The Kind-Hearted Smart Aleck

So, I just got back home from seeing the film "50/50," which just started airing in theaters today. I saw a preview for this a while back and immediately knew I wanted to see it. As far contemporary actors go, Joseph Gordon-Levitt ranks very highly for me and continues to climb the ladder. It seems that most people know this actor as the guy from the tv show, "3rd Rock From the Sun". He's done a bit since then. The only problem being that he's been the focal point of mainly independent films, which critics have hailed, but which haven't received much attention otherwise. These films include: "Brick," "Mysterious Skin," "The Lookout," etc. He also played a part in the smash hit, "Inception" and really hit it big as far as lesser-name films are concerned with his lead in "(500) Days of Summer". So, when I heard of him playing the lead character in a dramedy regarding a man battling cancer, I knew I was goin...

President Obama’s American Jobs Act seems to contain one component which has riled Republicans in Congress and that’s increasing taxes on families that make $250,000 or more per year. They have commonly referred to this component as “class warfare,” to which I have to chuckle. As it states at FactCheck.org, approximately 1 in 50 families bring home at least a quarter million per year, so that constitutes just 2% of the population. With the jobs bill, Obama would be raising taxes on the top 2%, while 98% of the population wouldn’t see their taxes increased. I’ve heard many members of the GOP state that the top 2% are the job creators and it would harm the economy if we were to raise their taxes. With the Bush tax cuts on the wealthy in tact, the unemployment rate is around 9.0% currently. When Bill Clinton took office in 1992, the unemployment rate was 7.5%. Clinton increased taxes to 39.6% and left office with unemployment being around 4.2%, the lowest since 1969. Under Clinton, 22.7...

I've been fighting a cold the past 2-3 days, so I wanted to get to bed early last night, but couldn't bring myself to do that. The reason? Baseball. It was the final day of the regular season and there were four big games played last night which could have decided the wild card teams from both leagues, as the Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays were tied for the final playoff spot in the American League and the Atlanta Braves and St. Louis Cardinals were tied for the wild card in the National League. In the first week of September, Boston led Tampa by 9 games and Atlanta led St. Louis by 8.5. For Tampa and St. Louis to tie Boston and Atlanta going into the last day of the regular season was remarkable by itself. What occurred last night was even wilder. St. Louis had no problems with Houston, defeating the hapless Astros 8-0, to put them 0.5 game ahead of Atlanta. The Braves led for most of their game against Philadelphia, up 3-1 until fairly late and 3-2 going to the top of th...

There's been a lot of talk about New York Mets' shortstop Jose Reyes and his decision to get pulled out of today's game if he got a hit in his first at bat, in order to better his chances of a batting title. He'll finish with a .337 average and Ryan Braun of the Milwaukee Brewers would need to go 3-for-4 tonight in order to surpass Reyes. Texas Rangers' starting pitcher C.J. Wilson tweeted that the Reyes move was "weak". Another called him a "coward". Many in the media are saying that the fans will be disappointed and have a different perception of Reyes because of this move and they won't forgive him for quite a while. I'm not sure I agree with the move Reyes made, but after hearing the media's comments, all I can think to say is, "Overreact much?" Geez. The New York Mets finished the year 77-85. They'll finish the year 4th in the N.L. West (out of five teams). They'll finish either 24 or 25 games back of 1st plac...

The craziest thing about the online world are the social networking sites. If someone is between the ages of 3 months and 87 years, chances are they have a Facebook account. Rumor has it that the Virgin Mary even has an account. The best thing about Facebook is you have the chance to re-connect with people you haven’t seen or spoken to for 10 years and there’s probably a good reason for that. Birthdays are the best. When it’s your birthday, the announcement is posted at the top right corner of the page. It’s amazing how 50 people you haven’t heard from for a year are suddenly your friends and wish you a happy birthday. It’s kind of creepy when you think about it. It’d be quite something to receive birthday cards in the mail from people you haven’t seen or actually spoken to for years. If you were married, that could really spell trouble: Beyonce: “Honey, why are all these women I don’t know sending you these cards? Chandra? Sophia? Gloria? Joan? Lois? Olita? Tara? Tasha? Joanne? Gina...

Whenever taking a public speaking course, the teacher will utter three words he or she refer to as space fillers - like, uh and um. These words are typically spoken when the speaker pauses for a moment and to prevent silence, even if for just a second, the student will resort to one of these space fillers in an attempt to prevent the momentary silence, in thinking they'll sound more intelligent without pause. Unfortunately, it has the direct opposite effect and makes them sound anything but more intelligent. People whom are referred to as valley girls tend to utilize the word "like" in an abundance and as most of us have heard at least one individual whom says "like" in such a manner, I think we can all say with confidence that this individual came across as the polar opposite of a brainiac. As that label tends to refer to women (valley "girl"), I think I've come across a similar space filler for males. That space filler? "...and shit". I...

I'm a regular watcher of Comedy Central's late-night fake news shows, "The Daily Show" and "The Colbert Report". Last night, "The Colbert Report" aired a one-hour special that was filled by Radiohead for most of its duration, where the band played several songs, mainly from their latest album, "The King of Limbs". I've enjoyed some of Radiohead's songs, but have never felt the need nor desire to run out and buy their albums. I find them to be unique, influential and I have the utmost respect for what they've brought to the world of music. I am big into Muse and while I'll be the first to admit that Radiohead was one of many influences on the band, I'm hard-pressed to understand how some can lay claim that they are copycats of the Thom Yorke-lead band. Some like to claim that due to their great ranges, Muse lead singer Matt Bellamy has been attempting to mimic Yorke's. After listening to the songs last night, whil...

Following the Eagles' loss to the Giants this past Sunday, Eagles' quarterback Michael Vick had a few words for the officials, claiming that he doesn't receive the same treatment as other quarterback around the league with regard to late hits due to his scrambling and running ability. It seems as if his head coach, Andy Reid, agreed with the star quarterback, stating that just because Vick is able to run with the football, he should still be treated as a quarterback and not a running back. A Giants' defender seemed to understand Vick's gripe, but said once Vick gets outside the pocket and makes it appear as if he's going to pull the ball down and run with it, he should no longer be treated like a quarterback. Once Vick crosses the line of scrimmage, I completely agree with the defender's statements. Once Vick or another quarterback crosses the line of scrimmage, they are, in essence, a running back attempting to gain yards on the ground much like a running...

Attention Starved: The Names of the Obsessed, The Names of the Lost Out there for the world to see, My life constantly on display, To make myself feel important, To acquaintances and strangers, My daily routines, Common to most, Yet mine shall stand apart, From all the rest, When I awake, What I eat, Where I am, When I sleep, 140 characters to share my life’s events, Abbreviated in thought and emotion, Complete strangers follow me, And I happily welcome them, The whats are revealed, The whens and wheres as well, The hows and whys excluded, The image portrayed being shallow, Time spent focusing on a screen, Longing to see my name, While others are void of such technology, While others starve, suffer and long for aid.

For the second consecutive week, the Philadelphia Eagles led their opponent going into the 4th quarter, up 31-21 a week ago in Atlanta and 16-14 yesterday against the New York Giants. In those two games, they've been outscored 29-0 in the 4th quarter. Sure, Michael Vick wasn't able to play much in either final quarter, but what about the defense, especially that secondary that the Eagles' spent so much money on in the off-season revamping? I don't care if Vick is playing or not. Up ten at the end of three, having scored 31 points, should be good enough to win the game. Yesterday's loss is excusable, as Philly just led by 2 points at the end of three and a field goal by the G-Men would have proved enough for the victory. At worst, though, Philly should be 2-1. The good? Philly moved the ball on the Giants pretty well throughout the course of the game. Tailback LeSean McCoy had another solid game, which included a few big runs. Michael Vick spread the ball around fa...

There's no question that Carolina Panthers' rookie quarterback, whom they took #1 overall in this past year's draft, is very talented and physically speaking, is ideal. The guy is 6'6'' and anything but skin and bones, to go along with a strong throwing arm and an ability to make something out of nothing with his running abilities. The rookie has played well in his first three games in the NFL, throwing for close to 900 yards in his first two games and winning his first NFL game yesterday against Jacksonville. However, unlike most sports "analysts," I'm not buying the notion that Newton is the next great quarterback in the league. Newton may have thrown for close to 900 yards in his first two games, but was also picked off 4 times and his team lost both games. If we're looking at it from a Fantasy Football perspective, Newton was quite a steal the first two weeks of the season, but was also careless with the ball at times and from a team stan...

This question has been asked time and again by sports' "analysts". Should quarterback Michael Vick alter his playing style due to his running the football leaving him more prone to injury than most other NFL quarterbacks? This was in light of Vick suffering a concussion in last week's game. He suffered a broken hand in today's game. I suppose it's a legitimate question to ask, but it's not Vick's leaving the pocket and running with the football which has left him susceptible to injury. The concussion occurred when Vick was hit in the pocket last week after throwing the football. He was thrown into an offensive lineman and two players' helmets connected with one another's, Vick receiving the brunt of the hit. So, Vick's unique style as an NFL quarterback played absolutely no part in his injury a week ago. Also, today, the pain was felt when he was in the pocket. The Eagles' offensive line did not pass protect well and their quarterback...

Judgmental Ignorance When I walk into a room, What do others see? What do they think? What do they feel? When I open my mouth, What do they hear? Do they understand? Do they care? Leaving friends at a bar, Words inevitably spoken about me, Never knowing what they are, What they truly think, When separated from family, My name is mentioned, Judgments and worries, Fears and questions, Looking a woman in the eyes, Ignorant on how to read, Does she see anger and deception? Kindness and honesty? Walking toward the mirrors, All staring at me, Ignorant of their judgments, Not knowing what they see, I stare into the mirror, All others are forgotten, Helpless to what they see or hear, Walking toward them with confidence.

I love my family. I love my mom. But some people in the family lack much common sense. Just today, my mother did some grocery shopping and picked up a prescription for my father. He had gotten this particular medication before and notified her that it cost $10. How much did it wind up costing? $130. My father has been having to pay medical bills and it's put him on a pretty tight budget, so a $120 difference in a medication, is rather huge. If I were in her shoes, I would have have called my father right away and asked him what was going on and if he was 100% certain the medication in question had cost him $10 previously. But, she didn't call and all hell broke loose as soon as she came home and notified him of the charge. She told him he could pick up his prescriptions from this point forth and he asked if a bell went off when she heard the price, having known via him that it was going to cost $120 less. As usual, I had to play the silent middle-man. Yeah, sure, my father coul...

I can't say I understand love, relationships, marriage, etc. I've never been in love. I've been single for a very long time. I've never been married. So, whatever one wants to do with their lives in the world of "love," so be it. Whatever makes them happy, as the saying goes. However, as I haven't a firm grasp on the concept of love, neither do I understand some people's decisions when they claim to be in love. Over the past 6-12 months, I've heard of three such stories which have perplexed me to no end: 1) A woman who was beaten by her boyfriend (multiple times) kept running back to him before she finally realized it was best for she and her daughter (yes, a child was involved) to go elsewhere. 2) A woman whom was raped by her husband (they have two children) kept pondering on if she should go back to him or not. She went back and forth on it for a while, until she decided to leave him. 3) A woman (with two kids) was witness to her boyfrie...

As I'm sure many have heard by now, Republican Congressman of Louisiana (Tea Party), John Fleming, made some headlines the other day when he spoke out against President Obama's plan to raise taxes on the uber-wealthy. To go along with the $174,000 Fleming makes being a Congressman, he also pulls in a whopping $6.3 million worth of investments. So, unlike most other Congresspeople, whom make a paltry $174,000 and wouldn't see tax increases, Fleming would. When asked about this on MSNBC by Chris Jansing, Fleming said the following: "That's before you pay 500 employees, you pay rent, you pay equipment and food. The actual net income of that was only a mere fraction of that amount" ($600,000). He added, "By the time I feed my family, I have maybe $400,000 to invest in new locations, upgrade my locations, but more equipment..." So, let me get this straight. The medium income for the American family is approximately $50,000. Doing the math, Fleming...

As I don't have much time to check sources and write a thorough piece about Troy Davis, his alleged crime and the execution of him last night, I'll just write a simple op-ed-style piece. I am a staunch opponent of the death penalty. At one time, I thought I supported, but as of my sophomore year in high school when I was 15 years old and writing a research paper on it, I realized my viewpoint was vastly different than what I had though previously. Given that, I can understand how some people feel differently, as they like to reiterate the phrase "an eye for an eye" or a life for a life. However, in the court of law, doesn't it claim that one is innocent until proven guilty and that there must me no reasonable doubt to convict the person alleged of doing the crime? Why didn't that apply to the execution of Troy Davis? There were many doubters, some as high up as the FBI, and yet the man was executed? The man was not permitted to take a polygraph, the DNA ev...

Innocence Injected As the needle is injected, Life flashes before my eyes, From the first day of school, To the last day of my life, Images of my wedding abound, Sharing our vows, Uttering the words “I do,” Until death do us part, The birth of our child, An experience like no other, Eternally grateful to raise him with you, Eternally privileged to be his father, Joyous thoughts enter my mind, As poison enters my veins, Fighting to stay alive, Not wanting it to end, I suddenly feel weakened, As I await my final breath, No longer able to prove my innocence, May God have mercy on them.

“Prayers Unanswered” We thank you for poverty, Thank you for war, Thank you for cancer, For answering our prayers, For hurricanes, For pollution, We thank you for crime, For answering our prayers, For the AIDS epidemic in Africa, Thank you for the earthquake in Japan, Terrorist attacks in the Middle East, For answering our prayers, Clasping our hands, Closing our eyes, Wishes directed toward you, Hoping to stay alive, The sun rises in the morning, Some never awaken, Forever clasping our hands, Wondering if you’ll ever listen.

First off, the article can be read at the following link: http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/story?id=6999827&_slug_=nfl-philadelphia-eagles-far-dream-team&action=login&appRedirect=http%3a%2f%2finsider.espn.go.com%2fnfl%2fstory%3fid%3d6999827%26_slug_%3dnfl-philadelphia-eagles-far-dream-team I've had some issues with Joyner's articles in the past and if he had just continued to follow what he titled the piece, I think I would have agreed with him. I thought it was ridiculous for sports' "analysts" to feed off back-up quarterback Vince Young's statement that his Philadelphia Eagles are a "dream team". They hadn't played a game as a team yet. We don't know how they're all going to play alongside one another. Let's hold off on the "dream team" talk until the season starts (and ends). So, if Joyner had just stuck to that, I would completely agree with the guy. However, he had to go the hyperbole route. In the sixth...

The Imaginary Moral Compass of Reality A story told, A lesson learned, For moral guidance, A teaching tool, That which can’t be seen, Only imagined, Actors witnessed playing the role, In an attempt to make valid, The backdrop is set, Characters walk on stage, The music begins, A persuasion of reality, On the edge of their seats, Their eyes widen, Wanting to believe, The story is genuine, When the lights dim, The actors leave the stage, Toss the beards to the side, Walk back to real life, To teach lessons, Bring people together, Provide hope, Instill faith, But the characters cannot be seen, The story only heard, Before the lights dim, And we walk into the real world.

Fool(ed) Her eyes seemed so honest, Her voice sincere, Her compliments genuine, I’ve been fooled again, Her words without hesitation, Flirting constant, Smile glowing, Fooled once again, Her laughter consistent, Curiosity displayed, Emotions exerted, The fool I played, Her sincere voice goes silent, Her smile is no more, Flirting non-existent, I’ve been fooled again, The role I was born to play, The cycle never-ending, Mistaken of her identity, I’m a fool again.

A Dream Inside A Dream Strangely familiar, Yet uncertain, I’ve been here before, Or so it seems, Surreal in setting, In feeling, In this real? Or am I dreaming? Time appears frozen, Stuck in the present, All around me is still, The past and future non-existent, Impressionistic from a distance, Realistic up close, Rubbing my eyes, To see more clearly, Confusion strikes me, Uncertain of my past, Suddenly forgetful of life’s details, The previous night’s dream being fresh, I awaken, Yet am still asleep, The blurred line of reality, As I dream inside a dream.

It seems that not long ago the Atlanta Braves were up 10 games on the St. Louis Cardinals for the National League Wild Card spot. The Braves had it locked up, right? As they've proven, that definitely wasn't the case. That lead has shrunk to 2.5 games with a little over a week left in the season. With the Braves struggling and the Cardinals playing well, that 2.5 game lead looks like anything but a guarantee. The big thing for the Braves this year has been pitching, starters and especially the bullpen. With Eric O' Flaherty in the 7th, Johnny Venters in the 8th and Craig Kimbrel in the 9th, if the Braves had a lead through 6, they were about guaranteed a victory. That hasn't been the case in the past week, where the youngsters have appeared vulnerable. Starting pitching has been a problem as well. When healthy, Atlanta has one of the better rotations in baseball, featuring: Tim Hudson, Jair Jurrjens, Tommy Hanson, Derek Lowe and Brandon Beachy. Hudson has been the roc...

It was Sunday night at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta and the story was former Falcons-quarterback Michael Vick playing against his former team as the starting quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles. Atlanta got off to a good start, mainly due to their running game. Michael Turner found holes in the Eagles defense larger than Rush Limbaugh's. That appears to be the weakness on the Eagles' defense this year, although they did settle down after their dreadful first quarter. The Eagles offense got off to a bit of a slow start as well, but began to get it going again in the second quarter. Michael Vick was much sharper this game than he was in the Eagles' first contest against the Rams. He appeared more comfortable in the pocket, was more accurate in his throws, spread the ball around nicely and only ran when he had to do so. Vick made three mistakes, though - one being his fault, the other being the case of very good defense and the other being the fault of head coach Andy...

I've shared some of my work at many sites, ABCTales.com being one of them. All of the comments I had received were very positive, but one I received today was quite puzzling for me. In response to a poem I posted, entitled "Imperfections," the commenter stated that I was "showing off" and she would therefore not comment on the poem. "Showing off"? I perused her account and she's shared poems and stories just like I have, so I'm confused on the drastic contrasts she's observed between the writings on our two accounts. I suppose I should take it as a compliment, for if she felt I was "showing off," chances are she was impressed by the writing, so much so that she felt the need to label me as a show off. I should just respond with a "Thank you" and be on my way.

Choice Is Not An Option The day on which I was born, The day on which I will die, The people whom raised me, The places where I reside, The schools where I was a student, The classes which I attended, The extracurricular activities I took part in, The degrees that I earned, Where I was employed, For whom I worked, How long my stay was, My ultimate career path, The jokes to which I laugh, The music that I enjoy, The trips that I took, It was all predestined, My politics, My religion, My family, My friends, My hobbies, My dreams, My loves, My experiences, All was decided for me, Choice is not an option, Fated to write this poem, And declare that it’s nonsense.

Born to Die Before birth, My life was decided, The end inevitable, Choice was of no matter, Surrounded by sympathetic eyes, Cognizant of what I remained ignorant, Knowing of my alleged fate, Praying that it was accurate, A naïve little boy, Playing with my friends, Without a care or worry in the world, Even that of which I was destined, Unto me the truth was finally confessed, Speechless as a result, The world placed upon my shoulders, Unable to remove it, I walked about the land, Deep in contemplation, Not wanting to take responsibility, Nor believing it to be fair, Extra cautious with my decisions, As temptations come my way, In order to save man, I mustn’t make a mistake, I maintain strength through it all, Yet constantly ask why, For I was just a baby in a womb, Who was only born to die.

Greedy Old People Shouting our belief in God, Seemingly adamant in our claims, Laughing behind the scenes, Contradictory actions are then displayed, There shall be no gun regulation, No infringement on our rights, Medical history is of no matter, Criminal record is irrelevant, A fetus is a living being, Should be tallied in the census, Unprinted money shall follow a similar pattern, Average people making millions, The chair is humane and just, An eye for an eye, DNA results are not essential, Nor are innocents’ lives, War is often times necessary, To protect us of our freedoms, Even in invasions based on false pretenses, And soldiers’ lives are lost, It’s all voluntary, They chose to be this way, Even when disowned by their parents, Condemned, beaten and hanged, Let’s build a giant fence, Keep the immigrants away, Philosophically consistent throughout history, If only Natives thought this way, It’s a natural cycle, All part of God’s plan, As polar...

So, I mentioned a couple days ago that it cost $26.73 to ship a 3 lb. package from Columbus, Ohio to Omaha, Nebraska via Pakmail. I e-mailed Pakmail and asked what the deal was. I received what felt like an automated-message from them, giving me the whole, "Shipping costs depends on a multitude of factors, including: the weight of the box, its dimensions and where it's being shipped to." Yes, I realize this. So, I contacted both UPS and USPS, gave them the essential information (weight, dimensions and location(s)) and they both responded with the following quotes: UPS: $13.20 (ground) USPS: $8.23 (parcel), $9.35 (priority) So, there you have it, the shipping cost at Pakmail was two times the cost at UPS and approximately three times the cost at USPS. Upon hearing word from UPS and USPS, I e-mailed Pakmail again. We'll see what they have to say. I may be taking my business elsewhere and spread word about them ripping off customers.

The Top Ten Jesus Pick-Up Lines (yes, I'm likely going to hell)   10. “You know, back in Bethlehem , I was known as FJ or Footlong Jesus.”   9. "Want to see a little slice of heaven? Come to my bedroom and I'll show you."   8. "I'm a little tired of being perfect. Want to undo everything I've done by doing me?"   7. "My mother may be a virgin, but I'm sure as hell not!"   6. “I’m through with having disciples. How would you like to be the first of my twelve bitches?”   5. “I may have walked on water, turned water into wine and risen from the dead, but all of that pales in comparison to what I want to do to you.”   4. "I've done everything to please you eternally. The least you can do is please me right now."   3. “If I have my way with you tonight as I hope, I think my father is going to add another Commandment.”   2. "I saved it. How about you give me a piece of that ass in return?"   1. (drum roll) ...

Football is my favorite of all sports, college especially. However, it really makes me laugh to hear "analysts" and fans' overreactions following a weekend of games. For example, I'm from Nebraska, where college football IS the sport in the state. Following their tough win over Fresno State on Saturday night, I can't tell you how many Facebook posts I read which stated that Nebraska was awful, that they'd be lucky to make a bowl game, etc. For the record, Nebraska is 2-0 right now. They have 10 games left in the regular season. Isn't it a bit soon to be making such predictions? Let's wait to see how they start off in conference play. Ohio State faced similar scrutiny after almost losing to Toledo on Saturday. Once again, the Buckeyes are 2-0 right now. We'll learn more about the team this coming weekend as they face Miami (Florida) and in the weeks to come when they enter Big Ten (12...) conference play. Calm down, guys... Rookie Carolina Pan...

I honestly wonder how much money has been garnered by people attempting to take advantage of the 9/11 attacks by making a few bucks off it. Directly following the attacks, yes, there was a sense of unity and patriotism for a while, which resulted in citizens purchasing things to illustrate this level of "patriotism". However, this is a capitalist society. Do you really believe these people's intentions were really that pure or were they also attempting to take advantage of American's fears and vulnerabilities to make some money? As is typical, I'm guessing the answer resides somewhere in the middle. This seems to have been especially prevalent this year, as it's the 10-year anniversary of the attacks. 9/11 Champagne? Check. 9/11 Wine? Check. 9/11 Gold? Check. 9/11 Hats? Check. 9/11 Shirts, Pants, Boots, Jock Straps, Footballs, Coloring Books, Swimsuits, Condoms, CDs, Books, DVDS, etc.? Check, check and check some more. It feels very immoral to me for peo...

Organized religion tends to greatly perplex me. I suppose I have difficulty with blind faith. I trust science, the observable, over religion, or the unobservable. However, I have more trouble with the contradictions, the irrationality that resides in organized religion. Since I was born and raised in the U.S. by Christian parents, I'm most familiar with that religion. So, let me run a thought by you which makes me scratch my head. The story goes that Satan is responsible for man's sins, correct? Jesus lived a perfect life and sacrificed himself on a cross to die for these infinite sins, right? Through Jesus, we will be saved and forever live in a paradise known as heaven, true? So, Jesus is seen as the savior of man kind, yes? Alright, so what if the devil didn't exist? Then what? Would sin then not exist? What would Jesus then have to sacrifice himself for? If it weren't for sin, Jesus wouldn't need to save us from what doesn't exist. So, my question is, wh...

So, I've been shipping a few things over the past 2-3 weeks. A Great Aunt of mine requested that I order her a book of mine, sign it, mail it to her and she would fully reimburse me. The book (including shipping) cost about $15. The cost of shipping the book to her (Columbus, Ohio to St. Louis, Missouri) was $20, $5 more than the book itself! So, I began to get a little fishy. I was able to get lucky the next 2-3 times, as the company whom I sent the packages to covered all shipping costs. I then shipped a small package (in dimension and in weight at 3 lbs.) to my friend in Omaha (Columbus, Ohio to Omaha, Nebraska). How much did that cost? $26.73! Meanwhile, a much larger package (both in dimension and weight, at 22 lbs.) cost $26.11 to ship. Eh, what? When I checked the UPS site, it stated that the smaller package should have only cost $13.20 to ship and the larger package a little over $16. So, I spent about $53 when I should have only spent $29, close to doubling the cost! I...

Epidemic Born with rights, With privileges, With money, With connections, Following in daddy’s footsteps, Career decided at birth, To take over the company, To expand the wealth, A maid to clean the house, A cook to serve meals, As you sit with a cigar in your mouth, Not having to worry about anything, Seven cars isn’t enough, Three houses is too few, Countless vacation days taken for granted, As others are hard at work for you, Small donations made to charities, To rid yourself of any guilt, As millions of dollars come your way, Ready to spend it on more junk, Downsizing becomes more frequent, As more profit is needed, Another boat is essential, At the expense of a family’s income, Born into money, Born into greed, Becoming epidemic, Just like those in shelters and on the streets.

Denial Filling the Void I don’t need my games, Don’t need my movies, Don’t need my CDs, You can take it all, No need for my toys, My pictures, My books, They’re yours, My car need not exist, My furniture either, My TV may be thrown, You can have it all, Sitting by my lonesome, Without all my things, I feel a weight lifted from my shoulders, I feel at peace, My mind is less cluttered, Heart is more pure, Soul less corrupted, Free from materialism, Surrounded by objects are you, The quantity never filling the void, As you host a grand party, Yet feel all alone.

(Un)Deserved Always late for dinner, Excuses running rampant, Lying through your teeth, I deserve better, Instigating arguments, Blowing out-of-proportion, Enjoying the drama, I deserve better, Vagueness a regularity, Openness scarce, Forced conclusions via speculation, I deserve better, Double standards aplenty, Mind games as well, Manipulation tactics prevalent, I deserve better, Using me for my kindness, Using me for my generosity, With a lack of appreciation displayed, Reciprocations a rarity, My confidence begins to wane, Due to your constant negativity, Having to repeat to myself time and again, You don’t deserve me.

saved through SIN be damned Born to take a fall, A giant plunge into the earth, To forever be hated, To be your scapegoat, Blame me now, For the rest of your days, For all of life’s ills, For all of your problems, Fear me now, Cast a horrifying image in your mind, Associate me with evil, Damn me in order to stay alive, Spread word to your friends, To your enemies, To your children, To everybody, Infinite sins committed, All fingers pointed at me, Observation being impossible, Rationale all but extinct, Sinful are we all, I shall take full responsibility, In order to save your souls, So that you may live eternally.

As I'm sure even babies in mothers' wombs have heard today, it is the 10th anniversary of the September 11th attacks. I've read countless posts on Facebook from people, heard from their mouths, read blogs about where these individuals were and what their reactions were when they first heard about the attacks. Really, what is it about anniversaries? Especially those with magical numbers which are multiples of 5? You never hear about an 8-year high school reunion or a big party celebrating a couple's 24th wedding anniversary. Nope. It's 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 40, 50, you get the picture. This also pertains to yearly holidays and celebrations, like Valentine's Day, Memorial Day, 4th of July, Christmas, etc. Why do we need these reminders? Why can't the majority of people illustrate to their spouses that they love them through both words and actions throughout the duration of the year and not need Valentine's Day as a reminder? Why can't people regular...

No, I'm not from Philly. I've never even been there. But, I have to admit, I enjoy watching their professional football team, especially after they signed quarterback, Michael Vick. The Eagles made a lot of headlines after the lockout ended, as they picked up arguably the two most sought after cornerbacks in the NFL, to go along with Cullen Jenkins on the D-Line, Ronnie Brown as a backup tailback, Vince Young to back Vick up at quarterback, former Giants' receiver Steve Smith, etc. Vince Young made the mistake of referring to the Eagles as a dream team and the media has had a field day with that label ever since. Today is the first full day of NFL action, after the Packers beat the Saints 42-34 on Thursday night. The Eagles traveled to St. Louis to take on the up-and-coming Rams, whom finished 7-9 last year and have sleeper expectations in the lowly NFC West. The Eagles didn't get off to a good start, as they started with the ball inside their own 15-yard line follo...

Okay, let me start this blog by saying I am a registered Democrat, voted for Barack Obama in the 2008 election and would classify myself as liberal (If 1 = very conservative, 2 = conservative, 3 = middle of the road, 4 = liberal and 5 = very liberal, including decimals, I'd place myself at a 4.0). Having said that, both parties have driven me a bit mad the past few months. I even wrote a poem dedicated to them, which I entitled "Middle School," because to me, that's how Congress is acting, like middle schoolers. Let's point, laugh and tease, spread false rumor to make another look bad and make you look better in the process. Let's not follow through with what we said we'd do. Let's not be very productive. Let's form cliques and leave certain people and their ideas out of the mix. Like I said, middle school. Due to this lack of maturity and perhaps also due to President Obama's sometimes lack of being adamant, Washington has been about as produc...

Deafening Sigh-lence My ears are rattled, Pained by the volume, Plugs to prevent damage, The silence is deafening, Not a sound can be heard, Not a word nor a laugh, Left for me to interpret, The silence is deafening, Not a thought is uttered, Not an emotion expressed, No tone of voice, The silence is deafening, I look you straight in the eyes, Express how I feel, No reaction is given, The silence is deafening, Walking away as if you were never there, Seemingly speechless at my admission, Awkwardness fills the air, The silence is deafening, I release a deep, heavy sigh, The lone audible sound, Speechless in response, As my head sinks down, Treating me as if I don’t exist, No care of my thoughts or feelings, The plugs now of no aid, Your silence is deafening.

Hypocritical Faith A man of love, A man of peace, A man I worship, A role model for me, Living my life through him, Intent on doing his good work, So that I may be rewarded in the end, Save others in the process, I cringe at the sight of the obese, Point and laugh at the unattractive, Disregard those in need, All in the name of Jesus, Staring at the good looking, Licking my lips time and again, Raging hormones making their presence known, Dirty thoughts rummage through my head, War is the first option, Collateral damage is of no importance, Gays mustn’t marry, Women must be silent, Tossing a soda can at a bum, Laughing in the process, On the way back from church, All in the name of Jesus.

When I See Your Face… My eyes light up, A smile is instant, I bounce with excitement, When I see your face, In a crowded room, It’s all that I see, My pulse begins to quicken, When I see your face, Thoughts enter my mind, Romantic images then displayed, In a dream-like trance, When I see your face, Confusion dominates my ponderings, As a confrontation is made, Uncertain of what to feel, When I see your face, Ripping the heart from my chest, Stomping upon it as it palpitates, An agonizing pain is felt, When I see your face, In a near empty room, With only you and I present, Feeling queasy and saddened, When I see your face, Whenever you are near, Or far away, Tears fill my eyes, When I see your face.

The Chamber of My Heart In the dark of the night, A pitch black sky, Lightning in the distance, Something not feeling right, The sky as dark as your soul, Lies told aplenty, Feeling a sense of loss, As the truth comes forward, Locking my emotions in a cell, Throwing away the key myself, Not allowing a single person in, Not wanting to experience such pain again, Surrounded by bars, I sit in the corner, Looking straight down, Numbing myself in the process, I finally break free, Before being struck by illness, Unable to walk, Feeling entrapped once again, Told it could be permanent, That I may lose my legs, With a sound of pessimism, Terrifying images then portrayed, Imprisoned once again, Numb from an unknown cause, Praying for an answer, Praying for my life back, I awaken one morning, Rise with a sense of hope, No longer feeling helpless, The sentence finally over, For years my heart resided in a chamber, Fearful of letting it out, Until the n...