Granted, I really have no idea if the claims regarding Iran and the US infiltrating are real or not but it scares the hell out of me. If Iran is doing the same thing to us in Iraq and they are undermining our progress then it only makes sense, but if Bush is somehow trying to prep us for a war with Iran before he leaves office, then it is high time Congress steps in a puts a stop to this immediately.
It’s too bad impeachment is off the table at this late date.
Monday, June 30, 2008
Saturday, June 28, 2008
An open letter to Senators Obama and McCain
I am a 42 year old male who is completely fed up with today’s partisan politics and I am concerned that neither one of you is going to be able to bring change to this process. Perhaps I have been jaded after years of watching the same promises come and go like the wind, but I have serious reservations believing either one of you can make any changes to our political climate. If I may, I would like to point out the challenges contributing to this problem; these are things that need to be seriously addressed if we are ever going to make real changes in America.
The media, specifically biased talk show hosts, contributes to the Us vs. Them mentality that has permeated the country with it’s partisan stench. As much as I would like to point fingers at some of these people and blame them for all of our problems, the fact remains that party leadership is the genesis of these media cretins. If you listen to these so called leaders, you will hear the Republicans vehemently defending their decisions or ideas while the Democrats are on the other side doing the same thing. Both parties cannot be right yet each would have you believe they are right and the other is wrong. This is true about every single topic and you never hear them admit to making a mistake or being wrong. I ask you; how can this be possible? How can either one of these parties feel they are exclusively right about everything? The answer is, they cannot.
There are probably several reasons why these ideas and attitudes have occurred. These would include outside influences like money, special interests, and the desire for power, but perhaps it is time we look at our two party system. Wouldn’t it be beneficial to have as many ideas and positions available for us to examine? I ask you; why is there always an agenda? And shouldn’t that agenda be to do what is best for the country and not what is best for the party? Who really cares if the Republicans come up with an idea to deal with the economy or if the Democrats come up with an answer for our energy crisis? Does it really matter who comes up with the ideas as long as it is the best thing for the country? Shouldn’t that question be on the minds of all of our lawmakers when they raise their hands to vote? Alas, no. Most are thinking of their party (or other) obligations rather than what is best for the country. If you think I am wrong about this, then I ask you why are we in such a mess if all decisions are being made in the best interest of the country?
I would also like to suggest that it is time to consider term limits and get rid of our career politicians. It seems to me that two terms is long enough to make some changes and do some good for the country rather than staying in office their entire lives. Granted there are lawmakers who have been in office for many years who have contributed to important decisions, but do you think these people can still relate to the every day family? Additionally, if people knew they were only going to be in office for a limited time, I would argue most would try and be as productive as possible in the time they have and not worry about other obligations.
I would challenge each of you to seriously embrace change and while my last comment may seem extremely risky, it takes a brave people to change and this suggestion is going to require brave leadership to affect this change. I would ask that you be willing admit you are wrong when you make a mistake. The stance that the President of the United States must never be wrong is a thing of the past. In today’s world of global communications and media scrutiny, there are going to be times when your mistakes are caught and rather than avoid them, let’s deal with them head on. I understand national security concerns, but I am talking about day to day topics like the economy, taxes, health care. Let’s admit our mistakes and find a way to fix them. Let’s pause before we use these mistakes to punish our leaders to say that we were right and they were wrong. Let’s be the adults we all say we are and deal with the problem. People make mistakes and the last time I checked, the President is a person too.
It should not be Us vs. Them it should just be US.
The media, specifically biased talk show hosts, contributes to the Us vs. Them mentality that has permeated the country with it’s partisan stench. As much as I would like to point fingers at some of these people and blame them for all of our problems, the fact remains that party leadership is the genesis of these media cretins. If you listen to these so called leaders, you will hear the Republicans vehemently defending their decisions or ideas while the Democrats are on the other side doing the same thing. Both parties cannot be right yet each would have you believe they are right and the other is wrong. This is true about every single topic and you never hear them admit to making a mistake or being wrong. I ask you; how can this be possible? How can either one of these parties feel they are exclusively right about everything? The answer is, they cannot.
There are probably several reasons why these ideas and attitudes have occurred. These would include outside influences like money, special interests, and the desire for power, but perhaps it is time we look at our two party system. Wouldn’t it be beneficial to have as many ideas and positions available for us to examine? I ask you; why is there always an agenda? And shouldn’t that agenda be to do what is best for the country and not what is best for the party? Who really cares if the Republicans come up with an idea to deal with the economy or if the Democrats come up with an answer for our energy crisis? Does it really matter who comes up with the ideas as long as it is the best thing for the country? Shouldn’t that question be on the minds of all of our lawmakers when they raise their hands to vote? Alas, no. Most are thinking of their party (or other) obligations rather than what is best for the country. If you think I am wrong about this, then I ask you why are we in such a mess if all decisions are being made in the best interest of the country?
I would also like to suggest that it is time to consider term limits and get rid of our career politicians. It seems to me that two terms is long enough to make some changes and do some good for the country rather than staying in office their entire lives. Granted there are lawmakers who have been in office for many years who have contributed to important decisions, but do you think these people can still relate to the every day family? Additionally, if people knew they were only going to be in office for a limited time, I would argue most would try and be as productive as possible in the time they have and not worry about other obligations.
I would challenge each of you to seriously embrace change and while my last comment may seem extremely risky, it takes a brave people to change and this suggestion is going to require brave leadership to affect this change. I would ask that you be willing admit you are wrong when you make a mistake. The stance that the President of the United States must never be wrong is a thing of the past. In today’s world of global communications and media scrutiny, there are going to be times when your mistakes are caught and rather than avoid them, let’s deal with them head on. I understand national security concerns, but I am talking about day to day topics like the economy, taxes, health care. Let’s admit our mistakes and find a way to fix them. Let’s pause before we use these mistakes to punish our leaders to say that we were right and they were wrong. Let’s be the adults we all say we are and deal with the problem. People make mistakes and the last time I checked, the President is a person too.
It should not be Us vs. Them it should just be US.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Obama asks Supporters to Help Hillary
Admittedly, I am a Hillary Clinton supporter and while I appreciate what Obama is doing here, I have to wonder what the motivation is here. Why even do this? I know Hilary loaned her campaign millions of dollars but so what? No one forced her to do this?
I just have to ask myself, as the two of them are going out on the campaign trail this week, why? What kind of backroom deal have they worked out that is prompting him to do this for her?
Obama talks about not taking money from special interest groups but if they have worked out some kind of a deal where Hillary gets a place in his administration, why is this different that taking money from special interests? I think the President of the United States should take the office uncompromised and owing no one; otherwise what is the point? How can the integrity of the office be intact if the President owes people favors before he is even sitting in the Oval Office?
Hopefully I am wrong. Hopefully there is no deal, but if there is, then how many more ‘favors’ has Obama already promised?
I just have to ask myself, as the two of them are going out on the campaign trail this week, why? What kind of backroom deal have they worked out that is prompting him to do this for her?
Obama talks about not taking money from special interest groups but if they have worked out some kind of a deal where Hillary gets a place in his administration, why is this different that taking money from special interests? I think the President of the United States should take the office uncompromised and owing no one; otherwise what is the point? How can the integrity of the office be intact if the President owes people favors before he is even sitting in the Oval Office?
Hopefully I am wrong. Hopefully there is no deal, but if there is, then how many more ‘favors’ has Obama already promised?
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Do 90% of Americans Really Belive in God?
I read this article and just sat there in stunned silence. I couldn’t help but wonder what was the point or motivation behind this article? And who is the Pew Forum on Religion?
On their About the Forum section of their site (http://www.pewforum.org/), they state “The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, launched in 2001, seeks to promote a deeper understanding of issues at the intersection of religion and public affairs”. This statement confirmed my suspicions; it is another website trying to push religious agendas into politics.
While I am not going to get into a history lesson here, I would like to point out that while there has always been a debate surrounding religion and politics, the addition of religion to the Republican platform is a relatively new addition and has not always been part of their ideas. The bottom line is that our founding fathers pulled religion out of the equation for a reason; government must be representative of the people. I am going to say this again because I think it is important. Government must be representative of the people. Would a Christian influenced government be representative of the people? No. It would not.
Let’s assume this poll of 36K people (the number polled by Pew) is a good sample size and representative of the US population, and let’s also assume that 90% of the population believes in God. That does not mean that everyone is Christian. This poll does not talk about the fact that Christianity is just barely the majority religion in the US. Only 52% of the religious population is Christian, and that is not 52% of the population but only of the people who say they are affiliated with a religion and this number is dropping year after year.
When you think about these things, the motivation behind their survey becomes clear. They are trying to push their agenda and convince everyone that the vast majority of the population is religious and therefore religion has a place in politics. That’s not really what their survey says, but that is what they would like you to believe. I will say again, a government in bed with any religion would not be a government that was representative of it’s people.
On their About the Forum section of their site (http://www.pewforum.org/), they state “The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, launched in 2001, seeks to promote a deeper understanding of issues at the intersection of religion and public affairs”. This statement confirmed my suspicions; it is another website trying to push religious agendas into politics.
While I am not going to get into a history lesson here, I would like to point out that while there has always been a debate surrounding religion and politics, the addition of religion to the Republican platform is a relatively new addition and has not always been part of their ideas. The bottom line is that our founding fathers pulled religion out of the equation for a reason; government must be representative of the people. I am going to say this again because I think it is important. Government must be representative of the people. Would a Christian influenced government be representative of the people? No. It would not.
Let’s assume this poll of 36K people (the number polled by Pew) is a good sample size and representative of the US population, and let’s also assume that 90% of the population believes in God. That does not mean that everyone is Christian. This poll does not talk about the fact that Christianity is just barely the majority religion in the US. Only 52% of the religious population is Christian, and that is not 52% of the population but only of the people who say they are affiliated with a religion and this number is dropping year after year.
When you think about these things, the motivation behind their survey becomes clear. They are trying to push their agenda and convince everyone that the vast majority of the population is religious and therefore religion has a place in politics. That’s not really what their survey says, but that is what they would like you to believe. I will say again, a government in bed with any religion would not be a government that was representative of it’s people.
Monday, May 12, 2008
Who to Vote for...
I have to believe that the race for the Democratic nominee is over and Obama has won. It’s not official yet as Sen. Clinton has not officially folded up her tent, but it’s as good as done.
I am not sure how to feel about all of this; I have never been a fan of having career politicians elected into the Whitehouse, but at the same time, I still do not really know what Obama is going to be capable of accomplishing. For me, the number one priority is the economy. We have to start paying down our debt and stop borrowing money from other countries. This should be our number one priority. Can Obama do this? We know McCain will continue the same fiscally irresponsible policies as Bush so why would anyone vote for him?
Once again, I go back to an earlier blog entry; is this the best we can do? Are these the best possible candidates out there? If the US was a business, we would have declared bankruptcy and closed up shop long ago. If I ran my families budget like the US does, they would bring back debtor’s prison just for me. It’s crazy and yet we all just let it fly.
I doubt I will vote for Obama or McCain. I will use my no-vote as my only way to protest and to declare “no confidence” in either candidate. Okay, so it won’t do any good, and is probably the wrong thing to do, but at least no one will be able to blame me for voting for the wrong candidate.
I am not sure how to feel about all of this; I have never been a fan of having career politicians elected into the Whitehouse, but at the same time, I still do not really know what Obama is going to be capable of accomplishing. For me, the number one priority is the economy. We have to start paying down our debt and stop borrowing money from other countries. This should be our number one priority. Can Obama do this? We know McCain will continue the same fiscally irresponsible policies as Bush so why would anyone vote for him?
Once again, I go back to an earlier blog entry; is this the best we can do? Are these the best possible candidates out there? If the US was a business, we would have declared bankruptcy and closed up shop long ago. If I ran my families budget like the US does, they would bring back debtor’s prison just for me. It’s crazy and yet we all just let it fly.
I doubt I will vote for Obama or McCain. I will use my no-vote as my only way to protest and to declare “no confidence” in either candidate. Okay, so it won’t do any good, and is probably the wrong thing to do, but at least no one will be able to blame me for voting for the wrong candidate.
Monday, May 05, 2008
Florida Baseball Fans are all About the Bandwagon
I just heard that my beloved Cincinnati Reds are leaving their long time spring training facility of Sarasota, FL and heading to Arizona. To all Floridians, “you are the worst baseball fans in the country”.
Seriously, let’s look at what has happened in Florida just over the last few two years. The Dodgers left their long time facility in Vero Beach, the Indians are moving from Winter Haven in 2009, and the Reds are leaving in 2010. After that move, Florida will have to share the honors of Spring Training HQ with Arizona as both states will have 15 teams. Why? Well money of course. The Sarasota faithful have graciously voted not to improve the training and facilities and have lost the opportunity to keep the Reds.
This is from http://www.cincinnati.reds.mlb.com/ site:
With the exception of a three-year period during World War II, the Reds have trained in Florida since 1923. The club has called Sarasota its spring home since 1998, but that lease expires in October. It carries three one-year options that can extend the stay.
Sarasota was always the preferred choice for the Reds, and Allen (Reds COO) spent about six years trying to get a deal done. But the club was repeatedly rebuffed during efforts to replace or renovate Ed Smith Stadium. A public referendum for funding renovations was not passed by voters in November. Alternative funding attempts through the Sarasota County Commission was delayed on multiple occasions.
Mark Sheldon/MLB.com
This is just one more example of the short-sightedness of Floridians. They have gotten so used to not having state income tax and have relied on tourism dollars to support the state’s budget that they feel like they should not have to pay anything extra for anything; especially for something as trivial as baseball.
It is not, of course, just the money. For example, Orlando had a Minor League team for year who’s final name was the Rays. They were originally housed in Tinker Field right next to the Citrus Bowl (both of which are veritable dumps). Tinker was so bad and the citizens so reluctant to spend money, that they eventually struck up a deal with Disney to use the beautiful Champions Stadium. The problem, of course, is that it was just too far away from downtown to draw too much attention and it did not seem like an Orlando team. Let’s face, the last place most Orlando area people want to go to is Disney.
Needless to say, the Rays ended up abandoning Orlando, and Florida all together, and moved to Montgomery, AL, changed their name to The Biscuits, and have enjoyed sold out seasons ever since.
Okay, so I know what you are going to say, “What else is there to do in Montgomery”, but what other sports teams are there in Orlando to watch? The Magic, yes, but it took years of begging from the Magic organization as well as some threats from the NCAA telling Orlando they were going to pull the bowl games unless they made some improvements, that we finally got enough votes together to approve serious renovations to the Citrus Bowl and a whole new arena for the Magic.
The problem is, there are so many people from so many different places living in Florida that there just is no passion for Florida teams. They bring their affiliations and love for these teams with them and they have no desire to support anything locally. Look at the Marlins in Miami. They have won two World Series in the last 10 years and they can’t sell out a game. As far as Florida is concerned, football is the only game worth having. Baseball just does not matter.
The thing that really cheeses me off about this is that Boston is now talking to Sarasota about moving there now that the Reds are moving. Nice. The cynic in me can’t help but wonder if this was the case all along. Get rid of the lowly Reds and perhaps we can get a better team in here. Well if that is the case Sarasota, if you thought the Reds were asking for a lot, prepare to bend over when the Red Sox come to town. Of course, all the Boston fans who have relocated to Florida will vote in this measure.
Seriously, let’s look at what has happened in Florida just over the last few two years. The Dodgers left their long time facility in Vero Beach, the Indians are moving from Winter Haven in 2009, and the Reds are leaving in 2010. After that move, Florida will have to share the honors of Spring Training HQ with Arizona as both states will have 15 teams. Why? Well money of course. The Sarasota faithful have graciously voted not to improve the training and facilities and have lost the opportunity to keep the Reds.
This is from http://www.cincinnati.reds.mlb.com/ site:
With the exception of a three-year period during World War II, the Reds have trained in Florida since 1923. The club has called Sarasota its spring home since 1998, but that lease expires in October. It carries three one-year options that can extend the stay.
Sarasota was always the preferred choice for the Reds, and Allen (Reds COO) spent about six years trying to get a deal done. But the club was repeatedly rebuffed during efforts to replace or renovate Ed Smith Stadium. A public referendum for funding renovations was not passed by voters in November. Alternative funding attempts through the Sarasota County Commission was delayed on multiple occasions.
Mark Sheldon/MLB.com
This is just one more example of the short-sightedness of Floridians. They have gotten so used to not having state income tax and have relied on tourism dollars to support the state’s budget that they feel like they should not have to pay anything extra for anything; especially for something as trivial as baseball.
It is not, of course, just the money. For example, Orlando had a Minor League team for year who’s final name was the Rays. They were originally housed in Tinker Field right next to the Citrus Bowl (both of which are veritable dumps). Tinker was so bad and the citizens so reluctant to spend money, that they eventually struck up a deal with Disney to use the beautiful Champions Stadium. The problem, of course, is that it was just too far away from downtown to draw too much attention and it did not seem like an Orlando team. Let’s face, the last place most Orlando area people want to go to is Disney.
Needless to say, the Rays ended up abandoning Orlando, and Florida all together, and moved to Montgomery, AL, changed their name to The Biscuits, and have enjoyed sold out seasons ever since.
Okay, so I know what you are going to say, “What else is there to do in Montgomery”, but what other sports teams are there in Orlando to watch? The Magic, yes, but it took years of begging from the Magic organization as well as some threats from the NCAA telling Orlando they were going to pull the bowl games unless they made some improvements, that we finally got enough votes together to approve serious renovations to the Citrus Bowl and a whole new arena for the Magic.
The problem is, there are so many people from so many different places living in Florida that there just is no passion for Florida teams. They bring their affiliations and love for these teams with them and they have no desire to support anything locally. Look at the Marlins in Miami. They have won two World Series in the last 10 years and they can’t sell out a game. As far as Florida is concerned, football is the only game worth having. Baseball just does not matter.
The thing that really cheeses me off about this is that Boston is now talking to Sarasota about moving there now that the Reds are moving. Nice. The cynic in me can’t help but wonder if this was the case all along. Get rid of the lowly Reds and perhaps we can get a better team in here. Well if that is the case Sarasota, if you thought the Reds were asking for a lot, prepare to bend over when the Red Sox come to town. Of course, all the Boston fans who have relocated to Florida will vote in this measure.
Monday, April 28, 2008
Honda - Best Bang for the Buck
Most of the time when I travel, I am forced to rent a car as the places my company sends me are remote and rarely have adequate public transportation. As a result, I have been able to test drive a number of different cars, and as a guy who loves cars this really is not a bad thing. My theory on cars has always been“life is too short to drive the same car”.
Personally, I have had a number of different cars and several of them have been Hondas. My favorite to date was the little Honda Del Sol that was just downright fun to drive. With the addition of my daughter, however, I was encouraged to buy a larger family car so I purchased a 2005 Honda Accord with 5 speed and leather interior. This little big car has been great. The 5 speed and nice wheels help give it a sporty look and feel while the leather and the ride also make it nice and comfortable for local travel and long distance trips.
On my last two trips, I have rented VWs. One was a Beetle and the other was a Jetta. Both of them where moderate at best and they just did not compare to my Accord. Over the last few years I have rented a Chrysler SUV, Pontiac G6, Chevy Malibu, Toyota Corrolla, Nissa Maxima, Toyota Avalon, Toyota Camery, and a Chevy Impala. Of these, only one came close to comparing to my Accord; the Pontiac G6. Of course the Avalon was nice and comfortable, but it was too big and not sporty enough for me.
I am not really interested in writing a complete review here, but I will say that it will be difficult for me to purchase a car in the future that is not a Honda. I am sure there are nicer cars out there, but for the money you cannot bet a Honda. They make solid, reliable, and fun cars to drive. They may not be the most luxurious, fastest, or coolest, but they are the best car out there for the money. I may have to re-think my mantra.
Personally, I have had a number of different cars and several of them have been Hondas. My favorite to date was the little Honda Del Sol that was just downright fun to drive. With the addition of my daughter, however, I was encouraged to buy a larger family car so I purchased a 2005 Honda Accord with 5 speed and leather interior. This little big car has been great. The 5 speed and nice wheels help give it a sporty look and feel while the leather and the ride also make it nice and comfortable for local travel and long distance trips.
On my last two trips, I have rented VWs. One was a Beetle and the other was a Jetta. Both of them where moderate at best and they just did not compare to my Accord. Over the last few years I have rented a Chrysler SUV, Pontiac G6, Chevy Malibu, Toyota Corrolla, Nissa Maxima, Toyota Avalon, Toyota Camery, and a Chevy Impala. Of these, only one came close to comparing to my Accord; the Pontiac G6. Of course the Avalon was nice and comfortable, but it was too big and not sporty enough for me.
I am not really interested in writing a complete review here, but I will say that it will be difficult for me to purchase a car in the future that is not a Honda. I am sure there are nicer cars out there, but for the money you cannot bet a Honda. They make solid, reliable, and fun cars to drive. They may not be the most luxurious, fastest, or coolest, but they are the best car out there for the money. I may have to re-think my mantra.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Let's Hear it for Potty Training
Life with my three year old daughter is certainly never dull. Almost every day she seems to change and grow up right before my eyes. She is starting to have conversations with me that include part reality and part her fantasy. One of her favorite tactics is to reverse the roles and act like the adult. I know she is just emulating what she witnesses, but it is still very cute. Last night, while I was laying in her bed reading to her, she realized she was missing a couple of her favorite plushes. When I informed her they were downstairs, she got up and looked at me with as serious a look as she could muster and said, “Okay. I go down and get them. You stay here. Don’t get up. Close your eyes,” pointing her finger up right in front of her face the whole time. Of course, she went downstairs, found her toys and mommy, decided she had to go potty and completely forgot about me upstairs. On a positive note, she did go ‘po-po’.
Speaking if potty training, it’s funny the things you find yourself doing as a parent of a toddler. When your daughter poops her panties, she needs help cleaning up; suddenly I am doing things I never pictured myself doing. At the time, it does not seem to be a big deal until you finish and realize what you just did. All you can do is smile, hug your daughter, and tell her you love her.
Speaking if potty training, it’s funny the things you find yourself doing as a parent of a toddler. When your daughter poops her panties, she needs help cleaning up; suddenly I am doing things I never pictured myself doing. At the time, it does not seem to be a big deal until you finish and realize what you just did. All you can do is smile, hug your daughter, and tell her you love her.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Where oh Where has my Old Starbucks Gone?
I am about to say something that will probably throw some of my friends for a loop; I am beginning to hate Starbucks.
Don’t get me wrong, I still love their coffee, but the place itself is beginning to drive me nuts. It has gotten to the point that the Starbucks I have been frequenting has become busy every time I go in. While this will help make sure the place stays in business, I can’t help but get frustrated with all of the customers in front of me as they order their caramel macchiatos and half-caff lattes. What the hell is a macchiato and who puts caramel in their coffee? I just want a large, black coffee. No cream, no sugar… just bold and black, instead I have to wait in line for all of these people in front of me ordering all of these “coffees”. You are not even ordering coffee; you are ordering 500 calorie desserts.
If anyone from Starbucks is reading this, why don’t you create a regular coffee for normal people line? Yes, I know you move these other folks out of line to let them hover around the ‘barista’ counter, but it would make me happy to be able to walk in, get a coffee and walk out. After all, this blog is all about making me happy.
Don’t get me wrong, I still love their coffee, but the place itself is beginning to drive me nuts. It has gotten to the point that the Starbucks I have been frequenting has become busy every time I go in. While this will help make sure the place stays in business, I can’t help but get frustrated with all of the customers in front of me as they order their caramel macchiatos and half-caff lattes. What the hell is a macchiato and who puts caramel in their coffee? I just want a large, black coffee. No cream, no sugar… just bold and black, instead I have to wait in line for all of these people in front of me ordering all of these “coffees”. You are not even ordering coffee; you are ordering 500 calorie desserts.
If anyone from Starbucks is reading this, why don’t you create a regular coffee for normal people line? Yes, I know you move these other folks out of line to let them hover around the ‘barista’ counter, but it would make me happy to be able to walk in, get a coffee and walk out. After all, this blog is all about making me happy.
Monday, April 21, 2008
What do We do Now?
Being a father certainly makes me look at the choices I make from a different perspective. Things like the kinds of foods we have in the house, television I let her watch, how I plan for our financial future, as well as the actions I take are just a few examples.
As we approach this November election, I can’t help but wonder what decision I am going to make when it’s time to choose a president. This is the first year I have really felt numb when it comes to the candidates. Being from Florida, I won’t even mention my disappointment in my Republican governor scheduling the Democratic convention early and causing my vote to not count. Despite this travesty, I still don’t know who I am going to choose.
On one hand, we have a 70+ year old candidate who will probably not be able to handle 8 years in office and on the other, we have an unproven Jr. Congressman who all we really know is that he is about hope, or we have another Clinton. Think about it, if she wins, that will be at least 24 years of a Clinton or a Bush in the Whitehouse. I have to sit and wonder; is this the best we can do? Are these the best candidates we can find?
Somewhere down the line, we need to start thinking about making the position of president more attractive so we can attract the Bill Gates and Steve Jobs of the world to apply for the job. It is unreasonable to think that the United States will continue to be a world leader in everything. Even now, there are countries out there that are better than us at a multitude of things; education, R&D, manufacturing, and that’s fine, but we need someone in the office that understands competition and the need to solidify the bottom line. We need a business person in the Whitehouse who will pay down our debts and right the ship. In the meantime, however, we are subject to partisan politics.
John Adams predicted that political parties would be the undoing of the United States; I can’t help but wonder if he was right.
As we approach this November election, I can’t help but wonder what decision I am going to make when it’s time to choose a president. This is the first year I have really felt numb when it comes to the candidates. Being from Florida, I won’t even mention my disappointment in my Republican governor scheduling the Democratic convention early and causing my vote to not count. Despite this travesty, I still don’t know who I am going to choose.
On one hand, we have a 70+ year old candidate who will probably not be able to handle 8 years in office and on the other, we have an unproven Jr. Congressman who all we really know is that he is about hope, or we have another Clinton. Think about it, if she wins, that will be at least 24 years of a Clinton or a Bush in the Whitehouse. I have to sit and wonder; is this the best we can do? Are these the best candidates we can find?
Somewhere down the line, we need to start thinking about making the position of president more attractive so we can attract the Bill Gates and Steve Jobs of the world to apply for the job. It is unreasonable to think that the United States will continue to be a world leader in everything. Even now, there are countries out there that are better than us at a multitude of things; education, R&D, manufacturing, and that’s fine, but we need someone in the office that understands competition and the need to solidify the bottom line. We need a business person in the Whitehouse who will pay down our debts and right the ship. In the meantime, however, we are subject to partisan politics.
John Adams predicted that political parties would be the undoing of the United States; I can’t help but wonder if he was right.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Do You Believe in Ghosts?
Raise your hand if you do not believe it ghosts.
Admittedly, my wife and I regularly watch Ghost Hunters on the SciFi channel and really like the show. Grant and Jason are entertaining and seem sincere in their intentions, but I can’t help but think there are some shenanigans taking place on the show. While I don’t really feel it is necessary to go through and dispute everything they claim, I will say that in general, if you believe in something strong enough, you can always find some evidence to prove what you believe; even if it is something as outrageous as ghosts.
My three year old daughter is the reason I bring this up. She has recently been talking about things like a man in our attic, the pirates downstairs, or monsters in general. Some of this is probably the fault of her parents as we have taken her on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Walt Disney World and we have let her watch the Monsters, Inc. movie. We also have an occasional critter (a filthy little squirrel) decide to make our attic his temporary hang-out and he makes quite a racket when he visits.
I find it interesting that she has already developed a sense of anxiousness surrounding these topics. She is a good example of how powerful a simple suggestion or experience can be if you don’t fully understand. The problem now, of course, is how do I reverse or correct her thinking? Once you have started down this path mentally, it is hard to get it back. I also worry these feelings will impact her when she gets older. While it might not be a fear of ghosts, it would be unfortunate if she was general fearful of things like new ideas or experiences.
Hopefully, these experiences will not be too big of an impact. In the meantime, I suppose all I can do is continue to reassure her there are no monsters and perhaps I will need to spend a few nights sleeping on her floor or next to the closet. If that’s all it will take, it will be worth a stiff back and little sleep.
Admittedly, my wife and I regularly watch Ghost Hunters on the SciFi channel and really like the show. Grant and Jason are entertaining and seem sincere in their intentions, but I can’t help but think there are some shenanigans taking place on the show. While I don’t really feel it is necessary to go through and dispute everything they claim, I will say that in general, if you believe in something strong enough, you can always find some evidence to prove what you believe; even if it is something as outrageous as ghosts.
My three year old daughter is the reason I bring this up. She has recently been talking about things like a man in our attic, the pirates downstairs, or monsters in general. Some of this is probably the fault of her parents as we have taken her on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Walt Disney World and we have let her watch the Monsters, Inc. movie. We also have an occasional critter (a filthy little squirrel) decide to make our attic his temporary hang-out and he makes quite a racket when he visits.
I find it interesting that she has already developed a sense of anxiousness surrounding these topics. She is a good example of how powerful a simple suggestion or experience can be if you don’t fully understand. The problem now, of course, is how do I reverse or correct her thinking? Once you have started down this path mentally, it is hard to get it back. I also worry these feelings will impact her when she gets older. While it might not be a fear of ghosts, it would be unfortunate if she was general fearful of things like new ideas or experiences.
Hopefully, these experiences will not be too big of an impact. In the meantime, I suppose all I can do is continue to reassure her there are no monsters and perhaps I will need to spend a few nights sleeping on her floor or next to the closet. If that’s all it will take, it will be worth a stiff back and little sleep.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
The Middle East Vatican
Great news! The US Embassy in Iraq is finally complete! Man, I thought they were never going to finish. What a place, too. It is as big as the Vatican and costs more than $730 Million. Finally, the Military will be able move out of Sadam's palace and into something more manageable.
Seriously, folks. What the heck? I mean, who moves out of a palace? Did they think it was to pretentious? I don't know what they were thinking?
This is the most ridiculous thing I have seen recently. And remember, the US borrowed money to pay for this thing. We don't have the cash to cover it so we had to borrow money! At some point, our creditors are going to cut us off and call in our markers. If this is not proof positive for implementing term limits in Congress, then I don't know what is...
Seriously, folks. What the heck? I mean, who moves out of a palace? Did they think it was to pretentious? I don't know what they were thinking?
This is the most ridiculous thing I have seen recently. And remember, the US borrowed money to pay for this thing. We don't have the cash to cover it so we had to borrow money! At some point, our creditors are going to cut us off and call in our markers. If this is not proof positive for implementing term limits in Congress, then I don't know what is...
Monday, April 14, 2008
Weight Loss is for Losers
After spending most of my life overweight (sometimes way over and some times just over), I have decided that I need to get control of my life again and it is going to start with my weight. I am going to what ever it takes, even if it means spending my nights watching the 40 year old Magnum PI run around Hawaii over and over again. At almost 41, I am running out of time. I don't want to be 60 and look back and think of all of the things I could have done if I was thin. So here goes nothing; I activated my Weightwatchers.com account and am joining the madness. Here's to being a big loser.
Monday, September 24, 2007
The UAW are Making a Big Mistake
It is difficult as an American to look at the state of our automotive industry and not shake my head. We invented the horseless carriage, the process to mass produce automobiles to make them affordable, and we lead the world for years in quality and affordability. Today, GM is struggling to maintain its grasp on the title of #1 and clings to this title due in large part to its rental fleet program, but even that marketing is shrinking as foreign automakers have made serious inroads to this market.
What I do not understand is why are we not learning from our mistakes? What has prevented us from developing new products that are technologically advanced and are miles apart from the rest of the world’s product? It is all because we can only look at the short term. Rather than invest in our future, we sit back and demand what is best for everyone in the short term.
It’s not just GM, it is all of the US automakers. I have a cousin who works for Ford and he plans is life around layoffs. Tell me the Union is working for him and his family? Of course, it is not just the unions that are the cause of the problems, I am sure management has problems too, but we are getting our behinds kicked and all we can do it point fingers at each other. It’s like the Republicans and the Democrats; it one way or the other and there is nothing in between. We can’t even make fuel efficient cars to take our dependence away from the Middle East. Did we learn nothing in the 70’s?
We should be the leaders in hybrid technology but even our hybrids are made by Japan. When Ford announced the Explorer hybrid, they had to use the Toyota hybrid technology. We should be the leaders in fuel economy but we continue to build these monster cars and trucks with 16-18 MPG. We should be the leaders in innovative concepts and design and build vehicles that are reliable and not fall apart in a few years. Granted, the engines are more reliable, but the interiors are cheap and fall apart all the time.
And as they continue to get their butts kicked by foreign automakers, our workers are complaining that they are not getting enough benefits. For Pete’s sake! Wake up! The American automotive companies are getting beaten and are losing money, ground, and credibility and your solution is to go on strike?
Unions had their place when there was no protection for workers, but today with global and domestic competition for workers, there is no more need for unions. They take the money of the workers and do nothing but create strife between management and the workers. It automatically creates an Us vs. Them mentality and prevents the two sides from working together to accomplish anything.
What happened to American ingenuity and pride? What happened to being #1 in manufacturing? The foreign automakers looked at what we were doing right and modeled their plants and companies after us; it is about time we did the same and getting rid of the unions should be the first thing to go.
What I do not understand is why are we not learning from our mistakes? What has prevented us from developing new products that are technologically advanced and are miles apart from the rest of the world’s product? It is all because we can only look at the short term. Rather than invest in our future, we sit back and demand what is best for everyone in the short term.
It’s not just GM, it is all of the US automakers. I have a cousin who works for Ford and he plans is life around layoffs. Tell me the Union is working for him and his family? Of course, it is not just the unions that are the cause of the problems, I am sure management has problems too, but we are getting our behinds kicked and all we can do it point fingers at each other. It’s like the Republicans and the Democrats; it one way or the other and there is nothing in between. We can’t even make fuel efficient cars to take our dependence away from the Middle East. Did we learn nothing in the 70’s?
We should be the leaders in hybrid technology but even our hybrids are made by Japan. When Ford announced the Explorer hybrid, they had to use the Toyota hybrid technology. We should be the leaders in fuel economy but we continue to build these monster cars and trucks with 16-18 MPG. We should be the leaders in innovative concepts and design and build vehicles that are reliable and not fall apart in a few years. Granted, the engines are more reliable, but the interiors are cheap and fall apart all the time.
And as they continue to get their butts kicked by foreign automakers, our workers are complaining that they are not getting enough benefits. For Pete’s sake! Wake up! The American automotive companies are getting beaten and are losing money, ground, and credibility and your solution is to go on strike?
Unions had their place when there was no protection for workers, but today with global and domestic competition for workers, there is no more need for unions. They take the money of the workers and do nothing but create strife between management and the workers. It automatically creates an Us vs. Them mentality and prevents the two sides from working together to accomplish anything.
What happened to American ingenuity and pride? What happened to being #1 in manufacturing? The foreign automakers looked at what we were doing right and modeled their plants and companies after us; it is about time we did the same and getting rid of the unions should be the first thing to go.
Sunday, September 09, 2007
The Tony Dungy Curse
Once again, Buc fans are off to another year of lousy offense. After the first quarter, I was thinking maybe the fabulous Chucky and Jeff Garcia was going to deliver us to the promise land. Then I remembered, “oh yeah, it’s just the first quarter of the first game of the season.” Alas, the Dungy curse is alive and well in Tampa.
I know some of you are going to say it can’t be a curse since the Bucs won a superbowl after Coach Dungy left, but that is the beauty of the curse. It is an evil, sick, twisted curse that lulled us fans into a false sense of security. On October 6, 2003 the curse reared it’s ugly head and has never looked back. That was the day Dungy and the Colts came into town and mounted one of the greatest comebacks in NFL history. They scored 28 second half points against the vaunted Bucs defense and things at One Bucs Place have never been the same.
Okay, so I know Coach Gruden brought us a Super Bowl and that is certainly an accomplishment, but it was with a team Dungy built. I still don’t know Dungy got fired. What was ownership thinking when we dumped Tony? He only turned a losing franchise into a consistent winner. It’s just as dumb as firing Marty Schottenheimer after a 13 win season. I mean come on, it is only this year that Gruden has started using the shotgun. This year! That’s crazy talk. Here is what’s crazy, Tony Dungy had a 56% win percentage and Gruden only has 49%. 4 out of 6 of Dungy’s seasons were winning seasons, while Gruden has only had 2 out of 5.
I will grant you that the Bucs had to give up a lot to get Gruden and it is possible that those losses have lead to the problems the Bucs have had. I also know there have been salary cap issues that have only recently been resolved, but come on. There should be signs of life but once again, the Bucs lost 20 to 6. Surprise! The defense held a high powered offence to just 20 points and the offense did nothing. Unfortunately, this sounds way too familiar; and while I may be jumping the gun (it is the first game after all) it looks like nothing has changed. To add to our misery, look at the upcoming schedule: New Orleans, St Louis, North Carolina, and Indianapolis. The Bucs could be 0 and 5 before you know it.
I know some of you are going to say it can’t be a curse since the Bucs won a superbowl after Coach Dungy left, but that is the beauty of the curse. It is an evil, sick, twisted curse that lulled us fans into a false sense of security. On October 6, 2003 the curse reared it’s ugly head and has never looked back. That was the day Dungy and the Colts came into town and mounted one of the greatest comebacks in NFL history. They scored 28 second half points against the vaunted Bucs defense and things at One Bucs Place have never been the same.
Okay, so I know Coach Gruden brought us a Super Bowl and that is certainly an accomplishment, but it was with a team Dungy built. I still don’t know Dungy got fired. What was ownership thinking when we dumped Tony? He only turned a losing franchise into a consistent winner. It’s just as dumb as firing Marty Schottenheimer after a 13 win season. I mean come on, it is only this year that Gruden has started using the shotgun. This year! That’s crazy talk. Here is what’s crazy, Tony Dungy had a 56% win percentage and Gruden only has 49%. 4 out of 6 of Dungy’s seasons were winning seasons, while Gruden has only had 2 out of 5.
I will grant you that the Bucs had to give up a lot to get Gruden and it is possible that those losses have lead to the problems the Bucs have had. I also know there have been salary cap issues that have only recently been resolved, but come on. There should be signs of life but once again, the Bucs lost 20 to 6. Surprise! The defense held a high powered offence to just 20 points and the offense did nothing. Unfortunately, this sounds way too familiar; and while I may be jumping the gun (it is the first game after all) it looks like nothing has changed. To add to our misery, look at the upcoming schedule: New Orleans, St Louis, North Carolina, and Indianapolis. The Bucs could be 0 and 5 before you know it.
Sunday, November 12, 2006
The Gators are not National Champions... Yet
Being a Florida Gator fan is always tough. Even when they win it is a painful process as they have never really dominated the stronger opponents and always make the Florida faithful sweat it out game after game. Even the year the Gators won the National Championship, they had to rely on a series of events and they backed into the Championship. Regardless, we can say they won but there have always been skeptics; especially from any FSU fan you talk to.
After last nights close game against South Carolina, the local paper was filled with talk of going to the BCS title game. One columnist even said that all they have to do is win their last three games and they are in. Come on Florida Fans, let’s have a reality check. Two of the last three games are an away game at FSU and the SEC Championship vs. Arkansas (most likely). If we only look at FSU, you should know this is no gimmie. Their season is over, done, finished, and kaput. The only thing they are playing for at this point is one more win to become bowl eligible and to spoil any hopes Florida has at making it to the title game. I can promise you they are going to be out for a little Gator tail and just because they stink this year, does not mean they will not be up and ready to make the Gators come crashing down to Earth.
Then there is Arkansas. Have any of you seen them this year? They are unbelievable and every week they just get better. Their tailback McFadden is a yard chomping, defense leveling machine. This guy runs for more than 100 yards in a half and he simply cannot be stopped. They are going to wear down the Gator defense and end the game by running all over the Gators. Let’s not forget, they beat Auburn pretty easily and the Gators only loss was at the hands of Auburn.
Okay, so on any given day any SEC team can beat another, but I think the Gators have been fortunate this year. Granted, they have had the toughest schedule in the SEC, but that will probably play against them this year as they are going to be beaten and bruised by the end of the year. That’s what happened at Auburn. The Gators had just come off a string of tough SEC games, with the LSU game leading into Auburn; additionally Auburn had just lost at home the previous week to Arkansas and there was no way they were going to lose at home two weeks in a row.
Don’t misunderstand me; I hope the Gators win, and I hope they make it to the BSC Championship Game and win, but I am concerned that while they have shown toughness and some resourcefulness, there is no way they can compete with OSU or Michigan. As fans we should enjoy the year they have had and hope for the best in the SEC title game, but let’s face facts; they are playing on borrowed time and it is only a matter of time before the season comes crashing down around them. The South Carolina game may be the last game we can really celebrate this year. If that’s the case, it will still have been a great year and something to build on.
Go Gators.
After last nights close game against South Carolina, the local paper was filled with talk of going to the BCS title game. One columnist even said that all they have to do is win their last three games and they are in. Come on Florida Fans, let’s have a reality check. Two of the last three games are an away game at FSU and the SEC Championship vs. Arkansas (most likely). If we only look at FSU, you should know this is no gimmie. Their season is over, done, finished, and kaput. The only thing they are playing for at this point is one more win to become bowl eligible and to spoil any hopes Florida has at making it to the title game. I can promise you they are going to be out for a little Gator tail and just because they stink this year, does not mean they will not be up and ready to make the Gators come crashing down to Earth.
Then there is Arkansas. Have any of you seen them this year? They are unbelievable and every week they just get better. Their tailback McFadden is a yard chomping, defense leveling machine. This guy runs for more than 100 yards in a half and he simply cannot be stopped. They are going to wear down the Gator defense and end the game by running all over the Gators. Let’s not forget, they beat Auburn pretty easily and the Gators only loss was at the hands of Auburn.
Okay, so on any given day any SEC team can beat another, but I think the Gators have been fortunate this year. Granted, they have had the toughest schedule in the SEC, but that will probably play against them this year as they are going to be beaten and bruised by the end of the year. That’s what happened at Auburn. The Gators had just come off a string of tough SEC games, with the LSU game leading into Auburn; additionally Auburn had just lost at home the previous week to Arkansas and there was no way they were going to lose at home two weeks in a row.
Don’t misunderstand me; I hope the Gators win, and I hope they make it to the BSC Championship Game and win, but I am concerned that while they have shown toughness and some resourcefulness, there is no way they can compete with OSU or Michigan. As fans we should enjoy the year they have had and hope for the best in the SEC title game, but let’s face facts; they are playing on borrowed time and it is only a matter of time before the season comes crashing down around them. The South Carolina game may be the last game we can really celebrate this year. If that’s the case, it will still have been a great year and something to build on.
Go Gators.
Saturday, November 11, 2006
To All Islamic Extremists, Get a Reality Check
It is interesting to me to listen to these Islamic “extremists”, or whatever we are calling them this week, and hear them say they win if we pull out of Iraq. Well, news flash, we will have to pull out eventually and no, you did not or will not win. It is clear to me that even though we have made some mistakes, and the situation in Iraq is not ideal, I think we have proven the point that if you punch us, we will punch back and hard. For them to think we have no spine or stomach for conflict is a ridiculous assumption. They should spend some time reading about our history and what we will do to fight for our way of life.
Let’s just consider the Revolutionary War. While it started with a successful battle at Boston, the first year or two of this war was an embarrassment. The English started by beating us out New York in battle after battle. The mistakes by Washington and his men were numerous. The troops were plagued with disease, poor living conditions, desertion, poor training, and low self-esteem. They were outflanked, outnumbered, and overpowered in just about every engagement. The Continental Army was beaten from New York to the edge of our capital in Philadelphia and still we did not give up. Just when it looked like we were about to be overrun, Washington crossed the Delaware and caught the enemy with their pants down. The tide of the war turned and the rest is history.
Our history is filled with stories like these; of American’s making huge sacrifices in the face of danger, and always rising to the occasion. Don’t think for a moment that we are going to sit around and let you destroy us. You can be a thorn in our side for generations to come, but we will always be here and we will always fight back. To think you can win is a joke. We have you outnumbered, outgunned, and outsmarted. More than anything, we are free men and women fighting for our right to be free. Living under Islamic rule will never happen so you might as well move on to some other chump you can pick on because you will never win. Freedom will always survive.
Let’s just consider the Revolutionary War. While it started with a successful battle at Boston, the first year or two of this war was an embarrassment. The English started by beating us out New York in battle after battle. The mistakes by Washington and his men were numerous. The troops were plagued with disease, poor living conditions, desertion, poor training, and low self-esteem. They were outflanked, outnumbered, and overpowered in just about every engagement. The Continental Army was beaten from New York to the edge of our capital in Philadelphia and still we did not give up. Just when it looked like we were about to be overrun, Washington crossed the Delaware and caught the enemy with their pants down. The tide of the war turned and the rest is history.
Our history is filled with stories like these; of American’s making huge sacrifices in the face of danger, and always rising to the occasion. Don’t think for a moment that we are going to sit around and let you destroy us. You can be a thorn in our side for generations to come, but we will always be here and we will always fight back. To think you can win is a joke. We have you outnumbered, outgunned, and outsmarted. More than anything, we are free men and women fighting for our right to be free. Living under Islamic rule will never happen so you might as well move on to some other chump you can pick on because you will never win. Freedom will always survive.
Thursday, September 21, 2006
Small Boat Bass Fishing
One of the most impressive things I have ever experienced was walking into the Mellon Arena in Pittsburgh on the final day of the 2005 CITGO Bassmaster Classic as over 10,000 screaming fans were all getting ready to cheer on their favorite professional angler. I was completely overwhelmed, and I remember wondering if I had somehow landed on a different planet. There was an entire world out there that was foreign to anything I had ever experienced. Who knew this many fans would get together in one place to celebrate bass fishing’s biggest event?
Prior to working for BASS, I had enjoyed a casual fishing existence. My very first bass was caught on a top water spinning lure my grandfather and I built on a lath when I was about 7. The smallmouth was only about a pound, but I will never forget sitting on the front of my grandfather’s canoe as I pulled him out of a small cove filled with lily pads. I have been trying to recreate that moment for the last 33 years.
My mother moved my sister and me from Ohio to Florida when I was about 10. Here I learned about largemouth bass and almost fainted when I saw a friend of mine pull in 8 pounds of fish into the canoe. Having spent the first part of my fishing "career" reeling in smallmouth bass, catching these behemoths was the start of a whole new adventure. For the next 8 years or so, I spent a lot of time in canoes exploring all the local lakes Orlando has to offer and learning to love the hunt for the next monster bass.
Admittedly, there were a number of years after high school where fishing was no longer a priority in my life, but I would often think about all of the times I spent fishing out of a canoe with my friends; especially the time I was able to spend with my grandfather. There is something about moving quietly through the water and getting back to areas other boats are unable to go, only to pull out a few quality bass. As an adult, I discovered there are even more freedoms as you can take a canoe into bodies of water big bass boats cannot access. In some cases, I have found myself in small lakes that have little to no traffic but plenty of bass.
Without a doubt, I have become a big fan of professional bass fishing. Getting to meet some of the anglers and being able to work at some of the BASS events have been a once in a lifetime experience. I even understand the appeal of having a bass boat; the speed and agility of these boats have helped elevate bass fishing to a new level for us weekend anglers, but give me a quiet lake, a canoe and a friend, and I will take that any day of the week.
Thanks Grandpa!
Prior to working for BASS, I had enjoyed a casual fishing existence. My very first bass was caught on a top water spinning lure my grandfather and I built on a lath when I was about 7. The smallmouth was only about a pound, but I will never forget sitting on the front of my grandfather’s canoe as I pulled him out of a small cove filled with lily pads. I have been trying to recreate that moment for the last 33 years.
My mother moved my sister and me from Ohio to Florida when I was about 10. Here I learned about largemouth bass and almost fainted when I saw a friend of mine pull in 8 pounds of fish into the canoe. Having spent the first part of my fishing "career" reeling in smallmouth bass, catching these behemoths was the start of a whole new adventure. For the next 8 years or so, I spent a lot of time in canoes exploring all the local lakes Orlando has to offer and learning to love the hunt for the next monster bass.
Admittedly, there were a number of years after high school where fishing was no longer a priority in my life, but I would often think about all of the times I spent fishing out of a canoe with my friends; especially the time I was able to spend with my grandfather. There is something about moving quietly through the water and getting back to areas other boats are unable to go, only to pull out a few quality bass. As an adult, I discovered there are even more freedoms as you can take a canoe into bodies of water big bass boats cannot access. In some cases, I have found myself in small lakes that have little to no traffic but plenty of bass.
Without a doubt, I have become a big fan of professional bass fishing. Getting to meet some of the anglers and being able to work at some of the BASS events have been a once in a lifetime experience. I even understand the appeal of having a bass boat; the speed and agility of these boats have helped elevate bass fishing to a new level for us weekend anglers, but give me a quiet lake, a canoe and a friend, and I will take that any day of the week.
Thanks Grandpa!
Saturday, August 12, 2006
Will the Future be Filled with Terrorists?
With the recent terrorist plot to blow up the airplanes, Israel invading Lebanon, Iran being Iran, and the media insisting Iraq is on the brink of Civil War, it is difficult to think about the future. As I look over at my 17-month-old daughter, I wonder what it will look like for her. Right now, she is happy and easy to please; all I have to do to make her happy is pay attention to her and give her a belly-blast every once in a while. For her, life is good, but for the rest of us, we wonder what life will be like in 10 years.
If history is any indication, things will probably be okay. The world wars ended eventually and generations have moved on taking their old tensions with them. While it may seem the tensions between Western society and the Islamic Extremists is old news, the reality is the current problems have only really started to surface in the last 15 years or so. Unfortunately, Islam, in its strictest sense, is an unwavering religion that was not written to be able to handle modern society. While the rest of the world is shrinking and becoming more of a whole, Islamic societies are finding it increasingly difficult to compete with the pressure of the outside world creeping into their way of life.
This is not to say our way is better than Islam, but it is simply a statement of fact; the Muslims who strictly follow the teachings of Islam find the influence of the rest of the world a challenge to deal with and so they fight it. Of course, there are plenty of Muslims here in the US and the rest of the world who get along with the rest of society just fine, but its these other groups we need to be aware of, and education, for both sides, is the solution to the problem.
Granted this is easy for me to say, and it is important that we do not sit back and let them attack us without responding, but it is something we should all work to do. Pick up a book on religion and learn a little more about Islam. At the very least, you might understand why they are doing it, even if you believe they are wrong.
Fortunately, I am an optimist and believe things will work out in the long run. When I look at my beautiful daughter and wonder about miracle of life, I have to believe humanity will win out and things will get better.
If history is any indication, things will probably be okay. The world wars ended eventually and generations have moved on taking their old tensions with them. While it may seem the tensions between Western society and the Islamic Extremists is old news, the reality is the current problems have only really started to surface in the last 15 years or so. Unfortunately, Islam, in its strictest sense, is an unwavering religion that was not written to be able to handle modern society. While the rest of the world is shrinking and becoming more of a whole, Islamic societies are finding it increasingly difficult to compete with the pressure of the outside world creeping into their way of life.
This is not to say our way is better than Islam, but it is simply a statement of fact; the Muslims who strictly follow the teachings of Islam find the influence of the rest of the world a challenge to deal with and so they fight it. Of course, there are plenty of Muslims here in the US and the rest of the world who get along with the rest of society just fine, but its these other groups we need to be aware of, and education, for both sides, is the solution to the problem.
Granted this is easy for me to say, and it is important that we do not sit back and let them attack us without responding, but it is something we should all work to do. Pick up a book on religion and learn a little more about Islam. At the very least, you might understand why they are doing it, even if you believe they are wrong.
Fortunately, I am an optimist and believe things will work out in the long run. When I look at my beautiful daughter and wonder about miracle of life, I have to believe humanity will win out and things will get better.
Friday, June 16, 2006
Turning 40
After reading Pat Ford’s ESPN article on Johnny Drennen, I started wondering about destiny and fate. For those of you who do not know, Mr. Drennen is the 19-year-old minor league ball player who took Roger Clemens’ pitch and blasted it over the right field wall. Click here to read Pat Ford’s excellent column.
I recently turned 40, and have discovered the accomplishments of those younger than I am make me raise my eyebrows in a mixture of jealousy, resentment, and admiration all at the same time. On the other hand, while it is heartwarming to think that a 43 year old Clemens can still pitch well in the big leagues, it also makes me wonder what I have done with my life.
When I was 32, I turned my life around significantly. I lost nearly 100 lbs, stopped smoking and ran a half-marathon. I was the picture of “you can do anything you set your mind to do”. Yet 8 years later, I find myself putting on weight, struggling to run 2 miles and wondering what happened to my life; Johnny Drennen helped add fuel to this feeling.
While the a common axiom, “you can do anything you set your mind to,” is true to a certain extent, there really are some things I will never be able to do and one of them is play professional baseball. It is also too late to join the military, become an astronaut, a professional athlete or going to the Olympics, (unless they make video games an Olympic event), as is going back to college and joining a Fraternity.
I imagine most people my age go through this process, and I can accept it as another phase of my life I need to battle through, learn from and then find some kind of happy ground on the other side of this process. Hopefully, I will be able to be happy with my choices when I look back at my life. In the meantime, however, there is some light at the end of the tunnel.
For example, J.K. Rowling was 35 when the first Harry Potter book was published. Another author, Anne Perry was in her late 30’s for her first book. I have also recently learned that the average age of New York Times best selling authors between 1955 and 2004 was 50. Click here for the BBC article. There are also several acquaintances of mine that are older than I am and are in great shape and in good places in their life.
40 is not the end of my life, but neither is it the beginning. Would I really want to go back in time and re-live my life? Personally, I will take the person I am today over the person I was 20 years ago. Right now, I need to find a way to motivate myself and focus on what’s important in my life. I need to take my lifetime worth of experiences and make it work for me. I can’t stop the aging process, but I can find ways to make it a bit easier.
For now, all I can do is blow out the candles and move on. Let's hope I start moving in the right direction.
I recently turned 40, and have discovered the accomplishments of those younger than I am make me raise my eyebrows in a mixture of jealousy, resentment, and admiration all at the same time. On the other hand, while it is heartwarming to think that a 43 year old Clemens can still pitch well in the big leagues, it also makes me wonder what I have done with my life.
When I was 32, I turned my life around significantly. I lost nearly 100 lbs, stopped smoking and ran a half-marathon. I was the picture of “you can do anything you set your mind to do”. Yet 8 years later, I find myself putting on weight, struggling to run 2 miles and wondering what happened to my life; Johnny Drennen helped add fuel to this feeling.
While the a common axiom, “you can do anything you set your mind to,” is true to a certain extent, there really are some things I will never be able to do and one of them is play professional baseball. It is also too late to join the military, become an astronaut, a professional athlete or going to the Olympics, (unless they make video games an Olympic event), as is going back to college and joining a Fraternity.
I imagine most people my age go through this process, and I can accept it as another phase of my life I need to battle through, learn from and then find some kind of happy ground on the other side of this process. Hopefully, I will be able to be happy with my choices when I look back at my life. In the meantime, however, there is some light at the end of the tunnel.
For example, J.K. Rowling was 35 when the first Harry Potter book was published. Another author, Anne Perry was in her late 30’s for her first book. I have also recently learned that the average age of New York Times best selling authors between 1955 and 2004 was 50. Click here for the BBC article. There are also several acquaintances of mine that are older than I am and are in great shape and in good places in their life.
40 is not the end of my life, but neither is it the beginning. Would I really want to go back in time and re-live my life? Personally, I will take the person I am today over the person I was 20 years ago. Right now, I need to find a way to motivate myself and focus on what’s important in my life. I need to take my lifetime worth of experiences and make it work for me. I can’t stop the aging process, but I can find ways to make it a bit easier.
For now, all I can do is blow out the candles and move on. Let's hope I start moving in the right direction.
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