Whoops!!!

Was hanging out with some good friends last night, one of whom who has a sister with breast cancer. It just returned after years of being in remission. Mind you she is in her early forties, so she had her first battle with breast cancer while she was in her thirties. Add to that two of another friends co workers who just recently died of cancer, one 31, and one 35.  Do some research and there has been a huge spike in cancer patients in thier 20's and 30's. It's obvious something is wrong. Either nobody knows what it is, or a select few do know whats wrong and for one reason or another they are not letting on. For the sake and future of mankind I hope it's the first. I do not believe the explanation that cancer has always affected this many young people and we can only now confirm it because of our advanced medicinal technology. There were way too many new chemicals, technologies, nutritional changes etc, introduced to my generation that were rushed and not long term tested. I have a feeling its something that was deemed "safe" and "good for us" that is causing all this. Really it could be anything, from the chemicals in the food we eat, to cell phone usage. It's forgivable if it truly is ignorance. History has showed us there have been horrible repercussions due to our ignorance on certain subjects, just look at lead paint or Bikini Atol. However if it's something more sinister, such as the profits are too big or someone couldn't take the blow to thier ego, that would be nothing short of an unforgivable act of selfishness. I just hope that sooner, rather than later, someone reveals what is causing this spike in cancers and other diseases, and like lead paint it'll be a big Whoooops!!!

Trying to tax guns and ammo is back, again!

From the alderman five years ago that wanted a ten cent per bullet ammo tax, to earlier this year when Northside Representative Kelly Cassidy  proposed a penny per bullet tax, now we have Crook County President Toni Preckwinkle beatin the drum about taxing guns and bullets. Ya gotta hand it to the board prez, at least she is calling it for what it is, a money grab. She admitted it is foremost a move to ease financial stress from the county, and secondly to curb violence. The others that have proposed this in the past always said it was only to curb violence. 

The case is that most gunshot victims do not have insurance. This tax will supposedly cut down on the taxpayer burden for gunshot victims, 52,000 dollars, and the assailants, 143 dollars per day to keep locked up. Another point was that 1/3rd of guns used in street violence come from the Chicago suburbs. Are the suburbs flooding the streets of Chicago with guns intentionally? No, 1/3rd of the guns come from the suburbs because its pretty much impossible to buy a gun or ammo within the city limits. Chicago and county politicians seem to think its some kind of conspiracy that guns used in crimes are coming from places where you can actually buy a gun. Then again this is the same bunch of morons that think the suburbs charge a fee to get in (meaning the burbs actually get the money collected at toll booths)  Yes, it was said in a meeting by an alderman, who was cheered for this statement.

My argument, which seems to be pretty popular is this: Law abiding citizens are having to pay for criminals actions. Don't we pay enough in taxes by having keep them locked up? If the county is so concerned about violence and its cost, start at the roots of the issue. Don't go after people that have nothing to do with it. Hunters, recreational shooters and gun enthusiasts have nothing in common with gang bangers, drug dealers, and other criminals.

Here's something else they don't think about, just like with gas and cigarettes, there are many sporting stores and gun shops right on the border of collar counties salivating at the thought that this might pass. What would you do, go and retro tax law abiding citizens for buying outside their county? That might work because again these are LAW ABIDING citizens, not criminals who wont pay a penny of any of these taxes. Wait, I better not give them any ideas.

In the final times of Rome, the Roman government started taxing everything, even fruit trees, so much so that it was cheaper to go buy an apple than it was to plant or raise an apple tree. As in this case, this is nothing short of backdoor gun control.





http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-met-cook-county-ammunition-tax-1010-20121010,0,4795454.story

Politics

I haven't been here in a while, but looking back, I started this blog as a vent for politics. I still love talking and arguing politics, but I think it is too far gone now. The whole political arena on both sides is a joke, the American people are the middle person in a threesome, getting screwed from both ends. It's all a smoke screen, the president this, this one is in bed with this one, etc and all the while we are paying the bill whether it be taxes, or rights, or freedoms. Yet we are here, smiling and cheering on the people in "our party", you know the ones that "really support us". Supporters on both sides think that, but both sides are dumb. We shouldn't even be in a situation to where it is "both" sides. In business, if there were only 2 choices for a product or service, there would be an investigation into why there are only 2 choices, then they would create a grant to start a 3rd!!! The politicians aren't dumb when it comes to keeping their 2 sides only scenario, but they are out of touch with everyday people. We shouldn't care what letter is next to your name, we should care about what is going to keep jobs in this country, we should care about what will keep us on the forefront of discovering new vaccines to disease, we should care about being a distinguished nation, we should want to be INDEPENDENT again and want to return to what this nation once was, the greatest place on earth. Back in the day (inception to early 70's), we were great. We developed and pioneered many things and had a passion for it; now, we have no motivation. Why should we? Our job may be shipped offshores at any moment or we may be sued or we may simply be preoccupied because our employers are not personable anymore and that makes it easier for them to let us go when we don't make the unrealistic numbers. You know, the ones that look good on paper, but cant realistically be accomplished. What incentive do our scientists have to cure cancer? It used to be honor and have created a stronghold in your field for life. In business, honor is dead. Of course it is still trying to be used everyday as leverage or "motivation", but honor does not have the same value as it did years ago. However, I don't think the person who could have cured cancer will care much about his prestige or respect when he and his family are fighting starvation because his formula has been shipped off to a third world country to be manufactured cheaper. Why should we buy American when foreign products last longer? Well we dropped the ball on that one. We lost pride in our work and we got lazy because our jobs we "always" going to be there. I think we all need to band together, and realize that we are in a fight for our survival, not only as a country, but as families and individuals. We need to reorganize and become rock solid again, so the dollar is one of the strongest currencies again, and the world is once again in awe of our accomplishments. We need to become the best again, we were slacking for a long time. I just hope we are not too far gone to come back from it. This has been sponsored by myself: I pay taxes, said taxes pay the politicians, who in turn, motivated me to write this. Thanks to me!!! I think.

Fairness

So why is it so hard for people to believe you when you say you side with what’s fair and right? Maybe because they wouldn’t do it. Maybe because a majority of people in this great life would side with what would benefit them? However, there are still some people left in this world that are not like that. I’m not going to manipulate the truth or a situation to lean in my advantage. If I screw up I screw up and I take it. If I am being unfair, I will apologize. However I will explain myself when I think something is right and give justification. I wont just say "no its not" or "I don’t believe that" or "I don’t see the problem" just to save face. When I’m wrong I admit it, why can’t other people follow suite? No, it would not be ok if I did that to you so why would it be ok for you to do it to me? Because you’re doing it and it benefits your hidden agenda? Wrong answer. See I'm no touchy feely how do you really feel, im sorry I offended you but, type person, but I must say that the people who are the most emotionally needy, trample over the feelings of those who are more stable and at ease with themselves. Yet when their feelings are trampled on, or even tripped over, their 50 foot cross appears and they start nailing themselves to it in front of whoever will watch and listen with pity.

I'm Back!!?!?!!?

And I say that with mixed emotions. I am back in many ways, back in Chicago after a long hiatus in Denver, back writing blogs, and back in a rut. Been back for over a year now and fell right back into the same ol, as if the 4 years in Denver never happened. Back to the same old grind and routine, back to feeling as if I cannot expand my horizons and ideas, feels like I’m surrounded by closed and judging minds, feel like a bug under a microscope, just weird. Feels like I have reverted to my teenage years of dependency, naive ness and irresponsibility. Maybe these are just the things I wanted to leave behind here in Chicago, and I did when I left for Denver. But why did these feelings come back when I moved back? Even more so why did I subconsciously let them lead me astray again? Things are way different now. Different job, married, baby, was it the familiar sites and sounds of my hometown that threw me back? Does living back in Chicago make me feel as if I have to feel this way cuz that's what I associate this place with? Have I fallen into some subconscious role that I am supposed to be acting out? It seems as if everything that I have learned in life that makes me productive and a better person I have forgotten. Why? Because I am home? I love Chicago, but it’s different now. Whether it’s the vibe, the politics, or the same ol same ol. Or maybe I grew and can actually see through the BS. Maybe I just don’t want to deal with all of it and that’s why I didn’t fight falling back into this state of craziness. Come on, I was born and raised in this great city, why don’t I like it anymore? Even better, why does she do this to me?