goodwill

So casey and I went to Goodwill in search of bad Christmas sweaters for a party.  While we were there I couldn't help but think that I was using this trip as a joke and many of the people in the store had to shop there b/c they have no money.  I don't necessarily think that there is anything wrong with going shopping for ugly clothes at goodwill.  After all I am contributing to the "cause" because I am purchasing something at the store.  And honestly I am doing the person that would have actually bought that sweater in seriousness a favor by taking it off the shelf.  but i still couldn't help but think of the situations i have described here. 

also, i went to northpark mall today.  after purchasing some stuff for myself and a bit of Christmas shopping I walked past the angel tree.  Casey and I couldn't help but pick one up.  We found an awesome 11 year old that wanted a telescope.  how sweet is that?!?!?!  this kid could be a future astronomer or astronaut.  and why not, this is America.  Where anyone can become anything.  anyways, the point is that i challenge all of your reading this to also pick up an angel after shopping at northpark.  If you can spend $200 bucks in neiman marcus then you can spend 30 bucks on a coat for a kid that needs to be warm.  plus the salvation army is one of the truly great charities that actually spends most of its money helping people instead of setting up fundraisers for rich people and movie stars.  i love the salvation army.  

and yes im depressed about tech football.  however, i have to once again be thankful for how far we have come.  we were happy to just beat a&m or Ut and get to a bowl game only a few years ago.  Now its bcs or bust.  and we are going to finish in the top ten barring an upset this year.  while im disappointed and need to be thankful for how well our team has played this year.  and for all you haters, i think we might be better next year besides two people.  two important people but still, we could be better

Houston

Well I'm in Houston this week.  Work has sucked and been draining so while I sit in a hotel room at night alone I still am not motivated to blog.  Or study.  Or do just about anything.  Sometimes at the end of a tough day we just want to relax.  Sometimes at the end of a tough day we want to be busy.  Who knows why these things happen.  People give reasons, many of the reasonable.  But sometimes these things happen and they make no sense.  

The conservative party does not equal big government.  Thanks W....  

I downloaded the constitution app on my iphone.  For all of you with iphones its a must.  Anytime you are bored or have a minute just read some of the constitution.  It makes you smarter.  Especially in arguments with libs.  Especially about Obama.  but alas that is for another post.  

i had a meeting with a real jerk face today.  it went really well.  these things happen when you pray and think positive.  also remember this, when dealing with cocky jerk faces remember to keep your confidence.  be very polite.  very confident.  prepare.  these guys look for something that you don't know and then are a jerk about that specific thing.  so you have to beat them.  logan 1 jerk face 0.  

i did not re read this post.

Moral Delimma

(Currently listening to Metallica's album Death Magnetic)

okay so I was in Lubbock for the OSU game and we went out to the piano bar afterwards to celebrate.  at one point during the night most of the people in our group had left (about 1:45).  i of course was closing it down.  now that whole corner of the bar where the tables were was empty.  they started playing Sexual Healing.  I couldn't help but begin an inappropriate suggestive dance (with myself casey).  of course the rest of the bar was doing the same thing so no one noticed.  There happened to be a ten dollar bill on the table in front of me.  Remember no one was at any of these tables.  so of course i put the ten dollar in my pants and left the end sticking out to finish my dance.  who wouldn't.  anyways, i left the bar and the ten dollars was still there.  although i did not intentionally take the ten dollars I also do not know whom it belonged to in order to return it.  there were no waitresses so if it was a tip it was ill placed.  if it was someone's that was sitting in that area then they left it but how could i find them?  anyways, i NEVER steal anything.  Heck, I found 20 bucks on the ground at Voodoo fest next to a beer tent and asked the beer guys if they would hold on to it in case someone came looking for it.  there's 20 bucks donated to beer guy...

anyways, i feel terrible about the incident and so today I gave the ten bucks (yes the same bill) to the salvation army at Wal-Mart.  (whose year over year is up 10% this month. God bless inflation stopping Wal-Mart)  So I guess I don't really feel that much better but I think the world is realigned and you all can now go about your lives.  

Plus I immediately had good luck, not that i was looking for a benefit.  I saw a guy that works at Wal Mart in uptown that looks like Herman Li from Dragonforce.  How awesome is that!?!?!  btw my bro has my ticket for the show monday b/c I have to go out of town for work.  let him know if you want it.  so anyways, Herman Li, it was sweet.  I always imagine Mr. Li with a huge wang flying around on a winged steed and a fiery sword defeating evil surrounded by babes.  This guy was a gay checker at Wal mart but I still imagined it.  

that wal-mart has the most diverse group of people.  its fantastic.  other than the fact that a cop has to stand in the parking lot and by the checkouts.  diverse should not equal crime.  but really i love going there.  seeing all kinds of demographics.  im talking about wal-mart a lot.  maybe the name of this post should be wal-mart. 

One Headlight

I saw two cars in the past hour with one headlight.  One while driving home and one while running back from the gym, literally.   I couldn't help but think that anyone from my generation has to be thinking, "Where did the Wallflowers go?" when they see a car with one headlight.   I know that I at least sing "one headlight" every time I see one.  good band.  

also, i have my test in the morning.  audit exam.  i can't help but not be freaking out.  i almost never do.  im the kind of person that studies a few hours (or less) a day for a long time and then just keeps that routine before the test.  even if im not prepared.  maybe i should learn to cram.  might improve my scores.  ladies.   

and maybe we would have less jobs from our united states companies oversees if we would lower the corporate tax rate.  the libs will probably raise it though.  then complain that bush has caused jobs to go oversees after he has left office.  then mumble something about NAFTA or this columbia thing.  i can't wait.  

Words

I have always been a person that understands numbers more than words. I can remember even as a child enjoying math problems, whereas I have no such memory of equal pleasure for words. Do not misinterpret me, I love reading (when not studying for the CPA exam) and do it quite often. I have dreams of having a library in my home one day. I absorb knowledge in any form, and because of that, I love reading. However, this does not change my view on words. Let me explain. I have been hardwired as a logical person. As I have grown up numbers have always had a definite point, an answer. We sometimes question where a person’s numbers are coming from, but if the numbers are erroneous or incomplete then it is always the person at fault. We never accuse numbers. We say, “I don’t know where YOU are getting YOUR numbers from?” Our intent is never that your numbers are lying. That 5 is really a 6. However, two people can say the same thing with many different words. One can be lying and one can be telling the truth. A word can be distorted to mean something else entirely. Words can influence the way we feel and think. Numbers are what they are, a point or location in quantification of some type of data or reason. I realize that it is with words that we communicate, and that we inspire. Words can change a world with vision, but they can also create a mob. Because of this I have a great respect for words, but without some concrete backup such as history, facts, or numbers they lose their meaning.

The election has brought to the forefront this topic. The founding fathers of this country put a magnitude of thought into the words they chose when creating the documents that this country was founded upon. As I have stated above many words are cheap to me. I always second guess. However, our founding fathers are hard to second guess. They put their “money where there mouth was” so to speak. They did not just talk, they created. They started a rebellion. They created the freest country in the history of the world. Escaped and DID SOMETHING about the oppression they were experiencing within religion, expression, and other freedoms. These words they wrote meant something. They are, again, what our country is founded on. We have hundreds of years of history that back up the FACT that our constitution provides for the freest society the world has ever seen. If we are to base America on a set of words, then it is the Constitution that shall dictate our countries ideals.

The preamble to the Constitution of the United States, the greatest document ever written, states “…. PROVIDE for the common defense, PROMOTE the general welfare, and SECURE the blessings of liberty…” There is no small coincidence that our founding fathers felt that the people should provide a common defense but only promote general welfare. And then of course the harshest verb used here is “secure”, as it is definitive while expressing the importance of our liberties. While socialism and “welfare” as we know it was not defined in 1776, our founding fathers clearly understood and believed that the government should not provide welfare, but PROMOTE it. In other words voice support, but do not provide it. If our country was meant to provide for the welfare of the citizen then do you not think they would have written that? This point is essential to our constitution. The Preamble has been referenced many times by the Supreme Court in order to provide background and tone for the rest of the constitution. Those that believe that a welfare state has any place in America, that socialism has any place in the principles that this country was founded on need to look no further than the constitution. We the people…. Nowhere do I hear, “We the government!” Heck the founders of our country even went so far as to provide a Bill of Rights. The focus of that document is not rights the government gives to the people, but rights that LIMIT the government’s power.

So, when analyzing this election and its meaning do not forget that 57 million people got up out of their couches, chairs, and jobs to vote against the degradation of these principles. No, McCain is not a conservative. But Obama is a socialist. His tax refunds for those who pay no taxes is just one of many ways we know this to be true. I know that many of you out there did not vote for McCain but against Obama. And I know many of you voted for Obama because you were sick of the Republican party. But note, the republican party has been led by moderates in recent history. Moderates do not make good Presidents. Look at what has happened to “W”. Eventually his moderate tone has left almost no one on his side. His reduction in taxes and at the same time outrageous spending has perplexed any logic thinker to wonder which side of center he is on.

So I say this, those who oppose or that have lost their way from the conservative principles that this country was founded on can no longer attach their disdain to a person. No longer can they dismiss thought by hatred of a man. No, the principles themselves are now at the forefront of the conversation. No one accepts socialism in their direct personal lives. No one wants their raise taken and gave to their fellow employees that don’t work as hard so that they can continue to slack. No one gets in to an Ivy League school and then hopes to be forced to go to the local community college so that 4 others can also go to community college on their money in order to create a level playing field. No our generosity is best expressed through our liberties. We give best, and most, out of freedom, not some law or order. This country lives conservatively. Yet we have elected liberals. The Republican Party has a chance to renew itself and cleanse those moderates that are only looking for acceptance or re-election. It’s time to look tall ladies and gentleman. Be proud of the principles you use in your everyday life. Enjoy those freedoms that allow us to volunteer out of the goodness of our heart to help the poor. The freedoms that allow us to take collections at our churches so that youth can attend a trip when they do not have the money. Take pride in those freedoms that allow those inspired to help a stranger or a man on the side of the road. Give thanks for those freedoms that allow an individual to be born poor, and die rich. Be grateful for those freedoms that give us the choice to take responsibility to help our fellow neighbors during times of need. Rejoice for those freedoms that allow an atheist, Muslim, Jew, and Christian to all live on the same block in peace. But most of all voice that you want these freedoms to be your choice, not a government mandate. I feel a revival. A revival based on the words of the Constitution of the United States of America. And those words are built on the fundamental foundation of the human spirit. Freedom!