Too Bad, Girlie Men!!

Last night (July 19, 2004), a news report indicated people were upset at Governor Arnold (I'm not even going to try to spell his last name) for calling people "girlie men". Come on folks, lets get real here!! I just wish that the worst thing that anyone had ever done to me was to call me a "girlie man", or any other name for that matter. Sure, I've been called some names (some are even true), but they don't bother me. Remember the old saying "sticks and stones may break my bones but names will never hurt me" If you are offended by being called silly names I feel sorry for you!! There are much worse things that could happen to you. On the other hand, if being called a "girlie man" is the worst thing that has ever happened to you, then you have had a pretty good life.

This is not intended to be a defense of Governor Arnold. He was probably wrong to use the term. I am just ragging on those who are offended by it. You are too thin-skinned and there are many worse and more important things to worry about than being called a silly name.

So Sayeth The Shack

I Don't Drink Enough!!!

My wife tells me that I don't drink enough!! Can you imagine that?! Most wives tell their husbands that they drink too much, but mine tells me that I don't drink enough!!!



(She's talking about WATER here...I don't drink enough WATER!) She drinks the equivalent of a gasoline tanker full of water a day. [OK, slight exaggeration here]. If I drank that much water, I would spend the whole day in front of the urinal! Not to mention I would not be able to eat anything because the water is taking up all the room. I drink a lot of coffee, a little water and once in a while some juice, beer or whiskey. When I was growing up, my parents virtually never drank water. It was either coffee or something alcoholic. My mother just turned 80, still virtually never drinks water, and is in good health. By the way, she smokes too.

So Sayeth The Shack

Note To Readers

All posts up until this point have been written previously, some of them several years ago. (This is obvious with some of them but not others). Further posts will be posted at or shortly after the time they are written.

"Shack's Sayings" and "You Might Be An A-hole!!" are ongoing works and are added to from time to time, so check back on them often.

SO SAYETH THE SHACK

Who And Where Is God??

I was raised in the Catholic Church. As a child, I attended Mass (Catholic Church service) one or more times a week. On Sundays with my parents, on Holy Days, and once a week as part of the curriculum in the Catholic School that I attended. I did not question the existence of God or the other beliefs of the Church. After leaving home, I continued to attend Church fairly regularly. Eventually, however, I began to look around and to question things. I did not so much question the beliefs of the Catholic Church versus other churches, I began to question the main belief of all churches, the belief in God.

Looking around the world, it is difficult to believe in the existence of God, at least the God spoken of in the Bible and preached about in so many churches every Sunday. Where is there any evidence of a kind, loving and just God. Certainly not on this earth. How can one say that God loves everyone when some people have all that they need or want and so many millions of others have nothing. You can argue that money and possessions are not everything but it certainly helps not to be homeless or starving to death or even living paycheck to paycheck with no idea where money for retirement or the kid’s college education will come from. How can one say that God loves everyone when a handful of people that he supposedly loves hijack planes and use them to kill thousands of other people that he supposedly loves. I just don’t see any love there at all. Look at how many wars have been fought and people murdered in the name of God. The Christians launched their Crusades against the Muslims and others in the name of God. Now the Muslims are fighting jihad against the Jews and Christians…in the name of the same God!!! And we still have people who proclaim that their religion is "the only true religion". No, this alleged God cannot possibly exist. It makes absolutely no sense to me.

Quit Your Gripin', Ya Frickin' Iraqis!!!!

The Iraqis are upset about how we have treated some of their prisoners. Certainly what was done to the prisoners is wrong; I will not dispute that. But look what they do to our people! Every day, one or more of our people get shot, bombed or whatever. And it is not always soldiers that this is happening to, but just as often civilians that are trying to work over there to rebuild the country. Look what they did a few weeks ago when that car was bombed and burned and then they hung the corpses from a bridge and celebrated! Now they behead someone "in retaliation". They treat us like that, they have nothing to complain about with how we treat them! So they should all just shut up, put down their guns and let us finish what we are doing and get out so that they will be happy. We will not get out of there any faster if they are going to shoot, bomb and behead our people!

Shack's Views On Abortion

This past weekend (April 24th and 25th), an abortion-rights rally was held in Washington, D.C. Where do these people get the idea that they have the "right" to take innocent, unborn lives. That is, after all, what abortion is, the murder of an innocent human being who has done nothing to harm anyone...who hasn't even had a chance to be born. Abortion is murder, as is the death penalty (yes, I am against that also) and the taking of lives in war, except perhaps in our own defense or in self-defense and even then as the very last resort. Abortion is usually referred to by the feel-good sounding term "a women's right to choose". OK, I'm not a woman so maybe I just don't get it. We all make choices...every day... most of them mundane, but a few very important. The concept of a "right to choose" seems very appealing. Yet all of the choices we make have consequences. If we choose to eat too much, we may end up overweight. If we choose to break the law, we may get caught and have to go to jail or pay a penalty. Yet, if a woman chooses to have sex, she does not have to worry about the possible consequences of pregnancy...no, she can get an abortion!! This, in my opinion, is just another example of people not willing to take responsibility for their own actions. Plus, while it called a woman's right to choose, the pregnancy was the result of the actions of not only the woman but also the man. What about a man's rights in the matter? The life in question is just as much his offspring as hers; yet, in most instances, he has no say in the matter whatsoever. The only "right to choose" that I see going on here is the woman's right to wipe out an innocent life. And while it is currently perfectly legal for her to do that, if she were to wait until after birth and then take that very same life, she would be guilty of a hideous murder. Why the distinction? So what this all boils down to is that Shack feels that abortion is wrong although possibly in the cases of rape or other sexual assualt or incest, it might be allowable because of the trauma, both emotional and physical, being faced by the woman. Also in the case where the woman'sike is in danger. I wonder, what would have happened if "Eve", or "Mary", the mother of Jesus, had exercised their "right to choose"?

Time For A Consumer Uprising!!

The average consumer in this country is getting screwed. Anyone who does not own a business, run a company (especially an oil company) or play professional sports is in big economic trouble. The "little guy", the one who works for someone else and pretty much lives paycheck to paycheck is who I am talking about here. Gas prices are going WAY up. Milk prices are going WAY up. The cost of health care and insurance is going WAY WAY WAY up!!!! But are our paychecks going up? NO!!! While owners of businesses and companies can "pass on" these cost increases, who are they passing them on to?? YOU...ME...US!!! The lowly, bottom-feeding consumer that has no one else to "pass on the cost" to! Every time I hear the phrase "the cost will be passed on to the comsumer", what I am really hearing is "you will be screwed some more". My budget is like a sponge that has been wrung dry, but the oil companies, health insurance companies and others are still squeezing even harder. I have almost had to drop my health insurance because of the huge increase in premium and decrease in benefits this year. I am sure many of you readers have no health insurance because you can't afford it. Meanwhile, many of the good jobs in this country, the ones with good pay and benefits, have been shipped overseas. Nothing is being done about the health care crisis and the price of gas continues to go up a dime a gallon a week even as the greedy oil companies rake in huge profits. There are only so many things that can be stripped from one's budget. We still need to eat, live somewhere, be clothed, and in most cases, unfortunately, drive a car. Things are going downhill and I see no end in site. So lets have a nationwide uprising!! Lets kick these rich jackasses who have no idea what living paycheck to paycheck is like out of govenment and put someone in there who will do something for us!! Who's with me???

Why Do They Hate Us?

We (the United States) think we should be saving the world, but the world does not want to be saved.

We (the United States) think that it is our job to police the world. It is not. And the world does not want to be policed.

We (the United States) think we should bring democracy to the world, forcefully if necessary, but the world does not want democracy (at least not our version of it) and it certainly does not want democracy forced upon it by means of a military invasion.

We (Christians) think that we should be converting the world, but the world does not want to be converted. Most already have their own religion.

Has any of this saving, policing, democracizing or converting done us or anyone else any good?

It is no wonder that so many people hate our country. We have been meddling in everyone else's affairs for decades. We are not wanted there. We should just stay home and mind our own business...like our neighbors to the north in Canada.

I certainly do not condone the actions of terrorists, but I do understand the hate and rage that leads to these actions. I believe that I have felt such hate and rage at various times in my life. In a way I feel superior to the terrorists because I have not acted upon my feelings and committed horrible acts. But in another way, I feel like a coward.

You Might Be An A-Hole!!

At one time or another in our lives, most of us (maybe even "The Shack") have acted like an a-hole. If you have done any of the things listed below, you too might be an a-hole. This is written along the same lines as Jeff Foxworthy's "You Might Be a Redneck" The unwritten refrain to each line here is "You might be an a-hole."

If you set off fireworks at any time other than July4 and maybe New Years.....

If your car stereo, especially the base, can be heard for several miles ahead of and behind you car, even with the windows closed......

The above applies to your home stereo also...keep your frickin noise to yourself!!

If you damage other people's property.....

If you park in a handicapped parking spot, and you are not handicapped....

If you pass someone while approaching a traffic light, pull in front of them and then stop for the light......

If you degrade other people, bully them or make fun of them because they are different....

If someone tells you that something you are doing is bothering them,
and you continue to do it or do it even more...

If you pull out in front of someone and make them slam on their brakes...this is especially true if there is little or no traffic behind them or if you are driving a tractor-trailer or dump truck....

If you call me to see me something, then hang up when I answer, or cannot pronounce my name correctly, or speak clear English......

If you drive a car, truck or motorcycle with an extremely loud or nonexistent exhaust system........

If you are a parent and allow your children to engage in any of the above or any other annoying or illegal activities...............

Check back for more as Shack thinks of them!!

--So Sayeth The Shack

Shack's Theory of De-Evolution

The signs of it are everywhere: Senseless violence, assaults, random acts of vandalism, meaningless sports riots, road rage, general lack of concern for anyone or anything but oneself, people who through tattoos, hairstyles and multiple body piercings make themselves up to look like primitive savages (no offense intended to any actual primitive savages who might be reading this). What is it? It is devo, or de-evolution (also the name of a briefly popular musical group back in the 70s. Or was it the 80s? In any case it was too far back to remember. The theory here is that the human race or society has, sometime in the past century, reached it's peak of evolution and has begun a backwards slide toward the apes and baboons that we supposedly descended or evolved from. A lot of people these days act like apes and baboons. Some people even look like them. (no offense to any real apes or baboons that might be reading this). This trend began, I feel, sometime in the 1960s, and has accelerated since the 1980s. While technology may still be advancing, the users of this technology are spinning backwards. Soon we will have a planet full of apes and baboons with nuclear weapons and powerful computers. Who knows what they will do with them? Look what they have already done.

We're All Human

Ever since creatures that could be called human lived on this earth, whether they evolved from pre-existing creatures, were created by a more powerful being, or were dropped off by an alien spacecraft, they have differentiated themselves from each other in various ways. In the beginning, it was one group, or family, or tribe versus another. Eventually, it was nations against nations, races against races, religions against religions, and so on. And within these large groups, there are many sub-groups, down to neighborhood gang wars, family feuds and individuals pitted against each other. In other words, mankind has been at war with itself virtually from day one.

Every person is different. Most think that is a good thing, but is it? Our differences are often the cause of conflict. The differences between the Caucasian and Negro races, or the Arabs and Israelis, for example, have been causes of long-standing and seemingly never-to-be resolved conflict. Moreover, despite our differences, we all seem to have a need to "belong". As a result, we do things to "fit in" with some group. Some start taking drugs, or smoking or drinking to be a part of some group of peers. Some join gangs. On the less destructive side, others join clubs or civic organizations, churches, etc. Even these, however, can lead to problems. One church or another may say that they are the only true church resulting in offense to or exclusion of others. Some countries or nations think that they are
"God's chosen people" or the "greatest nation on earth" again with the obvious exclusion of or offense to other nations.

The reality of the matter is, we are all human beings. Rather than being citizens of one nation or another, members of one church or another, one gang or another, rather than being black or white, male or female, we are all just people. Deep down inside, we really are all the same, and deserve to be treated just as well as anyone else.

So we should put aside our differences; our nationalities, our religions, our colors, and unite as members of the human race and work for the good and betterment of all people everywhere!

I am a person
I may be Caucasian, but that does not matter so much as being a person.
I may be American, but that does not matter so much as being a person.
I may be Christian, but that does not matter so much as being a person.

We are all people. Let us all shed our race, nationality, religion and gender and go back to being people who care about one another. Then this world might be a livable place again.

I fear it is too late.

Written in memory of the victims of the 9-11 attack.

I.H.E.

I am not racist or prejudiced....I hate everybody.

I hate white people and black people
I hate Asians and Latinos.
I hate men and women.
I hate anyone else who does not fall into one of these categories.

I hate old people and young people.
I hate children and infants.

I even hate God (if he really exists).
I would give in a D-minus on this world as a science project if I were his teacher.
He really screwed up.

Why do I hate everybody? Because everybody hates me.
No one cares how I feel.
No one cares how their actions affect me.
If someone knows that something they are doing bothers me, they just do it more.

If it were in my power I would kill everyone on earth including myself.

I just had to write this down. It has been bottled up inside me for a long time.

Originally written in a very bad mood on July 5, 2000
and re-affirmed many times thereafter. No offense intended to anyone in particular.

This is Shack at his worst. Fortunately he only feels this way
a small percentage of the time.

Shack's Sayings

"Everything my father ever said was right...too bad I didn't realize it until I was 38..."

I've made a lot of mistakes in my life because I didn't listen to my dad. I have begun to correct some of them; however, some cannot be corrected because it would have too profound an effect on other people, including my loved ones. These I will just have to live with and make the best of....

I never really fit in or had any friends. I've done a lot of things in my life to try to fit in somewhere, including changing what church I went to. None of them worked. I've come to realize that I will probably never fit in anywhere and will probably never have any friends...

I wonder about God...whether or not there really is one. I look at this world and what goes on and ask "how can a God who is supposedly perfect, loving and just create such a dump (this world) which is totally unjust and filled with millions of jerks and jackasses. If I were god I would destroy the world right now.

"Do not rely on other people for happiness. You must choose to be happy, figure out what brings you happiness and do the things that bring you happiness. As long as it does not interfere with someone else's happiness, it is ok."

"Men are from Mars; women are from Venus,
but little brown men come from Uranus."

"I love the snow; so sad to see it go;
I hate spring and I hate summer even mo'."

"Men may be from Mars, but women aren't from Venus...
they're from Gabon (get it...gab-on?)"
(If you don't know where Gabon is, get out a globe and look around in Africa).
"The ones who aren't from Gabon are from Yap"
(This time look in the Pacific, east of the Philippines)

Shack's version of the golden rule:
"Do unto others as you have been done unto."

"It's good to be a pessimist. Expect things to go wrong and then
be pleasantly surprised whan they go right. This is better than
expecting things to go right and then being upset when they go wrong."

"I've got a long way to go and a short time to get there...
...so get the %$&* outta my way!!!"

"Life never gets any better. Sometimes its the same old shit...
other times it's new and different shit...but shit is still shit!!"

"There will never be peace in this world until the last human being is dead"

"Today's children live in a fantasy world of video games, computer games,
websites, IM's and e-mail. They have no idea what reality is. And I'm not
talking about all those stupid television shows either"

" I can neither confirm nor deny my existence, nor that of anyone else.
You might be a figment of my imagination; I might be a figment of yours."

"You can tell that your child is a teenager when every sentence that they speak
starts with "dude!..like you know..." "

"The train is leaving the station....git on board or git runned over"

"Do not expect perfection from anything or anyone; if you do, you will be disappointed. But strive for perfection within yourself so as not to disappoint yourself or anyone else"

"The secret to happiness is wanting what you have"

"The hardest thing about raising kids is getting those stupid car seats buckled in right!"

"There used to be a lot of open space in Texas, but George Bush put it all between his ears and took it to the White House."

"Putting a Windows operating system into a Macintosh computer is like putting a Ford engine into a Chevy Truck. It's just plain wrong. And you're ruining a perfectly good product."

(This one is dedicated to my teenage son, LittleShack2) "Everything I need to know I learned from a video game".

"We do not really own anything. We come into this world with nothing. We can take nothing when we leave. We really only borrow things for the short time that we spend here."

"The two worst things in the world are cold coffee and warm beer!"

Check back on this entry...new sayings added occasionally.