Solo!

After 17 weeks of training, I am now officially a solo officer.

The training went very well and, to my knowledge, I didn't make any horrible mistakes that would draw the attention of administration (haha). My field training officers were extremely knowledgeable and I give them all the credit in the world for helping me rise to the level I'm at now. I also extend credit to all the other officers who were helpful when I had questions which needed to be answered.

I just completed my second week of solo patrol. It's still an alien feeling to me to crawl into a patrol car by myself and hit the streets. I was so used to having someone in the passenger seat watching my every move.

My second night out on my own, I went "hands-on" with two individuals, and I actually wrestled with one of them. That in itself is odd because I merely handcuffed compliant subjects while I was in field training and never had any problems. My fellow officers and I were able to control these two people without any issues, but it was still interesting how it all happened so quickly as soon as I was solo.

We just finished digging out from a moderate blizzard that struck the plains states this past weekend. We probably only got 6 inches of snow, but as many people around the country don't realize, 6 inches of snow in South Dakota equals about 3 feet in other areas. Just six inches of snow causes 5-foot snow drifts to cover cars, roads, and any and all fire hydrants around town. We drive Dodge Chargers here which are rear-wheel drive, so you can imagine how that went. Luckily we have a few 4x4 patrol vehicles that we were able to use for responding to calls.

At any rate, things have been going great. I hope everyone out there is doing well and ready for Christmas! I will be going back to Pennsylvania for 2 days with my fiancee to visit family. It will be a quick trip, but worth it.

Until later, remember, you have 1* (one ass to risk)!

Explanation of Absence

To all my readers,

I'm truly sorry for being away for so long and not posting anything new.

The last few months have been so incredibly busy for me that I have barely had the time to check my email, let alone post new blogs!

I'll try to sum up in a nutshell just what I've been up to...

Since August 11th, when I was sworn in, I have undergone more training than I've ever experienced in my life. I went through 4 weeks of training before I was able to hit the streets and work. Since then, I've completed 9 weeks of field training with 4 weeks left to go in the program. It has been the most educational, stressful, and interesting time of my life. I've been exposed to nearly everything that I'll ever be exposed to in this career.

The training is going very well. I'm doing well and I count the days until the bulk of the training comes to an end. I'm somewhat nervous about working on my own, but I know that will pass.

Last week, we had our first blizzard here. I drove with lights and sirens to a few calls during the storm. Due to the road conditions, I could only drive the speed limit. Talk about a weird feeling. Usually, when I'm going to an emergency call of some kind that requires I use lights/sirens, I'm cruising at relatively high-speeds.... but I couldn't do that the other night. My training officer and I were looking at each other and laughing because it felt so odd to be driving at such a slow speed. All turned out well, by the way.

At any rate, I apologize to all my readers who have faithfully checked in to see what was new in my life. I will try to keep this updated. I hope you all understand just how busy this learning process has kept me and that has been the reason for my absence.

Check back again!

In-House Training

This week has been a long one, indeed.

First of all, I was sworn in on August 11th at about 0845. That was very quick, but certainly something to remember for the rest of my life.

I have been through all kinds of training and classes, the goal of which is to familiarize me with the way this police department "does things," for lack of better words.

Let's see.... So far I have spent a LOT of time reading my Field Training manual when my Sergeant gets called away, I have sat in training rooms listening to Policy and Procedure (and reading it). I have been tested on lifting fingerprints (latent fingerprints.... actually had to lift a bunch!). I had to go through 4 bags of someone's nasty garbage looking for drug paraphernalia when I spent several hours with a narcotics detective (no, this was not training..... t'was the real deal).

Spent 4 hours learning the basics of accident investigation. Most of the accidents I had to "reconstruct" were local, so I had access to all the photographs, diagrams, and other various items of evidence. Some were simply bad crashes and some were fatalities.

Spent 4 hours learning [in Laymen's term] symptoms of drug impairment. This was wild. It was all classroom work, but the guy who taught it was very knowledgeable and it kind of blew me away at all the material that actually sunk in to my already tired head.

Anyhow, that is about half of what I've done this week. So far, everyone has been pretty easy to work with and the officers and administration have done a good job in welcoming me.

MOVED!

I finally moved to the city where I'll be working..... successfully.

My step-brother and his "hired hand" came with a pickup and a nice 15-ft contractor trailer and we got all my belongings in just fine. We loaded everything in about 20 minutes and unloaded in about 25. It was a hot one out, but we got 'er done. It sprinkled on us a little, but not enough to get the stuff that was in the back of the pickup wet.

40 boxes, a bed, a few pieces of furniture, 4 diet cokes, and some goldfish crackers later (yes, I still eat Goldfish crackers from time to time...so what?), I sit in my new apartment. I've got the big stuff set up, but have yet to get all the little things in place. I also rented out a storage unit which has MORE than enough room to store some things in there that I don't want in my place at the moment.

Cable guy came to set up service this morning (only 4 hours late), so now I have TV and internet here.

Made a stop at the local Super Walmart and picked up some things that I felt I needed that were "custom" to this particular apartment (blackout shades, door mat, kitchen stand, etc).

I *think* I might be close to being back on a "day shift" sleep schedule for the first time in 5 years. Last night I went to bed at about 9:30 and was up at about 7:45. Feels great to sleep when it's dark outside!

Getting very anxious, nervous, excited, etc, etc... for my first day of work on Monday.

Back to unpacking. More later.

Hired!

As many of you who read my posts here know, I have been working tirelessly to get into shape and get hired on with a law enforcement agency here in the midwest.

On Wednesday (July 23), I received a call from the agency stating that I was officially a police officer with the city. The city HR guy said all my tests came back without any problems. I am to report to the Police Department at 0800 on August 11th in full uniform. We will then walk over to the courthouse and I will be sworn-in at 0900. That day I will start my FTO. Academy will follow shortly thereafter.

It has been about 1.5 years of going through hiring processes and trying to figure out what agency I wanted to work for. Once I found this particular agency, it took 7 months from the time of application to the day I got the call.

I am very happy and excited to finally start my career. I feel that for the past 2-3 years, I haven't been able to use my education much in my current position. I'm glad I'll now be able to utilize my degree and experience now with this career.

I plan on posting updates here on my experiences and training over the next 9 months. So, stay tuned and wish me luck!

Well, I did it!

On Monday, July 14th, I proposed to my girlfriend!

On the Friday before, I contacted both of her parents and asked them first... I'm kind of old-fashioned like that. They both gave me the thumbs-up, so I drove up into central Minnesota where she, her mom, and her mom's two friends were vacationing at a lake cabin.

I got down on my knee and popped the question on the little boat dock that was in front of their cabin. Quite honestly, I thought I would see a tear... but all I saw was the look on her face (which I will NEVER forget). The look was a mixture of being terrified and being in suspense all in one. That's okay, though... I know her well enough to know that wasn't a bad thing. :-)

At any rate, she said yes!

We will most-likely remain engaged for over a year. She still lives 450 miles away from me and we want to be at least living in the same zip-code before we actually get married.

Both her parents and my parents seem very happy about the engagement (a very good thing!).

Go ahead, gimme what ya got as far as giving me crap over it. It's been less than a week and I've heard every joke in the book about this whole thing. So, if you're creative enough, maybe you've got something to say that I HAVEN'T heard (but, I doubt it!).

Now, if I can just get used to telling people that I'm engaged..... :-)

Report on Glenn Beck's "Unelectable" Show!

So I went to Glenn's live satellite-fed show "Beck '08: Unelectable" last night at the movie theater here in Sioux Falls. It was fantastic and worth every cent of $20.

I showed up at 6:30 and was entertained by an assortment of political jokes and "caught on film" clips from Glenn's radio history. All of this was in place of where one would usually see advertisements and previews before a movie starts. The theater was packed! Nearly every seat was filled and I would venture to guess that there were probably 200 people in there. I was blown away by the fact that there were this many interested people who listen to his show, because to my knowledge, Glenn's show is broadcasted here... I may be wrong, however. I am an "Beck Insider," which gives me access to all kinds of nifty stuff on his website including all the recorded shows.

When it got to be 6:55, a countdown clock appeared that said "Countdown to Glenn Beck!" The crowd was in very high spirits. It gave me a sense of hope and happiness to know that I was sitting in the middle of so many like-minded individuals.... the notion that there were still some really good people out there.

Glenn entered the stage in a bright hunter-orange vest with an oversized American flag patch over his heart. He carried with him a bright green toy gun and started off his show with a joke about how politicians go hunting and try to make everyone think that that's who they really are. He then stripped off the vest and flannel shirt he had on saying "I don't need to wear all that gun and hunting stuff to show who I really am"..... only to reveal a gray vintage shirt he had on underneath with the letters NRA on it! The crowd went wild (both in Dallas, TX where he was doing the show AND here in Sioux Falls).

In attendence at the show in Dallas was Rick Perry, the Governor of Texas, and Marcus Lutrell, a Navy Seal with an awesome and inspiring story of valor and service to the members of his Seal Team and country.

Marcus Luttrell

The show went on and was filled with thought-provoking and funny routines. There was an intermission about half-way through and he came back with the best half of the show.

He came back on stage wearing a blue suit with a red tie and stood beind a podium. Behind him, for a backdrop, was a HUGE American flag. He opened up with.... "This is the speech that you would hear if I were running for President!"

The man has a way of speaking which inspires everyone. All throughout the show, I could hear whispers from the audience behind me saying things such as "This guy has it together," and "He should really run for President..... people would definitely vote for him."

The last 10 minutes of the show had everyone teared up. Glenn gets so emotional, just as many of us, when he talks about what this country stands for, what our Founding Fathers wanted for us, and what is going to happen to us if we continue to let Washington D.C. push us around and keep us separated into these little hyphenated groups. The last line and the way he said it is something I will never forget... and neither should any American...

"With a firm reliance on the protection of divine providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor."

He said to think on just how important that line was..... what "sacred honor" really meant, to unite as a country and ensure that we remain what we have been... and that is the greatest country on the planet.

Folks, I'm not a writer. It is impossible for me to put into words how incredibly awesome this show was last night. I am hoping that it comes out on DVD so that I can send copies to my family and friends. He would sell millions if he decided to sell them!

Tony Snow Dies at Age 53

This story made my heart fall out. A great man both spirtually and politically.

Tony sure did a good job at keeping all of this private between serving as the White House Press Secretary, giving interviews, and guest-hosting.

I don't think I can write a better tribute or "obituatry" than what I read over on Foxnews.com, so I will link you to the story as well as Brit Hume's tribute to Tony.

Rest in Peace, sir. Your suffering is over. God bless.

From FoxNews.com...

Click here to watch a video of Brit Hume's Tribute to Tony Snow

Tony Snow, the former White House press secretary and conservative pundit who bedeviled the press corps and charmed millions as a FOX News television and radio host, died Saturday after a long bout with cancer. He was 53.
A syndicated columnist, editor, TV anchor, radio show host and musician, Snow worked in nearly every medium in a career that spanned more than 30 years.

• Click here for photos.

"Laura and I are deeply saddened by the death of our dear friend Tony Snow," President Bush said in a written statement. "The Snow family has lost a beloved husband and father. And America has lost a devoted public servant and a man of character."

Snow died at 2 a.m. Saturday at Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, D.C.
Snow joined FOX in 1996 as the original anchor of "FOX News Sunday" and hosted "Weekend Live" and a radio program, "The Tony Snow Show," before departing in 2006.

"It's a tremendous loss for us who knew him, but it's also a loss for the country," Roger Ailes, chairman of FOX News, said Saturday morning about Snow, calling him a "renaissance man."

Continued...

On Sheep, Wolves, and Sheepdogs

This has a little length to it, but it is well-worth the read. I highly encourage you not only read it, but maybe even print it off or send it on to your loved ones. I hope everyone takes something from this.

On Sheep, Wolves, and Sheepdogs

-By Dave Grossman LTC (RET) Dave Grossman

Honor never grows old, and honor rejoices the heart of age. It does so because honor is, finally, about defending those noble and worthy things that deserve defending, even if it comes at a high cost. In our time, that may mean social disapproval, public scorn, hardship, persecution, or as always,even death itself. The question remains: What is worth defending? What is worth dying for? What is worth living for? - William J. Bennett - in a lecture to the United States Naval Academy November 24, 1997

One Vietnam veteran, an old retired colonel, once said this to me:
"Most of the people in our society are sheep. They are kind, gentle, productive creatures who can only hurt one another by accident." This is true. Remember, the murder rate is six per 100,000 per year, and the aggravated assault rate is four per 1,000 per year. What this means is that the vast majority of Americans are not inclined to hurt one another. Some estimates say that two million Americans are victims of violent crimes every year, a tragic, staggering number, perhaps an all-time record rate of violent crime. But there are almost 300 million Americans, which means that the odds of being a victim of violent crime is considerably less than one in a hundred on any given year. Furthermore, since many violent crimes are committed by repeat offenders, the actual number of violent citizens is considerably less than two million.

Thus there is a paradox, and we must grasp both ends of the situation: We may well be in the most violent times in history, but violence is still remarkably rare. This is because most citizens are kind, decent people who are not capable of hurting each other, except by accident or under extreme provocation. They are sheep.

I mean nothing negative by calling them sheep. To me it is like the pretty, blue robin's egg. Inside it is soft and gooey but someday it will grow into something wonderful. But the egg cannot survive without its hard blue shell. Police officers, soldiers, and other warriors are like that shell, and someday the civilization they protect will grow into something wonderful.? For now, though, they need warriors to protect them from the predators.

"Then there are the wolves," the old war veteran said, "and the wolves feed on the sheep without mercy." Do you believe there are wolves out there who will feed on the flock without mercy? You better believe it. There are evil men in this world and they are capable of evil deeds. The moment you forget that or pretend it is not so, you become a sheep. There is no safety in denial.

"Then there are sheepdogs," he went on, "and I'm a sheepdog. I live to protect the flock and confront the wolf."

If you have no capacity for violence then you are a healthy productive citizen, a sheep. If you have a capacity for violence and no empathy for your fellow citizens, then you have defined an aggressive sociopath, a wolf. But what if you have a capacity for violence, and a deep love for your fellow citizens? What do you have then? A sheepdog, a warrior, someone who is walking the hero's path. Someone who can walk into the heart of darkness, into the universal human phobia, and walk out unscathed

Let me expand on this old soldier's excellent model of the sheep, wolves, and sheepdogs. We know that the sheep live in denial, that is what makes them sheep. They do not want to believe that there is evil in the world. They can accept the fact that fires can happen, which is why they want fire extinguishers, fire sprinklers, fire alarms and fire exits throughout their kids' schools.
But many of them are outraged at the idea of putting an armed police officer in their kid's school. Our children are thousands of times more likely to be killed or seriously injured by school violence than fire, but the sheep's only response to the possibility of violence is denial. The idea of someone coming to kill or harm their child is just too hard, and so they chose the path of denial.

The sheep generally do not like the sheepdog. He looks a lot like the wolf. He has fangs and the capacity for violence. The difference, though, is that the sheepdog must not, can not and will not ever harm the sheep. Any sheep dog who intentionally harms the lowliest little lamb will be punished and removed. The world cannot work any other way, at least not in a representative democracy or a republic such as ours.

Still, the sheepdog disturbs the sheep. He is a constant reminder that there are wolves in the land. They would prefer that he didn't tell them where to go, or give them traffic tickets, or stand at the ready in our airports in camouflage fatigues holding an M-16. The sheep would much rather have the sheepdog cash in his fangs, spray paint himself white, and go, "Baa."
Until the wolf shows up. Then the entire flock tries desperately to hide behind one lonely sheepdog.

The students, the victims, at Columbine High School were big, tough high school students, and under ordinary circumstances they would not have had the time of day for a police officer. They were not bad kids; they just had nothing to say to a cop. When the school was under attack, however, and SWAT teams were clearing the rooms and hallways, the officers had to physically peel those clinging, sobbing kids off of them. This is how the little lambs feel about their sheepdog when the wolf is at the door.

Look at what happened after September 11, 2001 when the wolf pounded hard on the door. Remember how America, more than ever before, felt differently about their law enforcement officers and military personnel? Remember how many times you heard the word hero?
Understand that there is nothing morally superior about being a sheepdog; it is just what you choose to be. Also understand that a sheepdog is a funny critter: He is always sniffing around out on the perimeter, checking the breeze, barking at things that go bump in the night, and yearning for a righteous battle. That is, the young sheepdogs yearn for a righteous battle. The old sheepdogs are a little older and wiser, but they move to the sound of the guns when needed right along with the young ones.

Here is how the sheep and the sheepdog think differently. The sheep pretend the wolf will never come, but the sheepdog lives for that day. After the attacks on September 11, 2001, most of the sheep, that is, most citizens in America said, "Thank God I wasn't on one of those planes." The sheepdogs, the warriors, said, "Dear God, I wish I could have been on one of those planes. Maybe I could have made a difference." When you are truly transformed into a warrior and have truly invested yourself into warriorhood, you want to be there. You want to be able to make a difference.

There is nothing morally superior about the sheepdog, the warrior, but he does have one real advantage. Only one. And that is that he is able to survive and thrive in an environment that destroys 98 percent of the population. There was research conducted a few years ago with individuals convicted of violent crimes. These cons were in prison for serious, predatory crimes of violence: assaults, murders and killing law enforcement officers. The vast majority said that they specifically targeted victims by body language: slumped walk, passive behavior and lack of awareness. They chose their victims like big cats do in Africa, when they select one out of the herd that is least able to protect itself.

Some people may be destined to be sheep and others might be genetically primed to be wolves or sheepdogs. But I believe that most people can choose which one they want to be, and I'm proud to say that more and more Americans are choosing to become sheepdogs.
Seven months after the attack on September 11, 2001, Todd Beamer was honored in his hometown of Cranbury, New Jersey. Todd, as you recall, was the man on Flight 93 over Pennsylvania who called on his cell phone to alert an operator from United Airlines about the hijacking. When he learned of the other three passenger planes that had been used as weapons, Todd dropped his phone and uttered the words, "Let's roll," which authorities believe was a signal to the other passengers to confront the terrorist hijackers. In one hour, a transformation occurred among the passengers - athletes, business people and parents. -- from sheep to sheepdogs and together they fought the wolves, ultimately saving an unknown number of lives on the ground.

"There is no safety for honest men except by believing all possible evil of evil men." - Edmund Burke

Here is the point I like to emphasize, especially to the thousands of police officers and soldiers I speak to each year. In nature the sheep, real sheep, are born as sheep. Sheepdogs are born that way, and so are wolves. They didn't have a choice. But you are not a critter. As a human being, you can be whatever you want to be. It is a conscious, moral decision.

If you want to be a sheep, then you can be a sheep and that is okay, but you must understand the price you pay. When the wolf comes, you and your loved ones are going to die if there is not a sheepdog there to protect you. If you want to be a wolf, you can be one, but the sheepdogs are going to hunt you down and you will never have rest, safety, trust or love. But if you want to be a sheepdog and walk the warrior's path, then you must make a conscious and moral decision every day to dedicate, equip and prepare yourself to thrive in that toxic, corrosive moment when the wolf comes knocking at the door.

For example, many officers carry their weapons in church.? They are well concealed in ankle holsters, shoulder holsters or inside-the-belt holsters tucked into the small of their backs.? Anytime you go to some form of religious service, there is a very good chance that a police officer in your congregation is carrying. You will never know if there is such an individual in your place of worship, until the wolf appears to massacre you and your loved ones.

I was training a group of police officers in Texas, and during the break, one officer asked his friend if he carried his weapon in church. The other cop replied, "I will never be caught without my gun in church." I asked why he felt so strongly about this, and he told me about a cop he knew who was at a church massacre in Ft. Worth, Texas in 1999. In that incident, a mentally deranged individual came into the church and opened fire, gunning down fourteen people. He said that officer believed he could have saved every life that day if he had been carrying his gun. His own son was shot, and all he could do was throw himself on the boy's body and wait to die. That cop looked me in the eye and said, "Do you have any idea how hard it would be to live with yourself after that?"

Some individuals would be horrified if they knew this police officer was carrying a weapon in church. They might call him paranoid and would probably scorn him. Yet these same individuals would be enraged and would call for "heads to roll" if they found out that the airbags in their cars were defective, or that the fire extinguisher and fire sprinklers in their kids' school did not work. They can accept the fact that fires and traffic accidents can happen and that there must be safeguards against them.

Their only response to the wolf, though, is denial, and all too often their response to the sheepdog is scorn and disdain. But the sheepdog quietly asks himself, "Do you have and idea how hard it would be to live with yourself if your loved ones attacked and killed, and you had to stand there helplessly because you were unprepared for that day?"

It is denial that turns people into sheep. Sheep are psychologically destroyed by combat because their only defense is denial, which is counterproductive and destructive, resulting in fear, helplessness and horror when the wolf shows up.

Denial kills you twice. It kills you once, at your moment of truth when you are not physically prepared: you didn't bring your gun, you didn't train. Your only defense was wishful thinking. Hope is not a strategy. Denial kills you a second time because even if you do physically survive, you are psychologically shattered by your fear helplessness and horror at your moment of truth.
Gavin de Becker puts it like this in Fear Less, his superb post-9/11 book, which should be required reading for anyone trying to come to terms with our current world situation: "...denial can be seductive, but it has an insidious side effect. For all the peace of mind deniers think they get by saying it isn't so, the fall they take when faced with new violence is all the more unsettling."

Denial is a save-now-pay-later scheme, a contract written entirely in small print, for in the long run, the denying person knows the truth on some level.

And so the warrior must strive to confront denial in all aspects of his life, and prepare himself for the day when evil comes. If you are warrior who is legally authorized to carry a weapon and you step outside without that weapon, then you become a sheep, pretending that the bad man will not come today. No one can be "on" 24/7, for a lifetime. Everyone needs down time. But if you are authorized to carry a weapon, and you walk outside without it, just take a deep breath, and say this to yourself...

"Baa."

This business of being a sheep or a sheep dog is not a yes-no dichotomy. It is not an all-or-nothing, either-or choice. It is a matter of degrees, a continuum. On one end is an abject, head-in-the-sand-sheep and on the other end is the ultimate warrior. Few people exist completely on one end or the other. Most of us live somewhere in between. Since 9-11 almost everyone in America took a step up that continuum, away from denial. The sheep took a few steps toward accepting and appreciating their warriors, and the warriors started taking their job more seriously. The degree to which you move up that continuum, away from sheephood and denial, is the degree to which you and your loved ones will survive, physically and psychologically at your moment of truth.

Father Enlists After Son Killed in Action

If there was ever a story that would cause your tears to fall, your heart to swell, and your pride to pour, it would be the story of the journey of Francisco Martinez and the path which he has traveled in the recent years.

In 2005, while serving a tour in the violent city of Ramadi, Fransisco's son, Fransisco G Martinez, was killed in action by an enemy sniper. The loss of Fransisco's son was a feeling felt by so many parents his age while the battle rages on to protect liberty and promote democracy in Iraq.

After his son's death, Fransisco joined the Air Force Reserve after a 17-year break from his military service. In order to gain his wife's approval, Fransisco promised not to volunteer for any combat tours. Last month, Fransisco broke his promise to his wife. He stepped up and raised his hand... and in a few short days, he will be landing in Iraq.

"He was such a part of me," he said, "and a part of me died that day. But it is so important to keep him alive in some way. I can’t let such an important piece of me die."

If this isn't one of the most heroic stories you have heard lately, I don't know what could inspire you. I have come to realize that Fransisco very possibly may not be the only father to enlist after their son was killed in action. As in any military conflict, there are always many tales of heroism... and yes, I am with you in thinking that even though these acts happen daily, we simply do not hear enough of these stories told.

Please, I ask you to keep Mr. Martinez in your prayers. I could not imagine the pain from the loss he has sustained, but I can understand his devotion, his patriotism, and the pride he must be feeling.

As a personal note to Mr. Martinez, God bless you, sir. I pray that if you come across the sniper who took your son's life, that you send the heathen straight to where he belongs. Thank you for your service and for your son's service. Carry on.

Read the complete story here.

Texas Tea

I posted this explanation of how our oil prices work in a forum of mine to a misguided individual (who is but one among many) who just cannot seem to understand that the price per gallon that we're paying at the pumps is not the oil companies' fault.

This write-up has nothing to do with alternative forms of energy. I am 110% for alternative energy. However, I am NOT for choking ourselves out of the economic spectrum just to find it! I say DRILL for oil and provide incentives for those who can come up with an efficient and affordable means of energy in the meantime. It makes no sense to commit economic suicide while watching our competitors (China, India, and Russia....among many others) zoom straight past us at the speed of light.

People love to blame "big oil" and call this whole debacle we're in a "conspiracy." I have but one thing to say to those folks who refuse see the facts: Get educated.

Here is the explanation I offered. It is short and to the point. I didn't go into lots of numbers because it gets harder to understand when one does that. Hopefully my readers can take something from this (although, I'm almost positive that ALL my readers already know about the text to follow).


The "big oil" companies provide two things to you and I (the consumer):

---They provide a good (Oil)
---They provide a service (Means to find, extract, ship, refine, ship Oil...yes, shipped twice)

1) As oil is harder to come by today (legally, of course), it is harder to GET to the oil that we are allowed to go after. This means $$$
2) The oil companies must first find oil. $$$
3) Then, they must get to it. $$$
4) Then, they must extract it. $$$
5) Then, they must ship it to a refinery $$$
6) Then, they must pay to have it refined. $$$
7) Then, they have to ship it to you! $$$

This is all before it even gets into your gas tank!

As the demand goes up (countries such as China and India coming online) and crap starts happening in the region where most of the oil comes from (Iraq, Iran), the price goes up. It's now more valuable.
______

Now, consider the following...

Companies such as GM, Walmart, Home Depot, Coldstone Ice Cream, etc, etc.... have a profit margin in the 20-30% range! That's good business.

Exxon-Mobile / Shell? 7%. Yes. SEVEN. If you know anything about business, you would know that this is a bad profit margin. It's profit, yes, but it's not much. The dollar amount is huge.... but you must remember the list above and how much it costs to do all those things.

The oil companies take around 8 cents per gallon (profit). That is all they make. CONGRESS, on the other hand, takes 20 cents of each gallon. You tell me who's getting rich. That's not even to mention the outrageous and totally uncalled for taxes that many cities and states put on that fuel (on top of what is needed for highways, DOT costs, etc).

Last year, Exxon-Mobile posted the HIGHEST income tax EVER for a company.

Think about that for a while...

Consider the following chart...



Additional Company Information

Is this becoming any clearer? To blame "Big Oil" is ignorant, irresponsible, and quite frankly, makes one look like a complete idiot...

Oil companies are easy targets, though... so that's why so many people like to poke at them, blame them for everything, and come out with these funny little documentaries about "evil big oil!"

You demand a product (oil). As more demand that product (China, India), the price goes up. As more environmentalist whackjobs prevent drilling in areas where we know there is oil (Continental shelf / ANWR), the price goes up.


(PS, before you accuse me of being "in the pocket of big oil," know that I'm not.... I'm a no one.... but I would happily accept money from them if they felt so inclined as to offer it to me!)

On the Move!

-Clean stove........ check!
-Cancel cable service...... check!
-clean under bed...... eh, I'll get to that later


For the first time in 4 years, I am packing the belongings I own and, with a little luck in the coming weeks, will be moving north to start a new job (another topic that will be posted here once I know for sure).

I have moved four times in the last 7 years. Something which always amazes me is how much junk I collect from apartment to apartment. This time, I've done a little better. I threw out a bunch of stuff that I just couldn't see myself using in the near future. The problem is, I have so much that I think I might use, so I hold onto it!


Ever since I was a little kid, I absolutely hated giving up anything I owned. I had things that a normal person would not even be able to identify... yet, I always held onto everything. Now that I've grown up (a little), I have learned to part with items that I don't need. After moving so many times in the last decade, I have become educated in the field of moveology (yes, it's my word).

Now, come to find out, my girlfriend is the same kind of pack rat as I am! She simply refuses to part with things. Obviously, she understands that the more "stuff" a person has, the more they have to move every single time they relocate. I think she recently went through her clothes and thinned out her wardrobe somewhat. I believe she took one bag full of clothes to Goodwill. Good for her; It's a start!

Currently, I'm sitting in front of a wall lined with boxes and more odds and ends than I knew I even owned. Folks, imagine your typical living room in a medium-sized house. Now, divide that by two or even by three. That's the size of my whole apartment combined (living room, kitchen, bedroom, and bathroom). I have all this "stuff" in my "living room" with only a thin cow-path of a walk-way to get from my door to the kitchen and bedroom.

Ah, I love moving.

The most difficult part about this move is the fact that I won't know if I'm moving for sure for another two weeks. The problem comes in with the fact that my start date would be ONE week after I found out. So, I am putting a lot of faith and confidence that I will pass the remainder of my tests for this agency I'm hoping to work for. Those of you who are close friends and family know where I'm going and what I hope to be doing (career-wise). Those of you who don't know, stay tuned, for I will be writing up a nice post in regards to that very topic

Wish me luck with this! The nights have been very short. Eh, who am I kidding? There hasn't been a night for weeks! I've been up all night nearly every night, sleeping during the day for a few hours. I am very much looking forward to the stress being alleviated sometime in the near future!

Iconic Photographed Soldier dies at age 31

This is a sad story, folks.

Joseph Dwyer, who in 2003 (when photo was taken), had this photo snapped of him while carrying an Iraqi child to safety, died last month after abusing a computer cleaner aerosol.

This wasn't the first time Dwyer had run into issues in his life back in the states. He had battled depression, sleeplessness and other issues that military doctors simply passed off as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Joseph had demons that he just could not shake which all surrounded the time he spent in the initial invasion of Iraq. His unit was among the "tip of the tip of the spear" in the first days of the United States invasion into hostile areas of Iraq.

The war which made him a hero at the young age of 26 haunted him until the day he died.

Now begs the question; Is this a bigger problem than we've been led to believe? How many military men and women have taken part in events after their service which were self-destructive to their health and ultimately have led or will lead to their end?

I love this country, but whenever I see a story like this, I hang my head and send apologies and prayers to the person in question. Did this country, the country which these men and women put their lives on the line for, do everything it could for them when they returned home?

Obviously, there will always be the exceptions. There will always be those who "slip through the cracks." However, that cannot be used as an excuse for every one of these brave servicemen. According to Dr. Ira R Katz of WarComesHome.org, approximately 1,000 veterans attempt suicide each month. If this isn't a pandemic, I don't know what is.

So, the question I pose is; can anything be done? There has to be more we, as a country, can do to help these vets.

Into the Wild Blue Yonder

Another member of my family who I wanted to keep folks updated on is my cousin, Zach. Zach jumped on plane to the United States Air Force Academy nearly two weeks ago for what will be 4 years of tough academics, physical training, and Air Force Officer Training. If all goes well (and I'm sure it will), he will graduate a commissioned 2nd Lieutenant in 2012. We are all very happy for Zach and this outstanding accomplisment of his. I want to extend credit towards his parents as well, because they were part of driving force behind Zach's appointment into the Academy. Zach's parents live in North Carolina with his brothers, Nathan and Nolan.

Zach with his parents

Over the last two years, Zach has worked very hard to get into the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, CO. After many tests, trials, and more hard work than I ever knew about, he was offered an appointment into the Academy. This kid's smart, folks, and I have confidence that no matter what he decideds to do with his life (both during his service and after), he's going to do well for himself.

Zach's Mom and Dad (My Aunt and Uncle) were both members of the Air Force, so it was really neat to see him not only go for the USAF, but to have an opportunitiy to obtain one of the best educations in the country, if not the world...

Here are a few statistics from Zach's class (Class of 2012):

Class of 2012 Profile

-From among the 9,000 applications, 1,642were offered appointments;

-there were 1,369 acceptances

-at press time 1,357 had in-processed.
-Grade Point Average: 3.85
-Average Combined SAT math and verbal: 1,290
-Average ACT: 28-29

-There are 47 prior enlisted members arriving
-between regular Air Force and Reservists.
-Seventeen percent were either high school class president or vice president.

-Sixty-two percent were in the academic honor society.
-Ninety-five percent were athletic award winners.
-Thirty percent were in band/orchestra.
-Twenty-eight percent were Boy/Girl Scouts.
-Nine percent were Civil Air Patrol.
-Thirteen percent were JROTC.

-Two hundred ninety-five are women, 21 percent of the overall class.
-Two hundred eighty-seven are minorities, 20 percent of the overall class.
-Sixteen international cadets represent Belize, Brunei, Ecuador, El Salvador,
-Honduras, Korea, Lithuania, Madagascar,Peru, Poland, Senegal, Serbia, Singapore,
-Slovenia, Taiwan and Tunisia.

-The appointees’ introduction to cadet life started Thursday with a full day of inprocessing
which included medical processing, haircuts, clothing and equipment issue, and squadron and
dormitory room assignments. It also marked the start of 38 days of Basic Cadet Training
designed to prepare the basic cadet trainees for entry into the Cadet Wing.

-During the first 18 days, most of the basic training is conducted within the cadet area.

-On July 14, the trainees march to Jacks Valley to set up a tentcity and live there
for 12 days of field training. The trainees march back from Jacks Valley to the Cadet
Area on July 26, and finish Basic Cadet Training on Aug. 2.
-The fall academic semester begins Aug. 7.


The guy is going to be busier than he ever has been in his life (and he's ALWAYS been a busy, active student). Say a prayer for all our servicemen and women any time you can and keep them in your thoughts.

Zach, if you ever get a chance to read this, we're all thinking about you, buddy. We wish you the best of luck and want you to know that we all support you 110%! Go get 'em!

Que Air Force song......

United States Air Force Academy
Colorado Springs, CO

My Brother in Two back-to-back Issues of Leatherneck Magazine!

For the better part of the year, my "little" brother has been stationed in Algiers, Algeria. He tells me it's a lovely place. Okay, so that's a lie. He hates it there, but he's a Marine and he's doing a job that not many in the world would do or could do.

He is a Marine Security Guard, or "MSG." MSGs are an elite battalion of U.S. Marines that are posted at American Embassies and Consulates around the world. The MSGs work side-by-side with the Diplomatic Security Service and their main responsibilities include protecting classified information at Diplomatic posts, guarding U.S. government property, and ensuring the safety of all government employees and foreign dignitaries.

A Marine Security Guard usually serves three twelve-month tours of duty. MSGs are obligated to spend a total of 36 months in the program.

My brother, a Sergeant in the United States Marine Corps, is currently on his second tour of duty with the MSGs. He was first stationed in Manila, Philippines. He has been in Algiers for about 7 months, if I recall correctly, and has been mentioned (as well as photographed) in TWO Leatherneck Magazine issues.

Leatherneck Magazine is a magazine for Marines, by Marines. It has been published since 1917 and, up until 1972, was written, edited, and published by active-duty Marines. It's main audience is composed of active and former Marines, and the families of Marines. Leatherneck prides itself in being "the magazine of Marines—yesterday, today and tomorrow."

The first issue in which he was photographed was the May, 2008 issue and the article was regarding the lives of Marines who are either out in the fleet or deployed to different tours of duty around the world. In the photo below, he is part of a group of MSGs and, without knowing it, they are all demonstrating the camaraderie that is present between Marines who are far away from home and are reliant upon one another in nearly every situation.

The second issue in which "little" brother appeared in was the June, 2008 issue. This article was the article to top all pieces of literature with regards to the Algerian Embassy's MSG Detachment. The article featured a full history of the Marines' presence in Algeria and how they came to play such a vital role in the safety and security of the Embassy.


The write-up included interviews with the current Detachment of Marines as well as many photo-ops. The extra photos, which were not printed in the article, were sent to me and I was able to observe these veteran Leathernecks partaking in their day-to-day lives. I was also afforded the chance to see them goof off and have fun with some of the local Algerian kids.


My brother appeared to have a great deal of fun with the kids there. He has always been good with kids and I can only imagine that they had an interesting and unforgettable time with him.


To wrap things up, I just want to say that I was filled with pride and excitement for my little brother when he sent these articles to me. Several of our family members have ordered hard copies of the issues. I have yet to get my hands on any, but I hope to in the near future. Also, if you would like to see more pictures feel free to email me at chit2001-AT-gmail.com, I will be happy to send them out. The issues themselves can be picked up via Leatherneck's website.

God Bless America, and God Bless the United States Marines.

Toughest Politician in America on Child Molestors?

Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal is the man!

This guy has got to be the toughest politician when it comes to pedophiles.

Here is a list of legislature Governor Jindal has signed into effect:
_________________________________________________

• Signed a Chemical Castration Bill, Authorizing the Castration of Sex Offenders in Louisiana

• 1st conviction: the court may sentence the offender to undergo chemical castration.

• 2nd conviction, the court is required to sentence the offender to undergo chemical castration.

• This bill also provides that a court may instead order a physical castration instead of the chemical castration.

• Convicted sex offenders who undergo castration must still serve their full sentence, as their treatment will not affect their sentencing.

• Under the bill, if a convicted sex offender fails to appear for their chemical castration, they will serve an additional sentence of three to five years.

• Governor Jindal also supported the passage of SB 143 to prohibit a sex offender from wearing a mask, hood or disguise during holiday events and from distributing candy or other gifts on Halloween to persons under eighteen years of age;

• SB 517 which provides for the lifetime registration of sex offenders;

• SB 510 to double the minimum sentence for computer-aided solicitation of a minor;

• HB 770 to prohibit the use text messaging by sex offenders;

• SB 514 to increase the minimum sentence for the molestation of a juvenile by five-fold.

I only wish that more states and politicians would follow in this man's footprints. This guy knows how to take care of buisness!

Glenn Beck's Unelectable Tour!

Glenn Beck has been doing his "Unelectable 2008" tour all over the country for the last few weeks.

Well, he has set it up so that on one day only (JULY 17, 2008!), you can go see him in one of 350 theaters nationwide LIVE. He's doing a live show in Dallas, TX and will be doing some kind of satellite feed to these particular theaters. I think tickets are going for $20 a piece

I still have to get my ticket yet and will report on how the event played out....I'll no doubt have some nifty stuff to share with you.

From what I've seen and heard so far, I HIGHLY recommend the tour.... Check it out, peeps.

On a Little Run, Now...

So about two months ago, I began this unnatural movement of the human body called "running."

For a guy like me, it's always been hard for me to run..... mainly because I felt so damn awkward. I really only ran while I was in junior high and high school while I played various sports (football, baseball, wrestling).... so, for the most part, I was fine with it because it was only for conditioning and typically only lasted for around 20 minutes.





Upon preparing for the state Law Enforcement Training Academy, and ultimately a career to follow, I decided to get my butt into shape, suck it up, and RUN.

I started out only being able to run about a half-mile, and even then, it was more of a slow jog/fast-walk type of thing. After about a month of pushing myself harder on the road coupled with vigorous training in the gym, I began to actually enjoy this activity. Who'da thunk it?

Two months into it and I'm now running about 2 miles per day, 4 days/wk for a total of 8 miles a week. I never would have thought this was possible.... but I've done it. I've been through a variety of minor injuries since I started, but everything has healed up and lately I've been feeling fantastic. I've found that a guy really needs to spend the dough on a good pair of running shoes.... there's just no way around it. I've learned that if the feet aren't happy, there's no part of your body that is happy.

I take inpiration for running from many aspects in my life. I work with a marathon runner, my two brothers (Marines) are both runners. One of the Marine brothers, Kurt (you can read his blog here) just ran in the Boston Marathon in April and has done two (I believe) Marine Corps Marathons. I'm quite sure I'll never accomplish something on that level, but it still motivates me to get out and push myself. I also find new music and military cadences which help motivate me, keep a good pace, and control my breathing.

My 1-mile time is now at 8:40 (an improvement of 36 seconds in a month)
My 1.5 mile time is about 12:00

I usually kick it up for the last half-mile, but it's so "all over the map" that I haven't been able to get any concrete times out of it. It has ranged from 17:10 to 18:25 .... still working on it. For a guy my size, it's a good pace. Looking forward to losing more weight and trimming those times down..

I'll be posting updates with regards to this newly-turned corner in my life.

Independence Day

Well, I'm a day late in posting this... but better late than never, right?

Scratch that...



As the days go by and I lay witness to some of the very telling signs that have been thrown into our faces as Americans as to where our country is heading, I propose that there be more than one Independence Day.



Now, keep in mind that I'm not necessarily speaking in terms of celebrating our country's independence from the British. I am merely speaking of the patriotism that seems to be exhibited more on this day than on any other (short of a catastophic event which pulls us together). Who else wants to see more of this? The media would have you believe that we are in such dire circumstances right now with the way our economy is.... Sorry folks, but I don't buy into it. I believe we are the most patriotic country on the face of this planet... and because of such, I believe that we are by far the greatest country on this planet.



Every day I turn on the TV or check my online news sources, I see further evidence that the fiber of my great country is eroding. Is it just me, or does it seem like there may be yet another "Independence Day" on the horizon?



The viciousness and nastiness that is being portrayed by certain individuals and groups in America causes me to take pause and truly wonder if there may be something brewing off in the distance. I pray every day that it would never come to a Revolution involving arms. I pray that the People of America can take back our country through history, literature, words, and law. God help us if there is ever another Revolution or Civil War, the likes of which our ancestors saw.



In conclusion, take time every day to remember that there was once a small group of men who stood up to the most powerful government on Earth. They signed a piece of paper on July 2, 1776 (adopted by congress July 4) which told a king that they would no longer be ruled by a person or persons who did not have their interests as Americans in mind. They would no longer be taxed and have no say in how those taxes were used. They would no longer stand by and watch the British rule their cities and states... and in doing this, they knew for certain that they would each be executed, if caught, for this treasonous act.

Now, 232 years later, I still see some of that very patriotism.... but unfortunately, I also see efforts to silence those who exhibit these patriotic views. Just remember that with small steps, we can regain our country...... for it has not been completely lost. Start with remembering our Founding Fathers and what they did on that infamous day...


God Bless America

Brad Thor's "The Last Patriot"

Folks,


I have recently come across a new book that I have to share with you.


The book is entitled The Last Patriot by Brad Thor. This book is fantastic. If you've ever read Dan Brown's "The da Vinci Code," and liked it, you will find this one 10x better.


This book has been coined as "The da Vinci Code of Islam."


I CANNOT put this book down. Every time I'm at the gym, working, or traveling, I cannot wait to hit up the next chapter.


Bear in mind, as much as I loved Dan Brown's books, I don't like how people picked them up and ran with them as their own "new" religions. This book struck me in a different way, however. It is a fictional thriller, but it is 99% based on fact. At the end of the novel, Thor has written an Author's Note to let the reader know exactly what is fact, and what he has taken artistic license on.


Pick up a copy. I guarantee you will NOT be disappointed!


Below, I have quoted the book's description...

"June 632 A.D.: Deep within the Uranah Valley of Mount Arafat in Mecca, the Prophet Mohammed shares with his closest companions a final and startling revelation. Within days, he is assassinated.

September 1789: U.S. Minister to France Thomas Jefferson, who is charged with forging a truce with the violent Muslim pirates of the Barbary Coast, makes a shocking discovery - one that could forever impact the world's relationship with Islam.

Present day: When a car bomb explodes outside a Parisian café, Scot Harvath is thrust back into the life he has tried so desperately to leave behind.

Saving the intended victim of the attack, Harvath becomes party to an amazing and perilous race to uncover a secret so powerful that militant Islam could be defeated once and for all without firing another shot, dropping another bomb, or launching another covert action.

But as desperate as the American government is to have the information brought to light, there are powerful forces aligned against it - men who are just as determined that Mohammed's mysterious final revelation continue to remain hidden forever.

What Jason Bourne was to the Cold War, Scot Harvath is to the War on Terror. Brad Thor has created "the perfect all-American hero for the post September 11 world" (Nelson DeMille) and will keep readers glued to the pages as he once again takes them across the globe on a heart-pounding chase where the stakes are higher than they have ever been before."

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

First Blog / Background

I'm going to attempt to summarize who I am, how I got here, and include some recent events.

Bear with me...

This is my first official blog. I've dabbled in the "blogosphere" before, but wanted to start something a bit more formal.

I am currenly in Sioux Falls, SD working as a contractor for the US Government. I graduated from Colorado Technical University in 2006 with a Bachelor's of Science in Criminal Justice. For the past 18 months, I have been in many hiring processes with various law enforcement agencies all around the midwestern region. I have finally been offered a job which I am comfortable with taking. A few more tests and I will be sworn in and employed. Much more on that to come in later posts...

My family is spread out all over the eastern seaboard. My Mom and Step-Father live north of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. I also have a step-brother who is married and has two boys who live in Lancaster Co. My father and his wife live near Lexington, Kentucky. I have grandparents in PA and in Nashville, TN. I also have one step-brother who lives out here in South Dakota with his wife and two daughters.

My brother is in the Marine Corps and is currently stationed in Algiers, Algeria as a Marine Security Guard at the United States Embassy. He hates the location, but loves the Corps. He is in his fourth year and has two to go. We're all looking forward to seeing him back in the States.

I have a beautiful girlfriend who lives near Madison, Wisconsin. For the last two years, we have been driving back and forth to spend time with each other and have successfully made a long-distance relationship work.

Obviously, there is SO much more I could add to this... but, as promised, I have kept it short and sweet.

I hope to keep this updated and interesting for all to read! Check back and enjoy.

God Bless America.