Play the Game

I'm a life long learner. I'm a voracious reader. I'm always looking for ways to become a better dad and husband. I'm always looking for ways to deepen my relationship with God. I'm always looking for ways to unlock the incredible person I know I was created to be. So, tell me what you've got!

I got the idea here from Chris Brogan but I'd love to know from you...

1. What I can do for you? I'm always happy to make any knowledge that I have available if you ask.

2. What can you teach me? I'm ready to listen to what you have to say... especially if you're someone who's gotten funding for a startup!

I'm ready - how about you?

PS If you want a glimpse of my perspective - CHECK HERE. And if you live in New England - you can come to the seminar FREE on August 12th. Just ping me for more information!

I had to do something a little different anyway...

You'll see what I mean.



Let me know if you want to see it the other way! phillymac [at] gmail.com Who loves ya!

MeToday 7/11/07 - Meet the Comic Relief

Here it is. Another video from the homestead. This time my wife provides the comic relief instead of Halle...

Phillymac and the Family Z

Yup - just chillin' like a villin with the girlitas while Shannie is away.



And yes, I will post a real post again too, but for now, catch me on

Twitter: http://twitter.com/phillymac

or

Pownce: http://pownce.com/phillymac

Welcome to the Neighborhood!

OK, it's not as good as me with Halle - or maybe just Halle alone, but it is my MeToday!



Have fun!

MeToday - 7/8/07. Meet Halle and Adventures in the Apple Store!

This was just tooooo much fun. Man, I love this kid!

The picture I spent three hours on. Geesh.

OK. Here's the original.


Here's the Photoshopped version. Sigh. So much time too.


So, was it worth the effort?

Another day - another Video!

Yup, it's my "metoday" for viddler.com. Hope you enjoy it. The pictures are right above this post!



Love that Bayley!

Meet Chloe - She Likes Bunnies!

Well, you've met Sophie - who's very cute- now meet her adorable (in her own force of nature type of way) sister - Chloe!

History in the Making?

Political Radar is Posting this headline: Ron Paul Tops McCain in Cash on Hand. Are we seeing some history in the making? Can we dare hope?

Check out the article here.

Meet Sophie (she's cute!)

4th of July

I could tell you about it - and I may - but better that I show you. Check out the video!!



Peace!

The Natural

Chloe, age 4, the Natural. "Dad can you turn on the TV for me? And dad, remember, I *love* you."

Really. All by herself. Unreal.

NO - I DON'T HAVE ONE

No. iDON't have an iPhone. My contract with Sprint ends in December. I don't feel like paying $350 to get out of the contract ($175 for each for my and my wife's phone) PLUS kick out another $1,200 for two phones PLUS the $129 x2 ($26) for the bluetooth headset). I'm saving for next year after MacWorld when Rev v2 should be out (over 180 days from the initial release).

Happy?

Ever want to be a superhero? Now you can be!

Nah - this isn't some theological post, it's really just a cartoon character!

Vacation? Really

Much to my surprise, people want to hear more about my vacation. Of course, the problem is - as with many things - the more time has separated me from my alleged vacation the less I remember. I think, but I'll try.

For instance, I mentioned the ride to finally get to the resort and indoor water park. The fun really started when we got there. Well, fun if you were a kid anyway. Whomever coined the term "family vacation" obviously never had a family. Thus the title of my last vacation post. Why would I say such a thing? Because I HAVE a family and trust me, it was no vacation for me. It was probably less so for my wife. The kids? They thought it was great - but for mom and dad it was "welcome to the Zannini Family Traveling Road Show."

Putting aside the hurting on the family budget that our two days in the fake, indoor Florida sun cost us - let's think of what it cost us in effort. Like, say planning. It's safe to say that two days away with four kids takes about the same amount of primary and contingency planning as one of the Apollo moon missions. Maybe more. After all, NASA only had to worry about three adults and on Apollo they had bathroom facilities built right into the space suits. Not the case for the family in the trusty family van. But boy would that have been nice.

As parents, we all know the drill, the thrill and the dread of the words coming from our little precious treasures "I HAVE TO GO TO THE BATHROOM!" Of course, it's usually said immediately after we've gone past the last exit for 10 miles on a stretch of road where not only is there no rest stop, but the sides of the road either go up 50 feet of blasted rock facing on one side or down 50 feet on the other. The question is - what do you do?

Me - I pray. I think even if I didn't have a religious bent to me anyway, this is a place I would still pray. I'm praying for a lot of things, like for example, the wisdom to understand WHY we just let the kid drink the one liter juice bottle we had packed for her. Or maybe I'm wondering - why didn't we have her go to the bathroom * before * we left the house? I'm also praying that when we got the van we were smart enough to have gotten the seats Scotch guarded. I'm praying for the capacity to become a real life McGyver, and trying to figure out how to build a porta-potty from the baby's portable high chair and the cup-holders from the front of the stroller. Most of all I'm praying that every state trooper for the next 10 miles either falls asleep or has just had someone in a bright red sports car go by them at 100 miles an hour - that way no one will notice the gray Grand Caravan going by at 90 because the kid is now saying "Daddddddyyyy! I hap to go bad!"

Yeah, right. Vacation.

Vista SP1 Delay won't hurt Enterprise - DUH

And why is that you might ask? CAUSE NOBODY HAS IT INSTALLED. Don't just believe my rant - read it for yourself.

Computer World article

Don't Consume before Bed Time - Nightmares May Ensue

Yikes. It just keeps getting scarier.

http://jewishworldreview.com/cols/will062507.php3

Will we be a "sweet land of liberty" much longer?

It's no fluke.

So, Friday we went on a whale watch. This was the picture that was on the white-board in the kitchen when I got down stairs for breakfast. Thus, welcome to an 11 year old's (my eldest Halle's) rendering of a whale watch - and what the whales are doing (yes, that is a disco ball they've hung off the bottom of the boat).

The only bummer is that you don't see part of the picture that was erased by my 4 year old Chloe that showed other whales saying "Let's paaaaarrrrttteeeeeeeee". Unreal that Halle girl. Pictures from the whale watch to come...

"I met Nick Pedro, I met Nick Pedro"

So, Shanna and the girls went to Wal-Mart the other night to do some grocery shopping (yah, I know it still sounds odd to me too - but it's a Super Wal-Mart so it has groceries) as a quick hit before we got into our busy weekend. While she was shopping Halle (miss "I have to know everything that's going on") spotted Nick Pedro in the store and ran back and told the wife. So, being the rabid American Idol fan that she is - and wanting to mortify her daughters, she stalked him until he was in an aisle that she needed to go down for something. Then, nonchalant and all introduces herself (in this semi-manic) fashion to Nick Pedro, shakes his hand, told him she voted for him all night (not much of an exaggeration) the last night he sang. While this was going on, the girls (smartly) stayed back because they didn't want to really be associated with her. They waved and said hi though. Ah, what celebrity does to normal seemingly level headed people. What a trip - my wife Shanna - Nick Pedro groupie...

Why I Podcast

People wonder why I take the time to sit behind a mic and do a podcast. They wonder what can make it worth the time I spend away from my family, or I loose in sleep. Well, read the following email (name withheld) and you'll understand WHY I podcast. It's not just me being silly - it's me doing for others what God has done for me.

Phillip, thank you so much for the opportunity to collaborate with you on the Martin Luther Pod cast. I hope i don't get too mushy here but back when I emailed and called you I wasn't holding out much hope for my future as a writer and only sat and listened to pod casts while eating and feeling sorry for myself listening to other people's writing's. Now, thanks in part to you giving me this opportunity, I have been given another chance at my dream and full credit goes to you for putting my name out there in the literary world. You did my script justice and I loved the sound effects, they were perfect! If you want me to collaborate with you on any other biographies please let me know and I will be happy to do them. I cannot wait to hear the next episode of Martin Luther and I am definitely looking forward to Pocahontas and especially Tutankhamen.
Thanks again, God Bless and keep pod casting,

So, any chance I might have to impact someone this way, I'm willing to take a few hours out of my life. The cool thing is, it isn't the first person that has done something because of the podcasts, there are actually two people that started their own podcasts after listening to the show as well. There are others that have sent in recommendations and when I've responded and done one of the proposed subjects have written to let me know how that impacted them - to let me know how it made them feel a part of something bigger - that made them more aware of their capacity to contribute. Really - what else can I ask for? My whole purpose in life is to see people become what God has made them to be. To see them reach out and touch what is possible in God and in their lives. The reason why I podcast isn't just to entertain, it's to reach people. I just pray like the Apostle Paul did - that I may speak boldly that the name of the Lord may be known and lifted up.

There is no such thing as a Vacation with Four Children - Unless You've Left them with the In-Laws

Well hello all (the three of you that read this blog I imagine). I've returned from "vacation" with the family. And, as the title of the post indicates I think the word vacation is a misnomer at best.

Now, for purposes of full disclosure, the vacation got off to a bad start. Unfortunately we needed to change our plans at the last minute to attend a funeral for my wife's step-brother's wife who just recently passed away due to cancer. And yes, it was not fun, and yes, we'll miss Susan. I will for certain, she was one of my favorite in-laws. But believe it or not, that wasn't the worst part of it. It was the travel.

We live south of Boston (about 40 miles give or take). The funeral was south-west of Hartford, CT. The vacation spot is in Danvers, MA - right on the border (literally) of NH. So, 2 1/2 hours of driving to the funeral, the funeral, grave site, collation afterwards - then 2 - 2 1/2 hours of driving to the resort (with the indoor water park - which was the reason we were going).

You know what it sounded like...

- Dad, how long is two hours?
- Dad, has it been an hour yet?
- Dad, are we out of Massachusetts yet?
- Dad, are we in CT yet?
- Dad, I'm thirsty.
- Dad, can you put on Jonathan Park (a series of audios that the kids are listening too for home schooling that's all science related and very well done...)
- Dad, can you put on Jonathan Park?
- Dad, can you put on Jonathan Park?
- Can we listen to Jonathan Park yet?

That was in the first 20 minutes. And that was the *good* part!

More to come (maybe provided I've sufficiently recovered) later.

The Plight of the Democratic Candidate

No, I'm not bashing Democrats unfairly. This is one place that the Republicans have never been hypocritical. They're richer, they're happy about it and they don't apologize for it. The Dem's on the other hand... not so much. Here's part of an article you can find on John Edwards

"The problem now facing the Democratic presidential candidate is whether the pileup of headlines, including the latest regarding hefty fees from university speeches reported Monday by The Chronicle, threatens to obliterate Edwards' dominant campaign theme. The former senator, who has been portrayed as the champion of the poor and the son of a humble mill worker, now faces the possibility that voters will have a different image: that of a millionaire trial lawyer who talks one way and lives another.

With months to go before the first primaries and caucuses, the growing perception about Edwards highlights a danger of modern presidential campaigns: In the 24/7 media environment, a few maelstroms of unconnected and unexpected headlines and images can quickly gather momentum and morph into a political storm that obliterates even a carefully crafted strategy and message.

"It's outrageous. He's trying to come off as Mr. Populist and Mr. 'I'm trying to help the poor,' and he charges $55,000 for a speaking fee? That's ridiculous,'' says Dick Rosengarten, Los Angeles-based publisher of the California Political Week newsletter. "Combined with the haircut, who's in charge of this guy's campaign? What are they thinking?'' " sfgate.com

And thus the plight of every Democratic candidate - how do we make believe that we really care about the poor - but still enjoy our millionaire lifestyles? (For reference - see my MA senators John Kerry and Ted Kennedy..)

Aww - John, nobody believes you? No kidding!

Overcoming the Pain of Childhood Loss

This was a conversation I had in a chat session today...

Jane: As an animal caregiver, if Malfoy gets lonely, I can Ferret-sit also :P

Phillip: I'll keep that in mind.
though he's usually pretty good left by himself.

Jane: You've trained him well, have you? Better watch it. Heartless Bastahds (editorial note: that's "bastard" to everyone that isn't in New England) become lovable when exposed to animals. Especially injured animals :P. L8r.

Phillip: Not a CHANCE!

Jane: lol!

Phillip: Besides, I had animals as a kid.

I had a pet gerbil named Snooper. Little bastard up and died on me - I was crushed. I was waiting on the steps for my dad to come home so I could take him to the vet because he'd been really lethargic for the past day. I kept thinking - if we could have only gotten there (to the vet), he'd be OK (before he croaked)- or he would have still been alive (after the fact). I was devastated over that little rodent. Never again. Closest thing I have now is my computer mouse - that's all I need thanks!

Meet Malfoy - My Ferret

Yes, I know, not everyone has a ferret - and I really don't either except for this cute little stuffed one that I have at work. Originally I was going to award people on projects I was the design lead for the "furry ferret" award, but the idea never really worked out. Instead, he's become my mascot.

So, how did he end up with his head wrapped? Well, I sit in an oddly configured cube space at the office - one shared with another person. My cube-mate, who's name is Edi, is a fascinating woman who has a great sense of humor. Thus, one day while I was out getting a root canal (ooo! fun!!!), Edi wrapped Malfoy's head in sympathy. I couldn't help but laugh when I came in the next day.

Of course, since then Malfoy has had various different looks. I've got them all captured and I'll start (with this picture) posting them. I guess it just proves that it's fun to have a ferret.

Oh, and if you're wondering why Malfoy... well, you need to think for a moment!

The Luck of the Irish?

Check this out...

Sox wearing their St. Patrick's day uni's in late April to honor Red Auerbach . Sure enough, Red's still got it (even though he's dead) and the Sox rally back off of Mariano Rivera to win 7-6.

Only one thing - they look like a bad Christmas tree ornament experiment!

Yahoo! I can fit into my shirt

Yes, I know I promised pictures (and I have them), and I even threatened to start a new blog for this (and I haven't), but I figured I do an update (for both of you that are reading this...)

Good news! I've lost around 6-7 lbs and my waist is down to 39" (don't ask me why I fit in size 34 pants - but I do - and no, they're not all under my belly. Anyway, it's awesome and I'm making good progress. The most fun is the fact that I can fit into a couple of shirts that I got at Christmas and now the buttons don't pull across my tummy! Yippee!!!

I'll keep more coming.

HA! Take that Viacom - and all the rest of you!

Check out this report on You Tube's traffic. Seems like those copyrighted clips aren't that big of a deal! So, bite me Viacom!

Someone with Everything... and Nothing

Well, the official report is out. Anna Nicole Smith (America's latest obsession that took over the news channels - how sad is that by the way) died from an accidential drug overdose.

No, it wasn't drugs like cocaine or something like that, it was the OTHER nine prescription medications that she was taking that did her in. Medication for pain (serious medication for pain). What pain was she in? What had she done to her body - other that the huge implants that I'm sure massively stressed her back - that would cause that much pain? But, I'm stopping too soon.

It seems that Anna Nicole was also taking a couple of different anti-depressant/anti-anxiety drugs, and had been at least since the death of her son. Of course, being that she just had a baby, I could see something for a couple of days to deal with post-partum - but NOT a couple of weeks for the most part. That just isn't normal.

But we're not done yet. Anna Nicole was also taking human growth hormones - for longevity. Think about that. She was taking weight loss drugs - this a woman who had just had a baby 2 weeks earlier. Folks - that's wrong. Oh, yes, and one of my favorites was the drugs she was taking for alcohol withdrawal. So, hmmm, was she drinking right up till the birth of her baby? I mean if you're still taking the drugs for withdrawal - that makes it a pretty recent event - yes?

And still, there are more contributing factors. For example, Anna Nicole had an abcess in her *butt* from all the shots she was getting. Now boys and girls, I've been in the hospital for surgery. I've gotten so many shots in my butt that they had to flip me over to the other side because they ran out of places to put a needle in. Here's the thing. The abscess didn't form in the past couple of weeks. It indicates long term abuse. Constant shots of whatever kind that she was getting.

Lastly, it seems that Anna Nicole was fighting a fever and some intestinal problems. OK. Is anybody really surprised at this? Considering the massive abuse that this poor woman put her body through - I'm surprised it didn't happen earlier.

Now, am I happy that this poor creature died so young or so suddenly? No. But I also don't think it was sudden either. Anna Nicole Smith was the creation of US popular culture. She was everything that a star was supposed to be. She was beautiful (even without the implants - she was a pretty woman), she was a porn star - now something seemingly idolized by American Pop Culture, she had money, LOADS of it. There was literally nothing this woman wanted for, except one thing. And that's why she had everything - and nothing.

The one thing that Anna Nicole Smith, movie star, paparazzi magnet, millionaire and mother didn't have was something you can't buy. It was peace. She was a woman with no self-esteem. She was lost without the cameras following her. She wallowed in every excess, some to attempt to satiate lust, some to attempt to drown the pain that her lusts caused her. She drank to kill pain, she drugged to stop drinking. She was in pain because of the way she abused her body - she drugged to stop the pain. She was emotionally unstable, and she drugged to find some type of normalcy. Her life rather than being a triumph of a small town girl that made it big - is a tragedy of a small town girl that chose the wrong path that led to her literal destruction.

This ladies and gentlemen is the reason why the tenants of Christianity loom so large in this day. Love. Love for yourself the way God loves you. Abstinence from premarital sex. Moderation in drinking (though some would argue it's even better not to drink at all), and for that matter moderation period. Humility rather than attempting to be idolized. If Anna Nicole had just been able to grasp that God's love for her would help her, that his instruction would benefit her - she might still be alive. Of course, in order for that to happen, someone in the body of Christ would have had to live their life out loud. They would have been able to not be a caricature. They would have had to love - and carry the presence and love of God in a big enough way so that Anna Nicole would have asked about it.

I don't think we did. So, tragedy happened.

A little baby will never know her mother. The mother's life ended prematurely. But we can make it so that the other Anna Nicoles out there don't suffer the same fate. It's not just the famous, it's the people all around us that need us to LOVE LARGE. Don't preach, don't witness, don't where a "top ten reasons to be a Christian button" - LOVE. If we love, people will notice. When they do, love more. They'll ask. Then tell them why you love.

Now go get em.

Free at LAST! Look mom, no hair!

I'm tired as hell, haven't slept the better part of two nights, but I wanted to put this up. Look mom, no hair! Tis true - I shaved it all. :-D No more a slave to resin or anything else! At least for a couple of weeks. I'm going to enjoy it for now, and see how it goes. I'll also see if I can get a picture in the daytime. Something has got to help...

Employment, Fairness and Opportunity

I just got done reading a friends blog a minute ago. I honestly didn't know quite where to start to even begin to respond to her. But before I go on, let me set the scene.

My friend is a bright, loving, funny and intelligent person. She loves computers, she is well read. She's probably taken more college courses than I have - and in subjects that I couldn't pass even if the teacher spotted me 30 points. She also happens to be legally blind (she has sight but requires some pretty serious glasses to be able to see not even quite adequately) and requires a walker (just like the one my mom has) to get around well.

Well, this friend works for people referred to her as a housekeeper as way to supplement her virtually non-existent income from the government. Which, because of what her medicine costs - and because the government covers it, is the place she is currently in.

Awhile back, my friend mentioned to me that she scored a cat sitting gig for someone. So I thought, cool! And I was genuinely happy for her. During the course of our conversation, she mentioned what she was getting per DAY. So I thought, hmmm, that doesn't sound right and I did some quick research. Turns out that what she was making a day is less than what a cat sitting company makes a VISIT. Not a long visit, just a visit. An hour visit is worth even more, and let's just say that the day rate a cat sitting company gets is about 10 times what my friend's rate is. Needless to say, I was flabbergasted. However, I really didn't want to rain on my friends parade. She LOVES animals. She loves to hang with them, groom them, feed them - you name it. Of course, given her experience with most humans, I completely understand the reason why she likes animals. At least the animals don't act like complete A*HOLES to her. But I semi-digress.

Recently, my friend informed me that she was going to be cat sitting again. Of course, I'm happy for her. I'm thrilled really. It's exciting to see that she's doing stuff and that for her, she's got a fairly good gig. But man, the fact that she was only getting what she was getting per day was just PISSING me off. I felt like the people that she was sitting for were taking advantage of her. I felt like it was unfair. And, let me say un-categorically, in my view that hasn't changed. I do; however, have a much better understanding of my friends view - and very possibly her employers view.

To whit, and to be short. My friend's view is that being blind and/or disabled, she constantly gets screwed, employers are willing to get someone else to fill her position in a heartbeat, and she has to take what she can get and be happy. Of course, considering that she is paid cash and her job competition is the huge pool of illegal aliens in the area she lives in, I can see her concern.

The employers (both whom seem to be older, one a senior and the other older than me at least), aren't as much doing what they are doing for their pet as much as they're saving some money AND doing something that benefits their pet. If they can't save money from putting the animals in a kennel - it's not worth it to them. OK. That's their choice. Of course, being older, they have a different view of money too. Like my mom for instance, who thought she was getting screwed because the guy (who did the job as a favor for my brother and worked dirt cheap) was charging her $16 an hour. Yah. Well, my dad never made more than $10 an hour, so you can understand where she was coming from. And while my friend's employers know money better than that - they didn't get houses in the area where they live without doing fairly well for themselves - they still know the value of a buck.

Before I go on to the rest of the story, I also want to say that her main employer treats her very well and pays her pretty fairly as a housekeeper. She pays her hourly - which is great for my friend - rather than by the job, and she pays her at a more than fair rate for unskilled labor (like, a tad more than the roofer got at my mom's house). I want to be clear on that. As far as that goes, it's pretty good.

Back to the rest of the saga. It seems, unfortunately, that my sense of justice and wanting to let my friend know (in my opinion) she was getting screwed caused a major meltdown and threatened to send her into a depression. This was something that I was concerned about, and it was the reason that I approached the conversation so carefully. For example, I didn't say "Hey friend, do you know that you're getting taken advantage of?" It was more along the lines of, "Just checking, but do you happen to know what cat sitting rates in your area are?" Of course, as soon as she saw the rates - she filled in the first sentiment herself, and as I mentioned this caused her a good deal of distress - which of course I never intended. Ah, you know the old saw "the best laid plans of mice and men..."

So, needless to say when I saw my friends blog I was oh, I dunno. I can't say I was upset, because I wasn't. I can't say I was stunned, because I've known my friend for going on two years now and I get how she responds to things. I can say that I was disturbed. Not because my friend was upset, but because how the SYSTEM in general has beat her down and convinced her that she should only take what she can get. Yes, you heard me.

My friend is someone with passion, and in her earlier days she fought the great government dragon for truth, justice and the right way. Hell no, not the American way, who's government do you think I'm talking about? And, during that time she was shat upon. And that my friends is NOT right.

BUT. NEITHER IS SHE.

My friend's upbringing was a little traumatic (understatement), and because of that she is still working at "normalizing" her responses and understandings of some of the world. And this is where I think she is having a misunderstanding. In her blog post she ranted about the unfairness of society to disabled people. And, I can't say she is completely incorrect. What I can say is that MY FATHER WAS DISABLED. So, I'm familiar with what that means. True, my dad worked as a disabled person that wasn't acknowledge as disabled until he retired as a disable veteran. So, he didn't have that discrimination to deal with. But you know what? He had just as much discrimination to deal with as any disabled person or person of color, especially being of Italian heritage at the time he grew up.

My dad was discriminated against because he was a filthy wop - as was my mother. Even in the private school my mother went to (no, my grandparents weren't rich, my grandfather was a taylor who worked hard and scraped to make ends meet, but they sent my mom to the local catholic school), they were happy to take my grandparent's money - then treat my mother like dog crap. Unfortunately, in the 1960s it wasn't much different where I grew up. I was picked on virtually my entire grammar school experience because I was Italian. High school I was just picked on because I was short and fat - thankfully I finally fought my way through that crap by my senior year though.

So, here is where my friend's understanding breaks down a bit. I don't think that she realizes what all of us - regardless of race, color or disability - go through to get where we are. In part of her post she talks about her very bright friend who graduated with a 3.9 gpa and got interviewed by the CIA - but was rejected because he was blind. So now he sits living as a ward of the state, in his bedroom, in his parent's house, and eating himself to death. Hang on, let me get the fiddle out.

HORSE SHIT.

So, because he was rejected by one agency, by one company, he quit? What's with that? And, so what if he contacted more than one job. Why did he quit? Does he think that any of us - maybe with the exception of some people that go to Harvard or Yale and are born with a silver spoon in their mouth - don't get rejected? Can I tell you how many jobs I applied for before I got my first job in computer science? Or how long I had to wait? And back when I was looking for my first job, there was no internet. There was no virtual market. I went out and pounded the pavement. Company to company. I remember many days going to a city and going in and out of buildings, filling out application after application. Hitting every company in an office tower, and every company I could get to in a particular district. In a suit. During the summer. Carrying around a briefcase. Making call after call. Sending out resume after resume - the old fashion way - by TYPING them and using real paper envelopes. Was it easy? No. Did it work? HELL NO. It took me over a year to get a job and that was only because I had someone I went to school with refer me!

But here's the point. Her friend gave up. He shouldn't have. He should have stayed in touch with people he knew. He should have checked around with them. And here's the thing, I've emailed with this guy (though I didn't know the whole story). He's bright! You know what? With what he knows he can get a job. Sure, he's got special needs (though they can't be much more special than the woman that works where I am that has a guide dog AND a wheel chair because she's not physically able to walk), and yes that narrows his options. But does that mean there is no opportunity? NO. It means he has to work harder to find it. So, to her friend - DON'T GIVE UP. Is it going to be easy? Of course it isn't, but for anything worth it, it rarely is.

Now, as for my friend herself, why does she accept what she does? Simple fear. And she DOESN'T need to have it! OK, so her current employer doesn't want to pony up more dough. Fine. Like I mentioned to her, that's why people jump companies in a career. It's easier to get more money going somewhere else that needs to fill a need than in your current company in many cases. Does she have to give up her job? No! Of course not. But, what she can do is get a camera and take a picture of her sparkling work - then make a flyer!

"Do you want your home to sparkle like this? Call me! 999-555-1212 20 years of experience says I can do it for you too!"

Of course, my friend is limited because she's blind and has to rely on public transit. No problem, when a potential customer calls then find out if they're close to a stop. If they aren't, say thanks but I can't make it - do you know anyone that is near public transportation that might need some help? Bing! There you go, you even get a lead out of it. And, because they're coming to her, she can set the rate she wants - for cleaning or pet sitting.

Of course, my friend is trying to get out of the cleaning game right now. And I'm all for it. She's trying to get qualified to start training people on computers. I KNOW she could do that. Heck, she could do that with her eyes closed and her hands tied behind her back. Hmmmm, of course she does have an advantage in the eyes closed thing...

I still think that my friend has lots of opportunities - especially in the virtual world we live in. As long as she's willing to continue to train herself (like she does), I know that she could do work of all sorts - it's just a matter of believing she can - AND - asking for some help getting started. If there is one thing I've found about my friend it's that she is fearless with anything around a computer or using any software. With a little education, and without the need to replace her income doing what she's doing immediately, she could have some great opportunities to get some work for herself. Will it be easy? No. Will it be fast? No. Will it be worth it if she can sit in her home and make as much money for sitting at her computer as she does for having to shlep all over the metropolitan area she lives in and bust her hump? YOU BETCHA!

So, yes. This has been a long diatribe (otherwise known as rant). I know that what I've said will be looked at as being insensitive or possibly as me just being ignorant. I'll say no to the first, possibly to the second. But you know what? I just know too many people that have achieved so much because they had the right attitude about it. And especially in my friends case - she's got the biggest door opener ever on her side - GOD. And let me tell you, if God can take care of me, he can take care of my friend. And no, it's not all about attitude or positive thinking. It's got nothing to do with the mythical "law of attraction" that is talked about so much in motivational circles (the law of attraction works because the people that are practicing the principle of fixing a goal clearly in their mind and moving towards it are IN MOTION - nothing gets attracted to them - they just get out where they can run into the things that are appropriate for them!) What it is about for her - and me - and maybe you too, is finding out what God has for her. For looking at the gifts he has given her - then being in motion to put those gifts into action.

Oh, one last thing. Is it fair? No. Like I tell my 9 year old all the time when she says something isn't fair - "get used to it, life isn't fair." And it's not.

It's not fair that we live in a land where even if you're disabled, blind or whatever, you still have more opportunity than any other country in the world. It's not fair that my friend who lives on disability wages from the government is STILL getting a wage that is over double the yearly wage in India - in what she makes PER MONTH. It's not fair that we've been born in a country with freedom, with a democratic government, with liberty to speak our minds, with broadband access to the internet, with public transportation that is reasonable. It's not fair that we've been blessed by not living in gulags, that we haven't been disposed of because of our race or disability, that we haven't been put in a caste where we are considered "untouchable." It's not fair that we haven't been wiped out in a genocide, it's not fair that we have so much food, it's not fair that we have clean water to drink, it's not fair that we don't have 93% unemployment like some countries, it's not fair that we don't live under a cruel despot. There is so much that isn't fair that I barely have touched the surface of it - but - I rejoice that I've been blessed and I try to at least live well enough to be a blessing to those that live in circumstances that are not as favorable.

To wrap, I'll say this. There are still going to be people that discriminate. The road will not be easy. I don't have all the answers. God does. He didn't leave his people in Egypt. He didn't leave his people in Babylon. He's not going to abandon us either. Love God, love people, do your best, don't quit. And in all things - rejoice!

NO Kidding: Sun Blamed for Warming of Earth and Other Worlds

This is the literal headline on a story...

Sun Blamed for Warming of Earth and Other Worlds

NO KIDDING. Really? I can only hope that the writer did it on purpose... Here's the link to the article, you decide....

Live Science Article

Now *THAT* is a cute baby.

Need I say more?

You Know You're Really a Geek When...

You wake up on a Saturday morning because you've been dreaming (literally) of a GIMP vs. Photoshop feature comparison and not having it fully resolved in your dream wakes you. Sad but true.

It's Sophie's First Birthday!

Yes - this adorable totally cute little baby is now one year old! Hard to believe isn't it? Man, time flies. And yes, she always has had that much hair! (check the picture on 10-10-2006.

I love my baby. Hmmm, maybe we'll have another one...

Ann Coulter and the Hypocricy of the Media

Listen, I'm not going to say that what Ann Coulter said was polite. It wasn't. And I'm not going to say that I haven't called someone a faggot in my lifetime because it ain't true (for it to be so, you'd have to delete my four years of high school at an all boys school where you called people a douche-bag, faggot or slooon (fat whale) at least half the time) and to say so would be a lie.

Here's a link to the video at CNN

What I am going to say it that the media in general is composed of a bunch of hypocrites. These people say the politically correct thing in front of the camera and they're just as bad as anyone else when they are off the air (camera or mic) as anyone else is. Just look at all the crap they gave President Bush I when he called someone a "chicken-shit" at a time he didn't think the mics were on. Like NO ONE in the media has called someone a chicken-shit or anything else - probably worse - when they were off mic, right?

Again, it wasn't polite. It certainly wasn't PC. But it isn't something that people don't do on a regular basis. To blow it up like this is ridiculous. Ironically enough, I think that the perfect result is coming of it too - the target of the remark John Edwards (whom nobody thinks is a homosexual to the best of my knowledge) is making political hay and campaign $$ out of the whole thing. So, main stream media - stop making believe that your undies are all clean and let's be honest about this. You're just as bad as Coulter, you just don't want to admit it.

Captain - There be whales here!

Well, it was time. Time for me to open myself up for the derision of the masses, for those with whole other people living inside their bodies and longing to be free! Yes, I'm officially a whale. But inside of me somewhere is a slender person that's trying to get out.

I, officially, weigh more than I EVER have in my entire life. I think that I'm around 187-188. (sorry, this bathroom scale is a little variable) Which you may be thinking - that ain't to bad! And I'm thinking - I should be around 155! So, I'm freaking FAT!

Have I always been this way? Hell no! In college I ran cross country. Even at age 43 (just 3 1/2 years ago) I was fit and trim. Heck, last year before I messed up my knee and had to get surgery I was a good 20 lbs or so lighter than I am now. (See picture of me slim here!)


But... A couple of factors have caught up with me. Time (hey, at 46 it don't come off nearly as easy as it goes on - know what I'm talking about?) and lack of time. I have allowed myself to be controlled by all the forces around me, compromised my diet and I haven't worked out. So, it's all my fault. And, therefore, I am taking full responsibility. And now, it's time to fight back!

So, what can I do? I can do what I've always done. Kinda. Here's the reality - at 46 the pounds do NOT melt off like they used to. And, I don't have the time to go out and run like I used to, nor can my body take that kind of pounding anymore. (Ask my chiropractor, he'll tell you). So, I'm going to modify my diet and I'm going to work out. I'm going to take the best of what I've learned in all my years and I'm going to make it work for me. And if you're interested, you can make it work for you too!

What I'm going to do is create a new blog to track what I'm doing. There's going to be a public record of my success on the journey. Why? So that you can have success too! I hope that once you see what I look like now and what I'm going to look like in a few months you're going to be inspired! I'll tell you all my secrets (if I have any) and tricks. If you're interested, come back and find out more!

PS Shortly there will be pictures of my corpulent self here (along with one of me skinny!)

Huzzah! Another Boy in the Family!

Some brother-in-law I am, geesh. It's taken me almost a month to get this post up. I guess that's what happens when I get stuff at work and it gets lost in the onslaught of work email.

Still, better late than never! So, CONGRATULATIONS to my brother-in-law Daryl and his lovely wife Carla on the birth of their second boy, Cameron, and the second boy on my wife's side of the family! (Her older brother Kyle and his wife Kerri have 2 girls and of course, we have 4)! So, obviously everyone in the family is thrilled.

Enough chatting - now pictures! (PS, the other little boy is my wife's godchild, Colin).

The more things "change" the more they stay the same.

Politicians will be politicians...

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0207/2908.html

Trust NONE of them!

The Earth is on FIRE!? Then Again, Maybe Not.

Awhile back I penned (ok, virtually penned) that the earth was heating up. Please forgive me - I made the mistake of only trusting the mainstream media feeds (and worse yet - data from the UN) I had been seeing. That is the problem I guess with trusting a group that I have found on the whole rather un-trustable.

So, here is another link for your consideration. I like this one, data - data - data.

http://www.oism.org/pproject/s33p36.htm

Don't get me wrong friends - I believe that we should take care of the earth. I think that the initiatives to get rid of a lot of the fossil fuel burning energy sources is good. Heck, if the tree huggers can create enough fear and social awareness that big corporations actually start doing something now - GOOD! Especially since they should have started doing something 30 years ago. BUT, at the end of the day, I really don't need the fear and the guilt trips to do what I should do. And neither should you, which means that the big companies shouldn't either. After all, aren't we the ones that the big companies are comprised of? If we do the right thing, then at some point other people that will do the right thing should percolate to the top as well, and they should do the right thing.

At the end of the day, it's not who's right, it's what's right. Let's all do what's right.

Me and Swiss Miss

I was just making a bit of "instant mocha coffee" at work. You know, coffee from the burning urn + Swiss Miss. So, I'm looking at the package as I'm making my cup and I see "with CALCIUM." And I'm thinking to myself, man do people have diets that are so deficient now that calcium in your hot cocoa is a selling point? Sad man. I mean, really, how pathetic is that?

To Be 6 Again - The Truth of the Matter

I received this email from my wife this morning...

TO BE 6 AGAIN
A man was sitting on the edge of the bed,
observing his wife turning back
and forth, looking at herself in the mirror.

Since her birthday was not far off, he asked
what she'd like to have for her Birthday.

I'd like to be six again, she replied, still
looking in the mirror.

On the morning of her Birthday, he arose early,
made her a nice big bowl of Lucky Charms,
and then took her to Six Flags
theme park. What a day ! He put her on every
ride in the park; the Death Slide, the Wall of Fear,
the Screaming Monster Roller Coaster... everything
there was. Five hours Later they staggered out
of the theme park. Her head was reeling and her
stomach felt upside down.

He then took her to a McDonald's where he
ordered her a Happy Meal with
extra fries and a chocolate shake.

Then it was off to a movie, popcorn, a soda pop,
and her favorite candy,
M&M's. What a fabulous adventure ! Finally she
wobbled home with her
husband and collapsed into bed exhausted.

He leaned over his wife with a big smile and
lovingly asked, Well Dear,
what was it like being six again ??

Her eyes slowly opened and her expression
suddenly changed.

I meant my Dress Size, you dumb ass !!

The moral of the story: Even when a man is
listening, he is going to get it wrong.

SEND THIS TO WOMEN WHO NEED A LAUGH..... AND TO
MEN YOU THINK CAN HANDLE IT.....

-----------------

To which I replied...

Harrumph! The only thing I have to say about that is that it was typical that the female didn't clearly state what she thought "I'd like to be A six again" and even though the husband did everything he could to try and respond to what he perceived his wife's wishes were, he still ends up getting vilified in the end.

Now, could somebody bring me a drink and the remote?

:-p

---------------------
To which my thoroughly enlightened wife replied...

Blah, Blah, Blah.

-------------------

HA!! Isn't it typical.

Attack of the Germs - The Joys of Parenting

Man. February has been one *itch of a month. It started with Chloe then Sophie coming down with the 24 hour puke your brains out bug - on back to back days. Which, if you have a child you know also equates to back to back nights - with little to no sleep. Then (even though this isn't a germ and it's not about parenting) Shanna got all four wisdom teeth out on the same day and was totally wiped out for a couple of days. Hmmm, come to think of it, there is some parenting in there and ANY of you that have a spouse know that when they are sick (yes, even you too women!) that they're like one of the kids. Of course, I'm happy to do stuff for my honey - including telling her to park her butt and rest. Damn that woman can be stubborn. Of course, she'd need to have some serious constitution to live with me in the first place.

Moving on. So, Shanna just starts to recover on Friday when we notice that Bayley (the almost 9 year old) has crashed out on the sofa in the middle of the day. Oh yah, we noticed that because she only had the energy to freak out a little when Shanna had to call 911 because the baby started choking up blood in the middle of the day. Yah, 911. That was interesting. I was at work, but it was quite the scene from what I heard. No worries, baby is as right as rain. But man that scared the *hit out of us I'll tell you.

Anyway, Bayley crashing mid-day is something that doesn't happen. Saturday, she starts with the puking. And she's nothing like Chloe and Sophie. Poor kid just pukes every hour for 24 hours straight. I was exhausted just taking care of the poor thing. Sunday she finally stopped throwing up, but she was still really hot. We were ready to bring her in - but being that she stopped throwing up and some IB cooled her down, we figured we were out of the woods. Thing was, she was still off her feed - the kid wouldn't eat. This persists through Monday and into Tuesday. Shanna was starting to get upset because she hadn't had the equivalent of a piece of toast since Sunday. Then, Bayley starts spewing again and Shanna takes her into the pediatrician. Hey! We think she's got appendicitis! No fracking way. It was odd, but it wasn't presenting the way the doc thought it should, so he gave her a shot to stop the puking. She came home, slept a little and began to feel fine. Wednesday morning - she actually eats. Yea! Wednesday evening - sorry, my tummy feels weird, has 2 bites of dinner - doesn't even ask for desert. Rut ro.

So now, Wednesday night, we're wondering - do we take her in for the cat-scan? Ah the joys of parenting. Up all night, cleaning up puked on floors, bleaching out buckets that have been puked in at night, dragging kids to doctors, calling 911 and having fire trucks and police cars turn up. Man, what a gig. Of course, the flip side is great. I got hugs all day long on Valentine's Day from my posse of chiquitas!

And there was MUCH Rejoicing!

Our good friends Steve and Rece just finished the adoption process for these two beautiful little girls. The process was long (5-6 years) because of all the corruption in the system they had been in. But boy, was it worth it. My wife Shanna and I are completely thrilled for all of them. We know those girls are getting great parents (heck, we'd let Steve and Rece take care of our kids if anything happened in a New York minute), we know they'll love their new home. We also know those two girls are going to be totally loved AND they won't be spoiled. The Bible says to rejoice with them that rejoice. Well, we're rejoicing and we're glad the two girls are here to stay. Congrats Steve & Rece!

Heard as the Kids were Singing

For whatever reason the girls were singing
Christmas songs today while they were
Moving some books onto a bookshelf
That had been moved.

During their Christmas medley they
Started singing Rudolph the Red Nosed
Reindeer. Of course, kids have a
Particular way of singing everything and
In this case it's by adding little comments
In during the breaks of the song.

Ex: Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer
Had a very shiny nose (like Pinocchio)
And if you ever saw it, you would even
Say it glows (like a light bulb!)

So, eight year old Bayley is singing
the lead with 3 year old Chloe providing
The comments. All I have to say is please
Refer to a previous post on Chloe singing.
Anyway, here's how one spot came out.

Verse: All of the other reindeer, used to
Laugh and call him names (Yippee!)

Sigh. Is this in any way an indication that
I'm just not doing a good job raising my
Child? Have I somehow gone wrong?
Nah, she's just a bossy and cheeky little
Blighter she is!

The Inadvertant Creation of a Porn Star?

Shanna, Halle, Chloe and I were sitting in the kitchen. Me on my work laptop, Halle was on her BlueBerry iBook (thanks again Mark!), Chloe was being Chloe, doing different stuff and Shanna was doing some cleanup.

While Shanna was pouring some cleansing agent from the big bottle to a smaller spray bottle she accidentally tipped the bottle to much and spilled some on her shirt - thus had to take it off. Stay calm here people - besides, this isn't the funny part yet.

Moving on. Shan was lamenting that she didn't have a shirt downstairs and the baby was sleeping upstairs in our room. So, she was in fact walking around half naked (again, calm down, she was in a bra). Anyway, as she was going to put her shirt in the laundry, she made the off handed comment that she was nakdid! (a Chloe-ism for naked) But, not like she had a hot body or anything ;-) To which (here's the punchline...) Chloe replies - "I've got a hot body I need to get nakdid!"

And thus ladies and gentlemen, in 10 seconds Shanna completely ruined 11 years (starting with Halle) of character building, teaching the girls purity and it's benefits. Yikes. Scary how fast kids will catch on to the things you DON'T want them too.

And NO - Chloe is not going to follow that career path! But we're certainly going to be more careful with our word selection now - aren't we.

Why the Hipster PDA is Rubbish!

I don’t care if Merlin Mann from 43 Folders thinks this is a good idea – I think its falderal and I’ll give you 43 reasons why!

If you don’t know what I’m talking about, start here:
http://wiki.43folders.com/index.php/Hipster_PDA

I just learned about the Hipster PDA (so, maybe I’m behind the curve a bit), and the more I looked at it, the more underwhelmed I was. This idea sucks – and to think there are a bunch of sites about it too! Heck, spend the time solving either how to accomplish world peace (or making a billion dollars – either way) instead of how you can create a LAME D.I.Y. paper organizer people!

Here’s the list

1. Paper cuts. I never sliced a finger on my Palm device.
2. Paper costs. I don’t care if you’re printing out your own cards, they still cost money.
3. Environment: Trees killed (be serious – not everyone or even most people are using recycled paper).
3. Environment: Pens aren’t recyclable.
4. Who wants a binder clip in your pocket?
5. More expensive. This is only cheaper in up front costs.
6. Information doesn’t get lost in a PDA – that’s why there is the search function.
7. Who uses replaceable batteries anymore? Ever hear of lithium ion?
8. Note reliability: Writing by hand is still barely legible.
9. Data Sharing: my writing doesn’t help anyone.
10. Requires “carbon paper” for copies. (what is this, the 1950s?)
11. Carbon paper mess!
12. Have you tried to find carbon paper?
13. Keep carbon paper in the pocket of your nice camel colored cashmere sport coat.
14. Does TOO get ruined by coffee.
15. Card size restricts you from keeping all associated information in one place.
16. Supplies: Who wants to carry 200 index cards in their pocket?
17. Templates: Amateur designers redesigning what Franklin-Covey, Day Planner and scores of other companies perfected long ago.
18. Limit’s scope of notes that can be kept with you for reference.
19. 3 X 5 cards aren’t significantly smaller than anything other than a 7 year old Palm 3 or Palm 7. (Well, excepting most Windows Mobile based devices).
20. Printer ink.
21. Printer colored ink.
22. Fuel costs. What, you think getting to the stationary store – or getting the stationary delivered to you online isn’t going to cost you money?
23. Harm to natural resources: We only have a limited amount of fossil fuel natural resources – why burn them on trips to pick up cards that are created but cutting down tress – which are then delivered by huge logging trucks (burning gasoline) to mills, which then use all kinds of power (coal, oil and nuclear) to turn the raw materials into paper (and create nasty environmental issues as well). Oh yes, and those loggers endanger the habitat of spotted owls too! (Did you know that spotted owls taste a lot like chicken?)
24. Laser toner.
25. Ink printer parts.
26. Laser printer parts. (What? like you won’t use a laser at work to print these things out right? Be honest.)
Note: If you are insistent about using your printer (even if it's for stuff other than these silly paper based PDAs) then
be smart and (a) go laser - it's WAY cheaper than ink, and (b) check out these guys for your printer parts! Really, they're worth the look.
27. Can’t take pictures. I don’t care how good of an artist you are.
28. Doesn’t sync well.
29. Doesn’t provide easy access to archived material with you at all times.
30. Doesn’t network well.
31. Display resolution inconsistent and variable.
32. Doesn’t do word processing.
33. No spell check.
34. Limited database capacity.
35. Limited database design ability.
36. No alarms.
37. Can’t surf the web.
38. Can’t make phone calls.
39. No Bluetooth.
40. Can easily loose critical components – with no backup.
41. Limited calendar views.
42. No security.
43. Can’t listen to music on it.

OK. There are my 43 reasons why Hipster doesn’t cut it compared virtually any modern PDA. Obviously there are many more – but I think that should do. How about you?

Sour Grapes if You Ask Me

Bono, Who Preaches Charity, Profits From Buyouts, Tax Breaks

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601109&sid=aqdKjGJi9cHc&refer=home

I'm not sure why Bloomberg is trying to paint U2 or Bono as being evil capitalists in this article. Maybe somehow they don't think it's possible to be good business people and want to make a difference in the world? Just because Bono doesn't declare all his charitable giving - is that bad? I think it's pretty much on record in other various sources that Bono believes in both tithing and giving offerings - in addition to the donation of his time, his name and his talents to all of these charities - many of which wouldn't be seeing nearly the contribution level if he wasn't out there chatting them up.

So, here's my advice to Bloomberg - spend a little more time giving and less pointing. It will make this a far happier world.

Brrrr!

Winter has officially come to New England. Ah well, the balmy temps in the 50's and 60
s couldn't last forever I guess!

The Corporate Process

I'm working a new gig right now (ok, new since the end of November) and it is a bit different than anything else that I've worked on.

I'm in at a large financial services company, which is really cool actually, because I love the industry, stocks, trading, everything. Of course, I get to do none of that. What I'm there for is to be an Information Architect. What I work on is how one of the company's institutional products looks and feels. Some of the stuff is pretty stodgy, but it is in process. I'm responsible for working on new designs, envisioning future designs and shepherding a team of designers (visual design, prototypers, usability experts, editorial, accessibility) through the process of getting a great design that allows the user to get what they want, when they want it quickly, easily and intuitively. If you think it sounds easy - you may or may not be right. For me, it is pretty "easy" but it's because of several reasons. It's actually not easy - and if you don't believe me, sit down with a visual designer (graphics guy) and a usability expert and see if you can get them to agree on something. And, then once I've got the design team to agree, we then have to sell the design (essentially) to the systems team (the developers}, providing of course we can get the business partners to agree on what we're doing too. Yes, if you're thinking that it sounds like it can be a three ring circus at times, you're right.

The worst of this is that during many of the meetings I can have ten people in the room - all with different opinions. Any change that we're attempting to make comes under brutal scrutiny because it all has to be signed off on by the business (which has one objective), systems (which has several other objectives) and the designers (who have five different opinions). Oh yes, then we have to run things by legal. So, there are lots of times when I'm in a meeting when we can burn up an hour just discussing the placement of a label, the name of a label. Yes, ONE.

Part of that reason is because the company is so huge and all of its systems seem to interact. Therefore, anything we change needs to pass muster across almost all systems. It needs to be consistent across several different style guides (one company, several brands that are all a theme of the primary company brand), it needs to be language that is meaningful not only for my product, but several others as well.

The result? I spend much of my day dissecting and analyzing pocket lint.

The Earth is ON FIRE

OK, I'm overstating it a bit, but it is true that the earth is warming up. And listen, I'm a conservative (not to be confused with the neo-cons that are currently running the administration - butt heads)that questions everything that the tree huggers have to say (including all these pseudo one-world government organizations). This stuff is the real deal, there is just too much evidence building.

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/DEL33627.htm

Say what you will about Al Gore - but his "inconvenient truth" is a lot more truth than not - as much as I hate to admit it!

Q Sighting

I went past Q this morning on the way into work. Well, at least someone posing as Q. Do you think it's possible that an almost limitlessly powerful being would be driving a fairly pimped out Caddy on 495 north outside of Boston?

Lament

I'll admit it, I'm still numb. It's two hours later and I still want to hurl. What was the devastating event? The Patriots loss to the Colts. I know, I'm a bit too tied into my team (he writes as he sits here wearing the official NFL on the field version of a Pats jersey - gotten on eBay by the way for a tenth of the "proshop" cost) you might be thinking - and you could be right. I think I'm more just a little to spoiled by their success.

I'm not going to break down the game, I'm not going to mention that they had the opportunity to put their foot on the Colts throat and crush them in the second quarter -and they didn't. I'm not going to mention that the D was huge in the third quarter TWICE getting the Colts off the field. I'm not going to mention that Reche Caldwell, who had a really good season CHOKED when he didn't catch a ball he was wide open for on the sideline that would have lead to a first down or more. I'm not going to even think about the fact that the Pats got called for the fracking STUPIDEST penalty - 12 men in the huddle - to start a critical drive at 3:39 left in the game. A drive on which they gained more than 10 yards - but couldn't pick up the first down that would have just about clinched the game for them. Nope, I'm not going to do it.

What I will do is say that this is a game the Pats should have won - and they didn't. I'll say it was a good effort, in fact a gutty one by the D - a unit that was cramping and exhausted after a punishing game last week against the Chargers. I'll say that I'm thrilled for Tony Dungy who is a class guy that got shafted in Tampa - I hope that he wins the whole ball of wax. Sorry, I can't root for the Bears though I like Lovie Smith. Rex Grossman is just too much of an idiot for me to root for. Not that I'm a Peyton Manning fan - I"m not, I try but I just can't like the guy - but I really like Dungy - so for that reason I hope the Colts win (which it kills me to say, but it's not like I'm saying I hope that the Steelers win).

So, that's the end of the season. I'll be looking forward to the combine then the draft. Hmmm, it seems I remember something else that happens in February... something about pitchers and catchers - nah, can't be important, it isn't football. Here's to next year.

Go Patriots!

NFL Analysts are LAME - Patriots Will WIN

And when I say lame, I don't mean an mp3 encoder. I'm saying they all are lame. I've just got done watching 2 days of national sports analysts give their opinion of who is going to win the AFC Championship game. Not ONE of them gave a legitimate reason - but they still picked the Colts to win. Horse-hockey.

Listen, I don't care if someone picks the Colts to win if they can give me some reasons, but NONE of these guys have! They've all just said, I'm taking the Colts because they're at home and they can't keep loosing to the Patriots. Or... "It's Peyton's time." WTF? What the hell kind of reasons are those for picking a team?

The Colts defense has had two good weeks. I'm willing to give them that. But, I'm also willing to say that they faced one of the worst head coaches in the league in Herm Edwards (as much as I like the guy personally by the way). KC didn't change a single thing in their offense while the Colts brought 8 and 9 men into the box to stuff the run. Same thing against the Ravens. Better coach, but their offense has sucked all this year. They stuffed the run, again bringing 8 guys up, and essentially dared McNair to beat them. Well, being that he's a mere shadow of the QB he was 3-4 years ago he couldn't. Colts win.

Seriously. Do you think that the Pats are just going to keep running the ball if Indy keeps bringing 8 guys up? You don't think they'll start to play-action them until they stop? And what, you think that Indy's D line will get to Brady when the Chargers couldn't? You're kidding right?

Listen. I'm not saying the Colts suck. That isn't true. They are a good team and the game will be a good one. I am saying that the Pats OWN Manning in the playoffs. I am saying that it doesn't make any difference that the Pats are on the road - they've won two AFC Championship games on the road. I am saying that the fact that the game is in a dome HELPS the Pats - they're a great dome team! I am saying that the Patriots D is decidedly BETTER now than they were when Indy faced them during the regular season. Samuel is much more likely to jump a route. Sanders is now seasoned at filling in at Strong Safety for Harrison and is playing really well.

The end result? Patriots by at least 10. Am I on drugs? Only the legal stuff for sinus headaches - and that won't skew my perspective. Brady wins this being cool under pressure. The Pats D-line forces at least one turnover and they get Manning for at least one big pick. Go PATS. And you can see the date and time stamp - you know this one is on the books before the game!

A Three Year Old in the Bathroom

Yes, I know I'm on a three year old tangent here. But, for the two of
you that actually visit this page (at least I think there are two ;-)
I'm sure you can bare with me. Maybe someday I'll put up something more
interesting again - but then, I find this interesting.

Standing in the bathroom with Chloe after she's just gone pee and I hear
"Daddy, I need help, I can't get this, it's too slippery..."

Yah, scary, but not what you're thinking.

So, I look over, and there's Chloe just swiping at the top of the toilet
paper roll with her hand - and making this lovely waterfall effect with
the TP falling in a ribbon on the floor. Lovely.

Hmmm. Well that explains the last few toilets getting clogged up now
doesn't it.

A Three Year Old's Song Lyrics

Overheard while Chloe is singing with Grandma...

Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake
Baker's man
Bake me a cake as fast as you can

Roll it and pat it, and mark it with a C
And put it in the TOILET for Chloe and me!

- Yet another reason you should never let a 3 year old bake for you...

It's Christmas Time in the Suburbs... Part I

Ah, the joy that is Christmas. The cold weather, the icy roads, the early darkness, the over spending, the obnoxious relatives (not mine by the way - really), the tacky light displays (oh, I can't wait to get ours up - the first time in YEARS), the unreasonable expectations for commitments of time and money. Oh the JOY! So, in this post let me cover some Christmas (or any major holiday) type relationship issues.

I have a friend of mine that I caused to go into a major crisis because I would not let them get a gift for me. Thankfully she finally understood that friendship has nothing to do with if I allow her to spend money. Doh! and Yea! Good for her. It was a process, but she actually got the picture in a healthy way.

Another thing that came up with my friend was the "single" thing. And that I understand. I was single for a long time before I got married. And I'm including the time that I was engaged to my previous finance. I'd rather be alone than spend a holiday with her family. Anyway. Being single at the holidays is perfectly OK. The problem is that somehow our spend crazy, post modern society that doesn't really understand the reason why the winter solstice festival was Christianized is not because of FAMILY - it's because the Christ Child was born to be our salvation. Doh! So, because the focus becomes family instead of the family of God - people feel that they are unfulfilled because they don't have a "family." I have one, would you like to rent it? Cheap?

No, it's not because my family is any more dysfunctional than any other family. And I'm not talking about the wife's family here - just mine. I have a policy that I don't talk about the inlaws, I haven't been known an abused by them long enough to really make comments yet. Scary, there are times that still take me seriously. Anyway, having a family is no guarantee of happiness. In fact, in many cases having a family is more a guarantee of having cousins that aren't talking to each other, different sides of the family feuding and people having too much eggnog. Yippie! Just what I always wanted on the holiday. And no, I didn't just become this jaded, I've been this way for a long time. Why? Because I remember all this stuff from when I was a kid too. True silliness. Honestly, I've always been more of a fan of spending the holidays with people I LIKE. I don't need to have a long tradition. I'm not a "tradition" kind of guy. I don't need to have the same folks around me for the next 40 years. I just want to have an enjoyable holiday. And what does that mean? It means that I get to spend any meaningful holiday - especially a "Christian" holiday with people that know Christ - and that I LIKE. Now, I will admit that it is a bit easier being that I'm married. I get to spend the days with my immediate family (wife and kids). Outside of that...I'm pretty flexible. When the kids are gone, out of the house and wherever, then I'll hang with the wife. If something happens and I somehow out live my wife, then I'll hang out with friends from church if that works for them - and if not, maybe I'll just have a nice day with the Lord. Or maybe I'll just watch some campy old movies that geezers like to watch from when they were young - like Star Wars (the original ones!).

So, my point. If you're single, don't lament it. Enjoy it. If you don't want to hang by yourself, then get with a friend and do something. If they've got something to do, then ask if you can tag along. If you've got family that you can stand - then hang with them. Whatever it is - don't stress out. The whole idea is to enjoy yourself. if you don't have friends, then go volunteer someplace that needs you - like shelters or soup kitchens that are feeding those that are less fortunate than we might be. If you are one of the less fortunate and you're reading this at a library - then go work at one of those kitchens and bless the other people around you. And through it all, give thanks that you are who you are, you have what you have. It may not be much - I know this year for us it certainly isn't, but I know that we are healthy and we still have someplace to live. I'm grateful for that. And who knows, as you get good at accepting who you are and where you are, you'll be surprised at what can happen.

OK. So this wasn't a funny post, but I hope it helps someone this season. Really it's true, go with what you've got and enjoy the moment.

James Kim Missing

Hey all.  I just heard this horrible news.  James Kim and his family were reported missing this week.  They had gone away for a family holiday over Thanksgiving.  I'm including the link here to the story on Digg which then links to a story on TWiT TV.

http://www.digg.com/search?s=james+kim

There's also another link on Veronica's blog

http://veronicabelmont.com

PLEASE - If you think you've seen or heard anything, let the authorities know (see V's blog for contact information) immediately and most of all, keep James and his family in your prayers.

In Lockdown

I just started a new gig.  Yah, yah, a lot of stuff has happened since voting day, I'll catch up on that another time.  For now, I'm more just posting to update you on something.  Like for example, the place I’m working is locked down tighter than the Iron Curtain used to be. 

Is the company bad?  No, they're great.  People are great, equipment is adequate (I've got to use a Windoze PeeCee - eww!), software tools are fine too.  But because of the industry, they are VERY strict on electronic access policy.  In fact, I can't even check my Gmail account (can you say withdrawal?), or IM with anyone.  Brutal man, totally brutal.  But it's a gig and it looks like it will be a good one - so I'll learn to adapt.  Like posting this way.  Of course, I'd love to be able to include a pic (something I've done quite a bit I think!) but I don't know that I can.  I think I'll put a pic in the email and see what happens… :-)

More to come!

Get Out and Vote! Even if it doesn't make a difference damn-it!

Hey, you can see it in the picture - that's where I am and that's what I'm doing. Exercising my constitutional right to vote. Sure, I know that living in the Commonwealth of MA that it was essentially "vote for the liberal of your choice day" (true - there were only 2 Reps and 1 Indy running for any major office). I knew that my vote was the same as spitting into the wind, yet, I still went out and did it. :-) Oh, and by the way, the Republicans in this state are so liberal they'd be considered liberal Democrats anywhere else in the union!

But, today I went out and voted. I got mad though. Why? Because there were so many people that ran unopposed! Why is that? Have we become so apathetic that we don't run either? So, we have no alternatives to the people in office and then no one comes out to vote. Seems kind of self-defeating, don't you think?

It looks like the Democrats are going to pick up around 30 seats. Actually, it's a pretty amazing number for the US to have that much turn over. I remember reading a stat once that showed that members of the Politburo in Communist USSR had more turnover than our houses of Congress. In this case that 30 seats is almost 7% of the seats available. Thinking about that - it's really pretty pathetic. We've got an unpopular war, an imperial and bullying President, issues with the budget, stem cell research and of course, abortion. With all that, we still only turn over maybe 8-9% of the total houses of Congress (including the Senate). Isn't that wrong?

Listen. I really don't give a Ding-Dong, Ho-Ho or King Don about labels. I care about getting stuff done. I'm a registered Republican, but I don't agree with a lot of the current Neo-con agenda or methodology. I think that the truth runs somewhere between a true conservative (fiscal), progressive (think 1920's progressive) and libertarian. I want fiscal restraint, I want less government pork but I want the government to help where it can and in a way that only the government of a nation this size can do. I'd love to know what you think.

Oh, if you've made it this far... I've got an offer for you. If you can prove to me that you voted, I've got a gift for you. If you like Mac stuff then you can have my book, A Mac Eye for the Windows Guy. If you'd like some great Palm software (PDA Essentials and TuCows say it's great!) then I'll give you any piece of software that you'd like. Just let me know!

The Return of the KKK

I'm sitting in my bedroom with the lights out, my wife getting ready for bed and the baby sleeping in the bassinet. I'm blogging here in the dark because something so profoundly disturbing happened this past week that I didn't want to forget to post about it, so, even though I'm exhausted, my eyes are burning and my knee hurts because of the position I have to be in so that I can type this in bed - I'm posting.

Here's what happened. A local church (Methodist) in the town where I attend church (though at a non-denominational congregation) just got a new pastor. Which was actually pretty exciting news. The guy seems really cool, has a hyphenated name, very contemporary dresser (and dresses well) and for a pastor - the most important thing - he really loves God and wants to show his love in the community.

So what's the problem? Well, it seems that the problem has to do with his being black. You know, of African American extraction. At least to this group of people that sent the threatening letter to the church anyway. And yes, they signed it the KKK.

Now, I used to live in the south, and in the south the white folk with red necks and names like Bubba are pretty openly prejudice. These crackers are still fighting the War of Northern Aggression and battling the imposition of desegregation. Thankfully there are fewer now than there were even 40 years ago - but they're still out there. Not to say that all southerner's are like this. That would be a gross injustice. But there are still enough pockets of these ignorant fools to make life potentially dangerous for someone with dark skin in the south.

However, at present, I live in the Commonwealth of MA. The cradle of liberty. The place where blood was first spilled on April 19, 1775 as we resisted the imposition of British tyranny. I live in a state that was one of the most supportive in both the War for Independence AND the Civil War. And in the civil war, and the years leading up to it, MA was a hotbed of abolitionist support.

So tell me, how the ***BLEEEEP*** did some nut job (or jobs) end up in this state sending threatening letters to a black pastor in a town that at one point was considered part of Plymouth - you know, the town the Pilgrims, those seekers of religious freedom - in a state that has been known for it's support of civil rights and it's long standing Democratic leanings?

The answer. I don't know. But I do know that I want them the devil out of MY state and the town where I worship - NOW. There is no place in this world - or any other world - for this horrific behavior, this base defilement of people that were made equal in the eyes of a loving God and redeemer. It makes me sick. It makes me mad. And I'm doing something about it - here and now and also in the community I live and worship in.

Here's my request. Make sure you do something about it where you live too. Let's not ever have anything like this ever happen again anywhere in the US - OR the world.