July 12th, 2008 is the Nations of Spirits Pow wow in Knoxville TN. It will be held at Market Square in downtown knoxville. Admission is free, but parking probably isn't. There will be dancing, storytelling, arts crafts, food and a parade of flags. According to the interview on WIVK yesterday, noon and 6 pm are when the two big entrances are held.
With the economy the way it is, free is always good.
Friday, July 11, 2008
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Knoxville Zoo, Smart fixed
For those who may or may not know by now,
For those who are not familiar with the area, I-640 or I-275 are the detours to avoid this atrocity. Unfortunately for the Knoxville Zoo, neither of these help it out. Conveniently located off I-40 the Zoo has a prime location for catching tourist, and being easy to access from most of
I personally can’t say enough about the
If you can get time, go visit and keep them going, it would be a shame to see something happen to our Zoo.
Obama has ticked me off
Yeah, thats right, Barack Obama has ticked me and other Americans off. Some people may or may not have heard about the wiretapping bill that was being pushed through the house and senate. Well, after all his high and mighty words about keeping our freedoms intact, he goes and votes for it. Browse his website to see his stances.
Way to stand up to the peer pressure buddy. You failed your followers, fellow Americans, district, and everything you stood for.
Some may be wondering, whats the big deal? FISA Amendment makes it legal for telcom and the government to tap or get personal records of whomever they wish without a warrant. It also, disgustingly, makes it retro-active so the ones who did it before are free from the lawsuits they were facing.
To view this atrocity in person go to The Thomas online Library. To also see a list of who voted which way, you can go to the senate homepage.
A key couple of notes. McCain did not vote either way, he abstained. Hilary however voted nay. Some rumors are that she may still get the nod come convention time. Stuff like this is able to drive some super delegates from one camp to the other. Obama didn't win enough to outright win the nomination, he still needs the super delegates to vote for him as they pledged.
I don't like either candidate too terribly well, and this is just another example, no matter how they both preach change, nothing will. One voted along party lines against his personal stance, one didn't even have the gall to vote.
Way to stand up to the peer pressure buddy. You failed your followers, fellow Americans, district, and everything you stood for.
Some may be wondering, whats the big deal? FISA Amendment makes it legal for telcom and the government to tap or get personal records of whomever they wish without a warrant. It also, disgustingly, makes it retro-active so the ones who did it before are free from the lawsuits they were facing.
To view this atrocity in person go to The Thomas online Library. To also see a list of who voted which way, you can go to the senate homepage.
A key couple of notes. McCain did not vote either way, he abstained. Hilary however voted nay. Some rumors are that she may still get the nod come convention time. Stuff like this is able to drive some super delegates from one camp to the other. Obama didn't win enough to outright win the nomination, he still needs the super delegates to vote for him as they pledged.
I don't like either candidate too terribly well, and this is just another example, no matter how they both preach change, nothing will. One voted along party lines against his personal stance, one didn't even have the gall to vote.
Locally local
I always try to stay updated on the local Knoxville scene. To do so I have to try and find new ways and bookmark new sites that help me do so. I also like to see customer reviews and comments anytime I try a new restaurant's, being super picky and all.
Because of my job, I also travel a lot, and being out of town alone makes decision making for dinner difficult. Sure I ask the locals, but it usually ends up being a bad experience because either I can't find it, or I get lost or something. I stumbled across a website the other day called local.com. It is a nice little repository, that is growing rather nicely of local information in areas around the country.
There is two ways to search, either by location or by business, or a combination of the two. Say I want to look for a certain restaurant's in Knoxville, I enter it in and find a listing of the restaurants in the Knoxville area, along with a nice little rating system, and some comments. Also has options to poke around and view a map, gives phone numbers, etc etc.
Because of my job, I also travel a lot, and being out of town alone makes decision making for dinner difficult. Sure I ask the locals, but it usually ends up being a bad experience because either I can't find it, or I get lost or something. I stumbled across a website the other day called local.com. It is a nice little repository, that is growing rather nicely of local information in areas around the country.
There is two ways to search, either by location or by business, or a combination of the two. Say I want to look for a certain restaurant's in Knoxville, I enter it in and find a listing of the restaurants in the Knoxville area, along with a nice little rating system, and some comments. Also has options to poke around and view a map, gives phone numbers, etc etc.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
End Times
Most major religions have an end times scenario. And every time there is a crisis, there are more people convinced that it is upon them. Are we living in them now? How does one tell if the end is nigh?
Taking a brief look through history we can see all the major civilizations/powers that have risen and fallen. Rome, Babylon, Greece, to name just a few. They all rose to a position of power and wealth, then all fell. Some sense this is where the United States is. A large powerful nation with a large military puts the U.S. at the top of the world powers list. But everyday people are noticing things. The economy is crashing due to rising gas prices and rising food prices. People are losing their homes and jobs, losing their cars, losing even their families.
In addition to the economic troubles at home, there is the troubles over seas. Iraq and Iran are in the news almost daily, with rumors of war in Iran becoming more and more prominent. So, it is obvious how some people may think the end is coming. In all honesty, the next 4 years will determine if the "end" is near for America or not. We really need a leader who will stand up and restore our rights, fix the economy, and get our nose out of other countries business. To be honest, I am of the opinion that we need to bring our troops home, bring our diplomats home, close the borders and fix us before we do anything else overseas.
So, is this the end times? Possibly, if things dont change, it could be the end of America as we know it. But the world? Naw, not till 2012 at the earliest.
Monday, July 7, 2008
Summer Fun and Activities
Since gas is so high now, it seems that people are looking for activities, dealing with bored kids, and basically trying to keep from going crazy. Here are a few of my suggestions.
Look into some local churches for parties, cookouts, etc. This is usually free, and even if you dont belong to the church, or aren't religious, most people are still welcome.
Next, find your states local parks website. Browse to find the festivals of the parks nearest you. Ususally there is something going on once or twice a month, and they are usually free. This is more weather dependent then other activities.
Find some local attractions you may have never been too, and go visit them. Museums, battlefields, parks, anything new and cheap. It just takes some looking.
Go to the movies. Its relatively cheap entertainment, saves gas, and keeps the kids happy.
All in all, summer can be a headache for a lot of people, but with a little work, it makes it worthwhile.
Look into some local churches for parties, cookouts, etc. This is usually free, and even if you dont belong to the church, or aren't religious, most people are still welcome.
Next, find your states local parks website. Browse to find the festivals of the parks nearest you. Ususally there is something going on once or twice a month, and they are usually free. This is more weather dependent then other activities.
Find some local attractions you may have never been too, and go visit them. Museums, battlefields, parks, anything new and cheap. It just takes some looking.
Go to the movies. Its relatively cheap entertainment, saves gas, and keeps the kids happy.
All in all, summer can be a headache for a lot of people, but with a little work, it makes it worthwhile.
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Starving in America
Starving in America. Never thought it would be as commonplace as it is now. Starving for relief from financial worries, gas problems, and medical problems. Gas is skyrocketing, with no end in sight, and nobody has a plan. Hilary has proposed one, but nothing will stop the oil companies from raising prices so we are still paying the same, and then the tax money will be gone from the road construction.
People are in the beginnings of a panic, some are even in full panic mode. Every day its a worry about providing for the family, getting to work, getting the kids to school, paying for gas and food. Where will the money come from? Getting a loan, if one is even accepted, will just provide temporary relief, then the first payment comes due, and its even more to worry about. Some people are losing their homes, some are losing their jobs, and others can't even provide food for their kids. Many parents are going without just to provide. Senior citizens are feeling the crunch on fixed incomes. Everything is increasing in price, but their incoming is staying the same.
Food prices are on the increase, causing even more stress and worry. Just to get a gallon of milk, loaf of bread, sandwich meat, and cheese is near $15 now. Its no longer a matter of getting by, its fast becoming a matter of survival. How many more Americans will be homeless by the end of the month? How many will go without their prescriptions just to eat? The travel industry will feel the sting by months end, because a vacation is out of reach. The thought of spending $1000+ just to get away for a week will discourage many from traveling.
What can be done about this? What should be done? For one, the government will have to step in and put their foot down. They need a mandatory decrease in gas prices, to below the $3/gal level. Force it there. The billion dollar profit of the oil companies will be fine. Second, instead of providing incentives to purchase foreclosure, they need to find a way to prevent them. Most mortgage companies and credit companies are going through bankruptcy. Its not going to matter to them, maybe they can not pay their executives multi-million dollar payouts. Institute a "debt forgiveness plan". Forgive x% of debt per american family, making less then $60k per single person, or $100k per family. Base it off their debt to income ratio.
Allow tax break finally for parents that pay child support. The handful that do pay are carrying the cost of the child, without the tax break that comes with it. This would also induce others to pay, knowing they are getting credit back.
Get the car manufactures to actually think for a second. No vehicle should get below 25mpg. No argument can be made that 16mpg is "good". Its bull and we know it. Also give rebates/tax breaks for people trading in the gas guzzlers for better mileage vehicles.
Quit taking our corn and grain for "alternate fuel". Its starving America. Thats more food that could be put on the table at a cheaper cost.
This is a suggestions. Some things we should not do is destroy the wilderness area's or begin coastal drilling for oil. I have seen this come up time and time again, and it seems to be a ploy by oil companies to open restricted drilling. So they can make more money of course.
People are in the beginnings of a panic, some are even in full panic mode. Every day its a worry about providing for the family, getting to work, getting the kids to school, paying for gas and food. Where will the money come from? Getting a loan, if one is even accepted, will just provide temporary relief, then the first payment comes due, and its even more to worry about. Some people are losing their homes, some are losing their jobs, and others can't even provide food for their kids. Many parents are going without just to provide. Senior citizens are feeling the crunch on fixed incomes. Everything is increasing in price, but their incoming is staying the same.
Food prices are on the increase, causing even more stress and worry. Just to get a gallon of milk, loaf of bread, sandwich meat, and cheese is near $15 now. Its no longer a matter of getting by, its fast becoming a matter of survival. How many more Americans will be homeless by the end of the month? How many will go without their prescriptions just to eat? The travel industry will feel the sting by months end, because a vacation is out of reach. The thought of spending $1000+ just to get away for a week will discourage many from traveling.
What can be done about this? What should be done? For one, the government will have to step in and put their foot down. They need a mandatory decrease in gas prices, to below the $3/gal level. Force it there. The billion dollar profit of the oil companies will be fine. Second, instead of providing incentives to purchase foreclosure, they need to find a way to prevent them. Most mortgage companies and credit companies are going through bankruptcy. Its not going to matter to them, maybe they can not pay their executives multi-million dollar payouts. Institute a "debt forgiveness plan". Forgive x% of debt per american family, making less then $60k per single person, or $100k per family. Base it off their debt to income ratio.
Allow tax break finally for parents that pay child support. The handful that do pay are carrying the cost of the child, without the tax break that comes with it. This would also induce others to pay, knowing they are getting credit back.
Get the car manufactures to actually think for a second. No vehicle should get below 25mpg. No argument can be made that 16mpg is "good". Its bull and we know it. Also give rebates/tax breaks for people trading in the gas guzzlers for better mileage vehicles.
Quit taking our corn and grain for "alternate fuel". Its starving America. Thats more food that could be put on the table at a cheaper cost.
This is a suggestions. Some things we should not do is destroy the wilderness area's or begin coastal drilling for oil. I have seen this come up time and time again, and it seems to be a ploy by oil companies to open restricted drilling. So they can make more money of course.
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