texasson's Blog

 Last week, I had a post completely erased by the sensors at fox7, after it had already been published on this site for several hours. Did I deserve that for speaking my mind and what I saw as the truth? It was called "Still Don't Get It, Do Ya'?" Maybe some of you got to read it before it was summarily deleted. I'd like to personally meet the guy that okayed that. You gotta' be some piece of work. You'd make fudge in your jeans if someone just came along and deleted one of fox7's news stories and then you'd sue because your first ammendment rights got violated. So I wanna' know...what gives you guys at fox7 the right to delete ANYTHING that doesn't violate your rules about profanity? Do I need to contact my lawyer?

 Now.., let's get to the point of this post. We, the citizens of the Socialist Regime of America, are getting just what we deserve for not paying closer attention to what the suits in DC and on Wall Street have been up to for the past coupla dozen years. We, as a collective, have been too busy worrying about which movies to see, which cars to buy, what the celebrities are doing in their off-time and with who, how much we can rack-up on our credit cards, where we can go on vacation, what we can buy for Christmas in July, (and this kinda blows my mind that Americans spend so much on a holiday that celebrates the birth of someone that most of us don't believe in or respect, anyway), what clothes to wear, what color to dye our hair and what celebrity to emmulate with our hair-do (too many m's?), and anything and everything else except pay attention to what was being done to our country by those we sent to Washington to run it. Now look...Don't you think, because of our apathy and our unwillingness to hold accountable, those who damaged our economy to the point of ruin, that we are getting what we deserve? Be honest, now...there's already been enough finger-pointing to last the next thousand years. We, the sad, lazy, apathetic citizens are just as responsible for the condition of our country as the hoodlums who sit in elected office. After all, we're the dummies who put 'em there. We're the idiots who fell for their lies time and time again. And so we look around at the mess we're in and try to blame it on Bush, when the majority of this country put him in office for a second term. We point our fingers-of-shame at Congress, knowing full-well that it's full of career politicians who claim to be "public servants", when in point-of-fact, they're real agenda is to suck money from the federal government (spelled "taxpayers") for pork-barrel projects that are no more than give-aways to their close friends and political contributors. How dumb do you have to be, not to see what's been going on?

 And now, look who we have to choose from for president. A guy who is obviously still feeling the effects of the tiger-cage he was kept in while a POW in Viet Nam, and a guy whose background is shady, at best, and has no experience in running anything but his mouth. So...you tell me. Are we just the recepients of so much bad luck, or are we getting what we deserve? I tend to lean towards the latter.  I really don't care whether this post pisses you off or not. If it does, maybe now you'll get involved in what goes on in our State and Federal Capitols and start demanding some accountibility from our elected "officials". If not, then perhaps you need more of the same treatment until you snap out of your fog and realize what a dummy you've been taken for. The only reason these folks have gotten away with the atrocities they have, is because we let 'em!  So, I guess if you wanna cuss me because I'm just pointin' out the facts, get after it. You're not gonna call me anything I haven't been called before, I assure you. I just wanted you all to know, we're gettin' what we deserve. And to the boys and girls at fox news, I'm printin' this one, and  savin' it to file. You delete this one, and you better get your gloves out, cuz' we're fixin' to play HARDBALL!

 Since we're now in the habit of bailing out white-collar thugs, thieves and liars and paying for it with mine and your tax dollars, why don't we just go ahead and open the doors on all of the prisons around this putrid country and let ALL of the crooks, robbers, muggers, rapists and thieves run loose in the streets. What's the difference? We are in the same danger. Now the people (and I use that term VERY loosely) who have taken advantage of their positions and influence in the Senate and the House of (non)Representatives see that they can line their own pockets, cause mass panic in the hearts and minds of (whom I thought were) well-meaning and hard-working Americans and be, not only exonerated, but rescued, what makes anyone think that anything is going to change? If you have friends in the right places, and have deep enough pockets, you can literally get away with murder in this country. Just ask O.J. Simpson! These Wall Street maggots have been feeding off of the rotting carcasses of middle-class Americans for years, and our "President" and the other pukes we sent to Washington to represent us ( and haven't) not only protect them, but give them a get-out-of-jail-free card! Incredible!!

 If any one of you reading this even thinks about sending any of the incumbents who voted for this embarassment back to D.C. for another term, you need to be lined-up and shot right along side them! Now do you see that there is a problem? Now do you understand that it is IMPERATIVE that the voice of the middle-class be heard from Wall Street to D.C.? Now do you understand that we need REAL representation in Washington? What's it gonna take to get the people of this country to stand up and say "ENOUGH IS ENOUGH"? How much longer are we going to let elected "representatives" lead us around by our noses, sit when they say sit, stand when they say stand, jump through whatever hoop they put in front of us and do NOTHING about it? This has turned into a country full of self-serving cowards, afraid to stand up for their own rights! If I had known what and who I was defending when I joined the Marines 34 years ago, I would have gone to Canada and stayed! This country and her citizenry are no longer worth defending! It NEEDS to be gobbled up by the rest of the world (and already is in that process, if y'all would pull your heads out long enough to take a good look). For the first time in my life, I am now ashamed to be an American...this after having given ten years of my life to this puss-infested nation of cry-babies. What a bunch of losers!!! Oh, I know, there's still a few of you folks out there who would honor your military oath to defend this nation from its' enemies, both foreign and domestic, but I believe the total of us could fit in a VW bus, and have a seat or two left! Seems to me that the majority of this country just walks around with their hands out, crying for help and asking to be led. They need to be led, cuz' nobody has the spine to stand against the corruption that has ruined this once-great nation. Dare say a word against the government and you will be branded a "domestic terrorist", when anybody who's paying attention knows the REAL terrorists are already in the White House, the Senate and the House of (non) Representatives! These A-holes hold each other up like heroes for "saving our economy from certain disaster", when they are the ones responsible for its' condition in the first place. Talk about self-serving... And my bet is, there won't be ONE-DAMN DEMONSTRATION against what has just taken place right before our very eyes. How much you wanna bet? On election day, instead of voting, there needs to mass-protests in the streets of every state capitol and our nations' capitol from an hour before sunrise to an hour after sunset. Polling places should be boycotted. Anybody caught trying to vote should be beaten with a stick! THERE'S NOBODY RUNNING THAT'S WORTH VOTING FOR!!

 Did you see Thursday nights' vice-jokadential debate? It wasn't a debate,..it was a 90-minute campaign rally for both sides, promoted by every major network in the country! Free advertising! That's all it was. Biden didn't say anything worth hearing,..Palin doesn't HAVE anything to say on her own. She has to be loaded-up with rhetoric by McCains advisors and then had to "practice" for days before the speech. In all fairness to that BLEEP, Biden did alot of rehearsals, too. Why did they need to rehearse? Don't they already know what's wrong in this country and what needs to be done to fix it? Cuz' if they can't be pulled aside on the streets of America, asked a question and be able to give an off-the-cuff response that has any real meaning to it, then they don't have any business running this country in the first place. Is this country run by speech-writers or what? I, for one, am for an all-out revolution in this country! Patrick Henry, one of the framers of the Constitution and one of the founders of this democracy, said it best when he said " This country was founded on a revolution, and it needs a good revolution every so-often to remind those in elected office, just who it is they work for". CAN YA' DIG IT?

 Before I ask my question, let me preface it by saying that all of the finger-pointing and all of the name-calling isn't accomplishing anything, other than adding fuel to the fire that already has emotions heated to a boil. Sure people are mad about the current situation. It seems to be at the forefront of everyones' mind, but I fail to see anything constructive being added. All of the what-ifs and shoulda-woulda-couldas we can come up with aren't solving anything and seem to merely add to the confusion that already runs rampant through our society.

 Now...my question. Does anybody have, or know someone who has, a CONSTRUCTIVE idea that would help to ease the burden we ALL share (without name-calling and finger-pointing)? I'm just a dumb street-level member of society and if I had any answers, I would surely share them. I'm all ears.

Hey gang. How's everybody doin'? I haven't written a post since May of this year and had almost forgotten this site existed. So, when my memory rewound far enough to realize I hadn't been here in a while, I went back and re-read my last coupla' posts. Seems that what I had warned about is now coming to fruition. At least I don't think the collapse and subsequent bail-out on Wall Street, or the now $700-billion national debt (soon to be over a trillion), or the $145.00 per barrel oil, or the rash of natural disasters, or the massive, nay, record number of home forclosures and such are just my imagination, are they? And no, I'm not a some kind of doomsday prophet or anything. I'm just a realist.  I, in my post entitled "America the Dirty", kinda hinted at what we, as a nation, were in for if we didn't reset our moral compass. Guess I wasn't that far off the mark, huh?  So, I have to ask, first of dcowboy99...how do all your fact and figure checking play out, as to what's going on in this country right now? And Debby5855,...can you still justify your agnostic point-of-view? And to all the other nay-sayers who basically told me that my Faith in God was misplaced,...how do you explain what's going on and how can you explain the lack of any prudent and sound ideas to correct it? I'm tellin' ya', folks...this is just the tip of the iceberg. You ain't seen nothin' yet! You think what God did to Sodom and Gomorah was bad,...at least He did what He did to them quickly. I believe that He intends to just sit back and let us stew in our own juices for awhile longer before He lowers the final boom on this overly-proud nation. We've done just about everything we can to rid this country of God and His influence, shy of banning ownership of a Bible ( and I  have to wonder when that'll happen). Now it's our turn to pay the piper. Go ahead...call me what you will. Tell me how dumb I am and then tell everybody else. Then, just wait and see how much deeper this hole is gonna get. No, I can't see into the future, but I CAN see from what Scripture tells us that mightier nations than this one have fallen because they were too proud, or too ignorant, or too far removed from Gods' influence to listen...listen to that still, small voice crying in the wilderness. I don't mean to single anybody out in particular, but the folks I named above took a pretty harsh approach when they replied to my posts. So, how ya' sittin' now? Gas and food and clothes and medicine and home prices (just to name a few) weren't as bad in May, when I went on my last "rant", as they are now, so justify your viewpoints for me again, okay? I'm real interested to hear what you gotta' say for yourselves, now! Get my point? There are those of you out there scared to death of what's gonna happen tomorrow. Let tomorrow worry for itself, cuz' today ain't over yet! You better find your knees and you better find your faith, cuz' like I said earlier, you ain't seen nothin' yet! Look at the thieves and liars running for office and honestly tell me you think one of these guys or gals has the answer we're lookin' for. I cast my ballot as one of "NO CONFIDENCE" for each of the "candidates". Rather, I put my faith in God the Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ before I'll ever have faith in someone who would sell-out their own mother to get in the White House. Like cattle being led to slaughter, the people of this country get in behind whoever can make the other guy look worse than he does, and you're gonna pay for it unless we, as a collective nation, first put our faith in God to help us reclaim what we've lost, then DEMAND accountability from our elected officials. Not just the ones in D.C., but right on down to our mayors, county judges and city councils. See, you can't just toss your vote out there for whoever has the best catch-phrase of the day, or raises the most in campaign contributions, or has the backing by the most Hollywood celebrities (Satans' disciples, as well). You'd be better off praying for, first mercy, then guidance in selecting your elected officials. I guess time, once again, will tell if I'm totally off-the-mark or if I'm closer than you might like to think I am. If your squirmin' in your seat right now, I don't blame ya'...you should be unless you put your faith where it belongs. I know whose child I am and I know who my Father is and I know that, no matter what happens to this country, He won't abandon His children. Are you counted in those numbers, or is it gettin' kinda warm where you are? See ya' on the other side.........

 I'd like to take just a few minutes to clarify some obvious misunderstandings by some who have read my posts. I may appear sanctimonious to some, but the truth is, up to a certain point in my life, I was the best example of what I now speak out against. I know, from personal experience, what it is to be evil at heart and void of caring about anyone but myself and those I closely associated myself with. I grew up in the Texas Panhandle and was raised in a family-owned construction business. Being the middle child out of five boys, I was kind-of seperated by age from my younger and older brothers to the point where the two older hung out with each other and the same with the two younger ones. I didn't have much to do with any of them growing up, except to be tormented by the older two and ignored by the younger two. So, left to my own devices, and coupled with the fact that north Amarillo in the '60's and '70's was a pretty boring place, I let my imagination take me to different places. I became fascinated with the world of the outlaw biker in my early teens. I also had a fascination with the United States Marine Corps. By the age of sixteen, I had my first Harley and already developed a "biker attitude" toward the general public. Anything I could do to freak someone out was not out of the question. As I look back on those years, I can only see the beginning of a lifestyle that served me poorly throughout the following 30 years. At age 18, I enlisted in the Marines and got in on the tail-end of the Viet Nam war. Upon returning to the U.S., I was stationed at Camp Pendelton in Southern California. With the "biker attitude" fully intact and now fully combat-trained by the meanest branch of the armed forces on the planet, I was of the self-imposed impression that I was the baddest-BLEEP on the face of the earth, and that's pretty much how I presented myself everywhere I went. Over time I associated myself with other Marines who were of the "biker persuasion". In 1970's So. California, being a biker was akin to being the scourge of society. That's how we liked it. We were the type of people, that if we pulled up next to you and your family at a red light, you would most assuredly roll-up your windows and lock your doors and turn right whether you wanted to or not. We figured, if nobody expected anything but the worst from us, who were we to disappoint them? I pretty much held that attitude for the next 30-35 years, before circumstances in my life caused me to stop and actually take a look at the wake of destruction I had left behind me, and where that behavior had left me. Now, as I read through the blogs on this site, I see a lot of the "old me" in the postings of many contributors. I see the hate, the predujice, the narrow-mindedness, the selfishness and many other negative traits that dominated my thinking for too many years.

 I guess that's where my relationship with God began. I had found myself in some dire situations...some of which I am still trying to straighten out...that I blamed on everyone except the one who was truly to blame...me. I found that once I accepted the blame for the mess I found myself in and asked for God's intercession, a clearer picture of what I had done and what I needed to do to make things right came into focus. I started listening to my heart, instead of the noise of the world. I understood what had been missing in my life and what there was too much of. My very existence began to take on new direction and new meaning. The more I experienced, the more I wanted, the closer I got to He that saved me from myself. Here I am today. Be glad you were lucky enough not to have run into me and my bunch before I realized the error of my ways. You could have been one of those left lying in a pool of their own blood and teeth.

 So, when it seems like I'm coming on a little strong when I try to push the virtues in us all, try to remember that I know what evil is. I lived it. I thank God ten times a day for taking that out of my heart. So, when I say "Don't shoot the messenger", just realize that none of what I write is from me. Part of my salvation and regeneration in the Holy Spirit is to deliver the word to whomever wants peace in their life. Another part of it is to live as an example to others. For too many years, I was the epitomy of how NOT to live your life. I am now simply a servant of the Lord. I judge no one, although I can see a little piece of the "old me" in folks that lash out at each other. I am not here to pass judgement or criticize, only to pass along the message from Him to you. Your perception of that message and what you do or don't do with it is totally up to you. My responsibility stops with the deliverance thereof. God will judge us all in the end. My only real concern these days is to live life to His Glory and His Honor, to spread the word of His everlasting love and to assist those in need. That's about it. The things that used to consume my thoughts and cause me sleepless nights are no longer of any concern. I still ride motorcycles...I'll ride until I die, I suppose...the difference now is, I ride towards righteousness instead of away from it. I ride towards the truth. I witness His word and His forgiveness of sin and His boundless love every chance I get, to anyone who wants to hear it.

 So, I'll warn you now. I'm pretty sure that anything I write from here on out will make reference to my faith and to what God can do for those who seek Him. I may comment on current events or other different topics, but I have the ability to see things from angles most people can't or won't. My task unto the Lord is to tell the truth about whatever I see. If I don't speak the truth about any situation that I feel worthy of comment, I can't get to where I want and need to be with my Lord. I don't wish anything bad on anyone, but it took some pretty devestating events in my life to open, first my eyes, then my heart, to what God could do for me. My hope is that it doesn't take catastrophy to bring you to the Lord. Today, I'm kind of quiet and reserved, I have a sense of humor and I appreciate every day that I can raise my head off of my pillow. There are those that will scorn me, I know. I used to be one of them. That was BEFORE I let God take control over my life. Now I realize that they who shoot arrows at me, are shooting arrows at God.  Peace and Love be with you all in the name of Our Lord Jesus Christ.   Amen

The Messenger

 As of this writing...Mother's Day 2008, I find myself looking at a country in the midst of a crisis. Not just looking at it, but living in it, as well. Seems every day, there is some evidence of this country's downward spiral. Higher oil prices, higher food prices, declining real-estate market, failing financial corproations, record numbers of forclosed mortgages, new scandals uncovered in our government and private corporations, new epidemics of various drug-resistant diseases, more crime, more violence, more tolerance for what used to be considered intolerable behavior, more wars, more poverty, more homelessness, more welfare recipients, more unwed mothers, more prisons and more prisoners, and the list of negatives just keeps getting longer and meaner. Were it not for my steadfast faith in God, I would have no choice, as a reasonably educated adult, but to be scared to death by what I am witnessing in this country and around the world on a daily, and sometimes an hourly basis. The perplexities that face this country alone are staggering. The plight of the world as a whole is cause for concern of its' own. However, we, as Americans, have a history of living in a country that has received blessings far and above those bestowed upon any other country in the world in terms of personal freedoms, boundless opportunities, self-sufficiency and victories over those who would have done harm to us and our way of life, dating up to and including the second world-war. That's when the U.S., as a country, began to take a downward turn that has increased in scope and speed to this very day.

 History books prove it...I'm not just making this stuff up. We were successful in world-war 2 and fought to a draw in Korea. We got our butts handed to us on the way out of Vietnam and have suffered one defeat and one embarrassment after another up to and including the present day (Mogadishu, Panama, etc.). And here we are, no closer to bringing our troops home from a futile conflict, started by hatred and vengeance and perpetuated by greed, than five years ago when this sin was first committed.

 Sin? What am I talking about...sin? Yup, that's exactly what I meant. You remember earlier when I mentioned my steadfast faith in God? Well, I wasn't just saying that to be cool, or witty or anything else except honest. If you can find it in yourself to be honest with yourself as you read the rest of my diatribe, maybe you'll get as clear a view as I have on the state of the world around us. Bear with me and indulge me for just a moment...

 This country was founded on religious beliefs. It was founded on the belief that all men were created equal under God, and that all men had inalienable rights...life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. For its' first 175 years, this country and her inhabitants were bound by a very strong moral fabric. Since the 1950's and the introduction of "liberlaism" and the allowance by the general public of a "loosening" of the moral fiber that constituted that fabric, it has un-ravelled at our feet and we find ourselves with the mess we see before us as we go out our front doors each day. Mountains of "loose ends"...debt. Piles of unrecognizable things that used to be the order and peace of our daily lives. I guess I should quit trying to romanticize it and just call it for what it is...America the Beautiful...once blessed by God Almighty because we owed our very existence to His grace and sang, as a nation, His praises, has become America the Dirty...America the Down-trodden, America the Shamefull, America the Greedy...there are a thousand-and-one names for this country that better describe what it has become than "America the Beautiful". I fear that, unless there is a spiritual awakening in this country, unless the citizens of this once-great nation realize the nature of their individual and collective sins and how we have, as a country, thrown God right out the door, the only direction we can expect to head is DOWN! What else can you expect? If you call yourself a "person of faith"...moreover a Christian, can you honestly tell me that you are living to repay the debt you owe Him for the sacrifices He made for you on the Cross, or are you more concerned with making your own way in this world without seeking His Holy guidance? That's what has happened to America. We, those of faith, have sat back and allowed the forces of darkness to legislate God right out of our government. I don't know about your beliefs and unless you are a true believer in the teachings and the Word of Jesus Christ I don't really care what they are, I just know that I would rather my countrys' higher offices be staffed by men and women who bowed their heads in prayer every day, asking for the strength, courage and guidance needed to keep this country strong and free,than by someone who thought their labors didn't need to be brought before the Lord and prayed about. The history books are full-to-overflowing with the records of what has happened to this country since it lost its' moral compass. Like I said earlier...I'm not making this stuff up! Look back at history and see if you don't notice a downward trend in Americas' prosperity about the same time that morals started being relaxed and our covenant relationship with God began to be more for show amongst the self-righteous than for earnest thanksgiving and praise for what He has given us as a nation. The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away...don't you see our country being slowly-but-surely taken away from us, the citizens, whose benefit and well-being was to be first consideration of our government? It proves out in the history books that while we were a good, moral, God-fearing society, we could conquer whatever challenge we, as a nation, were faced with. Now, we fear not God as a nation. We lust after the trappings of man and the gloss and glitter of the world. We forget that these things will soon come to pass, and that the one and only constant we have in our lives is Jesus Christ. We live like we have a clue what tomorrow may bring, when in point-of-fact, the best educated minds on earth can't, with any certainty or accuracy,  predict what will happen five minutes from now! Who are you kidding but yourselves if  you think that by ignoring God and His laws, things are going to turn out fine at the hands of mere men? You are witnessing evidence to the contrary every day! If you don't see it, it's because you choose not to. Doesn't mean it doesn't exist, just means you refuse to acknowledge it. Oh, how I don't want to be in your shoes!

 I know I'm gonna get jumped on by the liberals and the athiests (no, I don't capitalize that word like the non-believers) and the devil-worshipers and by those who just don't, for whatever reason, know God and the joy that comes with that relationship. That's alright. As a Christian, I know I'm gonna get stuff hurled at me, but I can't let that keep me from telling the truth. Sometimes the truth hurts, but to know the truth is to find peace. Do you not want peace in your life? Then it's time for each and every Christian to bow your head and ask forgiveness for the sins that got us into this mess, and to ask His eternal guidance and blessings on this sin-ridden nation that we might once again find our faith in the Creator and live in accordance with His will so that this country might rise again in greatness to His Glory and His Honor.

 So, you want to blame Americas' woes on somebody? Start with yourself. If you can't honestly stand in your own footprints and admit that you and your lifestyle, combined with everyone else who puts themselves first before anyone or anything else, might have something to do with the current mess we find ourselves in, then I see no hope for this country. Each and every one of us who believes that God has richly blessed this country owes it to the survival of our nation to re-kindle your relationships with the Almighty. Insist that faith be re-introduced into our government, our schools, our businesses and our daily lives. Don't attend church for appearance sake, but for the right reasons! Pray for those who lead our country to increase their faith, thereby helping to assure this countrys' survival and prosperity. Without giving thanks for blessings received and without praying for continued blessings and guidance and protection, I feel this country is on a collision course with destruction and division. I ask you to consider the Pledge of Allegiance..."One Nation, Under GOD"...and ask yourself when the last time was that you recited it. Are you starting to see what I see all-too-clearly? That seperated from God, this country is doomed to failure? If so, then I strongly urge you to go to your Master in solemn prayer and ask that He reverse the trend we see daily. As for me, I don't concern myself with tomorrow. I know that there are no certainties in life except that God loves me and Jesus Christ died on the Cross so that my worldly sins against the Heavenly Father would all be forgiven. I really hate to see my country go down the tubes like this, but I can't save it by myself. I mean, I know what's wrong with it, but my prayers alone and the fact that I try to live by His law aren't enough to save it.  So, I take comfort in the knowledge that whatever happens to this country, I am safe in Christ Jesus. I know the benefits of my relationship with Him and I also know the debt I owe Him for His sacrifices. That and only that is what keeps me from freaking out in this crazy world. I'm 51 years old and until I asked Jesus into my heart, I lived a lonely, scary and often-times very uncertain life. That is no longer the case, and I know by what I am feeling as an individual that this same salvation can be had as a nation. But it's not going to happen until the believers of the Son of Rightesousness come together in His name to reclaim what He has given to us. That which has slowly and carefully been slipped from our grasp by the forces of darkness. That being our beloved America the Beautiful. Christians Unite! Take back our country in the name of The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit! Put God in first place in this country and He will put this country in first place in the world! Shut God out and He will throw us to the wolves! The handwriting is on the wall...the next move is yours!!

 Every time I turn on the tube, flip open the paper or log onto this blog site, I see evidence of the helplessness of the average American. We, the masses, have been reduced to a snivelling mob of "victims". A country full of whiners. The type of people who would rather gripe about their situation than get up off their butts and do something about it! This was once a country of strong conviction. What happened?

 Well, for starters, we've been hood-winked and lied to by nearly every politician we've elected to public office since the 1950's. Instead of electing someone who had a platform that would benefit the voters, we chose to be roped-in by slick T.V ads, designed by corproate advertising agencies who specialize in telling people what they want to hear. The "candidates" are really no more than juiced-up used car salesmen who will say and do anything to move their agendas. Sure, they're phonies from jump-street, but what does that make those of us who voted for them in the first place? How did we become a society of people who seem more interested in whether they have the latest in cell phone technology than a decent person in elected office? Don't you really  want to know why oil prices have surpassed record levels many times in the last year alone, yet all of the major oil companies announce..,ney, trumpet record profits? Is your Grandma cold this winter 'cause she can't pay her electric bill? Are you cold? I guess we are primarily to blame for the predicament in which we currently find ourselves. I mean, we elected everybody from our city councils all the way to the White House, did we not? So, in order to get the ball rolling down the right track, go stand in front of the mirror and point your finger of shame and blame squarely at the first person you see. If you can admit that much, there's hope for you yet. Come on, people. Look around! Food prices, fuel prices, insurance rates, phone, cable and internet rates, general goods and services...they just continue to rise with no end in sight, yet wages have been stagnant in this country for a decade or more. But, every morning we go off to work, apathetic to our own plight. I, personally, have been priced completely out the industry of my trade by dirt-cheap illegal immigrants who will do my job for one-third the money, while the contractors assist them in obtaining fake documents for check-cashing purposes and because, well, they have to turn in a social security number on somebody, right? Regardless if the number actually belongs to an American citizen or not. There's hardly a dirt-work, site-work, excavation, paving or utility contractor in the Austin area that is not in direct violation of several Federal laws concerning immigration.  Yet, they receive government contracts and are payed with monies derived solely from your taxes.  I know there are a lot of other folks out there who feel the effect of illegal immigration. I just had to get completely out of my career vocation, as there's not a decent living to be made for a two-person household. Yeah, I'm in a financial pinch, but I'm not going to give one minute of my time to an employer who has illegal labor on the payroll and doesn't think far-enough back  to remember who helped get their companies established when they weren't as big and ruthless as they are now.

 But, here we all sit. We watch the presidential "debates" (aka photo and sound-byte ops) and watch the candidates bend and twist and change into whatever they need to be to get votes. And we do nothing...we accept the status quo with the promise of change. I've heard "change" from the Washington-elite since I can remember paying attention. I've yet to see any of them truly deliver. But, here we all sit, and we do nothing. The slick-suits in D.C say everything is fine with our economy and we are most definitely not headed for a recession. You know and I know we are. I don't know about you, but I keep getting more month at the end of my money at an ever-increasing rate. We keep getting fed the same B.S. And here we all sit, and we do nothing. We don't swamp our elected representatives with letters phone calls and e-mails. We don't protest in the streets outside of our government offices, court houses and Capitol buildings. No...We all sit, and we do nothing. Well, there is one thing we do well...WHINE!  Oh, yeah! We can whine with the best of them! On a still night, if you're outside and the wind is just right, you can hear a whimper on the breeze...Yep, the corproate elite and the Washington in-crowd have us right where they want us. In a quivering mass. I'd like you to think back to the last time you voted and see if you can remember who you voted for and why you voted for them. What promise or what part of their platform persuaded you to cast you vote for them? Did they deliver? Can you remember? (sniffle,sniffle) Don't cry...you voted for them.

 Let me stop for just a paragraph or so and explain my concept of the ideal candidate for national politics. First, he needs to be a regular guy. You can't represent regular people unless you come from their midst. Second, he needs to be highly regarded by those in his community as a leader, a risk-taker and someone who's not afraid of failure. Third, he should have some solid ideas about how to correct what's wrong with our current government. I don't care if the guy has a college education or not. I'd rather he had a good heapin' dose of common sense than a truck-load of book smarts. College-educated whiz-kids are the mongrel dogs who led us down the road we are on, now. Why should we follow the formally educated, when their collective track-record  is a matter of public record and, if it weren't for the gravity of the current situation, would be considered laughable? I'd rather go into combat behind a grizzled veteran of the trenches than with some fresh, butter-bars lieutenant. Wouldn't you? Why, then, don't we raise someone up out of our neighborhoods whom we know and trust? Someone of character who understands the plight of the everyday American. Some will say, "He needs experience in foreign policy ". My answer to them is "Why?". Those in office with so-called "foreign-policy experience" have soured our image to the world as bullies and capitalist pigs. We only show up if we think we have something to gain. The all-to-familiar guise of promoting democracy is a veil worn thin. No one believes that crap anymore. No one but us, that is. We take the lies, one after another, and line-up for more. We send our sons, daughters, moms and dads off to die in a place and for a cause that ultimately means nothing to the average American. Sure, they have trouble in the mid-east, but we have trouble of our own, right here at home. But, I digress. Some will say that this "Average-Joe Candidate" should be experienced in politics. Again, I ask "Why?". I really don't want someone in office, representing me, who's "down-with-the-game". You see what I'm saying? That's the main problem with D.C politics (State politics, too), is it's all in how you play the game as to whether you can produce for your constituents or not. The "game" needs to be dismantled and politics needs to be made transparent. The whole business of government, with the exception of classified military details, needs to be made available for public observation and inspection, with allowances made for public input. Government is a continual work-in-progress. It needs to be able to take tips from those it serves as to how it might be improved upon. At present, none of us has a voice in how our government is run. And you call this a democracy? Get real!!

 So, maybe you get a little bit of where I'm coming from on the subject of replacing our slick-suited politicians with ordinary people from our communities, and our neighborhoods. If you have a better suggestion as to how we might go about the business of reclaiming what is rightfully ours and not corporate Americas', feel free to set me straight. Until I hear a better idea come out of the crowd, I'll just keep passin' out that cheese to go with your whine...Peace!