I have no idea why people choose to spend their entire life in Illinois.  My beef with Illinois starts with the weather… the weather is crummy and there is very little to do that does not involve large quantities of alcohol.  Traffic is abominable with roads that often are so broken up you risk damage to your vehicle simply traveling over them… but to go beyond the boredom and winter depression, I think Illinois is one of the poorest managed and most corrupt States in the Union.  I see, hear and feel it everywhere… I see it in grid-lock in Springfield on almost every issue facing this State.  I see Senate leaders play games with rules to get their very own son in position to replace them i.e. Emil Jones… I see a County president who was incompacitated and unable to govern, yet he is allowed to manipulate the rules to allow his son to replace him i.e. Todd Stroger… I see corruption even when I travel the numerous tollways as our inept governor’s name is plastered across the banner above toll booths, i.e. Rod Blagojevich… and when I have the displeasure of going to the DMV I see larger than life pictures of Jesse White… both of these politicians are using taxpayer money to create name recognition only perpetuating their re-election… I feel it in the pockebook when I pay tolls for roads that have been paid for… years ago, yet still collect tolls, and I hear it every day when I listen to the news about the growing debt the State is racking up without any serious ideas how to payoff this debt in our lifetimes. 

I have lived all over this country… from Texas to Washington DC to Nebraska to even Indiana, and I have to say Illinois is the only State I can truly say I would choose never to live again.  I am excitedly planning for the day when I can leave this inhospitable, unfriendly, soon to be grossly overtaxed State called Illinois.  To me it has few truly interesting features… except for the City of Chicago.  Which I will say Chicago is indeed a world class city… it is surprising clean, and for a major city has many places to enjoy the outdoors.  Daly has done a nice job despite his speaking skills that are a notch below George W.’s.  

But Illinois is a boring, corrupt and an anti-business place to live, and so I really wonder why people live here if they had a choice.  From talking with people the primary reason is that the literally don’t know any better.  They have lived here all their lives and can’t imagine anyplace else.  But I for one, would not put Illinois on my list of places to live.  It meets not one criteria that I think the average person would list as a great State to live.  And I think if people knew better, Blowjobovich would be governing only himself. 

I have renamed the State:  Illinoying… as I find living here quite annoying.

Microsoft has been a shining star in the world of operating systems.  They have given the world the ability to do things that 30 years ago were only dreamed of… and while some complain about their dominance, I think they make a good product.

But lately, their almost daily release of patches has begun to cause serious problems with all of our machines.  And if they continue patching the patches, their operating system and the software that runs on that operating system are going to lock-up, and become one giant nightmare for those of us who prefer not to waste time fucking around with tweaking software.

Wake up Microsoft, stop all patches until they are perfected including releasing new operating systems that are not ready for “prime time”.

Over the years I have seen a continual erosion of a basic American value and that is truthfulness.  I hate to sound cynical, but it seems lying has become fashionable… no one tells the truth anymore.  It doesn’t matter how insignificant, people seem to lie or embellish.  I for one am tired of having to read between the lines all the time to establish whether people are being truthful.  It is so much easier to just be honest and tell the truth.

I suppose people in the United States have become so accustomed to politicians, law enforcement, religious leaders, judges, appointed officials and even our Presidents routinely lying to all of us, that we have become jaded.

And to see what I am talking about, you need look no further than the election of 2008 to see lying in full bloom.  Each candidate bends and morphs the truth to fit their needs and it is just awful. 

Obama continues to say things that are not only lies, but he morphs words to mean things that if true would be mutually exclusive.  For example he continues to lie to the American public saying he is going to give 95% all households a tax cut.  That my friends is a lie and is impossible.  Unless you pay taxes you can’t get a tax cut… and the statistics are that 40% of all households don’t even pay Federal income tax, but he just keeps lying.  And whats worse is that no one calls him on it… have we no honest or truth seeking reporters left in this country?

And McCain mistates what Obama supposedly says on a number of topics.  Why does he misquote and distort? 

All I can say is I feel like I am part of an ever shrinking group of American’s who honestly tries to tell the truth at all times.  I find the truth is just easier and people respect the truth even if they don’t like what you have to say. 

So why don’t we all pledge as our New Year’s resolution to tell the truth… and as a complementary resolution pledge to call “bullshit” when you hear people lie to you or others.