A story about Wayne Chrebet
I love football, always have, I like to play, I love to watch. But when I read stories like this I question what I am really cheering for.
And more importantly as a father, I question letting my children play. James wants to play, he's already talking about it. And I know I scoffed when my older brother didn't let my nephew play, that I would let my son's play. But so far it is clear that my children will be smaller than kids their own age. And with the size difference and other issues I worry about their safety. I didn't play football other than pickup touch and flag so I never had to worry about concussions. But the more information that comes out the more I wonder if playing tackle football is something any sane parent would let a little kid do. It's different for my other nephew, he's huge, always has been, played line etc. I was more worried about his opponents than him.
Friday, September 28, 2007
Weekend Plans
Kind of a big weekend planned.
1. Tonight my stepmother Marcella is having a big birthday party at her church, Sunrise Methodist. No one really knows for sure how big of a crowd will show up. But we do know for sure that all of the kids save Dan will be there. It should be a good time.
2. Saturday morning will be James' soccer game. It should be fun, the game is at 10:30 this week, so a little less stress as far as getting there on time. And we are at the Palmer football/baseball practice field again this week.
3. Saturday night I will take James to a sleepover camping trip with our neighbors. They camp out every year as part of their observance of Sukkot, a Jewish holiday. This will be his first real sleepover with non-family.
4. And on Sunday... nothing planned other than going and picking James up.
1. Tonight my stepmother Marcella is having a big birthday party at her church, Sunrise Methodist. No one really knows for sure how big of a crowd will show up. But we do know for sure that all of the kids save Dan will be there. It should be a good time.
2. Saturday morning will be James' soccer game. It should be fun, the game is at 10:30 this week, so a little less stress as far as getting there on time. And we are at the Palmer football/baseball practice field again this week.
3. Saturday night I will take James to a sleepover camping trip with our neighbors. They camp out every year as part of their observance of Sukkot, a Jewish holiday. This will be his first real sleepover with non-family.
4. And on Sunday... nothing planned other than going and picking James up.
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
L.A. Lakers News
This has me kind of excited
I know it's not basketball season, although NBA training camp starts next week. And one fo the things that ticks me off more than anything is pro athletes playing the 'pay me or trade me' game. But the idea of Marion and Odom swapping teams excites me. The thought of the defensive damage Marion and Kobe could do together makes me pretty excited. Although, because it makes too much sense I won't expect it to happen.
I know it's not basketball season, although NBA training camp starts next week. And one fo the things that ticks me off more than anything is pro athletes playing the 'pay me or trade me' game. But the idea of Marion and Odom swapping teams excites me. The thought of the defensive damage Marion and Kobe could do together makes me pretty excited. Although, because it makes too much sense I won't expect it to happen.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Football observations
So here is my analysis of my favorite teams after 3 games.
1. Colorado Buffaloes: THe team is progressing, there is light at the end of the tunnel in their return to major BCS power. Going 2-2 in the non-conference schedule was crucial. The team has some confidence now, they know they can win. And the team is rounding into shape. Cody Hawkins has played well at QB, and shows lots of potential. I have faith in Coach Hawkins to build a winning program that the school can be proud of.
2. St. Louis Rams: Wow, where to start. First, they have had injury issues. Losing 3 of their projected starting offensive lineman, plus their starting Corners are out. Now their best player, RB Steven Jackson is week to week. So this season could very easily turn into a lost season. I won't hold out much hope, they needed to start strong and instead fell apart. I'm not questioning the coaching yet, it's the composition of the team and lack of good players that alarms me.
3. Denver Broncos: Still a good team, despite their galling loss on Sunday. But a loss like that early in the season can sometimes help a team, force the team to realize where they have to focus their attention. Of course now they have to face one of the teams that traditionally has always given them a hard time. I think they can win, they are a good team, with a lot of potential. But they will have to play pretty much a perfect game to win. I think that Denver is a playoff contender, maybe not a Super Bowl contender.
1. Colorado Buffaloes: THe team is progressing, there is light at the end of the tunnel in their return to major BCS power. Going 2-2 in the non-conference schedule was crucial. The team has some confidence now, they know they can win. And the team is rounding into shape. Cody Hawkins has played well at QB, and shows lots of potential. I have faith in Coach Hawkins to build a winning program that the school can be proud of.
2. St. Louis Rams: Wow, where to start. First, they have had injury issues. Losing 3 of their projected starting offensive lineman, plus their starting Corners are out. Now their best player, RB Steven Jackson is week to week. So this season could very easily turn into a lost season. I won't hold out much hope, they needed to start strong and instead fell apart. I'm not questioning the coaching yet, it's the composition of the team and lack of good players that alarms me.
3. Denver Broncos: Still a good team, despite their galling loss on Sunday. But a loss like that early in the season can sometimes help a team, force the team to realize where they have to focus their attention. Of course now they have to face one of the teams that traditionally has always given them a hard time. I think they can win, they are a good team, with a lot of potential. But they will have to play pretty much a perfect game to win. I think that Denver is a playoff contender, maybe not a Super Bowl contender.
Monday, September 24, 2007
Weekend Recap
Good weekend overall, got some good work done and had some fun.
1. Friday night we had a birthday part for Connie, it went well, although the kids were up too late. But everyone had fun.
2. James' soccer game on Saturday went well, they still lost, but played a little better. I think the team just needs some more practice. But they had a good time which is what's important.
3. We went for a drive up into the mountains on Saturday, got to see the Aspen's changing color for fall, very pretty. Plus both boys ended up taking good naps as well.
4. I was able to pick up an external hard drive finally so I was able to move all of our important files off of the home PC. Which means that this week, or next weekend I can finally reformat my hard drive and start over tabula rasa. Which should make a big difference as far as the functionality of our home PC.
5. CU returned to the winning column in a big way, unfortuantely the Broncos and Rams both fell. But I had a big win in my fantasy league so it was a bit of a wash.
1. Friday night we had a birthday part for Connie, it went well, although the kids were up too late. But everyone had fun.
2. James' soccer game on Saturday went well, they still lost, but played a little better. I think the team just needs some more practice. But they had a good time which is what's important.
3. We went for a drive up into the mountains on Saturday, got to see the Aspen's changing color for fall, very pretty. Plus both boys ended up taking good naps as well.
4. I was able to pick up an external hard drive finally so I was able to move all of our important files off of the home PC. Which means that this week, or next weekend I can finally reformat my hard drive and start over tabula rasa. Which should make a big difference as far as the functionality of our home PC.
5. CU returned to the winning column in a big way, unfortuantely the Broncos and Rams both fell. But I had a big win in my fantasy league so it was a bit of a wash.
Friday, September 21, 2007
Whats the Future of the Music Industry?
A very interesting collection of opinions
As a person who listens to a lot of music, although very little of it is new music I am always interested in what is happening with music. I have stayed away from I-tunes and othe supscription services for the same reason I tend to avoid going to used book stores: I would probably end up spending too much money. I did not do any illeagl free file sharing for the simple reason that I knew some people who are professional musicans and spending as much time with them as I did I soaked up an opinion that they deserve what money they can get, even if that means buying their albums when I could get the same stuff for free.
But I think it is very interesting to watch an indsutry change, particularly when that change is forced by technology. And I do think that the changes are good. If I had the money I probably would spend a lot of time at i-tunes downloading songs as I can number a lot of albums that I own or owned for the reason that I liked 1 or 2 songs.
My personal opintion is that the days of the blockbuster record groups are gone, at least as far as groups that made their money from record sales and videos. I think that musicans are going to have to earn their money primarily through performing again. Which is a bit of a shock for some super groups, but the true musicians won't care.
As a person who listens to a lot of music, although very little of it is new music I am always interested in what is happening with music. I have stayed away from I-tunes and othe supscription services for the same reason I tend to avoid going to used book stores: I would probably end up spending too much money. I did not do any illeagl free file sharing for the simple reason that I knew some people who are professional musicans and spending as much time with them as I did I soaked up an opinion that they deserve what money they can get, even if that means buying their albums when I could get the same stuff for free.
But I think it is very interesting to watch an indsutry change, particularly when that change is forced by technology. And I do think that the changes are good. If I had the money I probably would spend a lot of time at i-tunes downloading songs as I can number a lot of albums that I own or owned for the reason that I liked 1 or 2 songs.
My personal opintion is that the days of the blockbuster record groups are gone, at least as far as groups that made their money from record sales and videos. I think that musicans are going to have to earn their money primarily through performing again. Which is a bit of a shock for some super groups, but the true musicians won't care.
Happy Birthday to 2 special ladies
I want to take a minute to say Happy Birthday to 2 special ladies in my life. Wednesday was my mother in law Connie Newland's birthday. And Thursday was my stepmother Marcalla Ruch's birthday. So I will take the time to share a little bit about the 2 and why they are so special.
Connie is without doubt probably the most selfless person I know. She has sacrificed her career, her personal life and time so she can help her kids, especially her youngest daughter. She watches her grandchildren 3-4 nights a week, sometimes more. THen works nights cleaning bars. She then cleans houses during the days. Meaning she has very little time to sleep. She doesn't have to do these things, she could have said no a long time ago and forced her daughter to utilize other soruces, but she didn't. Her hard work and willingness to sacrifice make her a very special person in my book.
Marcella is another very selfless person, she has worked very hard over the years as a teacher, both as the founder of a day care center, then as a teacher and Principal. And now as driving force behind a free health clinic. She is always trying to help others in her embodiment of her Christian beliefs. She is also dedicated to her family, and a willing babay sitter as long as health allowed.
So a special happy birthday to these 2 wonderful women who have helped make my life better through the years.
Connie is without doubt probably the most selfless person I know. She has sacrificed her career, her personal life and time so she can help her kids, especially her youngest daughter. She watches her grandchildren 3-4 nights a week, sometimes more. THen works nights cleaning bars. She then cleans houses during the days. Meaning she has very little time to sleep. She doesn't have to do these things, she could have said no a long time ago and forced her daughter to utilize other soruces, but she didn't. Her hard work and willingness to sacrifice make her a very special person in my book.
Marcella is another very selfless person, she has worked very hard over the years as a teacher, both as the founder of a day care center, then as a teacher and Principal. And now as driving force behind a free health clinic. She is always trying to help others in her embodiment of her Christian beliefs. She is also dedicated to her family, and a willing babay sitter as long as health allowed.
So a special happy birthday to these 2 wonderful women who have helped make my life better through the years.
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Very interesting concept
Mark Cuban comments on the nature of internet publicity
He has a very interesting point. With the advent of the Internet what we can find out about a person loses all context. My thinking is that this is going to have to change how we treat public figures. This is no longer a world where Gary Hart has to challenge the press to catch him cheating. Instead in our brave new world anyone with a camera stands a chance of changing a politicians future.
I believe that our culture is just going to have to get a little more tolerant of our public figures private lives. Because with anyone's 'private life' standing a very good chance today of getting captured on film and shared digitally across the world, in 20 years when people want to run for office those images will come to the fore. It's one thing for current politicians to say they never partied or drank etc. But the politicians of the future are going to have to find a different approach, because pretty much everything you do has a chance of being captured on film, either intentionally or unintentionally. And like it or not, young people will drink, have fun and occasionally do something dumb, it's just that there's a very good chance it will get captured on film.
He has a very interesting point. With the advent of the Internet what we can find out about a person loses all context. My thinking is that this is going to have to change how we treat public figures. This is no longer a world where Gary Hart has to challenge the press to catch him cheating. Instead in our brave new world anyone with a camera stands a chance of changing a politicians future.
I believe that our culture is just going to have to get a little more tolerant of our public figures private lives. Because with anyone's 'private life' standing a very good chance today of getting captured on film and shared digitally across the world, in 20 years when people want to run for office those images will come to the fore. It's one thing for current politicians to say they never partied or drank etc. But the politicians of the future are going to have to find a different approach, because pretty much everything you do has a chance of being captured on film, either intentionally or unintentionally. And like it or not, young people will drink, have fun and occasionally do something dumb, it's just that there's a very good chance it will get captured on film.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
CMU professor gives his last lesson on life
Wow, what an impressive man, and article
Certainly gives a person some perspective. And with my cousin's wife battling Breat Cancer (and winning hopefully) this really hits home.
Certainly gives a person some perspective. And with my cousin's wife battling Breat Cancer (and winning hopefully) this really hits home.
Save Friday Night Lights
Don't turn off the "Lights"
This is a well written, reasoned approach to this issue. And I have to say I wholeheartedly agree with what Bill says. This is just an excellent show. And if you like sports, and watch any other shows on TV, you should watch this show and tell others to do as well.
I really liked this show, and one of the episodes is held in my do not delete spot on my Tivo. Not even Mad Men has had an episode reach that status yet. This particular episode has e great scene at the end where the football coach, who has been arguing with his daughter all episode, finds out she is playing in the powder puff game. And so, in a moment of reconciliation and very touching, gets her out in the yard and starts working with her, playing football. It is just really cool. And a splendid example of why I liked the show.
Now I don't know where the show will go this season, with some of the younger actors ostensibly graduating. But the quality was so good that I am really looking forward to finding out.
So again, spread the word, Save Friday Night Lights
This is a well written, reasoned approach to this issue. And I have to say I wholeheartedly agree with what Bill says. This is just an excellent show. And if you like sports, and watch any other shows on TV, you should watch this show and tell others to do as well.
I really liked this show, and one of the episodes is held in my do not delete spot on my Tivo. Not even Mad Men has had an episode reach that status yet. This particular episode has e great scene at the end where the football coach, who has been arguing with his daughter all episode, finds out she is playing in the powder puff game. And so, in a moment of reconciliation and very touching, gets her out in the yard and starts working with her, playing football. It is just really cool. And a splendid example of why I liked the show.
Now I don't know where the show will go this season, with some of the younger actors ostensibly graduating. But the quality was so good that I am really looking forward to finding out.
So again, spread the word, Save Friday Night Lights
Comments & Thoughts in the middle of the week
Save Friday Night Lights (more about this later)
1. Last night I helped out coaching James' soccer team. I thought it went well, it is a large team (12 kids) and it is tough to really practice things with only 1 coach. So we split the kids, ran some basic dribbling and shooting drills, practiced throw ins, then scrimmaged. My group dominated the scrimmage but I had ended up with the older more experienced kids (that being a relative term when dealing with 5 & 6 year olds) so it didn't mean much except that my groups did kind of know what they are doing. But overall I think the younger kids got a better idea what they are supposed to do and the older kids memories started to kick in.
2. I joined Facebook, and I actually will try to do something with this as opposed the MySpace page that I let wither away.
3. I think the whole Patriots/Bill Belichik cheating scandal is getting out of hand. I think some sports writers are treating it like the end of the world (Dark days in the NFL) while others are treating it too lightly. But my favorite part is watching my favorite sports writer now finding himself in the unenviable position of cheering for favorites instead of underdogs and having to cope with it: Locked behind the Gate and Camera doesn't lie and Vacancy in Red Sox Nation.
1. Last night I helped out coaching James' soccer team. I thought it went well, it is a large team (12 kids) and it is tough to really practice things with only 1 coach. So we split the kids, ran some basic dribbling and shooting drills, practiced throw ins, then scrimmaged. My group dominated the scrimmage but I had ended up with the older more experienced kids (that being a relative term when dealing with 5 & 6 year olds) so it didn't mean much except that my groups did kind of know what they are doing. But overall I think the younger kids got a better idea what they are supposed to do and the older kids memories started to kick in.
2. I joined Facebook, and I actually will try to do something with this as opposed the MySpace page that I let wither away.
3. I think the whole Patriots/Bill Belichik cheating scandal is getting out of hand. I think some sports writers are treating it like the end of the world (Dark days in the NFL) while others are treating it too lightly. But my favorite part is watching my favorite sports writer now finding himself in the unenviable position of cheering for favorites instead of underdogs and having to cope with it: Locked behind the Gate and Camera doesn't lie and Vacancy in Red Sox Nation.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Favorite Authors (a list)
So with the passing of Robert Jordan I started thinking about favorite writers. Who are my favorites? Why are they favorites? What constitutes a favorite? First my criteria for a favorite writer is the following: do I reread their books? Do I like all of their books? Do I look forward to their new books? If I answer yes to all 3 of these questions then the writer is on the list. Now some of the writers are deceased so obviously the third criteria doesn't always apply, but in those cases I liked everything they wrote. So without further ado here is my Top 10 list (fiction writers only)
1. James Clavell: Author of Shogun, Tai-Pan, King Rat, Noble House, Whirlwind, Gai-jin. I love all of these books, own almost all of them in Hard back. He is unfortunately deceased so no new books coming.
2. William Gibson: Not going to give the whole list of his books. THe originator of the 'cyberpunk' genre. I have even liked his newer less futuristic books even better. And I am looking forward to reading the new one.
3. Robert Jordan: Just passed away on Sunday, author of the Wheel of Time Saga. I can only hope that his notes are good enough to complete the saga.
4. Simon Green: Author of my favorite science fiction 'space opera' books, Also writes some interesting fantasy.
5. Dan Jenkins: a Former Sports writer, most of his books are sports related. Just a fun bunch of books
6. Guy Gavriel Kay: Also a poet (I haven't read the poetry because I'm not a big poetry fan). His fantasy writing is just astounding stuff. Very lyrical amazing writing
7. Harry Turtledove: THe king of the alternate history fad that has hit fantasy recently. I can't possibly keep up with everything he writes as he is very prolific, but I have read most of his major series.
8. Sean Russell: Similar to Guy Gavriel Kay in that the books are fantasy, but it's a kind of low fantasy where the magic is there but very low key. Also very intricate plots, and very descriptive.
9. Steve Erickson: Writer of the Malazan book of the fallen saga, This is just amazing writing and plots. You have to read them to believe how amazingly different it is from any other fantasy.
10.Michael Crichton: I have enjoyed everyone of his books that I have read. They are not the most complex, although they appear so at first. But they are quick reads.
So that's my top 10, there are others of course, and some non-fiction writers I love too, but this is all for today.
1. James Clavell: Author of Shogun, Tai-Pan, King Rat, Noble House, Whirlwind, Gai-jin. I love all of these books, own almost all of them in Hard back. He is unfortunately deceased so no new books coming.
2. William Gibson: Not going to give the whole list of his books. THe originator of the 'cyberpunk' genre. I have even liked his newer less futuristic books even better. And I am looking forward to reading the new one.
3. Robert Jordan: Just passed away on Sunday, author of the Wheel of Time Saga. I can only hope that his notes are good enough to complete the saga.
4. Simon Green: Author of my favorite science fiction 'space opera' books, Also writes some interesting fantasy.
5. Dan Jenkins: a Former Sports writer, most of his books are sports related. Just a fun bunch of books
6. Guy Gavriel Kay: Also a poet (I haven't read the poetry because I'm not a big poetry fan). His fantasy writing is just astounding stuff. Very lyrical amazing writing
7. Harry Turtledove: THe king of the alternate history fad that has hit fantasy recently. I can't possibly keep up with everything he writes as he is very prolific, but I have read most of his major series.
8. Sean Russell: Similar to Guy Gavriel Kay in that the books are fantasy, but it's a kind of low fantasy where the magic is there but very low key. Also very intricate plots, and very descriptive.
9. Steve Erickson: Writer of the Malazan book of the fallen saga, This is just amazing writing and plots. You have to read them to believe how amazingly different it is from any other fantasy.
10.Michael Crichton: I have enjoyed everyone of his books that I have read. They are not the most complex, although they appear so at first. But they are quick reads.
So that's my top 10, there are others of course, and some non-fiction writers I love too, but this is all for today.
Monday, September 17, 2007
Weekend Recap
1. So James had his first game on Saturday, he had fun, they didn't play too well. It's tough, there are some kids who know what they are doing and some new kids. And the team is so big (12 kids) that it is hard for the coach to keep everyone involved. I have decided to make arrangements for Daniel so I can help out more with the coaching at the practices. Just so the kids get a better understanding of what they are doing.
2. Spam-O-Rama was fun. It has changed a lot over the years, now there were 5 different sets of little kids running around. The focus wasn't so much on the drinking. Our dish wasn't widely enjoyed, but sufficient amounts were eaten. I uploaded all of the pictures I took to my Picasa Site. These are the raw pictures, with no editing, so people can do whatever editing they want.
3. Football was a little too dominant yesterday. I ended up watching 3 NFL games, and then had trouble getting to sleep, because I hadn't had enough exercise. CU lost (but kept it close), the Rams lost but the Broncos won. And I lost both fantasy games, oh well.
2. Spam-O-Rama was fun. It has changed a lot over the years, now there were 5 different sets of little kids running around. The focus wasn't so much on the drinking. Our dish wasn't widely enjoyed, but sufficient amounts were eaten. I uploaded all of the pictures I took to my Picasa Site. These are the raw pictures, with no editing, so people can do whatever editing they want.
3. Football was a little too dominant yesterday. I ended up watching 3 NFL games, and then had trouble getting to sleep, because I hadn't had enough exercise. CU lost (but kept it close), the Rams lost but the Broncos won. And I lost both fantasy games, oh well.
RIP -Robert Jordan
One of my favorite authors just passed away
Really a hell of a depressing way to start the week. He had been fighting some strange blood disease, but according to his posts he was doing much better. He was working on his book , which was to be the last book in an epic 12 book series. And now he's gone... I hope that someone will be able to step in and piece together his ntoes and interviews to finish the series properly. But I certainly feel even worse for his family and close friends who had to stay by and watch what was a strong vital man slowly wither away. I guess the only fitting tribute I can provide would be to start re-reading the whole series from scratch.
Really a hell of a depressing way to start the week. He had been fighting some strange blood disease, but according to his posts he was doing much better. He was working on his book , which was to be the last book in an epic 12 book series. And now he's gone... I hope that someone will be able to step in and piece together his ntoes and interviews to finish the series properly. But I certainly feel even worse for his family and close friends who had to stay by and watch what was a strong vital man slowly wither away. I guess the only fitting tribute I can provide would be to start re-reading the whole series from scratch.
Friday, September 14, 2007
Weekend Plans
Well Saturday is a big day. James has his first soccer game Saturday Morning (9:30 at Palmer High school athletic field). Then we go to Forrest's house for the Spam-O-Rama Saturday night. For those of you who do not knwo what Spam-O-Rama is, it is basically a party. But the focus is on Spam, with a Spam cooking contest, and a Spam throwing contest. It's usually lots of fun. Plus it will be nice to get together with some folks that I haven't seen in a number of months.
But Sunday we have no plans (of course depending on if Kim has to work our choices might be limited). Although James friend Jon is back in town so we will probably stay at home and give them a chance to play.
But Sunday we have no plans (of course depending on if Kim has to work our choices might be limited). Although James friend Jon is back in town so we will probably stay at home and give them a chance to play.
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Were Rams Cheated Out of Super Bowl Win?
I'm not quite this alarmist, but...
He does bring up some good points. The Patriots always seemed far better prepared than the teams they beat. And Talent wise, with the exception of Tom Brady and a few defensive players they have never had an overwhelming talent advantage like the 90's Cowboys (the best team money could buy) or othe 'dynasties'. Having read Halbertam's book about Belichik, I get the idea that Belichik is a great coach. And he certainly has a good system. But you wonder if his 'scouting' expertise over the years was simply spying, and getting away with it. And Belichik has admitted that they did it in this most recent case. So it does make you wonder.
That being said, I still blame Mike Martz for that Super Bowl loss, he screwed up that game with his refusal to make adjustments to how the Patriots were playing. I've always thought the mark of the great coaches was in game adjustments, if what you were planning to do isn't working, change it up. And Martz never did that in the Super Bowl, in fact in the same book some Rams players stated that they begged Martz to change the strategy and he refused.
He does bring up some good points. The Patriots always seemed far better prepared than the teams they beat. And Talent wise, with the exception of Tom Brady and a few defensive players they have never had an overwhelming talent advantage like the 90's Cowboys (the best team money could buy) or othe 'dynasties'. Having read Halbertam's book about Belichik, I get the idea that Belichik is a great coach. And he certainly has a good system. But you wonder if his 'scouting' expertise over the years was simply spying, and getting away with it. And Belichik has admitted that they did it in this most recent case. So it does make you wonder.
That being said, I still blame Mike Martz for that Super Bowl loss, he screwed up that game with his refusal to make adjustments to how the Patriots were playing. I've always thought the mark of the great coaches was in game adjustments, if what you were planning to do isn't working, change it up. And Martz never did that in the Super Bowl, in fact in the same book some Rams players stated that they begged Martz to change the strategy and he refused.
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Once again Mark Cuban suprises me
Both today's entry and the one about dancing.
Great entries, good things to ponder on this day as far as the latest entry.
And the best part about the Dancing entry:
That is so true. And it is one thing I could say to the person I mentioned yesterday with the problems with addiction. Learn to wake up each day with that smile on your face. We all have bad days, when not everything goes right. But if you can manage to get to bed, and then wake up with that new approach, no problem is insurmountable. It's easy for me, anytime I need that smile in the morning, I can turn over and look at my wife, or peek in at the sleeping boys, or give the cat a quick scratch on the head. But even without those things, there are so many other sources of joy that are free and easy to find when starting the day: Watch the sunrise, look at the mountains, have a good breakfast. That is where I agree with Cuban, it's seemingly so easy to do, why can't more people do it?
Great entries, good things to ponder on this day as far as the latest entry.
And the best part about the Dancing entry:
Money makes so many things in life easier, but it can't buy you a positive outlook on life. Fortunately, how any of us approaches each of our days is completely up to us. It's not something you can buy or sell. It's not hard to put a smile on your face every day, but for some reason some people find it impossible to do. Not me.
That is so true. And it is one thing I could say to the person I mentioned yesterday with the problems with addiction. Learn to wake up each day with that smile on your face. We all have bad days, when not everything goes right. But if you can manage to get to bed, and then wake up with that new approach, no problem is insurmountable. It's easy for me, anytime I need that smile in the morning, I can turn over and look at my wife, or peek in at the sleeping boys, or give the cat a quick scratch on the head. But even without those things, there are so many other sources of joy that are free and easy to find when starting the day: Watch the sunrise, look at the mountains, have a good breakfast. That is where I agree with Cuban, it's seemingly so easy to do, why can't more people do it?
Football Weekend
At last, the first full weekend of football arrived. And I held true to my pledge to not overdo it. I watched bits of college ball on Saturday. Unfortunately most of that was watching the debacle that was CU blowing a 14-0 lead on the road. I think people don't realize how easy it is for a college team to suffer from a couple of bad years. The team just doesn't have a lot of depth.
Then I watched most of the Broncos game, half of the Chargers-Bears games, most of the Giants-Cowboys and most of the Bengals-Ravens games. Which sounds like a lot. But for me to not just sit and watch full games, go out of my way to move to a part of the house where I could do so, that was progress.
I split in my fantasy football leagues, winning in the more important one.
So, overall a good football weekend...
Then I watched most of the Broncos game, half of the Chargers-Bears games, most of the Giants-Cowboys and most of the Bengals-Ravens games. Which sounds like a lot. But for me to not just sit and watch full games, go out of my way to move to a part of the house where I could do so, that was progress.
I split in my fantasy football leagues, winning in the more important one.
So, overall a good football weekend...
Monday, September 10, 2007
On the Road, revisited.
An interesting dialogue about the book
While it has been probably 20 years since I read it I remember being intrigued by On The Road. I read it once in High School and a second time in college. I wasn't as frustrated by it as I was with Catcher in the Rye, but I don't remember ever thinking: what a great way to live. Reading this makes me want to pick it up and read it again, it may be one of those books that changes as people change. What I get from it now, as a married man with 3 kids, would probably be very different from what I got from it as a college student.
While it has been probably 20 years since I read it I remember being intrigued by On The Road. I read it once in High School and a second time in college. I wasn't as frustrated by it as I was with Catcher in the Rye, but I don't remember ever thinking: what a great way to live. Reading this makes me want to pick it up and read it again, it may be one of those books that changes as people change. What I get from it now, as a married man with 3 kids, would probably be very different from what I got from it as a college student.
Helping Others
One of the hardest things for me to not do is keep my thoughts to myself. Particularly when I think those thoughts will help someone. Just this weekend I came across 3 different situations where I would have liked to say something. But I didn't. I'll share some here, but withhold names, and some details in order to avoid problems. In 2 of the cases the chances are pretty slim that they'll read this so this is a pretty safe venue.
1. I was invited to a kid's birthday party. The child was turning 2, and the invitation had a section in which the parent basically said: we'll have some booze, but feel free to bring your own. I had to hold my tongue from replying how I didn't think a 2 year old's birthday party was an appropriate occasion for an adult party involving lots of liquor. Fortunately the party did not turn out that way so it was all good.
2. I know a person with serious substance abuse problems. And it is really affecting his marriage. Last year in fact there was an intervention. But apparently that hasn't really accomplished what was needed. Now I have had my own strugles with alcohol, although I never let it cause irreperable damage. And I want to sit this person down and tell them that they've got to stop, but it's not my place, and doing so might destroy what few ties we have.
3. A friend of mine and his wife are fighting the battle over whether to have kids. They have reasons to not have kids right away, but my friend is saying he never wants to have kids period. While his wife does want to have kids at some point. I've talked with both of them, stated my opinion (I think they would be great parents etc.) But I guess recently it's become a point of contention, and I would like to have a long talk with my friend about it, but again, I have to remain silent. Although to be honest, they probably both read my blog intermittently so there's a good chance they'll read this. So this is the least silent of my keeping my mouth shut strategies as it were.
1. I was invited to a kid's birthday party. The child was turning 2, and the invitation had a section in which the parent basically said: we'll have some booze, but feel free to bring your own. I had to hold my tongue from replying how I didn't think a 2 year old's birthday party was an appropriate occasion for an adult party involving lots of liquor. Fortunately the party did not turn out that way so it was all good.
2. I know a person with serious substance abuse problems. And it is really affecting his marriage. Last year in fact there was an intervention. But apparently that hasn't really accomplished what was needed. Now I have had my own strugles with alcohol, although I never let it cause irreperable damage. And I want to sit this person down and tell them that they've got to stop, but it's not my place, and doing so might destroy what few ties we have.
3. A friend of mine and his wife are fighting the battle over whether to have kids. They have reasons to not have kids right away, but my friend is saying he never wants to have kids period. While his wife does want to have kids at some point. I've talked with both of them, stated my opinion (I think they would be great parents etc.) But I guess recently it's become a point of contention, and I would like to have a long talk with my friend about it, but again, I have to remain silent. Although to be honest, they probably both read my blog intermittently so there's a good chance they'll read this. So this is the least silent of my keeping my mouth shut strategies as it were.
Saturday, September 8, 2007
Family Pictures
I finally got the home PC working again. So I was able to download some photos from my camera. And this morning I uploaded a bunch to my Picasa site. I added some to the generic Various Family Folder. And uploaded a separate photo album with shots from our visit to the State Fair.
Tomorrow we have the Baby Shower here at 1:00PM, although we probably won't get any games really going until after the Broncos game. I will try and take lots of pictures and upload them tomorrow night.
So James got an early birthday present last night. He had won a fish and mini aquarium at the State Fair. Well the fish lasted about a week. So he was very sad. And he had already expressed a wish to get more fish for his birthday. So last night we went to the store and bought a basic 10 gallon aquarium and some goldfish. And then we set it up in the boys room. It's pretty cool. I will try and get some pictures up on Picasa as well.
Tomorrow we have the Baby Shower here at 1:00PM, although we probably won't get any games really going until after the Broncos game. I will try and take lots of pictures and upload them tomorrow night.
So James got an early birthday present last night. He had won a fish and mini aquarium at the State Fair. Well the fish lasted about a week. So he was very sad. And he had already expressed a wish to get more fish for his birthday. So last night we went to the store and bought a basic 10 gallon aquarium and some goldfish. And then we set it up in the boys room. It's pretty cool. I will try and get some pictures up on Picasa as well.
Friday, September 7, 2007
Mark Cuban goes to War with Bill O'Reilly
Read the 2 most recent posts
I've been a Cuban fan anyway for a while. But this jus makes me appreciate him and his ideas all the more. The best is when he says: "I can't say if I'm in favor of the war because I don't know enough" I love it when someone openly admits they don't know enough, it's very refreshing.
I've been a Cuban fan anyway for a while. But this jus makes me appreciate him and his ideas all the more. The best is when he says: "I can't say if I'm in favor of the war because I don't know enough" I love it when someone openly admits they don't know enough, it's very refreshing.
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Catch up time
Lots to catch up so nothing real in depth.
1. Good weekend, went to the State Fair on Friday. THat was fun, everyone got to see some new stuff and some of the usual stuff. I especially enjoyed the high dive show.
2. CU won it's first game of the year! Beating CSU in a thrilling Overtime game. The boys and I handled it pretty well. I tried to keep myself from getting too upset when something bad happened.
3. Did not get my home computer workig like I wanted this weekend. Need to get a Windows XP OS disk instead of using the recovery CD's. Hopefully I will be able to get it taken care of.
4. Spent an excellent day on Monday with the boys, wandering around a few nature sites. Cheyenne creek in Cheyenne Canyon, Bear Creek and Manitou Creek, having a good time with all 3, even learning a few things. Sometimes I worry that they are a little too obsessed with electronic media. So a day like that is good, shows me they are doing alright.
5. James' first soccer practice of the season was last night. It went well, he has the same coach he had last year so it was an easy transition. The only drawback was Daniel just kind of expected to play and got real bent out of shape when he couldn't.
1. Good weekend, went to the State Fair on Friday. THat was fun, everyone got to see some new stuff and some of the usual stuff. I especially enjoyed the high dive show.
2. CU won it's first game of the year! Beating CSU in a thrilling Overtime game. The boys and I handled it pretty well. I tried to keep myself from getting too upset when something bad happened.
3. Did not get my home computer workig like I wanted this weekend. Need to get a Windows XP OS disk instead of using the recovery CD's. Hopefully I will be able to get it taken care of.
4. Spent an excellent day on Monday with the boys, wandering around a few nature sites. Cheyenne creek in Cheyenne Canyon, Bear Creek and Manitou Creek, having a good time with all 3, even learning a few things. Sometimes I worry that they are a little too obsessed with electronic media. So a day like that is good, shows me they are doing alright.
5. James' first soccer practice of the season was last night. It went well, he has the same coach he had last year so it was an easy transition. The only drawback was Daniel just kind of expected to play and got real bent out of shape when he couldn't.
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