Dear James, Daniel and Emily,
And I am talking about the President now too. Not only has Congress managed to totally screw up what should have been a splendid 2 year run, but when we elected a man who seemed to be a splendid speaker who was capable of bringing out the 'better angels' in all of us I thought we elected a fighter. Instead we are looking at not only another couple of years of financial distress and a chance of worsening conditions. And the very representatives we elected have gravely disappointed us all.
I keep harping on the word representatives because I do want to use this post to bring up a point that a lot of people seem to forget, particularly the people in my home town. We live in a Representative Democracy, not a pure Democracy. We as ctitizens choose people to represent us, doing so with elections. We then trust those we elect to do what we sent them to whatever location they are governing from to do, be it City Hall to Congress and the White House. This is not a pure democracy, and government should not be treated that way by our representatives. Instead our elected representatives should do their job and govern, and if they do their job the right way and the way the people who elected want they can then get elected again. No part of that process says every decision should be made by popular vote. And yet the last 2 years every major policy decision has been treated like a referendum, with our representatives acting that way.
I know that at times these elected representatives do things that are bad, or corrupt. We see that all too often at our local level. Which just feeds the monster that says everything fiscal should be handled withe a referendum vote. But even when that happens there are options/alternatives to removing the representatives, it doesn't mean throw out the baby with the bathwater.
To bring this back to current events, my hope and dream is that the media could get away from the constant polling and opinion journalism and back to reporting facts. And in this realm of solely facts our elected representatives could do the job they are elected to do, and have the courage to do the right thing. Because I think that if my representative did the right thing, voted for a bill, or introduced a bill, or in the case of an executive signed a bill or made a decision that helped me, my family and community I really wouldn't care what party they belonged to. Unfortunately that's a dream, the reality is that politicians in this day and age, even those who know they are on the way out, still govern by the popular opinion of the moment, even if that opinion is ill informed, and swayed by opinion makers and demagogues without any real responsibility.
The result is you get what we have now, a President who says that in the face of worsening economic news, and the very obvious need for more government help, that the best thing to do is cut the deficit and spending. Ridiculous! Worrying about the deficit when the economy is in shambles due to a lack of demand for products is just irresponsible government. The deficit can be shrunk, when the economy improves and among other things revenue increases and we reduce our spending on wars most people don't want or think are necessary. And this is a classic case of a representative governing by media and poll results, the President would toughen up, and govern, and get Congress to do the same thing instead of playing to the media things would get done.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Monday, August 30, 2010
Happy Birthday Mom
HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!
Wishing my mother a Happy Birthday today.
To one of the smartest, and most giving people I know. And a true O.G. (Original Geek) whether she knows it or not. I love you Mom, thanks for all you have done and continue to do.
Friday, August 27, 2010
Loves living out loud
Dear James, Daniel and Emily,
For some reason that phrase leapt out to me this morning on my walk. That's right I did my walk, with 3 sprint intervals, this morning as I am beginning to feel human again. Planning what already looks like a busy month. Glad to see the Rams news is upbeat for once.
Living Out Loud
No idea where that phrase came from or why it got stuck. But I think it is an apt description for someone with multiple blogs, heavy facebook user, twitter account and everything else I do on the web. I definitely live my life out there, if you want to know what I am doing it is really quite easy. And I like that, while in person I am not as much of an extrovert I do enjoy sharing things online. I also know that's not for everyone, but just a reminder if you want to know what I am doing it is quite easy.
Health/Running
Got up this morning and took my walk, and had the energy to mix in 3 sprint intervals, first was .1 miles, the other 2 were .2 miles. It felt real good to get my cardio really going early in the morning again. I know it was the smart thing to take those days off for my cold, but boy do I feel better having gotten some exercise. Talk about your basic lifestyle change.
Family
Looks like September will be another busy family month. Labor Day weekend to start, maybe a barbecue, not sure yet. Then family birthday parties the following 2 weekends. Then a weekend or 2 of rest before the frantic month of October arrives. I would say we were resting this weekend to prepare, but Sunday we are heading to Denver for a trip to the museum plus a birthday gathering for Mom. Kids are just going to have to deal with busy lives again.
Football
It looks like the Rams finally got it right with their franchise QB draft pick. Which is good, because with ownership finally settled it looks like things might finally be on the upswing for the team. Not that I will get to watch the games of course (short of the Broncos game in November, which I plan to attend one way or another). But it would be fun to see them start to sneak under the radar for once instead of being the 'Same Old Sorry Rams'.
For some reason that phrase leapt out to me this morning on my walk. That's right I did my walk, with 3 sprint intervals, this morning as I am beginning to feel human again. Planning what already looks like a busy month. Glad to see the Rams news is upbeat for once.
Living Out Loud
No idea where that phrase came from or why it got stuck. But I think it is an apt description for someone with multiple blogs, heavy facebook user, twitter account and everything else I do on the web. I definitely live my life out there, if you want to know what I am doing it is really quite easy. And I like that, while in person I am not as much of an extrovert I do enjoy sharing things online. I also know that's not for everyone, but just a reminder if you want to know what I am doing it is quite easy.
Health/Running
Got up this morning and took my walk, and had the energy to mix in 3 sprint intervals, first was .1 miles, the other 2 were .2 miles. It felt real good to get my cardio really going early in the morning again. I know it was the smart thing to take those days off for my cold, but boy do I feel better having gotten some exercise. Talk about your basic lifestyle change.
Family
Looks like September will be another busy family month. Labor Day weekend to start, maybe a barbecue, not sure yet. Then family birthday parties the following 2 weekends. Then a weekend or 2 of rest before the frantic month of October arrives. I would say we were resting this weekend to prepare, but Sunday we are heading to Denver for a trip to the museum plus a birthday gathering for Mom. Kids are just going to have to deal with busy lives again.
Football
It looks like the Rams finally got it right with their franchise QB draft pick. Which is good, because with ownership finally settled it looks like things might finally be on the upswing for the team. Not that I will get to watch the games of course (short of the Broncos game in November, which I plan to attend one way or another). But it would be fun to see them start to sneak under the radar for once instead of being the 'Same Old Sorry Rams'.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Quick thoughts ranging from kids to Google Voice to Football
Dear James, Daniel and Emily,
Family health issues front & center today. Just as I start to feel normal in the normal progression of my cold (I know it is always 7 days, just try to avoid worse symptoms) poor Daniel has a horrible night of diarrhea and vomiting. Realizing and accommodating for the fact that 3 kids means 3 different personalities. Contemplating adding a Google Voice number, just to lessen complications from family calls and also playing with technology. Had a conversation about CU football today, felt sad afterwards.
Health
Monday I started feeling the cold symptoms: tired, sore throat tickle. So Tuesday, after a poor nights sleep, decided to stay home and get some rest. I try to do this when I can in order to avoid having the symptoms from the cold worsen and linger. The hardest part has been not exercising, not getting up early and going for a run/walk has felt odd, and I am already feeling a little off, lethargic from missing out. But just as I felt that this morning I might be able to at least take a walk this morning Daniel blew that out with a long and dreadful night. He's getting some rest now and stayed home from school, so hopefully I can return to the training tomorrow.
Kids
This week Kim and I are waking up to a realization: our kids are really different from each other, and we need to make some adjustments to that. First example, James is almost 9 and he really doesn't need to be going to bed quite so early any more. So starting next week we will change things up, which means dealing with different bedtimes for all 3 kids, not a blanket bedtime, which is a challenge as parents but just makes sense. Second example, Daniel just doesn't like to eat dinner most of the time. Whether it is being full from snack, being picky, or just not wanting to stop playing and eat he just doesn't eat at dinner times most nights. We have tried pretty much everything, from hard core almost forcing meals to laissez-faire let him eat if he wants. We are spoiled by James who has always been a good eater. Well we have decided to just relax the dinner meal for Daniel, watch what he snacks on, but if he doesn't eat at dinner he doesn't. Not make him a huge meal. It's hard to get out of the blanket same rules, bedtimes etc. for all the kids practice, but at some point you have to recognize that individuality.
Google Voice
After the release of the new feature in GMail of the ability to make phone calls I have started looking into Google Voice. Does anyone out there use this? It seems pretty cool, and makes sense in a lot of ways. Just not sure how well it really works. Since it's free it doesn't seem like it would hurt to at least look into it, maybe come up with a way so certain people out there can always reach me without having to look up my phone numbers.
Football
Well it's just a couple of weeks until the season openers for college football and I have been contemplating the prospects for my alma mater. And it is pretty discouraging. The reports from practice all sound good. And if there was a season where Hawkins pulls it together this would be it, as he has the first team that is totally his recruits. But I felt that we could pull it together last season and then we fell apart. So I am not exactly filled with optimism this year. But I am still ready for the season to start, I so love football, and there is something freeing about college football because I can watch an SEC game and know it has no impact on what happens to the Buffs. That isn't as true of the NFL. Which is another reason I continue to stay away from fantasy football, it's just not fun to have to care that much about every games outcome.
Family health issues front & center today. Just as I start to feel normal in the normal progression of my cold (I know it is always 7 days, just try to avoid worse symptoms) poor Daniel has a horrible night of diarrhea and vomiting. Realizing and accommodating for the fact that 3 kids means 3 different personalities. Contemplating adding a Google Voice number, just to lessen complications from family calls and also playing with technology. Had a conversation about CU football today, felt sad afterwards.
Health
Monday I started feeling the cold symptoms: tired, sore throat tickle. So Tuesday, after a poor nights sleep, decided to stay home and get some rest. I try to do this when I can in order to avoid having the symptoms from the cold worsen and linger. The hardest part has been not exercising, not getting up early and going for a run/walk has felt odd, and I am already feeling a little off, lethargic from missing out. But just as I felt that this morning I might be able to at least take a walk this morning Daniel blew that out with a long and dreadful night. He's getting some rest now and stayed home from school, so hopefully I can return to the training tomorrow.
Kids
This week Kim and I are waking up to a realization: our kids are really different from each other, and we need to make some adjustments to that. First example, James is almost 9 and he really doesn't need to be going to bed quite so early any more. So starting next week we will change things up, which means dealing with different bedtimes for all 3 kids, not a blanket bedtime, which is a challenge as parents but just makes sense. Second example, Daniel just doesn't like to eat dinner most of the time. Whether it is being full from snack, being picky, or just not wanting to stop playing and eat he just doesn't eat at dinner times most nights. We have tried pretty much everything, from hard core almost forcing meals to laissez-faire let him eat if he wants. We are spoiled by James who has always been a good eater. Well we have decided to just relax the dinner meal for Daniel, watch what he snacks on, but if he doesn't eat at dinner he doesn't. Not make him a huge meal. It's hard to get out of the blanket same rules, bedtimes etc. for all the kids practice, but at some point you have to recognize that individuality.
Google Voice
After the release of the new feature in GMail of the ability to make phone calls I have started looking into Google Voice. Does anyone out there use this? It seems pretty cool, and makes sense in a lot of ways. Just not sure how well it really works. Since it's free it doesn't seem like it would hurt to at least look into it, maybe come up with a way so certain people out there can always reach me without having to look up my phone numbers.
Football
Well it's just a couple of weeks until the season openers for college football and I have been contemplating the prospects for my alma mater. And it is pretty discouraging. The reports from practice all sound good. And if there was a season where Hawkins pulls it together this would be it, as he has the first team that is totally his recruits. But I felt that we could pull it together last season and then we fell apart. So I am not exactly filled with optimism this year. But I am still ready for the season to start, I so love football, and there is something freeing about college football because I can watch an SEC game and know it has no impact on what happens to the Buffs. That isn't as true of the NFL. Which is another reason I continue to stay away from fantasy football, it's just not fun to have to care that much about every games outcome.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Focus (or why I have such a hard time doing just that)
Dear James, Daniel and Emily,
Several years back I took a Strengths test, and discovered that one of my biggest strengths is my ability to multi-task, in fact that is just a part of my nature. I am one of those people whose minds has very little trouble processing multiple inputs: read while watching TV or listening to music, follow multiple conversation threads at the same time etc. Which most of the time this comes in real handy, particularly in our new media age where we can be bombarded with so many different sources: TV, Internet, Cell Phones etc. And it has allowed me to productive at a job where I am often forced to think about one issue and provide an answer while dealing with a different customer on the phone at the same time.
But I have discovered a down side to all of this. That is I find it very difficult to focus on 1 task. And lately I have found that is having an effect on different things, including other aspects of my job. So I am trying to find ways and tools to retrain my mind to some extent to learn to focus when the occasion demands it. I am open to suggestions here as this is new territory for me. What are some books, guides etc. that can be used to do that retraining? I am open to ideas, welcome to input, bring it on.
Several years back I took a Strengths test, and discovered that one of my biggest strengths is my ability to multi-task, in fact that is just a part of my nature. I am one of those people whose minds has very little trouble processing multiple inputs: read while watching TV or listening to music, follow multiple conversation threads at the same time etc. Which most of the time this comes in real handy, particularly in our new media age where we can be bombarded with so many different sources: TV, Internet, Cell Phones etc. And it has allowed me to productive at a job where I am often forced to think about one issue and provide an answer while dealing with a different customer on the phone at the same time.
But I have discovered a down side to all of this. That is I find it very difficult to focus on 1 task. And lately I have found that is having an effect on different things, including other aspects of my job. So I am trying to find ways and tools to retrain my mind to some extent to learn to focus when the occasion demands it. I am open to suggestions here as this is new territory for me. What are some books, guides etc. that can be used to do that retraining? I am open to ideas, welcome to input, bring it on.
Monday, August 23, 2010
Thoughts on the weekend, Yard sale, blog change
Dear James, Daniel and Emily
All weekends plans were put on hold while we hosted a yard sale for Connie. Which wasn't a bad thing, yard sales can be interesting, albeit a lot of work. But it wasn't the ideal way for Kim to spend her 3 day weekend. We did find the time to get 1 side project completed, which was nice. My highlight though was finding a cool new tech toy for posting to Twitter & FB at the same time. Also got to watch the Bronco game, such as it was, definitely troubled by the results of what I saw. Overall, not a complete wash, made the most of a bad situation.
Yard Sale
Connie asked on Friday if we could host a yard sale for her, and being the noble types that we were, we couldn't exactly refuse her. So Friday afternoon and evening Kim organized and priced items, most of which were already at our house. Saturday morning it was up bright and early to set up tables, then lay out tarps and then lay out the items for sale. Then we had a side trip to get more items from Connie's house, then settling down for the long haul. We had a pretty successful day to start. Sunday was again up early to layout, changing the way things were laid out. Sunday saw more traffic, with some good customers.
Kim and I being the types who couldn't just sit still decided to take the time to remove the fence that runs along the property line through the lilac hedge. This was something we had talked about doing since Mom bought the lot next door, it makes access to the lot much easier. And has the added bonus of removing the fence that borders the basketball court.
Overall the sale was successful, although not as much as we had hoped. It was nice to meet some neighbors and visit with other folks who were out during the day, which is the part of yard sales I always enjoy. Connie will probably have another one at her house this coming weekend as well, continuing to try and clear some things out and raise more money.
Blog change
Friday afternoon I discovered Tumblr, another blog hosting site. And while I won't be moving my blog there it does have the significant advantage of being able to push out posts to Twitter and Facebook. And also has a great iPhone app for posting, making it very easy to publish a picture to both without having to jump through multiple hoops. Today I added the site to Feedburner, then added a link to that feed on this page (to the right, above the pictures) so if you want to see the updates there or jump to pictures it is pretty accessible.
Football
Watched most of the game Saturday night and all I can say is the offense cannot get the starting running backs and offensive linemen back soon enough, because if the Broncos are forced to stay 1 dimensional like they have been in the first 2 preseason games they could have a long season. And the defense had better figure a few things out pretty quick as well, because a good running game is just going to go through them like a hot knife through butter. Not at all optimistic right now.
Health
With the Yard Sale I didn't get to do much in the way of what I might call a workout. But there was an awful lot of lifting and carrying, so much so that I did end up losing weight. Although I did get back into the habit of watching the calorie intake again so I can keep that up with my workouts. Had my blood drawn this morning so will await the results of my official cholesterol numbers (although I am confident they should be pretty good). And still managed to get my 4 miles in this morning, an excellent start to the week when I hope to really start building up the my wind.
All weekends plans were put on hold while we hosted a yard sale for Connie. Which wasn't a bad thing, yard sales can be interesting, albeit a lot of work. But it wasn't the ideal way for Kim to spend her 3 day weekend. We did find the time to get 1 side project completed, which was nice. My highlight though was finding a cool new tech toy for posting to Twitter & FB at the same time. Also got to watch the Bronco game, such as it was, definitely troubled by the results of what I saw. Overall, not a complete wash, made the most of a bad situation.
Yard Sale
Connie asked on Friday if we could host a yard sale for her, and being the noble types that we were, we couldn't exactly refuse her. So Friday afternoon and evening Kim organized and priced items, most of which were already at our house. Saturday morning it was up bright and early to set up tables, then lay out tarps and then lay out the items for sale. Then we had a side trip to get more items from Connie's house, then settling down for the long haul. We had a pretty successful day to start. Sunday was again up early to layout, changing the way things were laid out. Sunday saw more traffic, with some good customers.
Kim and I being the types who couldn't just sit still decided to take the time to remove the fence that runs along the property line through the lilac hedge. This was something we had talked about doing since Mom bought the lot next door, it makes access to the lot much easier. And has the added bonus of removing the fence that borders the basketball court.
Overall the sale was successful, although not as much as we had hoped. It was nice to meet some neighbors and visit with other folks who were out during the day, which is the part of yard sales I always enjoy. Connie will probably have another one at her house this coming weekend as well, continuing to try and clear some things out and raise more money.
Blog change
Friday afternoon I discovered Tumblr, another blog hosting site. And while I won't be moving my blog there it does have the significant advantage of being able to push out posts to Twitter and Facebook. And also has a great iPhone app for posting, making it very easy to publish a picture to both without having to jump through multiple hoops. Today I added the site to Feedburner, then added a link to that feed on this page (to the right, above the pictures) so if you want to see the updates there or jump to pictures it is pretty accessible.
Football
Watched most of the game Saturday night and all I can say is the offense cannot get the starting running backs and offensive linemen back soon enough, because if the Broncos are forced to stay 1 dimensional like they have been in the first 2 preseason games they could have a long season. And the defense had better figure a few things out pretty quick as well, because a good running game is just going to go through them like a hot knife through butter. Not at all optimistic right now.
Health
With the Yard Sale I didn't get to do much in the way of what I might call a workout. But there was an awful lot of lifting and carrying, so much so that I did end up losing weight. Although I did get back into the habit of watching the calorie intake again so I can keep that up with my workouts. Had my blood drawn this morning so will await the results of my official cholesterol numbers (although I am confident they should be pretty good). And still managed to get my 4 miles in this morning, an excellent start to the week when I hope to really start building up the my wind.
Friday, August 20, 2010
Yard Sale for a good cause
Yard Sale this weekend
All funds go to keep a needy family from losing their home in foreclosure
Noteable items:
Jeep Cherokee
Tools
Fishing Gear
NASCAR Collectibles
DVD's
Furniture
Kids Toys
Clothes
Facing a New Challenge, weekend thoughts
Another 'free' weekend coming up. Nothing planned of any note. Need to mow the lawns, but otherwise nothing pressing needs doing. We might get out of town for the day one of the days, not sure yet. Kim has a 3 day weekend and wants to make the most of it. I have a new challenge to deal with.
Health/Running
First, I added a link on the page to the left that links to my training updates on Runkeeper if people want to go there and check it out. Second, I started noticing that my eating habits and weight to some extent were no longer going in the right direction. And realized I have a new challenge to deal with. My new challenge is learning to adjust to my new appetite. My work for the past year was about changing my lifestyle, and a lot of that was reducing my appetite. But since I started upping my exercise my appetite has increased as well. I need to adjust to that if I want keep progressing towards my goal weight.
Football
Excited for another weekend of football and a chacne to watch a little more. Not so much because I want to watch games that have no meaning, but more because it means the real thing is another step closer. We might not even watch the games in fact, depending on our other weekend plans, not a big deal either way. Just glad to know that football is here at last.
"Society is like a stew, if you don't stir it up all the scum rises to the top." Edward Abbey
Mike Ruch
Health/Running
First, I added a link on the page to the left that links to my training updates on Runkeeper if people want to go there and check it out. Second, I started noticing that my eating habits and weight to some extent were no longer going in the right direction. And realized I have a new challenge to deal with. My new challenge is learning to adjust to my new appetite. My work for the past year was about changing my lifestyle, and a lot of that was reducing my appetite. But since I started upping my exercise my appetite has increased as well. I need to adjust to that if I want keep progressing towards my goal weight.
Football
Excited for another weekend of football and a chacne to watch a little more. Not so much because I want to watch games that have no meaning, but more because it means the real thing is another step closer. We might not even watch the games in fact, depending on our other weekend plans, not a big deal either way. Just glad to know that football is here at last.
"Society is like a stew, if you don't stir it up all the scum rises to the top." Edward Abbey
Mike Ruch
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Run just a little bit faster
Dear James, Daniel and Emily,
I was happy with the results from the race on Saturday, but feel I could do better. So I have taken a 2 pronged approach. On my 'running days' I am running longer, both in time and distance. On my 'walking days' I am mixing in some running intervals.
For my distance running I had been relying all of this time on the fact that the track I run on is a quarter mile. Which is pretty standard for most tracks. Last week I downloaded the Runkeeper App for my phone to keep better track of time and distance since I had moved past the 30 minute runs under the Couch to 5K app. This is an excellent app, it uses the GPS in the phone to track how far I go. After the first couple of runs I began to question it though, because when I ran my 16 times around the track I should have been logged as going 4 miles (16 times .25) but the app kept telling me I had run around 3.4 to 3.6 miles. Well yesterday I turned on the app and walked the track once to get an accurate measurement, and discovered the track is actually .2 miles instead of .25. Which explains a lot of things. So now I have to run the track 20 times to get to 4 miles. Kind of annoying, but at least now I know how far I am really running, which is necessary if I want to track how far I'm going and get to a number I have in my head.
For my walks I have been content to just try and maintain a good pace. But this week I decided to try and get back to mixing in some running on the walk. But instead of just mixing in some jogging I decided to mix in some serious all out sprinting. In talking to a friend who is a triathlete he recommended that kind of mix to really build up my endurance. I did some of that on Tuesday, and a little today. I'll admit, after the longer run yesterday, and heavier workout Tuesday the sprints today were not easy, particularly the last leg. But I finished it, and while my legs are sore I feel real good otherwise. There is something freeing about running full on flat out for at least some distance.
So that's the state I am in on the running, not exactly ready for the Pikes Peak Ascent, but still getting stronger, and feeling soooooo much better about myself and life in general.
I was happy with the results from the race on Saturday, but feel I could do better. So I have taken a 2 pronged approach. On my 'running days' I am running longer, both in time and distance. On my 'walking days' I am mixing in some running intervals.
For my distance running I had been relying all of this time on the fact that the track I run on is a quarter mile. Which is pretty standard for most tracks. Last week I downloaded the Runkeeper App for my phone to keep better track of time and distance since I had moved past the 30 minute runs under the Couch to 5K app. This is an excellent app, it uses the GPS in the phone to track how far I go. After the first couple of runs I began to question it though, because when I ran my 16 times around the track I should have been logged as going 4 miles (16 times .25) but the app kept telling me I had run around 3.4 to 3.6 miles. Well yesterday I turned on the app and walked the track once to get an accurate measurement, and discovered the track is actually .2 miles instead of .25. Which explains a lot of things. So now I have to run the track 20 times to get to 4 miles. Kind of annoying, but at least now I know how far I am really running, which is necessary if I want to track how far I'm going and get to a number I have in my head.
For my walks I have been content to just try and maintain a good pace. But this week I decided to try and get back to mixing in some running on the walk. But instead of just mixing in some jogging I decided to mix in some serious all out sprinting. In talking to a friend who is a triathlete he recommended that kind of mix to really build up my endurance. I did some of that on Tuesday, and a little today. I'll admit, after the longer run yesterday, and heavier workout Tuesday the sprints today were not easy, particularly the last leg. But I finished it, and while my legs are sore I feel real good otherwise. There is something freeing about running full on flat out for at least some distance.
So that's the state I am in on the running, not exactly ready for the Pikes Peak Ascent, but still getting stronger, and feeling soooooo much better about myself and life in general.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Save the infrastructure, save our children's future
Dear James, Daniel and Emily,
When I think of the things that worry me as a parent, the Federal deficit and high taxes are not among them. Having good teachers and good schools are the top priorities. Secondary to that is public safety, having a safe neighborhood where my children can play. Tertiary is public welfare concerns: safe roads, electrical grid, health care etc. And I don't think I am that unusual in thinking like that.
And yet the focus of domestic political discourse, when it is not hijacked by the stupid issue of the moment (9/11 'mosque', gay marriage, etc.) is a reversal of those concerns. Politicians are so focused on these budgetary concerns that they have lost sight of what government actually does for us, the people whom these politicians represent.
In fact there's an odd disconnect in our current political discourse. If the issue is social or moral it is perfectly OK and in fact expected that politicians will bow to the 'majority'. Witness what should be a non-starting issue in the 9/11 'mosque'. That should be a simple cut & dried local political issue with nothing to do with national polls and/or freedom of religion etc. And yet supposedly 70% of Americans oppose the building of this center. As a result the talking heads in the media are outraged when political leaders support the building (or at least don't oppose it). But if the issue has to do with finances or taxes, all of a sudden the minority rights are getting trampled right and left. As the same politicians who demand that Congress and the President listen to the will of the people regarding the mosque are all of a sudden overwhelmingly concerned for the rights of the poor oppressed minority rich people who might see their tax cuts go away.
Here are a few links that sum up what is really happening to our country, and the impact it will have for the children:
General commentary
Certainly not a happy picture. And a classic case of my digression above. It is apparently 'OK' for Republicans to complain about paying 10-20 billion dollars in aid for states to pay teachers and public safety officials, but when it comes to handing out a trillion dollars to failing banks, or keeping tax cuts worth billions more for the richest 1% of Americans there are no complaints.
Harsh criticism of the real impact of downplaying Education
This is less fiscal or budget politics and more an example of the results of our cultural 'dumbing down'. The more we refuse spending for education, and the more we trash those who attempt to provide intelligent, well reasoned responses instead of dumbed down sound bites the worse off our culture and society gets. And this stems from the fact that we are more concerned about the budget than actually educating our children. Current discourse complains that families have to balance their budget why can't the government. Aside from the fact that this is factually incorrect the flip side is wouldn't the average parent do anything they could for their kids? Scrimp and save and run up their debts so they could get the best education and health care possible. If a family can be expected to do that for their kids why don't we expect our government to do the same for the country as a whole?
Our true misplaced cultural and national priorities
Over the course of a 5 day work and school week (Monday thru Friday) my children will average about a 50/50 split of time with parents/teachers. And we are probably unusual/lucky that we don't have to do as much after school care as other families. And yet the people who occupy half of our children's lives are actually in the lowest paid careers for people who earn collegiate degrees. Bottom line I think it is borderline criminal that the people who spend almost as much time with our children as we do, the ones we count on to educate them, are amongst the hardest working but lowest paid professions in America.
So this fall when a candidate starts to rail about a zoning issue in New York City, or who can marry who take the time to ask yourself and them: "what are you doing to help me and my children improve out lives?" What has been done to replace the potholes in the streets? Improve and upgrade our electrical grid so we don't get random outages? Why don't we have the best broadband in the world? Why am I afraid to drive on major bridges because they are so old and could collapse? Why are schools getting closed and school years being shortened when everyone wants to complain about why our kids are falling behind other countries in education? None of the above are things that can be handled by private corporations efficiently, they fall in the realm of the government. And the Conservative movement has effectively taught the media that the only role government should fill is starting and prolong unnecessary wars, filling the coffers of the defense, financial and oil industries. It's all smoke and mirrors to obscure the fact that the rich are getting richer and the rest of us are losing ground.
When I think of the things that worry me as a parent, the Federal deficit and high taxes are not among them. Having good teachers and good schools are the top priorities. Secondary to that is public safety, having a safe neighborhood where my children can play. Tertiary is public welfare concerns: safe roads, electrical grid, health care etc. And I don't think I am that unusual in thinking like that.
And yet the focus of domestic political discourse, when it is not hijacked by the stupid issue of the moment (9/11 'mosque', gay marriage, etc.) is a reversal of those concerns. Politicians are so focused on these budgetary concerns that they have lost sight of what government actually does for us, the people whom these politicians represent.
In fact there's an odd disconnect in our current political discourse. If the issue is social or moral it is perfectly OK and in fact expected that politicians will bow to the 'majority'. Witness what should be a non-starting issue in the 9/11 'mosque'. That should be a simple cut & dried local political issue with nothing to do with national polls and/or freedom of religion etc. And yet supposedly 70% of Americans oppose the building of this center. As a result the talking heads in the media are outraged when political leaders support the building (or at least don't oppose it). But if the issue has to do with finances or taxes, all of a sudden the minority rights are getting trampled right and left. As the same politicians who demand that Congress and the President listen to the will of the people regarding the mosque are all of a sudden overwhelmingly concerned for the rights of the poor oppressed minority rich people who might see their tax cuts go away.
Here are a few links that sum up what is really happening to our country, and the impact it will have for the children:
General commentary
Certainly not a happy picture. And a classic case of my digression above. It is apparently 'OK' for Republicans to complain about paying 10-20 billion dollars in aid for states to pay teachers and public safety officials, but when it comes to handing out a trillion dollars to failing banks, or keeping tax cuts worth billions more for the richest 1% of Americans there are no complaints.
Harsh criticism of the real impact of downplaying Education
This is less fiscal or budget politics and more an example of the results of our cultural 'dumbing down'. The more we refuse spending for education, and the more we trash those who attempt to provide intelligent, well reasoned responses instead of dumbed down sound bites the worse off our culture and society gets. And this stems from the fact that we are more concerned about the budget than actually educating our children. Current discourse complains that families have to balance their budget why can't the government. Aside from the fact that this is factually incorrect the flip side is wouldn't the average parent do anything they could for their kids? Scrimp and save and run up their debts so they could get the best education and health care possible. If a family can be expected to do that for their kids why don't we expect our government to do the same for the country as a whole?
Our true misplaced cultural and national priorities
Over the course of a 5 day work and school week (Monday thru Friday) my children will average about a 50/50 split of time with parents/teachers. And we are probably unusual/lucky that we don't have to do as much after school care as other families. And yet the people who occupy half of our children's lives are actually in the lowest paid careers for people who earn collegiate degrees. Bottom line I think it is borderline criminal that the people who spend almost as much time with our children as we do, the ones we count on to educate them, are amongst the hardest working but lowest paid professions in America.
So this fall when a candidate starts to rail about a zoning issue in New York City, or who can marry who take the time to ask yourself and them: "what are you doing to help me and my children improve out lives?" What has been done to replace the potholes in the streets? Improve and upgrade our electrical grid so we don't get random outages? Why don't we have the best broadband in the world? Why am I afraid to drive on major bridges because they are so old and could collapse? Why are schools getting closed and school years being shortened when everyone wants to complain about why our kids are falling behind other countries in education? None of the above are things that can be handled by private corporations efficiently, they fall in the realm of the government. And the Conservative movement has effectively taught the media that the only role government should fill is starting and prolong unnecessary wars, filling the coffers of the defense, financial and oil industries. It's all smoke and mirrors to obscure the fact that the rich are getting richer and the rest of us are losing ground.
Monday, August 16, 2010
Running thoughts, Projects done, confronted old nemesis, lunch with good friend.
What an excellent weekend! Crammed a lot of different activities into a weekend. Projects, meeting with old friends, race, still found time for some fun. The race went well. The kids are all set for school with new shoes, supplies, reorganized bedroom etc. Found time for some family fun, and also got to watch some real football, yeah, a great weekend.
Race thoughts
(written before the race) Sitting here in this gorgeous location, enjoying the wonderful view. Pondering running, both as a general practice and as something to do for a cause. Last night Kim was talking about how she just doesn't want to run, it hurts her knees too much. I held my tongue and just encouraged her to find and do something. I used to feel the same way, but I have developed a taste for it as I got more fit.
The race went well, although my pacing was a little off so I kind of slowed down in the last mile, but still found it in me to sprint to the finish to end up at 30:31, 31st overall. And no one passed me after the initial burst.
Health
Faced down a couple of eating nemeses over the weekend: pizza and Country Buffet. And managed to find and display the self control I have lacked in the past. I was talking to a friend on Friday and came up with a good way to describe the feelings I have at those times. Basically there are 2 types of hunger: physical and mental. Physical hunger is when you are really, truly hungry, your body needs sustenance. Mental hunger is the hard part, when you crave that extra piece of pizza, fried chicken, taco, ice cream etc. The key is to learn to recognize the difference, and then develop a strategy for dealing with the mental side. If you try to go whole hog denial that can set you up for disaster, but if you develop strategies for feeding it that don't defeat your overall health then you are on the right path.
Projects
I wanted to do 1 project this weekend, and ended up doing 2. The first wast to clean out our bay window, and then rip up the carpet that was there and replace it with stick on tiles. This ended up being a pretty easy little project, one I was able to tackle in about an hour. And it really brightened up our hallway to get rid of that dirty grey carpet that was so dirty and full of cat fur it was impossible to really clean. The only down side is that now Blaze has lost her hiding place because she no longer has the carpet to dig her claws in when she climbs up, oh well life is hard for her.
The second project just kind of came up on us. James has been having a hard time going to sleep lately, complaining that his bed wasn't comfortable, etc. Saturday night he ended up on the couch. So Sunday we decided to rearrange the boys room, taking down the bunk bed, splitting it into 2 beds, giving the James the larger bed. Kim said it made for a more grown up room, which is true I guess. All I know is it should be easier for them to keep their beds free of clutter and remove an excuse to go to sleep.
Football
I got to enjoy the Bronco game, or at least most of it. Nothing too surprising to me really. Our first team is good, capable of moving the ball, and stopping the other team for the most part. But the depth is questionable, and when you get into the long regular season and injuries start to take their toll that is when that depth becomes an issue. But I did get to watch hero Tebow avoid some mistakes and then score his first touchdown.
"Society is like a stew, if you don't stir it up all the scum rises to the top." Edward Abbey
Mike Ruch
Race thoughts
(written before the race) Sitting here in this gorgeous location, enjoying the wonderful view. Pondering running, both as a general practice and as something to do for a cause. Last night Kim was talking about how she just doesn't want to run, it hurts her knees too much. I held my tongue and just encouraged her to find and do something. I used to feel the same way, but I have developed a taste for it as I got more fit.
The race went well, although my pacing was a little off so I kind of slowed down in the last mile, but still found it in me to sprint to the finish to end up at 30:31, 31st overall. And no one passed me after the initial burst.
Health
Faced down a couple of eating nemeses over the weekend: pizza and Country Buffet. And managed to find and display the self control I have lacked in the past. I was talking to a friend on Friday and came up with a good way to describe the feelings I have at those times. Basically there are 2 types of hunger: physical and mental. Physical hunger is when you are really, truly hungry, your body needs sustenance. Mental hunger is the hard part, when you crave that extra piece of pizza, fried chicken, taco, ice cream etc. The key is to learn to recognize the difference, and then develop a strategy for dealing with the mental side. If you try to go whole hog denial that can set you up for disaster, but if you develop strategies for feeding it that don't defeat your overall health then you are on the right path.
Projects
I wanted to do 1 project this weekend, and ended up doing 2. The first wast to clean out our bay window, and then rip up the carpet that was there and replace it with stick on tiles. This ended up being a pretty easy little project, one I was able to tackle in about an hour. And it really brightened up our hallway to get rid of that dirty grey carpet that was so dirty and full of cat fur it was impossible to really clean. The only down side is that now Blaze has lost her hiding place because she no longer has the carpet to dig her claws in when she climbs up, oh well life is hard for her.
The second project just kind of came up on us. James has been having a hard time going to sleep lately, complaining that his bed wasn't comfortable, etc. Saturday night he ended up on the couch. So Sunday we decided to rearrange the boys room, taking down the bunk bed, splitting it into 2 beds, giving the James the larger bed. Kim said it made for a more grown up room, which is true I guess. All I know is it should be easier for them to keep their beds free of clutter and remove an excuse to go to sleep.
Football
I got to enjoy the Bronco game, or at least most of it. Nothing too surprising to me really. Our first team is good, capable of moving the ball, and stopping the other team for the most part. But the depth is questionable, and when you get into the long regular season and injuries start to take their toll that is when that depth becomes an issue. But I did get to watch hero Tebow avoid some mistakes and then score his first touchdown.
"Society is like a stew, if you don't stir it up all the scum rises to the top." Edward Abbey
Mike Ruch
Friday, August 13, 2010
Racing Friday + It's finally here!
Dear James, Daniel and Emily,
Ready for my 5K race tomorrow, really pretty excited about it. Family health is rebounding after a tough Wednesday night. NFL preseason football really arrives this weekend, so I've got that going for me, which is nice.
Running
Running in the Sue DiNapoli 5K run tomorrow. Pretty excited to run in another race, hope to better my time and place in my age group. But have to watch my pacing to make sure the adrenalin doesn't do me in as it did when I was trying to train for better speeds.
Health
Had my annual physical yesterday, and the Doctor was very pleased with me. His main comment was how did I manage to maintain my discipline. I shrugged, just said it was a life style change, getting away from the bad habits that did me in, to the point that the good habits are really the only ones I have left. He said he wished he could find a way to get that habit to his other patients.
Family
So poor Emily wasn't feeling well Wednesday, ended up in bad with us, and then started throwing up around 1 AM. And was up every 30 minutes until around 3:30. She got a little rest, and then I kept her home with me & Daniel for a day of rest and kept her on mostly fluids. And that appeared to do the trick, no exorcist repeats last night.
The boys are definitely ready for school to start, for the chance to see their buddies and return to that schedule. Even Daniel is ready for it (sort of). When I was home yesterday we cleared out the closets of all the clothes that didn't fit, to get things ready for school. And then Saturday afternoon will be shoe and supply shopping.
Football
Sunday we finally get to watch some live football played in anger. And I am pretty excited for it. Very ready to watch, although as usual, like the running, I have to pace myself, not overdo it early in the season. Which shouldn't be too hard so long as Kim keeps a schedule where she isn't working on Sundays.
So there you have it, Life is good, ready for the Fall schedule to arrive and really kick in.
Ready for my 5K race tomorrow, really pretty excited about it. Family health is rebounding after a tough Wednesday night. NFL preseason football really arrives this weekend, so I've got that going for me, which is nice.
Running
Running in the Sue DiNapoli 5K run tomorrow. Pretty excited to run in another race, hope to better my time and place in my age group. But have to watch my pacing to make sure the adrenalin doesn't do me in as it did when I was trying to train for better speeds.
Health
Had my annual physical yesterday, and the Doctor was very pleased with me. His main comment was how did I manage to maintain my discipline. I shrugged, just said it was a life style change, getting away from the bad habits that did me in, to the point that the good habits are really the only ones I have left. He said he wished he could find a way to get that habit to his other patients.
Family
So poor Emily wasn't feeling well Wednesday, ended up in bad with us, and then started throwing up around 1 AM. And was up every 30 minutes until around 3:30. She got a little rest, and then I kept her home with me & Daniel for a day of rest and kept her on mostly fluids. And that appeared to do the trick, no exorcist repeats last night.
The boys are definitely ready for school to start, for the chance to see their buddies and return to that schedule. Even Daniel is ready for it (sort of). When I was home yesterday we cleared out the closets of all the clothes that didn't fit, to get things ready for school. And then Saturday afternoon will be shoe and supply shopping.
Football
Sunday we finally get to watch some live football played in anger. And I am pretty excited for it. Very ready to watch, although as usual, like the running, I have to pace myself, not overdo it early in the season. Which shouldn't be too hard so long as Kim keeps a schedule where she isn't working on Sundays.
So there you have it, Life is good, ready for the Fall schedule to arrive and really kick in.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
I am not a reporter, just a columnist stating his views
Dear James, Daniel and Emily,
Politics
I want to make something perfectly clear regarding my political comments, both here, and on Facebook when posting links. These are editorial comments, stating my view and opinion based on the facts in the article. I don't post these things as a reporter stating facts. I have some strong opinions, and often my sources will fall into line with those opinions. What I am getting at is while I will, when the mood strikes me, argue over the issues I present, do not expect me to be 'fair & balanced' and present the other side, that's not my role.
Running
Learned an interesting thing this morning. I got a new App for my phone for tracking my runs. And I discovered that while 16 times around the track is supposed to be 4 miles, that is only true if you are running in the middle of the track, it is not true if you stick to the inside of the track. Not a big deal, doesn't really change what I am doing, just makes me realize that I haven't been running for quite as long distances as I had thought. I'm still very much in shape for another 5K though. I just need to realize what I am really doing in order to have a realistic expectation of where I am in training.
Politics
I want to make something perfectly clear regarding my political comments, both here, and on Facebook when posting links. These are editorial comments, stating my view and opinion based on the facts in the article. I don't post these things as a reporter stating facts. I have some strong opinions, and often my sources will fall into line with those opinions. What I am getting at is while I will, when the mood strikes me, argue over the issues I present, do not expect me to be 'fair & balanced' and present the other side, that's not my role.
Running
Learned an interesting thing this morning. I got a new App for my phone for tracking my runs. And I discovered that while 16 times around the track is supposed to be 4 miles, that is only true if you are running in the middle of the track, it is not true if you stick to the inside of the track. Not a big deal, doesn't really change what I am doing, just makes me realize that I haven't been running for quite as long distances as I had thought. I'm still very much in shape for another 5K though. I just need to realize what I am really doing in order to have a realistic expectation of where I am in training.
Monday, August 9, 2010
Good weekend playing homebodies: much work done, plus some fun thrown in.
Dear James, Daniel and Emily,
A good weekend, recovered from the stomach bug, got lots done around the house. Plus got in some fun times: family movies, hikes, games. Feeling really good physically as I get ready for second 5K race. One project down to just the very smallest of niggling detail works, time to plan another one.
Family
We played home bodies this weekend, although James & I did get out for a hike with Dad. Friday night we went to the park for a short time while Kim & James did their new run practice, then home for dinner followed by a family movie. Saturday was spent working on the yard, mowing & weed eating, first all of our year, then Mom's lot next door. Even got James into the mowing action, figured it was time for him to really start getting into that part of the house care. Then we had some quiet time watching another family movie, followed by some game time for us after the kids went to bed. Sunday James & I went on our hike, then when we got home we all went to lunch, then home to finish the living room.
So a full weekend, mostly dedicated to doing things at home and around the yard. Which was good, especially for the kids I think, since school is nearly upon us and the relaxing days of summer are rapidly disappearing. It especially felt good to reach that point where we could say that it appears things are mostly ready for school to start as far as kids rooms, play areas etc.
Projects
We got the baseboards and outlet covers in in the living room. Took some work, tried to take it slow, double checking all the measurements etc. And then were glad to be able to borrow the brad gun and compressor from our neighbor to speed up the Job of putting the baseboards in. So the project is done for all intents & purposes. There is some small touch up work, some application of putty to fill in some gaps, bet to all intents & purposes the room is done.
Next up I have a small project in line for the hallway bay window, should be a pretty simple little job. Then I think we will paint the laundry room. After that will probably be time to focus on the basement floor, or at least getting the carpet up. But who knows what else may come up before then, these things have been known to take on a life of their own.
Running/Health
Survived my stomach bug, as usual it just took a couple of days of real light eating, plenty of fluids to flush out whatever was bothering me. I was able to get back into a short run Saturday, then had the energy for all that yard work besides. And then the hike on Sunday (not s super strenuous one, but more climbing then I normally do). Then this morning I pushed myself to 4 miles again. I am feeling real good, very ready for another race on Saturday morning. And excited for a visit to the Doctor on Thursday morning.
Friends
One odd thing occurred to me the other morning. After all of this vactioning etc. and then the aftermath I realized that, save for Spam O Rama, I haven't gotten together with my gaming friends for several months now. And then I realized that I haven't really missed it. I have had some opportunities to get out with other friends, but haven't really missed the gaming. Maybe once Kim's work schedule settles down I will make an effort to get back to doing something more regularly, but for now it's not like a huge chunk of my life is missing, just an observation.
A good weekend, recovered from the stomach bug, got lots done around the house. Plus got in some fun times: family movies, hikes, games. Feeling really good physically as I get ready for second 5K race. One project down to just the very smallest of niggling detail works, time to plan another one.
Family
We played home bodies this weekend, although James & I did get out for a hike with Dad. Friday night we went to the park for a short time while Kim & James did their new run practice, then home for dinner followed by a family movie. Saturday was spent working on the yard, mowing & weed eating, first all of our year, then Mom's lot next door. Even got James into the mowing action, figured it was time for him to really start getting into that part of the house care. Then we had some quiet time watching another family movie, followed by some game time for us after the kids went to bed. Sunday James & I went on our hike, then when we got home we all went to lunch, then home to finish the living room.
So a full weekend, mostly dedicated to doing things at home and around the yard. Which was good, especially for the kids I think, since school is nearly upon us and the relaxing days of summer are rapidly disappearing. It especially felt good to reach that point where we could say that it appears things are mostly ready for school to start as far as kids rooms, play areas etc.
Projects
We got the baseboards and outlet covers in in the living room. Took some work, tried to take it slow, double checking all the measurements etc. And then were glad to be able to borrow the brad gun and compressor from our neighbor to speed up the Job of putting the baseboards in. So the project is done for all intents & purposes. There is some small touch up work, some application of putty to fill in some gaps, bet to all intents & purposes the room is done.
Next up I have a small project in line for the hallway bay window, should be a pretty simple little job. Then I think we will paint the laundry room. After that will probably be time to focus on the basement floor, or at least getting the carpet up. But who knows what else may come up before then, these things have been known to take on a life of their own.
Running/Health
Survived my stomach bug, as usual it just took a couple of days of real light eating, plenty of fluids to flush out whatever was bothering me. I was able to get back into a short run Saturday, then had the energy for all that yard work besides. And then the hike on Sunday (not s super strenuous one, but more climbing then I normally do). Then this morning I pushed myself to 4 miles again. I am feeling real good, very ready for another race on Saturday morning. And excited for a visit to the Doctor on Thursday morning.
Friends
One odd thing occurred to me the other morning. After all of this vactioning etc. and then the aftermath I realized that, save for Spam O Rama, I haven't gotten together with my gaming friends for several months now. And then I realized that I haven't really missed it. I have had some opportunities to get out with other friends, but haven't really missed the gaming. Maybe once Kim's work schedule settles down I will make an effort to get back to doing something more regularly, but for now it's not like a huge chunk of my life is missing, just an observation.
Friday, August 6, 2010
Fighting the bug on Friday
Dear James, Daniel and Emily,
Fighting some stomach bug today, started yesterday but got worse overnight, but I know the drill so fighting through it here at work. Amazingly light weekend no plans at all beyond a Sunday hike with Dad. Loads of house projects around the house though so shouldn't get bored.
Health
No run today, or even walk. I started feeling the beginnings of the stomach problem yesterday, but gutted it out (forgive the pun). But it started feeling worse overnight, didn't sleep real well, so didn't feel that I would be able to make it for a run. So I took advantage of some other things to just sleep an extra hour and a half. But I know the drill for today, keep it light, mostly fluids for the day, and should be pretty much back to normal tomorrow (so can catch up on the run then). This is a bug that just seems to catch me every 6 months or so, not as bad as it used to be due to the weight loss and improved diet.
Family
No kids sports, no birthday parties, no barbecues, feels kind of odd to have such an empty weekend. Of course the last time this happened we ended up tearing up the living room so look out. I'm gonna cash in my rain check for Dad on Sunday and take a hike with him & James, but otherwise just gonna be homebodies this weekend. Keep it relaxed and free of plans (and free of spending).
Projects
Of course no shortage of things to do around the house. Hopefully we can get the baseboards in and be done with the living room project. And of course there's plenty of mowing and weeding due to the onset of August Monsoon season. Which is good, because the worst part of these light weekends is I can get bored and either eat, or start something I can't finish, gotta keep it one step at a time.
Fighting some stomach bug today, started yesterday but got worse overnight, but I know the drill so fighting through it here at work. Amazingly light weekend no plans at all beyond a Sunday hike with Dad. Loads of house projects around the house though so shouldn't get bored.
Health
No run today, or even walk. I started feeling the beginnings of the stomach problem yesterday, but gutted it out (forgive the pun). But it started feeling worse overnight, didn't sleep real well, so didn't feel that I would be able to make it for a run. So I took advantage of some other things to just sleep an extra hour and a half. But I know the drill for today, keep it light, mostly fluids for the day, and should be pretty much back to normal tomorrow (so can catch up on the run then). This is a bug that just seems to catch me every 6 months or so, not as bad as it used to be due to the weight loss and improved diet.
Family
No kids sports, no birthday parties, no barbecues, feels kind of odd to have such an empty weekend. Of course the last time this happened we ended up tearing up the living room so look out. I'm gonna cash in my rain check for Dad on Sunday and take a hike with him & James, but otherwise just gonna be homebodies this weekend. Keep it relaxed and free of plans (and free of spending).
Projects
Of course no shortage of things to do around the house. Hopefully we can get the baseboards in and be done with the living room project. And of course there's plenty of mowing and weeding due to the onset of August Monsoon season. Which is good, because the worst part of these light weekends is I can get bored and either eat, or start something I can't finish, gotta keep it one step at a time.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Alright already, I'm ready! (For some football!)
Dear James, Daniel and Emily,
As mixed as my feelings get about it, there is nothing like watching honest american football. And I am so ready for some live action! I have whet my appetite recently with a smattering of Arena and CFL but that's a poor substitute. And the opening of camp just makes it that much more desirable to watch the real thing instead of reading about it. Being an admitted football bigamist I will celebrate the first week of camp with my thoughts on all of my teams and the offseason news for them.
Colorado Buffaloes
Ready for the last season of Big 12 football, very ready for the Pac 12. Will this be Hawkins Waterloo? I think the mere fact that Spring practice ended with the possibility that Cody Hawkins could end up as the starting QB says all I need to know about that question. I like Hawkins as a man, and as a leader, and he was the perfect coach to get us past the chaos that signalled the end of the Barnett era. But if he continues to embrace the possibility that his son can be a legitimate starter is all I need to know about his huge blind spot and will be the hallmark of his time in Boulder. I for one will openly declare I want the 2011 coach for your CU Buffaloes to be Mike Leach, failing that make it a major alumnus, not some other minor outside name.
Ole Miss Rebels
Well we have a new QB, but we had to stretch the boundaries of good taste, sportsmanship, etc. to do it. Will that be the difference the year? Who knows? I do know that the team should have a good defense, and if the offense can just generate some points then we should be bowl bound. It's just so hard to remain competitive in the SEC when your school has roughly a tenth of the budget of the big schools.
Denver Broncos
Tough day, tough news as Elvis has apparently left the building for the season. I can try to talk myself into the idea that happening this early in the season gives the team and defense time to adjust and hope other players step up (looking at you Jarvis). But unless Superman (aka Tebow) changes positions to Linebacker (just joking) we are hit hard by this news. The rest of the news has all been positive though so who knows what this season looks like in the long run.
St. Louis Rams
No where to go but up, when doubling your win total from last year means 2 wins you are definitely at the bottom of the ladder. I like to think that the pieces are in place for a resurrection, but those pieces are all young, potentially injury prone, or flat out inexperienced. This season is the one where Coach Spagnolo really has to earn his money. Last year he kept the team playing hard, if not competitive every week. If he can do that again this year with an improved level of talent I can see a step forward. Not a quantum leap like 1999, but a leap forward none the less.
As mixed as my feelings get about it, there is nothing like watching honest american football. And I am so ready for some live action! I have whet my appetite recently with a smattering of Arena and CFL but that's a poor substitute. And the opening of camp just makes it that much more desirable to watch the real thing instead of reading about it. Being an admitted football bigamist I will celebrate the first week of camp with my thoughts on all of my teams and the offseason news for them.
Colorado Buffaloes
Ready for the last season of Big 12 football, very ready for the Pac 12. Will this be Hawkins Waterloo? I think the mere fact that Spring practice ended with the possibility that Cody Hawkins could end up as the starting QB says all I need to know about that question. I like Hawkins as a man, and as a leader, and he was the perfect coach to get us past the chaos that signalled the end of the Barnett era. But if he continues to embrace the possibility that his son can be a legitimate starter is all I need to know about his huge blind spot and will be the hallmark of his time in Boulder. I for one will openly declare I want the 2011 coach for your CU Buffaloes to be Mike Leach, failing that make it a major alumnus, not some other minor outside name.
Ole Miss Rebels
Well we have a new QB, but we had to stretch the boundaries of good taste, sportsmanship, etc. to do it. Will that be the difference the year? Who knows? I do know that the team should have a good defense, and if the offense can just generate some points then we should be bowl bound. It's just so hard to remain competitive in the SEC when your school has roughly a tenth of the budget of the big schools.
Denver Broncos
Tough day, tough news as Elvis has apparently left the building for the season. I can try to talk myself into the idea that happening this early in the season gives the team and defense time to adjust and hope other players step up (looking at you Jarvis). But unless Superman (aka Tebow) changes positions to Linebacker (just joking) we are hit hard by this news. The rest of the news has all been positive though so who knows what this season looks like in the long run.
St. Louis Rams
No where to go but up, when doubling your win total from last year means 2 wins you are definitely at the bottom of the ladder. I like to think that the pieces are in place for a resurrection, but those pieces are all young, potentially injury prone, or flat out inexperienced. This season is the one where Coach Spagnolo really has to earn his money. Last year he kept the team playing hard, if not competitive every week. If he can do that again this year with an improved level of talent I can see a step forward. Not a quantum leap like 1999, but a leap forward none the less.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Fighting (and stomping down) the inner voice
Dear James, Daniel and Emily,
Running
This morning, as I was in that twilight stage of thinking, but still sleeping, before the alarm went off, I heard the little voice in my head. You know the voice, the voice that said it was perfectly okay to skip my run today. Well when the alarm went off a very important thing happened. I got up, gathered my clothes and started getting ready for my run, almost automatically. Which tells me that my exercise habits have gone from the practice stage to habit, which is a very good thing. Because let's face it, I am a serious creature of habit, I develop habits, and then have a hard time changing those habits. So when the process of dressing for exercise becomes the habit, it's much easier to ignore the little voice (kind of like it get easy to ignore the little voice that told me that bowl of cereal was plenty for breakfast, but I still stopped at Chick Fil A anyway in the mornings out of habit, that being a bad habit I had to break).
So about a mile into my run I decided that not only was I going to ignore the little voice, I was going to curb stomp it by extending my run to 4 miles. Which it turned out wasn't as hard as I thought it was going to be. I probably could have run even longer, but I had to get home, and I still ended up pressing a little bit for time.
So I learned 2 important things today: my exercise practice has become such a habit that it is easy to ignore the bad inner voice that wants me to blow it off. And that I can press that run to 4 miles, and probably even longer. Which leads me to 1 more conclusion: time to start getting up earlier, so I can keep extending my runs.
Running
This morning, as I was in that twilight stage of thinking, but still sleeping, before the alarm went off, I heard the little voice in my head. You know the voice, the voice that said it was perfectly okay to skip my run today. Well when the alarm went off a very important thing happened. I got up, gathered my clothes and started getting ready for my run, almost automatically. Which tells me that my exercise habits have gone from the practice stage to habit, which is a very good thing. Because let's face it, I am a serious creature of habit, I develop habits, and then have a hard time changing those habits. So when the process of dressing for exercise becomes the habit, it's much easier to ignore the little voice (kind of like it get easy to ignore the little voice that told me that bowl of cereal was plenty for breakfast, but I still stopped at Chick Fil A anyway in the mornings out of habit, that being a bad habit I had to break).
So about a mile into my run I decided that not only was I going to ignore the little voice, I was going to curb stomp it by extending my run to 4 miles. Which it turned out wasn't as hard as I thought it was going to be. I probably could have run even longer, but I had to get home, and I still ended up pressing a little bit for time.
So I learned 2 important things today: my exercise practice has become such a habit that it is easy to ignore the bad inner voice that wants me to blow it off. And that I can press that run to 4 miles, and probably even longer. Which leads me to 1 more conclusion: time to start getting up earlier, so I can keep extending my runs.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
It's our country we deserve better
Dear James, Daniel and Emily,
So yesterday on Facebook I linked to this article on the Senate. And posted a rather lengthy diatribe about it, most of which got cut off. But what my semi-coherent rant led to was an important realization that I think should have bi-partisan appeal.
Every article about the government, Congress and Senate in particular focus on how things are out of control, or broken. But here is what I think are the fundamental reasons for this, and some thoughts on resolving them:
1. Perpetual election cycle
In our 24 x 7 News cycle coupled with the immense power of the almighty dollar in elections virtually any politician feels like they always have to campaign, or raise money. I think the real solution for this would be Term Limits, cut off the career politicians at the knees, make the aspire to another office, or go home.
2. Fear of doing something
Right now, especially in the Senate, that perpetual election cycle has resulted in career politicians who have no fear about making speeches, stating positions, etc. but do fear actually having to make a stand and actually make a concrete stand with a vote. Because speeches are speeches, just words and articles etc. But a real vote for or against something is something their opponent can use against them. This has helped create a cycle of Senators spending all of their time engaging in parliamentary games, because no one really cares in an election if you voted against cloture to end discussion of an amendment to a bill, that doesn't really mean anything. So our representatives spend their time engaging in constant legislative sleight of hand, and then claim to be doing something, when the reality is they haven't actually accomplished a thing that really can be shown on record.
3. Our Constitution provides for a Representative Democracy
Not a pure Democracy, we have elected representatives who we elect, then ask them to do what we want, but in the end, ideally, they will do what they feel best represents the people who elected them. The problem is that when you combine the perpetual election cycle and the fear of doing something, these representatives never do anything on their own any more. Instead every action they take is based on what the latest poll/lobbyist message/angry phone call or email/news story indicates they should do. So more paralysis, instead of legislators actually legislating, they just wait to see where the perceived wind is blowing.
My Ideal
The people we elect are free to do what they think is best for us, the voters who elected them. And if that means taking a stand and voting against something I would respect that more than someone who just spent all their time gaming a system and as a result never actually had to take a stand and actually vote. I might heartily disagree with a Rand Paul politically, but if he gets elected in Kentucky I at least know he is not the type to be afraid to stand up in the Senate and vote on an actual bill instead of procedure after procedure.
How do we get that back? How do we end this type of frozen paralyzed, broken 'government'?
Again, in my view all of this is bi-partisan, because I think all of these things would help both parties in forcing our Congressmen to represent the people they are elected to represent, not the lobbyists and bureaucrats that really run Congress.
So yesterday on Facebook I linked to this article on the Senate. And posted a rather lengthy diatribe about it, most of which got cut off. But what my semi-coherent rant led to was an important realization that I think should have bi-partisan appeal.
Every article about the government, Congress and Senate in particular focus on how things are out of control, or broken. But here is what I think are the fundamental reasons for this, and some thoughts on resolving them:
1. Perpetual election cycle
In our 24 x 7 News cycle coupled with the immense power of the almighty dollar in elections virtually any politician feels like they always have to campaign, or raise money. I think the real solution for this would be Term Limits, cut off the career politicians at the knees, make the aspire to another office, or go home.
2. Fear of doing something
Right now, especially in the Senate, that perpetual election cycle has resulted in career politicians who have no fear about making speeches, stating positions, etc. but do fear actually having to make a stand and actually make a concrete stand with a vote. Because speeches are speeches, just words and articles etc. But a real vote for or against something is something their opponent can use against them. This has helped create a cycle of Senators spending all of their time engaging in parliamentary games, because no one really cares in an election if you voted against cloture to end discussion of an amendment to a bill, that doesn't really mean anything. So our representatives spend their time engaging in constant legislative sleight of hand, and then claim to be doing something, when the reality is they haven't actually accomplished a thing that really can be shown on record.
3. Our Constitution provides for a Representative Democracy
Not a pure Democracy, we have elected representatives who we elect, then ask them to do what we want, but in the end, ideally, they will do what they feel best represents the people who elected them. The problem is that when you combine the perpetual election cycle and the fear of doing something, these representatives never do anything on their own any more. Instead every action they take is based on what the latest poll/lobbyist message/angry phone call or email/news story indicates they should do. So more paralysis, instead of legislators actually legislating, they just wait to see where the perceived wind is blowing.
My Ideal
The people we elect are free to do what they think is best for us, the voters who elected them. And if that means taking a stand and voting against something I would respect that more than someone who just spent all their time gaming a system and as a result never actually had to take a stand and actually vote. I might heartily disagree with a Rand Paul politically, but if he gets elected in Kentucky I at least know he is not the type to be afraid to stand up in the Senate and vote on an actual bill instead of procedure after procedure.
How do we get that back? How do we end this type of frozen paralyzed, broken 'government'?
- First, as I said before: Term limits, end the days of career Washington politicians who go from unelected assistant, then to the House, and then the Senate until they die or finally get voted out.
- Second, reverse Citizens United, restore real hard campaign finance reform, find a way to allow campaigns to occur without having millions of dollars.
- Third, break the lobbyist system, force our elected representatives to have to work, and not spend all their time listening to lobbyists who have the money to gain access.
- Fourth, take advantage of technology, in this era of webcasts, voice over IP, and web meetings, why should Congressmen even have to be in Washington? Let them attend meetings etc. remotely so they can be at home, listening to the people who elected them, instead of in the never never land of Washington D.C. bureaucrats.
Again, in my view all of this is bi-partisan, because I think all of these things would help both parties in forcing our Congressmen to represent the people they are elected to represent, not the lobbyists and bureaucrats that really run Congress.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Pondering a decison I never thought I would have to make
Dear James, Daniel and Emily,
Busy weekend went really well. Final baseball games are out of the way, and went as well as can be expected. Kim survived a pretty hellish work schedule. The kids & I enjoyed the birthday party, reuniting with people we haven't seen in a couple of months. Made some new progress on finishing the living room project, around the same time we are plotting new ones. And enjoyed a nice afternoon visit with family. Now having to make a choice about something I never thought I would have to decide on.
Family
Family first, as always. Poor Kim ended up working swing shifts Friday & Saturday, then a short turn around Sunday morning, and then her overnight shift last night. So her physical schedule is all messed up. And the kids & I had to make the best of things while she was either at work, or resting. Made for some disconnected time, so glad to have the events to fill up the time.
Baseball is done for the summer. James had a good game, but again I think we will probably skip baseball next summer. Daniel announced that he wants to play soccer this fall, rather startling for him to announce that with no warning or prompting. So it was fortuitous for one of the BV parents to ask if I was willing to co-coach a team that Daniel would be on. That will make things much better for Daniel, to have both of his parents and at least one kid from school on his team, the key is to make and keep it fun for him.
We all really enjoyed the birthday party on Saturday. Emily got to go out and run around an play on the trampolines, and generally have a really good time. And I got to reconnect with some of the fellow BV parents that I really enjoy spending time with, in fact I'm not sure who enjoyed the time more: me or the kids.
The family barbecue on Sunday was very nice, seeing family and family friends that I haven't seen in a while. It was a good time. Although one thing I have noticed is that the days of every family gathering having some large athletic activity have largely ended. Partly due to the group having aged, partly due to a change in location. I think we will have to make some effort at the next such event to drag people out to the park for some play. Kim & I are just no longer satisfied with just sitting around and talking, even with interesting people that we rarely see.
Projects
Sunday morning I did some cleaning and decluttering, then when Kim got home I sat down to cut out the sections of the floor for the heat vents in the living room. And then we put in the transition between the living room and kitchen. That was a bit of a struggle, due to tiredness, and some misreading of instructions on my part and a bad measurement. But we got it done, and I challenge the casual observer to notice the imperfections. So hopefully next weekend we can finally get the baseboards done and move on to other projects.
Running and Decision time
Here's the thing I alluded to earlier. I have to decide between 2 races to run in August, as they are both on the same day. One supports Car & Share, a worthwhile organization that helps fight hunger. The other is supporting cancer research, an issue of personal importance to me based on the number of people I have known or know who have suffered from cancer. Now if you had told me a year ago that I was debating about which 5K race to enter I would have laughed at you. Which is the great thing about where I am right now. Of course at the party on Saturday a couple of the parents were encouraging me to run in a series of races this fall that I also would have never contemplated doing either.
Busy weekend went really well. Final baseball games are out of the way, and went as well as can be expected. Kim survived a pretty hellish work schedule. The kids & I enjoyed the birthday party, reuniting with people we haven't seen in a couple of months. Made some new progress on finishing the living room project, around the same time we are plotting new ones. And enjoyed a nice afternoon visit with family. Now having to make a choice about something I never thought I would have to decide on.
Family
Family first, as always. Poor Kim ended up working swing shifts Friday & Saturday, then a short turn around Sunday morning, and then her overnight shift last night. So her physical schedule is all messed up. And the kids & I had to make the best of things while she was either at work, or resting. Made for some disconnected time, so glad to have the events to fill up the time.
Baseball is done for the summer. James had a good game, but again I think we will probably skip baseball next summer. Daniel announced that he wants to play soccer this fall, rather startling for him to announce that with no warning or prompting. So it was fortuitous for one of the BV parents to ask if I was willing to co-coach a team that Daniel would be on. That will make things much better for Daniel, to have both of his parents and at least one kid from school on his team, the key is to make and keep it fun for him.
We all really enjoyed the birthday party on Saturday. Emily got to go out and run around an play on the trampolines, and generally have a really good time. And I got to reconnect with some of the fellow BV parents that I really enjoy spending time with, in fact I'm not sure who enjoyed the time more: me or the kids.
The family barbecue on Sunday was very nice, seeing family and family friends that I haven't seen in a while. It was a good time. Although one thing I have noticed is that the days of every family gathering having some large athletic activity have largely ended. Partly due to the group having aged, partly due to a change in location. I think we will have to make some effort at the next such event to drag people out to the park for some play. Kim & I are just no longer satisfied with just sitting around and talking, even with interesting people that we rarely see.
Projects
Sunday morning I did some cleaning and decluttering, then when Kim got home I sat down to cut out the sections of the floor for the heat vents in the living room. And then we put in the transition between the living room and kitchen. That was a bit of a struggle, due to tiredness, and some misreading of instructions on my part and a bad measurement. But we got it done, and I challenge the casual observer to notice the imperfections. So hopefully next weekend we can finally get the baseboards done and move on to other projects.
Running and Decision time
Here's the thing I alluded to earlier. I have to decide between 2 races to run in August, as they are both on the same day. One supports Car & Share, a worthwhile organization that helps fight hunger. The other is supporting cancer research, an issue of personal importance to me based on the number of people I have known or know who have suffered from cancer. Now if you had told me a year ago that I was debating about which 5K race to enter I would have laughed at you. Which is the great thing about where I am right now. Of course at the party on Saturday a couple of the parents were encouraging me to run in a series of races this fall that I also would have never contemplated doing either.
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