Allow me to introduce myself...

On the off chance that you don't know, and haven't noticed yet, I enjoy quotes.  I'll even use a quote to tell you why I like quotes...

Someone else has already said it best. So if you can't top it, steal from them and go out strong. (American History X)

You'll be seeing a lot of them, as we go along.  Another thing you may want to keep in mind about me is that I don't like to take myself, or honestly anyone or anything else, too seriously.  It's my firm belief that the source of most trouble is simply people who don't know how to laugh it off.  

That being said, I do consider myself blessed.  I have many, many fantastic people in my life, who challenge me to be a better person.  I have a job that I love, with a company that I can honestly see myself working with for the rest of my life.  I have a niece who is the light of my life, and I'm sure will cause nothing but trouble for the rest of hers.  

I plan on this being a place where I can throw out all of my random thoughts and opinions, and possibly even receive some feedback on them.  So I believe I shall start a little habit right now...

I'm going to end each post with a musing about something in particular that has been making me think recently.  We might as well shoot high to begin with, so how about the ever-entertaining "Government Shutdown" we've been hearing so much about.

A "Government Shutdown" certainly sounds fairly ominous.  As best as I have been able to ascertain, it means that "non-essential" services of the government shut down, generally due to politicians not being able to agree on a budget.  The current debate, regardless of claims to the contrary, seem to be focused around the funding of Planned Parenthood.  Our Democratic friends insist that that is the main cause behind the issue, while our Republican friends insist that the issue is in fact budget cuts, and Planned Parenthood is just somehow getting caught in the middle.  

Here lies my personal problem...  If it's all about "budget cuts" then why not accept equal cuts in another area?  Ya'll were supposed to have this done on Sept 30th.  If I turned in an assignment to my boss over six months late, I'd been out of a job in a heartbeat.  Oh, wait, maybe that's a good idea...

However, let's let the Republican's reel for a moment, and take a look at the other side of things.  I hold no ill will towards Planned Parenthood; quite on the contrary.  I believe they provided much needed services.  But why in the bloody hell are we having this discussion... 3 hours, 1 minute and 55 seconds (I checked) before the bloody government SHUTS DOWN?  Quite simply, everybody needs to put on their big girl panties, buck the hell up, and deal with it.  We were just finally putting the fires of the recession out, and they think it's a good idea to roll a nice big powder keg into it, so they can keep their precious pride.  

Well, let me end with a quote I'm sure most of you will recognize.

"Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall." (Proverbs 16: 18)

It's a long fall, gentlemen, and something like 3 million people are not in the mood to join you.  I don't subscribe to the Bible as the truth to end all truths, but it does have the advantage of several thousand years of experience.  Tis an ugly road you're walking, and if you choose to continue, don't be surprised when the folks who you ride on decide to take a different route.