Saturday, September 20, 2008
Children are our Future????
I just got through watching one of my favorite shows - CSI where it was showing kids in Vegas that liked to gang up and beat up on tourist. Now I realize that this is just a show but I also know that most of our children these days would find that entertaining. What kind of future will we have with children that enjoy playing games like - Grand Theft Auto, where they beat up, shoot, run over, and kill prostitutes, cops, and other motorist? I realize when I grew up we watched The Three Stooges, Bugs Bunny and other "violent" shows but we all had morals too. I remember that is was not uncommon for my buddies and I to carry around pocket knives to school or have rifles in our truck so we could go hunting after school. Not one of us ever considered using a knife or a gun on another human being. We were raised that if you had a problem with someone then the two of you met after school and fought it out. Now I have gotten my share of black eyes and busted lips but I lived to tell about it. Kids of today are cowards because they can't fight or handle losing a fight. They have to grab a gun or knife or gang up on one individual to feel superior. It is just sad that our government is helping to create these children by taking discipline out of the homes and schools.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Military Life
I got to learn about the military right out of high school. I joined the Army National Guard with my twin brother so we could both attend college. I learned a lot about the military in that time and it wasn't all good or all bad but it was informative. I got in a lot of shape and realized now I understand when the Army says that we do more in the morning that most people do all day at work. What they were trying to say is that we start our day at 3:30 a.m. each morning as we run 5 miles in formation and then do exercises for an hour to the point that lifting my arm was a challenge. I learned how to respect weapons more and qualified in every weapon that the military has to offer. I also learned that the military doesn't believe in sharing valuable information with the civilian community. I experienced this during Desert Storm when we had the media believing we was in one location when we were really in another. After Desert Storm, I got out of the Army National Guard not because of the war but because I enjoy being clean and having only 4 uniforms to last for a month in the woods is not fun or humane.
I waited about 2 years and after a major lay off from work decided to go back in the military but this time chose the U.S. Navy. I figured if nothing else at least I wouldn't have to worry about woods. Being in the active military compared to the reserves or national guard is apple to oranges. I found out why car dealerships and other businesses love to practically give merchandise to the military personnel. It is not because they are being patriotic or anything. They give us anything we want because if we miss one payment, they don't worry about contacting us. They contact our command and tell them. Once the command is informed then we get a call to go to our captain's office and he explains that we can either pay our bills on time or we will have less money for bills. What he means by that is he will court martial us and we will get a drop in rank and pay.
The final branch I served was the Air National Guard. Out of all 3 branches this branch of service concentrates on keeping our minds working. When I went on a 2 day drill per month, the first day was used for working in my department. The 2nd day was for computer classes or re-qualifications on weapons.
I spent more time learning in the Air Force and Navy than I did in the Army National Guard. The Army National Guard was mostly set up to teach me about digging fox holes or preparing to fight the enemy with weapons or bare hands. All in all I would recommend all coming of age young men to have to serve at least 4 years in the military. I feel it's an obligation that we all owe our forefathers for fighting for our freedom.
I waited about 2 years and after a major lay off from work decided to go back in the military but this time chose the U.S. Navy. I figured if nothing else at least I wouldn't have to worry about woods. Being in the active military compared to the reserves or national guard is apple to oranges. I found out why car dealerships and other businesses love to practically give merchandise to the military personnel. It is not because they are being patriotic or anything. They give us anything we want because if we miss one payment, they don't worry about contacting us. They contact our command and tell them. Once the command is informed then we get a call to go to our captain's office and he explains that we can either pay our bills on time or we will have less money for bills. What he means by that is he will court martial us and we will get a drop in rank and pay.
The final branch I served was the Air National Guard. Out of all 3 branches this branch of service concentrates on keeping our minds working. When I went on a 2 day drill per month, the first day was used for working in my department. The 2nd day was for computer classes or re-qualifications on weapons.
I spent more time learning in the Air Force and Navy than I did in the Army National Guard. The Army National Guard was mostly set up to teach me about digging fox holes or preparing to fight the enemy with weapons or bare hands. All in all I would recommend all coming of age young men to have to serve at least 4 years in the military. I feel it's an obligation that we all owe our forefathers for fighting for our freedom.
Saturday, September 13, 2008
State Agencies
First, I want to state that I'm not here to whine or complain. I'm here to express my opinions and share experiences that my friends and I have experienced as a learning tool.
Today's discussion will be about the Louisiana Unemployment Office and their strange procedures. I have a friend that was recently laid off from the company I work for. She received a severance package and a promise that she would be allowed to file unemployment. The problem started when she got her pink slip, yes my company believes in handing out a real pink slip, and proceeded to the Unemployment Office. She was told that she didn't need to give them the pink slip but to just call a number and register her unemployment. It seems that even though the Unemployment Office has employees, they prefer to have you talk to an automated system. She applied for her Unemployment and as a person of character she disclosed by law how much severence she would receive. She received a letter explaining that she would receive $258 a week but it would not be paid for almost 8 weeks due to her receiving a severence. The funny part is that with a severence they take out taxes for the year which is about 26 to 30% so the company deducted almost $700 from her paycheck. When she tried to explain to the Unemployment Office this fact, she was told that they look at the gross amount not the net. I disagree with this philosophy since I don't recall anyone paying bills with the gross amount of their paychecks. Due to this irrational error with our state government, this lady with 2 children will have to stretch a $1,000 for 7 weeks before she receives her first unemployment check. Hopefully and God willing she will find another job before that so she will be able to provide for her family. My issue is that if she wouldn't have been so honest, then she would have received payments within 2 to 4 weeks. I think it is an abomination that our government system punishes us for being honest. I also believe whomever came up with the idea to look at the gross income has never been without a job. I've told her that she needs to contact our Louisiana Senators, Congress, Governor, or all of the above to see if they understand why this is happening in one of their state agencies. I just hope that I'm never out of a job if this is the experience waiting for me.
Today's discussion will be about the Louisiana Unemployment Office and their strange procedures. I have a friend that was recently laid off from the company I work for. She received a severance package and a promise that she would be allowed to file unemployment. The problem started when she got her pink slip, yes my company believes in handing out a real pink slip, and proceeded to the Unemployment Office. She was told that she didn't need to give them the pink slip but to just call a number and register her unemployment. It seems that even though the Unemployment Office has employees, they prefer to have you talk to an automated system. She applied for her Unemployment and as a person of character she disclosed by law how much severence she would receive. She received a letter explaining that she would receive $258 a week but it would not be paid for almost 8 weeks due to her receiving a severence. The funny part is that with a severence they take out taxes for the year which is about 26 to 30% so the company deducted almost $700 from her paycheck. When she tried to explain to the Unemployment Office this fact, she was told that they look at the gross amount not the net. I disagree with this philosophy since I don't recall anyone paying bills with the gross amount of their paychecks. Due to this irrational error with our state government, this lady with 2 children will have to stretch a $1,000 for 7 weeks before she receives her first unemployment check. Hopefully and God willing she will find another job before that so she will be able to provide for her family. My issue is that if she wouldn't have been so honest, then she would have received payments within 2 to 4 weeks. I think it is an abomination that our government system punishes us for being honest. I also believe whomever came up with the idea to look at the gross income has never been without a job. I've told her that she needs to contact our Louisiana Senators, Congress, Governor, or all of the above to see if they understand why this is happening in one of their state agencies. I just hope that I'm never out of a job if this is the experience waiting for me.
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