Views from a common man

One man's views on current events, news, sports, politics and cultural issues

[tcsparky-blog]

That is why I never bet on sports

That loud noise you probably heard last night was millions os sports fans ripping up their brackets after unheralded Fairleigh Dickinson University shocked the world by upsetting number one seed Purdue. I might go done as one of the biggest upsets ever in college basketball. FDU was just lucky to even qualify for the tournament. And they are the smallest team in the tournament as well. So much for the theory that basketball is a big man's game. It has changed and evolved to be more of a little man's game run by the guards. If you put down some money on FDU last night, you might be smiling a little today with your unexpected earnings and you might be the only person in the country who picked FDU!

I know sports betting is a big-time industry in this country and it can be a lot of fun if done in moderation and a responsible way. But I have never really considered investing my money into sports betting. In fact, I absolutely refuse to fill out a bracket and enter a pool anymore. It is just too hard on my old ticker! I cannot sit down and watch a game and enjoy it if I know that I have a few hundred dollars at stake. It takes the total enjoyment out of watching the game! Maybe I am just too competitive, I guess? I want to have the enjoyment and satisfaction of beating my co-workers in an office pool!

Instead of betting on a particular game, I always like to root for the underdog. It gives me great pleasure to see the little guys in the tournament such as FDU pull off the huge, monumental upset. I can never root for a heavy favorite in any game unless that favorite happens to be my favorite team. Since I do not have any skin in the game this tournament, I love seeing some of the top seeds go down in a heap of flames. No offense to the fans of Purdue but I really enjoyed seeing FDU win that game. The excitement of the crowd during the home stretch of the hat contest was completely off the charts! I would love to see FDU advance even further throughout the tournament. And maybe other lower seeds as well. The tournament would be in complete chaos, and I would love it!! And besides, what are your true chances of cashing in on some big bet? If you enter a pool with 50 people, your chances of winning are probably very slim to begin with. Keep your money and your peace of mind! Don't let a bunch of 19-year-olds control your well-being. You have no control over the fate of the games.

 I know I sound like an old rigid fuddy duddy. Some people cannot get enough of sports betting. But not this sports fan. I will keep my cash and continue rooting for the underdogs.

[tcsparky-blog]

Blame the bank

One of the biggest news stories in the past few weeks has been the collapse of the Silicon Valley Bank. This bank collapse has led to fears that other banks will encounter the same fate. Nearly every one of us working people have some sort of bank account and we have to begin and wonder if our bank will collapse some day as well. Now granted most of our deposits are FDIC insured but doesn't it make you wonder how some of these banks that hold our money are run? I certainly have those fears.

There has been a lot of talk and finger pointing about why this bank collapsed. Many folks including the Mr. Biden are blaming the bank regulations that were lifted during the Trump administration as the major cause of this collapse. While more regulations might have helped, why are other big banks doing just fine with the same regulations? I find it very hard to use that very weak excuse. 

There is no question that inflation and the rising interest rates are a greater reason behind this collapse, but have we not had a rise in interest rates and inflation in the past and many banks have survived? It is just the way the economy works with its ever-changing cycles.

Maybe the blame should be placed on where it should be placed, on the bank itself. Who runs this Silicon Valley Bank? Can they not see into the future that all their investments were very risky with the impending rise in interest rates due to heavy federal spending? Somebody screw up royally at that bank and I say that very cleanly! If I were a customer at a bank that was run like that, I would take my money and assets out of there as quickly as possibly and never do business with them again!

But worst of all, it appears that taxpayers will have to foot the bill for their incompetence. That is the tragic part of this whole story. It is sad when a company or business gets a bailout for being a poorly run organization. And most of it is due to poor financial management. Let the company die and maybe a better run company can take over. Who is to say that a bailout will help this failed bank anyways? Somebody really needs to be held accountable.

[tcsparky-blog]

I would love to buy an electric car but..

You probably have seen the ads on television. Car companies are coming out with new shiny electric cars. When you watch those commercials, isn't the thought of owning one on your mind? It certainly is for me. If not owning one, just testing one out for a month. How does it feel on the freeway or just driving around the neighborhood? How does the vehicle accelerate and merge into traffic? My little mind is filled with a ton of curiosity and questions about these new vehicles. Yes, I would deeply love to own one, but is it really worth it.?

My first concern is the cost of buying one of these vehicles. I see the average cost of one of these gems is around 66k. And the price went up nearly 11 percent last year. I pay an arm and a leg for my regular evil gas car; now double the cost and my payments would be almost 1k per month. Who has that kind of money? And you have to factor in the cost of constantly charging the battery among other things. Sure, you do not have to fill up with gas, but what about the cost of charging the battery? Is the average middle-class Joe like me able to afford this vehicle?  It is very doubtful.

Getting back to the charging, where are these charging locations for the battery.? I live in a large city, and I honestly only know of a handful of locations. Now let's say that I'm traveling in a rural area and my battery needs to be charged; where do I go? I assume most small rural areas are not up to speed yet on electric cars. A gas car is a little different. There is a gas station in just about every town in America or close by. How many charging stations are out there? Probably only a handful

I can appreciate the thought of helping the environment with these vehicles, but are we really? What energy source is used to run these charging stations? Something to think about. I highly doubt some windmill can generate enough power to fully run a charging station. No, we have to use those evil things that environmentalists are trying to get rid of.

I just don't believe we are quite ready to have a ton of those vehicles on the road. I certainly am not ready to buy one just yet. Hopefully someday though.

.

[tcsparky-blog]

400 billion of more handouts

The Supreme Court this week took up Joe Biden's controversial student debt relief program. This proposal by the Biden administration would eliminate thousands of dollars of student debt from many who have taken out student loans while attending college. Several states have challenged this proposed program as being unconstitutional, therefore, the fate of this program is at the hands of the Supreme Court. So what will end up happening to this proposal? In my opinion, this is just another foolish idea by the current administration to give out handouts to a select few while putting the burden on the rest of us.

Like many college students, I took out a huge loan to pay for my college education when I attended college. I made the payments and even consolidated my loan with other debt to help me pay it off. And guess what? It worked out. I did not have to rely on a handout. I know several people who have had worked extremely hard and made huge sacrifices to help pay for their student debt. It wasn't easy for them, but they did it. So where is their handout?

The way this relief proposal was created is extremely unconstitutional as well. Did Congress vote on it? I don't believe they did! Shouldn't a bill such as this require a vote in Congress before it passes? It is not right for a President to shove a bill through that will cost the American taxpayers roughly 400 billion dollars without it going through Congress. On those grounds alone, the Supreme Court should rule against this bill.

Proponents of this idea believe this will actually help the economy because thousands will no longer have a ton of debt to deal with. In other words, they will spend more. But what about the cost of adding on another 400 billion to our debt? How will that be paid off? Will the added load to our debt affect our staggering inflation? Has anyone in this administration given some thought on how this will affect our country in the future?

I was extremely blessed to have the opportunity to attend college and get my degree. But the fact is, college is simply not for everyone. In fact, many young people are much better off just going to some trade school for a few years. There are many good paying jobs out there that do not require a degree. Why saddle yourself with a ton of debt while attending college? Maybe you should think twice about taking out some huge loan that will be difficult to pay back. There are certainly many cheaper options out there.

I know if I had recently attended college and had nearly 50k in student debt to deal with, Joe Biden might be my best buddy right now. But for those like me who attended college in the past and for those who will attend college in the future, where are our handouts?

[tcsparky-blog]

A challenging time to be in a relationship.

Valentine's Day is right around the corner and thousands of couples will try to please their sweethearts with an assortment of gifts and acts of love and appreciation. Perhaps you are involved in a relationship at the current time and want this day to be very memorable day. I'm sure many couples are fully committed towards each other, but in this day and age, are they really.?

Several years ago, it was very common for people to marry their high school sweethearts and stay with them for their entire lives. It was what people did; you would meet your feature spouse in high school, fall in love and ride off into the sunset. Sure, there were opportunities to cheat on your lover, but those opportunities did not exist to the degree that they do today.

In today's world, there are numerous dating sites that people can sign up for and believe me, many people who are in relationships sign up to see if the grass is greener on the other side of the fence. It is a lot easier to meet people of the opposite sex now than at any time. Many people do not worry about not finding others to date after a breakup. There are plenty of other fish in pond!

Besides those greater opportunities to date, many couples have found their exes on social media sites such as Facebook and Instagram or even Classmates. Perhaps you started contacting your past flame and now realize that maybe there is still some spark left. You want to find out even though you are stuck in a relationship at the present moment.

Yes, those days of being together for several years are slowly becoming a thing of the past. I hate to bring this up during Valentine's week, but it is true. Couples just do not seem as committed to each other like they used to be. If you are in a relationship, it can be more challenging to keep that relationship strong and fresh. Hopefully, your relationship is strong enough to withstand all these outside forces of today.

[tcsparky-blog]

A few NFL thoughts and a bold Super Bowl pick

Well folks, the big game of the year is nearly upon us. The Kansas City Chiefs will be taking on the Philadelphia Eagles in what should be a very entertaining and closely matched contest. As a big NFL fan, I will certainly be tuned in. It will also be a somewhat sad day for me and thousands of football fans across the land as the football season officially comes to a close. Oh my gosh! What are we going to do for the next several months? But we will survive for sure. Before I go any further, I would like to share a few thoughts of mine regarding a few issues in the NFL and make my annual bold Super Bowl prediction. Just a word of warning; I not one of these NFL experts who breaks down and analyzes the game from all perspectives. I am just some run of the mill fan who relies on my own gut instincts. But first, let me discuss a few NFL topics.

1. Aaron Rodgers.  In a per-Super Bowl post from last year, the topic of Aaron Rodgers also came up. He decided to come back to the Green Bay Packers. Flash ahead one year and the same story regarding Rodger's future is at us again. Where will he play next year? Will he retire? I had a strong feeling that he would return to Green Bay last year. This year, it is almost certain that he will not. I look for the Tennessee Titans to make a strong push to obtain Rodgers. He will end up in the AFC if he does not retire. The Packers would be foolish to trade him to a NFC team. Yes, it looks as if his very long reign in Green Bay is over. Rodgers can still play and can certainly help a fringe playoff team get over the hump.

2. Tom Brady.  A few weeks ago, Brady finally announced that he was hanging up the cleats for good thus ending perhaps the best ever NFL career. Will he tease us with a possible return? Absolutely! There will be a few teams out there who suddenly find themselves desperate for a quarterback and Brady will no doubt entertain that option. He is currently just a month removed from a painful end to the season and no doubt rather bitter about playing again. Give him a few months and when training camp comes rolling along later this summer, Brady may rekindle that fire to play again. But I highly doubt he will. He will get a nice offer to join the broadcast booth.

3. Two black quarterbacks in the Super Bowl. The media has really been making a big deal out of this. For the first time ever, the opposing quarterbacks are both black. I think this is absolutely wonderful to see given how few black quarterbacks we have seen through the years. But there is a bigger story behind this story. Both of these quarterbacks are genuine. good decent human beings who were brought up the right way in their lives by caring and loving fathers. That should tell you something about how important it is to have a good fatherly figure in an athlete's life. That concept often gets swept under the rug in today's society.

Now is the time for my Super Bowl pick. I strongly believe that the Eagles are the better team and should win this game. But there isi one thing that Kansas City has going for them in this game, they are the more experienced Super Bowl tested team in this matchup. How can you feel good about picking against Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid in this game? But I still pick the Eagles to win 30-24. Enjoy the game my friends.!

[tcsparky-blog]

True leadership in Ukraine

One of the things that has really touched me in regard to the Ukraine/Russian war is leadership of the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Despite facing nearly impossible odds. his military seems to be hanging in there quite well and you have to say that his leadership is a very important factor in this unexpected success against the forces of evil. Wouldn't it be wonderful if more leaders around the world were like Zelenskyy?

First of all, how many world leaders would remain in their country if faced with a similar situation as Ukraine's? Chances are they would look for the fastest way out of the country and abandon the people. Not President Zelenskyy. He is standing up for the people of his country by remaining defiant to a very evil country. In my view of things, that is what true patriotism is all about. He regards himself as a part of the country, not above it. You see him on television dressed in ordinary clothes often wearing a t-shirt. He is truly a man of the people.

Do you think President Zelenskyy is afraid and hiding in some bunker? Perhaps he is hiding and well protected, but that did not stop him from walking in the streets of a city of Ukraine with Boris Johnson. How inspiring is that? What do you think the people of Ukraine think when they see the leader of their country bravely face danger like that? It is truly remarkable! When a country sees its leader show so much courage and bravery, it really has to rub off the citizens.

I don't honestly know if Zelenskyy will survive or be captured, but he had captured the hearts of many people, not only in his country, but the world. Maybe the President of our country can take a few lessons in leadership from President Zelenskyy? Mr. Z is a remarkable man and I join many others in having a great admiration for this true leader? Anyone who values patriotism and freedom has to be pulling for him.

[tcsparky-blog]

A huge win for Tiger Woods

Among the contestants in this year's Master's golf tournament field is someone who can feel fortunate to even be alive today. The fact that he is competing just over a year after receiving serious injuries in a devasting car crash is one of the most remarkable sports stories ever. Tiger Woods will not win this year's Masters golf tournament or even come close. But he did make the cut and has demonstrated what perseverance and the will to compete is all about.

The aftermath of that accident was downright horrifying. Woods sustained numerous fractures to various parts of his body and was laid up for days. It was widely believed that he might not be able to walk again. In fact, there was talk that he might lose one of his legs. For someone as great of an athlete that Woods is, that must have been a horrible experience to endure. Most folks take being able to walk for granted. Woods probably celebrated the day he was able to walk with any aides since the accident. It was probably a big milestone in his recovery.

But playing golf? There is no way, right? There will never be a day when Woods will ever play golf again or will he? Golf involves too much torquing of the legs and upper body. Surely a man who was just severely injured will ever be able to play again. But don't tell Tiger that. He fought back and not only was able to walk again but swing a golf club and mind I say, swing it quite well!

Woods was able to remarkably start swinging a club again, but compete in a PGA Tour event like the Masters? Are you serious? How can a golfer who just sustained serious leg injuries be able to walk 4 to 5 miles on a very hilly, uneven terrain for four straight days? Well, the last I checked, Woods is doing just that. The fact that he made the cut unlike several prominent golfers is a huge victory in itself for Tiger.

I know Tiger will not win this year's Masters, but the fact that he is out there competing again is one of his most remarkable feats ever. He is showing the world that if there is a will, there is a way. He is a true inspiration for millions of people around the world.

[tcsparky-blog]

No dream ending for Coach K

One of the most successful and longest coaching careers came to an end last night when North Carolina knocked off Duke in the NCAA men's basketball tournament semifinals. Duke's head coach, Mike Krzyzewski coached the Duke Blue Devils for 42 seasons and recently became the winningest coach in college basketball history. An NCAA title would have been a fitting end to the long career of Krzyzewski, but it just wasn't meant to be. Nevertheless, Coach K is a one-of-a-kind coach who arguably might be not only the greatest college coach of all-time, but in sports history. At least one of the top ten coaches.

One of the things that really stands out to me when looking at Coach K's career is the successful longevity of it. 42 years! That is unreal! And he does not look at day over 60 despite being 75! Being a college coach at a major university takes a ton of time and energy. Many coaches are lucky to coach for 10 years before burning out. Krzyzewski truly had a passion for coaching and that is why he lasted so long.

But it is one thing to have a long career, it is another thing to have a long career with that many wins. Krzyzewski's teams are constantly among the top 10 teams in the nation. It is rare for one of his teams to have a losing record, he has only 2 and a win percentage of 76 percent. That type of success coupled with the fact that he constantly gets top notch high school programs speaks volumes of the type of coach he was. College coaches are also judged by the type of recruits they get and Coach K is unmatched in that area.

There are a lot of great x's and o's coaches out there and Krzyzewski is certainly one of them, but his ability to motivate and push his players to another level separates him from most coaches. He just has this knack at pushing the right buttons on his players and that has certainly contributed to his success. It is not easy working with young 18 and 19 year old players but Coach K was the master at it.

His ability to constantly have winning teams despite the huge turnover that his teams always face every year is truly remarkable as well. The talented high school kids he always gets rarely stay for more than a year yet he always seems to win with a totally new batch of players. That also speaks volumes of the type of coach he is. Imagine if many of those players played for more than a year? Krzyzewski would have had many more titles on his resume.

Coach K defines what a successful coach is on and off the coach. Duke was very lucky to have him there for so long. When you look up the word winner in the dictionary, there is a picture of Coach K. College basketball will never see another coach like him again.

.

.

[tcsparky-blog]

Wacky Hollywood strikes again

Certainly, the topic of conversation in the past week has been dominated by the shocking incident during the Academy Awards when Will Smith delivered a cold hard slap to the face of Chris Rock that would have made many wrestlers of the WWE proud. The incident was the result of a seemingly good-natured joke Rock made about Smith's wife. Smith even laughed at the joke but apparently did not sit well with Smith's wife who was not amused by the comment. In order to save face with his wife, no pun intended, Smith walked up to Rock on stage and smacked him. It might have been one of the most shocking moments ever on life television.

Suppose any one of us had done the same thing. Let's suppose we are dining at a restaurant and someone in our dinner party makes a rude comment towards your wife. You get up and smack the person responsible for the comment in the face. What do you think would happen? Well, there is a very good chance that you would be sitting in jail after the incident. That is assault pure and simple. What really shocks me about the incident was that Rock not only failed to retaliate, but he did not file charges either! And furthermore, the security of the awards did nothing more than ask Smith to leave. They did not detain him at all. What is up with that?

The really sad part of this whole incident happened moments later when Smith was presented an award and the audience gave him a standing ovation! So apparently, the audience feels that it is okay to assault someone for telling a good-natured joke? Why people supported Smith is totally beyond me! A hot head action like that should be greatly condemned. Smith should have been booed off the stage for a totally classless act that could have potentially ruined the evening for many people.

People of Hollywood love to lecture us about being kind and loving towards others. And then an incident like this happens. The lack of outrage towards Smith in the aftermath of this incident is very disturbing and troubling. That is why people of Hollywood are among the phoniest people in the world. Where is the outrage over this incident?  

[tcsparky-blog]

A month of heartbreak for many athletes and teams

The other night, I paid a visit to a sectional high school championship game with a berth to the state tournament on the line. The gym was packed to the rafters, the atmosphere was totally electric. The game was a nail bitter which ended with a last second shot for the victory by one of the teams. The victorious team's fans stormed the court in jubilation. While there was much happiness and celebration from one of the teams, the losing team watched in stunned silence to the celebration. It was their first loss of the season, and I could sense the bitter disappointment and hurt that every player and coach felt. It was supposed to be their season to finally make it to the state tournament after a long drought. The team had a number of seniors on the roster. Suddenly, that undefeated season and promises of possibly winning the state tournament were gone in the flash.

What I witnessed the other night is a very common happening for many athletes in the month of March. It is tourney time for many athletes participating in sports such as basketball and hockey. When you have a number of teams in a particular tournament, there will be only one team who does not lose their last game of the season. For some teams, that last game of the season is totally expected. They are overmatched against some superior opponent and the odds of winning are slim at best. But too often, teams are victims of what I call the U word, upset. There is nothing worse in sports than to lose a game come tournament time which you are expected to win. No matter what kind of achievements the team may have had during the regular season, that tournament loss seems to greatly overshadow those achievements. The season seems like a failure when your team gets upset in the tournament.

The pain is even greater when you know you let your team down by not making a particular play. If only i had made that free throw, we would have advanced in the tournament. Or made that silly turnover down the stretch of a tight game. You live with memory all during the off-season. For some seniors, there is not a second chance at redemption; that play that you did not make will haunt you for years!

As a former athlete who has participated in team sports, I always try to look on the positive side of those shortcomings. Losing a tight playoff game is just the type of motivation a team needs to come back that much stronger the following year. Look at all the great teams in the history of sports; many had bumps in the road on to championships. Adversity does make teams stronger.

What about a senior laden team that I described in the beginning? There is no tomorrow for them. It is always easy to dwell on that one last game, but remember the big picture. One game does not define a season or career. If your team was undefeated coming into the game and lost, sure that is a mighty pill to swallow, but why not dwell on the positives of the season? A season or a career should not be judged by one game where your team did not play well. That is far too small of a sample size.

Unlike professional sports, most college and high school playoff games are one and down. Every game is like a game 7. Unfortunately, the month of March is more about heartbreak and disappointment than winning championships. Only one team can feel totally satisfied with their season at the end. But that team probably learned along the way from previous shortcomings as well.

[tcsparky-blog]

Hooray for Saint Peter’s

The NCAA men's basketball tournament has had their share of Cinderella teams emerge during the long history of the tournament. This year is certainly no exemption. Some very obscure team from Jersey has shocked the college basketball world and is heading to the final 16. That team is Saint Peter's. I have to admit that I had never heard of the school prior to last Thursday. Their school enrollment is only about 2300 which puts them below many D3 schools. Only on rare occasion do they play on television. There upset of Kentucky last Thursday might go down as the biggest upset ever in tournament history. But there are some valuable things that the college basketball world can learn from this shockingly upstart team.

When you look up the word team in the dictionary, chances are you see a picture of the emblem of the school basketball program. This team plays remarkable well as a team. Many players have made personal sacrifices to enable the team to become successful. For instance, the team play routinely plays 10 players per game to max out the effort and intensity of each player. Several of the players had to sacrifice minutes in order to buy into that concept. In this day and age of selfish players who are only looking out for themselves, it is a remarkable thing to see. There are no heavily recruited players or stars on the team as compared to say Kentucky. Just a bunch of good solid players who are well coached and play as one unit. It is all about playing for one another instead of just yourself.

Chances are this school does not have a large budget and the facilities are probably not on par like a major college program. They very seldom play on television at all so it will be hard to recruit many stand out high school players. I am sure a big-time high school player will never ever announce that he wants to play at Saint Peter instead of Duke. Don't get me wrong, they will still get a lot of good but not great players. So, it appears on the surface that the deck is very much stacked against Saint Peter's and other schools like them in the tournament.

That is why if you are a supporter of the underdog, there is no better team to root for right now than Saint Peter's. They represent what basketball and college basketball in particular should be all about. No pampered players who only use college basketball as a brief steppingstone to their pro careers. How can you not root for a team like them even if they blow up your bracket?

[tcsparky-blog]

Those insane gas prices

The other day, my car's fancy computer system indicated that it was time to fill up, so I stopped by a neighborhood gas station. As I pulled up to the pump, I noticed the price had jumped nearly 26 cents a gallon from the last time I had filled up. Well that sucks, I thought. When is this insanity going to stop! At least where I live, the prices are still fairly reasonable. Imagine living in California and paying 7 dollars a gallon! Now that is totally insane! These prices are the highest I have ever seen with no end in sight. The high price of filling up at the pump is definitely a huge issue in this country and has many people totally enraged. What makes me so angry is that just a year ago, gasoline was nowhere this expensive. Who is responsible for this? I join many people in wanting answers now!

If you happen to be a fairly wealthy person, this jump in prices probably does not affect you that much. You can afford the extra money it takes to fill up at the pump. It is no big deal to be spending an additional 100 dollars a month on gas. But a majority of us cannot afford that amount. On top of higher grocery prices and other items, the higher cost of filling up our cars is just another, what I call, a misery tax on everyday people. Many of us are hurting in the pocketbook because of these price increases. Frustration is certainly mounting everywhere.

What is even more frustrating is the attitude towards fixing this huge problem that Americans are facing. The current administration in the White House likes to blame everyone but themselves for this problem. They like to point the finger at the oil companies for not drilling enough. Or blame the Russian/ Ukraine war for the price hike. Sorry to inform them, but these hikes started long before the Russian invasion! The transportation secretary had a brilliant idea, "Well Americans should just buy more electric cars". So how many of us can afford the price of those cars? I guess he is not exactly in touch with reality!

The price of gas is largely dependent on the price of a barrel of oil in the world market. It is simply a game of supply and demand in the market. The more oil that is available, the less the price of oil and thus, gas prices will drop. Wouldn't it make sense to help these oil companies be able to produce more oil? Instead, many politicians are intent on making it much harder to drill by enacting all these silly regulations to appease the climate alarmists among us. Maybe it is time to look at cutting back on many of these regulations so oil companies can start producing more and more. Of course, that makes too much sense! 

I find it terribly sad that in a country with so many resources, we have become prisoners of a small majority of radical people. You know, the Al Gores of the world. It is time for the President to show some balls and say "screw it " to the climate activists in his administration. But I guess the president may be one of those wackos? So in the meantime, Americans including many poor people will continue to suffer by paying more for an essential item. We will remember these prices in the next election and the efforts to fix the high prices. Get some people in who can actually solve and problem or two.

[tcsparky-blog]

We can all agree on Putin

We are a deeply divided nation on a number of issues. But every once in a while, a certain topic comes up which miraculously unites everyone whether you are a Republican, Democrat, conservative or a liberal. There is a certain man who is the President of Russia and leader of this unprovoked invasion of the Ukraine. His name is Vladimir Putin and we can all agree that this man is a huge danger to the peace and well-being of the world. I think everyone would be greatly relieved too if he was somehow removed from that position of President. We can all agree as well that he is an enemy of this country and that his removal would be a huge benefit to this country and the world as a whole.

When you look at Putin on television, he appears to be just some normal man running a powerful country. But behind that appearance is a soul that is just pure evil. Anyone who has worked for the Russian secret police cannot be trusted and must be looked upon very suspiciously. His motives are totally a huge power crab, he could care less about the means to reach them. It is whatever it takes to achieve them.

The invasion of Ukraine fully illustrates what kind of leader Putin is. He has broken numerous rules of war with attacks on residential areas that have killed numerous innocent people including many women and children. Do you think Putin gives a rats you know what if some child is killed? Of course not! It is all about his desire to become more powerful. If a child stands in the way, so be it. But even more disturbing is the people of his country. This invasion will also greatly affect the economy of his country. People are suffering right now due to this invasion. The price of the Russian currency is virtually nothing right now. I am sure Putin is fully aware of that, but his focus is on his own desire to become a bigger and more powerful ruler. The people are way down the list of his immediate concerns. How can you respect a ruler that is all right with committing numerous war crimes on humanity as well as putting his people in such dire straits?

I listened to some of Putin's recent comments, and they further give indications of the type of evil leader he is. All of sudden, the west and NATO are the evil ones because they are the ones who are imposing sanctions on his country, really? So, are just to let him conduct his evil business as he sees fit? And worse yet, it is the fault of Ukraine and its evil leaders for letting this war intensify. Apparently, they are just supposed to lay down and let Russia come in and take over. Suddenly, Mr. Putin is playing the victim card!

Leaders like Putin need to be stopped ahead of time before they grow into an uncontrolled cancer that cannot be reversed. I strongly disagree with people who say that the United States and NATO countries need to assassinate him. Doing so will only escalate things. If someone would take him out, it needs to be people of his own country. People over there in Russia have to be greatly concerned right now over, not only the state of the economy, but how their country is being perceived around the world. All is this is the result of a reckless dictator. Eventually, this cannot continue and a huge opposition to Putin will develop. A leader simply cannot survive when it is him against the world.

This conflict is like a great movie between good and evil. Ukraine is the good and the world is standing with them. Who is standing with Russia and Putin right now? We can all unite with the good in this conflict and scorn bad guys like Putin.

[tcsparky-blog]

Some thoughts on the Russian invasion of Ukraine

Normally I don't get too emotionally involved and interested in wars between other nations unless the United States is involved in some manner. So as a United States citizen, why should I be so concerned or alarmed over this uncalled invasion of a sovereign nation? Well, there are a ton of reasons and we all should be concerned over the Russian invasion in Ukraine and how things are being handled.

First of all, what exactly is Putin trying to accomplish by taking over Ukraine? Is he some power-hungry dictator who is trying to build this big monster powerful region under his rule? What specifically does Ukraine have that Putin wants? Perhaps he wants to take over as the world's top superpower? From reports that I have read, Putin has always been deeply troubled over the breakup of the Soviet Union. Capturing Ukraine will be a huge step in creating a bigger, stronger region that Putin desires. And will Ukraine be the only country that Putin and his forces try to take over? It is hard for me to believe that is the case. You can be assured that he will try to capture other countries around that region. Heck, if he could, he would probably capture most of Europe!

The response to this invasion by other countries is the typical tough talk about sanctions and all of that. But will that really work? Russia contains a huge amount of energy for the European countries including many NATO countries. These countries are highly dependent on Russia for their energy and oil. How is slapping a bunch of sanctions on a country that you greatly depend on for a crucial resource going to work?

The United States started becoming a highly energy independent country at the end of the Ttump administration. We had energy exports for the first time in nearly 70 years. Team Biden comes in and things change. Forget about any thoughts of producing more oil or opening up our vast resources to drilling. There are so many climate-change wackos now under this administration that make it almost impossible to be energy independent. Of all the many horrible policy decisions Biden has made, the overregulation of our oil industry might be right up there. Imagine if we could have other countries buying oil from us in greater quantities? Our country has vast energy resources, yet Team Biden is unwilling to tap into those resources. It is inexplicable why that is the case! There would be no greater sanction to Putin than to take away a large chunk of this energy businesses.

I think the most troubling thing about the invasion is just the fact that some ruler thinks he has the right to go in and invade a totally sovereign country. What right does another ruler have to go in and take over the government and land of another nation? Absolutely no right at all! If the United States decided to take over and force several North American countries to their own government, I would be totally against that. It is their country and government. No ruler has the right to step in and decided to take over just because they feel the need to become more powerful and boost their own legacies. The world would be in complete chaos if that constantly happened. There would be absolutely no world peace at all.

I join millions of people in praying for those poor folks over there in Ukraine. There is so much unneeded death and suffering going on right now just because some dictator wants to take over. Putin must be stopped before these power grabs get out of hand.  

[tcsparky-blog]

A great admiration for Olympic athletes

Today is the final day of the Winter Olympics and although I have not watched a whole lot of the games, I have come away with a greater appreciation of what these athletes have to endure and how they contrast with the everyday mainstream athletes you frequently see on television. I have been thinking during the past week about these Olympians and what it is really like to be competing in these games. The more I think about it, the greater I tend to respect what they go through.

The Olympic games are the Super Bowl and more of a particular Olympic sport. The Super Bowl is held every year, the Olympics every four years. If an Olympian has a bad performance, there is no "well I will just train harder and better for next year". The next chance to medal will be four long years away. That has to add to the already tremendous amount of pressure these athletes are up against when competing. As many of us who play a sport know, some days you just don't have it. Your game is off. Maybe you have a fall or bad start and the shot of getting a medal goes down the toilet. I cannot imagine what it would be like to train and dedicate so much of my time and effort to an event, only to have it blow up on a bad start. I would be totally devasted and not be able to get over it for months, maybe years. Sure, there are other Olympics, but the window of opportunity is so small for an Olympic athlete. I would have to argue that an Olympian probably has only two real legitimate shots to medal before they are past their physical prime.

Now contrast that again to some basketball or football athlete that you see frequently on television. They have so many more opportunities to win titles. If their team gets upset in the playoffs, there is always next year and the year after. I don't think the pressure even compares to what some Olympian has to go through with their limited opportunities to medal.

The pressure these Olympians to perform is certainly immense, but I simply admire the time and dedication these athletes take to work on their craft. People forget that typical athlete in the games also has a full-time job to commit to. Imagine getting up two hours before you go to work to train, and then come home after work and train some more. How many average citizens can do that?

Many of these athletes do not care if their sports are not some glamour sport that many people will be watching. Yet they are out there training just as hard as any other athlete on this planet. And furthermore, many know they have no chance to win a medal, but they continue to pay the price and train for months.

I always consider the Olympics to be what sports should really be about. Sure, some there are some highly paid professionals competing in the Olympics, but many are not and never will be. They just have a passion to compete without getting a penny. A large majority of Olympians are in that category. I take my hat off to them. They may not medal but I have a ton of admiration for them and their efforts. All of the Olympians are champions to me, whether they medal or not.

[tcsparky-blog]

What true love is all about

The world "love" is thrown around a lot during this Valentine's season. Couples always talk about how much they love their partners and the huge impact they have on their lives. But what is really love about? In my opinion, it is one of the most loosely used words in the English language. I can say that I love a certain individual, but do I really mean it?

Millions of people claim that they love their spouses and partners. Your guy or gal may give you a big hug and kiss after receiving a great Valentine's gift. They may go on to say "Oh, it is so beautiful, I just love you so much". It is easy to love someone when you get a nice gift from them, or they treat you in some other really great way. But what about the not-so-great moments?

All relationships have moments that test the true foundation of the relationship. Suppose your spouse said some very derogatory thing to you such as telling you that you are an idiot? Maybe your wife tossed out your favorite golf shirt while doing some cleaning and now you are extremely upset. Or worse yet, you find a rather steamy text message from your partner's ex. Will you still love your partner despite these acts? Are you willing to forgive and forget? A person who says they really love their partner will and understand that these things will happen in a relationship. Nobody is perfect. If you truly love your partner, you will learn to accept certain negative things that happen and forgive.

When I truly love someone, I will not keep it to myself. I will tell the person over and over and over again. Most people are very insecure in their feelings. Telling someone that you love them is a powerful message. It makes them feel extremely special and warm inside. Wouldn't you want your special lady or guy to feel that way? Never underestimate the value of what comes out of your mouth. Compliments can go a long way in any relationship.

Probably the biggest test of loving a person is when they are at their worst. Suppose your partner was involved in a horrible accident and ended up spending a lot of time in the hospital? If you really loved that person, you would be with them every minute of the way. Their pain is your pain as well.

I know this post sounds rather simplistic, but there is a huge difference between saying that you love someone and really meaning it. True love is enduring and lasting. If you want a real relationship with your lover, you need true love. True love is not just based on some great night you spend with your special someone. It endures through many rough times. And it is very unconditional as well. Just a few thoughts before spending Valentine's Day with that loved one.