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Cincinnati at Philadelphia -
Bengal pluck Burdz
AV~Picks Bengals 27 Eagles 14 (41)
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Cleveland at Houston -
Texans pummel Browns
AV~Picks Texans 37 Browns 17 (54)
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Detroit at Tennessee -
Lions slip past the Titans
AV~Picks Lions 31 Titans 30 (61)
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Green Bay at Chicago -
Packers skin the Bears
Packers 27 Bears 16 (43)
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Miami at Baltimore -
Baltimore crushes the Fins
AV~Picks Blackburdz 27 Fins 0 (27)
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Minnesota at Washington -
Vikes slam the Skins
AV~Picks Vikes 31 Skins 10 (41)
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New Orleans at Carolina -
Panthers claw the Saints
AV~picks Panthers 27 Saints 17 (44)
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N.Y. Jets at St. Louis -
Jets blast the Rams
AV~Picks Jets 28 Rams 13 (41)
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Pittsburgh at Buffalo -
Streak continues
Steelers 24 Bills 21 (45)
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San Francisco at New England -
Patriots shred the Niners
AV~Picks Pats 37 Niners 9 ()
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Atlanta at Seattle -
Hawks escape with a win
AV~Picks Hawks 29 Falcons 28 (57)
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Tampa Bay at Arizona -
Buccs cruise by the Cardz
AV~Picks Buccs 33 Cardz 17 (50)
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Indianapolis at Denver -
Colts end Broncs playoff hopes
AV~Picks Colts 32 Broncos 12 (44)
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Jacksonville at Oakland -
Jags poke out Raiduhs udder I
AV~Picks Jags 24 Raiduhs 13 (37)
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Kansas City at San Diego -
Chiefs scalp the Chargers
AV~Picks Chiefs 45 Chargers 13 (58)
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Dallas at N.Y. Giants -
Army Ants bury the Boize in the North endzone
AV~Picks Army Ants 23 Boize 10 (33)
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It has been said that 'God doesn't give you more to handle than you are capable of handling, you just got to be willing to handle it.' I've had a lot of struggles in my life, but the last couple of years have been filled with challenges to overcome, each challenge followed by what seemed to be a greater challenge. I may not be so willing for the new challenges, much less like the challenges, but what other options are there other than to try to overcome it? What good could possibly come from submitting to our weaknesses?

I remember when I left the Democrat party and was a lone Republican. Yeah, I was raised Democrat. Everybody I knew was a Democrat, my Grandma was going to hit me over the head with her cane because I was helping the local Republican party. I just knew what I believed and decided I was going to stand for those beliefs.

I made the switch a friend said to me, "That's that Roman Republican brainwashing that you're getting". The other guy at the table stood up and forcefully said to me "YOU'RE A REPUBLICAN? HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO DIE BECAUSE YOU GOT KICKED BY A JACKASS ON THE SIDE OF YOUR HEAD??" I wasn't a Republican at the time, but I took his comments serious enough to switch party affiliation. I've been a Republican ever since and I'll be damned if I let anyone control my thinking.

What led to the Roman Republican comment and the quasi-threat was a conversation in which I questioned whether or not I could succeed. I believed that I could, that I could overcome any obstacles placed in front of me. I was told that people didn't want to give me a chance because I was poor, that I was status quo, that I didn't belong, that I simply just could not do it. I decided that I would try anyway. I was certain then, just as I know now, that I could live with failure, but I could not live without ever trying. I had to know just how far I could go.

So off I went and I worked my way up in the business world, working long hours which helped me get the job I am currently working at. It's not the greatest job in the world, but it definitely isn't the worse, though I admit, somedays I think otherwise. Someday I will talk more about what I currently do. It's not illegal btw.

One of those challenges that I had to overcome was being robbed. I was riding with my boss at the time when two men approached my car one on my side and the other on my boss's side. We were getting in the car at the time it happened and I tried to close my door quickly, but he was faster. I grabbed the guys gun, I wanted to take it from him, I wanted to shoot him. Before any of you give me a lecture on how stupid that was, let me tell you that you don't know how you are going to react in that situation until it happens to you. I didn't think he was trying to rob me, I thought he was trying to kill me, I was trying to save my life, too bad I didn't end his in the process.

He pulled the gun away, then stuck the gun back in my face and said "Give me your money". I thought to myself Oh, he's going to rob me, then he's going to shoot me. So I grabbed the gun and began to push the barrel towards him. Again the gun was pointing at me. "I ain't playing with you."

At that point I noticed my boss with his hands up in the air. I reached in my pocket and pulled out the money. Knowing I had no other options calmed down just enough to submit. After they got the money they took off and I started the car. As I started to drive off I grabbed my cell phone and called the police.

When the police came, they began to ask all the questions that police people ask, most of which seemed like senseless questions. Normally I don't cuss, it makes people sound, well, stupid. But this was a special occassion so I was cussing quite a bit.

In her attempt to calm me down the officer said to me "You have to understand, they have to make a living out here." That comment ignited me. My response was "Let me f***ing tell you something, I f***ing starved, I never f***ing robbed anybody!" I'm almost one year removed from that night.

Needless to say, the thought crossed my mind to quit my job. I didn't have anything else lined up, much less a good paying job like I currently have, so I didn't quit immediately. It gave me time to reflect on what had happened. I thought long and hard about it, my past, my present, and my future.

I thought about what would happen if I quit my job, but then I realized that I couldn't quit. Quitting only gives these punks a permission slip to go out and rob somebody else. It only encourages them because they can scare people enough to chase them out of their neighborhood. I figured my best option was to stick around. Why should I quit? I didn't do anything wrong, it was them. It was these punks who ought to be afraid. It should be them that ought to go in hiding, not me. I ought not back down to these punks. What choice did I have, either they can hide everytime they saw me drive down their street, or I could teach them if they rob somebody, the person will get scared and they will never see them again.

It's sad enough that a handful of punks, members of the new KKK, hold hostage and in fear, 95% of the people who live in the ghetto. Why give them anymore power over people?

I am thankful that it happened to me, not because I enjoy getting robbed, but because the situation helped me to grow as a person. I had my courage tested, as well as my heart. I didn't give into hatred. I understood that the majority of blacks in America don't approve of such cowardly acts, and the many blacks I have talked to since then have reiterated it for me. The vast majority of people desire goodness and righteousness.

Most importantly, it helps put life into perspective. What really is important to me? What did I want to accomplish in life. Did I accomplish it? Why haven't I accomplished it yet? I also realized it's not the amount of time we have on earth, it's what we do with the time we are here. I know I'd rather be here for the betterment of the world. I also realized the only way to make the world a better place to live, is to become the best possible person that I can be.

I may not be able to change you, but I definitely can change me, unfortunately, most of us just give lip service to that. Many of us realize that we can change who we are to make the world a better place, then go thinking we are better people for it. We realize what we ought to do, then praise ourselves for thinking about doing something we could've done, but in the end, didn't do.

Another incident happened to me Wednesday night that could have had similiar results. Fortunately what could have happened, didn't happen, but it put the robbery incident back on my mind.

This is the first time that I have seen this quote, but I do believe it is a reliable quote. This is my sentiments best expressed. Although I believe in anarchism, I do believe, as Thomas Paine stated, that government is but a necessary evil.

It is often thought that self governing people can not live peacefully. How is it then, that men can govern others peacefully when given a greater power over others? Why can we trust ourselves with self governance but won't trust our fellow man to be self governing?

Why do we support freedom for ourselves, but not for others? Why do we esteem some Rights with the highest regard, but feel that so many others can be thrown away? Are we so superior to the founders of this country that we can recreate a country without the sacrifices they had?

I've thought about the abortion issue for the last couple of weeks, and have come to the conclusion that many people support abortion simply because the Supreme Court has ruled on Roe V. Wade. Others support it because the Democrat party has openly embraced it. Not that it doesn't happen on the right side of the aisle, I'm not saying that. What I am saying is that many people let life happen to them. They figure that because the law says it's okay, then it must be okay. They never really question the validity of laws. Others merely know what there party politics are and assume that the party is right, in this, they will disagree with laws as long as it appears their party disagrees with the law.

I am not talking just about abortion. I am sure that it happens on the right as well. How many Republicans support tax cuts without understanding that concept that tax cuts lead to higher tax revenues and a more stimulated economy? More so, how many Republicans would support Bush's education reform bill despite the fact that it was authored by Ted Kennedy? How many Democrats oppose it, despite the very same thing? So many people, it seems to me, think no matter what their leaders do, as long as they are on the same side, can do no wrong.

One commenter stated that I was "another right wing whackjob who cannot think or speak for themselves, still need to be told what to say, believe and think...so sad." If the poor gal had even taken the time to read my blog, I think she would have come to a much different conclusion. However, my impression is that she doesn't take them time to think about what different people have to say. All she knows is that Republicans = Bad, Democrats = Good. She never gives much thought to anything other than that rule.

I started smoking about three weeks ago, stress has a way of making a person start again. One of that I found was that since I restarted, I was going to sleep much earlier and just did not have as much energy as I did before. I didn't do anything else that would have made me tired besides start smoking, so I strongly suspect that it was the cigerettes. I did post about being tired and it was affecting my posts.

During my ChrIstmas vacation, I put the cigs away with little trouble and should be able to post regularly and with more energy.

Anyway, I went to Tennessee this past week, nice state. I was in Memphis on the 23rd, then drove through the icy streets into Nashville on Christmas eve. Ah, it's always a blessing when you are in a true red state.

I came across the unbearable stench of hypocrisy today. How is it that one can complain about "war crimes" even though, they just voted for a self admitted war criminal? As far as I am concerned, if you voted for John Kerry, then you don't have room to complain about war crimes.

I have come to the conclusion that the far leftist in this country aren't the least bit concerned about the innocent lives lost in Iraq, anymore than they are concerned about war crimes. Iraq is a low casualty war, yet people are complaining about Don Rumsfield. Rumsfield has produced results. A 10:1 Iraq-U.S. casualty is excellent.

We infringe on a individual choice when we tell people what drugs they can or can't take, when, where or who to buy from. Which reminds me, you know, if one was to convince me that marijuana should be legalized, then one ought to convince me that marijuana should be completely legal. This whole thing about medicinal purposes is a fraud. With all the drugs on the market, it's hard for me to imagine that one needs marijuana for medical reasons. I don't buy the argument. It leaves me feeling like somebody blew smoke in a place that I don't normally have smoke blown.

Same thing about secondhand smoke, how on earth is it possible that smoke well diluted with oxygen is more harmful than firsthand smoke? Think about it for a minute or two. You take in that smoke with that hot tar, cool it down in your lungs, absorbing a large percentage of the chemicals in your body, breathe out the rest, and that smoke is more harmful to the person five feet away. It just isn't believable. Believe it if you want, but the fact does remain, you are more likely to die from actually smoking than being around somebody who does.

Society is so willing to believe anything we are told without questioning it because it is convenient. We believe that we can never be in an anarchist state because we can not trust our fellow man, and somehow trust our fellow man with even more power in a form called government. I'm still at a loss figuring out what is so progressive about giving government more power when time after time it's been tried only have despots ruling and ending with revolutions. Are we so much better than the millions before us that we won't end up with same fate?

We assume that if two adults are consenting then we should not interfere. Why then is it illegal that two people have a fist fight, even though they both consent? We force motorcyclist to wear helmuts to protect them from theirselves? We want the government to take a bigger share from the rich, then get mad that our own taxes have gone up. We are so busy taking each others freedom away then wonder where our own freedom went. Our society doesn't love freedom enough to even bother to learn how to keep it.

We can not continue to pawn our responsibility to help our fellow man off onto the government, in the name of compassion, and still hope to be free. We can not expect the government to distrust the myriad because the actions because the too few who are so willing to abuse their Rights, and still expect to be free. If we want to continue to be free, we can not continue to kill morality. If we choose to kill God, we'll only replace him with an omnipotent government.

And lastly

Over the next couple of months I am going to be busy and at times will not be able to post consistently. If you enjoy this blog, you can be notified of new postings by scrolling down to the end of the left hand of the screen and entering your email address.

"I would rather be exposed to the inconveniencies attending too much liberty than those attending too small a degree of it."----Thomas Jefferson

"Men will ultimately be governed by God or by tyrants."----Benjamin Franklin

I have been unable to blog over the last few days as I have been incredibly busy with work and of course the Christian holiday called Christmas. It must be terrible for athiest and agnostics that our government not only has 'Merry Christmas' displayed, but it is forcing a religion that they do not believe in down their throats. I suppose I would be appalled if I didn't believe in God and saw a Christmas tree in the center of town. How inconvenient it must be that many workdays are interrupted by this Christmas holiday. All "Holydays" recognized by our governmnet ought to be canceled.

I am beginning to understand the athiest and agnostic point of view. Why should the DMV be closed because people are celebrating Christmas. How many times do atheist and agnostics get denied to renew their license on Christmas day? Let's just cancel the entire thing because people may get offended and as we all know there is a separation of church and state.

While we are at it, let's make sure that we not teach evolution in schools because that would be forcing a belief down peoples throats. And theft, how dare anybody force that moral value down the throats of many people. "Thou shalt not steal" thing in the bible shouldn't be influencing our laws. Why is it that those religious folks want a more moral society?

In truth, all laws force somebody's moral values off onto the public. All laws dictate a right from a wrong. All laws have good intentions behind them. All laws should be repealed because we wouldn't want a government forcing moral values onto the public.

I bring this up because I have had plenty of time to reflect on the answers given to my questions. I have been convinced that a woman should be allowed to have an abortion when her life is threatened, but by no means is this the majority of women who get abortions. Killing in order to survive can not be construed to be murder. However, I remember seeing the numbers on the percentage of women that get abortion due to rape, incest, or to save the mother's life about ten years ago. These three things accounted for 7% of all abortions. I strongly suspect that this number hasn't changed much.

But from the responses I got I ended up having more questions as to what personal freedom is. It's easy enough to say that your freedom ends where my nose begins, but if I stick my nose into your personal life, than am I giving you less freedom?

It's easy to say that abortion should be legal because women will have an abortion anyway, why not make it safe for them to have it. Using that rational, the only laws that should be on the books are ones that people haven't violated. People, afterall, are going to do what they want anyway, why not just legalize everything and end it?

Too say it's completely a woman's choice to do with her body what she wants, is to say that prostitution should be legal. It's a womans body and if she wants to sell it then why not? Who am I to judge, who am I too impose my moral values down her throat?

I suppose that is the same for drug addicts, I shouldn't interfere. After all, what one does with their body is a personal decision. And being a man, I shouldn't be telling a woman what to do with their body. I agree, so much so, that if I ever come across a suicidal teenager, I am simply going to tell them that 'It's their body, it's their choice.' Of course I think suicide is wrong, but who am I to force my moral values down the throats of another person? It's bad enough that atheist feel like moral values is being shoved upon them everytime they see a Christmas light.

Why should any of us stand up for what we believe is the right thing? Some people think it's fine to cheat on their wives, but I won't speak out, what goes on between consenting adults is none of my business. As a matter of fact, spouse abuse should be legal, after all, it's a private affair and if the woman stays with the man, then why should I do anything to interfere?

It's ridiculous to think that murder should be legal because people are going to murder anyway. It's absurd to think that we ought not try to help each other based on our values.

Somehow though, we have come under the belief that the term "separation of church and state" is found in the 'U.S. Constitution', the 'Bill of Rights', or in the 'Declaration of Independence'. I have read these three documents countless times, I have yet to encounter that phrase, will somebody tell me where to find it in these documents?

Updated--I rarely go back and correct something I wrote, but last night I was so tired that I wasn't thinking straight. I wanted to be a little more clear with my words.

Anyway, with all the Christmas blogs, I know everybody is anxious to see if I am going to put Christmas decorations on my blog with a little 'Carol of the Bells' playing in the background but I won't. I know you folks want to see another blog (mine) with the green christmas tree, red letters, and Scrooge McJeff ruining Christmas with politics. Well if you are liberal, I'll play the scrooge McJeff part.

Christmas? Bah! Humbug! How can we repeal that amendment that keeps President Bush from running for stealing a third term? Ohh, here's a thought to fill your stockings with Scrooge McJeff Christmas cheer, Pat Robertson for President? Alan Keyes? Oh I got one, Jesus Christ. Oh man, could you imaging Christ as President of the United States? Man, just think, he'd probably make it a law to go to church. I'm scrooge McJeff, and may you have a very conservative, Jesus honoring, and gun toting, Christmas.

I am not going to turn this into a "pro-life blog" but I have some questions that I would like pro-choicers give an answer to. This is my opportunity to better understand pro-choicers. I'm being open-minded here, so convince me that abortion should be legal by answering these questions. I will answer each comment and will continue to do so as long as it is a moving thread. But after this post I am going to move away from abortion, there are so many other things that I want to discuss and as for me, abortion is really a back burner issue. I think there are other issues that are more important than abortion.

1. What percentage of women actually die from child birth?

2. Should there be limits on how many abortions a woman should have?

3. Some studies suggest that abortions can cause breast cancer, should it be required that the doctor notify his patient of this potential health risk?

4. Should abortion be considered an inalienable Right?

5. Should a woman not be allowed to have an abortion if she has a history of mental instability? Or should she be forced to have an abortion based on mental health? Is this right so inalienable that it does not matter what her mental state is?

6. Since it is completely a "woman's choice" then shouldn't it also be true that she takes for responsibility for her decision? Since it is womans personal and private decision, they why should she recieve public funds for her private decision? Why is it my responsibility to take care of a child of a woman, that I never even met, when she could have just had an abortion if she couldn't take care of it?

7. Why shouldn't abortion be considered murder?

8. At what point (in the pregnancy) should a person not be allowed to have an abortion?

9. Were these questions too hard for you to answer?

Now, there are plenty of readers out there and many just simply read the blog. The better your answer the more you convince other readers that you are right and that I am wrong. So have at it, and do come back to see my response to your comments.

"Good intentions will always be pleaded for every assumption of authority. It is hardly too strong to say that the Constitution was made to guard the people against the dangers of good intentions."--- Daniel Webster

Over the past fifteen years, I have taken the time to read and study the American Revolution and the Constitutional convention. I have memorized quotes, the Declaration of Independence and parts of the Constitution. I studied because I wanted to understand what was the original foundation of this country. Looking back on life, I don't really know why I did, but I don't regret doing so.

Since that time I have come to many conclusions, so many, I don't even know where to begin. The more I study the American Revolution, the more I question what freedom really is. Should murder be illegal? If so, then why do we allow abortion? Oh come on, you wouldn't walk up to a pregnant woman and ask her how her fetus is doing would you? Yet, we justify the ending of life by saying just that. We dehumanize a pregnancy by identifying whether it's a fetus or a baby simply because the woman decides to have an abortion or not.

And speekun of abortion, why is it a womans choice? Since it is completely a woman's choice then why should the father have to pay child support if the woman chooses to have the baby and he doesn't? After all, the father didn't have a say in it whatsoever. If it's going to be completely a woman's choice, then why doesn't she take full responsibility for the child?

Or is it only a woman's choice until she decides to have the baby and then the responsibity falls on the father, or the taxpayers for that matter? If it is completely a woman's choice, then why should the public be forced to help pay for that child?

Oh come on, you pro-choicers are right, aren't you? Go then and insist to all pregnant women that it isn't a baby inside, that it is only a fetus. Be consistent, ask pregnant women how their fetus is doing.

What I really don't understand is how somebody can find abortion so grotesque, insist that abortion is wrong, would never have one, and then write it off as a woman's choice. I don't understand that. I think robbery is wrong, I don't write it off as a robbers choice.

Despite what I just said, I am not totally against abortion. I just don't understand why it should be legal while humanized killing should be illegal. What difference does it make to let a woman have an abortion after three months, six months, or after the child is born? At what point should it become illegal that a woman decides not to have the baby? Why don't you tell me 'at what point does the "fetus" become life?'. What differences does it make to kill the baby 3 months before it's due or three months after it is born? What about 1 day?

On the otherhand I have become a bit of an anarchist. Another anarchist has summed up my views pretty well,"Society in every state, is but a blessing. Government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil; in its worst state, an intolerable one."--- Thomas Paine. I am not totally against government, I understand that government is necessary but I also consider it an evil.

We need a government that does protect it's people. Society can exist without government. Mankind has survived without government before. Government did not invent mankind, mankind came up with governmnet. With that said, without a government, a foriegn aggressor could, and probably would invade our borders. I understand the role government has. I also understand that government is a beast that feeds on liberties under the guise of compassion and goodness. When government becomes too big, nobody will be able to stop it peacefully. It's best to keep that beast underfed.

With that view, it's clear that I am an extreme right wing conservative that wants government peeping into everybody's bedroom.

What I don't understand is why government can't tell a woman what to do with her body, but can tell both women and men, that they shouldn't smoke. I understand why government has made it illegal to drink and drive, I don't understand why pot is illegal. Why is it our government's duty to tell people what they can and can't do to their body? Why is it so important that government tell radio stations what they can't say on air? Why is it government's responsibility to force people to pay for the poor? Why is it the government's responsibility to tell people what they have to do with the fruits of labor?

The more I think about it the more of an anarchist I become.