Don t confuse me with the facts

These days, speaking with most Democrats is like being "Alice, In Wonderland". Most of them seem to be going under the old saying "Don't Confuse Me With The Facts", it seems that many of their statements are based on emotions instead of reality. I used to enjoy discussing politics, especially with people that disagreed with me (I felt that I might learn something new or different.). I still do, but lately I have found that, while I still enjoy discussing politics with Independents and Republicans, I no longer enjoy discussing politics with most Democrats. They almost all say the same things and they sound as if they are reading from a script.

Numerous Democrats that I have spoken with have stated, to paraphrase, "I don't like Bush (They never say President Bush), he's a thief and a liar and he is owned by the oil companies. He only cares about the rich. Nothing he says or does can be any good. Additionally, he is not smart enough to be President.". The words they actually use are much worse, I just don't wish to repeat them here.

The first thing that they all say is "Bush and his cronies stole the presidency from Vice-President Gore (They say President or Vice-President when speaking about President Clinton or Vice-President Gore.) in 2000.". They say "Bush lied about Iraq having weapons of mass destruction.". They say "Bush has ruined our economy". They say "Bush was too slow in handling the Katrina disaster because he is prejudiced against blacks." They say, "Bush has turned the world against us.". Some are now even saying, "Bush knew that 9/11 was going to happen and did nothing to stop it so he would have an excuse for invading Iraq.". When I ask them how they know these things they quote David Letterman, Jay Leno, Susan Sarandon, Alec Baldwin, Edward Kennedy, Nancy Pelosi, Howard Dean, Barbara Streisand and numerous other far left politicians, celebrities and newscasters.

I attempt to discover all sides of the issues so I watch NBC News, Fox News and CNN, I read the Los Angeles Times, the Wall Street Journal, Time Magazine, Forbes and other magazines and newspapers. When I ask my Democrat acquaintances if they watch Fox News, they all say "No, it's too right wing.". When I ask if they read the Wall Street Journal, Most say "No, it's too biased.", and even the ones that do admit to reading the Journal say, "I only read the financial pages.". When I ask if they read or watch any conservative media at all, they say "No, all that you find in the conservative media are lies and cover ups.".

When I try to counter some of their anti Bush statements with facts, they usually become upset and say "I don't want to hear your facts, they are all lies spread by 'big business' and 'right wing religious groups', and even if they are true, I don't care.". "I don't like Bush and that's all that matters.". When I ask them for proof of their allegations against President Bush, they usually either quote someone on the far left or say "Everyone knows it's true.". If I push them further they get upset and refuse to discuss the matter further. I have found that if you just listen to them and don't disagree with them, they can talk forever about how bad President Bush and the Republican Party are. However, if you disagree with any part of anything they say, they will usually end the conversation immediately by changing the subject.

I don't necessarily agree with, or even care for, everything that President Bush says or does, but the strident clamoring of the Democrats is forcing me to, more and more, side with him and the Republican Party. I am a Republican, but used to consider myself an Independent and voted my conscience rather than for a political party. Now, the blatant partisanship and lack of reason displayed by the Democratic Party has forced me to become an ardent Republican. The Republican Party, at least, still embraces some liberals and moderates. The Democratic Party appears to be trying to silence anyone who doesn't agree with the far left.

Keeping warm on the slopes

Here is a list to make sure you have all the proper gear for going skiing.

Tune Up:

Before your skis are going to be ready for this ski season you need to blow the dust off your skis and get them back into shape. During a day of skiing you can get scratches and gouges in the bottom of your skis. These scratches and gouges cause surface friction and will actually reduce your speeds and your control over the skis. It won't affect you that much unless you are a professional racer, but by taking care of your skis they will last you longer. Skis come with sharp metal edges and every year if not every week during ski season these edges need to be sharpened with a file. This edge is for cutting into the ice incase you hit a slick spot on the slope during a turn. A sharp edge will help keep you in control.

Footwear:

Special hard shell boots are used in skiing. The boots snap into the bindings that are mounted to the skis. These boots have foam inserts to provide great comfort to the skier to prevent things like blisters from destroying your ski trip. The hard outer shell keeps you from twisting your ankle if you should fall by keeping your foot and ankle totally immobilized in the boot.

Your polls:

The ski polls you need depend on the type of skiing that you are going to be doing. Straight polls are for downhill recreational skiing and bent polls are for racing so that they can be tucked in behind your body to make your body more aerodynamic. Just like the edges of the skis need to be sharp the tip of the ski polls need to be regularly sharpened for the same reasons. Ski polls also provide balance for beginner level skiers. Ski polls have to be the right height for their user. When the poll is planted in the snow you want your hand to be on the grips and your arm should be bent at 90 degree angle.

Hand Protection:

Just keeping your hands in your pockets when you are on the lift is not enough to keep your hands warm. When you are skiing it is a must to have a good pair of gloves. The gloves must be insulated to keep your hands warm and be water resistant, to keep your hands dry.

Long Johns:

Long Johns are insulated tops and bottoms designed to keep your body heat close to your body and the cold winds out, and are not only good for skiing but any activity that puts you out in the cold for several hours.

Pants and Jacket:

Ski pants and jackets are designed to keep the wind out and will stop water from penetrating in case you should fall and get covered in snow.