. Let us see the entire act. We are tuning in for the laughs more than the "reality".
Rock Star: Supernova has been an interesting watch. I do not like the fact that it's not a real band, but a side project. As much as I enjoy the music of Gilby Clarke and Tommy Lee and Jason Newsted, this is just not a band that will make an impact beyond one CD. Even that CD will be a novelty item since they all have regular bands to return to. There is some talent on the show, though. They really came down hard on the young lady who did a great rendition of You Really Got Me last night. That was an awesome version and I loved it. I also loved Ring Of Fire. That girl almost scared me! I can't stand Nirvana, so throwing a tune in every freakin' week by that dead guy just really irks me. What? Am I the only one who thinks Nirvana was just a one hit wonder? I loved the back and forth about what is expected of the talent pool in this competition. They haven't made their "style" known so the singers don't know what to expect. All they know is the past of these superstars, but not what they might be cooking up together. With Tommy Lee doing rap and Jason doing weird (Voivod?) and Gilby being a classic rocker, what are these guys really trying to do together? Tommy Lee said it was a new/fresh sound. What does that mean? Have the singers only heard the one tune when they were introduced in the studio? I love what some of the girls are doing and the guys seem weak this year. It has only been two episodes so we shall see what the future holds.
I've been watching ECW on Sci-Fi. Not a bad start to getting this brand back on the air. I miss the gritty stuff, but at least they are trying to establish themselves. It's going to be fun seeing how they do since they are really part of WWE.
Two other new shows to check out: Psyche and Blade. You almost know what to expect with Blade as they are taking up after the movies. Psyche is one of the coolest new shows and it's on USA. It's a detective style show, but with a great premise. There are comparisons to Monk and that may only be part of the style, but certainly not the substance. Check both out as they will surprise you.
I'm getting ready to kick off about 10 days of pure enjoyment on Friday. I will try to get everything covered as best as possible. I have a beautiful visitor this weekend in addition to the softball tournament. On Tuesday I head to Mizzou for the week. I have the Def Leppard/Journey concert in St. Louis. Possibly Faster Pussycat/Bang Tango in Cedar Rapids. Summer Jam on the 23rd. It's going to be a fun one and I can hardly wait!
Tuesday, July 04, 2006
Summer Softball Season Update
Just a few more games left this softball season. We are 10-10 at this point, which is 5th place. They had us play 7 games in a row against the Upper league which cost us 6 of those losses. We finally started playing the Lower league games again, which is our division and won the last two games. We have 4 more games left and then a tournament. I'm hopeful that we win the last 4.
There is talk that we are going to enter the fall league with a very competitive team. We have 12 that can really play and I am hoping that we do this. I think we can win a lot of games if we do. The fall league is a bit shorter, but the competition should be good. We have enough good players on our team to do as well as last year so we shall see how it goes. I'm hopeful.
There is talk that we are going to enter the fall league with a very competitive team. We have 12 that can really play and I am hoping that we do this. I think we can win a lot of games if we do. The fall league is a bit shorter, but the competition should be good. We have enough good players on our team to do as well as last year so we shall see how it goes. I'm hopeful.
Monday, July 03, 2006
Special Olympics
I had a wonderful opportunity and a great time today. I volunteered for Special Olympics. I was a bowling scorekeeper today. In our lanes there were 6 female bowlers. They were incredible. I have nicknames for each of them. The Dancer just had the most awesome personality and a pretty good bowling form. She was hard on herself, but had a great time and encouraged the others. The Bouncer loved powering the ball down the alley. She sought approval, but had a great sense of humor about the bowling. She was anxious and excited to play. The Quiet One was a great bowler and very polite. Granny was a small skinny girl who bowled with a granny shot. She had a slight right curve that came in handy at times. The Ringer was bowling over 110 each game. She was definitely the best player in our area. She had great form, but rarely said a word even though her smile said a lot. The Winger could go either way when bowling. She just flung the ball down the alley and with some consistency will be a great bowler.
It was only an afternoon and all I did was keep score and assist in moving the game along, but it was great. There were some mechanical difficulties, but everyone in our area made sure things ran very smoothly. We had so much fun laughing and encouraging each other. The athletes were very good, polite, and seemed to be having a great time.
This is the first National Special Olympics. There have been State and International Special Olympics, but nothing in between before. Ames, IA is the first host of this event and from the pictures and talk, I'd say things are going very smoothly. Come out and support the athletes and if you are able, volunteer.
It was only an afternoon and all I did was keep score and assist in moving the game along, but it was great. There were some mechanical difficulties, but everyone in our area made sure things ran very smoothly. We had so much fun laughing and encouraging each other. The athletes were very good, polite, and seemed to be having a great time.
This is the first National Special Olympics. There have been State and International Special Olympics, but nothing in between before. Ames, IA is the first host of this event and from the pictures and talk, I'd say things are going very smoothly. Come out and support the athletes and if you are able, volunteer.
Sunday, July 02, 2006
Andy Rooney?
Just got this information via e-mail and it was attributed to Andy Rooney on an episode of 60 Minutes. Now I'm not a watcher of 60 Minutes and I'm not a fan of those types of news programs, including 20/20. I'm not sure this is what Andy Rooney actually said as I'm just not taking the time to check it out. No matter who said it, it's stuff I've been saying for a long time as have others.
"I don't think being a minority makes you a victim of anything except numbers. The only things I can think of that are truly discriminating are things like the United Negro College Fund, Jet Magazine, Black Entertainment Television, and Miss Black America. Try to have things like the United Caucasian College Fund, Cloud Magazine, White Entertainment Television, or Miss White America and see what happens. Jesse Jackson will be knocking down your door.
"Guns do not make you a killer. I think killing makes you a killer. You can kill someone with a baseball bat or a car, but no one is trying to ban you from driving to the ball game.
"I believe they are called the Boy Scouts for a reason, that is why there are no girls allowed. Girls belong in the Girl Scouts! Are you listening Martha Burke?
"I think that if you feel homosexuality is wrong, it is not a phobia. It is an opinion.
"I have the right not to be tolerant of others because they are different, weird, or tick me off.
"When 70% of the people who get arrested are black in cities where 70% of the population is black, that is not racial profiling. It is the Law of Probability.
"I believe that if you are selling me a milkshake, a pack of cigarettes, a newspaper, or a hotel room you must do it in English. As a matter of fact, if you want to be an American citizen you should have to speak English. My father and grandfather didn't die in vain so you can leave the countries you were born in to come over and disrespect ours.
"I think the police should have every right to shoot your sorry ass if you threaten them after they tell you to stop. If you can't understand the words freeze or stop in English, see the above lines.
"I don't think just because you were not born in this country you are qualified for any special loan programs, government sponsored bank loans, or tax breaks so you can open a hotel, coffee shop, trinket store, or any other business.
"We did not go to the aid of certain foreign countries and risk our lives in wars to defend their freedoms so that decades later they can come over here and tell us our Constitution is a living document and open to their interpretations.
"I don't hate the rich. I pity the poor.
"I know pro wrestling is fake, but so are movies and television. That doesn't stop you from watching them.
"I think Bill Gates has every right to keep every penny he made and continue to make more. If it ticks you off, go and invent the next operating system that's better and put your name on the building.
"It doesn't take a whole village to raise a child right, but it does take a parent to stand up to the kid and smack their little behinds when necessary and say no.
"I think tattoos and piercing are fine if you want them, but please don't pretend they are a political statement. And please stay home until that new lip ring heals. I don't want to look at your ugly infected mouth as you serve me French fries.
"I am sick of Political Correctness. I know a lot of black people and not a single one of them was born in Africa so how can they be African-Americans? Besides, Africa is a continent. I don't go around saying I am a European-American because my great, great, great, great, great, great grandfather was from Europe. I am proud to be from America and nowhere else.
"And if you don't like my point of view, tough.
"It is said that 86% of Americans believe in God. Therefore, I have a very hard time understanding why there is such a problem in having "In God We Trust" on our money and having "God" in the Pledge Of Allegiance. Why don't we just tell the other 14% to shut up and be quiet?"
I love being part of the majority.
"I don't think being a minority makes you a victim of anything except numbers. The only things I can think of that are truly discriminating are things like the United Negro College Fund, Jet Magazine, Black Entertainment Television, and Miss Black America. Try to have things like the United Caucasian College Fund, Cloud Magazine, White Entertainment Television, or Miss White America and see what happens. Jesse Jackson will be knocking down your door.
"Guns do not make you a killer. I think killing makes you a killer. You can kill someone with a baseball bat or a car, but no one is trying to ban you from driving to the ball game.
"I believe they are called the Boy Scouts for a reason, that is why there are no girls allowed. Girls belong in the Girl Scouts! Are you listening Martha Burke?
"I think that if you feel homosexuality is wrong, it is not a phobia. It is an opinion.
"I have the right not to be tolerant of others because they are different, weird, or tick me off.
"When 70% of the people who get arrested are black in cities where 70% of the population is black, that is not racial profiling. It is the Law of Probability.
"I believe that if you are selling me a milkshake, a pack of cigarettes, a newspaper, or a hotel room you must do it in English. As a matter of fact, if you want to be an American citizen you should have to speak English. My father and grandfather didn't die in vain so you can leave the countries you were born in to come over and disrespect ours.
"I think the police should have every right to shoot your sorry ass if you threaten them after they tell you to stop. If you can't understand the words freeze or stop in English, see the above lines.
"I don't think just because you were not born in this country you are qualified for any special loan programs, government sponsored bank loans, or tax breaks so you can open a hotel, coffee shop, trinket store, or any other business.
"We did not go to the aid of certain foreign countries and risk our lives in wars to defend their freedoms so that decades later they can come over here and tell us our Constitution is a living document and open to their interpretations.
"I don't hate the rich. I pity the poor.
"I know pro wrestling is fake, but so are movies and television. That doesn't stop you from watching them.
"I think Bill Gates has every right to keep every penny he made and continue to make more. If it ticks you off, go and invent the next operating system that's better and put your name on the building.
"It doesn't take a whole village to raise a child right, but it does take a parent to stand up to the kid and smack their little behinds when necessary and say no.
"I think tattoos and piercing are fine if you want them, but please don't pretend they are a political statement. And please stay home until that new lip ring heals. I don't want to look at your ugly infected mouth as you serve me French fries.
"I am sick of Political Correctness. I know a lot of black people and not a single one of them was born in Africa so how can they be African-Americans? Besides, Africa is a continent. I don't go around saying I am a European-American because my great, great, great, great, great, great grandfather was from Europe. I am proud to be from America and nowhere else.
"And if you don't like my point of view, tough.
"It is said that 86% of Americans believe in God. Therefore, I have a very hard time understanding why there is such a problem in having "In God We Trust" on our money and having "God" in the Pledge Of Allegiance. Why don't we just tell the other 14% to shut up and be quiet?"
I love being part of the majority.
Club G'itmo And Leaks
The big political news this week is the Supreme Court decision concerning how we handle detainees during our war on terror. The Supreme Court was clearing wrong in their decision this week and you can see the political lines, of which there should be none, in their division. The people conspiring against us who are held at Guantanamo Bay are not US citizens and should not have the same rights as US citizens in our court system. The detainees are also not signatories to the Geneva Convention, so it doesn't apply to them, either. It's obvious that there are those that believe that the US is the bad guy here, but that is clearly not the case and our military should be able to do what it takes to get this war on terrorism won. Besides, the detainees are lucky they weren't gunned down in this was so they should feel lucky to be alive. Thankfully, the Congress is probably going to set up what the president wants anyway, so it will bypass this horrible Supreme Court decision.
Another sore subject this week has been the press leaks of highly sensitive information concerning a classified program. I'm not a fan of much of the press as is due to their agendas. I watch shows like Meet The Press, Fox News Sunday, and listen to and read Rush Limbaugh when I can. I view CNN and Fox News both and check out their websites for news and sports. (Ok, for entertainment, too.) All sides have an agenda, but it's funny how the more conservative side seems to give you more facts about the issues. Liberal newspapers like my own Des Moines Register don't provide as many facts for you to make your own opinion or if they do, they bury it in the story so that you have to read the whole article to get it. Most headlines in these papers try to make you think that liberal ideas are mainstream when in fact they are not.
Leaking has become quite the big deal the last several years. There are those in the government that are still there who disagree with this administration and are doing their level best to thwart the changes that need to be made in the bureaucracy. There needs to be something put in place to stop government leaks. The laws are there, but more enforcement needs to be done. Newspapers do not have a right to hide their sources according to the first amendment. I'm not sure where they got this idea that they are so untouchable. When you do a story, there should be no anonymous sources or if there are, an eventual revealing or an actual revealing to authorities who need to know.
Ideally, newspapers would not have an opinion page and simply report the news with all the facts. The facts would be presented without wording that provides an opinion. Yes, that's the dream, but it seems that many people want to be spoon fed their opinions instead of developing them on their own with proper research. Thankfully, I'm part of the majority on most of the issues that are important to me. It will just take time to undo the things the liberals did over the course of 40-50 years but as long as I and others keep voting the way we do, change will come.
Another sore subject this week has been the press leaks of highly sensitive information concerning a classified program. I'm not a fan of much of the press as is due to their agendas. I watch shows like Meet The Press, Fox News Sunday, and listen to and read Rush Limbaugh when I can. I view CNN and Fox News both and check out their websites for news and sports. (Ok, for entertainment, too.) All sides have an agenda, but it's funny how the more conservative side seems to give you more facts about the issues. Liberal newspapers like my own Des Moines Register don't provide as many facts for you to make your own opinion or if they do, they bury it in the story so that you have to read the whole article to get it. Most headlines in these papers try to make you think that liberal ideas are mainstream when in fact they are not.
Leaking has become quite the big deal the last several years. There are those in the government that are still there who disagree with this administration and are doing their level best to thwart the changes that need to be made in the bureaucracy. There needs to be something put in place to stop government leaks. The laws are there, but more enforcement needs to be done. Newspapers do not have a right to hide their sources according to the first amendment. I'm not sure where they got this idea that they are so untouchable. When you do a story, there should be no anonymous sources or if there are, an eventual revealing or an actual revealing to authorities who need to know.
Ideally, newspapers would not have an opinion page and simply report the news with all the facts. The facts would be presented without wording that provides an opinion. Yes, that's the dream, but it seems that many people want to be spoon fed their opinions instead of developing them on their own with proper research. Thankfully, I'm part of the majority on most of the issues that are important to me. It will just take time to undo the things the liberals did over the course of 40-50 years but as long as I and others keep voting the way we do, change will come.
Saturday, July 01, 2006
Political Basics
I've been a bit of a political watcher since junior high, but really got into politices after getting married in 1995. I haven't been the best about voting over the years, but have gotten better as the years have gone by. I tend to vote mostly in the presidential and congressional elections. The reason politics has always interested me is due to history and ideas. There are some great stories about America's history and what it took to get this country started. Out of that process came great debates on how this country should be founded and the rules by which we should live. Many of the debates were about the freedoms we should have and why we should have them.
The basics for me are smaller government and fewer taxes. The less role government plays in my life, the more freedom I have. The less I have to pay out for this government, the more money I have to spend making my own decisions. I'm on the side of conservatives and sometimes libertarians. If things went my way, we'd only pay 5% in taxes and they'd be collected as a sales tax. Lawmakers would only spend about 4-6 months in Washington and have to work real jobs the remainder of the year. The less they do, the better.
Government is made up of 3 branches. It seems over time that the Judicial Branch has been doing the job of the Legislative Branch and that has gotten out of hand. It is not the Supreme Court's job to make law. If there isn't a law concerning the case, they should turn the lawmaking over to the Legislative Branch. That's the process. It seems though that we have had activist judges try to read things into current laws that aren't really there. If the law needs to be spelled out better, that is a job for the Congress.
There are only a few jobs that our Federal government should be involved in. The first is protection of our borders. This involves the recent immigration issues and protecting our country from terrorists and countries that wish us harm. This also involves certain parts of our economics which leads to another of the jobs they have. This job is to assist the states in trade, foreign and domestic. This also involves mediating when the states need it. I can also see where the Feds need to be involved with transportation, such as our connecting highways and our airspace. There isn't much else for them to be involved in. The rest pretty much should be up to the states. We really need to get the Feds out of many of the things they are involved in. They have been involved in education since 1974 and it's only gotten worse. They have been involved in social programs since Roosevelt and it has only gotten worse. We keep throwing more and more money at the problems in this country instead of letting the states take care of their people in a more direct process that will cost less and be what the people of that state want.
The country was started with no income tax. This was a temporary solution during wartime, but the Congress decided to maintain it and then increase it tremendously over the years. Some people are paying out more than 50% of their income in taxes. Taxes take the form of income tax, sales tax, and all sorts of licenses. Much of our income is taxed multiple times. Even if we take the money we have after taxes and invest it and make more money, they not only tax the profits, but then tax what you invested again. If you die and pass what you have after taxes on to your family, they are then taxed on what you passed on. It gets tedious and rediculous and this is why so many people get confused with the current tax system and say bad things about the IRS. There needs to be major change and major reduction in tax code and taxes.
These are very basic things and it's what the majority of the people in the US want, but it involves such major change that lawmakers are afraid to do it. Sudden changes would cause some pretty drastic problems right away. Of course, with careful planning and slowing things down with just a few changes at a time, great things could be accomplished. Necessary things need to be done, but it takes some great leadership. It may even involve voting for "regular people with regular jobs" instead of attorneys who just want to get their name on a piece of history by creating more laws. It involves consistently voting for people who want the same things and are willing to accomplish them. The more we vote this way, the more emboldened they will be as others who share their ideas enter Congress. If we get fooled, we vote someone else in who has these ideas. At times, that will also involve voting for someone in our two party system that will at least lean most of the way you want them to.
I'm a firm believer that we know what is best for us. As adults we get to make our own decisions, good and bad. We should decide how most of our money is spent. We should decide how our children are educated. We should decide how our businesses should be run. We should decide the moral decisions in our own communities. What is good for someone in California may not be good for someone in Missouri and vice versa. It is imperitive that we make these decisions for ourselves instead of allowing others to do it for us. Get involved. Educate yourself. Vote.
The basics for me are smaller government and fewer taxes. The less role government plays in my life, the more freedom I have. The less I have to pay out for this government, the more money I have to spend making my own decisions. I'm on the side of conservatives and sometimes libertarians. If things went my way, we'd only pay 5% in taxes and they'd be collected as a sales tax. Lawmakers would only spend about 4-6 months in Washington and have to work real jobs the remainder of the year. The less they do, the better.
Government is made up of 3 branches. It seems over time that the Judicial Branch has been doing the job of the Legislative Branch and that has gotten out of hand. It is not the Supreme Court's job to make law. If there isn't a law concerning the case, they should turn the lawmaking over to the Legislative Branch. That's the process. It seems though that we have had activist judges try to read things into current laws that aren't really there. If the law needs to be spelled out better, that is a job for the Congress.
There are only a few jobs that our Federal government should be involved in. The first is protection of our borders. This involves the recent immigration issues and protecting our country from terrorists and countries that wish us harm. This also involves certain parts of our economics which leads to another of the jobs they have. This job is to assist the states in trade, foreign and domestic. This also involves mediating when the states need it. I can also see where the Feds need to be involved with transportation, such as our connecting highways and our airspace. There isn't much else for them to be involved in. The rest pretty much should be up to the states. We really need to get the Feds out of many of the things they are involved in. They have been involved in education since 1974 and it's only gotten worse. They have been involved in social programs since Roosevelt and it has only gotten worse. We keep throwing more and more money at the problems in this country instead of letting the states take care of their people in a more direct process that will cost less and be what the people of that state want.
The country was started with no income tax. This was a temporary solution during wartime, but the Congress decided to maintain it and then increase it tremendously over the years. Some people are paying out more than 50% of their income in taxes. Taxes take the form of income tax, sales tax, and all sorts of licenses. Much of our income is taxed multiple times. Even if we take the money we have after taxes and invest it and make more money, they not only tax the profits, but then tax what you invested again. If you die and pass what you have after taxes on to your family, they are then taxed on what you passed on. It gets tedious and rediculous and this is why so many people get confused with the current tax system and say bad things about the IRS. There needs to be major change and major reduction in tax code and taxes.
These are very basic things and it's what the majority of the people in the US want, but it involves such major change that lawmakers are afraid to do it. Sudden changes would cause some pretty drastic problems right away. Of course, with careful planning and slowing things down with just a few changes at a time, great things could be accomplished. Necessary things need to be done, but it takes some great leadership. It may even involve voting for "regular people with regular jobs" instead of attorneys who just want to get their name on a piece of history by creating more laws. It involves consistently voting for people who want the same things and are willing to accomplish them. The more we vote this way, the more emboldened they will be as others who share their ideas enter Congress. If we get fooled, we vote someone else in who has these ideas. At times, that will also involve voting for someone in our two party system that will at least lean most of the way you want them to.
I'm a firm believer that we know what is best for us. As adults we get to make our own decisions, good and bad. We should decide how most of our money is spent. We should decide how our children are educated. We should decide how our businesses should be run. We should decide the moral decisions in our own communities. What is good for someone in California may not be good for someone in Missouri and vice versa. It is imperitive that we make these decisions for ourselves instead of allowing others to do it for us. Get involved. Educate yourself. Vote.
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