If you had the chance to redo high school, knowing what you know now, how would you redo it?

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A young man's words to a much younger man

I've been thinking a lot about what I'm going to tell my son, as he grows up. I hope I can teach him these lessons one by one as he grows older. But just in case I can't, in case later I'm not there of I can't find the words, here goes. Best of luck, Deck. I hope I'm there, to teach you these things as you grow. Someone famous or important once said, "My father didn't teach me how to live. He lived, and he let me watch." That's the plan, but here's some things to remember:

Whatever you're going to do, do it with intensity.

Be aggressive. If something's not coming to you, track it down and tackle it.

Enjoy being broke, as soon as your bills are paid.

Don't look at girls. Make girls look at you.

Be loud, but don't be a spectacle.

Being tactful doesn't mean not making a joke when it's handed to you.

If you decide you've got to punch someone, you're already in trouble. So you may as well keep punching them until they fall over. Then a couple more times after that to make sure you've got your point across.

Always be the underdog.

Take a compliment with a smile, and say thanks.

A firm handshake is worth solid gold.

Keep your eyes open, know what's going on around you.

Know how to play cards, but not enough where you think you're good at them.

Keep the dirt out of your fingernails, but keep the callouses on your hands. Take care of yourself without preening.

The muscles will come; it's in the genes. So focus on being strong.

Do nothing you'll be ashamed of. If you do, own up to it, and keep owning up to it. We are forged by our mistakes.

If something needs doing, then do it. Be a leader not through manipulation, but through the power of being the first one in the door, out of the gate, and the first one to offer encouragement.

Don't get down on yourself. You are fearfully and wonderfully made, but not perfect.

Know how to clean a gun at least as well as you shoot a gun.

Show no fear when you say no.

Follow the laws that you don't agree with.

Don't trust the government, but don't be a conspiracy theorist.

All women are beautiful until they prove themselves otherwise. Treat them as such.

Be witty, not smarmy; funny, but not a clown; foolish, but not so no one will take you seriously.

Don't lie.

Keep up with your friends, but know when to say good bye.

Love is not a process of elimination.

When you win, shake hands with your opponent, and mean it, even if he doesn't. Then celebrate.

Take pride in your name, your family, your accolades, your country, your friends, your work, your fun, your love. And be humble, knowing that they all come from God.

I think that's all for now. I'll always be proud of you, Declan.

My wife says I should blog, so despite not having a paticular topic that piques my fancy, I guess I'll just have to settle for writing whatever comes to mind.

For those who don't know, I've been in Afghanistan for the better part of two months, doing the Army thing. Fear not, I should be home soon. I discover that I slide back into my deployment attitude and mindset far too easy, and I wonder where the line is between grim determination and actual optimism. Being down here doesn't bother me as much as it ought to, but liking it or not won't change that I'm here. So I might as well like it.

Nearly all the music I like came out before 1999. And the exceptions to that were at least making albums prior to '99. I thought that this meant my music tastes were still mired in some kind of high school time loop, but then I realized that modern pop music really, really sucks.

I'm actually tired of politics.

Health care and race.

Something occured to me this afternoon, when pondering the nature of health care in the US. First, to understand my opinion of health care, you must look at wealth and taxation in the United States. In simple terms, the richest 1 per cent of the US pay nearly a third of all federal taxes. The richest tenth pay something like 75% of all taxes, and the richest quarter of the US pay effectively all taxes in the country. Now, given spread of wealth by race, the majority of the richest quarter of Americans are white, and the majority of the poorest fifth of the US are not white; predominately they are black and hispanic. The poorest third are the most likely to be without health insurance or health care.

That preface is point out that there is racial disparity to the tax money that would fund any kind of universal health care. In effect, rich white folks will, by the government's bidding, be paying for the health care and wellbeing of poor black and hispanic folks.

The last time a rich white fellow was invested in the health and well being of a poor black fellow was probably a plantation owner in the 1850s, muttering that a sick negro picks no cotton. Just some food for thought.

The nature of race has been on my mind of late,mostly due to the Rev. Wright/Obama fiasco. I suppose if Rev. Wright can effectively blame white folks for 9/11, I should be able to get away with saying something racially charged.

If black folks can say with no remorse or reservations that they're voting for Obama because he's black, shouldn't I be able to say I'm not voting for him because he's white?

Me and the wifey are getting a check from Uncle Sam next month to the tune of almost a grand, as part of the economic stimulus package. I told her we'll invest it. We're fine without it, we can't really give it back, so it's the best we can do. I fear too many people will simply blow it on short term junk, or get out of some emergency debt, which does next to nothing to really stimulate the economy. Nothing's really going to reinvigorate the economy until people start choosing to not get into debt over their heads, until they start investing and planning and quit relying on their corporations and the government to take care of their future.

Me and Bec are having a boy. Declan Frederick. Happy Easter, everyone. Regardless of where it came from, it's still about the Resurrection of the Body, and the Life Everlasting.

"Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience."

C. S. Lewis, God in the Dock

And that's why I'd rather set my hair on fire and beat it out with a rake than vote Democrat this year.