Why do we tolerate this...

I cannot believe the kinds of violence we are seeing in the world today. I was reading through news headlines this afternoon when one jumped out at me: Man Beaten to Death While Trying to Protect His Son.

In this story, a 7-year old boy playing soccer (English football) in England accidentally kicked his ball into a neighbor's yard. When the neighbor refused to return the ball and began picking on the child, the father intervened in an attempt to protect the little boy. What ensued was not only horrific, but intolerable.

A group of people at the neighbor's house ganged up on and attacked this man with a samurai sword, a cricket bat, and golf clubs. They stabbed him, knocked him down, and then proceeded to continually smash his head with the cricket bat and golf clubs - all while his 7-year old son watched in horror.

The man's wife tried to come to his rescue but was knocked down and held back from helping her husband.

In the end, the man died, and a 14-year old girl and a 60-year old grandmother are among those who were arrested in the assault. The police are attempting to identify the other members who participated in the violent attack.

The question I have is this: Why do we tolerate such behavior in our societies? This isn't just senseless violence, this is rage and evil coming from the neighbor next door. Unfortunately, the people involved will likely receive relatively minor sentences for this ridiculous crime while this 7-year old boy, his widowed mother, and his 12-year old sister (who did not witness the attack) will all be forced to live for the rest of their lives without a father, husband, and provider for the family. The lives of at least 3 people have been literally destroyed because of this attack, and it's simply unacceptable to tolerate this sort of behavior by issuing slaps on the wrist to the attackers. (20 years in prison would be "slap on the wrist" when considering the violent nature of and tragic results of this crime affecting generations of this man's family.)

I don't know what has happened to our societies today where violence, perversion, and other forms of evil behavior are not only tolerated, but are glamorized and publicized in our media and in our entertainment.

When will we realize that our weakened moral standards for what our children see on television and in movies is having a very tangible and measurable effect on our societies? When will we realize that the rise in perversions and molestations is directly related to the proliferation of pornographic materials in our homes? When will we realize that we tolerate these kinds of crimes by tolerating the propaganda and material that leads to this sort of behavior?

We're always sad to see something like this occur, but we do nothing to stop it from happening again. Instead, we "innocently" turn on CSI and go watch "There will be blood" at the movies and somehow fail to realize that we are supporting and embracing the very things that are driving our society towards violence and immorality.

You may wonder why these people committed a crime like this. I wonder why we tolerate it by spending our time and resources supporting the garbage that promotes and glamorizes this behavior.

Something has to change...

The GOP Race: Romney vs. McCain

I'm from Arizona, and I have voted for John McCain as a U.S. Senator in the past. I respect Mr. McCain, but I'm not going to vote for him in the presidential election for several reasons: (1) I don't agree with his left-leaning positions on immigration, (2) I don't think he has the Executive experience to lead that branch of our government, (3) I know he doesn't have the economic knowledge and experience we need to help save our economy, and (4) I have serious concerns that his health would deteriorate over the next 8 years in today's hectic and fast-paced world.

I'm voting for Mitt Romney because I think he has the right view on conservative principles, he has the obvious experience in the professional sector, he has plenty of experience as an Executive (both in the business world and in politics), and I think he has that intangible "it" that makes him truly Presidential. He speaks well, he looks great on TV, and he has a presence that reminds me of Reagan.

One final thought...if - as the press and exit polls have made evident - John McCain benefits from Independent voters in NH and Democrat voters who can't vote for Obama in Michigan, why would conservative Republican voters want him as their representative?

The Ultimate Steal

In case you hadn't heard, Microsoft is making their "ultimate" Microsoft Office package available to full-time students with a ".edu" e-mail address for just $60.

I was a bit skeptical when I first heard about this, but after researching this out, I ordered and received my copy. It's a great deal that you can't find anywhere else - even at your University bookstore.

When you pay your $60, you receive by e-mail a license for the product and then you can either (1) download the software directly from Microsoft's web site or (2) choose to have a DVD sent to your house. (Having the DVD sent to your house costs an additional $12, but I think it's worth it.)

This is a legitimate offer directly from Microsoft, but it only runs through April 30th. You get the following programs as part of the "Ultimate" package:

• Access 2007
• Accounting Express 2007
• Excel 2007
• InfoPath 2007
• Groove 2007
• OneNote 2007
• Outlook 2007 with Business Contact Manager
• PowerPoint 2007
• Publisher 2007
• Word 2007

If you want to learn more about what's in the Ultimate package, visit Microsoft's site at this link: Microsoft Office Ultimate 2007

You may be wondering why I care to share this information. Well, if you click on one of my banner ads and then buy the product, I get $1.00 for your purchase. I see this as a win-win situation where you get a really great deal on legitimate software that you'll use every day in school or at work, and I get $1.00 for helping tell you about this deal. If you have questions, leave a comment or e-mail me (dailyjules@gmail.com).

This package includes more than any other Office package MSFT offers. Check it out by clicking on the banner below:



Thank you for visiting my site. If you decide to purchase the package, please click on one of my banner ads so I get credit for the sale.

Biased Against Romney...

I'm shocked by the amazing bias against Mitt Romney in the popular press. From the sounds of things, you'd think that Michigan's primary elections tomorrow will decide whether Romney can even stay in the race for another week. CNN called his "loss" in NH "devastating", and even FOX News has indicated that Mitt is "struggling" to stay in the race and that Michigan is a "do-or-die" primary for him.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought the objective of the GOP primaries was to win the most delegates. If that's true, then it seems that a logical barometer of a candidate's likelihood of success is to look at how many delegates they've won to this point. Let's see....

Mitt Romney has 30 delegates following his first-place finish in WY and his second place finishes in NH and IA.

Mike Huckabee is in a distant second place with 21 delegates following his win in IA and his third place finishes in WY and NH.

John McCain - who the press seems to be heavily favoring - is in a very distant third place with just 10 delegates following a narrow win in NH, a second place finish in WY, and a fourth place finish in IA.

So, Mitt Romney currently has 50% more delegates than the second place candidate, who isn't expected to place first or second in Michigan, and has 3 times the number of delegates who are in McCain's camp. Even if Romney were to place second in MI and pick up about 10 delegates, he'd still be in first place after another strong finish that the press would undoubtedly characterize as "devastating" or "crushing".

After watching all of the GOP debates so far, it's very clear that Mitt Romney is the most qualified, knowledgeable, eloquent, and stately candidate on stage. He has more experience as a chief executive than any other candidate, and he's proven that he can be successful in every venue imaginable. I don't want a 75- or 80-year old man with no fiscal knowledge running our country in tomorrow's fast-paced world, and I don't want to elect a closet Democrat (Huckabee) to represent the Republican party for the next 8 years.

A word to the wise...stop listening to the popular press and start listening to the candidates.

The GOP Nomination...How's it Going?

Well, it's been several months since I've posted on this site, but I've been actively following the campaigns of all Republican candidates. Though I was fairly confident that I'd be supporting Mitt Romney early on, my determination to support him has been solidified as I watch the debates and see the various candidates.

Mitt Romney has the experience, a clean personal and professional background, and he has the charisma and charm needed to serve as our country's leader for the next 8 years.

John McCain is a little too left-leaning with some of his policies, including taxes, and I can't imagine him aging well in the White House. Do we really want an 80-year old curmudgeon running the country?

Rudy Giuliani is a nice guy and a strong leader, but his views on abortion, gun control, and other social issues that are important to me eliminate him as a viable candidate in my mind.

Fred Thompson is a straight shooter and can be fun to listen to, but I'm unimpressed by his experience and his record in Congress. This isn't a movie about being the president; we need someone who has the experience of being a real Chief Executive.

Mike Huckabee is an interesting candidate who I respect. Like Romney, he has experience as a governor, but unlike Romney, he does not have experience running corporations as an executive or serving for a large international organization like the Sale Lake Olympics that Romney saved. Also, Huckabee's stance on taxes, immigration, and some other important issues are questionable at best. I think he's eloquent and intelligent, but he doesn't have the national campaign needed to win the nomination.

There should be no doubt to anyone watching the debates or listening to each candidate's positions that Mitt Romney is the man for the job. His experience, his stance on important conservative issues, and his personal and professional backgrounds all check out. He's the most intelligent and well-spoken candidate on the stage, and he has that special intangible quality that makes him truly Presidential.

Although the media has tried to characterize his second place finishes in Iowa and New Hampshire as devastating, he has won more votes and more delegates than any other candidate to this point. If the people of our great country would stop listening to the pundits in the media who are largely rooting for a weak Republican candidate, they'd see that Romney is in position to win and that he's the most viable candidate in a general election.

Next week will be very telling, but it's time that we start to seriously consider who we really want representing the Republican party for the next 8 years.