"Some days are diamonds; some days are stone." That's kind of normal for everyone. I used to envy other people, thinking they were better than me somehow. The handsome young buck tooling around in his corvette, yep, he has a better life than me. Well, maybe he has parents that barely know he's alive and a scorching case of herpes. You never know. The grass is always greener, etc. In my own peculiar rambling way, I'm saying: It doesn't hurt to be happy. Don't matter who you are, where you are, what you are. I may not have a million, but whoopti-ding-dong-shit. I like me. If you ever feel down, shake yourself and remember: you're the only you there is, and you're pretty damn good. Don't need no applause to be a star. "American Idol" can kiss my ass. I'll never be famous, and that's all right with me.

Whew, long day at work. Catching up on the news, and what do I see but that the Mainstream Media is now fawning over a GOP entrant in the presidential race, Jon Huntsman. Apparently he's supposed to be the Obama of the Republicans, according to a number of news outlets. Ok, so he's totally unqualified and fairly stupid. I can definitely see the comparison, after reading some of his positions on important issues. It's just a re-hash of McCain's campaign, where the media loved him for his moderate ways, then when the field was narrowed, turned on him like a mongoose on a snake. This time it won't work. He won't make it to the convention; left-leaning RINO's are out of the picture this election cycle. Anybody Harry Reid could possibly vote for on the Republican side is definitely toxic. If Herman Cain gets enough interest, that will be a sight to see. A conservative black businessman versus Obama. My money is on Herman Cain. The left fears him, because he's intelligent, competent, successful, and black. I'd vote for him in an instant. Ought to be an interesting election. :)

Me again. :) After much thought, a decision has come about. If I happen to outlive my mother, then I'll be changing my last name to that of her parents. She'd doubtless disapprove, else I'd have done it years ago. The logic is simple: after my dad beat me bloody at the age of 7, I no longer considered him my father. He left when I was 9, which may well have saved my life. Wounds heal, but scars stay with you to the end of your days. Mine run deep, inward and outward. You can hate those you love, as odd as that may seem. I loved the old man, but never have I hated another human being more. He's long dead, and it pains me to this day that I never told him how bad he hurt me. Probably wouldn't matter, he was an ice-cold sonofabitch when it came to his boys. Daughters, no, he was the grandest of gentlemen with my sisters, and rightly so. Us boys had to fend for ourselves, like he did. He was making us tough, like he was. In my case, he made me mean and bitter in some respects, and thoughtful and caring in others. If he were alive today, I'd drink a toast to him... then knock him on his ass.

Forbes just posted it's latest list of "richest people in the world." I wouldn't mind being wealthy, but would rather not be on that particular list. Too many responsibilities. Once you make that list, people look to you as if you are something special, and can help them be better than they are. Ummm, nope. It just means you worked hard, or found a niche that needed filling, or were extremely lucky. In some cases, it may mean you are very intelligent, but that alone doesn't guarantee you can help anyone else by your acumen. If I ever achieve great material wealth, it will be by one of the above methods, but it will be aimed towards making the lives of the people I care about better...NOT to enhance the existence of people I don't have a connection with. I was appalled when I read stories of how some people, when they won the lottery, were receiving letters that were simply addressed, "Lottery winner", that demanded all varieties of cash awards for sob-story bullshit...or explicit photos promising great delights...or emotional blackmail in a chain-letter-type potential curse. I'm fairly immune to such entreaties, but most are not. Wealth is a blessing or a curse, but it entirely rests upon the foundation one had long before wealth became an issue. If I get rich, my first notion is, " My truck needs new brakes." So much for grandiose schemes.

Flashback time! I owe a bit of gratitude to a master sergeant from my air force days. We didn't get along particularly well, but he made a statement once that was very profound and startling. I was making mention of something and used the term "they". His response was," Is that "the great nebulous they", or "the great omnipotent they"? That blew my mind. Who is "they"? Words have meanings. People aren't groups. One must have clear definitions to make clear choices. That simple statement covers practically every politically-correct notion that one can imagine. Boiled down, to me, it means, "say what you mean, mean what you say." Gray areas aren't as gray as they are painted. I like what I like, dislike what I dislike. Everyone has that option. "We", the people, are individuals. "They" are people who disagree with "us", I suppose. "I" am a guy, with likes, dislikes, attitudes and feelings. "You" are also someone with likes, dislikes, attitudes and feelings. The great thing is, with a little effort, "we" can be more than the sum of "our" parts.

I may have to change my last name to Palin, just so I can be in line for some of the idiotic firestorms the libs keep spraying across the landscape. The latest is some female named Kate Walsh, who has called for a ban on Bristol Palin. Yes indeed, the libs are certainly the "live and let live" crew. This less than a week after some WaPo columnist wanted a moratorium on any news regarding Sarah Palin. It's disgusting the lengths these imbeciles will go to, just to silence people they disagree with. Hmmmm, let's see, who else does, or did that? Red China? The Kremlin? I'd never make it in Hollywood, I'd be making these swine face their hypocrisy and rubbing their plastic-surgeoned noses in it. Fortunately, for all their money and fame, those in Hollywood are no less susceptible to karma, happenstance and judgement than the rest of us. The only difference is, they will whine a lot more than us regular folks when things go bad.

I love Netflix, especially the streaming option. They have the collections of the Travel Channel's "Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations", which is must-watch tv. I'm not a foodie, but it has inspired me to return to cooking. The exotic locales have triggered a bit of my wanderlust, as well. It's probably a good thing that I can't indulge a whim to go to Indonesia: might not want to return. Bali, at least as portrayed on the show, looks like a place I could get very accustomed to. As a general rule, I avoid t.v., but sports and travel shows are entertaining and educational. Up to the age of 16 or so, I watched far more t.v. than ever I should have, so perhaps this is just a matter of balancing the books.