Snarky Tom's Rants, Raves and Ruminations

Another year is winding down. Overall, from my POV, this year (2015) sucked. Worst year ever. 2014 was bad. 2013 was very bad, but this year was the worst. As I get older, it appears each year becomes more disappointing than the last. My girlfriend said to me after hearing my remark, "but you have me." My reply to her was, "Yes, and you're the reason why I'm not on a slab in the morgue or having a wardrobe of prison orange." There is always a little sunshine peeking through life's cloudy sky. Quick recap. My sister passed away. (Months of depression. Still not over it.) I hated my job. Pot of gold at the end of the rainbow: My company finally dispelled my arch nemesis. Pot of Gold turns out to be a bucket of horseshit: I'm out three months later. This in itself was not necessarily a bad thing, until I found that I carried no value in the job market. I was either overqualified or under qualified . Between a rock and a hard place? After nearly six...

It has happened again. I switched on the TV News this evening. I'm smacked in the face with the story and visual of an abandoned new born human on a church's steps. Why? What is wrong with people? This sparked a thought and a plan. (Note: This is not the abandoned child. But he is cute if you are into that sort of thing. I wonder if I can get that in an XL Adult size.) I have the solution. Because the male human species is unreliable, reckless, careless, ill prepared and abstinence isn't in anyone's vocabulary these days, the female human species must bear the burden. All menstruating human females must be inoculated with a birth control vaccine. (That means teens too. Especially teens.) And only when they truly want to have children (not by accident, not a power play to get a man to marry her, or an attempt to obtain additional welfare payments) should they be vaccinated with the antidote. Sounds drastic? It is. And I don't want the government involved. They...

There is something wrong with our legal system---Part II. How does a man who has raped one person get out of prison EVER? Why do we permit these monsters to live? They can't be cured. If you haven't read my first posting of a similar crime, see it here . I once dated a woman who I claim was a serial "breaker-upper". After the first break-up, it became easier for her with each subsequent break-up. Yeah, I know, I'm an ass for ever taking her back after the first break-up. When she became disenchanted with the relationship, she would boogie on down the road. As she became more comfortable with the break-up process, it got easier for her to do each time. She got so callous about it that there was no hesitation, no tears, no emotion or nervousness. As people get more comfortable with a repeated behavior (no matter how anti-social), it becomes easier to perform. How does this equate to rape? Once you've experienced a certain behavior or experience, it becom...

U.S. Secret Service The United States Secret Service  has been a government agency formed as a apart of the Treasury in July, 1865, 3 months after Lincoln's assassination. (If only Abe had a few of these guys guarding his theater box, he would have seen through the Reconstruction better than his successor did.) I have to point out that their successes may be too numerous to list. In 1894, President Cleveland received part-time protection. By 1901, after the McKinley assassination they were tasked to protect the President full time. Over the next century, their responsibilities grew to protect President-elect, Vice President, former Presidents and their immediately families and visiting dignitaries or people as deemed by the President. It didn't become a federal crime to attempt to assassinate the President until 1965. Bizarre. Just like the President never having security protection before McKinley. Unfathomable. However, since the Secret Service have been assigned protecti...

There is something about a number or a set of numbers that defy understanding. For instance, an era that began with 60 and ended with 69 historically have been decades of turmoil. My opinion. However, after looking through U.S. history tell me that I don't have a valid theory. During the 1760s the seeds of revolution and independence started to bloom.  The British government imposed a series of new taxes while rejecting the American argument that any new taxes had to be approved by the people. 1764 – The Sugar Act intended to raise revenues, and the Currency Act prohibiting the colonies from issuing paper money, are passed by Parliament. These Acts, coming during the economic slump that followed the French and Indian War, are resented by the colonists and lead to protests. (Wikipedia) 1765 - The Stamp Act (repealed in 1766) was issued to help defray the costs for keeping troops in the colonies. The crown, also, enacted the Quartering Act, which required American hou...

For those of you who are a fan and are waiting to view the final season when it airs on PBS on January 3, 2016, I won't spoil it for you. There were 8 episodes that aired on ITV in the UK which began September 20th with the finale airing yesterday, November 8th. For the most part it did not disappoint. As usual, there was lots of drama all season long. Things that occurred this season: There were two marriages.  One attempted suicide.  One of the two main characters who left at the end of last season returned this season.  A long kept secret is revealed.  Someone becomes pregnant.  One person's status in the community is diminished as another's is elevated. Two characters start a flirtatious, possible relationship, Two servants are nearly "sacked". (Two different episodes) One of the daughter's gets engaged, then disengaged while her sister, after rejecting her suitor, changes her mind and agrees to marry. Someone dies.  The abov...

Anyone who knows me knows I like mystery and crime stories, especially true crime. So, I am a huge fan and viewer of the Investigation Discovery network. I view many programs and have my favorites. One show I recently stumbled upon was "Surviving Evil" hosted by the stunning actress, Charisma Carpenter , who herself a crime survivor. She and two friends suffered at the hands of a violent serial rapist and police officer Henry Hubbard, Jr. on San Diego's Torrey Pines State Beach in 1991. I don't want to go on about her, her surviving her attack or even the ID program, which airs Thursdays at 9 pm and re-airs throughout the week and is available On Demand. Well, actually, I do want to speak about one episode from the current season (the 3rd season), but not the show as much as how the law failed to truly punish the perpetrator of this crime. The show titled "Escaping The Arroyo" interviews the one surviving victim and tells the horrific story about two whi...

I am usually not one to post television or movie reviews. I used to leave that to my sister . However, sometimes there's something that I like that much that I am compelled to share it. Two brothers, Ethan and Joel Coen, have been filmmakers (writers/producers) for 30 years. Their first was Blood Simple in 1984 and most recent, Bridge of Spies (2015). I have seen just about all their films. I would rate each one 4 to 5 stars out of 5. My least favorite would be Raising Arizona (1987). I'd give it 3 stars. I like their storytelling style. One film stands out as one of my all time favorites, Fargo (1996). But I'm not going to go on about that film. I don't want to bore you if you've seen it. I also don't want to spoil anything if you haven't. I want to enlighten you to the FX TV series  (2014-). The Coen brothers are listed as Executive Producers. The series, like the film, opens up claiming that this is a "true story".  It's not. It's fi...

I don't proclaim to be a subject matter expert or scholar of religion. I'm probably biting off more than I can chew here, but her we go. There is no God. I offer little proof or support for this statement. Historically, the concept was created in a time when man first started to walk upright and create language. It was a time before laws where the laws of the jungle (survival of the fittest) ruled the world. The man popularly credited with inventing God is Moses. (There were other Gods before then, but nothing as documented as Moses was in the Old Testament.) In a time where man acted like untamed beasts bedding sisters, brothers, mothers, fathers, offspring, et cetera as well as taking, stealing, killing for what they wanted, Moses went to the mountain alone (no witnesses) and came back with commandments (laws) from a supreme being (God). It makes for a great story to scare the uneducated, uninformed and the kiddies. But can a highly evolved, educated, deep thinker buy int...

Baggage. Everyone has baggage. Suitcases, handbags, valises, trunks whatever you call them, we all have them. And not just for travel. When we are born our collection of baggage is non-existent. As we grow, age and mature, the amount of baggage increases. Baggage come in forms from small satchels, the size of a child's backpack, to Cross-Atlantic Ocean liner trunks. Mommy and/or Daddy issues: a 25" wheeled upright. Negative body image issues: a small trunk. Financial shortcomings: a 21" upright, and offspring: one to several travel totes. Let me give you examples. Scenario #1: Middle-aged woman, overweight, overworked, stressed with raising a family of 4 with no spouse making slightly above minimum wage with debt doubling daily has baggage the size that game shows give away as prizes. You know the type that usually comes with a free trip to Rio or Cabo. If you are that person, you want to lessen your baggage for many reasons. For one, you would become more appeali...

Now that I have caught your eye, I promise that I won't be like the 10 o'clock news and promise the film footage of an amazing story just to make you watch for 45 minutes and then give you a 15 second meaningless blurb to make you regret the 45 minutes you just wasted of which you will never get back again. I will deliver...sort of. Be forewarned my opinion on the following may get you pissed and want to break off communications, un-follow me or disown me (if you are family). In my opinion, there are religions whose beliefs go beyond rational thinking. However, that doesn't stop any of them from having billions of followers. Let me illustrate. In Abrahamic religions, the view is generally held that one goes to hell or heaven depending on one's deeds or faith while on Earth, or predestination and Unconditional election , or to the intermediate state to await the Resurrection of the Dead . In most denominations, heaven is a condition of reward for the righteous to ...

When I feel like going out to eat, I usually choose a nice, modest and affordable sit down and serve me restaurant. I rarely frequent fast food establishments. Not because what they serve is toxic and lethal, even though it is, but I'm usually disappointed in the service and the product is less than what it appears in television commercials. However, sometimes, I am pressed for time and cave and resort to consuming fast food fare. Point in fact: McDonald's used to be my "go-to" place. I ate there for years (30-40 years). In the last decade I've gone there less and less. Again, mostly because of all the studies pointing out how unhealthy the food is in many of these places. The incident that swore me off this company was about two years ago after a hellishly long day at work. I hadn't eaten dinner and wanted something in my stomach before I made that drive home. I went through the drive through, ordered a standard plain old cheeseburger. Really. Who could m...

It has been some time since I've posted a blog. It's not that I haven't been busy. I have. Recent changes in my life: My sister passed away leaving a gaping, sorrowful hole in my life. Refer to my sister's blogs .  My company laid me off leaving an unknown financial future. (I'm good with this. More on this shortly.) I'm studying for the CPA...again. More on this shortly, too. So. I'm taking a break from all the drama that has recently enveloped my life. I find writing about this cathartic and much cheaper than seeing a shrink.  First, we've known for some time that Sandi was going to pass. It was inevitable. It's inevitable that we are all going to pass. As much as I say, "I'm not going." I'm going to go someday all the same. However, I do believe if we keep moving, changing addresses and not leave forwarding notices, that the Grim Reaper will take longer and have to work harder to catch up to us. All in all, I kne...

He stood outside the restaurant. Away from the window. Far from the door. He knew the emotion he was feeling was hate. He knew he had to do something. Those bitches must pay , he thought. He walked back to his 2006 Chevy Express Cargo Van. Slinking toward his home on wheels, a plan began to formulate in his mind. He knew what he would do. Killing them would be too good for them , he thought. I'll get them where they live. Their money and happiness. Thirty years ago... Those damn ugly, horrible bitchy girls, thought Tolly. I don't need them. I don't want them. As Tolly reached the end of the park, a man stood near a windowless Chevy van. He looked up at the man that stood by the van. Tolly thought he recognized him. "Dad!" He exclaimed. Tolly Sr. left his wife and son several years ago. Tolly hadn't seen his dad in three years. "What are you doing here?" Tolly wiped his eyes embarrassed of his tears. "What do you say there, boy?...