"A man has a property in his opinions and the free communication of them." - James Madison
Did I get your attention from the title?
In life I have held many opinions. This I have been told and realize myself. I will be the first to admit that my opinions change over time and what some may categorize my behavior as "flip floppy", I justify them as free and open minded discovery. As if I were to know all the right answers the moment I was born, what would be the point in life.
Of course the thought of this topic has to lead me to the idea of politics. How often do we see the stoning of a political figure for changing their opinion on something? I would be the first to respect a person who changes their opinion when new information comes available. I just ask that one can present a logical flow of what is behind that change. By the way, a stripper shoving cash down your pants while meeting your carnal needs in the back of a lobbyist's limo, is not a logical cause behind change of opinions. Your thinking with the wrong head in that situation.
I will however, understand and respect if you can honestly admit and show justification for your change of mind. I for one have been there every day of my life. I consider that to be the goal of life, to discover new things and help form our view and understanding of life. People can look at me strangely when I change my mind, but that just means that I have not stopped searching for the answers. I was not meant to be someone who is given an opinion at an early stage and then stick with it with out continually reviewing the facts and searching for new information. I want to try everything, see everything, hear everything, and understand everything. Yes, I know that will never happen, but I will live my life trying and through that, I will be happy with my life.
Once again, thank you for listening to my ramblings and my attempt to be witty and logical in my words. If the are not smooth and refined, then I have succeeded, but the ramblings in my head are not smooth and refined. I leave you with this quote:
"A great many people mistake opinions for thought." - Herbert V. Prochnow
PS. Check out my friend's blog: www.fourfingerculture.com
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Monday, November 15, 2010
Catching Up To Do
Wow, it has been almost a year since I updated this blog. I have never been good an long term things like this. I usually do it for a little bit then forget about it. I have been told that it is because of my ADHD. They say those with ADHD tend to hyper focus on things for short periods of time and then drop it like it's hot. You add that to the fact that life just gets busy and I often feel no one reads this anyways, you get why I am not good at keeping this updated.
Lately I have learned that life will always challenge your thoughts and ideas. The discovery of new things or the things we encounter in life challenge and push us to think deeper and evaluate thoughts and ideas. Not to mention on how those encounters and discoveries bring new people in our lives that push us even more. We as humans learn to dig deeper in to ourselves to understand who we are more and more.
The issue I often have with humanity, is that someone always has an opinion on who you should or should not be. They try to push their ideas and thoughts on to others and condemn each other when we disagree with each other. We believe that everyone should agree with us or else they will not live a full life or achieve an ultimate goal.
With all the thoughts and ideas though, who is right? Why do we not just share thoughts with out judgment or condemnation? Why can we not express ourselves and yet let people choose and live their life as they see fit?
Lately I have learned that life will always challenge your thoughts and ideas. The discovery of new things or the things we encounter in life challenge and push us to think deeper and evaluate thoughts and ideas. Not to mention on how those encounters and discoveries bring new people in our lives that push us even more. We as humans learn to dig deeper in to ourselves to understand who we are more and more.
The issue I often have with humanity, is that someone always has an opinion on who you should or should not be. They try to push their ideas and thoughts on to others and condemn each other when we disagree with each other. We believe that everyone should agree with us or else they will not live a full life or achieve an ultimate goal.
With all the thoughts and ideas though, who is right? Why do we not just share thoughts with out judgment or condemnation? Why can we not express ourselves and yet let people choose and live their life as they see fit?
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Thanks for the Memories!
I know it is a little past Thanksgiving, but with my birthday and Thanksgiving all int he same week, I usually do a lot of thinking. This year something I have been thinking about is my past and the people involved in it.
I have known and met a lot of people in 26 years and all of them one way or another have impacted my life. Friends are amazing, because they bring you joy and are part of making the memories we carry forever with us. The best friends are those who not only bring joy, but support, understanding, love, common sense, and defense to the relationship.
I know I will forget some and will just not have time to type them all out, but here are some of the people that have, are, and will be part of my life one way or another:
Trent Hutzenbuhler, Amy Hutzenbuhler, John Mills, Brian Pendleton (with wife April), Dan Cravillion, Kate Beach, Amy Plopper, Josiah Plopper, Matthew Baxley, Jennifer Cretzmeyer, Mike Cappelli, Daniel Berggren, Jen Templeton, Carrie Bina, Aaron Crye, Brian Ricke, Craig Milani, Dan Coughlin, David Kuglin, David Ellenwood, Jacob Thole, Jason Machamer, JD Miller, Jeremie Ourlin, Jessie Vanman, Joel Abenth, Joseph Bruss, Joshua Burkett, Gene Allen, Randle Farris, Tiffany Thompson, etc...
The people that have had an impact on my life is no limited to the people above, by any means. So many people have impacted my life, I couldn't begin to list them all. Some of them impacted me in the past, some are currently impacting my life, and many have, are, will impact my life.
Thank you to all of you!
I have known and met a lot of people in 26 years and all of them one way or another have impacted my life. Friends are amazing, because they bring you joy and are part of making the memories we carry forever with us. The best friends are those who not only bring joy, but support, understanding, love, common sense, and defense to the relationship.
I know I will forget some and will just not have time to type them all out, but here are some of the people that have, are, and will be part of my life one way or another:
Trent Hutzenbuhler, Amy Hutzenbuhler, John Mills, Brian Pendleton (with wife April), Dan Cravillion, Kate Beach, Amy Plopper, Josiah Plopper, Matthew Baxley, Jennifer Cretzmeyer, Mike Cappelli, Daniel Berggren, Jen Templeton, Carrie Bina, Aaron Crye, Brian Ricke, Craig Milani, Dan Coughlin, David Kuglin, David Ellenwood, Jacob Thole, Jason Machamer, JD Miller, Jeremie Ourlin, Jessie Vanman, Joel Abenth, Joseph Bruss, Joshua Burkett, Gene Allen, Randle Farris, Tiffany Thompson, etc...
The people that have had an impact on my life is no limited to the people above, by any means. So many people have impacted my life, I couldn't begin to list them all. Some of them impacted me in the past, some are currently impacting my life, and many have, are, will impact my life.
Thank you to all of you!
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Who Am I?
Have you ever had a day where you realized you have lost your grip on who you are?
Today I have realized that I no longer know who I am and what I want to be. I use to know the answer to those questions. I use to know who I was and have confidence in that fact. I knew what I was doing and I knew (so I thought) where I was going, but now I am just here. I am forging a new path and discovering a new me.
It is a painful process to rediscover yourself and realize that you have started all over again. You hope though that it will make you a stronger person and that this path will be even better then the last. The key is to be happy with who you are no matter how much you know about yourself.
Do you know who you are? Do you know where you are going? Are you happy with who you are and where you are going? Tell me who you are and where you are going.
Interesting reading:
How to Find Yourself
Finding yourself is an enlightening experience. You become self-sufficient. You can do things for others without any expectations of return. You are no longer a needy child and you become utterly grateful for all those things people have done for you in the past. Finding yourself is a time of developing a philosophy or belief system that can carry you through the rest of your life. When you love yourself and who you are, you will savor and enjoy both life's pain and pleasures. How do you know you've found yourself? You will be able to help others find themselves. Finding yourself is not easy, but how can you be yourself if you've never felt connected to who you are, and you want to find whatever makes you you, then read on.
http://www.wikihow.com/Find-Yourself
Today I have realized that I no longer know who I am and what I want to be. I use to know the answer to those questions. I use to know who I was and have confidence in that fact. I knew what I was doing and I knew (so I thought) where I was going, but now I am just here. I am forging a new path and discovering a new me.
It is a painful process to rediscover yourself and realize that you have started all over again. You hope though that it will make you a stronger person and that this path will be even better then the last. The key is to be happy with who you are no matter how much you know about yourself.
Do you know who you are? Do you know where you are going? Are you happy with who you are and where you are going? Tell me who you are and where you are going.
Interesting reading:
How to Find Yourself
Finding yourself is an enlightening experience. You become self-sufficient. You can do things for others without any expectations of return. You are no longer a needy child and you become utterly grateful for all those things people have done for you in the past. Finding yourself is a time of developing a philosophy or belief system that can carry you through the rest of your life. When you love yourself and who you are, you will savor and enjoy both life's pain and pleasures. How do you know you've found yourself? You will be able to help others find themselves. Finding yourself is not easy, but how can you be yourself if you've never felt connected to who you are, and you want to find whatever makes you you, then read on.
http://www.wikihow.com/Find-Yourself
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Pigs Get a Million Dollars
I am amazed at the government these days. I truly believe that they are out of control. The government does not answer to the people anymore I think, I think we answer to the government.
I know not everyone may be as upset with the condition of the United States of America as I am, but I hope everyone at least can see that there is a problem and if not changed soon, things will only get worse. It does not matter which party is in power, because the entire system has broken down.
I came across a group called Citizens Against Government Waste and they publish a yearly book called the "Pig Book". This book gives examples of money wasted by the government. I was reading it and was even more amazed at just how much waste is really in the government. Read the section from the book below to get an idea of what I am talking about:
"$1,791,000 by Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee
member Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) for swine odor and manure
management research in Ames. According to the Agriculture
Research Service’s website, the purpose of the research is to
“generate and integrate knowledge for evaluation and development
of new management practices that minimize nutrient excretion,
malodorous emissions, and the release of pathogens into the
environment as well as have a positive impact on animal health.”
In an effort to defend his earmark on the Senate floor, Sen. Harkin
summed up its ridiculous nature succinctly: “I’m sure that David
Letterman will probably be talking about it and Jay Leno will be
talking about it, we’ve got $1.8 million to study why pigs smell.”
I recommend you look through the PDF version available on the website:
2009 Pig Book
This is beyond party lines and who you think should be president, this is looking at the entire government system as a whole.
Do you think the system is broken? Do you see an issue with the amount of money that is spend by the government? Do they have to much power today? What can fix the system? Have we lost the Founding Father's idea of government or just expanded upon it?
I know not everyone may be as upset with the condition of the United States of America as I am, but I hope everyone at least can see that there is a problem and if not changed soon, things will only get worse. It does not matter which party is in power, because the entire system has broken down.
I came across a group called Citizens Against Government Waste and they publish a yearly book called the "Pig Book". This book gives examples of money wasted by the government. I was reading it and was even more amazed at just how much waste is really in the government. Read the section from the book below to get an idea of what I am talking about:
"$1,791,000 by Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee
member Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) for swine odor and manure
management research in Ames. According to the Agriculture
Research Service’s website, the purpose of the research is to
“generate and integrate knowledge for evaluation and development
of new management practices that minimize nutrient excretion,
malodorous emissions, and the release of pathogens into the
environment as well as have a positive impact on animal health.”
In an effort to defend his earmark on the Senate floor, Sen. Harkin
summed up its ridiculous nature succinctly: “I’m sure that David
Letterman will probably be talking about it and Jay Leno will be
talking about it, we’ve got $1.8 million to study why pigs smell.”
I recommend you look through the PDF version available on the website:
2009 Pig Book
This is beyond party lines and who you think should be president, this is looking at the entire government system as a whole.
Do you think the system is broken? Do you see an issue with the amount of money that is spend by the government? Do they have to much power today? What can fix the system? Have we lost the Founding Father's idea of government or just expanded upon it?
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Good Ol' Twin Cities
This week I spent two nights in LA observing our filtration monitoring being install in a couple of Wendy's. LA would not have been on the top of my list of places to go, but it was still a good experience to see and observe the area. Driving from LAX to about 2 hours south I had a lot of time to observe the city and people.
My first observation was that there were too many people for my liking. Everywhere you looked there were houses, vehicles, people and businesses. I personally need trees, green grass, open spaces, and flowers.
My second observation was that the spray paint industry must make a lot of money in LA, because the signs, buildings and bathrooms where just full of spray paint.
I left LA realizing that the Twin Cities aren't as bad as I sometimes make them out to be. It may not be in the country like I want, but I like it more than I would to be living in LA or some place similar.
Where would your dream place be to live?
PS. I spent my flight there listening to Dan Carlin's "Common Sense". I highly recommend listening to him if you enjoy a common sense view of America and the government.
http://www.dancarlin.com
My first observation was that there were too many people for my liking. Everywhere you looked there were houses, vehicles, people and businesses. I personally need trees, green grass, open spaces, and flowers.
My second observation was that the spray paint industry must make a lot of money in LA, because the signs, buildings and bathrooms where just full of spray paint.
I left LA realizing that the Twin Cities aren't as bad as I sometimes make them out to be. It may not be in the country like I want, but I like it more than I would to be living in LA or some place similar.
Where would your dream place be to live?
PS. I spent my flight there listening to Dan Carlin's "Common Sense". I highly recommend listening to him if you enjoy a common sense view of America and the government.
http://www.dancarlin.com
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Taking A Look Around
You ever have those moments when you just stand back and realize where you are at in life?
Today, I had that moment. I was out mowing the lawn and all of a sudden it clicked that I have come a long away and it amazed me as to what I have achieved. First off, I have now been married for one year, which is amazing to me, because there was a time in my life when I doubted if I would ever be married much less married for a year and in my twenties. I have a good job which I enjoy. I have a house that is not being rented, but is owned. Again, all while I am still in my twenties.
I then began thinking of all the ways I have changed through out the years and who i have become. Then I think about how I will still change through out the years to come and I wonder who I will be when my life is complete. Who and what will impact my life in the future, just as so many have in the past.
If you haven't already, step back and take a look at who and where you are today. Are you happy with who and where you are? Share your thoughts with us.
Today, I had that moment. I was out mowing the lawn and all of a sudden it clicked that I have come a long away and it amazed me as to what I have achieved. First off, I have now been married for one year, which is amazing to me, because there was a time in my life when I doubted if I would ever be married much less married for a year and in my twenties. I have a good job which I enjoy. I have a house that is not being rented, but is owned. Again, all while I am still in my twenties.
I then began thinking of all the ways I have changed through out the years and who i have become. Then I think about how I will still change through out the years to come and I wonder who I will be when my life is complete. Who and what will impact my life in the future, just as so many have in the past.
If you haven't already, step back and take a look at who and where you are today. Are you happy with who and where you are? Share your thoughts with us.
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