Outrageous

I'm outraged at the continued and increasing intrusion of the government in our lives. While I agree that every American citizen should have the right to have health insurance, I do NOT agree that it should be forced on us. Just like I don't agree that auto insurance should be forced on us. Although I do agree that auto insurance protects the innocent who get hurt because of another's carelessness, health insurance should be an option and hospitals and doctors need to treat the sick and not have your insurance or lack thereof being the uppermost thing on their minds.
Also, this ban on cell phones: Why not address the problem where the problem lies and that's with careless drivers? If an irresponsible person injures or kills another person while texting or talking on a cell phone, that person should pay for that act, not responsible Americans who are capable of chewing gum and walking at the same time. Simply arrest or fine the persons who misuse their phones while driving, just like the ones who get behind the wheel of a car after drinking too much.
And while we're on the subject of drinking, why are smokers persecuted at every turn? Do Americans not realize that most of the taxes paid to the state come from cigarettes and alcohol? Take the cigarettes/smokers away and the state will find NEW ways to get those taxes. And it may be something YOU enjoy.
Alcohol kills just as many people as smoking does. And younger and younger children are drinking now. They will have kidney and liver damage at a very young age and that's where our health care comes in again.
So while the government is looking for new ways to alienate the smoker, look at the alcohol drinkers as well. Because when they get behind the wheel of a car, they're a loaded gun. And it may be your loved one in the path of that bullet.
Now they want to put cameras on the highways to take pictures of license plates so they can check for people who are driving with no car insurance.
This is what our lives are becoming in a country that used to have once-free Americans. We're slowly losing every freedom we have.
Illegal immigrants: It amazes me that the REAL problem isn't being addressed. We have illegal immigrants who cross the borders into this country and live off OUR government. They get free aid, free housing; they don't have to pay taxes but yet they're allowed to work! We don't need to address why immigrants are being persecuted, we need to address why Americans are being persecuted. They come here and take away jobs that should only be given to Americans. If we went to THEIR countries, you can bet that we'd have to abide by THEIR laws and become a citizen or we wouldn't be allowed to work or have any of the privileges that their citizens have. So what's the problem? If you want to move here, that's great! But become a citizen and pay taxes like the rest of us have to do that want to live here.
America; home of the free? Yeah, right. Maybe once upon a time.

Why did the Beatles Break Up?

Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Opinion: Why did the Beatles break up?
This is a question that will never grow old. It's the source of speculation among Beatles fans and non-Beatles fans alike. Never in the history of any band from the past or modern times has there been a band who's been studied, scrutinized and dissected more than the Beatles. Only the Beatles have beat the Beatles. They've have had their albums in the top 10 of the billboard charts more than once. Not too shabby for a band who broke up more than 40 years ago!
Which raises the question, just why DID they break up? Some blame Yoko, some blame Linda. In my personal opinion, while these two women may have had a part in the eventual breakup, I don't think they were the deciding factors. They were growing up, no longer boys, and had developed new priorities like family. None of them were getting along at the end with George walking out at one point because of the bickering, ditto with Ringo. John had moved Yoko into the studio after their car accident which contributed to the resentment. John, George and Ringo were fed up with Paul's domineering ways, which could be looked at him being desperate to hold on to the band he loved so much. The others were ready to let it go, or so it seemed. George was getting frustrated at not being taken seriously as a songwriter. John had always thought of the Beatles as "his" band and now he felt like he was losing control to Paul.
After Brian Epstein died, they were at a crossroads because they couldn't agree on who to hire as their new manager. John wanted Allen Klein, Paul wanted the Eastmans. The other three Beatles felt that hiring the Eastmans would only give Paul more of the control he desired so George and Ringo sided with John.
When Paul officially dissolved the Beatles, John was livid. He said that he had been the one who had wanted to do it but had held off. But was it just because John secretly wanted the band to continue? He was very adept at hiding his real feelings, this coming from the many ways he had been hurt in the past by the ones he loved, his mum, his dad, his Aunt Mimi. In fact, when the court date loomed after Paul had filed for "divorce", John refused to show up. Did John panic, not really accepting that the dream was over?
Or was it just a case of having four separate talents in a band, each one wanting to be recognized on their own? Was the bitterness so rampant that this is the reason that Paul and Ringo have refused to allow Let It Be to be released? Even though we know the truth, or most of it anyway. Or do we?
Whatever the case may be, the world has still not gotten over it and probably never will. The Beatles have been, and will remain, the biggest force in music history. Love them or hate them, there's no denying that there will never be another Beatles, even as much as the media wishes it to be. Whenever a new band causes a sensation, the words "the next Beatles!" are always heard. But the truth is, they can never be duplicated, not in this lifetime nor the next.

They were a phenomenon that this Beatlemaniac will never again see in my lifetime.

"Deadbeat Dads"

While I don't agree with "deadbeat dads", I do understand sometimes why they become that way. Our justice system does not make it easy for them to do the right thing. They bleed the man dry and empty his bank account, not caring that, after they take 65% of his paycheck, there's nothing left for him to survive on. I agree that a dad should help out with the child/children he helped create but what about the woman? Does she not have to take a part in this child's care? And why not? If the couple was married, both mom and dad would be contributing to the child's care. Why is it that, after a divorce, the father is the only one responsible for paying for everything dealing with that child? And at such unreasonable amounts? And in the case of the mother working full-time, maybe being married again with a husband who also works full-time, why does she still insist on making the father/ex-husband pay for a child that they created out of love TOGETHER until he's forced to become a "deadbeat dad" in order to survive? I sincerely believe that the father needs to be partly responsible for the child but the key word here is "partly". The mother is also responsible for that child but the courts don't see it that way. And why is that? When they were married and in love, it was most likely a mutual decision to have that child, the man certainly didn't create a baby on his own. Now, after a divorce, it's the man's "fault" that the child exists. I think it's totally unreasonable and extremely unfair to the man that he's the one totally responsible for a child created by the two of them. They created together, they loved together, they should raise together. And these days, some women make more money than the man does. The courts are forcing men to become "deadbeat dads". And while I do agree
that there are definitely some men out there who deserve that title, in my experience, there are too many who don't and who, as I see it, sometimes don't have a choice because it's the only way they can survive.
It always amazes me that a couple who was in love enough to get married and have a child together can suddenly hate each other so much and go straight for the juggler. Is there no compassion anymore?
I can even see that sometimes circumstances will cause the woman to become bitter like an affair, abuse, etc., but these instances aside, how can one hate someone SO much that they once shared everything with?

It boggles the mind.

Love

There are all kinds of love. There's the love you feel for your parents, the love you feel for your siblings, the love you feel for your mate. But I think the greatest love of all has to be the love a mother feels for her children. This love also equates to the greatest heartache one can feel as well. I have had my heart broken numerous times by ex-lovers, ex-friends, my mom dying, my grandmother dying, etc. But I have never felt pain greater than the pain I feel when one of my daughters rejects my love in any way. It may be something minor like forgetting a date she had with me to keep a date just made with a friend. Minor as it may seem to the outside world, it's not minor to me or my heart.
I know that someday they will become mothers themselves and will know this love. Until then, I can only suffer in silence, trying to stop the tears that fall out of my broken heart.
It's funny how we want what's best for our children but yet we're willing to let them go out and make mistakes so they learn by living. How we wish we could do their living for them through our experience but then they wouldn't grow into the responsible adults we want them to be.

Toxic Love

Toxic love is the kind of love you feel from the top of your head to the bottom of your feet. It's also the kind of love you know is wrong. Your head tells you to run away but your heart won't let you. The more you get mistreated, lied to, taken advantage of, etc.; the more your love "grows". Toxic love is the kind of love where you completely and totally depend on another person to make you happy. There should be only one person who can do that and that is yourself. Trouble is, eventually toxic love takes over your life and you think it's all there is and that this is the only kind of love there is. Hopefully you do find out that it's not all there is and there is a kinder, much gentler love, one where both parties are equal and share everything. Toxic love will consume you until you have nothing left.

Where Everybody Knows Your Name

I was thinking of that old TV show, Cheers. It used to be one of my favorite shows of all time. In fact, I still watch the reruns.
Wouldn't it be nice to have a place to go where everyone knew your name? Maybe you have a place like that where you can go and have everyone greet you with a friendly smile and a wave as they call out your name. Imagine having that many friends that you can turn to when your day just didn't go right. Imagine having a shoulder to cry on and an ear to listen at any given time. All it would take would be to walk through that door and, suddenly, your troubles just melt away.
It may not be a particular single place but maybe it's a neighborhood, a small town. A place where neighbors help neighbors and where someone can still go next door, open the door, yell Yoo-Hoo, can I borrow a cup of sugar? And there would always be a cup of tea waiting just for you, almost like they were expecting you.