New Years Eve

What to do on New Year's Eve???

Why must we feel obligated to celebrate the beginning of a New Year?

Isn't it just another day, or the beginning of a New day?

The New Year is SUPPOSED to bring New hope and New resolutions that were left unsettled the previous year, but does it ever really happen??? NO! No one ever sticks to their New Year's resolutions, and IF they try their best to do so, it usually only lasts the first two weeks of January, then it's back to the same 'ol thang. Once we get past the excitement of surviving another year, it's back to working waaaaay too much, and continuing our regular lives.

WHAT'S YOUR NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION???

So, before we embark upon another hard year, who's going to be partying tonight, and why? I'm not saying you SHOULD stay home and do nothing, but why do you feel compelled to go to a night club or party, and pay triple what it normally cost to dance/party to the same music, with the same crowd in the same location?

Why do we feel like such losers when we end up staying home for New Years Eve, or even worse, why do we feel so bad when we don't have a date to bring in the New Year?

We've gone all year long without dates, so why do we feel the NEED to have a date for this "special" night?

I blame it on the media.

The media is responsible for putting ads in papers, and promoting the "No date for New Year's Eve" headlines, that always make you feel like crap if you're dateless on our traditional night.

Personally, I've spent New Year's Eve with and without dates, and honestly, there's no difference. I guess the older I get, the less important it becomes.

I guess I'm just realizing that it's just another day in our sad existence.

A day is a day is a day.

What do you think?

A SERIES OF MY PET-PEEVES #2

Here's another one of my rants, but first I have to say that I am sorry for the long break between blogs, but the Holidays....you know how they can be.

Anyway, speaking of the Holidays, is it me, or do the Holidays bring out all the idiots?! I don't know what it is about Christmas shopping, sales and good food, but there must be something in the air (or food) that causes people to lose all basic motor skills. Is it me, or has any one of you noticed how hard it is to navigate through a shopping mall? There's ALWAYS someone there that should NOT be under ANY circumstances! He's/she's the one that's in the mall wondering around in slow motion looking at EVERY SINGLE STORE in the mall like it's their first time outside of the house. Then, there's the group of people who can't seem to go anywhere by themselves, so they come to the mall with EVERY SINGLE MEMBER OF THE FAMILY, including slow walking, not focused, first time in a mall Grandpa. You and I both know that Gramps needs to be at home in his recliner trying to sneak and watch the playboy channel while granny's in the kitchen baking Ginger Bread Cookies, and not in the mall walking in the MIDDLE of the aisles in everybody else's way. It's just like driving. People walk just like they drive, and we all know how grandpa drives, so that means, we all know how grandpa walks....JUST LIKE HE DRIVES!! We need to leave the grandparents at home, and keep them away from the mall. Besides, I don't think they really want to be around a %&$^-load of kids, just like we don't want to be.

On a slightly different note, what about the people in the malls that bring all of their children with them, to let them roam around while they shop? That is a definite no-no as well. That's just as bad as bringing grandpa to the mall. It's almost like these children have been caged for half of their lives, then let loose into the wilderness of the Mall. I'm not a parent, but I know what it is like to be around, and raise (a little) children. I know that the laws have changed when it comes to the levels of disclipine towards children, and I also know that it is a well deserved break when you can let your kids loose for a while, but what about the rest of us? What about the people who don't have kids? Think about how much it irritates us. Don't let your kids run free like wild animals. Think back to the days before you had kids....now think back to how agitated you used to get when someone's wild-child would run past you, bump into you, or even worse, step on your toes (ladies). You already know your kids are bad, so don't release them onto the general public just so you can chill! Have some basic consideration for those around you, and realize that you are NOT the only one on the stinkin' planet!

Anyway, that's pretty much all of what I had to get off my chest. Maybe it's the whole hustle and bustle of the holiday season, but I just had to release a little of my frustrations by sharing another one of my pet-peeves. I hope you can understand.

Merry Christmas ;-)

Some Food for Thought

Here's a little Food for Thought for y'all. Last night in the shower, for some random reason, my mind started to wonder (Aimless Thoughts) about my close family members and friends, and I started to think about how much I love and appreciate them, but then it hit me. How will I feel when the times comes for them to pass? The thought alone saddened me, but then I started to think (Aimless Thoughts) again, and wondered....'what if we as people didn't do so much good in our lives, to have positive impacts on our immediate friends and family members lives, would they miss us as much when we passed'? Then it hit me even harder...'do we miss our loved one's more because they've impacted us so greatly, or do we miss and feel saddened for people when they pass, as a whole, because we are good and compassionate people'?

I wonder....would we really not miss people when they passed if they were not pleasurable to be around? I know you've heard people say it before when someone "less desirable" passes away, 'he won't be missed'. Is that a true statement, and if so, do you think that if our loved one's started to act like butt-holes when they knew they were close to passing, we wouldn't hurt so much when they did? Do you think that would help alleviate the pain of them passing, and if so, do you think we all should agree to do so when we reach a certain age to make sure that our loved one's don't feel so bad once were gone?

I know that there are a LOT of people in my life that I am going to miss dearly when they are gone, and I guess this is just one of my Aimless ways of trying to prepare myself for the inevitable. What do you think? Should we charish them now, and start distancing ourselves near the end, or should we just do our best to just try to grin and bare it?

Illegal Immigrants in our (California) Economy

Based on the most popular vote from the previous poll/post, it seems that you all would like to hear/read my views about whether I think Illegal Immigrants are negatively effecting our economy. Well, ultimately I'd have to say no, I don't think so, and here is why.

If you pay close attention to the changes in California's population and economical standing, it has nothing to do with the direct effect of Illegal Immigrants. Our government has allowed Illegal Immigrants to enter our state/our economy for monetary purposes, and that is all. The "jobs" that our Illegals (I say 'our' because they are a part of our world/economy now) accept/choose to do are jobs that 1. We as proud Americans would not do as adults (McDonalds, Burger King, Car Washes, Landscaping, etc.), and 2. Are jobs that our work-a-day economy is based upon, and I'll tell you why.

We work so much as Californian's/Americans that we do not have time to be mother's, father's, husbands, wives, friends and still maintain a healthy social/hobby filled life. We NEED those fast food restaurants to be there for us between our work schedules and our rides home, to quickly feed ourselves and our children. If it weren't for 'our' Illegals, not one of us 'too proud' Americans would be caught dead working the counter, cash register or kitchen of a burger joint....at least not as seemingly successful adults. Maybe if our luck was down, and we couldn't find another job to save our lives, then yes, but while California (although saturated and over-crowded) is still a booming economical state, it would not happen. California is the land of opportunity, that's why everyone wants to be here (besides the weather), and by us having Illegal Immigrants here to work these fast-food/laborous jobs that we refuse to work, it gives us more opportunities to attain our goals and find the life changing careers that are oh so available to us.

Don't take my thoughts wrong by thinking that I think that I am above anyone working in the fast food industry, because I am not, by no means. The job that I am currently working is not all that prestigious either, so I would never allow my pride and ego to get me to think otherwise. I could be easily be fired and placed into a desperate situation where I would HAVE TO work a 'demeaning job' (by California's standards) to stay afloat.

I believe that we (Californians) believe that we deserve the first chance to place our bids for jobs opportunities/openings over Illegal Immigrants. I believe that we feel that we are being undercut by Illegal Immigrants in the job market. The Illegals that are able to get jobs (under the table) at businesses other than in the fast food industry, are viewed as indirect and unfair competition. Why, well, look at the landscaping industry for example. I know all of you may have seen some very nice, professional landscaping companies/vehicles where it could possibly be that although they would do a very nice job, they would be expensive as opposed to a group of hard working Illegal Immigrants. With that being the case, any homeowner or business owner looking to save a few dollars, but still get a good job done would easily choose a group of Illegal Immigrants for say....$100 a month, as opposed to a landscaping company that charges $400-$500 a month for the same quality work. I would consider that to be a direct impact on our economy, but then there's a trade-off as well.

Look at how many Illegal Immigrants our government has allowed to come into our country/state that are willing to work without tax or health benefits. Our government pays them low dollar amounts (sometimes below minimum wage) in exchange for tons of work (that we are too proud to do ourselves) without the luxury of health benefits, which means our government gets high productivity from cheap labor at half the cost, because although we co-pay for our benefits, our government still pays a lot. What if our government had to pay for 'our' Illegal Immigrants' benefits. We'd be in a much greater deficit than we are in today, so maybe there is a good side to having Illegal Immigrants in our economy afterall????

Now I know that our state is severly overcrowded, and we are on a downhill slalom, but what type of effect do you think we would suffer if we didn't have the Illegal Immigrants here to do what we refuse to do? Where do you think our state/economy would be then? I think there's good and bad on both sides, and I don't know if we'd be in a utopia if there weren't anymore Illegal Immigrants. What do you think?

ANY SUGGESTIONS FOR ME?

I'm currently out of Aimless-Thoughts, and I wanted to know which topic you think I should try writing about next. Place your votes, and let me know:
	The current rise in Open-Racism?
	The direction of our world and our children's future?
	The population increases in California?
	Whether I think illegal immigrants are destroying California's economy?
	More of my Personal Pet-Peeves about California Traffic?
	Or, just a typical day-in-the-life of a mind filled with Aimless Thoughts?
pollcode.com free polls

If you have any other suggestions, feel free to post them in the comments section, and in 3-4 days, I will have your most suggested topic ready to read and agree or disagree with.

Ten Truths about Our People (pt. 5 of 5)

Well folks, this is the last installment of the Ten Truths. 
Just remember that these were sent to me from a close friend of mine,
and they are just jokes, so have fun ;-)

TEN TRUTHS WHITE, HISPANIC, ASIAN, AND BLACK PEOPLE KNOW, BUT
NATIVE AMERICAN PEOPLE WON'T ADMIT:

1. There is a life outside of the reservation
2. Getting a job and earning an honest living doesn't make
  you a traitor.

3. Hickies are not attractive.
4. Blankets are not curtains.
5. Alcohol is a depressant and only makes you more sad.
6. This was your land and it was taken from you, but you get
  school, healthcare, food and housing for free so get over it.

7. Pow-wows are a time for celebration...not a hook up party.
8. It's not polite to give dirty looks to everyone.
9. If your car has no windows and you have to hold the door
   shut with bungee cord, it's probably time to get a new one.  

10. There doesn't have to be a fight at every party.