Why did John McCain vote against education programs designed to reduce the number of abortions when he claims to be pro-life?

In a world where sexually transmitted diseases are a growing concern as well as teen pregnancy, it's important to increase awareness of the risks of unprotected sex. It's easy for most of us to comprehend the risks and understand why it's important to educate our children and young adults. While I agree that much of this responsibility should fall on the parents, I also believe that it's critical for the government to assist in the participation of these efforts. Ask any teacher just how much co-operation they get from their parents. I think you'll be shocked by the answer.

In 2005 there was a bill proposed to increase the funding on this effort. John McCain voted against it. Here's the actual bill that he voted against:

Unintended Pregnancy Amendment
S AMDT 244 to S Con Res 18: To expand access to preventive health care services that reduce unintended pregnancy (including teen pregnancy), reduce the number of abortions, and improve access to women's health care.

Project Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to adopt an amendment to the Senate's 2006 Fiscal Year Budget that allocates $100 million for the prevention of unintended pregnancies.

Highlights:

• Increases funding and access to family planning services
• Funds legislation that requires equitable prescription coverage for contraceptives under health plans
• Funds legislation that would create and expand teen pregnancy prevention programs and education programs concerning emergency contraceptives

Source: http://votesmart.org/issue_keyvote_detail.php?cs_id=V3489&can_id=53270
See John McCain's full voting record: http://votesmart.org/voting_category.php?can_id=53270

I'd personally like to know why John McCain feels that sex education programs are not important enough to deserve government funding. For a man who claims to be pro-life, why is he not interested in reducing the number of abortions? The root of the cause is lack of awareness and poor education. In the grand scheme of things, this is not a huge priority, but it is a big one none the less. It definitely deserves some strong government focus in my humble opinion. One of the lines in this bill's description that I find most important is "improve access to women's health care." Why is it that John McCain feels that this is an unworthy cause?

Conclusion, John McCain doesn’t get it. He just votes where his party tells him to vote without making any intelligent decisions on his own. This was only one of his voting blunders that I felt most disturbed about. Feel free to look at his entire voting history to see some of the others.

I'll take boring over brainless anyday...

rac·ism (rā'sĭz'əm) n.

1. The belief that race accounts for differences in human character or ability and that a particular race is superior to others.
2. Discrimination or prejudice based on race.

racist rac'ist adj. & n.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

spe·cies·ism (spē'shē-zĭz'əm, -sē-) n.

Human intolerance or discrimination on the basis of species, especially as manifested by cruelty to or exploitation of animals.

speciesist spe'cies·ist' adj. & n.


Many of my friends and family have simply refused to watch the video series that I recently blogged about called "Earthlings". They fear that the contents of these video's is so gruesome and disturbing that they simply won't be able to bear it. I don't blame them for fearing this material. This series contains some of the most disturbing content that I've ever seen, but what is the point of living in a world in which you are too afraid to face the truth and too afraid to educate yourself about the realities of humanity. It is fear that enables these disturbing acts to continue.

Imagine what our world might be like today if people had been too afraid to face the truth about human slavery. If you had the chance to live during a time in which humans were bartered and traded as slaves, would you have sat in silence and done nothing? Would you have taken it upon yourself in the face of ridicule and insult to fight back against something that you knew was wrong?

It saddens me deeply that we are ok with treating life forms as objects rather than living beings that have meaning and life of their own. People are too afraid to face the truth let alone actually do something to change it. That's why I am considering participating in a demonstration against the Ringling Bros. Circus that is coming to Austin. IDA (In Defense of Animals) will be sponsoring demonstrations at the events. You can read about the specifics at the IDA Website.

If you need a little motivation, try watching these videos...

Boycott Olympic Boxing…

I’m the first to admit I’m not a big sports fan. I don’t usually watch sports, but I’ve recently been sucked into the injustice that seems to be plaguing the Olympic Boxing events. If you’ve been watching these events then you already know what I’m talking about. The scoring process is severely flawed. Points are awarded inconsistently and it almost seems that certain countries are favored over others. The commentators of the boxing events made comments like “I can’t believe he didn’t get a point for that shot” or “this is unbelievable!” while laughing in a state of disgust at the poor scoring techniques employed by the judges.

I eventually reached a point where I could no longer watch this event because the scoring was so ridiculously all over the map that I just found myself getting more and more pissed off at the judges. I just had to change the channel. This is a complete joke and boxers who have worked hard and trained hard are being robbed of their hard work and dedication. While you’re watching this crap, you find yourself wanting to plead with someone to do something! I’m so disgusted that I would go so far as to say that the United States should boycott the boxing events for these Olympic Games. Seriously… This is ridiculous and so frustrating. I’m just disgusted.

A new path... Becoming a vegetarian...

Well, today was a very good day for me. In terms of learning experiences and self discovery, today was one of the best days I've had in a long time. Someone that I met online directed me to a video on You Tube that was a real eye opener for me. Some of you may have already seen it. It was difficult to watch the entire thing because of the disturbing nature of its content. At the end of the movie, I felt ill. Not just physically ill, but emotionally ill as well. I realized that something I had neglected to face was finally in my presence and I couldn’t run from it anymore.

As a human being and an inhabitant of the planet earth, I have a greater sense of reason and awareness than any other life form on this planet. That puts me and all of those who are like me in a position of great responsibility. It is up to us to care for and assist all the living creatures of this planet. It is our job to ensure their wellbeing and to protect them and do the best we can to give them a peaceful existence. In comparison to the simple life forms that exist on our planet, we are like living gods. Because of our self awareness and abilities to reason and comprehend pain and suffering, love and harmony, balance and instability, we have power over all things here. The life forms that exist around us rely on us to treat them as we would expect a living god to treat us. If you’ve ever believed in a higher power, then perhaps you already know what it’s like to want to reach out to something greater than us for help and guidance. We are in a position to give that to life forms that exist on this planet and any other planet that we explore or inhabit in the future.

Today I realized that becoming a vegetarian was no longer a choice of convenience, it is a choice to love. I choose to no longer support the barbaric practices that seek to support the harvest and torture of living creatures. There is so much suffering in this world, my choice will have little to no impact, but I believe in the future more humans will reach an enlightened state in which we all choose compassion over selfish desires, even our own selfish desire to survive. I realized today that the vegetarian life style is way ahead of its time. It’s composed of a minority of people who have the courage to stand up against those who are void of compassion and have the courage to accept their responsibility to protect the simpler life forms that we rule over. I find a fitting relation to those who have stood against human tyranny in our human history. Like the people who fought with their lives to abolish human slavery. We have much to learn as humans. We have so much power and so little wisdom to contain it.

If you’re interested in watching the video that I’m referring to, you can see it here:
Earthlings Part 1
Earthlings Part 2

Some pics from Bret and Nealia's wedding...

My new toy...

Yes, finally! I'm about to purchase this sweet bad boy. Well it's not much of a bad boy. This will be my first bike. It's a moderately low powered sport bike (250cc) and is perfect for a beginner like me. I'm scheduled to take my motorcycle class on the weekend of July 3rd. Shortly there after my new bike will be delivered to my house. Can't wait!


Sweet helmet to go with it perhaps? With a hefty price tag of about $700.00

Trip to Ridgeway, Colorado

There are simply no words to describe my experience on the Colorado trip last week. It was exciting, thrilling, amazing, and just plain incredible. The Sawtooth Ranch is like living a dream. It's located high up in the mountains near Courthouse Mountain in Ridgeway. The view from the front deck was placed squarely center on Courthouse. Off in the distance were large meadows that were frequently filled with wild Elk and on occasion wandering black bears. I'm only going to show a few of the pics that I took while on this trip because my step-dad doesn't want much of the ranch published on the Internet. The trip was both satisfying and spiritually rewarding. I am truly thankful for having the opportunity to experience this amazing part of Colorado.

Do you see the Sleeping Indian?

20 foot snow bank

Gorgeous waterfall near Red Stone

My mom and step-dad

Working hard on the ranch, which oddly never felt like work

Courthouse Mountain

A spin on the ATV through the Aspen trees

These cows kept following me in every direction, earning me the title of cow whisperer

The peak of Cimmeron Ridge

A day in Teluride with my sister and her family

The Zoo in my back yard....

These little devils visit me just about every night. I feed them on occasion, so they keep coming back for more. I had an old chunk of BBQed pork in my fridge that I was going to throw away and decided to give it to the opossum instead. These guys appear to be very young. Opossums tend to get much larger than this.

It was rather amusing to watch them both drag this huge piece of meat around from one corner of the yard to the other. They were so enthralled by the tasty meat, that they completely ignored my presence. I was able to get within 3 or 4 feet of them and just sat there watching them enjoy their meal. They let me get a little closer to them every time I feed them. Some additional reading on Opossums: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Opossum

I'm frequently visited by many species of birds on a daily basis. There are about 3 families of Blue Jays, 2 families of Cardinals, 2 or 3 families of Mocking Birds, countless Morning Dove, and a lot more that I can't identify.

In addition I've got about 4 squirrels that visit me often as well. Unfortunately once I get Abby, all of the critters will no longer be welcome. Abby will more than likely run them all off.

It's official, Abby will be our new family member...

It's official. I will be adopting Abby tomorrow and picking her up on Friday. I met with her today along with B, her current foster parent and we had a wonderful experience. Abby is very well natured, calm, attentive and gorgeous. She only weighs in at about 35 lbs. What was really amazing was after only a few minutes, she was already acting protective over my daughter Avery. My father and step mom met us at the Star Bucks to check out Abby as well and when my dad leaned over to kiss Avery, Abby went over to investigate to make sure Avery was OK. I'm really excited about Abby. She's smart, beautiful and has such a pleasant disposition. I feel so lucky to be able to adopt such a wonderful dog.

On My Way to Ridgeway, Colorado

Photo by Jack Brauer

I'll be leaving for Ridgeway on the morning of Monday 6/16 and returning 6/23. I'll be staying at my step dad's ranch "Sawtooth Mountain Ranch". I hope to do some hiking while I'm there as well as some Fly fishing with my brother-in-law Lee and nephew Caleb. Supposedly every morning you can see a large heard of Elk in the front yard of the ranch. The Courthouse Mountain and Sawtooth Mountains are within hiking distance of the ranch. I'm excited beyond words about making the trip. I'll definitely post some pics of the journey when I get back.

Trying to adopt Abby...

I haven't met Abby yet, but what I know about her so far I really like. Abby is a Redbone Hound mix and she is gorgeous. The Austin Dog Rescue is presently trying to find Abby a good home and I hope that it will be mine. You can see some info about Abby here:

http://www.austindog.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=212&Itemid=1

CAMELBAK: The best water bottle I've ever owned...

I can't say enough good things about the Camelback Hydrate or Die water bottle. It's ideal for any situation. It has a decent list of features as far as a water bottle goes not to mention that it's made by a high quality manufacturer known by most avid campers and hikers. I bought two of these bottles, one for each of my children. It has a spill proof flip top dispenser that will only dispense liquid when you bite down on it, which is ideal for my kids since they love to chew on their straws. It's dishwasher safe and very durable. It has a convenient handle at the top of the bottle that can be used to strap onto a backpack or other carrying device. The nozzle also flips down to conceal itself inside the top area. It will hold a little over 24oz of liquid, which equates to about 3 glasses of water. The bottle itself is made of a recyclable material. It's sturdy and attractive. I intend to buy a few more of these bottles to keep around the house for everyday use.

The price tag of these bottles starts at about $12.99 per bottle. Not cheap, but well worth it if you have kids and are constantly mixing drinks for them to take on the road. Especially since it gets so hot here in central Texas, this is ideal to help keep the kiddos hydrated during outings or even just to take to school with them to ensure that they always have a source of liquids that I know they'll drink during the day. There are many different colors available. I bought mine from the Sportsman's Warehouse in Round Rock, but I'm willing to bet they're easy to find. I give this bottle a 5 star rating where ever I see it. I highly recommend it.

Fun with the kiddos...

Dad made some yummy veggie soup...

Theo is always being silly...

MMMM.... We love dad's cooking.

Fun with Dad.

Crazy Apa...

Gemma Hayes... The best kept secret

In my continuous search for new and interesting music, I'm often reaching into strange and wonderful places to find something that will ignite inspiration inside my soul. Today I came across something both beautiful and genuinely refreshing. It was almost a moment that you might think of as a memory worth archiving. The day I was introduced to Gemma Hayes is a day worth saving. Her voice is sincere, and clearly seasoned with wisdom acquired from the best and worst of life's great experiences. Not to mention that she's a talented guitarist fusing unique melodies together in a sometimes dark and ominous way. I'm an instant fan of Gemma's. I'm looking forward to hearing her next work already and have begun to venture into her past works as well. She's been publishing in the music circuit since the early 90s. She has somehow avoided the mainstream, but I believe in time she's going to hit with a bang.

One of my favorite songs thus far is a song titled "This Is What You Do". This song starts out with a mellow guitar melody and some interesting rhythmic counterparts that transport you into the peaceful thoughts that she provokes when she sings "this is what you do... to me". With a gentle whispering voice she carries over the melodies in a unique and original way evoking emotions that allow you to feel what she's conveying. These waves transform your thoughts as the musician intends. It leaves me feeling peaceful and relative. This album is definitely a must for every collection.

Found Stockwell's Scorpion Content

Parabuthus transvaalicus Purcell, 1899. Captive female from South Africa. Photo by R. David Gaban.

I used to collect scorpions long ago and have recently considered getting a new pet scorpion. They're a lot of fun to watch and learn about. I was able to spend some time with a guy by the name of Dr. Scott Stockwell who used to maintain a thorough Web site on scorpions. He has a PhD in Entomology and had collected a large amount of data about scorpions. Someone else took over his content and keeps it up and running, but unfortunately Dr. Stockwell is no longer around to update the content. I even offered to maintain his site for him, but he wasn't interested. Anyway, here's the link to some of the original content: http://www.wrbu.org/scorpions/sc_du_jour/scorpion_du_jour.html

In addition, I have found the "What's That Bug" (http://www.whatsthatbug.com/) Website to be very informative as well. Although not as detailed as Dr. Stockwell's contributions, still educational and insightful.

I'm also considering getting a tattoo of a scorpion on my right upper arm. I've got a few sketches already. More on that later...

Giant rare moth finds its way into my house...

UPDATE: I believe this is a (from the "What's That Bug" Website http://www.whatsthatbug.com/clearwing_moth.html): "Vine Sphinx, Eumorpha vitis. It is a Southern species found in Texas, Florida and points south, though it has been reported from Nebraska. Caterpillars feed on grape vine leaves." Additionally I have sent an email to the bug man to clarify this further.

There are no words to describe my elation when I discovered this creature flapping around inside my home Tuesday (5/27) night. I first mistook the giant moth (here after known as Andre) for a small bird or a bat. I wasn't able to tell that it was in fact a moth until it landed near the peak of my ceiling.

It rested there long enough for me to grab a container to capture it in. I was extra careful not to harm him and he simply flew right into the container where he sat peacefully while I continued to snap photos of him. The markings on Andre were simply stunning and difficult to describe. The patterns on his wings seem to take on a bone like appearance. I laughed to myself as I thought, perhaps this is the moth of death coming to pay me a visit. In my 33 years of living in Round Rock, Texas I have never witnessed anything like this up close. I have no idea what type of moth this is and would be very interested in finding out more about it. I'll update this post at a later date when I have time to research this critter.

After snapping a few photos of Andre, I promptly released him back into the wild. I set him free in the backyard where he proceeding to fly off into the night sky. What a lucky experience this was. I sat and stared at him for a good 20 minutes or more studying his anatomy. He seemed only happy to oblige as he simply sat there in the microwaveable dish peacefully resting while I gazed upon his incredible markings.

In Memory Of Sunny The Swissy

I miss my Sunster. He was a real pain in the neck sometimes, but I loved him to death. This is an old picture of Sunny, my son Theo and myself. Sunny was about 3 years old in this picture. He weighed about 128 lbs. at that time. His favorite thing to do was chase a stream of water being sprayed from a water hose. When he actually caught up with it, he would continuously attempt to bite the stream of water as if that were going to somehow stop the flow of water. Good times.

Sunny died about 8 months ago of old age. The average life span of a Siwssy is 8-10 years. Sunny lived to be 9. He was partial to pizza and dirty diapers (mmm yummy) as well as the occasional loaf of bread. He had a tendency to step on people's feet, which wasn't very pleasant considering his top weight was about 150lbs. He was actually a blue Swissy, hence the muted coloring. When I purchased Sunny from the breeder there were approximately 80 blue Swissy's in the US. He was stunningly beautiful and very charismatic. He was also extremely independent and wasn't much of a people pleaser. I think the word stubborn works better to describe him. Triple Crown Dog academy referred to him as being "a dud". While, not the brightest example of his breed, he was a very loving and warm hearted animal. I miss him dearly.

Farewell old buddy.

Living The Dream

It has always been my dream to be a professional musician. Over the past year I have put a great deal of energy and focus into this dream. I have devoted 2-3 hours of each day towards accomplishing my music goals. I have accumulated enough material for a demo album and will soon be putting forth an effort to publish my material. After 16 years of learning the guitar and 27 years of learning the piano, I'm finally on my way.

The hard part is not writing the material but finding good people to work with to help implement my vision. I'm now actively seeking additional musician's to work with on my projects and hope to collaborate with a few professionals to complete my work. I'm estimating another 5 months before I'll be ready to submit my completed works to the Library of Congress for copyright protection. Once that's taken care of, I'll be able to actively publish my work and pursue performance engagements in the Austin and surrounding area.

In a lifetime, we get opportunities to rise to the challenges that we so desperately seek to achieve. In those moments, we find a part of ourselves that we have always known existed, but simply never had the courage or time to become what we believe ourselves to truly be. It's liberating to know that I am facing my fears and overcoming obstacles and excuses that have prevented me from taking these steps in my life. If it is to be, it's up to me. We are all the masters of our own destiny. The choices we make defines our path. For the first time in my life, I'm living my dream.

Dark Water...

Life is Hell and then there are moments of clarity and bliss that seem to make the hell worth enduring. Trying to sum myself up in a paragraph seems impossible. I’m a bit of a jackass and I can be very needy at times. I’m extremely passionate about life and I live it with a great deal of intensity. I’m not going to waste your time with some fake smoke screen. What you see is what you get. If you’re the type of person that’s not overly sensitive and feels that you only get out of life what you put into it, then there’s a slim possibility that we might be compatible. I believe in self transparency in every sense.

The most influential person in my life was my grandfather. He was a hard working German immigrant. He supported a wife and 5 kids on a plumber's salary. He taught me many lessons about integrity, love of nature and life, hope and perseverance. His lessons have helped me to find peace in myself. I learned that the key to believing in yourself is to have a clear conscience. He taught me that we are defined by our honesty, sincerity, the good deeds that we do for others and that sometimes the risk of insult, is the price of clarity.

The most important quality that I seek in a friend and partner is self transparency and transparency with others. Let your confidence be defined by your own sense of truth. People who are overly sensitive or rude usually hate themselves. It’s very clear if you watch carefully. Either you’ve hit bottom enough times to see the truth of what you are or you haven’t. You can’t be self transparent until you’ve faced the darkest parts of yourself and overcome them.