More May random musings

  Random musings happen when I am in the mood to blog, but can't come up with anything. A random list is just a bunch of mostly unrelated subjects that have been floating around in my mind lately, but ususally aren't enough to do a whole blog post about.

  Welcome to Mark's May Musings Random list..... and there may be some repeats from the previous post, especially the first...... but I am really looking forward to it.....

Vacation

 In two weeks from yesterday (Saturday);  I,  my parents, my oldest sister and her husband, and my 3 nieces will be departing Ohio for a week in the Outer Banks. I am very much looking forward to it, and can't wait. We will be staying at the Misty Lady in Avon...... and it can't come soon enough.

Raise $$

  After 2 years and 11 months at the same job, I finally got a raise...48 cents. I work for a company that is outsourced by the hospital, and it was in the contract no raise for 3 years. May marks 3 years.


Beautiful males

   They say the male is often the most beautiful in animal species. i.e.: peacock, lion cardinal, etc.... does the need for women to wear make up to look better, and not men mean the same is true in humans? :)

Tattoos

 Nothing says trashy like a woman covered in tattoos. Men don't look any better, but it seems worse on a woman.

Blaming others on the road

  If motorcyclists and truck drivers spent as much time and effort at driving safely as they do ranting against car drivers, they'd be a lot better off.

Being a martyr 

  I am reading a book about persecuted and martyred Christians down through the ages. As I have read with some horror of how Christians were tortured and killed...often by the Catholic Church for daring to have a Bible in English or challenging the baptism doctrine.... I have found myself wondering how I'd stand up to it. Christianity is losing popularity in this country, and even other Christians are taking a stand against we who dare to take a stand on anything that the liberals/world/media, etc wants.

   I worry that we American Christians are so weak, shallow, and self -centered that most of us will not be able to stand true persecution.

Walking

 According to my fitbit bracelet data, I have walked 266 miles since I started using it on March 23. I average 4 miles a day on most days. I am still hanging around 26 pounds lost, and am hoping I get past this plateau I have hit.

Sundays

   I was raised that Sundays are different. It is a day to rest and relax, go to church, and worship God. I don't get why so many people don't appreciate that. A day God says NOT to work and to rest....who in their right mind wouldn't take advantage of that? :)

Birthday

   This week I will turn another year older. I can't believe I am as old as I am, and find myself wondering where the years have gone.

Politics

  This election cycle has shown that Republican voters are no different or better than Democratic voters. They are electing a man that should never have gotten one vote, and it is sad how many Christians not only have no problem with what kind of man and candidate Donald Trump is, but many defend his lack of character and his immoral actions. I am seriously considering un-registering as a Republican.......this party sickens me.

Clothing

  I never got rid of the clothes that I grew out of, and am getting into a lot of what hasn't fit me for a few years..... and I now have too many clothes to fit in my closet.....which is a good thing

May musings on life latey

Birthdays and such

  I can't believe that it is already May. I'll turn another year older in 24 days..47. I still feel like I haven't accomplished a hill of beans in my life, and wonder if life will be what I want it to be. Lately, I have felt overwhelmed by life in general and wish I could take time off from work and everything and just relax and forget about doctors, bills, and Donald Trump.

 In addition to my birthday being this month, my mom's is on Mother's Day and my middle niece, Allie's, is on the 27th..... she missed being born on my birthday by one day.

Vacation

  I do have something to look forward to: Vacation. It isn't coming soon enough, but I have started the official countdown on a calendar. We are down to 32 days til vacation. I'll be going to the Outer Banks for a week, and I seriously cannot wait. I have started my list of what I want to take and have set aside some books and DVDs to take along.

Work

  Work has been going well. I like what I am doing, but I weary of driving 45 minutes one way; and I wish I got paid more for what I do. I got recognized last week for doing a good job. I was given a card with a note and a gift card to the one coffee shop in the hospital..... it made me feel very good.

Weight

  I am officially down 25 pounds from when I hospitalized on March 3. I was up to 247, and am down to 222. My goal weight is 185 or 190, so I have 32 or 37 more to go. I am getting used to my new diet, though weekends are the toughest for me. I have a ton of clothes that I had grown out of and am slowly getting back into, so I won't need to go out and buy a new wardrobe..... I have had a whole wardrobe packed away and waiting for a time when I lost enough weight.

Day off

  Today was the second of my two days off. My middle niece didn't have school today and was hoping I'd take her out for lunch, so I picked her up and did some shopping and asked her where she wanted to eat. She picked Mexican, not a surprise. It makes this uncle feel good that my nieces and nephews want to be with me, and I was happy to buy her lunch.

Good deeds

  I took a lady in a wheelchair up to her husband's hospital room on Friday and then back outside to her car. As I put his bags in the car for her, she thanked me and said I did my good deed for the day. I jokingly asked if that meant I didn't have to do any more good deeds for that day.

 Then Saturday, I was shopping in Boardman. It was raining, and when I went to the Goodwill there that is in a plaza, I parked up by the row of stores. There was another store I wanted to go to that was quite a ways down but could be reached by walking under the same roof. As I was walking back to my car, I heard a lady's voice say "Sir, can you please help us?" There to my right was a car with a lady sitting behind the wheel. The lady who had called me was standing by the car door with several bags at her feet. I figured they were having car trouble, and I am the last guy you'd want to call if you're having car trouble, but I walked over to see what they needed.

 It turned out that the lady with the bags didn't even know the elderly woman in the car, but was trying to help her. The issue: the lady had gotten her hazard flashing lights on and couldn't figure out how to shut them off. I got in the passenger side and spied the button immediately between two vents on her dash. She said she had wondered what that button was for. I walked away happy it was something I could help her with and feeling good that I did it.

 And I was left thinking about how we all need to do more good deeds. We are all so busy that we don't always take the time to slow down and help someone in trouble.

Listening

  I ran across this statement recently and shared it on Facebook: "listening is a kindness that anybody can show." It is so easy to hear people without really listening, and even easier to try to fix people when we do listen.... sometimes we just need someone to listen to us and not offer solutions, not give advice, but just listen and let us get out what we need to tell someone without recriminations or advice.

Voting

 Something I have been wondering about lately: Do we bear any responsibility for the actions of a candidate we vote for?  For example: say we vote for candidate A who goes on to pass legislation forcing abortions on people who already have the allotted amount of children (it happens in China)......do that candidate's voters/supporters share any blame or responsibility for that law being passed and for the babies being murdered?

Makeup

  I really don't like makeup on women........I find myself wondering why women think they need it. If we men don't need makeup to make us look good, then why do women need it? There are many animals that God made the male more beautiful than the female.. is that the case with we humans too - that God made men more beautiful than women so women need help to look as good as we do? Just asking... and really, what is up with the raccoon look/eye shadow? And why do women want really red lips......we guys are happy with normal colored ones :)

Bathrooms

  If my nieces are ever in a public restroom and a man tries to go in..... I will stand in his way and tell him he is waiting until they come out. This stuff is insane and we do not have to go along with it. And yes, I am boycotting Target. And why is it OK for men to be in the women;s bathrooms, fitting rooms, and locker rooms; but not OK for sane people to have a problem with that?

Donald Trump

  It isn't over yet. Old adulterer/strip club owner Trump may not get the nomination..... we can only hope he doesn't. I am 100% convinced he cannot beat Hillary. I am still confused and amazed at the conservatives and Christians who are overlooking so much about him that they'd never accept in someone running on the Democratic ticket...... they are just like the Obama voters who plugged their ears and shut their eyes to all the bad about him and voted for him anyway.

Yard sale

  Our family is gearing up for a yard sale, if we can have a week-end without rain. Hopefully that happens soon, as I am tired of all of the yard sale stuff sitting in the way. If you live close, I'll be selling a lot of books, XL shirts, some XXL shirts, CDs, and some pants and jeans.... in addition to everything else we will have.

Singleness, and addicted to relationships

 Being single, especially being a single guy of my age, can be tough. I rarely do anything with someone outside of my family, and the majority of my conversing, etc happens in passing at church.....

 However, I have become more comfortable in my own skin. I know people who seem addicted to being in a relationship. They break up or divorce and immediately are on the hunt for another mate because they have to have someone.....it is like they are afraid to be by themselves without someone to love and be dependent on. Being single isn't that bad, and if you can't be comfortable just being you as an individual and not being a couple, there is something wrong.

Americanized Christianity

 I wonder how many of us are the kind of Christians we should be? This Americanized Christianity that so many of us possess seems so shallow, self-centered, and has no cross or denying ourselves of much of anything.

Tipping over the edge

 ** I think I blogged about this before, but it bears repeating.  

  This is a departure from my normal blogging topics, and is a topic that is a pet peeve of mine: tipping. Everyone thinks they deserve a tip nowadays. The days of just doing your job well and receiving pay and a thank-you are long gone.

   It used to be about the only people you tipped were waitresses, which makes sense. Most restaurants pay waitresses a very small wage, and they have to make up the rest in tips. Now you're expected to tip everyone from your barber to the person handing you your food at a fast food restaurant.

It is a big turn off for me to walk into a restaurant and see a tip jar on the counter. One of my sisters had an employee push the tip jar towards her as she paid... I would have pushed it back were it me. I am always tempted to write a tip on a piece of paper like "don't eat yellow snow" and put in, but never have.

   Could greed possibly be behind all of this expectation and want of tips? Shouldn't a paycheck, thanks, and the feeling of doing your job well be enough? Why should patrons of establishments have to supplement the workers' greed and sense of entitlement by giving them more money for doing what they should be doing anyway: providing good service and doing their job well?

And who decides who deserves a tip anyway?

You're expected to tip the barista for making your coffee, but not the mechanic for fixing your car.

You're expected to pay the barber, but not the cashier for ringing up and bagging your groceries.

You're expected to tip the fast food or pizza shop employees for making your food, but  not the mailman for bringing you your mail.

You're expected to tip the pizza delivery boy, but not the UPS or FedEx driver for delivering your package.

  Seriously, who decides these things? And what makes some of these people more deserving of a tip than others? Does anyone ever think about it or question it, or are we just guilted into doing it because it is expected and everyone else is doing it?

  I work in the Emergency Department of a hospital for half of my day. The other half is spent in the main lobby of the hospital. I help people into wheel chairs, help them sign in on the kiosks, look up patient rooms for them, give them directions to other part of the hospital, and various other duties. No one tips me, nor do I expect it. Well, I did have one lady insist on tipping me as I took her by wheelchair on the elevator.... but I like my job, I get paid for it, and I get a lot of thanks and recognition. But if all of these non-waitress workers deserve a tip for what they do, don't I? I do more for people than make their coffee or hand them their food across the counter. What makes them more deserving of a tip than me? And no.... I don't believe I deserve or need tips, I am just making a point.

  What makes the barber more deserving of a tip than the Walmart employee who changes your oil? What makes the pizza delivery guy more deserving of a tip than your mailman or UPS driver? What makes the pizza shop employees more deserving of a tip than the ticket sales person at the movie theater? What makes the hotel maid more deserving of a tip than the employee at the bank drive through?

  I don't like to tip. No, I am not selfish or greedy. I just believe that people shouldn't expect a tip for doing their job. And unless you can answer my questions above why some people deserve a tip while others in different jobs do not, don't judge me.

  I'm not even crazy about tipping waitresses. Since I have two sisters who have been waitresses, I know how important tips are to a waitress. They usually get half of or even less than half of minimum wage, so they have to make it up in tips. I also know a lot of waitresses are dishonest and don't report all of their tips, thus avoiding paying as many taxes on their tips. So maybe we need to cut tipping out even for waitresses and pay them what the other employees make. Just a thought. And I am actually a good tipper at restaurants if the waitress or waiter does their job well, and especially if they keep up with refills.

  There are people who think you should tip well no matter how the service is. I disagree. Case in point: I was at the Mexican restaurant I frequent a lot, and had a male waiter. After he brought my drink and meal, he sat over at the bar watching TV, I finished my drink and needed a refill, but he was over watching TV. I was almost done with my meal by the time he peeled himself away from the TV to check on me. I left him nothing. It was obvious that he wasn't too busy, but what he was watching was more important than doing his job, and a tip is basically a reward for a job or service well done.....so why should I reward him for ignoring me?

  Another time I was tempted to not leave a tip, but I did leave one: I was eating at am all you can eat buffet where you paid before you ate, and there was a receipt on your table saying what drinks you got. Our waitress came by, looked at the slip, took out her pen and circled something on the slip with a pen. I picked it up to see what she circled. She had circled "tips are appreciated".......uh, so are prompt refills!

  I will continue to tip waitresses for good service, but I refuse to tip people who are getting paid a full wage to do their job. I will not encourage greed or entitlement in people by tipping them for doing their job. I will thank them and tell them to have a nice day, and that is enough.

Random thoughts on red cups, abused women, and more

 

 This isn't one of my attempted well thought out blog posts, but are just some random thoughts from Facebook posts, news stories, conversations, etc. that have come to mind.

1) Red cups: the drummed up controversy over Starbucks and their red cups. I think much ado has been made about nothing, and Christians are making fools of  themselves who are outraged and boycotting. Want to boycott? How about boycotting them every day for their pro-gay stance and their anti-Christian stance. But red cups with no winter design..... really??

2) Hillary Clinton has made herself the champion of abused women and say that every abused woman deserves to be heard and believed.... unless of course Hillary's husband is the guilty party.

3) It is pathetic how the media is treating Ben Carson. We conservatives were called racist for bringing true concerns about Obama out and for not voting for him because of his policies, yet they are doing far worse to Carson, and it is OK since he is a conservative and must be destroyed at any cost. Evidently not all black lives matter after all.

4) Although I am not on the Starbucks red cup crazy train, I do feel any store that doesn't allow their employees to say "Merry Christmas" and avoids all uses of "Christmas" in their Christmas sales should be boycotted........ and no, not a big scene, but just don't shop there. Someone said today that the advertising doesn't bother them if Christmas is left out..... but it should bother us. It is all part of the "let's not offend atheists and Muslims, but we can offend Christians" movement.

5) I think it is sad that most couples jump in bed so fast before the relationship develops. As a Christian, I believe all should wait til marriage for that anyway, but people are missing out on the simple joys of hand holding, talking about hopes and dreams. Sex becomes the focus of the relationship..... at least for the guy.

6) I love Sundays. People who don't want to sit back and take it easy, avoid unnecessary work and activities are really missing out. Come on, a day God says not to work...... who wants to go against that?!

7) Why do people care so much about the relationships of celebrities? I don't care who Blake Shelton is with now and weary of seeing it on my Facebook feed.

8) Benjy, my 11 year old "middle" nephew recently made my day. I was playing Mario Karts with them on my Wii U and he told me I was "the best uncle in the world." I thanked him, and he said "no other uncle would buy a Wii for his nieces and nephews to play." I told him I am sure there are others who have, and he said there aren't many. He's my new favorite.......

9) I have felt this tremendous sense lately that I am not living up to my full potential in life. That there is more for me than what I am doing. I feel trapped, and like I am just spinning my wheels and not going anywhere. How to get to where I need to be and doing what I should be doing, I have no idea...... other than to keep praying.

10) Lately I have been thinking about the people in my life outside of my family. The people I work with, the people I attend church with, the people who work at stores I frequent often enough that they know me by name....... OK - bookstores, that is where the employees know me by name.... :) - anyway, I have been thinking: If I had been born in some other state far away and never moved to Ohio, I wouldn't know any of them. The circles of acquaintance and friendship would consist of totally different people than they consist of now. Maybe God places the people in our lives, and it isn't just happenstance.

11) The attempted sex change by Bruce Jenner should never have been the news story it has been and still is...... and the conservative media is as much to blame as the liberal for posting so many news stories about this misguided and confused guy who does not deserve celebrity status, but pity.

12) I am not sure I like Devotionals or any other kind of book that is written from the viewpoint of God and has what He is supposedly saying. i.e. Jesus Calling. If you want to read what Jesus really said, read the Bible.

13) Some people only comment on my Facebook posts when they disagree with me.

14) In hindsight, maybe it was rude of me to laugh when the nurse suggested this morning that I sign up for Obamacare..........

15) I think our Americanized Christianity is far from the Christianity Jesus wants for us.

16) Isn't it kind of weird - and vain -  for guys to post shirtless pictures of themselves on social media?

17) There was a post on Facebook jokingly asking what Scripture verse someone could post with their newest selfie. "Vanity, all is vanity" is the one that came to my mind,

18) Relevant magazine posted an article about a man who is a Christian and produces horror movies. Has our Americanized Christianity become so weak and accepting of anything Hollywood throws at us that we not only have no problem with Christians watching horror movies, but also with Christians producing horror movies?

19) There is true racism in our country. I am not denying that, but there is so much false accusations of racism that it is like the boy who cried wolf. When real racism happens, the average American is just going to assume it is another attempt to find it where it doesn't exist.

20) I really need to find a job where I don't have to work major holidays. This year will be the second year in a row that I work both Christmas and Thanksgiving...... and I am very down and depressed about it already.

21) It shouldn't amaze me, but it it does amaze me that anyone with a shred of intelligence can think Hillary Clinton would make a good president, and it also amazes me that so many Americans have no problem with her lying, which has been proven, and the web of corruption that surrounds her.

22) If people didn't date around so much before marriage, maybe more marriages would stay together. If you're used to jumping ship in dating relationships every time things get stale or tough, what makes you think marriage would be any different?

23) Christians should not support or vote for any candidate who supports  the "right" to kill babies, much less have that as part of their very political platform.

24) Many people claim God is neither Democrat or Republican. That is probably true, but I do know He is 100% pro-life, which most Democrats are not.

25) Some day we are all going to stand before God, We won't wish that we had watched more movies, watched more football games, or other things we do to waste time. We will wish we had done more for God.

Random musings

1) There should be a law against making flog lights on cars so bright that they equal or surpass high beams

2) If Kim Davis belonged in jail for not upholding something that wasn't a law, doesn't Obama belong in jail for refusing to uphold immigration laws and the Defense of Marriage Act? After all, he vowed to uphold the laws and Constitution when he was sworn in.

3) And do the same people who say Kim Davis should just have resigned say Obama should resign if he doesn't want to enforce things that actually are laws?

4) After all of his pro-Muslim statements and actions and his anti-Christian statements and actions, how can anyone doubt Barack Obama is indeed a Muslim....especially after this horrible Iran deal?

5) Why do so many laws for car automobile drivers not apply to motorcyclists? And why is it our responsibility to watch out for them when they are the ones driving an unsafe vehicle? Shouldn't they bear most of the responsibility and drive safer?

6) Why do truckers insist on passing a vehicle that it takes them forever to get around, meanwhile they have several cars behind them waiting for them to get out of the way.

7) Isn't liberal logic an oxymoron?

8) How can anyone support Hillary Clinton after all of the scandals she has had and the obvious  corruptness that oozes out of her very pores?

9) Donald Trump is a bully, a jerk, egotistical, and has some of the same traits I dislike in Obama.......why would I want to vote for him?

10) Why do women need make up, redder lips, raccoon eyes, etc. to make them supposedly look better.... and men need nothing to make us look better.....though some men seem to be so ugly they cover their face up with a beard......

11) I'd like Fall a lot better if it wasn't for the fact it is followed by winter.

12) All lives matter. Why is that statement offensive?

13) I sincerely believe Obama as the first black president could have made this country better, united it, helped any racist divides that exist, and gone down as one of the greatest presidents ever..... but instead he has divided this country, focused on his agenda, helped stir up hatred towards police and white people, and sunk this country further in debt.

14) I wonder if the same churches that boycotted theaters for showing Brokeback Mountain also boycotted the ones showing 50 Shades of Grey.

15) It may sound crazy, but I believe Obama is a Muslim plant, and his actions and words over his presidency give that idea merit.

16) I feel Christians have for too long and too easily surrendered our religious freedoms to judges, the government, and atheists and we should have stood up against them.

17)It is beyond bizarre and idiotic that believing in the "right" to kill a baby in the womb is the litmus test for true femininity and women's rights in this country, and that liberal women won't even listen to a woman who is not for butchering babies in the womb.

18) I would rather go my whole life living as if there was a God and be wrong, than to live my life as if there was no God and be wrong.

19) If a Muslim wanted to infiltrate the country by becoming president and try to weaken America, help out our enemies, offend our allies, destroy our economy and freedoms, and make us more vulnerable to attacks by cutting our military, cutting our defense budget..... is there anything different such a person would do than Obama has done?

20) It is sad that people will believe in big foot, aliens, and believe that our country made a deal with aliens to get technology, yet not believe the Bible and that that they need to serve God.

21) To combat this insane wave of letting whichever gender people want to be using whichever bathroom they want to use, schools and businessmen need to put in several one person bathrooms.

22) If Hillary Clinton was a Republican, she'd have been in jail long ago.

23)  Most of the people who go to the emergency department are not there for an emergency.

24) I think they should drug test everyone who voices support for the legalization of marijuana.

25) The black lives matter movement was started as a result of a few black criminals getting killed while resisting arrest. Not a worthy cause, to say the least, and they have turned into just another hate group.

26) Barack Obama has blood on his hands of any policeman murdered after his anti-cop rants.

27) I firmly believe organic food isn't any better for you and is just a way to charge more money for items people will buy because of the organic label.

28) I feel like I go to church and plug in on Sundays, then go back to my world apart from the church during the week.

29) The same people freaking out because a Muslim kid got arrested for what looked like a bomb, has no problem with white American kids getting expelled for drawing a picture of a gun, chewing a pop tart in the shape of a gun, wearing an NRA shirt, or wearing a confederate flag shirt.

30) It is ironic that Hillary is suddenly on the offensive for battered and abused women when she helped cover up the sexual abuse of several women by her own husband.

31) If God was incensed at the Israelite for their child sacrifice, how must He feel about America's child sacrifice in the name of women's "rights"?

32) America is afraid of offending everyone but Christians, God, and straight white men.

33) The question was raised by someone if Christians should be the morality police for America. If we are not, the Muslims are going to dictate what is right and wrong for our country, and we will soon turn into the Muslim country Obama said we are.

34) If Donald Trump loves the Bible so much, why couldn't he name his favorite verse?

35) All politicians are Bible-believing and Bible-loving people of God and of the Word at campaign time.

36) Why don't more Christians listen to more Christian music than secular?

37) The pluses of my Malibu I got in February over my Sunfire I had: power windows, power locks, a key fob, lights that go on and off automatically, 2 power outlets that work instead of one that didn't, trunk release button, and power mirrors.

38) I am thankful for the close relationship I have with my nieces and nephews since I never had kids of my own.

39) It is even more cruel to pay a gay person on the back and tell them they are OK and can go to Heaven living the gay lifestyle, as it is to demean them..... not that either is acceptable.

40) Facebook has its issues, but I am thankful for it. I have made friends, found some community, and have been encouraged and helped by things people post.

41) Too many Christians - myself included - don't know the reality of truly denying ourselves and carrying a cross. We look at denial as a dirty word.

42) My prayer lately has been that God would help me be more thankful for salvation, grace, and what He has done in my life.

43) The same modern day Christians standing against Kim Davis would also most likely have joined in the stoning of Stephen.

44) They should drug test every person pushing for marijuana to be legalized.

45) Just because people are already doing something is not a good reason to legalize it.

46) To me as a Protestant, the pope is just another guy, and one that dressed funny at that.

47) I believe it is better to have at least a few different Bible versions to read from, instead of sticking with just one.

48) It is not judging to say something is wrong and sinful that the Bible says is sinful.

49) I sing in the car..... even when I am not playing music.

50) Am I the only one who thinks it a bit weird that heterosexual men will watch half naked men wrestling and boxing?

51) I really need to find a job where I don't have to wear ties.

Motorcycles and liberal ideology

 I love spring and summer, but not everything about it. One of those things I don't like is having the roads suddenly overrun with motorcycles and seeing the yellow bumper stickers and signs everywhere to "watch out for motorcycles." Those signs irritate me and reek of something liberals would do. Why do I compare motorcycles with liberal ideology? I am glad you asked.

  First, a few facts: Motorcycles are NOT a safe mode of transportation. You can argue that all you want, but they are not. You are in the open with nothing to protect you except a pair of sunglasses. No seat-belts or rules that apply to anyone driving a car or truck. The chances of severe injury or death are much greater on a motorcycle than in a vehicle, and made worse by the fact that so many people don't bother with a helmet. (Helmets give bikers a 37% better chance of surviving and accident than without, and 67% chances of surviving brain injuries but I guess many don't want that 37% and 67% chance).

  And yet these people who are driving unsafe vehicles drive recklessly, go faster than they should, cut people off, pull out in front of cars..... and they want US to watch out for THEM?! How about they take some responsibility for themselves? How about they drive more responsibility and be more careful around vehicles that are bigger than them? That is where the liberal ideology comes through: driving a less safe vehicle - and often not observing safety and laws - yet expecting everyone who IS driving safer vehicles to take responsibility for you and your unsafe vehicle and actions.

  If you pay attention to what the extreme liberals say, they basically want to do their thing and have others be responsible. They want healthcare, but want others to pay for it. They want free sex and want others to pay for their abortions. They want to do their thing and make you accept it, but if you do something they don't like they want you to stop it.

  Just like bikers. They want to ride an unsafe vehicle, dart in and out of traffic, pull out in front of people, and other things that are not safe... but they don't want to be responsible for all that. They want the car and truck drivers to be responsible for them, to watch out for them, to give them the right of way all of t he time.

  

  Two true stories that happened to me last summer:
1) I was on my way home from work and was coming into the town where I live. The speed limit was 35 and I was going that. Just as I approached an intersection, a guy on a motorcycle pulled out in front of me from the right and got in the lane of opposing traffic. It was close, but I hit my brakes... and then his buddy who was behind him also went. And I had to slam my brakes on and barely missed him.

2) Later last summer, I was again on my way home from work. I was in a 55 speed limit area, but was slowing down for a turn off around the bend and was going around 45. As I came around the bend, a motorcycle pulled out in front of me. As I hit my brakes, 2 others followed him, not bothering to stop at the stop sign, just intent on sticking with their friend.

If ONE vehicle pulls out in front of you, it is dangerous and can be a close call. If two pulls out in front of you, it is even worse. But try THREE..... I had to hit my brakes as hard as I could and went off the road to avoid hitting the third bike. And it was close. I was beside him when I went off the road, and was sure I was going to hit him. It scared the daylights out of me. Had I hit him, I am not sure who would have been at fault. He ran a stop sign, along with the guy in front of him.

  Which brings me to a great point: When there are more than one biker and they come to a stop sign, it is not unusual for everyone to just go and only the front biker actually come to a stop. The rest just run the stop sign and ignore traffic laws. Am I the only one who sees a problem with that? As much I dislike motorcycles, I get the idea that people like to ride them together, but is it worth the risk of being hit by a car to do so? Why not pull off the road and let the others catch up, instead of having bikers run the stop sign so they can all stay together?

  I had the 2 close calls I mentioned, but there have been other times when bikers ran a stop sign in front of me and it wasn't a close call, but it was still frustrating. Laws apply to bikers also. Well, some do. We have to wear seat belts in cars and have all kinds of safety rules for cars, and bikers don't have that... but stop signs, speed limits, red lights, and common courtesy still apply to bikers.

And I am not saying we shouldn't watch out for bikers. Good grief, we have to the way they act and drive.... but it is time bikers take some responsibility and watch out for cars, stop pulling out in front of vehicles and placing the burden of avoiding an accident on others for their dangerous actions. And stop posting signs to tell us to watch out for bikers. It should be a mutual thing. They need to watch out for us, respect the laws and rules of the road, and drive more responsibly. Don't be a liberal and expect others to take responsibility for your dangerous actions and driving. If you're going to drive an unsafe vehicle like a motorcycle, then drive cautiously. If you want we car drivers to give you space and watch out for you, then do the same with us. You do not have special rights, you cannot break traffic laws and expect everyone else to be responsible if you are not.

   I do realize not all bikers drive unsafely and take risks that they expect everyone else to take responsibility for. I see responsible bikers, though I still feel if you are truly concerned about safety you don't ride one, and I always give a mental thumbs up to bikers I see with helmets on their heads, Is it a guarantee that they don't die or suffer tremendous head trauma in an accident? No, but there chances are 37% better of dearg not happening with a helmet and 67% chances of brain injury not happening (I know, I said that already, but it bears repeating.) And if I insisted on riding a motorcycle, I'd want to improve my odds. And no, I don't hate bikers. I am just tired of being told I need to watch out for people who insist on driving an unsafe vehicle and driving it recklessly and unsafely. If the same rules were applied to bikes that were applied to cars, they wouldn't even be allowed to be on the road and licensed.

  Had I hit one of the bikers who recklessly pulled out in front of me, I'd have been devastated. Ticked off, but also devastated. I believe 100% it would have been their fault, but that wouldn't make me feel any better if they had been hit by me and died as a result of the accident. And that irritates me.

Some motorcycle fatalities statistics:

Motorcycles are less stable and less visible than cars and often have high performance capabilities. When motorcycles crash, their riders lack the protection of an enclosed vehicle, so they're more likely to be injured or killed. The federal government estimates that per mile traveled in 2012, the number of deaths on motorcycles was over 26 times the number in cars. 1

Because serious head injury is common among fatally injured motorcyclists, helmet use is important. Helmets are about 37 percent effective in preventing motorcycle deaths 2 and about 67 percent effective in preventing brain injuries. 3  Yet only 19 states and the District of Columbia mandate helmet use by all riders. 

All-terrain vehicles (ATVs) are not designed for on-highway use, but in recent years more than 300 riders died in crashes on public roads annually.  

The following facts are based on analysis of data from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS).

A postscript:

  After I had this blog post typed up and ready to post, a friend sent me this message on Facebook. We had not been discussing this issue at all, and he had no idea I was working on a blog post about bikers and liberals, so this was completely out of the blue to get this message from him:

This sounds like a liberal agenda: where the few that want to ride there unsafe motorcycles cry and complain about how those of us who are save drivers in our four wheel vehicles need to watch out for them and cater to them. I'm tired of it. if you want to ride your unsafe, unstable vehicle on the highways with the big boys, then man up and ride and don't complain.

  And a final note: If you are one of those who likes to go riding with your buddies and stay together in a group..... try riding in a car or van. It is really easy to stay together and be safer if you are all in the same vehicle........

To tip, or not to tip?

I listen some to Sean Hannity and usually agree with him, though I think he tends to be a bit too argumentative. He has been bringing out a lot of bad stuff about Hillary Clinton lately, and there is a lot to be brought out. However, last week he told a news story about her that I totally disagreed with and didn't think it merited making note of, or - horror of horrors, I am about to defend Hillary Clinton - or did I think she did wrong in the one thing he focused on.

  So what did she do? Well, it is actually what she DIDN'T do. She was in a Chipotle Restaurant and did not leave a tip. Now before you side with Sean against poor misunderstood Hillary, let me describe Chipotle in case you have never been in one. It is not a sit down restaurant. It is basically a burrito version of Subway. You step up and place your order - and I think pay for it. I was only there once. Then you go down the line telling what you want on it, with a few different people helping to assemble your burrito. You go and get your own drink, sit down, and eat your large and overstuffed burrito.

 So if you side with Sean, who says he tips when he goes there, who should you tip? Should you tip the person who takes your order? Or one of the 3 or 4 people assembling your burrito? Or just the one who hands you your burrito and cup? Is it fair to single out one of them, or should you tip all of them? If so, the already over-priced burrito suddenly becomes very, very expensive.

  I have a sister who is a waitress, and my other sister was a waitress for several years also. I know from them how important it is to tip waitresses. Most, possibly all waitresses. are paid a very small amount that is way below minimum wage. They make most of their money in tips. I tip pretty well. Yesterday, I was out to eat with a friend and left a $4 tip for an $18 bill. It would have been $5 if she had been more prompt about my drink refill.......

  If a waitress does a lousy job, I may leave very little, but that has rarely happened. I once forgot to leave a tip and I felt so bad, I stopped off the next day and left it for the waitress. (My sisters trained me well). And I believe Christians should tip and tip well, unless you have really bad service. And if you are a Christian, never, ever leave a religious tract unless you tip the waitress extra well, and were the model of Christian behavior.

  But never have I left a tip at a food establishment that did not have waitresses. Is that wrong of me? I don't believe it is. People at those establishments are getting paid a regular wage and do not have to make their money from tips. And who would you tip? Granted, some restaurants have a tip jar sitting out that I assume gets split between all of the workers.

  I will make a confession here. When I am at a non-waitress establishment and there is a tip jar sitting out, it irritates me. To me, it is begging. The people are getting paid. I am already paying more than enough for my food..... why would I want to put money into a jar to reward them for doing a job they are getting paid to do?

  Confession #2: When I see those jars, I want to badly to drop a note in saying something like "Here is your tip: don't walk under ladders", or "Your tip is: It is rude to beg money." I know, that is so uncharitable and un-Christian of me. But give me credit..... I have never done that. :)

  People tip their barber or hairdresser, cab drivers, and about anyone they run into. Well, except floral delivery guys. I helped a friend out on holidays and other days she needed help, and I think I got two tips out of many deliveries I got..... so why should a fast food employee get  a tip if floral delivery guys rarely get one?

  And shouldn't I get tips? I work half of my day at work in the Emergency Room waiting room, guiding people to the right rooms to visit relatives, taking patients back in wheel chairs, and helping people in other ways. The other half of my day is spent greeting people, pushing people in wheel chairs, and giving directions. If a fast food restaurant worker deserves a tip for what he does, why shouldn't I deserve a tip? (Well. other than the fact that I wouldn't be allowed to accept any)

  And why shouldn't the cashier at a store get a tip? If you insist, like Sean Hannity, that a fast food worker should get a tip for making your food or handing it to you, then where do you draw the line at people you don't tip? And is it fair to tip Chipotle or McDonald's workers and not tip the Walmart cashier? The last Walmart cashier that waited on me (yesterday) put my bags in my cart for me.... shouldn't she warrant a tip just as much as the Chipotle workers?

  This is my opinion, and I am allowed to have one: I feel all of this tip stuff comes from the sense of entitlement that so many have. Everyone feels they are owed. They deserve certain things. They deserve more. So the tip jar was born. And bleeding hearts are suckered into putting money in and helping spoiled young people get more money for doing a simple job a monkey can do. OK, maybe a monkey couldn't do it. I wasn't fast enough for fast food, although that bad experience was almost 30 years ago.......

 Now this is a free country, so if you want to tip the Chipoltle workers, the mechanic, the construction worker holding his stop sign, your mailman, the Walmart greeter and cashier, your dentist, doctor, nurse, optometrist..... and the list goes on.... feel free to tip whoever you want. Since this is still a (somewhat) free country, I will ignore the evil tip jar and enjoy my food that I am already paying too much for, and save my tips for the people who truly need tips: waitresses. And if the day comes that all restaurants add the tip on and take that freedom from me to tip what I want to tip..... well then I may protest. But until then, I shall tip my waitresses well when they do good service. Especially if they watch those drink refills.

 And Sean Hannity,,,,, leave Hillary alone with the lack of tip at Chipoltle. She has plenty of other scandals to cover, you don't need to make a big deal about a non-scandal.

Questions and thoughts on make-up from a man's perspective

This is one of those posts that could anger a large segment of women who run across this blog post, so if you are female and wear make-up, and can't handle some honest questions and thoughts about it, don't read any further. But if you can handle some questions and comments about it, and still like me, read on.

  I have had this on my mind for a long time, but a couple of comments from 2 female friends of mine who don't wear make-up helped prompt this blog post. One comment was made via Facebook chat from a single friend of mine about a blog post I did where I addressed make-up: Society bombards women as u know with the constant message that they are not attractive enough blah blah. It's very hard"

And today, another friend said this on Facebook : "Some one was at my house today and mentioned make up I told her I don't wear any. She actually seemed to feel bad for me that I didn't take time for me. I don't need that stuff to be happy"

  I am a man, so sure, I may not get it. Also, I was raised in a church where women didn't wear make-up, with the exception of that cover up stuff to cover a blemish once in a while, so these questions might not arise from a woman:

1) Why do women need make-up? Isn't the face God gave you good enough that you have to improve on His creation?

2) Why do women "need" make-up, but men don't? Yeah, I know some "men" wear it, but really and honestly - why do women need make-up to look better, but men don't? Did God make us look good enough that we don't need to put junk on our faces to look better? So you're a bit pale....... what about the guys who are a bit pale?  (And yes, that was a tad sarcastic, but also serious)

3) Jezebel was the only person in the Bible that reference is made to putting make-up on. Just saying.....

4) Is not the whole make-up industry, whether it be Mary Kay or Avon, built on tearing women down and making them feel inferior and plain unless they buy their products?

5) Why do women want other colors on their fingernails? It isn't natural.... and why red of all colors? Red fingernails seriously creep me out. No joke.

6) If a lot of women suddenly quit wearing make-up and went to their natural hair color, their family probably wouldn't recognize them.

7) Dear Mary Kay: Who really wants a pink car anyway?!

8) The one I really don't get is eye shadow. It makes women look like raccoons, and why does anyone want their eyelids a different color than the color of their skin? Why not put it on your ears and forehead too? 

9) Some women wear enough paint to paint a battleship, and enough powder to blow it up (quip I heard years ago)

10) Who needs redder lips? And it looks gross to see lipstick on coffee mugs.....I don't need redder lips, why does a woman? And not to speak of other colors....yuk!

11) There is only one kind of person who should wear make-up, and I have seen many women who looked a lot like them, though I am sure that was not their intention.........

12) Who told you that you weren't pretty enough without that gunk on your face, and why did you believe them?

13) And who told you that you look prettier with gunk on your face, and why did you believe them?

14) Yeah, we use deodorant to cover up, but body odor is different than a face. No one wants to be around you if you stink

15) Mascara.....makes your eyelashes look like spiders. Kind of creepy if you ask me. (And no, no one did)..... if God wanted your eyes to stand out, He'd have put them on the top of your head like on a fly

16) No amount of polish on your toes are going to make toes attractive. They are toes. Not your best feature

17) Fake eyebrows... can anyone say "ewww, gross!"

18) Do younger women really wear it to look older, and older women to look younger?

19) Really, who wants pink cheeks? Other than a pig. They look cute with pink cheeks.

   Seriously, I don't get why women need to feel they have to buy fingernail polish, foundation (whatever that is), blush, lip stick, eye liner, mascara - or are those the same thing? - eye shadow, and the list goes on. Products that basically turn a real woman into a fake woman: fake fingernail color, fake eyelid color, fake lip color, fake eyebrows...... do women really need all that? Didn't God do a good enough job on your face?

  It is sad that there is such a huge industry based on a lie, and on using women's self esteem and self image to sell them products that they don't need, and that most of the time really don't make them prettier than they already do.

  Yeah, I know. I am a man. What do I know. Now excuse me while I go make some improvements to the mug God gave me. After all, why should women be the only ones to do it......