It’s Been A Long Time…

Been a very long time since I posted. I’ve been really busy trying to get a new business venture off the ground and taking care of regular life stuff. Haven’t had anything important to say really either. And I’m hurtin’ for material right now, as well.

Well, I found a nice website today. Best-auto-info.com It’s a simple site with loads of information about car loans, insurance, warranties, credit advice. And thats what led me too it. I, unfortunately, don’t have the best credit in the world, so I was looking for information about bad credit loans. Turns out there are some really simple things you can do on your own to better your situation, who knew? I sure didn’t, that’s why I’m in this situation to begin with.

Well, it’s 3:15 a.m here in Tennessee I really should go to bed. Maybe I’ll think of something really intelligent to say tomorrow and post again. Good Night All.

Drug and Alcohol Addiction Help

I was rereading my previous post and realized that, with all my first-hand experience, I’m still inadequate to really help others overcome addiction. I don’t have enough technical knowledge in the way of rehabilitation to positively affect people. With that in mind, I went and scoured the web for really good addiction resources and have included links here in hopes that it will help anyone reading these posts.

Addict Help
Addiction HelpLine

And for any opiate dependent people I can strongly recommend looking into Suboxone. It has saved many of my friends lives who were addicted to OxyContin or any other opiate based drugs. It works by supressing the withdrawal feelings and making it impossible to get high from taking an opiate while your on it. And from the people I’ve spoken with it’s an absolute miracle. I even know people who can’t afford treatment that buy it off the street (an ode to our healthcare system…but that’s another rant).

I sincerely hope this helps anyone serious about overcoming addiction.

Drugs and Addiction

I was checking out some blogs today and I stumbled upon a couple threads discussing marijuana and other drugs and there effects on intelligence. I, of course, left my 2-cents and decided that I would relate my story on my blog in hopes that it would enlighten and/or educate others. Now I’m not by any means “reformed”. I still smoke buds and drink on weekends and I even have “fun time” with other substances of my choice. The point I will be trying to relate in this is that you can’t let these things control you. You have to control them. Easier said than done. So without further ado let’s get on to my story.

As a young kid in grade school I thought of how special I was. And I don’t mean special short bus special, I mean “gonna be something important” special. As time wore on and mistakes were made and lessons unlearned, I began to change the outlook on my future. Settling more and more for mediocre jobs and “just getting by”, I chose to hide from reality behind an ever thickening cloud of drug induced blindness. And for a time it was fine. I kept up with bills, rent, taxes and even prospered to a certain extent. But there was always something missing. A wholeness that always seemed out of reach. No matter how lit I got, or how good I felt there was always this thought in the back of my mind, “your meant for something more”. Now I’m sure everyone has these same thoughts, but when your the one thinking them it seems like it’s your destiny. Your path is higher. Better.

Eventually things just got bad. I discovered OxyContin, a new drug that, at first thought, didn’t seem like such a bad thing. I mean it was a prescribed drug given to me by a doctor. And that, in retrospect, was what destroyed the well built wall I had, for many years, constructed to keep myself safe from addiction. OxyContin is, essentially, synthetic heroin. At first I had a prescription because of a bad car wreck were my left leg, from the knee down, almost had to be amputated. A year and five months later when I was “recovered” my 160 mg per day prescription was abruptly removed and I was left to my own devices. And what devices they were! I stole, I scammed, I did anything I could to get my “fix”. My relationship with my wife nose-dived and we were so close to divorce I could almost smell the ink on the papers.

I eventually realized how bad my problem was and decided the best thing to do was move. The problem with that is no matter where you move, if your a good addict, you will always find a dealer. And I was a damn good addict. I could score $120 worth of pills with a $20 and five $1’s, or a baseball bat and a smile! There is something very strange that happens to a man that has no reason to live. He doesn’t care. Feels no fear, and will fuck over anyone in his way.

Eventually, as things tend to do, it all caught up to me. I did a little time and took a couple beatings, but it didn’t change anything. I went back to that same thought I had as a child. I’m special, nothing can phase me. Albeit, a more twisted thought, not one of a child dreaming of future possibilities, but one of a grown man justifying his actions so that he can continue to do them. I was devoid of feeling for anything, anyone, other than myself. And the only feeling I could muster then was hate. Now during this time I was functional to a certain extent. I always held a decent paying job, construction trades in were most of my knowledge lies, I was lucky enough to have bosses and supervisors who understood what I was going through. They would allow me a few hours every morning to get my fix, knowing that once I did I would work my ass off until sun down and even later. This only contributed more to my problem and made it easier to justify in my mind. “Well, if I hold a job I should be able to do whatever the fuck I want,” I would often tell myself. Eventually I realized something had to change. My health was deteriorating as well as my relationships. No one trusted me, especially my wife, and without the drug I felt weak and sick, unable to do the simplest tasks.

Now that I look back, I understand that’s what changed my outlook on the addiction. I became disgusted with myself and what I had become. I hated constantly chasing the drug, every morning waking and knowing there would be but one thought on my mind. I missed enjoying the day because it was, simply that, a new day. I missed loving my wife and loving my life like I used to when I was that kid dreaming of the things I could be. I missed regularity.

Now I know those of you reading this, struggling with your own addictions, are thinking, “No fucking way will I just be able to wake up and say I’m Done!” And your right. I strongly believe that in order to over-come an addiction like this you have to genuinely hate everything that the drug has turned you into. What it’s made you do and say and how it’s made you act. You have to think, ” I hate this shit. I’m over it.” And not just when your coming off of it but when you first dose or snort or shoot. You have to open your eyes and look around and realize that you do have a reason to live. To be someone better.. special.

I would like to extend my hand to anyone struggling with addiction. Please feel free to email me at mikeydee3937@yahoo.com and I will happily answer any questions or just be a genuine support system for you. And always know that you are someone special.

Truth in advertising — Amanda Lynn Bailey was arrested July 31, in Tampa, Fla., on drunk driving charges for the second time since April and was taken into custody wearing this T-shirt. She was charged with driving under the influence and driving without a license.

 

My thoughts…

This is too funny… except for the fact that it’s her second DUI, can anyone say “Under the Jail”!!

A little old but still funny…

Robert Theriault, 49, a courthouse security officer in Concord, N.H., was convicted in April of persuading a couple that he was a tester for an insurance company and would pay them $20 to have sex in front of him so he could evaluate a certain bedsheet and condom. [Concord Monitor, 4-19-07]

My thoughts…

The really funny thing about this is “persuading a couple”  implies that he succeeded. That’s just ridiculous.

WOW!

As the result of a January car crash in Nebraska, Shannon Malloy, 30, had her skull separate from her spine (“internal decapitation”), but she remained alive until doctors could stabilize her with screws into her neck, and her recovery is progressing at Denver Spine Center, according to a May KMGH-TV report. [KMGH-TV (Denver), 6-20-07]

My thoughts…

Amazing what doctors can do now-a-days!! But still try to avoid decapitating car crashes.

Our Judicial system at work…

According to police, Derrick House and another man planned to kill four people in a 1985 Chicago drug hit and needed a stranger to knock on the door so that House and his companion could gain entry. They paid teenager Charles Green $25 to do that, and House completed the mission. Green was convicted and imprisoned for “participating” in the murder. House got the death penalty, but as a result of legal challenges, was recently released. House’s companion was never convicted. Thus, the only one of the three still in prison 22 years later is the one who just knocked on the door. In August, a judge is scheduled to hear Green’s latest petition for a new trial. [Chicago Tribune, 7-1-07]

My thoughts…

For some reason this doesn’t surprise me. With the state of our justice system and the hundreds of people being found innocent after spending years in prison, this just goes to show that you better watch your back at all times. I’m not saying the guy who did the knocking is innocent but what about the guys who did the killing…

Solar Power: Making a Comeback

Solar energy has seen a resurgence of sorts lately. As our dependence on non-renewable fuel grows and the supply of said fuel diminishes we must make a decision on possible avenues to satisfy our energy hunger. With history as a guide we can see that as our needs grow, humans, as a race, will utilize new technologies in pursuit of a better more efficient life. For example, as we grew out of the stone age and into the bronze so shall we grow out of the oil age and into a new technological era of energy consumption. What energy production path we may take remains to be seen, but it’s obvious one major choice is solar power. And others agree.

The United States government currently offers a 30% tax credit of up to $2,000 for residential homes that install approved solar electric devices. And there is no limit for commercial businesses that take this route. And most state governments attempt to match tax credits allowing a sizable return when put together. These credits alleviate a lot of the construction costs that go into the installation of panels, battery storage systems and inverter technologies. On top of that, declining manufacturing prices makes solar energy an increasingly attractive avenue for homes and businesses alike. With that said I’d like to go into some of the advantages and disadvantages of solar electric use.

Advantages:

• Solar energy provides the highest density of power among renewable energies.
• Solar power is completely pollution free during use, and the emissions from it are manageable with our pollution-control technologies.
• After the initial setup, there is minimal maintenance on solar power facilities.
• Connecting a solar power unit to a power grid can reduce grid loading during peak power consumption times, and alleviate the need for battery storage during times of darkness.
• After the initial start up costs of a solar power plant, costs to operate the plant are low compared to other energy options.
• The amount of solar energy the earth intercepts every minute is higher than what we currently consume in fossil fuels every year.

Disadvantages:

• On average, solar energy is more expensive than our current energy producing methods.
• At night and during adverse weather conditions, solar energy is not available making storage or an alternate back up power system a necessity.
• Producing DC, solar cells must have an inverter to change it’s output to AC. Doing this usually incurs some energy loss.
• Depending on were you live there is limited power density. For example, most of the U.S. only produce 4-7 Kilowatts per hour.

With all of this being said, my personal opinion is that this energy option is viable for widespread use if not a guarantee. With power cell and battery storage technologies growing exponentially every year it’s not a matter of if we will use solar power but when. And to me that is a step in the right direction.