DarkStar Spouts Off

Another Wedding Dance

When you have about 15 minutes, enjoy this video. I wonder if people would be doing this if YouTube didn't exist, but this is fun.

Memorial Day and What It Means

On Saturday I hosted a cookout for family and some friends. It was a lot of work and my wife and I were tired. Sunday, after church, I came home and was going to take a nap but my daughter came over and spent the afternoon and early part of the evening with us. We all laughed, talked, went down memory lane a little bit, and even discussed a little politics. She's my girl. :) The time Saturday and Sunday is priceless and is really time I'll never forget.

Today is Memorial Day, and I realize there are many family members who are remembering their military loved ones who were killed and are wishing those family members were there with them, today. Today is the day to remember those military people who were killed in the service for our country. 

The cookout is fine. The family time is fine, but consider the military who lost their lives.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16 NIV)

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6 NIV)

Kasandra Perkins Died As A Result of Domestic Violence

Kasandra Perkins, the mother of a 3 month old girl, was killed by her "boyfriend," who happened to be a football player. Kasandra Perkins, and her daughter, are victims of domestic violence. In this case, the weapon used wasn't her boyfriend's fists, nor a knife, nor a car, but a gun. 

I mention the weapon here only for one reason: it doesn't matter what means her boyfriend used to kill her. Kasandra Perkins is dead and her baby no longer has a living mother. And, as I write this, what is now being reported is the murderer has a history of domestic violence against other women.

The killer's occupation is not an issue. The means the killer used to kill Kasandra Perkins is not an issue. The rate of violence for people who have the killer's occupation is not an issue. Domestic violence is the issue and Kasandra Perkins is dead.

The rest of it is noise. End of story.

Happy Thanksgiving

I'm really thankful to God for waking me up this morning. In the past few months I've learned that people I know and love have had sicknesses of differing degrees and I've heard about the deaths of others. 

Life really is precious and today, but just not today, I give thanks to all who are around me. 

When you hear about the sudden death of someone you "know" on superficial level and then see the out pouring of love, support, and encouragement to stay strong in God, it just wells up inside, and again puts things in their proper perspective.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hard Question

How many of the boys allegedly molested by Sandusky, had active
fathers in their lives?

Because

Martin Luther King, Jr Day

To me, today means doors were unbarred by a lot of people, known and unknown, and people were provided the opportunity to walk through and do their thing. I'm on the broad shoulders of my family and I pray others are able to stand on mine.

NSFW: Uncle REGULATING His FaceBook Fake Nephew

I ain't saying it's right, *cough*yes i am*cough* but I understand.

40 Years

The Gore's were married for 40 years and now they are getting a divorce?

If the claim of "no one cheated" is true, after 40 years you can't keep it together?

WTH?!?!?!

School Responsibility

School responsibility?

• What about the responsibility of parents to make sure their children study?
• What about the responsibility of parents to make sure they communicate with the teachers?
• What about the responsibility of parents to make sure they communicate with the school administration?
• What about the responsibility of the children to do their work in school?
• What about the responsibility of the school administration to have disruptive students removed from the class and/or school?
• What about the responsibility of the school administration to get help for ineffective teachers and/or have those teachers removed?
• What about the responsibility of the teacher's union to protect school children as well as their members?

When you have a school with about a 50% drop out rate and very low scores, this isn't just about teachers.

Firing the teachers won't solve the SYSTEMATIC problem within that school.

Spouting Off On: Enslaving Our Children To Debt

Something I wrote earlier today to an email list:

The reason why I have some alignment with the Tea Party is because with all of the government spending, we are destined to burden our children with the debt being amassed under our watch. For those of us who have been in serious debt and have worked our way out of it, I view the use of the word enslavement as being appropriate.

When I had serious credit card debt, and realized that paying what I thought was a lot, was really paying a few dollars over the credit card interest and fees, I felt like a slave. What are we doing to our children?

In Maryland, when O'Malley gained office, the first thing he did was spend down the rainy day fund to the legal minimum. He then gave raises to people in his cabinet. This was despite the fact the outgoing governor said there was a multi-million dollar structural deficit coming.

The next year, O'Malley kept up the spending spree along with the state assembly. He said he "cut" government by not filling open positions but filling new positions. They then has a "special session" to cover the debt where they raised the sales tax and put slots on the next election ballot. They also used one year inflows into the government from the federal government to hide the deficit.

This year? No new taxes, but again the budget included one year inflows from the federal government. Now, ALL state legislators are saying they are going to have to "revisit" the budget next year -- AFTER THE NEXT ELECTION CYCLE -- and that "deep cuts" and "revenue enhancements" will have to be a part of the "discussion." This means, they are going to raise taxes.

This is happening on the federal level only it is much much worse. And, seriously, I wonder, and fear, the idea that future tax increases as well as the use of "fees" and other things, will negatively affect my living standard just because I'm "wealthy", whatever arbitrary level that is.

The AMT is unfair and will hit the middle class hard. The congress-criters know it and don't do anything to seriously revamp it because they depend on the money the AMT brings in.

This CAN'T continue. Greece is our future.

And I haven't even mentioned Social Security going into the red much sooner than estimates given, or the under funding of pensions, or the under funding of the government pension insurance, or...

Keeping The Faith

The Catholic Church in D.C. had no choice. They had to do this.

The Archdiocese of Washington's decision to drop its foster care program is the first casualty of the District of Columbia's pending same-sex marriage law that will obligate all outside contractors dealing with the city to recognize gay couples.

Its decision, posted late Tuesday on the archdiocese's Web site, announced that the archdiocese had ended its 80-year-old program Feb. 1, the day the city's contract expired with Catholic Charities, the church's social services arm.

"We regret that our efforts to avoid this outcome were not successful," Catholic Charities Chief Executive Officer Ed Orzechowski said in a statement. "Foster care has been an important ministry for us for many decades. We worked very hard to be able to continue to provide these services in the District."

And the result is, children suffer, again, for the selfishness of adults.

Start of a Sore Back

My Day

Quickie On Children

I meant to post this the other day. With the recent news, this really becomes important.

There are people rushing to adopt children from Haiti, how do the adopting parents know the children they are adopting are really orphans? If you go want to adopt, there are many children in the U.S. waiting to be adopted.

Blacks And Adoptions

Some adoption statistics:

Typically, African-American families have more opportunities for domestic adoptions, experts say.

Black families take in more than 800,000 children in informal adoption arrangements of extended family members, according to the National Association of Black Social Workers.

Black families also have more opportunities to adopt an African-American child in the United States "because the African-American birth mother will place with an African-American couple," Osborne said.

The myth that black families do not adopt has been shattered by research of experts such as Dr. Robert Hill, sociologist and author of "The Strengths of Black Families," which shows that African-American families adopt at a rate three to four times that of any other ethnic group.

In Colorado, African-Americans adopt at about three times the rate of whites and Latinos, and six times the rate of Asians, according to the 2006-08 American Community Survey three-year estimates.

I just wanted to get this information out there.

Hat tip: Black Informant

Martin Luther King, Jr Birthday Celebration

I appreciate the lives lost and the work put in to secure the rights that I have to try to reach the American dream, however I define it; or not. I consider the Martin Luther King, Jr holiday a celebration of not just the man, but of all of the people involved in realizing the American ideal and making sure it was for all.

Snow :-)

The Cycle

Boy sees man beat up his mother.

Girl sees father beat up her mother.

Boy and girl get together years later. Boy beats up girl 8 or 9 times. The last time was "the last time" only because there were witnesses of the boy biting the girl.

At least the cycle didn't involve death; this time.

Perfect Gift For A "REAL FATHER"'s Day

Here's what I think the perfect gift for a REAL FATHER's Day present is, in order:

1. Respect from his family for doing his best to hold things down. He may not be able to do so all of the time, but showing the man respect for trying his best and maybe giving a little hug from his wife or his children -- boys can give dap -- saying they see he is doing his best, for THEM AND THE FAMILY.
2. The big chair. If he can't have the man cave, give him the big chair.
3. The remote; 'nuff said.
4. The big piece of chicken.

Happy Father's Day!

Thankful For My Wife

I'm thankful for my wife.

She is really a good woman and she has my back. During the house sale prep, new to us home prep, and stay at home duties, she has come through like a champ. All men should be as lucky.

Caught By The Magic

Caught up in the hype

On Holiday

Getting jacked by Mickey Mouse & friends

Family First

Family has to come first, because in the end, they are the people who should have your back.

It's been a rough 5 weeks but things are going to get back to normal as much as they can when a member of your family passes.The point of the "Black men get yourself checked out" has been the death of a family member which may have been prevented if regular checkups were done. The death of Mrs D.S. family member, however, was unexpected and, frankly, the work of evil.

But with the grace of God, both families will prevail and continue to live life.

I haven't been paying close attention to the news of the day but that will start to change now that things are going to "get back to normal." But what I have been paying attention to, I have a lot of thoughts about. That should come out in the next few days.