Corey Haim was pronounced dead at Providence St. Joseph Medical Center in Burbank early Wednesday morning. Drugs were suspected of playing a role in the medical emergency that led to his death.

I grew up watching Corey in movies such as The Lost Boys, Silver Bullet and Lucas. This is a sad day indeed to see such a young life snuffed out all in the name of fame.

It’s so sad to see the excesses of stardom consume those who fought so hard to obtain it. Everyone thinks fame and glory is the end all of their realization but it destroys as many as it completes: Janis Joplin, John Belushi, Chris Farley, River Phoenix, Heath Ledger. the list is endless of people who thought fame was the answer to all their dreams and never found out that what they were missing in life had nothing to do with how many people recognize them on the street.

This from the Los Angeles AP.

“As he got out of bed, he felt a little weak and went down to the floor on his knees,” Assistant Chief Coroner Ed Winter said. His mother called paramedics.

Haim had flulike symptoms before he died and was getting over-the-counter and prescription medications, Police Sgt. William Mann said. The cause of death is unknown, Mann said.

“He could have succumbed to whatever (illness) he had or it could have been drugs. Who knows?” Mann continued. “He has had a drug problem in the past.”

In Memoriam: View photos of Haim throughout his career

Haim was taken by ambulance to the hospital from an apartment in Los Angeles near Burbank. The enormous complex is known as Oakwood and is popular with young actors, Kammert said.

Haim acknowledged his struggle with drug abuse to The Sun in 2004.

“I was working on Lost Boys when I smoked my first joint,” he told the British tabloid.

“I did cocaine for about a year and a half, then it led to crack,” he said.

Haim said he went into rehabilitation and was put on prescription drugs. He took both stimulants and sedatives such as Valium.

“I started on the downers which were a hell of a lot better than the uppers because I was a nervous wreck,” he said. “But one led to two, two led to four, four led to eight, until at the end it was about 85 a day.”

In 2007, he told ABC’s “Nightline” that drugs hurt his career.

“I feel like with myself I ruined myself to the point where I wasn’t functional enough to work for anybody, even myself. I wasn’t working,” he said.

The Toronto-born actor got his start in television commercials at 10 and earned a good reputation for his work in such films as 1985’s “Murphy’s Romance” and his portrayal of Liza Minnelli’s dying son in the 1985 television film “A Time to Live.”

His career peaked and he became a teen heartthrob with his roles in the 1986 movie “Lucas,” and “The Lost Boys,” in which he battled vampires.

In later years, he made a few TV appearances and had several direct-to-video movies. He also had a handful of recent movies that have not yet been released.

But in 1997 he filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, listing debts for medical expenses and more than $200,000 in state and federal taxes.

His assets included a few thousand dollars in cash, clothing and royalty rights.

In recent years, he appeared in the A&E reality TV show “The Two Coreys” with his friend Corey Feldman. It was canceled in 2008 after two seasons. Feldman later said Haim’s drug abuse strained their working and personal relationships.

In a 2007 interview on CNN’s “Larry King Live,” Haim called himself “a chronic relapser for the rest of my life.”

It is my hope that someone sees this tragedy and puts down the needle and spoon or the pipe and realizes the path that they are on. Unfortunately I think we all know that’s not going to happen. These people were once our children. This is one of many wake up calls for parents everywhere. Stay involved and help them build a foundation for them to stand strong on.

You could be the parent of a Corey Haim or a River Phoenix.

All I ever needed to know about Politics…I learned as a Boy Scout. You may think that this is a naive attitude, and not on par with the 21^st Century; but I beg to differ. I say that if our Politicians and the American People knew and kept the core principles of Scouting, our country and the world would be a much better place.

Let’s break it down with definitions; because some these words are not in some peoples vocabulary anymore . The Scout Law says the following.

A Scout is Trustworthy,

Trustworthy- adjective

1. Worthy of trust or belief .
2. Taking responsibility for ones conduct, and obligations.

Trust , belief and  responsibility are interesting words to be sure, but what do they mean? We put our trust in our elected officials and it is our belief that they will do what is right. That third word, responsibility, is not a popular word in our day and age. Whose responsibility is it to care for our families well being? Is it the Governments? I say NO! America was founded on principles of self-reliance, hard work and stick-to-it-iv-ness. We have a sacred trust given to us by the Almighty to care for and love our families. It is not the Governments job!

Loyal- adjective-

1. Steadfast in allegiance or duty.
2. Inspired by love for your country.
3. Unwavering in devotion to friend, vow, or cause.

Loyalty is a strange thing. It must be earned. It cannot be bought, bartered or traded. If a man or woman cannot be loyal to their spouse how can they be loyal to anyone? They must love our country, even with it’s imperfections, and be devoted to it. Has America made mistakes? Yes we have, that is inevitable. But we still do more for this world than any other county on the face of the Earth. We have leaders that I swear hate this county and they apologize for us at every opportunity. To quote the great John Wayne, “Never apologize, it’s a sign of weakness!” That does not mean that we should not try to correct our mistakes. We need to be steadfast and unwavering in our devotion to America.

Helpful- Adjective

1. Providing assistance or serving a useful function.
2. Of service or assistance.
3. Showing a willingness to cooperate.

Serving a useful function…Hmm? Is tearing apart the family by making America a  welfare state a useful function? Is this doing good for our Country? Is putting restrictions on business’s that thwart progress and kill jobs helpful? Is putting burdensome tax’s on families so that they cannot support themselves helpful.

Friendly – Adjective

1. Characteristic of or befitting a friend.
2. Favorably disposed; not antagonistic or hostile.
3. Of or belonging to your own countries forces, or an ally.

Would some of the actions of our Politicians be what you would do to a friend? Are their actions favorably disposed to the people or are they hostile to their constituents. Are they truly our allies, or are they are enemies.

Brave- Adjective

1. Possessing or displaying courage, able to deal with danger or fear without flinching.
2. Invulnerable to fear or intimidation.

Being brave isn’t always about charging the enemies guns or facing man-eating beasts. It is about having conviction to your values and beliefs. It is about not be intimidated into doing things that you do not believe to be right and true…damn the consequences.

Clean- adjective

1. Free from dirt or impurities; or having clean habits.
2. Free of restrictions or qualifications..
3. Free from impurities.
4. Without difficulties or problems.
5. (Religion) ritually clean or pure.
6. Not spreading pollution or contamination..
7. (Of behavior or especially language) free from objectionable elements.
8. Free from sepsis or infection, or corruption.
9. Morally pure.
10. (Of a manuscript) having few alterations or corrections.
11. marked by or calling for sportsmanship or fair play.
12. Thorough and without qualification.
13. (Of a record) having no marks of discredit or offense.
14. Free of drugs; “after a long dependency on heroin she has been clean for 4 years”.

I really didn’t expect there to be so many definitions for clean. It must be more important than even I realized. Our politicians need to be beyond reproach. Being clean doesn’t always apply to your personal hygiene, even though that is very important. It is a state of being. They are human and make mistakes. That is what repentance is for. They need to be men who’s conscience is clean.

Reverent- adjective

1. Feeling or showing profound respect or veneration.
2. Showing great reverence for god.

Reverence is showing respect for solemnity, and office. Respect is another good word for reverent. Not all of our Founding Fathers could have been considered religious men; but they had a belief in a Supreme Being and showed respect to him. They respected the office that they held and tried to do it justice.

The Scout Oath states:

On my honor, I will do my best, to do my duty, to God, and my Country. To help other people at all times, to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight.

I can’t think of a better oath for any person. I was taught to keep my oaths. I have taken several Oaths throughout my life. I do not make any oath that I don”t intend to keep. An Oath is a sacred thing. My marriage vows are an oath, and a covenant between myself, my wife and God. I took another Oath when I pinned on a badge as a Law Enforcement Officer. This is an oath that is given to anyone holding public office; whether they be a Police Officer, a Soldier in the United States Military or an Elected Official. It differs according to the job. This is the Oath of Enlistment for the U.S. Army. I think that you will get the gist of it.

I, (NAME), do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God.

I, along with many others, have taken an Oath to Support and Defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic.

I keep my Oaths…I hope you do as well.

February 6th, 2010

The Council on American-Islamic Relations filed a federal civil rights complaint against Lancaster, Ca Mayor R. Rex Parris on Friday. The pro-Islam group contends that Parris violated the civil rights of people everywhere when he made the statement that he was  ”growing a Christian community” in one of his State of the City addresses attended by Christian ministers at an event he paid for.

I understand the importance of preventing government from endorsing one religion over another  but it seems CAIR is only worried about civil rights violations when involving non-Islamic references. To say Islam is the religion of peace and tolerance is the over statement of the century. Not surprisingly, FOXNews.com was the only outlet to pick this up.

LANCASTER, Calif. — A Muslim group filed a federal civil rights complaint Friday after a Southern California mayor remarked that he was “growing a Christian community” in a state of the city address last week.

In a letter to the U.S. Justice Department, the Council on American-Islamic Relations claimed Lancaster Mayor R. Rex Parris violated the civil rights of non-Christians and shouldn’t have used his official capacity at a city event to advance a particular religion.

The civil rights group also said Parris referred to an April ballot measure that would endorse prayer at city meetings without restricting its content, including references to Jesus Christ, as a way to “validate a Christian stance.”

Such a mixing of church and state is “unhealthy, unconstitutional and very divisive,” said Hussam Ayloush, executive director of CAIR in greater Los Angeles.

“The role of any faith, of religion in general, is needed as much as the role of government… Our concern is when the wall of separation is blurred,” said Ayloush, whose letter requested a Justice Department investigation.

Parris, who was elected mayor in 2008, said he made the comment in a speech to Christian ministers at an event he paid for and thought it was appropriate. He said he was sorry if anyone was hurt by the remark, which was not his intent.

“I think it is totally ludicrous,” Parris said Friday. “Something very dangerous is happening in America when a profession of your faith can end up in actual government hearings.

“All of us get to express our opinion wherever, whenever we want to, including opinions of faith, and that is what I did and that is what I will continue to do.”

So at what point are we going to recognize this for what it is? If a newspaper dares to publish a cartoon depicting Muhammad, a religious fatwa is issued calling for the death of the author. At the same time, no one within CAIR ever stepped up and stood to protect the civil rights of the two beautiful girls in the picture above. Because of a perceived slight that their father thought they perpetrated on him, they ended up being found brutally murdered in the back of their fathers taxi cab after one of the girls managed to place a call to 911 implicating her father before she died from 9 gunshot wounds.

17 year old Sarah and her sister Amina, 18, had a bright future snuffed out by what happens over 5,000 times a year within Muslim communities world wide. I’d like to see CAIR work on their internal issues with the civil rights of their own Muslim women who have been repressed and abused for hundreds of years. Something about a mote and a splinter?

Feb 03, 2010
President Obama was at it again the other day, hatin’ on LV like a red-headed step child. He seems to have a real disdain for the entertainment capital of the world. This is the second time he has singled out Las Vegas, Nevada as an example of wasteful spending and further alienating Nevadans and their pocketbooks. Today he issued an apology for his statements. After all he must “welly be sowwy!” but not, apparently, to the people of Nevada. His apology went to Harry Reid. It seems they’ve traded these things like baseball cards lately. Do something stupid, apologize and it’s all good. Make a racist remark? Hey, it’s OK! Just send a formal letter of apology and all is forgiven. What I’m curious about is when this game is eventually going to fail. You can forgive bad behavior with clear remorse only so many times. Unfortunately, the Democrats have played this game for years.

LasVegasNow.com had this to say.

Obama is catching heat from Nevada lawmakers and business leaders regarding his comments Tuesday criticizing trips to Las Vegas. During the president’s town hall meeting in Nashua, New Hampshire, he discussed the need to curb spending during tough economic times. “When times are tough, you tighten your belts,” the president said. “You don’t go buying a boat when you can barely pay your mortgage. You don’t blow a bunch of cash on Vegas when you’re trying to save for college.” The president’s comments come nearly a year after he criticized companies that received federal money for taking corporate junkets to Las Vegas. “You can’t go take that trip to Las Vegas or go down to the Super Bowl on taxpayers’ dime,” he said at the time. Local business leaders say Nevada tourism suffered last year in part because companies canceled trips to Las Vegas in the wake of the president’s comments.

I find it even more interesting that “Lurch” Kerry and John “protector of the innocent” Murtha have yet to say their apologies for calling Marines in Iraq stupid, unintelligent murders who, in cold blood, kill women and children in the dead of night. Now THERE is an opportunity for them to shine! My Golly!

So there it is. Maybe we should start judging these people by the character they exhibit when not on guard and stop accepting their repeated bad behavior just because they say they’re sowwy.

Jan 18th, 2010

Martin Luther King had a dream but it wasn’t in color. His dream was all about seeing the common shades of humanity. MLK wanted everyone, no matter the color, no matter the creed to have the same opportunity as anyone else and believed in the greatness of this country. He believed in joining together for the common goal of ending this country’s propensity to see people in terms of race instead of free men and sovereign citizens. He had a dream that [...one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."] Quite a few shared that dream: black, white, brown, yellow, but most importantly American. Although his personal experience revolved around the plight of the black community, his movement, his dream was about the equality of the human race, not necessarily just the black man. He envisioned equality  for all races, creeds, religions and sexes.

As the civil rights movement began to gain a footing, there was a group of people who took notice. They took notice of the growing dissent but saw it as insurrection instead. The societal norms of the day were under attack but they were helpless to act because of the growing public support for the movement itself. This group was the Democratic Party. The very same party that fought to keep the south segregated with Jim Crow Laws was starting to change direction. They voted down anti-lynching laws in the 20’s and led the longest filibuster in the history of Congress on the the Civil Rights Act of 1957 but were now starting to realize the status quo was losing them votes and popularity with the American People. The days of Al Gore Sr. and Strom Thurman were numbered.

There were  a few unintended consequences of this shift in the Democratic Party. Because of the change in direction, quite a few segregationists in the south viewed their pandering as treasonous and could no longer support the party they had been member’s of all their lives. Many were upset that their party was subsidizing and pandering to the very class of people they hated and wished to stifle. Because of this, many southern voters started voting Republican. They had two choices: stay with the party that no longer supported their ideology, or move to a republican party that didn’t support their segregationist stances but did support a strong national defense, fiscal responsibility and didn’t look to run the country into the ground by expanding the welfare state.  Because of this power sink, the Democrats revitalized the liberal name and started toting themselves as the party of the minority and the downtrodden. They pandered to minorities looking for King’s Dream with huge entitlement programs like Lyndon Johnson’s Great Society. It was FDR’s Black Cabinet all over again. FDR needed to steal the black vote from the Republican Party so he appointed an unofficial cabinet of black individuals to more powerful positions than any had ever seen before, although none were appointed to official cabinets and served in a more advisory role. Democrats in the south wouldn’t allow blacks to vote and most blacks viewed Democrats as having horns. FDR’s appointments coupled with huge entitlements  garnered a large shift in that sentiment. The Democrats were at it again, after votes and an expansion of their power base. Civil rights was the last thing on their minds.

King was grateful for the Emancipation Proclamation and the freedom that Lincoln had given his people but at the same time, saw the new chains that were placed on the ankles of the newly freed slaves. They went from the shackles of slavery to the economic shackles of unjust laws and deep seeded racist vitriol in the south. Blacks were free but lived as second class citizens in the south and in the slums of the northern cities, they lived in squalor. His dream was the unshackling of his people from the socioeconomic chains that bound them through the realization that all men, black or white, were equal in the eyes of our founding documents and in the eyes of God. He pointed to how our founders believed in the equality of men and built that into the charter of this great nation. He didn’t hate America and he didn’t blame our national structure or design for the plight he faced, He embraced it. He wanted everyone to have equal opportunity to shine and succeed. He wanted every person, no matter the race, to be seen as simply a man and an American.

he saw the lack of equality in American society as a check issued to the black community by Lincoln but which was returned NSF by the “bank of justice”. All he asked for was the honoring of the check, not special treatment or further economic bonds through the welfare state. He didn’t ask for preferential treatment because of a perceived unequal ability or opportunity. He asked for our hearts and minds, not political correctness or capital.

Under the guise of equality and justice, the black community was sold a bill of goods. Instead of changing hearts and creating equal opportunity, the Democrats responded to King’s plea’s with backhanded supplication and placation. If King were alive today, he would be appalled at the current state of affairs in this nation. The shackles of economic perpetuity has gone far beyond the insult of 40 acres and a mule.  If you give a man a fish, he eats for a day. If you teach a man to fish, he eats for life. King wanted a fishing pole and the right to use it, not just a market fresh fish wrapped in a northern newspaper.

I leave you with his fateful speech which he gave in 1963 in front of the Lincoln memorial. It moves me close to tears every time I hear it and I hope we all can take a lesson from his words. This includes Al Sharpton and Jessie Jackson. I think they could use it more than most.

“And this will be the day — this will be the day when all of God’s children will be able to sing with new meaning:
My country ’tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing.
Land where my fathers died, land of the Pilgrim’s pride,
From every mountainside, let freedom ring!
And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true.”

- (I Have a Dream – August 28, 1963)

Martin Luther King Jr

December 4th, 2009

With the melting pot of religions, nationalities and ideologies in this country, we are constantly being told to be tolerant of others but what does that really mean? Is there some universal truth to tolerance that we all subscribe to as a people? Who sets the definition of tolerance and where do we draw line between being tolerant of others and being forced to subscribe to set of beliefs publicly and another privately? Can one take a stand on an issue they believe strongly about when the PC position states you have to be tolerant of one “universally accepted” norm or else you’re a pariah? Is that tolerance or intolerance? Lets take a closer look.

The Websters Dictionary definition of tolerance is as follows.

October 9. 2009

Barak Obama has been announced the winner of the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize for accomplishments in his, so far short, tenure as the President of the United States. Many great men and women have won this prestigious award. The Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded 89 times to 119 Nobel Laureates between 1901 and 2008 – 96 times to individuals and 23 times to organizations. Individuals like Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela were awarded the Prize in response to their immense work to end racism and fight for the equality of all men. Incidentally, Mandela spent 27 years in prison for his part in the fight to end Apartheid in South Africa and then won the Presidency in South Africa’s first multi-racial elections in 1994. Mother Theresa, for her humanitarian outreach in third world nations, won the Nobel in 1979 and Desmond Tutu won the same Prize in  1984 for his religious work to end slavery and Apartheid in South Africa.

Because it is such a great honor to win a Nobel Peace Prize and is only awarded to the greatest of individuals for the greatest of accomplishments, I wanted to list the highlights of Barak Obama’s feats for you to peruse. They are many so dig in.

• Lowered the value of the dollar through monetizing the national debt and printing trillions of dollars in currency
• Slowed the economy through poor economic policy and inaction
• Caused the highest unemployment in 35 years
• Traveled the world apologizing for America being a terrible country
• Made the United States even more of a laughing stock than it already was
• Nationalized 60% of our private industry and banking system
• Brought the most radically left, Marxist individuals he could find in power under him with no Congressional vetting
• Further dividing Congress
• Appeased our enemies, Russia
• Angered China, who happens to be the financial backer of over 50% of our National Debt
• Flew the Chinese flag on the White House lawn. The Chinese government is one of the biggest human rights violators in the world and is directly responsible for the deaths of over 20,000,000 political dissidents over the last 40 years.
• Snubbed our NATO allies, Poland and The Czech Republic by backing out of the missile defense shield to appease Russia, our enemy, on the anniversary of the Russian invasion of Poland
• Allowed Iran to further it’s nuclear weapons program through inaction and dropping our support for Israel
• Traveling to Germany to make a bid for the Olympics to be in Chicago so his buddy and real estate criminal, Tony Rezsco, could make millions. Incidentally, while he was in Germany, 46 Americans died in Afghanistan and he still refuses to make a decision on General McKrystal’s request for 40,000 more troops in the theater.

This is just the short list of Barak Obama’s many and illustrious accomplishments that more than qualify him for the Nobel Peace Prize.

According to Alfred Nobel’s last will and testament, the Prize should be awarded “to the person who shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses.”

I’m ashamed to be Scandinavian… This is a Crock and a Fraud and Nobel is turning over in his grave. The really funny thing here is the fact that the members of the Nobel commission vote every year in February and then award the Prize in October or November. This means Barak Obama was only in office for approximately 11+ days when they made the decision to give it to him. Something stinks in Denmark, thats for sure.

excuse me, I have to go take some Immodium now. This has made me sick…

(Edit)

Thanks be to David for pointing out my mis-information on the voting process. Obama made the short list in February/March and was unanimously voted up in October. The details are in the comments. This still does NOT change the level of accomplishment of the winner OR change my mind on the fact that he didn’t even come close to achieving the same level of public service or work for peace as the many deserving individuals who won the Nobel before him. Mother Theresa, he is NOT.

But nevertheless, I am always willing to admit when I was indeed wrong and I was in this case.