Why is everything breaking?!

As many of you know, the pathfinder has been unable to drive in reverse for quite some time now. I am VERY relieved to state that as of today that problematic issue has been resolved - saving me great inconvenience and embarrassment.

However, I've realized that now the pathfinder is the ONLY thing that seems to be fixed now. Here's a short list of broken things:

• The switch for the ceiling fan/lamp in our bedroom - Eli broke it.
• Our natural gas powered car we purchased off Ebay - I don't even want to go there...
• My favorite shoes are full of holes - I guess it's time to go buy some new ones.
  
• Our vacuum cleaner has bit the dust (pun intended)
• My computer - the hinges that hold the lid/screen up are both broken

The last item on the list is the latest in the series. One of the two hinges broke almost 8 months ago and I've intended to get it fixed, but never found a place that does that kind of repair. Then, tonight when I opened the lid, it flopped back shut as soon as I let go of it.

I'm using my broken laptop right now to type this post. Yes, that's pencil I duct taped to the computer to keep the lid from flopping shut or flopping all the way back. Such is the current state of my affairs.

Why is it that multiple things always seem to break within a short time span?

Anyways, things are going swell - and as soon as I "get a real job" (the words of my good friend Mr. Tyrell Denton), I'll be swimming in cool unbroken schwag - right?

Politics

I am not very happy with our presidential prospects. I'll tell you why...

RINO's (Republicans In Name Only) like McCain, and Democrats are happy to impose taxes that are 10 times harder to get rid of than they are to vote into law. They'll always tell you that they are going to "tax the rich", which is laughable to anyone who took Econ 1010 and learned about "Tax Incidence".

Liberals are always happy to take away our freedoms - particularly the 1st and 2nd amendments - all in the name of "protecting the children" (unless of course they aren't born yet, in which case they are merely a fetus). They don't want us to say anything "hateful", unless it's about President Bush, white people, or conservatives. We have speech codes on college campuses and don't you DARE use a racial slur against anyone who isn't white, male, and/or of Christian faith! Oh, and guns? For some reason, liberals have an irrational fear of weapons, and believe that violence in America is caused by weapons, not criminals.

"There are no dangerous weapons; there are only dangerous men."- Robert Heinlein

People in my office know that I own firearms and often go shooting and hunting. Every once in a while some smart ass will jokingly say, "So, are you going to come in to work and shoot up the place someday? Hee hee!"

One time, when said smart ass asked me that question, I replied, "Chad, don't worry about getting shot, when I decide to kill you, I'm going to use my bare hands". What the Hell is WRONG with these people!!! When he showed up to work on his first day at my office in a beat up Honda Civic with a 2 foot high spoiler on the back, I didn't ask him, "So Chad, when are you going to freak out and plow your car through an elementary school playground during recess?"

Real Life

A short while ago, life got very real for one of my ROTC friends who is serving in the Army - he was in a firefight and some of the men on his patrol were killed. I don't want to delve into the details and circumstances of the engagement on the internet for more than one reason.

Suffice it to say, this makes things very real for me and most of the people I've had the honor of knowing in our commissioning program, who also know this person.

Life seems to be composed of phases; we seemingly enter the next phase without realizing it and are surprised to find out that we have arrived there when reality throws a cold glass of water in our face. The gravity of being a missionary, a college student, married, a parent, a soldier... suddenly takes effect when you are walking the dirty streets of Colombia, or trying to sleep while a little boy who had a nightmare fights you for your pillow all night.

Hearing about my friend in combat was another epiphany - entering the Army will bring an end to the days of running around in the snow up Logan/Green canyon yelling "Bang Bang!" or shooting paint balls while we practiced combat drills. It will usher in an era of real bullets on a two way shooting range, with the lives of American soldiers placed in my care.

I am genuinely concerned for all my friends who are in harms way or training to be placed in harms way. They are all incredible soldiers, husbands, fathers, and friends. To me, many of them are brothers.

To them I say, keep your head down, stay alert, put the hurt on the enemy, and come home in one piece.

Stew