Debate Questions

I am so sorry! I promised myself I wouldn’t get political but I just couldn’t help myself. Fortunately no one reads my blog so I guess this is just me venting...

Have you ever watched a debate for elected office? I always thought the questions they ask the candidates were useless. They never ask real questions that get to the heart of what a candidate believes. Below are some suggestions for debate questions. I tried to break them into categories...

Rights

Where do my rights come from? Who gives me my rights? Do I have a right to fail?

Do I have a right to defend myself? Do I have a right to own a Glock 22 loaded with 165 grain hollow points and have it ready to be used to defend my family against a home invader? Does everyone in the United States have this right?

Do I have the right to post my opinion on my blog? Do I have a right to my privacy?

Money

Who’s money is it? Mine or the Government’s? Who are the evil ‘rich’? Am I allowed to keep what I make? What does the word ‘fair’ mean?

Is the United States out of money? How did the US get so far in debt? What’s the plan to get out of debt?

Are entitlements rights?

Property

As a citizen am I allowed to own property? Who really owns my house or the land my house sits on?

Equality

Are you for equal opportunity or equal outcome? What’s the difference?

What is social justice?

World View

Do other countries have the right to tell the United States what to do? Is the United States the greatest country on the face of the planet? If so, Why?

At what point should the United States get involved militarily in another part of the world? What is the purpose of the military?

The Environment

Should I be allowed to keep my thermostat set to 75° if I want to? Do I really have to use those @#$@ing swirly light bulbs even though they are made with mercury and they take 4 times as much energy to produce than normal light blubs?

Can I drive my 2006 Toyota Tacoma that gets 20 mpg? Can I go 4 wheeling on public land?

Should I be fined or arrested if I really don’t want to recycle?

How should we reduce our dependence on buying oil from countries who hate us?

Tax Policy

Is it within the purview of government to use the tax code to induce social change?

Again, what is ‘fair’?

Why is it that most Americans don’t even pay income taxes?

Now the election is over...

Many of my friends are ecstatic Obama and the Democrats won. My mom and my sister are included in this list. I am happy for them. I hope their party can “fix what’s broke” in the nation.

I look at politics like I look at sports. I love the Diamondbacks. Often you will hear me yelling and cussing and getting frustrated at some managerial decision. There have been many times where I was yelling at the TV “Pull the pitcher, PULL HIM!” and then 3 runs later the manager finally pulls him. Does it mean that I’m not a fan? No.

To some degree I feel the same way about being a Republican.

Here are my thoughts on how we have come to this point as a party.

Bill Clinton did more for the Republicans than he did for the Democrats. Under Clinton the republicans were able to find unity, a message, a voice and they were able to come into power in 1994. Twelve years later they were just as bad as the Washington insiders they defeated.

George Bush did more for the Democrats than he did for the Republicans. The Democrats were able to find unity, a message and a voice. Hopefully the Obama presidency will wake up the conservative wing of the Republican Party. Hope

Bush is a good man. I think he means well. I totally agree with the WSJ article that the treatment of Bush has been disgraceful. My biggest problem with Bush is he’s not a conservative. My second biggest problem with Bush is he was too nice. He should have dealt with the Democrats with the same attitude he fought terrorism. They are the enemy and they and their philosophies must be defeated.

1 Kyle 1:1 “Nice guys get screwed.”

If the republicans can get back to being true conservatives then they will start winning.

Opinion: The Election

I can’t wait for the election BS to end. Please, for the love, just let it be over!

I have what I call a serious case of the OJ Syndrome. This syndrome harkens back to ’96 when OJ was on trial for the first time. It seemed like there was nothing but OJ on TV or the news for a year. I finally lost my mind and yelled “fine just let him go already!” If the price of not seeing OJ’s face or hearing about him or reading about him is letting him free THAN SO BE IT. Unfortunately, this ended up being the case anyway but that’s a whole other story...

I’m feeling the same way about this year’s election – just end it. If a true conservative (someone we haven’t had in 20 years) were running then I would think differently. In today’s world I can see little difference in either of the parties. Basically, I dislike McCain just a little bit less than I dislike Obama. It seems like we have a democrat (McCain) running against a socialist (Obama). I really wish Palin was running against Obama – that would make things interesting.

All of the contention and arguing and debating and name calling and other general BS the current election has generated has really left me with a bad taste in my mouth for all politics. I’ve said this before: We get what we deserve when it comes to our leadership in this nation. All the true leadership in America wouldn’t touch the presidency with a 100 foot pole. I don’t know too many people (myself included) who could survive the anal exam given by the media, the campaign and the American people.

Opinion: I ran out of ideas...

I just kind of ran out of ideas. I have been writing a series on opinions but I have nothing that would be too interesting... Let me do a rapid fire:

• Government Bailout: I think it’s a bad idea.
• Obama: very bad
• McCain / Palin: not so bad
  
• Western Digital Hard Drives: good
• Dell Computers: good
• Macintosh Computers: I wish...
• iPod Touch 32 gb: super cool
• AT&T: I hate them
• Alltel: they rock
• Cash: good right now
• Stocks: bad right now
• Frozen Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups: good
• Dark Chocolate: bad
• Onions: EVIL
• Current Political Philosophy: when in doubt vote them out – necessary evil
• Current Political Party: Conservative
• Second Amendment: good
• Movies out right now: nothing is out right now that’s worth a damn.
• Mountain Bikes: I have a Trek 4300 that I need to ride a whole lot more. I just got the cleats and shoes where they lock your feet to the pedals. You have to think ahead in the event you want to stop...
• Helmet or No Helmet while riding a bike: I hate it but I try to wear a helmet. I feel like such a geek!
• Taxes: bad and they need to be lower and our government needs to be more responsible with OUR money.
• Family verses Friends: Mela is my best friend so both!
• Currently Reading: The Great and The Terrible series by Chris Stewart and Brisingr by Christopher Paolini
• Cameras: I want a 5D Mark II - Canon all the way! The best cameras and the best lenses. Don’t waist your money one cheap glass!

Opinion: When Jaedyn starts dating...

There was a funny story out of some Florida paper last week. For some reason it tickled the twisted side of my brain... this is never a good thing. To summarize the story a man comes home, finds a naked boy in a daughter’s bed room, he hits the boy in the head with a pipe and chased the kid off. The boy had to ride home on his bike naked from what I gather.... Click Here

You’d think when the sheriff arrived he would have thanked the man for being a good father and protecting his family from a possible intruder. The deputy would have thought father was good enough to only hit the boy with a pipe and not kill the boy with a SIG 226 loaded with Federal Hydra Shock bullets like I would have done. Unfortunately, the sheriff arrested the father – crazy world we live in...

All of this brings me to my opinion piece. The funniest part of this story was not the story itself was the comments readers submitted. Click Here

My favorite was as from momx2 submitted on 9/15/2008 at 8:27am.

My dad on his first meeting with my first boy friend came to the door with his double barrel and shells ask the boy his name wrote his name on the shells loaded the gun and sat it beside the back door The date never made it past the driveway we sat in his car for 30 minutes and that was that with my dad on the porch watching. We never went out again. If he had found a guy in my bedroom I believe he would have done much worse. As a mom I look back and thank God my dad was as protective as he was. This father should be given a pat on the back and a job well done.

This is a great idea! I totally plan on doing this when Jaedyn starts dating. In fact, I’m going to clear a shelf in my office for 12 gauge shells with boys names on them. I can envision the conversation going something like this...

I take the boy wanting to date Jaedyn into my office where I have my Remington 870 on display.

“What’s your name boy?” I would ask with a condescending southern accent.

“Jimmy...” the boy would reply timidly.

Then I would grab a half empty box of 12 gauge shells (I’m torn between #10 birdshot or just using buckshot – I’m leaning towards buckshot). I would pull out a black Sharpie marker and write the boy’s name on the side of a shell. Then I would set the shell on the shelf with all the other shells with other boy’s names on them.

There would be shells with names like Jake, Tim, John, Pepe... Just to make the poor boy wonder I would make sure two or three of the shells are spent.

Now you may ask if I am going to do this for my son Andrew? When girls come over to date my boy will you do the same thing? The answer is no. I would hope the fathers of the girls Andrew dates will find their own method of instilling fear.

143 Days

A good friend of mine sent this to me in an e-mail so I don't know who to credit this to but I thought it was worth adding to my blog. My own comments are at the end.

143 Days

You couldn't get a job at McDonalds and become district manager after 143 days of experience.

You couldn't become chief of surgery after 143 days of experience of being a surgeon.

You couldn't get a job as a teacher and be the superintendent after 143 days of experience.

You couldn't join the military and become a colonel after a 143 days of experience.

You couldn't get a job as a reporter and become the nightly news anchor after 143 days of experience.

BUT....

From the time Barack Obama was sworn in as a United State Senator,to the time he announced he was forming a Presidential exploratory committee,he logged 143 days of experience in the Senate. That's how many days the Senate was actually in session and working. After 143 days of work experience, Obama believed he was ready to be Commander In Chief, Leader of the Free World .... 143 days.

We all have to start somewhere. The senate is a good start, but after 143 days, that's all it is - a start.

AND, strangely, a large sector of the American public is okay with this and campaigning for him. We wouldn't accept this in our own line of work, yet some are okay with this for the President of the United States of America ?

Come on folks, we are not voting for the next American Idol!

Please, please forward this before it's too late!!!!

I love how our democrat friends have lost sight of who they are running against. They will complain Shara Palin doesn't have any experience. I hate to say this but OBAMA's NOT RUNNING AGAINST PALIN!

Obama, love ya man, but you're running against John McCain. Frankly, your 143 days of 'experience' as a Senator isn't even in the same parkinglot let alone the same ballpark as McCain's 20+ years of experience. All the hours and days of service Obama has being a 'community organizer' don't even hold a candle when compaired to McCain's service to our country.

On another note...

I don't know why but I find this kinda funny. The breaking news headline on msNBC was Flee or Face Certain Death. I guess there's no ambiguity here. Yet another reason I live in Arizona.

People in Arizona don't have to worry about natural disasters. Mainly it's because we are more righteous in AZ than the rest of the country. The other reason is when god sends us a hurricane we have these things called "mountains" and "deserts" that deflect and suck the life out of any real storm that comes our way.

If you are living in a city on the coast in hurricane alley and you are 20 feet below sea level, you are going to get hit sometime or another. Don't blame the government!

Opinion: Coke verses Pepsi

Lately I’ve been a blogging geek! I guess I have too much time on my hands – slow week in the Land of Schwab.

If you know me you know that I am an addict. I tried several 12 step programs to kick it. All have failed... Some people smoke, some people are hooked on crack and some people are hooked on internet gaming. I have been addicted to Diet Coke sense February of 1990. It’s not just Diet Coke it must be Diet Coke from a fountain not a can. The precise formula is as follows:

• One 52 oz insulated refillable cup (my kids and wife refer to my 52oz cup as daddy’s sippy cup)
• Fill the 52 oz “sippy cup” to the 1/3rd point with QT’s crushed ice.
• Fill the cup up 9/10th of the way with Diet Coke.
• Fill the remaining 1/10th with normal Coke.

So basically I’m addicted to a mixture of 9/10th diet and 1/10th real. There's nothing better than a nice long drag on a well made DC mix. It’s kind of sad really.

My DC addiction is a major stumbling block to my Sabbath Day observance – cans of DC just don’t cut it - only a fountain will due. Thanks to my loving wife I am doing better. I haven’t broke the Sabbath Day for a few months now. I just know if I do try to get a DC on Sunday some ward member will have a testimony crisis because the saw Brother Christiansen driving to Circle K (the closest QT is 17.3 miles away) to get his fix...

All of this brings me to my opinion piece: Coke verses Pepsi

The whole Coke verses Pepsi thing is almost like Republican verses Democrat or Mormons verses Baptists or even NL verses AL. It’s almost a religion. This whole Coke/Pepsi debate can create strong emotions on both sides... I am no exception.

Let me be frank – Pepsi tastes like used bath water to me. I would rather drink Buckeye tap water than to drink Pepsi. Simply put - Pepsi sucks.

Let me be even more frank – Diet Pepsi tastes like rust to me. That's right, you heard me, it tastes like rust. I would sooner go thirsty than drink Diet Pepsi.

Pepsi drinkers are sinning and they need to repent. Pepsi should be removed from all convenience stores and the shelves of supermarkets. Nothing irritates me more than going to some no-name convenience store in the middle of nowhere (Globe) only to find out they only serve Pepsi.

When I become Emperor of the World the second thing I am going to do as Emperor Kyle is to abolish Pepsi.

Opinion: The Best Pens

Believe it or not I kind of have a pen fetish. Every year or so I get a new pen. For that year I will use just that pen and, if I can help it, no others. I have had several Cross pens, a Sensa pen and a bunch of other no-name pens I thought were cool.

When it comes to a good pen I have a few things I’m looking for... it must have blue ball point ink, it must be a solid pen (no cheapo plastic) and it must fit in my fingers well.

I like blue ink because to me it denotes a true ink signature. Black ink can be photo copied. Some state laws specify that signatures need to be in black ink. In fact, in some states not signing an official document in black ink and result in a class C felony. I don’t get this but oh well. As my brother will often say “they can bite me...” As I say, “if they want my money, then they can deal with blue...”

I have to have a solid feeling pen. I’m hard on pens. I flip them, drop them, sit on them and even throw them... Cross pens seem to hold up for about a year and then the clip will break or the twist will get too loose.

For some reason I push really hard when I write. My middle finger has a callus on it because I push so hard. I like the pens with soft, but not too soft, grips. The pen must fit just right or I will toss it in my drawer with a hundred other pens that didn’t cut it...

Sense I’ve been in the bishopric I’ve had to fill out many temple recommends so I’ve need to use a very fine tipped pen to fill out the little fields on the rec. The hardest part of doing temple recommends is not going through the questions. The hardest part is writing legibly enough press through the 3 carbon copies. Actually, on second thought, the hardest part is not filling rec’s out it’s tearing out the two top copies out of the recommend book without ripping the other blank recommends. The bishopric has to account for all the rec’s in the book so you have to void any torn ones.

The pen I’ve settled on as of late is a Pilot G2 0.5mm with blue Gel ink. I’m using a Pilot Dr. Grip with the above mentioned Pilot G2 cartridge. So far it’s a great pen. It seems to go through ink quickly but it writes smoothly without smudging. The standard ink cartridge for the pen is the 0.7mm. I need a finer point – hence the 0.5...
I'm always on the look out for a good pen. If you have any favorites, let me know.

Opinion Piece: I like Toyota Trucks

In my life I have driven the following cars and trucks I turned 16 in September of 1983. The following is my vehicle history:

1983 to 1986 > 1967 Chevrolet C-10 with no paint and no AC.

1985 > my dad bought a 1976 GMC Jimmy 4x4 – 400 cubic inch engine that got about 5 mpg – I had a job at McDonalds so I could afford gas. I would drive this truck off and on my senior year.

1987 to 1988 > 1985 Baby Blue Ford Tempo – I drove this car for 9 months on my mission. Yes, an ’86 Ford Tempo can reach in excess of 100 miles per hour and will actually catch air in a Dukes of Hazard manor on State Route 700 between Hiram and Kirtland Ohio.

1989 to 1990 > 1989 Toyota 4x4 Truck. This was the first vehicle I have owned and paid for myself. It got wrecked at the intersection of Rural and Baseline. I was very glad I had my seatbelts on.

1990 to 1995 > 1983 Honda Prelude which would overheat when I ran the AC.

1995 to 1998 > 1989 Honda Accord

1998 to 2002 > 1998 Toyota Tacoma regular cab 4x4

2002 > 2001 Nissan Altima. I drove this for about a year and then I gave it to my wife to drive.

2002 to 2006 > 1998 Toyota Tacoma extended cab 4x4 – I got this truck right after I realized you aren’t a man if you don’t have a truck.

2006 to present > 2006 Toyota Tacoma Pre-Runner long-bed double-cab – This is the first truck I have ever owned that was brand new. Thanks to Discount Tire It has cool wheels and big tires. This is my family’s GeoCaching mobile and my wife thinks I look “damn sexy” driving it.

My wife is currently driving a 2000 Nissan Xterra.

In my opinion of all the cars and trucks I have driven, Toyotas are the best. You will rarely have any mechanical problems. If you do, they are very easy to work on yourself. They drive nice and nothing can beat them off road.

Opinion Piece: Gas Stations / Convenience Stores

If anyone knows me they know I am very opinionated. I have what I think are well thought out opinions on just about any subject from politics to what gas stations I use. I think for the next few blogs I will talk about some of my favorite things: gas stations, computer stuff, restaurants, foods and businesses I like. Hopefully, I will be able to explain why I like them over their competition.

For my first opinion piece I will discuss gas stations and convenience stores.

When I have a choice I will only get my gas at two places Quick Trip or Costco - that’s it. For this blog I’m going to focus on QT...

I will drive miles out of my way to get my gas at a QT. QT’s are clean and usually have a good price on gas. If you haven’t noticed, most QT’s have the same design. If you walk into the QT on 32nd and Indian School you may has well be walking into the QT on
Dysart and the I-10.

The people working at your local QT seem to be smarter than the average convenience store employee. Some Circle-K employees look like their most recent job was sitting on the side of the road with a “I work for food” sign. Some 7-Eleven employees look like their prior job was Dell Technical Support out of Bangor India.

I have stood in lines at Circle-K while the cashier is trying to figure out the lottery machine or how to calculate change. It seems like Circle-K will get a homeless person, reasonably sober them up and put them behind a cash register to fend for themselves. This doesn’t happen at QT. Every QT employee knows how to work the register, find cigarettes, run the lottery machine, print money orders or count change before they ever face a customer.

This brings me to another thing I like about QT... they always have more the one person working. I have never been in a store when there was just one person there. If there are more than 3 people in line the other employees will drop whatever they are doing and get customers through the line and on their way. There ain’t no way this would happen at the Loves down the street from my house. If it’s someone’s smoking break... well, the people in line are just going to have to wait...

Finally, the main reason I like QT is their Diet Coke is the best (I will discuss my soda preferences in a future blog). There is nothing worst than going into some miscellaneous convenience store and getting a crappy soda. I have never gotten a bad soda from QT.

Quick Trip management, I’m calling you out!! We don’t have a QT out in the Forsaken Land of Buckeye. You need to build a QT on the corner of Watson and Yuma. I will help you dig the foundation with my own hands and my own shovel!! There are no good gas stations that far west valley. You will make so much money that you will thank me later.

Bottled Water

Living in the Phoenix area you soon learn water out of the tap is nasty. I’ve been all over the country on business and, ironically, the best water from the tap is in New York City – if you can believe it.

My wife and I have become connoisseurs of bottled water. Here's a list and their ranking in our opinion:

Very Best
Smart Water
Dasani
Fry’s Water (yes the water you get from Fry’s)

Best
Aquafina
Costco Kirkland Brand
Sam’s Choice
Poland Springs

Okay
Nestle Pure Life
Safeway Brand

No better than tap
Arrowhead

Worst than tap
Evian
Fiji