One of my favorite songs (seek up) from my favorite band (Dave Matthews Band) has the following lyrics

Sit awhile with tvs hungry child
Big belly swelled
Oh, for a price of a coke or a smoke
Keep alive those hungy eyes

Being connected to the Christian circuit I hear a lot of talk about “the starving children.” There are people with good intentions wanting to go on mission trips to make a difference. An ex-girl friend of mine has this enormous passion for children in need. It was inspiring to see to say the least.

So why do I have this disconnect? Why am I not passionate about it? I seem to be able to label off all the reasons why I think world aid or missionaries are a waste and are even worsening the situation. But when asked what I think about feeding the starving people… I don’t seem to have a comment.

There are so many layers of trouble in other countries that lead me to believe that traveling there to feed people isn’t helping or isn’t the answer. The more missionaries we have, the more advertisements on giving we see, the more people seem to be dieing and falling victim to it. Nothing that anyone is doing is slowing the death rates in third world countries.

I wonder though, is worrying about all the other stuff (politics, wars, egos, economics) even a concern when we have starving people?

I am more obliged to ask the question “what lead to their starvation?” than I am to jump on a plane and work over their.

My personal view (excuse the ignorance) is that all countries have troubles and that we all have to battle through our struggles. I think things get worse when other countries butt their nose in and tell others how they are doing it wrong and what they need to do to be more like them.

North America fought their own battles. Slavery, civil wars, Canada vs America. We have been their and we have done disgusting things to each other . Could you imagine if China came over when Canada and America were in battle 200 years ago and was like “STOP THIS CRAP or we’ll step in!”

Now I know someone will reply “Ron, its because of North America that these counties are poor” or “someone needs to help those that cant stand for their own” and to that I may/will agree. Unfortunately though, this world has been kept afloat by wars and people being in disagreement. Someone or something will always want more and who ever has that something better get a solid army or get good at speaking the other countries language.

As much as I like John Lennon and his “Peace for the world” campaign its too idealistic. People somewhere are going to be poor, mistreated, stepped upon, starving and dieing. Is it our job to fit their antagonists or just help band aid the situation?

Yah… this post went from being about feeding the poor to feeling pessimism about world peace. Its just one of those thinking days.
Cheers.

This morning Ken and I went on a bike ride for 2 hours. I really enjoy bike riding; even if its just a nice stroll around Sarnia.
Sarnia is so beautiful wouldn’t you agree?

So beautiful, yet it didn’t just appear this way. Many people with so many visions have helped sculpt this city into the site you enjoy today.

Biking down by the bridge is very enjoyable. Alot of work has taken place in the last few years here. It has really become a landmark. There is this area built for old timers right on the water. There are signs on the road that are so inviting for you to drop $300 K on water front property. Signs like PARK YOUR BOAT IN YOUR BACK YARD and ENJOY THE VIEW and my personal favorite is “LIVE THE LIFE YOU HAVE BEEN PURSUING YOUR ENTIRE LIFE.

I laughed at first because this is something Dave, Nathan and I enjoy chatting about all the time. Live the life you have been pursuing? Is this now the name of the game, was this always the game? I’m to spend my whole life pursuing a dream home on the lake with a boat and oodles of money? Many would say yes.

We have two extremes I figure. Live for today or pursue tomorrow. We all have friends that fall into one of those categories. We all do. Some days we are on one side and the next we are the other.

Example: Your party friends. You know the kind; always partying, starting social events and staying up late only caring for that day (haha, very funny when you pegged me as that guy).
Then your other friends. Always talking about the future. I’m going to buy this when….. I am going to go there when….. I am going to retire after……
They never spend money because they are stock piling. For the house on the lake perhaps??

If your reading this and you’re starting to think “well I am a bit of both” and I would say welcome to my world. What the hell are we doing with ourselves?

It’s Saturday and I am taking a break from work to write this. Yes, Saturday and I am at work. I need extra cash, got those loans to pay. Loans to pay. As you can see I jumped into this game very early. I had the mentality “Go into debt” (good debt people tell me) attend school, get the certs, get the job and you know the rest. Needless to say I am half way through the process and soon the debts will be gone and I will be free to get more debt to get more stuff.

So whats the solution? When I get out of debt just stop? Quit working, stop consuming and be still and stagnant? That would be my live for the day side coming out.

So I am torn. And before you reply to this and give me the “well Ron, its all about balance, really think about it.” Can you be balanced on a subject such as this?

I received this email today as a FORWARD.

I am proud to be white

Someone finally said it.
How many are actually paying attention to this?
There are African Americans, Mexican Americans,Asian Americans, Arab Americans, Native Americans, etc.
…And then there are just -Americans.

You pass me on the street and sneer in my direction.
You Call me “White boy,” “Cracker,” “Honkey,” “Whitey,” “Caveman,”
… And that’s OK.

But when I call you Nigger, Kike, Towel head, Sand-nigger, Camel Jockey, Beaner, Gook, or Chink
… You call me a racist.

You say that whites commit a lot of violence against you, so why are the ghettos the most dangerous places to live?
You have the United Negro College Fund. You have Martin Luther King Day.
You have Black History Month. ou have Cesar Chavez Day. You have Ma’uled Al-Nabi. You Have Yom Hashoah.
You have the NAACP. And you have BET.
If we had WET(White Entertainment Television) … We’d be racists.

If we had a White Pride Day
… You would call us racists.
If we had White History Month
… We’d be racists.

If we had any organization for only whites to “advance” OUR lives .. … We’d be racists.
We have a Hispanic Chamber of Commerce,
a Black Chamber of Commerce, and then we just have the plain Chamber of Commerce.
Wonder who pays for that?
If we had a college fund that only gave white students scholarships … You know we’d be racists.
There are over 60 openly-proclaimed Black-only Colleges in the US, yet if there were “White-only Colleges”
… THAT would be a racist college.

In the Million Man March, you believed that you were marching for your race and rights. If we marched for our race and rights, … You would call us racists. You are proud to be black, brown, yellow and orange, and you’re not afraid to announce it.

But when we announce our white pride … You call us racists. You rob us, carjack us, and shoot at us.
But, when a white police officer shoots a black gang member or beats up a black drug-dealer who is running from the LAW and posing a threat to ALL of society … You call him a racist.

I am proud. … But, you call me a racist. Why is it that only whites can be racists?

There is nothing improper about this e-mail.
Let’s see which of you
are proud enough to send it on.

So I think to myself….. isn’t the reason these “races” are/were oppressed is because of the white man? The original sender of this email needs a history lesson.

Just when you thought sex and guns couldn’t intertwine anymore. Here is a clip of a new way to put on bras.

Darryl asks me a question in regards to my last blog

so Ron,
how would you define marriage? like if you were engaged to a girl could you and her just make a promise before the two of you and God and then call yourselves married and have sex then? does a couple have to sign the marriage certificate before they are officially allowed to have sex? or when you have sex does that make you married to the person you had sex with?
the question isn’t just should you have sex before you’re married…because the issue is, what does it mean to be married? and what does sex have to do with it? what was sex intended for?

Tough questions indeed; If I was to define marriage I would say it is a community consisting of a master, a mistress and two slaves, making in all, two. This meaning a master (man) the mistress (woman) and two slaves (both participants serving one another).

I’m talking marriage here (not common-law or same sex, just your typical man and a woman marriage). Let’s strip down all the outside stuff (signing documents, having a wedding, having sex) and get to the meat and potatoes.
A man and a woman come together and commonly agree that they want to spend their life together. This can not be a mere lip service but a feeling that represents those words spoken at the alter “through sickness and in health.”

The “official” marriage would be when your relationship is socially approved and legally acknowledged with your country. But the marriage started long before that. When your thoughts and feelings start to be changed in order to appeal, satisfy or unionize with your partner, a marriage is already in the works. When you get up in the morning, have an offer to be unfaithful or mistreat your partner and choose not to because of this feeling that lies in you; a marriage is forming.

A couple that has become emotionally, sexually, and economically tied would in my eyes be a “married.”

A lot of traditional people (may be right, may be wrong) say that when a person lies down sexually with another, they are, married; but I don’t see it.