Politics....

Ok. Those of you that know me know I *hate* politics. I don't understand it, I don't like it, and I have mostly avoided it  through my career in Law Enforcement. I held that it really didn't matter who wore the badge reading SHERIFF, or CHIEF OF POLICE. You served whomever the Council or the public put in charge.
As a result, I resisted being told to put campaign signs out while on duty, using my patrol car. Or, plastering stickers all over every car I could find. I told the incumbent, in most cases, that I was grateful that they gave me work, but that I wanted to stay out of politics.
It didn't always work. The first full-time Law Enforcement job I held forced me out during an election season.
It's been love/hate since then. See, I live in East Tennessee, where at-will work and politics all converge to create a very dynamic and semi-hostile work environment. I envy other jurisdictions. I hear once you are hired there, you are in unless you screw up in a MAJOR way.
Back to the dirty dirty, we are taught here from a very small age not to 'rock the boat'. People that stand up for things are whack jobs, or hippies, or damn Commies. That, and politicking (it is SO a word down here) is the sport of Kings. Politicking is defined as I will vote for you because later you will help me with whatever I may get into.
So, imagine my revulsion in 2002 when I decided to help a person run for Sheriff of Knox County, Tennessee.
I wanted to see 1) if it was as bad as I expected, 2) what really was involved, and 3) hell, who knows, he MIGHT win. Well, he didn't, but I learned a great deal. How did I make the jump, you may ask? Well, it dawned on me one day, that I spent my life protecting others. And, I had overlooked a whole category of people - cops.
This is 2005, going into 2006. This year is the sorriest one to be a Police Officer in the state of Tennessee that I can remember. Left and right, corruption and politicking have caused : the head of the THP to resign, the State Safety Commissioner to resign, and resignations of at least three local chiefs and sheriffs, not to mention the indictments of several area officers. It's pitiful, and I feel for the troops that have to carry on with all this bullcrap going on around them.
 I always strived as a Supervisor to shield my people from bullcrap. But, I learned the hard way that you cannot change things from the bottom.
In 2002, I sent up a test balloon.
In 2006, the gloves come off.
This May, I will have done all I know to do to get a decent man into the office of Sheriff in Knox County, Tennessee. I also will be very, very vocal about candidates for regional Sheriff's races, as well. I will NOT compromise my beliefs. I will NOT belong to, nor support, any candidate that accepts major help from a dirtbag. I will NOT pull any punches. I expect to get drug through the mud, and be personally attacked for my actions.
My primary focus from 1 JAN to May is going to be the Sheriffs' race. I have no clue how I will support myself, or what will happen. Your prayers and thoughts are welcomed....
 
STAY TUNED, THE WHIRLWIND IS COMING

blogging

I’m sitting here with my buddy, Bobby Jones, the world-famous Accident Reconstructionist. He can take a piece of plastic on the side of the road, sniff it, and determine within a tenth of a MPH the Delta Vee, direction, and what brand of gas the vehicle was using.

He is staring over my shoulder right now, and thinks that blogging might be difficult. Hell, if *I* can do it, ANYONE CAN.

-Shawn

Just on Conan....

Just on Conan,I usually don't watch O'Brien because I think he is an Assclown, Mark 1 Model 0.But, I like Jim Carey, so I watched.He *just* hemmed Conan up on the Christmas argument.O'Brien tried to wish him a Happy Holidays, and Carey went off on an it's Christmas, we should SAY Christmas rant.Conan looked bent. He even said he wasn't allowed to say it, but you could see he was BS'ing.Pretty cool!-Shawn

Random Thoughts

At the risk of alienating the remaining two people that reads this, am I the only one that thinks Conan O’Brien sucks?

I really started not liking him when he broke one off in Jay Leno threatening to leave the network if he didn’t get the Tonight Show.

But, him poking fun at Jesus is too much for me.

That, and his antics just don’t resonate me. He will be the death of the Tonight Show.

I am glad to see that others are mad about the deChristing of Christmas, too.

Howard is gone from non-pay radio. Someone made an astute observation; if you believe in aliens, now that he is on satellite, the first thing they may hear is him. Whew.

This Christmas is proving to be very, very stressful for me. I angled this year to have extra money at the end, and deciding who and who not to buy for is wearing me out. Do I buy just for my brothers, and not their wives/girlfriends? Or, their kids? Or just their kids and not them?  Buy a few people large gifts, or a lot of people small ones? I HATE disappointing people, something I do more than I like, and I smell impending doom.

Yankees Welcome!

Yankees Welcome!


It never ceases to amaze me that in our America, the ease with which you can pick out regional differences.

Here in the South, many from the North stick out. I like watching them at City Council meetings. When I travel above Tennessee, I never have any inclination to stay, much less, change things. Nothing wrong with Up There, I just like Here better.

But, I see a LOT of people from Up There retiring and coming down here to stay. I see a lot of illegal aliens, too, but at least the aliens don’t get confrontational as often.

The problem with both groups is that they like it here, but they want to change it to some sort of …..

I am sitting here watching the Jay Leno Show, and for the first time I can recall, they actually cut part of the interview. Some girl comic was about to tell a Paris Hilton story. She no more than got that out of her mouth, then there was a rough jump cut, and Leno saying, GOOD NIGHT! Wow.

Now, back to my mini-rant.

Northerners are not content to simply move here and assimilate. No, they want to save us from ourselves. Northern influence is why we, after what, a thousand years, are starting to see a glut of the word Town and Center spelled Towne and Centre. Look at Turkey Creek. It was a good idea, but, now, I am about afraid to drive in there.

So, I came up with an idea. Here is  how Yankees can come here, and be perfectly content, without pestering the rest of us:

There is still a lot of pastureland that nobody is really using. We pave a road back there, and direct all the snowbirds that way. They can even call it a borough or a township, or whatever they call their cities. Then, they can argue about the price of something loudly, or snort their noses at redneck stupidity all day long.  Back in their holler…..er…..burgh.

We won’t lose any of their fat retirement money, either. When Squidward moved to the managed community away from Spongebob, he eventually got bored of being surrounded by himself, and eventually came out and chased people with a leaf blower.

So will these people. They’ll want to, but won’t be able to live in their enclave, what with Turkey Creek and Gatlinburg there.

Oh, wait.

They already did this. Its’ called Tellico Village….. lol

PS – If you can’t see that this is a silly thing I banged out to test a feed I just joined, you need to find something else to do besides read my silly shit.

Here are some key words to fake out search engines: WMD, Iraq, Bush, liberal, taxes, TennCare, gays, Christmas, uh, what else, South Park, Bombings, whatever……

Where is Christ Going?

Where is Christ Going?


I just got off the phone with my Mom. Even at my ‘advanced’ age, I still like talking to her. She has a unique perspective on things.

She was very, very aggrieved at Wal-Mart and Target. It seems that they have decided to rewrite history, and sell holiday ornaments, instead of Christmas ones. They are instructing their employees not to utter, “Merry Christmas”,  but instead “Happy Holidays”.

I am watching “the Grinch”, where the Grinch himself is wearing a sweater loudly proclaiming “Merry Xmas”.  

Who is this X guy, and why is he stealing the attention from the Reason for the Season?

I don’t mean to trivialize this problem, and treat it lightly, but I am thinking it all started with the Fat Guy in Red.

Once the attention started shifting from the Baby in the manger that came to save us from eternal damnation, to seeing how far we can go in debt to prove how much we care, I think it’s been a slow slide to totally erasing the True Meaning of Christmas.

And, why do a minority get to trivialize MY holiday? If I started a parallel holiday to Independence Day, people would think I am nuts. But, Kwaanzaa is ok. I have to be sensitive to Muslim proclivities, but they don’t have to respect my Christmas.

In fact, there is a growing number of places that restrict the ability to even practice my holiday with something as simple as a pin, or a vocal “Merry Christmas”.

Which brings me back around to the beginning.


Why are people trying to make me feel bad about my choice of religion, and holiday? I could never get away with it towards somebody else. Understandable if I wanted to roast my neighbor, or deny medical insurance towards the needy, but my holiday coined the phrase Peace and Goodwill towards men.

I am saddened to see what is happening, and I am not sure how to right this wrong, or even if it is rightable. But, seeing there is a problem is at least a start.


-Shawn

A good view on Christmas

"I've never been a particularly religious person - although I do have my beliefs - so this is not a Bible-thumping rant; just a statement of reality.

I do not celebrate Christmas to "offend" anyone.

If they are offended, they are offended by Christ, not me.

I do not "require" others to celebrate Christmas. If it means nothing to you, then ignore it and celebrate (or not) whatever you wish.

I will not "refrain" from celebrating Christmas to avoid disagreement.

"Merry Christmas" is not an insult, it is a greeting of peace and good wishes. You need only accept it in the spirit it is given.

"Seasons Greetings" applies winter, spring, summer, and fall - those are the seasons."Happy Holidays" means nothing if YOUR holiday is not included.

"The public square" is for ALL of the public. I am a member of the public. I pay for the city hall, and the courthouse, and the halls of Congress. My beliefs and my traditions should not be excluded to appease a sour minority.

There are people in this country, unfortunately many of them, who want to erase Christmas. They want to remove every reference to it from view - and they have been at it for a long time. They claim to be doing it in the name of "religious diversity" or "separation of church and state",

but they are lying.

Those same people would walk PAST a display of any other faith to tear down a Nativity scene or a "Merry Christmas" banner. You see, it is NOT about "religion", it's about "culture" and it is the culture they want to destroy.

ALL of western culture (as we have known it) is rooted in Christianity and was seeded in Judaism. It is our Judeo/Christian heritage that anchors our belief in "the God-given rights of the individual" and that single belief is the foundation of the American culture. Destroy that belief and America, as we know it, ceases to exist.

Christmas is more than a celebration of religion, it is an expression of our common belief that GOD is King and no person (or government) can claim that crown. If you are offended by that, you'll just have to get over it.So I say to you, one and all, with true sincerity:

Bailey Martin – Instructor Tactical Response (AKA G-Raptor)"