On the lack of regard for human life

I am sickened.

I was sickened on the day after Thanksgiving when I learned that a Walmart employee was trampled by shoppers who couldn't wait to get a deal. Not because the employee got trampled; it's sad but it happens in these situations. No, I was sickened that people actually realized that the person was being trampled and walked over him anyway. What's more is that some of them became very angry when Walmart tried to close their doors due to the death. Those shoppers had no regard for human life. That Walmart employee was a person! He was a person with a family who loved him and now he is DEAD. This mentality that he was just some thing to be thrown to the side is horrifying.

Today I am once again sickened. I clicked on a link to a story about a 77 year old woman who had a shopping addiction that died after some of her possessions fell on her and she was trapped. The comments on this post ranged from "I love it, death by shopping and on Boxing Day yet! How utterly perfect." to "She shopped till she dropped?" This woman was a PERSON! She was a real life, living and breathing SOUL. She had feelings and passions. And now she's dead.

There is a difference between irony and humor. Is it ironic that a shopoholic died because her possessions were so many that they caved in on her? Of course it's ironic. But is it funny? Since when is it funny when a human life ends? If you truly find humor in the end of human life, I'll be sure to laugh out loud at YOUR funeral. The trash that posted those comments (yeah, I said it) need to learn a little bit about compassion and the value of EVERY human life.

In case you missed it...

This morning I was a guest on Willie Lawson's radio show to discuss the conservative movement and the future of the Republican Party. The show was a ton of fun and I encourage you to check out Willie's show everyday at 12 noon EST on Blog Talk Radio.

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/stations/HeadingRight/willielawsonshow

Here is today's show in the archives:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/stations/HeadingRight/willielawsonshow/2009/01/06/The-Willie-Lawson-Show-

On resolutions

Exit 2008...enter 2009. Yes, it's that time of year again to talk about new year's resolutions. I normally stay away from the subject, even to the point of not making resolutions of my own. My belief is that if you want to do something, you should just do it instead of waiting for the first of the new year to start. This year, however, I've changed my mind.

Before I start into telling you what I resolve to do in 2009, let me tell you something I accomplished in 2008. While it may not seem like a big deal to many, I managed to finish something this past year that I previously have given up on before completion. I read the Bible in one year. I've read through the whole Bible using a one year reading plan before...it took me 4 years. But in 2008, I stayed on track and I finished the objective. Now, this was not a new year's resolution I had, but I bring it up to prove a specific point.

If you set a goal and keep realistic expectations, you can accomplish it. This is true, not only with new year's resolutions, but with other goals throughout the year. If it's your goal to lose weight, keep the goal within realistic means. It's also so important to remember that if you screw up the plan once or twice it's not the end of the world. If you want to quit smoking and you lose control and smoke a cigarette, it does not mean that you have failed. Start again and this time try even harder. Don't let your past mistake equal your future confidence. Forget that you messed up and move on. This past year I did not keep up with my daily reading on several occasions and got behind. I didn't let that keep me from finishing. When I got a moment, I sat down and read until I was at least close to caught up. Little by little I got back on track and in the end I finished the task.

This year I'm looking forward to working on being a better planner; not jumping into projects with so little planned out. I know that if I don't do so well on some days I just need to keep moving. I will also be trying to be more physically active. I don't necessarily mean that I'm going to join a gym; I've tried that before and never went. Realistically, I know that my goal needs to be more like trying to walk each day or do some curls with my dumb bells; anything that isn't sitting behind the computer.

Those may not seem like much, but as I said, I know that my expectations need to be realistic and not beyond my capability or motivation. What are your new year's resolutions? If one of them happens to include daily Bible reading, there is a great reading plan at www.youversion.com. If you're like me and you prefer to have a piece of paper to check off as you go along, I have created this much more printable format of You Version's reading plan that you can download here.

Let's let the past stay in the past, let go of our regrets and begin a new year with new goals.

Here's to 2009!

Poem: Mother

The work is never done, there's always more to do
You clean up the mess and get him dressed
Just in time to do it again

There's always an empty tummy or a full diaper
A ringing phone, a new request
Your time is never yours

No awards, no raises
No time off, no vacation
Not even the time for a sick day

Under appreciated, underpaid
You work for little reward

But what you do, it matters most
The product of your labor

A bright young child, full of love
Because you are his mother.

Black Friday Deals

Well, the time is almost here. The day everyone anticipates. The biggest shopping day of the year, full of great deals, huge crowds, full parking lots, injuries, sold out merchandise, rude salespeople spraying perfume in your face... wait, that doesn't sound very appealing.

How about instead of fighting the crowds, you check out the awesome deals on Amazon.com?

Click on that ad right down there.

Yeah, that one.

A Case Of The Mondays

It always seems that I have the opposite experience of most people when it comes to Mondays. My Mondays are often quiet and uneventful. It's my Fridays that are chaos.

While everyone else anticipates the last day of the work week, I treat it with trepidation. I fear Friday.

Today, well today is Monday. And it's acting like a Monday. Not like my Mondays, like everyone else's. It's interresting to note that this week is the week of Thanksgiving, which means that I will not be working on Thursday or Friday. Hence, Monday being a Monday. It gets you no matter what.

Funny how that works.

Posted with LifeCast

Book signing event with Brett Joshpe

The book signing with Brett Joshpe at Books-A-Million in Sarasota went well this weekend. Brett made some book sales and we had a great chat. I'd like to share the pictures with you. They're few, but they turned out well.