I hope they burn in hell!

Here's two prime candidates for the death penalty. I know one of the liberal political arguements against the death penalty is that it cost too much and in most cases costs more than life in prison. However, the problem is not with the penalty, it's with the idiots who decided to make the death penalty so complicated that the cost is extrodinary. These two animals deserve the same consideration that they gave Eve Carson. And the fact that they're allowed to keep breathing while Eve's family and friends continue to suffer is beyond me.

Autopsy: Eve Carson Shot Five Times


Nevertheless, I'll save the remains of my arguement for another day. Today is about keeping the friends and family of Eve Carson in our hearts and prayers as many of them for the first time learn how such a promising, innocent individual was brutally murdered. My only hope is that her impact and vision will continue to live on in the memory of those who knew her and even those of us who didn't.

It's about damn time!

Hat's off to the Legislative Branch of Government! Until consumers can realistically fill their cars with something other than gasoline I've always believed that the price of gasoline should be regulated to keep speculators from driving up prices.

And imagine that, speculators don't think this is a good idea...go figure: Yahoo Article/CNN Money.com "Democrats offer another bill to curb oil speculation"

Forest Fires

In no way am I trying to be insensitive or unsympathetic to the homeowners in California being displaced due to the fires currently burning out West. I'm not. I can't imagine how helpless one must feel to see all they own risk going up in flames.

However, I also think it's a misused term by the media to say these fires are "awful" or "devastating." As far as our environment's concerned these fires are far from devastating. They're actually part of our environment's natural progression to reinvigorate itself. You see, I tend to believe that Mother Nature has a pretty good idea of what she does and does not need to thrive. And, these fires are part of Mother Nature's efforts to clean out the overgrowth and excess that hold her back.

Again, I don't want to see someone lose their home or business, but I also think it's important not to get in Mother Nature's way and in this particular case, this fire is part of the natural progression of our earth to refuel itself. I think we as humans forget how much this land has given us. Sometimes we need to shed the selfish "me-me!" mindset and give a little to recieve something in return. I think this might be one of those situations.

In the South there are organizations out there working to restore the South to its natural habitat in which the Long Leaf Pine thrives. They've done this by burning much of the woodlands in an effort to remove the non-natural trees and brush. The end result has been a revitalised ecological system in which many of the South's natural habitat, long-sense gone, has begun to return. For more read: The Long Leaf Pine - Garden and Gun Magazine, January 4, 2008

Words to live by.....

"Remember, it ain't too late to take a deep breath and throw yourself into it with everything you got

It's great to be alive"

-Patterson Hood/Drive-By Truckers

A few thoughts on a beautiful Thursday

-There's nothing quite as rewarding as a mild summer day in the South. So far today is one of those days. The temperature is more like a summer day in Salt Lake or Jackson, Wyoming. Today would be much better spent out on the tailgate lot drinking with friends and getting ready for some Gamecock football than sitting in an office, but you do what you gotta do.

-Why is it that everytime I go to the gas station I feel like I'm helping to fund terrorism?

-I couldn't be more impressed with the grace, class and composure of Luke Russert over these past few days. If you have yet to watch his interview with Matt Lauer, do yourself a favor, take 15 minutes, go to www.msnbc.com and watch the interview.

-The one bright spot regarding our rising gas prices is that we're starting to see many companies go to 4 day work weeks. This is an idea I've always favored (even when gas prices weren't so high). Why is it that we spend 5 days a week working and only 2 days a week living? I never understood this yet now many people are getting a chance to find balance in their lives by having 3 day weekends. Personally, I have always subscribed to the idea that your work to live not live to work. 3 day weekends seem about right to me. If you're one of the lucky ones, thank you boss and enjoy the extra day. Hopefully this will become a national trend and the powers that be will endorse a permanent change.

That's it for now. Cheers!

The luck of the Irish!

The past seven days or so have been awfully rewarding I would think for the Irish. Just last night the Boston Celtics won their 17th championship over the hated Lakers. However, I'm not sure what's more impressive, the fact that the Celtics dominated the Lakers from beginning to end last night or the fact that TV didn't cut off Kevin Garnett's impromptu rant in which he even thank his "Baby's Momma." Nevertheless, what an amazing performance. Congrats to those guys.

Second, and on a more serious and truly Irish note, last week the citizens of Ireland narrowly defeated the Lisbon Treaty referendum.

While I'm more observer than participant, I agree that this rejection was not a rejection of Europe, but more a statement than anything else. You see, Ireland was the only country that gave their citizens the right to vote on whether to adopt the Lisbon Treaty or whether to remain on their own. The EU is suppose to be about Democracy and in a Democracy the people are the ones who make the decisions. Therefore, I believe Ireland sent the message that Democracy will only be successful if it is done right and doing it right is giving the people the right to voting.

Clearly, the EU wants Ireland to join them. Due to low corporate taxes Dublin has become the town and place that many Western companies have pegged as their home base in Europe. There's no way the EU wants to pass up on the opportunity to tax those companies and get their piece of the pie! I applaud the people of Ireland for using their voice to now force the leaders and the members of the EU to go back and reconsider their process.

Drinks are on the house! Cheers!

Before Introductions...a word about Tim Russert

I wrote often in my youth and since leaving those days behind I've often wanted to return to writing. Writing was something I enjoyed, but nothing I ever wanted to tie me down. Over recent months I toyed with the idea of starting a blog as a way to voice my opinions and ideas. However, it wasn't until the tragic passing last Friday of Tim Russert that I finally decided to embark on this adventure. I didn't know Tim personally, and I've never satdown to watch Meet the Press. However, like so many others I felt a connection to Tim. Tim Russert had a way about him. In most cases he was unbiased and in every possible moment he strove to hold our leaders and national figures accountable. However, as it has been so evidently clear in recent days Tim was so much more than a member of the media. He was a true American, a great father, husband and a remarkable friend. His personality was infectious. When you watched Tim on TV you felt as though you were watching a close friend. I took Tim for granted and it was never more apparent than this past weekend. Friday, June 13, 2008, America lost a truly great individual that found a way, even through a subject as tense as politics, to touch us all. God bless you Tim. You will always be missed.