Fire Storm
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Posted:Jan 24, 2014 1:36 pm
Last Updated:May 15, 2016 4:48 am 47590 Views
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That's what I expect this post might set off. Caveat ... I am merely putting forth a topic for discussion. It's sort of that 'playing devil's advocate' thing. By it's very nature, the topic will draw out your emotions, your belief system and your strong convictions. Just please avoid the death threats -OK?
The abortion issue has been around for as long as most of us have and is heated on both sides of the equation. Am I pro-life or am I pro-choice? My position is not germane to this discussion at hand. I believe you can be either and still arrive at the same conclusion on the question I'll ask.
I am educated in Accounting and I was hired out of college by Arthur Andersen & Co. (Think Enron fiasco) and trained as an auditor. Ingrained in that training was to always be aware of 'internal consistency'. My brain has been wired to always look for 'consistency' throughout life. Example .... My father-in-law rants and raves about jobs being shipped overseas, yet he always buys tools, etc. at Harbor Freight. 99.9% (in My opinion) of the items sold At Harbor Freight are Made in China. I point out to him that if he (and everyone) would quit buying shit made in China, jobs come home. To Me, his thoughts and his actions are inconsistent. He can't see that ... I digress.
OK, OK what's the fucking question? It's that one argument I hear from those that are pro-choice is that 'It's the woman's body and she can do whatever she 'chooses' to do with it' OK ... I understand and respect those with this opinion.
To Me .... and only to Me .... If one takes this argument/approach, they should stand staunchly behind the concept of the woman being able to sell body parts. There is a huge market for kidneys for example. If it is her body and she can do what she wants with it, why can't she have a kidney cut out and put it on the market? What about an iris or pupil? There may be other body parts useful for transplant too that I am not alluding to. I'm not too sure, but I don't think any body part removed can eventually grow into a human a la a fetus ... Yet she can choose to have that removed. Again ... If you're pro-choice, I respect that position.
Well that's just fucking crazy G! Is it? I am only interested in consistency of thoughts. If you stand behind 'woman's body - woman's choice' I think, by default, you have to stand behind a free market for body parts .... Hey, it's also 'man's body - man's choice'.
If you're pro-choice, God bless you .... I respect that. If your opinion has a basis other than 'woman's body - woman's choice' I consider you in the clear. If your opinion IS based on this concept, I think for consistency's sake you have to argue just as hard for a person's right to choose to sell body parts .... AND perhaps you do! The 'Right to Choose' logo (For lack of a better term) should no longer be reserved for the abortion issue alone. It should encompass the right to choose an abortion as well as the right to sell body parts .... Or so it would seem to Me.
"Well, you're just a dumb fucking asshole G and your argument doesn't make any sense at all!" Hey, I can live with that.
Do I think there should be a free market for body parts for those willing to sell them? Would more people in need of an organ live? Would it eliminate the Black Market for body parts? Would this policy prey on the lower income and disadvantaged people? Questions, questions and more questions and no easy answers. Want to know the truth? I can see valid points for this concept and valid points against it. If I needed a kidney (or, more importantly, YOU did) and a compatible donor was willing to sell me/YOU one .... What would be our position then? When it's someone else in the barrel, it's easy to form an opinion.
To add fuel to the fire, if it's a 'woman's body - woman's choice' why is illegal in most areas? This is an old argument yet it does fly in the face of consistency of thought.
Damn ... I really must not have had anything to do this afternoon to come up with this post! There you have it folks ... Play some verbal volleyball.
G
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Let's cheer up people....
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Posted:Jan 23, 2014 10:30 am
Last Updated:Jan 29, 2014 9:12 pm 45598 Views
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Good Gawd! As I've read the blogs this past week, the common thread seems to be negativity, despair, gloom and heartache ..... Or a combination thereof. Sheesh! Of course we all tend to go through these things, but the blogosphere in general? Is there some planetary misalignment going on or something I'm not aware of?
Yeah, yeah I know some of you reading this are thinking, "I'm in a good place and my blogs are 'happy'." You're right - There are certainly exceptions to the trend I'm alluding to. They just seem to be too few and far between.
Perhaps the blogs are a place we come to pour out our hearts of all that's adversely affecting it rather than share in our joys? I tend to think there's a smidgen of truth to that assumption. Perhaps the recent changes and FUBARs of ALT have gotten under the skin of avid bloggers? Perhaps when we're all content and whispering sweet nothings in our partners ears, we don't tend to blog about that? Who knows! If I get any responses to this nebulous blog, I'm sure there'll be other theories put forth or, more likely, a 'WTF are you talking about'? Gotta love the diversity of opinions here - Right?
I started this blog thinking I'd tell a joke and then start a joke challenge. You know ... I tell you a joke and then you tell me joke in your response or in your own blog. What can change the doldrums better than a good laugh. Then I thought, 'No, people won't buy into that'. Then I thought, 'Well, who gives a fuck - It's My blog and I can do whatever I want'. How often do we hear that phrase around here? So folks, here's My joke for you:
Q: What's the first thing that goes through a bug's mind when he hits your windshield?
A: His asshole.
My apologies to those of you who have heard this one. Since nobody laughs at a joke they've already heard, I take another stab at making you laugh.
Q: What does a woman do with her asshole before sex?
A: Drops him off at the golf course.
Heard that one too? Tough shit - you're too tough an audience. Know what? This has been a long blog and in the past when I've hit the 'Add' box, My verbiage has been lost in space .... Like that sock that used to be in the dryer. Accordingly, I will 'copy' this blurb in case I have to recreate things. Otherwise I'd have to blog about ALT fucking up My blog and we'd all wind up with another negative posting .... And wasn't that what I was trying to get everyone to avoid?
OK ... Go forth and multiply. No wait! That should be 'Go forth and be happy!'
Be thirsty My friends.... 
G
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Pillars
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Posted:Jan 14, 2014 5:04 pm
Last Updated:Jan 24, 2014 5:12 pm 48178 Views
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No, I did not write this nor did I stumble across it while surfing. I found it right here on ALT in another's blog (Can you imagine?). It struck a cord, and I thought it might with others too ........
Seven Pillars Of Dominance
Author: J. Mikael Togneri ©
A dominant is a ruler, but never a tyrant.
But to rule requires understanding, and understanding requires
humility.
A dominant has pride, but never arrogance.
But pride requires dignity, and dignity requires humility.
A dominant commands respect, but never fear.
But respect requires serenity, and serenity requires humility.
A dominant employs strength, but never force.
But strength requires knowledge, and knowledge requires humility.
A dominant criticizes, but never derides.
But criticism requires insight, and insight requires humility.
A dominant receives, but never takes.
But receiving requires giving, and giving requires humility.
A dominant completes, but never tries to alter.
But to complete one must be able to see what is there, not
what is missing, and this most of all requires humility.
Have I swallowed it hook, line and both sinkers? No, but it has many good points.
Your mileage may vary. G
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Desiderata
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Posted:Jan 8, 2014 2:02 pm
Last Updated:Oct 5, 2017 12:33 am 49148 Views
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Desiderata
Go placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible without surrender be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even the dull and ignorant; they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexations to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain and bitter;
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs; for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals;
and everywhere life is full of heroism.
Be yourself.
Especially, do not feign affection.
Neither be critical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is as perennial as the grass.
Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness. Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself.
You are a of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.
Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be,
and whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.
With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy.
© Max Ehrmann 1927
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Random thoughts....
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Posted:Jan 8, 2014 7:57 am
Last Updated:Jan 12, 2014 7:25 am 49069 Views
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We finally got hit with some of that snow a lot of you have been suffering with. Somewhere between 3 and 4 inches last night. Knowing I'd have to shovel this morning, My internal alarm clock woke Me at 0545. Bundled up and out I went. It was a very wet snow, which for you sun worshipers means it was 'fucking heavy'! About an hour and a half later I was done .... AND it's still snowing a bit. A little touch up work to do after I recharge My batteries, have My two cups of coffee and stop feeling like I'm about ready to pass out. 
'The Cat' update. The feral cat I rescued came home from the vet's yesterday .... A mere $565 better. She's in 'sick bay' up in the guest bathroom. Initially diagnosed as pregnant, she in fact wasn't and was actually determined to be between one and two years old. I'll keep her in sick bay until she regains her strength and gets more accustomed to Me and her new surroundings. My three other house cats hover around the door wondering 'What the hell's going on in there?' Curious indeed.
ALT.com making changes to the website. If you've been around for any length of time, you've been through this before. Irritating as hell and makes you wonder why they want to fix something that isn't broken. I'm sure in their minds, they see it as 'new and improved', while we see it as an industrial strength pain in the ass..... Or is that just Me? I take solace knowing that I (and you) will get used to it in time. No need to get all hot and bothered by it.
Today would be a great day to own a tow truck or have a snow plow on a pickup truck. I'm sure those that own either see money falling from the sky when it snows. It never ceases to amaze Me how many people wind up in the ditch or are involved in accidents when it snows. For fuck sake ... Slow the fuck down! Personally, being self employed, I'm hunkered down for the day.
OK .... Going out for the second wave of snow shoveling. Behave yourselves.... 
G
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Cat Update.....
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Posted:Jan 2, 2014 8:27 am
Last Updated:Jan 3, 2014 6:13 am 48870 Views
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For those few souls who read My blog, here's an update on the feral injured cat I rescued. It's currently at the vets, who concluded:
1) The cat is female.
2) The cat is approximately 6 months (or so) old.
3) The cat is pregnant.
4) The cat has fleas and other undesirable hangers on.
5) Agreed with My hypothesis that the cat probably got up close to a car/truck engine block seeking warmth (Freezing here and lives by a auto dealership). Said car/truck was started and the cat's tail was caught up in an engine belt ..... Tail and surrounding fur ripped off.
6) The cat has no diseases that could affect My current house cats.
The pregnancy will be aborted (NOT far along) as the cat is 'fixed'. She'll get rid of the fleas, etc. and do what stitching and other repair work is necessary on her hind quarters. Declawing 'may' happen now or we may wait a while, given the other procedures being performed.
The cat is amazingly docile given her feral status. Perhaps she's too weak to give a damn or perhaps she knows she's been 'saved' from an incredibly rough life ... Or perhaps a slow and painful death.
I'll keep you posted. G
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New Year's Resolutions.......
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Posted:Dec 31, 2013 8:25 am
Last Updated:Jan 2, 2014 7:21 am 47485 Views
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We've already made them or we'll make them soon, as the magic hour approaches. Hey, it's what we do every year. 'I'm going to do this' or 'I'm not going to do that' in various and sundry variations. If there was a poll taken (Hell, there's probably been a million of them taken), I'd wager the #1 New Year's resolution would be ..... (Drum roll here) ..... Weight Loss.
Count Me in that category. In the past I've made that resolution and in some cases I stuck with it and in some cases (most), I went down in flames. Ring any bells? Might I suggest what I've found to be the most effective manner in which to lose weight ..... AND keep it off?
I feel the most important aspect of it is to spit out the word diet from your mouth and erase it from your brain. A diet is temporary - A quick fix, if you will. You might lose weight, but the odds are stacked against you for keeping it off long term. OK, so now we've all erased 'diet' from our brains .... What do we replace it with Mr. Know It All? I suggest a term we are all familiar with .... 'Lifestyle' Ta Da! You have to change you and the way you live, particularly from the eating and exercise standpoint. Your eating is self explanatory and needs no elaboration (well, unless you live under a rock). What about exercise? Am I suggesting you join a gym or set up some elaborate system to burn off calories? Not unless you want to fail. Use the KISS method (Keep It Simple Stupid) .... Perhaps walk around the block once a day? Walk up one flight of stairs and down two when the situation presents itself, Park further from the store to increase your walking distance. You get the idea - SIMPLE things. The formula for weight loss is amazingly simple ..... If calories burned exceed calories consumed, weight loss occurs. Do I need to go over that one again? OK ... Calories burned > calories consumed = weight loss. I threw in some mathematical symbols to shorten the equation.
Once you master and implement the above, I also think it important to formulate a system of rewards to celebrate success. This is an incremental reward system ... The greater the weight loss, the greater the reward. For example, let's say you want to lose 30 pounds. Dividing 30 by 5 we arrive at 6 (Yes, I did major in math - Not!) Now you've got 6 increasingly 'better' rewards to attain. "When I lose the first 5 pounds, I get to (you fill in the blank)" Onward and upward we go until you have your rewards (carrots on a stick?) in place for each 5 pound increment.
Does this always work? Hell no. I do think it offers a much better chance of working if you KISS. Permanent weight loss is a process. It you try to do too much too soon, you'll fail (Odds are). If you do it slowly in a logical manner by changing your lifestyle, you increase your odds dramatically.
your mileage (and weight loss) may vary.... G
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Birthday
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Posted:Dec 27, 2013 8:41 am
Last Updated:Dec 30, 2013 4:10 pm 48182 Views
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Those of us in 'recovery' (I am a recovering alcoholic) have a birthday for the date we had our last drink, drug, etc. Mine is December 26th. I am now 14 years sober.
I am one of the few fortunate ones able to put away the (beer) bottle for good ..... (So far). How have I done it? By the grace of God actually. I don't go to AA meetings and never have. I did go through an out-patient program to get sober and now I and three others who 'recovered' go back to that location every Thursday night and have dinner together in their cafeteria. One of the 'facilitators' who helped in all of our recoveries still works there and she joins us a lot of the time.
As we eat, (and talk sports) the current in-patients come in to eat and My 'permanent' chair faces the dinner line. Accordingly, I get a weekly bird's eye view of people right in the middle of one of the worst times in their lives. This serves as a reminder of where I was and where I will never go back to. It is always eye opening. 'There, but for the grace of God, go I'.
In any event, I'm now 14!!!!!! One of My dinner buddies does go to AA and he always brings Me the appropriate 'chip' signifying My years sober.
G
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Captured....
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Posted:Dec 25, 2013 3:25 pm
Last Updated:Dec 30, 2013 4:17 pm 46582 Views
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This is a continuation of My blog 'My Christmas Gift' (Two blogs back).
I had written a complete blog about the capture, but ALT decided to eat it rather than post it. Let's just say My plan worked and the injured, cold and hungry feral cat now resides in My guest bathroom. A trip to the vet soon to get it's wounds attended to and then the process of domesticating it into a pet.
No more days and nights spent freezing, starving and in pain. Little does it know it, but it made My Christmas one of the best ever.
G
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Merry Christmas.....
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Posted:Dec 24, 2013 7:16 am
Last Updated:Dec 26, 2013 8:02 am 44276 Views
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I suppose I should add in My very own "Merry Christmas everyone!" 
So many families will gather this evening for various festivities and many will be going to bed eager to get up tomorrow morning and see what Santa has brought them. My fondest memories of Christmas are from My childhood or from My 's. I used to rub a 'bit' of charcoal on her nose as she slept .... Telling her that Santa always touched 's noses to assure they were asleep before he spread the gifts. It was magic to watch her go into the bathroom and look in the mirror to see her smudged nose - Knowing that Santa had touched her.
I've had a hard time getting into the spirit this year, as have many of you. Decorations to put up, shopping to do, presents to wrap, events to attend, traffic and crowds to deal with and on and on it goes. I've tried to put on that happy face, yet it's been hard. It's too bad our every day lives don't take a vacation for Christmas .... No bills in December to pay, no pressure at work, no anxiety produced from anything. Alas, it's wishful thinking.
Now it's the 'Eve' and all the hustle and bustle are (mostly) behind Me and I am on 'cruise control'. I am free of obligations and commitments and can finally take the time to enjoy the season and to reflect that 'It wasn't THAT bad'. Tonight there is the customary family gathering for food and gift exchanges ... I plan to enjoy Myself and to not let anything get under My skin, as is typical of family gatherings. Tis the season and isn't life just too short anyway?
I hope each of you has arrived at your particular 'cruise control' mode and will have the merriest of a Christmas! I additionally hope Santa is good to you. Rub a little charcoal on someone's nose .... Participate in the magic.
G
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