Why do some men (boys) wear earrings?

To rebel. Many men wear earrings to show that they are non-conformist. In our society it is becoming more and more difficult to separate yourself from the masses - to be an individualist. I think earrings and tattoos fall into the same category. People want to be different - to stand out from the crowd. But the more people that adopt a fad, the less the more the actually conform. In the end, I think the best way to stand out is to simply be your own unique self. But a lot of people have trouble just being themselves. They are afraid to be totally transparent, therefore they resort to other means to try to stand out.

Many men also wear earrings to rebel or stand out in the crowd. People like to do things which they are instructed not to do. Many also tend to think that wearing it would separate themselves from the masses
- to be an individualist.
The truth is as much as you want to be in the humans who wear earrings category the truth is you're not. You're in the males who wear earrings category. This is slightly abnormal in our society, it won't hold you back at work as much as wearing high heels would, but it won't help. This is unavoidable because people make subtle judgments of everyone they meet constantly and it's mostly unconscious. It'd be nice if no one was discriminated for having bad taste in fashion or something like that at work but it's unavoidable. Feminism is able to tackle the issue of gender discrimination because it is such a wide sweeping issue that we can work hard to retrain people. But you can't retrain people to not discriminate at all. People need to know that the guy coming out of that dark alley with his hand in his coat probably isn't going to be your friend, and those sorts of judgments will inevitably continue into the rest of your life. Basically unless Donald Trump starts wearing earrings you're screwed. The image out there is that being an earring wearing male is unprofessional and that judgment would be nearly impossible to change. This is true in the same way a guy not wearing suit is considered unprofessional, or a guy wearing an 80's sport jacket. People need ways to try and figure out who cares more about the job and while they aren't always accurate, it's not changing. Its' pretty clear to me that men and earrings are going to have a tougher time advancing in corporate America. Just don't do it.

Stealing it all From the Future until there is none.

Obama doesn't get it...none of "them" do. You do not spend money that you do not have!!!! You cannot spend money that you do not have!! And if you do manage to spend money that you do not have you have done so only by teleporting yourself into the future and robbing the wealth of those yet to come. Even worse!! Another 100billion is being printed up (borrowed) with interest, to send unemployment checks to those unfortunate enough to be without a job. What productivity comes from this? What return on investment does this 100billion get? Nothing!!! It is total plundering of the future for a totally non-productive feel good, keep the masses quiet program that leaves behind only massive debt w/interest and the undigested bits of food the unemployed @#$% out. Nothing was made, nothing was improved, nothing built. Millions of people get free money donated by you and borrowed by your government and we get absolutely nothing in return. Poof!! Gone!! 100's of billions gone to money heaven leaving a debt tombstone with rip carved on its stoney face.

During the depression we created work programs for the jobless millions. They lived in camps, ate like kings, reclaimed farm land, built parks, bridges, roads. These programs built self worth as the men and women gave an honest days work for honest wages and something valuable was left behind. Massachusetts had over 100 such camps and programs. Every state had them and they used the borrowed and tax dollars to make their homelands a better place.
How did we survive the great depression? There was no social security, no unemployment, no social welfare, no hand outs only hand ups!! We didn't treat the nation as a population of entitled, we treated ourselves as a nation of doers and shapers who held work in high regard. We pulled together as a people not whine and protest about our special interests and right to free slop at the expense of our neighbors. We didn't subsidize car purchases, home purchases, appliance purchases. We didn't steal from our children and grand children to support our delusional entitled lifestyles.
If for no other reason than the fact that we deserve all that we get from the coming @#$% storm by being so arrogant and blind, we deserve it because we are collective thieves of the future. We want it all, we think we deserve it all, we demand it all even if it means that no one who comes after us has a damned thing.

UGH: More Snow!!

The Washington-Baltimore area was preparing for 4 to 8 inches of snow as the storm approached. The National Weather Service issued a winter storm warning for parts of Maryland and Virginia and the District of Columbia. About a foot of snow was reported in the Richmond area in Virginia, the weather service said.
In northern Virginia, the weather caused several muti-vehicle crashes along Interstate 81in Shenandoah County, Virginia State Police said. Four people were hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries.
Transportation officials were urging drivers to stay off the roads.

The weather also cut short a farewell celebration Saturday at the National Zoo in Washington for young panda Tai Shan, who will be flown to China on Thursday to become part of a breeding program. The storm left roads icy and snow packed across the South, and thousands were without power as ice accumulated. Although police said they had to clear hundreds of wrecks overnight, there were no deaths or serious injuries reported.

Will Kimbrough in the House

Went to a friends last night and saw Will Kimbrough perform. He played 2 hour and half long sets. What a great time. Will Kimbrough has written and collaborated on a number of songs with Jimmy Buffett. Most recently Buffett recorded Nobody from Nowhere on his latest album Buffett Hotel. Will opened the night with that song and then proceeded into how he came about to write the song. Awesome song. Check it out.
Here's a version with the full band.

Will Kimbrough’s upcoming full-length studio album is his fifth solo offering, and delves into subject matter that most professional musicians deal with at one point or another--the conflict between family and career, love and work, parents and children. Kimbrough easily related to the theme and realized its universal condition with listeners and their lives. He played a cut off this album, Three Angels last night. Here is an accompanying video of the song on you tube.

Quote of the Day

I'll promise to go easier on drinking and to

get to bed earlier, but not for you, fifty

thousand dollars, or two-hundred

and fifty thousand dollars will I give

up women. They're too much fun.

Babe Ruth

Quote of the Day

The secret of concentration is the secret of

self- discovery. You reach inside yourself

to discover your personal resources, and match them to the challenge.

Arnold Daniel Palmer

A pig can run faster than me

I think I am now the slowest human on earth. My treadmill time is about 9.5 minute mile for about 45 minutes. Afterward, I'm somewhat tight and like to do my elliptical machine for 15 minute cool down. Hopefully, if I can manage to continue this routine 2-3 times a week for the next few months, I'll be able to actually run or play some tennis in the spring. It's hell getting old. These achy bones are not like they used to be. It seems the abuse of my job has finally begun to catch up one me. 50 in 2 weeks.

WVU vs MD Swimming

The West Virginia University swimming and diving teams split dual meets today with Maryland at the Eppley Recreation Natatorium in College Park, Md.

The men defeated the Terrapins, 136-107, while the women fell, 133-108. The Mountaineers had nine athletes record at least one win in the efforts with seniors Kayla Andrews and Brandon Robinson, sophomore Brad Eichenseer and freshman Rachael Burnett all recording two wins apiece.

The was the first time we had gone to an official college meet. A college meet is so much more enjoyable than the club swim meets the kids have gone to for many years. The facility is beautiful, the events had only one heat and the meet was superbly run, so everything went right as scheduled. The team spirit was also on display on both the deck and in the bleachers. "Lets go Maryland" and "Let's go Mountaineers" were heard throughout the couple hour long meet. Diving is also included. After a number of swim events they break for diving. These kids can really dive. Flips and twists executed mostly to near perfection.

Jamie only swam the 200 Breastoke event and swam a nice race. She went out very fast to see what she could do in the first 100. She is attempting to get a qualifying time in 100 Breast for the Big East Championship meet in February. We're so proud that she has been able to experience the team spirit and everything that goes along with swimming for WVU. I hope her back holds up and that she can continue to work as hard as is required.

This Cold Sucks

I have a cold and it sucks. I hate having a cold. I went to bed Friday evening knowing I was going to have a cold the next morning. You know when you have that itchy feeling in the back of your throat. Once my throat begins to bother me I know I am going into a full blown cold and life will suck for at least a week to 10 days.I spent the entire day blowing my nose. A pocket of tissues doesn't cut it. I've gone through half a roll of paper towels and my nose looks like a tomato. Tylenol Cold and Flu is worthless! Tylenol is great for fevers and headaches, but they should really stay away from trying to help out with other symptoms. I've been using DayQuil and that has been helping out somewhat. I'm really old school and don't take much medicine I just let things run their course. I went to the dentist this afternoon and when they saw I had a cold they sent me home. They claimed that when doing fillings all the water vapors in the room are very contagious.

Crescendo Team 2009

This picture was in last weeks edition of the Bowie Blade. Click on image and you can read the caption. Each year at the Bowie city meet, a meet where all the pool in the city compete against one another, there is the climatic crescendo relay. Each relay team is made up of 1 girl and one boy from each age group. Naturally, the coaches uses the fastest kids in each age group. This is the winning Belair Bath and Tennis crescendo team from last summer. Jamie is on the far left. 

Droopy Drawers

I never could really grasp why the young men today wear their pants like guy in this cartoon. You all know what I'm talking about; young boys and (sadly) young men wearing their extra baggy jeans and shorts nearly beneath their ass, exposing their boxer shorts for all the world to see.When I visit the public High School where my two oldest attended it amazes me to see how many of the young men are looking like gangsta wannabe thugs. Some communities have already outlawed pants hanging down around your ass. In case you were wondering how I feel about kids who wear their drawers down around their asses — I think they’re freak’n morons. Which is exactly why I don't think there should be any laws prohibiting them from wearing them.
It makes it a lot easier to pick out the morons and idiots around you when they wear such obvious markers. Clearly a label for me to tell my daughter who the hell to stay away from.

Vacation

I am on vacation this week. Vacation, as in I don't have to go to work at the Vending company. I still will put in some time at the Union hall but no Canteen.
Weeks like this make me long fro the retirement years. It is so nice sleeping until 8-830, reading the news either int he paper or on the internet along with a pot of coffee. I so long to do live like this forever. To just hang out all day in PJ's. I watched 2 movies today, learned 2 new songs on my guitar and even exercised. I feel great. 
Dinner is in the oven, Maureen and Jenna will be returning soon and we'll have dinner together. No worries.

Growl all day and you'll feel dog tired at night. ~Anonymous

The Good the Bad 2010

As the year 2009 comes to an end I'd like to take some time to reflect on the good and the bad that has  happened in the past year, what I can do to continue the good and how to improve on the bad.
First the bad. Undoubtedly, the worse thing that happened in 2009 was that I injured my ankle and had to have surgery to repair it. The recovery has been a slow process and I am still a ways off from being able to run, bike and play tennis. The injury gave me physical limitations causing weight gain and loss of motivation. Financial burdens have caused me much anguish in the past year. There were bad  investment decisions that were very costly. I think greed had a lot to do with these gambles and they didn't pan out as planned. Those coupled with the new debt in the form of College tuition loans has been difficult. Strain and stress in my family relationships has caused me to seek professional counseling in 2009. Local 67 had a difficult time negotiating a labor agreement with my employer Canteen Vending. My job has been difficult due to the swelling and pain I endure in my ankle everyday.

Enough of the negative! What have I learned from all this crap and negative things that went on in 2009? What can I do to change them and how can 2010 be a better year for me and my family.
I think I need to be positive about the ankle. Be happy that we made the decision to have it repaired and realize that it will be a lengthy process. I need to continue doing the strengthening exercises and do what walking, jogging, and biking I can endure. I want to be playing tennis when the pool opens in May. Stop making excuses for not exercising. Get off my ass, put time aside each day and do it. I need to find an exercise partner either by joining a gym or convincing Maureen.
Financially, get on the right track. No more risky investments. Increase 401 contributions and eliminate as much wasteful spending as I can. Decrease the amount of college tuition loans. Look for money saving ideas, use coupons, shop at yard sales and stop bailing out children who also make bad financial choices.
With my family relationships, I need to continue to work on them. I need to show more gratitude and be thankful for what I have. Appreciate, them for who they are. Stop blaming myself for the poor decisions children make. My oldest made a very poor decision this past year. It's been very difficult on both Maureen and I. We can't blame ourselves. He will have to suffer the consequences of those actions. Of course I feel sorry and disappointed for him but I will not be an enabler. That crap and attitude will not go on under my roof.
With the high unemployment rate I am grateful that I have a good Union job making good Union wages. Many folks are not as fortunate. My job at Canteen continues to become more demanding all the time. The company is paying high wages and demands a lot from the drivers. I'll continue to strive to give them a good days work for the wages I'm paid. I'm thankful that I am the president of Local 67. I have been very fortunate to work under my friend and Boss Frank Myers. Frank has been a great mentor for me these past 5 years we have worked together. I'm going to continue to work to the best of my ability for both him and the members of Local 67. We will be up for reelection at the end of 2010. I'll need to be active in all the shops and with our stewards during the year to assure our re election in January of 2011.