Verse of the Day, 5/22/2013

Galatians 5:13“[Life by the Spirit] You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.” Brought to you by BibleGateway.com. Copyright (C) . All Rights Reserved.

Quote of the Day, 5/22/2013

Quote of the Day:
Wisdom is knowing what to do next; virtue is doing it.
--David Starr Jordan

Brad Paisley’s “Accidental Racist”

I just heard this generation’s “Ebony And Ivory” (Paul McCartney song featuring Stevie Wonder).  It’s a song called “Accidental Racist” performed by Brad Paisley and LL Cool J from Brad Paisley’s new CD “Wheelhouse.”  It’s a great song with a great message.  Definitely an anti-racist song.

I sometimes feel people are racist because of history.  The real racists don’t seem to understand, to be honest.  I grew up in Phoenix, Arizona and when I was growing up I knew nothing about the confederate flag.  What I knew about it, I learned from TV and in history books, and at the time it seemed like anyone waving the confederate flag was racist - so yes, even I misunderstood it where I hated seeing that flag because I was never racist.  As I got older however, I learned waving the flag has nothing to do with being racist.  It has to do with being proud of where you’re from - not what your ancestors have done though necessarily.  This song speaks on that Perspective.

“ACCIDENTAL RACIST”  (Featuring LL Cool J) [written by Brad Paisley, LL Cool J, Lee Thomas Miller]

To the man that waited on me at the Starbucks down on Main, I hope you understand
When I put on that t-shirt, the only thing I meant to say is I’m a Skynyrd fan
The red flag on my chest somehow is like the elephant in the corner of the south
And I just walked him right in the room
Just a proud rebel son with an ‘ol can of worms
Lookin’ like I got a lot to learn but from my point of view

I’m just a white man comin’ to you from the southland
Tryin’ to understand what it’s like not to be
I’m proud of where I’m from but not everything we’ve done
And it ain’t like you and me can re-write history
Our generation didn’t start this nation
We’re still pickin’ up the pieces, walkin’ on eggshells, fightin’ over yesterday
And caught between southern pride and southern blame

They called it Reconstruction, fixed the buildings, dried some tears
We’re still siftin’ through the rubble after a hundred-fifty years
I try to put myself in your shoes and that’s a good place to begin
But it ain’t like I can walk a mile in someone else’s skin

‘Cause I’m a white man livin’ in the southland
Just like you I’m more than what you see
I’m proud of where I’m from but not everything we’ve done
And it ain’t like you and me can re-write history
Our generation didn’t start this nation
And we’re still paying for mistakes
That a bunch of folks made long before we came
And caught between southern pride and southern blame

(LL Cool J’s Rap Verse:) Dear Mr. White Man, I wish you understood
What the world is really like when you’re livin’ in the hood
Just because my pants are saggin’ doesn’t mean I’m up to no good
You should try to get to know me, I really wish you would
Now my chains are gold but I’m still misunderstood
I wasn’t there when Sherman’s March turned the south into firewood
I want you to get paid but be a slave I never could
Feel like a new fangled Django, dodgin’ invisible white hoods
So when I see that white cowboy hat, I’m thinkin’ it’s not all good
I guess we’re both guilty of judgin’ the cover not the book
I’d love to buy you a beer, conversate and clear the air
But I see that red flag and I think you wish I wasn’t here

I’m just a white man
(If you don’t judge my do-rag)
Comin’ to you from the southland
(I won’t judge your red flag)
Tryin’ to understand what it’s like not to be

I’m proud of where I’m from
(If you don’t judge my gold chains)
But not everything we’ve done
(I’ll forget the iron chains)
it ain’t like you and me can re-write history
(Can’t re-write history baby)

Oh, Dixieland
(The relationship between the Mason-Dixon needs some fixin’)
I hope you understand what this is all about
(Quite frankly I’m a black Yankee but I’ve been thinkin’ about this lately)
I’m a son of the new south
(The past is the past, you feel me)
And I just want to make things right
(Let bygones be bygones)
Where all that’s left is southern pride
(RIP Robert E. Lee but I’ve gotta thank Abraham Lincoln for freeing me, know what I mean)
It’s real, it’s real
It’s truth

Cloud Atlas

I seen probably the most strangest movie I ever seen last night.  I could not figure out the plot to it at all, lol.  According to some research about it, it comes from Germany.  It was ok and Tom Hanks did great acting in it, but not worth buying on DVD/Blu-Ray lol.

Who comes up with such garbage for film?  the futuristic eras’ special effects were pretty good but the whole film was 3 hours of confusion lol.  I would recommend it because it was interesting, but be prepared to get confused.  I believe it was about feeling like you been somewhere before when you really weren’t and having past lives, and how it affects you currently in the state of the universe.  Very weird film.

Quote of the Day, 5/20/2013

Quote of the Day:
An ounce of loyalty is worth a pound of cleverness.
--Elbert Green Hubbard

Verse of the Day, 05/20/2013

Romans 15:5-6“May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Brought to you by BibleGateway.com. Copyright (C) . All Rights Reserved.

Improper Parenting Isn’t Great For Children Upbringing

It seems almost as if we live in an era where kids just grow up way too fast. We can notice it on television, when we are out in public, and sometimes even at our schools. It seems almost as if today’s generation makes some poor choices in how they act and in how they dress. From what I have witnessed, it seems as if it comes from upbringing. It seems as if parents these days want to be their kids’ friend instead of parents. It also seems as if parents just don’t care what their children do. At a grocery store I worked at, I witnessed a couple of girls who looked no older than ten that dressed and acted like they belonged on a street corner somewhere. Obviously, improper parenting skills are not best for our children. It can lead children to make poor choices as they grow – often getting them into trouble, it can cause unfortunate mental and emotional damage on your children, and it can often become a never-ending cycle when the children become adults.

One way improper parenting skills are not best for children is because it can lead children to make poor choices in life, often getting them into trouble. If parents don’t teach their kids what’s right and what’s wrong, and fail to teach their kids the consequences about their actions, their kids might succumb to peer pressure and pick up addictive habits like alcoholism or drug addictions. Without the proper social survival skills, one’s children might more than likely take drugs or alcohol instead of saying “no” like they should. They might also have violence and behavior problems. According to Kate Miller-Wilson, a freelance writer who has written numerous articles about families, “exposing children to…violence can result in…violence and behavior problems in kids”(Miller-Wilson). She also stated that “a study published in the International Journal of Child, Youth, & Family Studies found that children who were neglected by their parents were more likely to be prosecuted for juvenile delinquency.” Children also may not be very successful in life due to the poor choices they made because of lack of parental support. One example of this is the fact that children might not attend college and get a college degree which will lead them to a better paying job. Instead they might work a dead-end minimum wage paying job. Parents should see what their children are interested in and never turn them away from their interests. They should instead build up their child’s self-esteem and support their child’s interests. At 33, I am a late bloomer college attender. I had many interests as a child, but my father would steer me away from those interests, because he wanted me to learn things he felt would be more useful to me. I have always understood dad’s point, and parents may not always agree with their child’s interests, but parents still should always remain supportive.

Another reason improper parenting skills are not best for children is because it can cause unfortunate mental and emotional damage on your children. Children who are brought up in very abusive households are more likely to develop mental disorders when they get older. “According to a study published in Child Development, children who were directly abused were far more likely than their peers to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder ” (Miller-Wilson). Some kids have also developed a “multiple personality disorder” as a way of dealing with the abuse when they get older. Dr. Phil had a guest on his show once who developed a multiple personality disorder. This guest developed it because she was abused as a child. As an adult, she developed several personalities and the disorder is wreaking havoc on her marriage. Improper parenting skills can also lead to children having depression and low self-esteem compared to their peers who were raised in better homes. One example in particular of this has been mentioned in a study published by the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry which “found that children who were the victims of sexual abuse at home had much lower self-esteem than their peers” (Miller-Wilson).

And finally, improper parenting skills are not best for children because it can become a never-ending cycle when children become adults. When children have seen nothing but bad parenting growing up, it is more likely they will continue that same pattern and raise their children just as poorly. When improper parenting styles are all a child knows, how are children to know a better way of life? When a parent is in jail most of their child’s life because the parents decide to break the law constantly, that child might assume that it’s OK to raise their kids up the same way when they get older. Parents need to be good role-models for their children so the never-ending cycle does not occur. Yes, teach children to make the right choices in life but parents also should be making the same choices. Parents should not drink or smoke and tell their kids not to do it. This can really confuse a child, which can cause children to rebel. My father always taught me to not drink or smoke even though he did it. When I would ask him why not, and explain to him that he did, he would always respond with “Do as I say, not as I do.” Even though dad was a good role-model most of the time, sometimes he really wasn’t, but what parent is perfect? One reason I started drinking at 19 was because I was tired of being confused about what is right and what is wrong.

Improper parenting skills are definitely not best for our children. It can psychologically damage a child. They are more than likely to develop addictive habits and get into trouble. They will also probably raise their children the same way when they have children of their own because it is all they know. If parents do not raise their kids up properly, children will more than likely not have the proper tools necessary for them to survive as adults. They would also probably end up in trouble a lot because they don’t know any better. What kind of future role models would our children be if parents don’t raise their kids up with the proper tools, morals and etiquettes that they need to be proper adults?

Works Cited:

Miller-Wilson, Kate. “Effects of Bad Parenting on Children.” Lovetoknow kids. Lovetoknow, n.d. Web. 2 May 2013. <http://kids.lovetoknow.com/wiki/ Effects_of_Bad_Parenting_on_Children>.

Quote of the Day, May 15, 2013

Quote of the Day:
Happiness is not a reward — it is a consequence. Suffering is not a punishment — it is a result.
--Robert Green Ingersoll

Verse of the Day, May 15, 2013

Ecclesiastes 11:5“As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things.” Brought to you by BibleGateway.com. Copyright (C) . All Rights Reserved.

The Problem With Government Over-Spending

There is a serious problem with government over-spending, and it is wreaking havoc on our economy. Our country is so much in debt right now that soon the money we have personally saved will be either taxed very high, rendered useless, or probably even taken away from us completely. There are already massive tax hikes for businesses so the government can pay for some debts. This has caused some businesses to go under or not hire at all, which caused a poverty level all its own. Over the past four years, I have heard so much on the radio and the news about what our government spends our tax dollars on, and it is very shocking. If we weren’t so overly taxed, our economy would be so much better. People would more likely be working full-time instead of part-time. Those who work full-time help the economy because normally they have the income to spend on things besides necessities, compared to those who only work part-time who only have enough money to spend on necessities. There is obviously a government over-spending problem in our country. Even though some government spending is necessary to pay for infrastructure, the government needs to pay attention to what is going on in other countries and stop over-spending and let the American people decide where our tax dollars goes. Some of our government programs should also be cut out and an amendment needs to be placed to prevent government over-spending from happening again and to show the future generations that government over-spending just doesn’t work.

One problem with government over-spending is the fact that so many of our tax dollars is spent to fight poverty. Some programs designed to fight poverty are welfare, food stamps, and disability. Some people who get this aid don’t even need it and sometimes the case-workers will literally find ways around the system to get a person that aid. I used to work with a man who told me that DHS told him that they couldn’t help his disabled daughter currently unless she got pregnant; another person I knew was married to a truck driver, and she was told she didn’t have to claim her truck driver husband because he was never home and so his address was not hers when it really was. Her truck driver husband also made more than enough to support the two of them. So how is spending tax money to fight poverty a good thing when there are obviously people lying to get the benefits? Even though there are people who truly do need these benefits, spending money to fight poverty discourages more productive behavior. According to Daniel J. Mitchell, an economist, “Government spending encourages destructive behaviors…These welfare programs encourage people to choose leisure over work.” Just about anybody without any money can get welfare assistance, whether they are disabled or not.

Another problem with government over-spending is the fact that taxpayers are fronting the bill for several subsidy programs whether the taxpayers believe in the programs or not. “There’s a news story just about every day that explains the latest way our government has wasted money.” (Americans For Prosperity Foundation). In 2009 taxpayer dollars bailed out the car industry and the banking industry. The taxpayers have also paid for energy subsidy programs for General Electric to fund research for new energy technologies. During the recent presidential debates I have learned that taxpayers even pay for funding for PBS, even though PBS hosts telethons to raise money. I have also learned in my Art Appreciation class last fall that taxpayers also pay for an art festival in New York City, along with other art programs. It is also sometimes speculated that the United States Government has given so much aid to other countries, but sometimes those countries haven’t helped us out. Shouldn’t “We the people” decide if it’s a good idea to invest in such programs and not the government’s decision?

If the United States Government keeps over-spending, it will eventually lead to an economic meltdown. According to the Americans For Prosperity Foundation, “Politicians are running up a tab and it will soon be due…It’s irresponsible and will lead to serious consequences for the taxpayers…Instead of helping our economy and create jobs…Our congress has…saddled our children with debt and increased our daily cost of living.” They also stated that congress had to double income tax rates to pay for the country’s debts which created less take-home pay for the average worker…Congress has (also) failed to pass a federal budget and had to borrow money from households to pay for government over-spending. The private sector isn’t even confident enough to create new jobs and hire people because of this problem. According to columnist John Hawkins, taxes will skyrocket. Taxes will get so high that one’s “life savings will be reduced to nothing overnight” (Hawkins). Because of the debt problem, the United States government prints more and more money causing high inflation and making any money a person saved worthless. Hawkins also reports that “overtaxing the rich won’t even work, it never has. They have the resources to leave the country if they get overtaxed.” If the government over-spending problem gets worse, there might be some serious consequences. It has been reported that the country of Cyprus (near Greece) has already taken some money out of some of their citizens’ bank accounts to pay for that country’s debts. David McHugh, an Associated Press journalist, reports that “The country of Cyprus planned to take 10% of its citizens’ bank accounts to pay for the country’s debts…a person’s money is not safe in banks in Cyprus because the government may take it.” McHugh interviewed Louise Cooper, head of a financial research firm in London, who said that “Europeans now know that their savings accounts can now be used to bailout banks.” (McHugh). Rich Smith, a financial journalist has also reported that the country of Belize has asked its creditors to write off 45% of Belize’s debts. If Belize’s creditors write off those debts, the American peoples’ 401(k), pension plans, and stocks are at stake because such plans are also invested in countries with high debt percentages (Smith).

The biggest solution to the problem seems simple: politicians need to just stop over-spending. They need to agree to a balanced budget and cut out as much as possible. All un-necessary spending should be cut altogether. There was a time when people invested in ideas they personally believed in, and organizations they also believed in. However, these days it seems as if we are forced to invest or donate through taxes whether we agree with them or not.

When filing taxes each year, there should be a form to fill out that states what one wants their tax dollars to go to that year and how much. Taxes from that particular taxpayer will only go to those programs they choose. This would make taxpayers much happier because even though they’re paying taxes, at least the money is going to programs they agree with and nothing more. Eventually congress will see what taxpayers want their money to go toward and will cut aid for the programs that taxpayers don’t want money going toward.

Some government programs need to just be cut completely or just reformed. Some programs I personally fill should be cut or reformed are welfare, drug war, and illegal immigration programs. We throw so much money away on these programs, it’s laughable. The drug war is unwinnable. What is the point? Those who want the illegal substances still get them, and illegal immigrants find a way to get behind border patrol. If we would just build a fence that money spent on trying to control illegal immigration would eventually be saved. People also get welfare aid because they are lazy, and find ways to get it when they are physically able to work. These programs need to just be reformed or cut out. Funding for PBS, NPR, educational programs, and arts programs should also be cut out. Even though some of these programs are great, the American people should decide for themselves whether to donate to these organizations or not.

An amendment should also be placed in the United States Constitution that would show future generations that government over-spending does not work. This would be in the constitution to state that it was tried but didn’t work, just like the 21^st amendment was put in place to repeal the 18^th amendment on the ban of alcohol.

The government needs to quit over-spending before our country has a major financial meltdown. Bailout plans and stimulus packages are not the way to go, and just make the problem worse. Some government programs are necessary, but should just be reformed so that so much money won’t be spent on them. The government also needs to step back and create a balanced budget and quit over-spending and cut all un-necessary spending. They need to let the American people truly be the ones who decide what tax dollars go toward. Only then can the government over-spending problem truly be solved.

 

Works Cited:

Americans For Prosperity Foundation. Issues Spending Crisis. AFP, n.d. Web. 15Apr. 2013. <http://www.spendingcrisis.org/issues/>.

Hawkins, John. 5 Things That Will Happen To You When America Goes Bankrupt, Townhall.com, n.d. Web. 15 Apr. 2013. <http://townhall.com/columnists/johnhawkins/>.

McHugh, David. “Money in the bank not safe in Cyprus \ Broke government aims to tax deposits.” The Journal Gazette (Fort Wayne, IN) Mar. 19, 2013, 1A. NewsBank Access World News. Web. 17 Apr. 2013. <http://docs.newsbank.com>.

Mitchell, Daniel J. “The Impact of Government Spending on Economic Growth.” The Heritage Foundation. The Heritage Foundation, 15 Mar. 2005. Web. 12 Apr. 2013. <http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2005/03/the-impact-of-government-spending-on-economic-growth>.

Smith, Rich. “Which Country Goes Bankrupt Next?” Dailyfinance.com. Dailyfinance.com, 22 Aug. 2012. Web. 18 Apr. 2013. <http://www.dailyfinance.com>.

Verse of the Day, Wednesday May 8, 2013

Colossians 4:5-6“Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” Brought to you by BibleGateway.com. Copyright (C) . All Rights Reserved.

Quote of the Day, Wednesday May 8, 2013

Quote of the Day:
Bravery is the capacity to perform properly even when scared half to death.
--General Omar Nelson Bradley

On School Shooters – The Huffington Post Doesn’t Want You To Read This | Peter Brown Hoffmeister

A friend shared this with me a few months ago and I just now finally read it.  Very interesting article and makes sense.  I like video games as well and I do know right from wrong, but do feel these violent kids should be shown the outdoors as well.

My junior year in high school, I was caught with a loaded, stolen handgun on school property at my school in East Tennessee.  Since the owner of the pistol didn’t want to press charges, I simply forfeited the handgun to the local sheriff’s deputy, then was promptly expelled from the school.  No arrest.  No counseling.  No follow-up.  I was never required to see a psychologist or explain my intentions.  This was 1994, long before the famous shootings at Thurston High School, Columbine, Red Lake, Aurora, Clackamas, and Newtown.

On School Shooters – The Huffington Post Doesn’t Want You To Read This | Peter Brown Hoffmeister

'Psylodelic' Museum Unearths Hippie Artifacts From Woodstock Era | Music News | Rolling Stone

This is an article someone shared with me.  I always enjoyed hippy pop culture and memorabilia.  This would be a great museum to check out.

A Haight-Ashbury Museum of Psychedelic Art and History is in development in San Francisco, but former Jefferson Airplane guitarist Jorma Kaukonen has beaten them to the idea. In June, Kaukonen will officially open the Psylodelic Museum, a collection of Haight-connected artifacts, at his Fur Peace Ranch in southeast Ohio.

'Psylodelic' Museum Unearths Hippie Artifacts From Woodstock Era | Music News | Rolling Stone