Some articles that I think are relevant and informative -

1. So much for the "McJob" assertion that many falsely assert is the case in our economy -

2. A student was expelled from a Baptist college in Kentucky for coming out. I'm mixed on this one. I think its wrong to expel a student because of sexual preference, but on the other hand if you enroll at a "holy roller" college and openly proclaim your homosexuality its blatantly obvious that you are going to end up on the losing end, right or wrong. Read the article and judge for yourself -

3. Here's a subject that I'm very tired of hearing about, but I have to mention it. French student protest. I feel very comfortable about my smug laugh over this thing going on in France. That country will never, ever compete on any serious level with the USA economically because of their federally mandated benefits. The government tries to fix the problem with youth unemployment, then in a very typical French manner back down when a bunch of teenagers, who don't know shit about shit, protest en masse. The law has been pulled off the table, yet the protests continue! Fuck France... their citizens deserve what they get.

4. Just another example of a liberal in the classroom polluting the learning environment with political tripe that ends up getting said teacher in boiling hot water.

For serious - Jersey fucking suuuucks. The northern part of the state is basically a NYC suburb, and the southern part of the state is a Philly suburb. Not to mention that the state happens to have two of the most dangerous, rife with crime and violent cities in America - Newark and Camden. Tonight I'm slummin' it in Cherry Hill, which actually is a fairly nice 'burb.

(e:jason) - its not your counselors fault that you were late, and justifying your bad behavior by pointing out theirs isn't an excuse either. Just don't be late places... and this goes for everybody, not just poor Jay here. Tardiness is ridiculous.

2006 has turned out thus far to be one of my most reclusive years ever. I've been like J.D. Salinger... without the literary talent. I've been busy though. I actually audited in Buffalo for the first time yesterday - we audited the Olmstead Center for the Visually Impaired. I have to say, they revamped their entire building and its absolutely beautiful. My only problem with the place is that there are very few actual blind people that use the building, and its alleged purpose is to service the visually impaired community. I did get to meet and interview some blind folks though - one lady actually sews vests! Alot of the stories I heard were inspirational, and for me anyhow, its a reminder that I'm lucky. I didn't come from wealth, but I am wealthy in a lot of other ways that some people were not so lucky with. I actually grabbed a donation leaflet and put it in my travel bag because it had an absolutely killer quote in it -

"It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."

From this point on when I am upset about my job, or upset about whatever... I'll have the leaflet in my bag to remind me of the quote and the workers I met at the Olmstead Center.

Today I led an audit team at a glass manufacturer here in NJ - 2.5 million square feet. Massive facility. Glass making is dirty and dangerous... for the first time I was required to put on some reinforced footwear. For every 3M that I visit, I have a place like this usually. It was cool though - having tons of molten glass a few feet away from you, with open flames burning everywhere is about as close to hell on earth as you can get.

Fuck Darcy Tucker. I hope he gets the bird flu, rots his asshole out and gets shot in the same afternoon. Somebody needs to spike that guy's Gatorade with salmonella.

P.S. If you don't care about the Sabres this was likely meaningless to you. All you need to know is that a)Darcy is a guy, and b)he needs to get the bird flu, rot his asshole out and get shot in the same afternoon.

...I'm breaking the rules and enjoying a fine Cuban cigar procured for me recently. I'm waiting for Castro do die so that our country can get over this thing with Cuba. Admittedly I'm interested for selfish, cigar indulgent reasons. I really wish that JFK's foiled mission to have a cigar blow up in Castro's face (literally) would have worked. I wouldn't be having to smoke inferior cigars 40 years later.

I'm going to touch on the illegal immigration issue also sometime soon... but right now I'm enjoying the day and the cigar far too much to be in a serious mood!

This is one of the times where I'm ashamed to be right about an issue - in particular with respect to the issue of hypocrisy and the left.

Exhibit A - how liberals handle rallys that they disapprove of -

Lets stop pretending that the left embraces diversity. In particular, I can't stop laughing about how lefties condemn others for being intolerant, then turn around and perpetrate what the politicians and citizens of San Fran just did. Sheer lunacy.

You see, the left embraces diversity as long as its LEFTY diversity. Ban a retired Navy ship from San Fran's port? If you are a San Fran liberal lunatic, this makes a lot of sense, because you generally hate the military and believe to the core of your being that you are superior to those who choose the military path, so therefore this is an acceptable solution. Anti-war rallies, gay rallies? Yep, if you are a lefty in San Fran this is acceptable, as it should be. Christian teens rallying in San Fran? NO - its an "act of provocation." So, insulting the military and Christians at every available opportunity isn't an act of provocation, but Christian kids marching around San Fran is? Bullshit.

What a bunch of foolish, senseless, childish sods that city on the bay is populated with. Except (e:twisted) and (e:ajay) - y'all are good people in my book for sure. Grown men and women calling teenagers "fascists" and holding up signs saying "I moved here to get away from people like you?" What a complete and utter embarrassment to themselves. Its things like this episode that make San Fran an ideological island, and ensure that no liberals will win a national election out of the fear that a Democrat would potentially be influenced by people this clinically insane. When you look at who is funding the Democratic Party nowadays, you should be worried about that. This is also why I fully welcome a Hillary nomination for '08.

Thankfully, the Constitution protects these people from themselves and from others. In Sweden, the country of my family's origin, you aren't so lucky. A minister was jailed there recently for calling homosexuality a sin during a church service! Just one of many reasons why Europe could never be as great as the USA is - in Europe, there ARE limitations to what you can say in public, thanks to liberals and the nanny state. Apparently this is hate speech, but what just happened to those kids in San Fran isn't. Its "hip" to insult Christians nowadays, so feel free to do so. But, when you come to me and cry about people talking about their religious beliefs openly, in groups and in public, if what they have to say offends you, I'm pretty much going to tell you to practice what you preach. Oooh, sizzle! Sizzle!