American @ MindSay 
idol
GM who relies on Trucks and SUV is really feeling the squeeze. THey are planning lay offs. This is sad because some jobs will be loss. It's just bad for US companies to make trucks that really most people buy just as commuter cars. But there are many reasons to buy a truck. Buying Hay for your horse, taking crap to the dump, towing a boat, etc...
I recently bought an old truck, my 3rd vehicle for the household. cost 2500 dollars used and I only use it when I need a "truck".
The insurance is very cheap since the value of the truck is not much I only insure it for the bare minimum. The cost is $200 to in sure for the entire year.
Of course if you're in construction or home remodel business then you'll want a newer truck, but for a lot of people having a truck that gets 14mpg as a primary vehicle just doesn't make sense financially unless of course you can afford to have 2 vehicle. Then you just rent the truck as needed.
I feel bad for GM but at the same time I'm angry at them for not investing more in smaller more compact cars and making cars which are more fuel efficient. I also think the unions have alot to do with the poor state of American car companies. But calling Ford, Chrysler, GM "American" really isn't all that true these days. What is American? IS Honda, Nissan Toyota really Japanese? They employ thousands of Americans because they actually make cars and trucks in America. And VW in the time of this recession is planning to open a plant right here in America. Maybe they're American too.
I had this project (that I finally finished) about dogs. I love dogs. Really I do. You know that question they ask – If you had to spend the rest of your life on a desert island who would you bring with you? Well, I wouldn’t bring anybody. I’d bring my dog because I like dogs better than I like people. (wait- scratch that. I forgot about Vin. I’d bring Vin Diesel and my dog. But if there was no room in the boat for my dog Vin would probably have to lump it and swim for shore….)
I learned quite a bit during my research and I’m ashamed to say, even as a dog lover, I held quite a prejudice against the American Pit Bull, Bull Terrier and Staffordshire Terrier that I should not have. I listened to hearsay, to conjecture and never made the move to find out the truth for myself- until now (because I was getting paid…) And I’d like to officially apologize to the three breeds.
In all reality there is no such thing as a pit bull. It is a blanket term that refers to the three breeds. Kinda like when we refer to someone as Caucasian. But we know there are Irish white people, German white people or Italian white people. They’re all Caucasian- but not. The American Pit Bull has temperament and traits that the Bull Terrier does not. The Bull Terrier has temperament and traits that the Staffordshire does not. The Staffordshire has temperament and traits that the American Pit Bull does not- and so on…
Nonetheless, all three have been lumped under the term ‘pit bull’ and now all three live under the stigma of being vicious killer breeds.
I cannot stress how categorically untrue and unfair this is. These dogs no more deserve the reputation of being ‘born killers’ than a newborn infant.
Despite their reputations it should be known that in the early 1900’s, the American Pit Bull was in nearly every single home in America- they were the Black Lab of their time. In their early years of development in England, (about the 17th and 18th century) they were bred, yes, for baiting and pinning bulls and other dangerous animals. However, they were carefully bred to exhibit aggression only toward other four legged animals- never humans. A dog that would not immediately heed its owner was considered useless and killed. So when you see a ‘pit bull’ breed that is aggressive towards humans, what you’re seeing is an all out defect.
It also may interest you to know that the American Temperament Test Society, an organization that tests the dispositions of various dogs by putting them in confrontational situations, has tested the American Pit Bull, the Staffordshire and the Bull Terrier. The more aggressive the reaction to stimuli, the lower their percentage.
The American Pit Bull ranked at 83.4%
The Bull Terrier at 83.3%
The Staffordshire at 93.2%
The Chihuahua ranked at 70.6%
The Black Lab ranked at 91.1%
From 1965 to 2001 the number of fatal attacks by the Staffordshire Terrier has been 0. Dachshunds, however, have killed 3 times. Of the thousands of dogs reported stolen each year, over half are Staffordshire Terriers. As they are often mistaken for ‘pit bulls’, thieves target the breed mostly because they know a Staffordshire is easy to steal. The dog simply does not have a suspicious temperament, therefore they do not assume there is any reason to not go off with whoever bids them. None of that would make sense if the breed was actually a ‘born killer’. Many Staffordshire owners refer to their Staffordshire Terriers as Staffordshire ‘Terrifieds’.
Please understand that this is not research off of a few breed enthusiast websites. When you spend a month writing a number of articles on different dog breeds, word of mouth and the ‘opinions of a few’ just won’t work.
Now- here’s the kicker. I still believe in breed bans. Even after all I learned I still want the breed banned- unless and until you can prove you bought your breed of neutered/spayed pit bull from an officially mandated, registered and reputable kennel.
It’s not the breed I don’t trust – it’s you. It’s those of you who are willing to take a dog with the temperament of a Black Lab and turn it into something ferocious. I had a Black Lab. The most dangerous thing that dog ever did was fart- and he couldn’t be bothered to ‘attack’ anything unless it was bacon flavored. Do you know how much you would have to do to a dog with that kind of temperament to make it vicious? THAT is a sick individual. The sickest.
The idea that anyone would take a dog and turn it into a killing machine makes me beyond ill. What kind of chickenshit motherfucker do you have to be to use an animal to play out your sick perversion? If you’re so big and bad- what do you need a dog for? Do your own dirty work! Don’t hide behind the dog, don’t vent on the dog. BE the bad ass you think you are.
If a breed ban will save a dog from a psychopath, then so be it. The argument is that these disgusting pigs will just go find another breed to destroy. I say go for it. If it takes banning every damn breed, I say go for it. You wanna learn the hard way, we’ll make it hard. Trust me, when upstanding citizens can’t have the dogs they want, they’ll start making it hard for those motherfuckers who think they can just piss all over God’s creations and anything else they please.
I know how things would work in my perfect world but the saddest part is, in doing my research I found that every dog is at a challenge because of us. In the beginning, dogs were bred for a purpose- so every trait they were bred for was utilized. Sadly, that’s not the case anymore. We don’t need dogs the way we used to need them- but all of their instincts are still there. And worst of all, it is WE as humans that have weakened them, by taking certain traits and breeding them in and out at will. Things that were once considered defects are now the standard and traits that were the standard are now considered defects. The same goes for temperaments.
Maybe humans are the breed that needs banning- ever think of that?
I love to imagine how the next few months will go - McCain and Obama are already facing off with each other.
I am excited at the potential for change that Obama represents and am hopeful he can stick to his high standards!
Congrats Obama for making real history in a day and age when reporters sensationalize stories to try to make something sound important - this is real history in the making !
That's the change America needs! And it's quite likely; Yes! He Can!
;-)
By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service
June 2, 2008 - For the past two years, one troop-support organization has made sure children of fallen servicemembers have an avalanche of fun. "Snowball Express" began in December 2006 with the mission of providing hope and new memories to military children who have lost a parent since 9/11.
"The belief is these children should never be forgotten by a grateful nation," said Roy White, the group's chairman of the board and a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel. "Snowball Express accomplishes its mission by providing an all-expense paid, multi-day fun experience for eligible children [18 and younger] who are joined by the surviving parent [or] legal guardian."
Since its beginning, the Snowball Express event has been held in Orange County, Calif. This year will be no different, White said.
"This year, new and returning families will be treated to a new experience with a trip to Universal Studios and 'A Day in the Life of California,' being planned by the employees of Oakley and many other corporate partners," he said. "A return trip to Disneyland completes this unique experience, along with a few special surprises along the way for these children who pay the price of freedom for all Americans every day."
Beyond the fun, however, there is a serious purpose to the event, and that is the relationships that are forged among not only the adults who discover they're not alone, but also the children.
"The greatest benefits are the children being with other children who understand their emotions and thoughts," White said. "It's these new relationships that build hope for the future and create new memories and a network for these children."
More than 1,000 volunteers from across the country are helping to make this endeavor possible. Not included among these volunteers are the people who make donations to make the five-day event possible.
"We know Americans want to help these children, and Snowball Express has become a conduit for all Americans to help by donating frequent flyer miles, organizing local events for the families and providing financial contributions to his main event in December," said Jim Palmersheim, a Snowball Express board member and an American Airlines captain. "I'm proud that my fellow American Airline pilots and flight attendants worked for free to bring these children to Snowball Express last year, and we are honored to do it again this year."
Other corporate sponsors offer everything from lodging and transportation to meals, tickets and myriad other goodies.
Those involved with Snowball Express said the group's new affiliation with the Defense Department's "America Supports You" program will help spread the word and get other sponsors involved, as well.
America Supports You connects citizens and companies with servicemembers and their families serving at home and abroad.
"Very little money is spent on overhead costs such as advertising or fundraising," said Bill Mimiaga, Snowball Express' secretary and a trustee as well as a retired Marine major. "Being recognized by ASY will give us increased exposure to corporations and, more importantly, to families who may not know about us.
"If even one family learns of Snowball Express because of this affiliation, those children's lives and the subsequent changes in their lives because of their Snowball Express experience will make it all worthwhile," he added.
This year's Snowball Express event will be held Dec. 16-20. Plans are under way to hold Snowball Express 2009 in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. More information and eligibility rules are available on the group's Web site.
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