I'm not going to try to piss anyone off with this blog. Not that my other blogs were aimed at "pissing off" anyone, just give them something to think about. Maybe you're all thinking "Tommy's just full of shit," and you might be right. So, "Tommy, you're full of shit" is a perfectly acceptable comment to leave for my blogs (damn, I'm sure I just opened a can of worms). With that said, the rest of this blog is me babbling about me.

Some of you may know I started taking some classes. This is my first time back in school since 1991, and I've got to say, I kind of like going. I think I might be addicted. And it's an addiction that I can get most of it paid for by the government?! Yeah, that's an addiction I can afford.

They are mostly high school level classes so they're not too difficult. Although I realized quickly how much stuff I had forgotten since high school. When I took the placement test, I did well enough not to need to take any of the 090's classes. However, there were algebra problems on the test that I just couldn't remember how to work. I knew that I had seen it before, but was drawing a total blank.

For this first quarter I took MAT 103, which is an algebra class, and it just all came back to me. I found out that I really like math, gets the endorphin pumping. Plus the logic of numbers appeals to the OCD in me. Kind of like the Frosted Mini W heats commercials. Instead of the adult, you have some guy obsessed with the number three. And the kid is replaced by a twitchy maniac chewing on someone's pituitary gland. I haven't seen my grade for my math class, but I'm thinking I did well. I'm going to guess around 96.

The three other classes I took were, Intro to microcomputers, Industrial safety procedures, and Manufacturing process survey. I did well in them also, with grades all in the nineties.  These classes were cool too, but they were fairly easy. Of course the classes that I will be taking soon are going to be a bit harder. But I'm ready for shit, bring it on.

If you got this far, thanks for reading my jabbering, it was therapeutic. And for those of you whom started reading and didn't get this far, I'll still leave you comment of "Tommy, you're full of shit" posted.

One Love, (Hehehehe)

Tommy T. 9/19/07

There are no Atheist in foxholes…

That is a statement that I am sure some of us have heard, and is the subject of my latest rant.

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What is an atheist? Well I have found that it depends on who you ask. I would say that it is a person who doesn't believe in the existence of a god or any deities. That statement, to me, seems accurate and not at all negative. However, I found that when I openly admit to being atheist it can cause some religious people to become very emotional. I have seen them act as if I were somehow a lesser person for not believing in a god. And that is what really baffles me.

I have had friends show a great deal of concern that I wouldn't be going to heaven with them when I die and they told me that they would pray for me. Now that is kind of touching. I mean to know their beliefs and that they care enough about me to want me with them in heaven, that's kind of nice. I have also seen people become angry or even afraid (since these two emotions kind of go hand in hand) when they found out I was atheist. They act as if the existence of atheist some how diminishes what they believe. To that group I have to say, work on your faith. What I believe has nothing to do with your beliefs.

When you ask a religious person what an atheist is, depending on who you are acting, you can get many different answers. And it is sad to say but most of those meaning are negative. I been called a disbeliever, I've been told that I hate God, and in some cases even called a Devil worshipper. Being called a disbeliever isn't so bad, but hating God and Devil worshipping, are to me, statements that boarder damn near insanity. How can I hate something or worship something that I don't believe in?

Believe it or not, there are positive points about Atheist. When an atheist tries to be a good person, they are not doing it to stay out of hell, but because they want to be genuinely good. You don't have to worry about an atheist bombing a mosque, a gay bar, or an abortion clinic. We won't burn you on a cross because we are trying to "keep the white race pure (a reference to the KKK) in the name of the Lord." And you don't have to worry about us burning you at the stake because we think you are a witch. I'm not saying every or most religious people or every or most atheist are all good or all bad. I am only pointing out how the activities of some religious zealots have used their beliefs to oppress others.

… There are no Atheist driving car bombs either.

The hot topic of the day in GA (and probably with all Falcons fans) has to be the animal cruely indictments for Mike Vick. It came up today at work and a friend made a very good point. Isn't the process of domesticating any animal cruel? By nature, a dog isn't meant to be house broken, a cat isn't meant to be declaw, horses aren't meant to be beast of burden, and so on.

I'm not saying that someone who chooses to own an animal is as cruel a person as one that would breed dogs for fighting, but they have to realize that it's not a natural thing. That they are keeping this animal to fill a void they have, not one that the animal has. Oh sure, your dog is excited to see you when you get home. But if all the humans on the planet vanished the pets would revert back to a feral state. So then you would have to think about all the lapdogs or declawed cats. They wouldn't be able to make it, because they wouldn't be able to defend themselves. So isn't that cruel, making something dependent on you?

Myself, I like being at the top of the foodchain, and I see the need to domesticate animals. But I realize that humans do it because we can, not because the animal wanted us to.