LEST WE FORGET

Today, as we gather with friends and family, and pitch horseshoes, play games and reap the fruits of our bountiful nation, watch fireworks, and stand in awe at our Nation's Independence, let us not forget how we got to where we are today. For if not for the Soldier, who stands for ever vigilant, in the tropical swelter of the desert or jungle, or the brutal cold of winter in any number of God forsaken lands, we owe our very lives to the people who defend the way of life we have come to enjoy, and that has become common place to the people of this Country. Our forefathers risked everything giving birth to this Nation, and their blood is what brought this fledgling Nation to be the Superpower that is unrivaled by any other. For it is written, without bloodshed, there can be no heroes, and without heroes, there would be no Nation.
Today, more than any other day, we should hit our knees on God's green earth and thank our Lord for the men and women who stand guard and protect our freedom every day. These men and women who volunteer to serve their Country and defend the Constitution of these United States with their very lives, should be put on a pedestal and made to feel like the heroes they most certainly are. So as you eat your burger today, and throw back a few cold ones....
Please remember.... A Veteran is the reason you have that freedom, and an active duty Soldier is protecting your freedom right now! God Bless America.... and God Bless the American Soldier!


David W. Emerick
Cowboy

Is Palin Pailing ?

I think not! Get ready America, for standing before you yesterday in National eye, is what could only be labeled as the Future of our Country. The statements she made that were overlooked by the media spoke volumes toward her character and her desire to change the world. She opted to not become a lame duck Governor, and just take the free ride for the rest of her term. When have you ever heard of that novel approach? Rather to move on to the next level and continue in other forums where her talent, passion and motivation can be capitalized upon. What a breath of fresh air! Sarah Palin must have done some serious soul searching in making this decision, and that is exactly what we need in this Country. The detractors are already saying that this just means she can't complete anything. Don't you believe it! This means that she is not willing to stagnate in a position where she can do no more. Keep your eye on this jewel of the Yukon my friends, and watch out Mr. President... 2012 and Super Sarah are coming!


David W. Emerick
Cowboy

A Conveinent Diversion ???

I simply can't believe it ! With all that is going on in the world today, or as Glenn Beck said on Fox this morning, "With the world on fire", the entire world is focused on Michael Jackson.
Think about it ! Our economy is in shambles, unemployment is sky rocketing, North Korea is threatening a nuclear strike, there is revolution on the streets of Tehran, our own goverment trying to jam a stimulus package and health care solution down our throats that doesn't even appear to fix the problem, not to mention our troops are still dying in Iraq and Afghanistan. In the the name of God, what are we doing ? While it may be true that Michael Jackson is the "King of Pop", to place the headline of his death above that of a single U.S. Soldier dying while defending freedom is truly a sin. The media outlets in this and every other country should be ashamed ! There is a plethora of items happening in the world today that make the death of who some label a child molester, drug addict and a star fallen from grace insignificant. Come on America..... Wake up !!!

David W. Emerick
Cowboy

HOMELESS VETS..... WHY ?

Tomorrow, in my local little community of Tarentum PA, my local VFW Post 5758 will hold it's fourth annual bike run. A Ride for Homeless Vets. While I believe this a just and worthy cause, and we have raised thousands of dollars, I can't help but wonder. It begs the question; Why does this term even exist ? In this day and age of section 8 housing, HUD, and the ever so popular welfare state, you can't tell me that we, as a nation can't find a way to house and help those who have served this Country. This is an embarrassment to the world's only Superpower. I don't mean to sound harsh but, when we can provide housing and sustenance to unwed, unemployed mothers and their children, and provide welfare to drug addicts and prostitutes, not to mention provide them with health care and schooling, certainly we as a thankful society, can provide these same services for the men and women who have served this Country in the Armed Forces. This my friends is a no brainer. We, (President Obama), let the Weegers, who are, make no mistake, Chinese terrorists, out of Guitmo after capturing them in the training camps of Afghanistan, and set them up in a cute little Chalet in Bermuda just today. We took thousands of FEMA trailers to Louisiana after Katrina for the people who trashed the Super dome. So what do you think... Should an American who served this Nation in any capacity be living in a cardboard box under a bridge? The term Homeless Vet should not exist in the United States of America.... We can do better!


David W. Emerick
"Cowboy"

NO ONE IS IMMUNE

Yes my friends, it's true, no one is immune. I too, your humble host have been infected. No, not by the swine flu, since as of yet I haven't been invited to any of those infamous parties, but I've been infected by another strain. The virus called unemployment. That's correct my friends, I was laid off by my employer yesterday due to a dramatic downturn in the Steel Industry. In this era of "change", and all of these "shovel ready" projects we've been told about, you would think Steel would be paramount in the beginning of this new Renaissance. But, alas, Not true. My company directly supports the Steel Industry by manufacturing the equipment necessary to make steel. Whereas, if there is no steel being made, (here anyway), the need for the services I provide becomes moot.
Stay tuned my friends, and fear not. I'm sure my stimulus plan will be kicking in any time now.

David W. Emerick
"Cowboy"

NICE GUYS FINISH LAST... ALWAYS !!!

Some time ago, I returned to school in pursuit of the infamous sheepskin. A parchment testament of my never ending desire to be the smartest person on the planet. (In my mind, I already am). My school, the University of Phoenix, provided me a enrollment counsellor. This person was God sent! I kid you not, he helped me with every aspect of adjusting to college life in this new (info age). He was a breath of fresh air in a world that is brutal. This man walked me through every page of the financial paperwork, loans, grants, financial aid, and put my mind to rest regarding all of my financial responsibilities after graduation. After that, this man would call me all the time and literally help me to stay motivated to continue on with this adventure even though I would, at times, feel as though my world was crashing down upon me. A person such as this is truly hard to find.
Nevertheless, I came to find out the other day, that my friend had been fired from his position with this University for; Failure to meet enrollment obligations. Can you believe it? A man, such as this, Who took the time to interact with all of his enrollees, and insured they were comfortable in their new school environment thus fostering the learning process, could be fired for not meeting the minimum new sign-ups for the school in any given semester.
Nice guys do indeed finish last. If the world today had more people like my friend, I'm quite certain that this world would be a much better place in which to live. The world today needs more people like my friend, and it saddens me to no end to find out that he, of all people, is now unemployed.

SWINE AND THE FLU THREAT

Let me preface this by saying, "I'm not a doctor". Having said this, I would also like to add, as I have said in previous entries, "I'm not stupid". My next question is, are you? After this media circus we've all been subjected to over the past week or so, I can't find a forum in which to scream from the mountain top, PLEASE, STOP THIS RIDICULOUS COVERAGE!!! At Last, Emerick's World!!! Every year thousands of Americans die from the flu not the swine flu, but just the flu. Less than 100 people are suspected to have this version, and Reporters are wearing masks at the airports, not to mention thermal imaging cameras to detect fevers. Are you kidding me? What the hell does the swine have to do with that? Does the Liberal media show up "on camera" with their surgical masks on and tell us of the impending pandemic? I think not! I've recently heard that it can't be called swine flu anymore due to a possible crash in the pork market. Not to mention alienating the pork farmers. If you have recently been to Mexico, and you are feeling sick, I would recommend checking your room service breakfast at the Del Rio Hilton for traces of strychnine. This is no more than a trumped up crisis to divert from reality. Are any the thousands of auto workers from Detroit who are all but doomed to loose their jobs taking time off due to swine flu? Nope. I drove from Pittsburgh PA to Columbia SC and back this week, and guess what... I didn't see one person wearing one of those stupid masks...Not one! And I was actually looking for them. And then I turn on the news in my hotel room and see our illustrious VP stating his views. Honestly, can you believe what Vice President Joe "I ain't flying anywhere" Biden said on the air the other day? Truth be known, this is all a manufactured incident from the Obamma administration to scare the welfare state, and boarder towns into the new mindset of government control over health care. and all I can say to those who fall for it is... You voted for this crowd.... Now You Deal with it.

David W. Emerick
"Cowboy"

PIRATES or PUNKS !

"Pirates" attack a cruise ship, and the crew, (armed I might add), fire at them, and the pirates turn tail and run. Imagine that! While not taking away from the heroism of the Captain of the Maersk Alabama, or the spot on actions of our beloved Navy Seals, I submit that these are not pirates. Rather PUNKS, who have found a way to intimidate us. Realizing that the majority of these vessels have no fire power to repel their onslaught. Punks !!! with outboards instead of skateboards. Remember the bullies of our school days? They too, more often than not, would retreat in the face of rebellion, or if they realized they were out numbered. If you point a dose of 45 calibre reality at people like these Somali Punks, who have displayed here to fore, no testicular fortitude, They wake up in a hurry!

David W. Emerick

THE SKILL WE ALL SHOULD MASTER

I think that in this day and age, if we have learned anything from our predecessors, it is without doubt the fact that we must be able to communicate. By this I mean communicate effectively. It doesn’t matter what the forum is, I think we must adapt to it, analyze it, form an opinion, be it based on fact or conjecture and finally, be able to state it properly. Orally or written, being able to make one’s point is crucial. I literally cringe when I’m in a conversation with someone and they fill their sentences with remarks such as, “you know what I mean”, or “you know what I’m saying”. To me, this denotes an inability to put their point across in a fashion that says, “I am a professional, I’m the one you want to do business with.” If you think about it, if I ask you do you know what I mean, am I not wasting my words already? Grammar is critical! In addition, I will not dumb down my skills in order to make my point. Some may say that by speaking or writing in such a manner that I only seek to intimidate. I beg to differ. Demonstrating and utilizing good communication, grammar skills as well as showing a command of the English language speaks volumes when it comes to either business or personal communication. It shows you took the time to learn. Professionalism should be second nature.
Every day, I see people in my industry struggle to find the right word. I see people try to use technical terms in a face to face conversation or on the phone desperately trying to impress the other person with their knowledge or grasp of the particular situation. Once in a while it works, but more often than not it fails miserably. What they don’t realize is that the other person they are speaking with, more than likely has as much technical skills and know how than they do. I can only guess how embarrassed they would be if they knew that the person they were talking with knew that , and was only humoring them to get it all over with, and end their conversation. These same people also commit what I think is a sin. They actually take the words of others, and claim them as their own. Doing this is very dangerous. You never know when someone is going to call you on it. Cite your source. If you can’t back up what you say, or explain it further, or for that matter explain it a different way, it becomes obvious that what you said is just a filler utilized in a desperate hope to remain in the conversation and somehow become relevant to it’s content .
The pitfalls of not being able to communicate properly are numerous. Aside from the fact that poor communication, grammar, and so on makes you look less valuable to your fellow workers, it also definitely makes you less valuable to your boss. Why would your boss want to put you in a position where you could speak for the company or even represent the company for that matter if you can’t communicate effectively? If by chance you’re in search of a new job or possibly just entering the work force the need to master these skills are even more important. Resumes, follow up letters, letters of intent, impact statements all must be worded so as to describe the level of your enthusiasm; the extent of your desire to become part of the team. To demonstrate the attributes you bring to the table. To be able to state your worth as a member of the organization you hope to join. Doesn’t the ability to communicate trump almost every other need as a must to master? In any position where one deals with the public, over the web, the airways, orally or with the pen, your stock goes up when you speak well.
While this may be only an opinion, I truly believe that without the ability to make one’s point effectively and demonstrate the skills necessary to go forward in a world that increasingly depends on a person’s ability to both speak and write with passion, commitment and command, is without a doubt one of, if not the most important skill that everyone should master. Taking the time to do it correctly only shows your desire to prove your worth…. Say it with words.

YOU CALL THAT TORTURE !!!

Having a bucket of water poured on your head to "simulate" drowning. Being put in a box with a bug, and being told that it's going to bite you. Are you kidding me? These so called "enhanced interrogation techniques", pale in comparison the the kinds of "techniques" I as well as many others had to endure. I was jerked off a bus in San Antonio Texas, and told I was worthless. I was literally forced to fold my tidy whities in a six inch square. I was forced to get up at an ungodly hour, and do exercises that to this day I would never do of my own volition. I was constantly ridiculed by superiors with very strange hats. I was forced to give up my only two vices, Cigarettes and beer, for six long weeks, and as if that weren't enough.... Hospital corners... Have these captors no mercy ?
As I'm sure you may have guessed, these are the "tortures" I, as well as many others, had to endure when we signed the contract, to support and defend the Constitution of the United States of America. To fight and possibly die for our Country and our way of life. I haven't seen any physical or emotional scars so far... What say you ?

I'M NOT STUPID !!!

Honestly, if you were to make an educated guess, what percentage of the American people has, actually taken the time to read the Constitution of the United States of America? I mean really sit down and read it, think about it, and form an opinion based on the information provided. Our schools barely touch on it; instead of making it required reading and testing us on comprehension. It’s astonishing, but I’d wager if we polled a cross section of America, it is less than (one percent).
So in this day and age of internet chat rooms focusing on government reform, The Tea parties of late bloviating the need for less government and lower taxes, and protests against the rights of gun owners, and banning guns all together, one must ask this question; “Who has planted the seed of doubt into the mind of an otherwise uninformed person?” While I completely agree that dissent is the purest form of patriotism, and am all for protesting the subject de’ jour, I can’t help but wonder what forum could be so widely available, and so load with its message, not of objective topics and non-partisan views, but what it claims as fact, that it offers to form your opinion for you. In a nut shell, even the smartest people, most of which cannot name our current Vice President, sometimes feel they are too busy in their day to day routine to form their own opinions. In fact, the majorities of people, look at the two sides of an issue, and simply choose to be on the side of the majority. The answer is the media. Wow, what an awesome power to hold is one’s grasp. The power to form opinions for a particular demographic or anyone else who just may happen to be listening, and all but tell you that, “this is how you should feel.” To have the ability to dictate policy without discussion or debate is something that should be decided by the people, don’t you think? Sound familiar?
Obamma or O’Riley, Beck, Blitzer, Clinton or Couric, it seems the source is no longer relevant and is somehow overshadowed by the form of media transmission chosen to air it, and what media rube reads it or editorializes about it. The media no longer tells the story and lets us choose whom to side with. Print and electronic news outlets have all but taken over our ability to reason. How can we let this happen? Frankly’ WE CAN’T!!! Personally, I will never let someone else form my opinion for me. I choose to be and now will consider myself reborn as an independent thinker. No longer will I hold any allegiance to any particular party, nor cast my most cherished possession, my vote, along party lines, and we all should do the same. My morals, upbringing, and ability to process information and form my own opinion shall now be the only factors I use when choosing a stance regardless if it flies in the face of the status quo.
It’s really quite simple if you think about it. The Government realizes that we, the American people, rely on the media for our daily dose of news. It further realizes that in order for these forums to exist, they rely on sponsors. And, in order for these sponsors to succeed, they must have us purchase their products. So, let’s pose this question: How does the government get their policies unpopular as they may be to be accepted by the majority? How’s this for an answer? Reverse lobbying tactics. They do a little governmental greasing of the palm to ensure a favorable vote on issues. “A chicken in every pot”, as it were. Even using Union strong arm tactics to threaten or intimidate us under the guise of higher taxes, or environmental restrictions or some other sort of sanctions. In contrast, do we use that type of discrimination when deciding what products to purchase? I think not.
You can complain all you want to, but the fact remains, we are the reason this has been allowed to happen for such a long time. We have placed these people into power. We have decided to take that media outlet’s opinion as fact. Why…? Because the majority of us are nothing more than, Blind, Apathetic Sheep! Destined to nothing more than follow the Sheppard who can gather the flock, and herd them to his destination the quickest. When will we wake up?
Until we, as a People, realize that we are the boss. We are in charge of our own destiny. Laws, policies, and proposed solutions to the thing that directly affect us, MUST be approved by us! This is what the Constitution is all about. This is how our forefathers meant by prefacing the document with; We the People. Let us not be oppressed by a Government that seeks not to better the human condition, but to maintain it, thus justifying their existence. Wake up America!

DAVID W. EMERICK