Reflections

2006 is about to become shelved on the bookcase of life and I blow it farewell with a kiss and a smack on the proverbial ass.

This year has been quite the adventure and I, unlike Kevin Bacon in Animal House, would rather pass than to have another. For like Kevin, have felt like I have taken most of the year bent over wondering what the next 2x4 was going to feel like.

To my five loyal readers, thanks for being part of my extended family you are very important to me!

To my drop ins, come back and leave your thoughts that come along with your IP addresses...

-WTS

Reflections in Shaved Ice

The year was 1985, the month January. It was a pretty big year for me on many different levels. I was in the middle of my senior year in high school and all indications were that I was going to graduate. Not on the honors list, as I am sure my parents would have preferred, but a diploma is a diploma. A few weeks before my counselor had told me that I did not have the aptitude for college and that I would be better served working in the service or construction industries. I had no immediate plans for college anyhow since I was an assistant manager at a local fast food place and was making the commanding $4.50 an hour.

I had just broken up with a steady girlfriend, whom I mentioned several months ago, and it was not going well at all, not that matters of the heart are supposed to. She had a real hard time letting go even though we both knew that our relationship was at an end as it should have been. She tried to commit suicide twice and had a couple of seizures as a result of those attempts. We had talked to each other as friends, old friends, even close friends even though we were no longer together. It just seemed like she did not want that part of her life to end even though she wanted every other part to. Ironic...

January came and it was bleak, cold and dismal. Pneumonia smacked me hard in the face and I missed quite a bit of school early that month. The weather went from bad to worse until finally the skies opened up with snow. It came down, layer upon layer until the ground itself went from the typical dead browns and grays to the soft hues of white. It was at that point, as I stood outside and looked around that something told me that things were going to be alright and I had to let go of what needed to be released and get what was meant to be captured.

For one reason or another, I needed to be reminded of this lesson right now.

-WTS

And Now A Bit of Guilt From Our Sponsor

Ahh, I knew that the end of the year was coming when I viewed my first "guilt" commercial.

It was the typical "ate too much over the holidays" genre and the only thing it made me want to do is to write down fireworks on my shopping list. What would this time of the year be without these wonderful reminders that we are overweight, smoke too much and we will probably over imbibe and end up in prison? Commercial after nauseating commercial tells us that the only real time of the year to rid ourselves of any habits is at the end of the year.

Sprinkled throughout these ads run the big sales at the local car dealerships begging you to come down and go in debt $28,000 to save them from having to pay taxes on the vehicles on their lots. You know what, screw 'em. This is one part of life that I have no guilt about. Let them pay taxes on everything they freakin own on the lot. We should demand lower prices on new and used vehicles throughout the year, not just when the average family just dropped $800+ for presents.

-WTS

Cigarettes, Whiskey and Wild, Wild Taxation

What I am about to talk about is not going to be in the politically correct realm because it deals with smoking. I am not here to debate the hazards of the habit nor am I going to open a discussion on the costs of smoking on the public health system. I will talk about the singling out of smokers in modern society and how they are to be made into the next leper class.

Texas has decided to once again tax only one portion of the population in order to bail out their brand of poor monetary management. A large sign on the door of a local gas station warns smokers that as of January 1, 2007 there will be an additional $1.00 per pack tax as mandated by the Texas state legislature. Many refer to this type of tax as a “sin tax” and those who partake in smoking and in the consumption of alcohol should pay a tax and are thus sinful due to a personal choice of habits.

While I do not pretend to be a theologian, I have done some research into the subject of religion and religious beliefs. Smoking and alcohol are not even on the "Holy" Top Ten. Since this nation was founded on the principles of Christianity, I will take my argument to that particular belief system and come up with a new set of 'sin taxes' that will further benefit the money mongers of this state.

• Gluttony - If you weigh more than 10lbs of your ideal weight, you are going to have to pay a flab tax of $5.00 a day until you are at your ideal weight.
  
• Greed - If your annual income is over $100.000 and you do not donate at least 10% of your annual income to charities (real ones) then you will be taxed 10% of your monthly salary until conditions have been met for five consecutive years.
• Sloth - Those who are physically and mentally capable of holding down a job but mooch off someone else will be given jobs working for the state and then taxed 50% until real, actual employment is secured and maintained for five years. During time of probationary employment, the person involved will be taxed 10% per month.
• Wrath - Anyone displaying unjustified anger will be taxed $50.00 per outburst. Those who demonstrate prejudice in an open forum will be taxed 50% of annual salary until said person has learned to get along with others for a period of five years.
• Envy - Any gossiping hen who is caught talking about another person will be taxed $20.00 per day until said gossip is discontinued for a period of five years. Those caught purchasing lawn decorations / lights to out do another neighbor will be taxed an additional 20% on his property taxes.
• Pride - Those who are caught boasting excessively about his/her self child/grandchild will be taxed 10% of annual income to include social security for a period of no more than ten years.
• Lust - Men who frequent gentlemen's clubs more than 4 times within a month will be taxed 30% of all money spent. If the amount spent does not equal at least $100, then the person will be taxed 30% of monthly income for every infraction.
  

Maybe we should begin to tax churches in this state instead of picking on the few. I mean, if religious beliefs are going to drive our national and state politics, we should get more church money involved into the political process...

-WTS

Why Relationships Are Weird for Me

Have you ever had those times in your life where the person that you really want to get to know better is right in front of you and there is no way you are even going to broach the subject because other situations exist that might make the other person want to cut and run away screaming?

Have you avoided knowing someone better because your reasons were noble and then you spend too much time kicking yourself in the ass because this other person is really worth knowing?

I have

-WTS

Know What I Mean?

There are times in life when you just want to gather speed and run around screaming like a maniac. There are other times when you just want to sit quietly except that you can't because of all of the screaming maniacs.

Make sense?

-WTS

Shopper Alert

They say that the average consuming family this year is going to spend around $800.00 on presents alone. I would love to meet these people who have this kind of cash and ask if I could be on their list...

-WTS

NY Times Sees the Truth

The following link will is probably will only interest geeks. The New York Times has taken a look at the new Windows operating System and gives a pretty good review.

It is always amusing when the papers get something right for a change...


Video: Vista vs. Tiger

-WTS

Why is it?

Why do newscasts typically have more stories on car accidents as leading stories than anything else?

Are we so fascinated with disaster no matter how minor that we must tune in every night just to see the latest mangling of steel, plastic, and bone? Is it a case of one group of people looking at another with smug satisfaction because they were able to make it through the day without even a scratch?

What in the hell is so fascinating about other people's mishaps and misery?

-WTS

Twisted Sister and Christmas

Those two concepts I never would have thought would ever belong in a sentence together. You see, Twisted Sister has a very, very special place in my heart for several reasons. First of all, their videos were pure genius. Imagine bringing in characters from Animal House and melding them into a metal video. Another reason for my admiration is that even though their huge fame was short-lived, they still had the balls to do a cover of Leader of the Pack. Needless to say, in many of the hearts of metal maniacs, this was the kiss of death...

The main reason for my placing Twisted at the top of my list is the lead singer Dee Snyder. When Congress was investigating bands and artists that were corrupting the youth of America, Twisted was on the hit list for their song and video, We're Not Gonna Take It. The headbangers rolled their collective eyes for this was the battle cry of the 80s youth just as Kiss' Rock n' Roll All Night had been in the 70s. Tipper Gore and the Senate committee all collectively rubbed their hands as the hearings began. For you see, they were expecting a troop of stoners to appear before them and mumble and carry on about how great their music was.

They of course did not know about Dee. Dee is one of the most humorous and intelligent people that you could have ever had the pleasure to listen to. Not only did he shock the committee with his articulate defence of music, but he also unblinkingly told them what the letters "SMF" stood for in their fan club. It was like shooting the one-finger salute at the neo-conservatives who stood for censorship of music. Unfortunately, Dee's testimony counted for nothing and the now famous "Parental Advisory" label became law. Ironically enough, artists now clamored to get that "PA" label for it meant a boost in sales. What Tipper and her ilk wanted was to censor and ban artists. She made them millionaires.

Twisted Sister is still touring and has just released a genius Christmas album. They have taken traditional Christmas songs and interwoven them with some of the classic Twisted songs. Take a listen by clicking here.

Share and Enjoy!

You Can't Stop Rock and Roll!

-WTS

All My Life's A Circle...

No straight lines make up my life;
And all my roads have bends;
There's no clear-cut beginnings;
And so far no dead-ends.

Circle - Harry Chapin

A friend of mine was talking about life being a circle which brought to mind a song that I really like from the bard of the 70s, Harry Chapin. It is funny that sometimes we think of life as a hamster wheel in which we run in a continuous pace, getting nowhere. We also say that our journey in life begins and ends in diapers. History is a series of rises and falls of great empires and societies. However you look at life, it is a journey that has a beginning and an end.

Lately for me, life has been a series of hamster wheels. I think I have finally reached the stage that I have always dreaded. I go from work to home to work to home and on the weekends, I retreat into sleep and housework. Work in itself is nothing lately but a series of going through the motions and repetition of paperwork and meetings. I have not had the opportunity to spend time with family or friends in quite sometime and that is not good either. If it wasn't for email, I am sure my close companions would wonder if I had wondered off into the woods...

I hate being like this, I really do. I have always been the one to hang out, throw back a few, and enjoy listening to people talk about what is going on. I am usually not the one to lead conversations, but always glad to join in. I love heated debates on politics, music, and technology. I am also not afraid to talk about religion and relationship issues. I love people in general and there are a few that I will drop what I am mucking around in to talk with them.

A few months ago I talked about changes and how sometimes you must choose what is right over what you would rather have. Sometimes I get mad at the world for the stuff that surrounds me now and quite frankly it is easier to blame the world for your own design. Getting mad at the world does nothing but take me off my path and place me smack dab on the hamster wheel. I am tired of playing the blame game and now I am shifting towards looking at things square in the eye for what they are.

I am tired of playing "what if" and "how come" games as well. This is a real difficult path to take especially for someone who is as globally minded as myself. It is time I get back on the path that I know that nature has ready for me to follow. This is indeed a bold statement since I have been going nowhere lately.

If I seem indifferent next time I see you in person, please don't take offense. Just understand that I am internalizing and trying to see life from outside an orange piece of plastic...

-WTS