It is all about how you play

I didn't get to write anything this past weekend because Evan had a soccer tournament. They played 2 games on Saturday and 2 games on Sunday. Unfortunately his team had a disadvantage, they only had 2 substitutes when the other teams had 5 or 6. 2 games on Saturday and 2 games on Sunday which was tiring for them. They played hard and at least saved the best for last. The team played their best game of the year in the final game. It was so good that all of the parents were yelling and cheering so much that most of us had sore throats afterwards. Go HAWKS!!!

Technorati Tags: Sports, Soccer, CASL

Don't underestimate!

I have to admit that I did not think that any National league team had any chance this year of beating the American league this year but the Cardinals might just prove me wrong. This series is far from over but I did not think that the Cardinals would even win more than 1 game. There is still a lot of baseball to play and right now it is anyone's Series. I do think that this will go seven games and with the rainout today, the pitchers are well rested and it should continue to be exciting. Has anyone noticed that the difference in each one of these games has been the pitching? Good pitching wins games.

Technorati Tags: Sports, Tigers, Cardinals, Baseball, World Series

Vote for Emmitt!

My family has really gotten into watching Dancing with the Stars. I wasn't into it quite as much last season but it has been very exciting this time. I thought that it would come down to a battle between Mario and Joey but after tonight, you have to take Emmitt Smith seriously. Emmitt and Cheryl are putting up some huge performances. I am rooting for Emmitt all the way!

Technorati Tags: Dancing with the Stars, Emmitt Smith, dancing, ABC, entertainment

Cowboys down and out?

I have always been a Dallas Cowboys fan. I have seent he good and bad times. Unfortunately, it recently has been more bad than good. Watching last night's game was definitely not good. Bledsoe did not do a good job and I was glad to see Romo get a chance but you cannot pass all the blame on Bledsoe. The offensive line did not do it's job in protecting Bledsoe long enough to get good passes. This is not so easy to correct which is why Romo may be the better choice right now because he is more mobile. I don't think that you have seen the last of Bledsoe starting any games but Romo will probably get the next few starts.

Technorati Tags: Sports, Football, Dallas Cowboys, Bledsoe, Romo

Virus attack

It finally happened. For the first time my computer was infected by some type of virus. When I had restarted my computer, it got to the point of loading my personal settings but could not go past that. I was able to use the last backup from the recovery CD but it was a long time ago and now I am in the process of loading in some of the applications that I had before. Even though I lost a bunch of stuff on my PC, it wasn't all bad because I did end up cleaning out my hard drive and getting rid of some stuff that I did not need.

Technorati Tags: Computers, virus, technology

Cheaper oil?

I read today an article on Forbes.com that was talking about the future prices of Oil. I have to say that some of what he says makes sense about finding new sources of oil will help to keep the price down even if OPEC cuts back production. But I think that the article is missing a few points that contradict the idea that everything is fine.

1. Oil is not a renewable resource. At some point we will end up running out of oil and the narrow minded view that we have plenty of time before that happens is a recipe for disaster. The push towards finding alternative power sources to run cars and making cars more fuel efficient has finally been brought to the forefront because of the high gas prices this summer. The idea that

"don't sell that SUV just yet. Oil, at a recent $66.50 a barrel, will fall to $45 by mid-2007 and could dip briefly into the 20s in 2008."

is telling people not to try and conserve the resources that we have. I find this irresponsible to make this statement when there is no crystal ball out there to confirm what will happen in the future. OPEC will not stand for the prices falling farther and farther. Currently, no one can compensate quick enough to offset the production cuts that OPEC can make.

2. It is well known that many terrorist groups are being funded by these Oil producing countries. This is a huge reason why we need to cut our dependency on Oil so that the terrorist do not continue to get the funds that they need. I will agree that the cost of Oil is inflated by the geopolitical issues that threaten oil production and supplies. The idea that these will calm down is absurd. We may have periods of relative calm but with the new escalated violence from terrorist groups, I doubt that we will be seeing calm anytime soon. And now we are faced with North Korea testing nuclear weapons.

Technorati Tags: Oil, OPEC, world issues

Really funny

My wife was watching the Ellen DeGeneres show and there was someone on that had done this video on You Tube that was called the Evolution of Dance. I took a look and it is really funny. I would definitely check it out.

Technorati Tags: dance, comedy, You Tube, Entertainment

No one saw this coming

Everyone has been waiting for this to happen and now it looks like OPEC is going to cut production to try and stop the decline in oil prices. I hope that everyone is paying attention. Just because we have seen the gas prices fall to around $2.09 for regular in the Raleigh area does not mean that we can give up on trying to reduce the dependency of America on oil. OPEC has been enjoying profits from the high prices and now is feeling the squeeze. I was hearing speculation that one of the major oil producing nations would have to cut production or have some crisis happen to stop the fall in prices. Now we have the first step and I would be willing to bet that this is only the beginning.

Technorati Tags: Oil, OPEC, world issues

True stupidity

I can only assume that Jim Caple is a Boston fan which is why he would have the audacity to say that the Yankees should trade Jeter instead of A-Rod. It would certainly help Boston and the other teams in the American League beat the Yankees. I have said that it was a mistake getting A-Rod in the first place, and I think that keeping him would be a big mistake. Lets breakdown the rational that Jim is using in his article.

1. A-Rod is the better player. I will agree that A-Rod is the better regular season individual player. The reason that I add individual is that a player can have great individual numbers but not help improve the team. A-Rod is definitely not a better postseason player. You can look at 1 or 2 series and rationalize anything but when you look at career numbers for both players in the postseason, the obvious winner is Jeter, not to mention the fact that the only thing that matters to Steinbrenner is the postseason. Also note that the career batting average for Jeter (.317) is 12 points higher than A-Rod's (.305).

2. Jeter has more trade value. I will concede that. His experience, leadership and abilities clearly makes him more valuable. A-Rod has proven that he is a drain on the resources of any team because of his high salary.

3. Jeter is a year older. So what! I will not even bother to comment on this.

4. Jeter is more expensive. If you look at the cost of A-Rod for the Yankees over the rest of his contract then, yes, Jeter is more expensive. But figure in what the impact is on the Texas Rangers who are still paying off part of his salary and he is not more expensive. Which begs the question: why would any team agree to payout $67 million dollars to get rid of a player? A-rod is still financially hurting a team that he does not belong to any more. Texas was desperate to get rid of him!!! It makes you sit back and think for a second.

5. Jeter doesn't provide the leadership needed. A-Rod brought this upon himself. When you demand the salary that he is getting, you expect that he is going to perform. Make no mistake, Jeter is the leader in that clubhouse. Not just anyone is named as the team captain of the Yankees. I guess that Jim would next be suggesting that A-Rod should be named the Yankees captain.

6. It's only fair. This has to be the most unintelligent reason to trade away one of the key players on this team. This is the biggest indicator that Jim must be a Boston fan. How is it fair that someone like A-Rod can get paid $250 million dollars for 10 years and yet not be expected to carry the burden of expectations of winning championships? He is in it for the money only.

Understand that Jeter has only known winning from the beginning of his career in the Yankee organization. He has been in the playoffs every year of his career. On the flip side, A-Rod has not and has never been a part of a team that won the World Series. It is an interesting note that only after the Mariners got rid of A-Rod, did they win 116 regular season games. They got better after getting rid of him.

Technorati Tags: Derek Jeter, Yankees, A-Rod, baseball

Time for a change?

I have been resisting writing anything about the Yankees demise in the postseason but Rogel is forcing my hand so here it goes.

First, you cannot put the blame all on one person because many of the players failed to live up to their potential but you cannot avoid the obvious. A-Rod is the biggest postseason failure their is! For his last 12 postseason games, he is 4 for 41 (.098) as compared with his average this year of .290. A-Rod may be the one of the best regular season players in the major leagues but he is the biggest bust in the postseason. For everyone that continues to say that Jeter should have moved to third base, it still would not change the batting statistics. And the simple fact is that Jeter is a better postseason player than A-Rod will ever be. I continue to think that A-Rod is a curse for any baseball team. I don't believe that A-Rod will ever have a World Series ring.

Second, while I think that Joe Torre is a great manager, the team make-up is so different that it may be time for a change. There are only a few players left from the team that won all of those championships, the players on the team now may need a different style of management.

Last, Steinbrenner needs to stop trying to buy all the high priced seasoned players and focus more on the Yankees farm system. The best pitcher on the staff this year was not the high priced veterans but Chien-Ming Wang. Unfortunately, the Yankee farm system is depleted because of all the high priced acquisitions made over the last few years.

Technorati Tags: Baseball, Yankees, sports, New York City, Joe Torre

Byron Nelson

It is a sad time for golf. It has lost a true ambassador of the game. I had a basic knowledge about Byron Nelson's accomplishments but I did not have any clue about the man himself. From hearing all of the news and interviews with people in the sports community, I am even more impressed with the person than the golfer. He retired so early in his carreer when he could have gone on and continued winning who knows how many championships. But he had his own plans. Without the official title of ambassador, Byron Nelson truely lived out the duties associated with the title. Just listen to the interviews with the top golfers today and what they are saying. All of golf is mourning his loss.

Technorati Tags: golf, Byron Nelson, sports

Sour grapes in Boston

What is the matter with David Ortiz? Who does he think he is? I was actually feeling bad for him with the health problems he has been having but after reading his comments on Derek Jeter as an MVP candidate, I have no sympathy for him. For those that have not heard what he said, here is his statement

"Don't get me wrong -- he's a great player, having a great season, but he's got a lot of guys in that lineup," Ortiz said of Jeter. "Top to bottom, you've got a guy who can hurt you. Come hit in this lineup, see how good you can be."

I have a question, is Ortiz saying that his teammates stink? If I were a player on the Red Sox, heaven forbid, I would be insulted by this comment. Ortiz has put up some big numbers in homeruns and RBIs but this is expected from his position in the lineup with Manny Ramirez backing him up. He wouldn't do nearly as well without someone protecting him. From the 1st or 2nd position in the lineup Jeter has almost 200 hits (47 more than Ortiz) , 102 runs scored (same as Ortiz), 29 stolen bases (28 more than David Ortiz), an On Base Percentage of .423 and almost 100 RBIs which we know he can reach with 19 games left to go. The best part is that Boston is falling hard and will not make the playoffs while the Yankees keep their streak going of consecutive appearances in the playoffs. While Ortiz is concerned with personal accolades, Jeter is only concerned with his team being ready for the playoffs. David pay attention, this is why Jeter will get the MVP because he cares more about the team!

Technorati Tags: Baseball, Yankees, Derek Jeter, Red Sox, David Ortiz

9/11, 5 years later

It has been 5 years since my life changed in an instant. Until now I have told parts of my story to many people but not everything. I worked at 140 West St which was across the street from Tower 1. I heard the explosion from the plane hitting the tower. At that time we were not sure what was going on. I called my wife on the phone to tell her to turn on the TV because Tower 1 had some type of explosion and is on fire. After staring for several minutes at the fire and smoke pouring out of the tower, an announcement came over the intercom that we should evacuate the building. As we were getting some of our belongings together, another announcement came telling us to stay where we were because of falling debri. At first it seemed to make sense because we still did not know what had actually happened. My co-workers and I stood at the windows looking up and staring at the sight. Then I saw the most horrific things that to this day I wish I never saw. I saw people jumping out the windows and falling to their death and because we were on the 14th floor, I could see bodies that had hit the ground. Many people in my office were screaming at this point. Then after a while, I caught a glimpse of a plane coming over the water and watched as it slammed into Tower 2. My father-in-law worked in that Tower on the 67th floor and from where I was looking it seemed to be about where he would be. I had no idea if he was still there or not. At that point, I did not care anymore if there was falling debri, all I knew was that I did not want to be anywhere near the towers now. The announcement came to leave the building. Because of what was happening we had to use the stairs to leave the building. When I left, I ended up seeing Mayor Giuliani walking by to go to the emergency command center. I headed west towards the river because it was farther away from the towers and I could walk along the water down to the ferry terminal. By the time that I made it down to the Jewish Heritage Memorial, Tower 2 collapsed. All I remember was running at first and then everything went dark. I have no idea why but one of the things that I had taken with me when I left my building was a water bottle from my desk. I soaked my shirt with it and put it over my mouth. It was like a blizzard, I could hardly see anything. I was glad that I had walked through Battery Park many times because I did not need to see much to know where I was. I eventually made it into a building close to the ferry terminal. They were giving out quarters in the lobby so that people could make calls from the payphones. I made a call to my wife to let her know I was OK. Several minutes later, she received a call from her father that he had made it out OK. When the air had cleared enough, I left the building and walked down to the ferry terminal. There were many people waiting to try and take the ferry back to Staten Island. Just before we pulled out of the terminal, we heard the rumble of Tower 1 falling. I remember looking back at Manhattan as we pulled away and all you could see was smoke. When we made it across to Staten Island, I could not get a Bus so I walked about a mile and a half to where I was able to get a payphone and call my wife. There were several people from our church who had come to the house to be with my wife while she waited. She was pregnant with my daughter and due in January. The pastor's wife came and picked me up. I arrived home at 1:29pm covered in ash and grateful to just be home. I will never forget that day. I hope that everyone in this country remembers that day and never forgets the lessons that we learned.

Technorati Tags: 911, World Trade Center, terrorism, New York City

We will miss you, Crocodile Hunter

When I first saw Steve Irwin on TV, my impression was that he was crazy. But after watching him for years and more recently watching shows about the Australia Zoo, I realized that no only did he know what he was doing and that it was far from crazy, he cared about the wildlife and was working hard to protect them. He was catching crocodiles to move them to safer areas away from people. Like many other people, you learn more about them after their death than while they were alive. He is someone that I would have loved to meet because of his enthusiasm for life and the animals that he was working to protect. My thoughts and prayers go out the Irwin family. It is a terrible loss for them. It is also a terrible loss for wildlife all around the world.

Technorati Tags: Steve Irwin, Crocodile Hunter, Australia Zoo, conservationist

Pluto, say it ain't so!

I could not believe what I read today about scientist deciding that Pluto is not a planet anymore. The article states that

"the International Astronomical Union stripped Pluto of the planetary status it has held since its discovery in 1930."

I am a little shocked that this is happening. I admit that throughout history our concepts of everything around us has changed and we have needed to adjust to it like the earth is round instead of flat. I just hope that they did not rush the decision without having more information. It took scientists this long to agree on the criteria for classifying planets. But in the meantime we have a probe going out to Pluto to study it further which may tell us a lot more about it. The decision could have waited until we found out a little bit more about the former 9th planet in our solar system.
The new definition for a planet is:

"a celestial body that is in orbit around the sun, has sufficient mass for its self-gravity to overcome rigid body forces so that it assumes a ... nearly round shape, and has cleared the neighborhood around its orbit."

It would be really ironic that in 10 or 12 years from now scientists come back to say that with the new information about Pluto, it really is a planet.

Technorati Tags: Space, Pluto, planets, solar system

Is Tiger the best athlete ever?

I read a article by Gene Wojciechowski titled "Woods is greatest individual athlete ever". I have to say that this is a little ridiculous. While we all know that it is becoming more inevitable that Tiger Woods will break most of the records in golf and pass Jack Nicholas for winning the most majors and become the greatest golfer ever, he has not done it yet. To say that he is the greatest athlete ever is more than just putting the cart before the horse, it is saying that the horse is not needed at all and that the cart can do it on its own. Some names at the top of the list of great athletes include Michael Jordan, Lance Armstrong, Wayne Gretzky, Ali, Pele, and so on. Needless to say, he is breaking records at an incredible pace, but he has not done it all and may not. The true judge of an athletes greatness is time itself. And for that determination, we will have to wait and see.

Technorati Tags: Tiger Woods, Golf, sports, athletics

Sleepless in Boston

I am a little late to write this but what a weekend! The Yankees go into Boston with a game and a half lead on them and the expectations were for a very heated battle. Well, I would have to say that it was a battle the whole way but I never dreamed that the Yankees would come out of it with a 6 and a half game lead! And who would have thought that the best pitching matchup of the series would be David Wells vs. Cory Lidle? After 4 games in which the Yankees outscored Boston 47-25, the last game of the series was only 2-1. Friday set the tone as both teams combined to use 18 pitchers in the day/night double header. Normally both teams would use that many pitchers in a 4 game series. It is far from over but you have to admit that this was the first nail in the coffin for Boston's hopes for the playoffs. Go Yanks!

Technorati Tags: Yankees, Red Sox, baseball, sports, american league

Blogger Beta

I am currently playing around with Blogger's new beta version. I wanted to see what improvements have been made. So far I have mixed reviews but there are definitely some nice features. I do hope that they soon add the ability to edit the html because that is important when you are customizing the layout of your blog. I do like the page elements section which allows you to rearrange the peices that make up the blog. I will be doing some more tinkering with it in the next few days to see what the full potential of this beta version is.

Technorati Tags: Blogger Beta, blogs, internet

Tax Free Days follow-up

I need to give an update to the story I wrote about the other day. My wife was contacted by the assistant manager at Dillards department store in Raleigh. They checked with their corporate office and admitted that there was a mistake and that the computer system had the wrong information. I am impressed that they got the answer quickly and responded back. If you bought anything from Dillards over the weekend and were charged tax when you believe that it should not, I would contact the store. They said that they were going to take care of refunding the money but it is going to be a tall order. They can easily do the credit card purchases but how do you identify customers who paid with cash and refund the money?

Technorati Tags: Tax Free Shopping, North Carolina, Dillards, shopping, commerce

Tax Free Days in North Carolina

I have to give a warning to everyone in North Carolina trying to take advantage of the Tax Free Shopping days this weekend. My wife was out today and stopped in the Dillards department store in Raleigh. She went to but my daughter some underwear and when she got to the register she was charged tax. My wife could not believe it. Later she went back to the store with the printout of what items are tax free. Even though the documentation clearly states that underwear falls under this category, they insist that the list did not include children's underwear! How ridiculous is that to say that adult underwear is tax free but kids underwear is not?! Also, according to how they set the descriptions in their computer system, the underwear comes up as Accessories. Someone will need to explain to me how something that is worn everyday under your clothes can be considered an accessory. My wife did speak to an assistant manager who was going to speak to the store manager who would be in on Monday but I think that it is only right to warn everyone now that Dillards has these problems. I hope that this can be resolved fairly, it could just be a mistake in what was entered in the computer system. If not then they are trying to do some shady business and should not get away with it.

Technorati Tags: Tax Free Shopping, North Carolina, Dillards, shopping, commerce

Telecommuting troubles

Since I work from home on the computer everyday, my wife is limited in the things that she can get done. It has been one of the struggles with working from home. I get interrupted at times because my wife needs to check on something on the internet. So, I bought her a laptop. I have to say that I got a really good deal from TigerDirect.com.
Since she only needs the laptop for Word processing, spreadsheets and surfing the internet, I bought her the Acer Aspire AS1642ZWLCi Notebook PC. I ordered it on 7/20 and received it today even though the projected delivery date was 7/27. It did not take long to set everything up and start working with it. So far my wife is very pleased with it. I also setup a wireless router and so far there has been no problems with the connection at all. TigerDirect makes it easy to access the rebates to save you more money. Check it out for yourself. Now both of us can be on the computer at the same time and with setting up the wireless network and file sharing, she can access any file that she needs from her laptop.

Technorati Tags: Laptops, computers, telecommuting, technology

The trouble with A-Rod

I cannot say that I was a fan of the Yankees bringing on A-Rod. In fact, I said more than once that he will be the curse on the Yankees and that they will not win another World Series while he is on the team. Part of my reasoning behind this is that his $252 million dollar contract is a drain on any ballclub's payroll, even the Yankees. With greedy players looking more for the dollars than the championships, it becomes harder for ball clubs to put together a team that has quality at every position. I do not think that any player is worth that kind of money considering that one player can win the game by himself.
A-Rod is struggling right now and Yankee fans can be extremely tough on players because they expect the best. I can be that way too but I will temper my words somewhat. A-Rod does bring 2 important qualities to the field, his bat and his glove. The problem is that recently neither one is helping the team. I was reading an article written about his problems with throwing and that most of his trouble is mental. I think that he is too good of a player and that he will work it out but the bigger question is how long will it take. The Yankees are already hurting with the loses of Matsui, Sheffield and Cano, they need A-Rod's bat and glove to keep them going. I think that it is time that Yankee fans stop wasting the energy on booing A-Rod and focus that energy on cheering them on to make the postseason. There is still hope.

Technorati Tags: baseball, Yankees, A-Rod, Alex Rodriguez

The British Open

After watching the Open this weekend and listening to commentators talking about Hoylake and whether or not it should be added back to the rotation of places hosting the Open, I have to add my 2 cents. Why not? Consider this mind teaser, the conditions at Hoylake made Tiger Woods use his driver only once in 72 holes! With all of the talk about Tiger proofing courses to level the playing field, this course took away a huge weapon in his arsenal and yet he stood up to the challenge and was hitting the fairways better than anyone else. Many of the players are saying that this course should definitely be back in the rotation for the Open. I agree. You need a wide variety of courses in order to test the best players in golf. It forces them to adjust their game to the course rather than the course adjusting to the players.

Technorati Tags: golf, British Open, Hoylake, Tiger Woods

Look mom, 2 wheels!

This weekend we took the training wheels off the boys bikes. It has been a long time coming but there wasn't a real good time to spend the time with them until now. So I removed them for Evan and after about 5 minutes he was riding back and forth along the sidewalk without any problems. Now it is just a matter of starting and stopping. Next it was Simon's turn. After about 15 minutes he was riding back and forth with only a few minor problems. Now I just need to find a good pace to take them so that they have more room to ride around without having to watch out for cars or people.

Technorati Tags: biking, family, training wheels, exercise

65 years and going strong

On July 12th, it will be my grandparents 65th wedding anniversary, a milestone that most couples could not even dream of in this day and age. On July 8th, the whole family will come together to celebrate the love that my grandparents have had for each other and their family over those 65 years. During the course of their marriage they have had 3 children, 9 grandchildren and 17 greatgrandchildren. If you were to ask them what the secret to their marriage is they would say that it is their faith in God and commitment to each other. It is this faith in God that has seen them through the good and bad times.

Technorati Tags: marriage, family, relationships, anniversaries

4th of July

In celebration of the 4th of July, Wake Forest held a celebration yesterday at Wake Forest-Rolesville High School. It was a lot of fun with the Southern Skies Parachute Team making several jumps through the evening and The Band of Oz providing the music. There was food and games to keep you going. It was a wonderful time for adults and children capped off by a great fireworks display. Coming from New York, I know all about big fireworks displays and I wasn't disappointed. Today, the celebration continues with the 4th of July Children's Parade at 10:30am which will be going up North Main Street.

Technorati Tags: 4th of July, fireworks, wake forest, parade, family

Spiders, spiders everywhere

One thing that I was warned about when I arrived in NC was that there are 2 spiders that you need to stay away from, the Black Widow and the Brown Recluse. I was told by several people that they have never really seen either around here. I have seen plenty of spiders and some that I had never even seen in books. However, recently I found what I thought was a black widow. Today, I spotted another black widow while I was watering my roses. This time I was positive of what I saw. I always knew what the body shape was like for the Black Widow but Thought that it would be harder to spot the red hourglass on the underside, but it was very easy to spot and was a really bright red color. I called my sons over and showed them (Every spider that they had seen they called either a Black Widow or a Brown Recluse.) We watched it crawl on the rocks and then I sprayed it with pesticide. It crawled into a hole and disappeared. We saw another spider that was smaller and had the same shape but had orange colored circles on the side of the abdomen. After reading more about the Black Widow, I think I saw the male Black Widow. I don't have a fear of spiders and will generally leave them alone outside, but I could not allow this type of spider to be that close to my house and where the kids would be.

Technorati Tags: Spiders, Black Widow, Brown Recluse, Arachnids

To swing or not to swing?

After moving to NC, we found out quickly that our children needed more of an outlet to burn off energy than just a big backyard. So after much consideration we decided to get them a swingset. We went to Creative Playthings to get a nice wooden swing set that they could enjoy. Since they already had a treehouse, they did not need the fort that comes with most of them. Here is what the yard looked like before.
It took a couple of hours for them to set up the swing set but the yard was quickly transformed. We got the rubber chips for under the swingset so that they have a nice soft place to land when they fall off the swings. Here is what is looked like after they were done.
The wonderful thing about having a swingset in the backyard is that they finally have the motivation to learn how to swing on their own.

See more pictures here

Technorati Tags: Backyards, Swingsets, Creative Playthings, swings

Paper or Digital

I was reading a posting on It looks obvious which talks about how Jeff Jarvis feels that print is where words go to die. I agree with Rogel that this is not correct. I think that you cannot come up with a statement like that without understanding that there are some things that do not change over the course of time and some things that should not be changed. I would guess that this person hasn't picked a good book to read in a long time. When I read this post I had flashbacks to high school and a book that I read for my English class, Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. I think that Jeff should read this book and it might change his opinion about the printed word and its significance for today. It was written over 50 years ago but has more relevance for today than it did then. And don't tell my 7 year old son that print is dead because he reads books every day and it is definitely alive to him. How can you read a bedtime story to a 2 year old in bed if there is no print?

Technorati Tags: Books, technology, media, paper

Gas, gas everywhere as long as you pay more than $3

It is interesting that after moving to North Carolina 2 months ago, our total expenses for gas for the month is about the same as it was in New York even though we do less driving. It costs us about $45 to fill up our tank. Gas prices are getting rediculous and it seems that noone is wiling to actually do anything about it. There is an article on the CNN website "Your solutions: Easing pain at the pump" that was entertaining if nothing else. They asked people to email their ideas about solving the gas problems.
I like what one person suggested:

How about tax breaks for carmakers who produce fuel-efficient and/or alternative fuel cars, and for the consumers who purchase and register them?

I don't think that anyone is doing enough to try and get people to switch to hybrid or alternative-fuel cars. They are still very expensive and not readily available. Car makers have no incentive to switch because they are more expensive and lets face it, most people can hardly afford waht they have. Worse that just that is that I haven't seen any mini-vans yet with the hybrid option. For me, I need the van because of my 4 children. It is going to take a larger effort to make the shift away from gas. Remember that the oil companies have big reasons not to have cars switch to alternative fuels.

Technorati Tags: Gasoline, Cars, Alternative fuels, Oil

Legacy of Barry Bonds

First, let me say that I am not a fan of Barry Bonds. I think that his personality forces you to like him or not. He makes no apologizes for his attitude. That is one of the reasons why I don't want him to capture one of the most hallowed records in baseball, the most career home runs. Everyone cheered Cal Ripkin when he passed Lou Gehrig's records of consecutive games played because of his character and his attitude when it came to the game of baseball. The difference between these 2 men is like night and day. I have not even discussed the issue of whether Barry was using steroids or not. In my opinion, he would still have most of the home runs that he hit either way. But if Barry was doing steroids, I think that its affect would be more for his longevity in playing the game which would help him in giving him more years to total up the home runs. I doubt that the answer will ever truly come out. Steroids cannot make you swing the bat better, it may help you to hit the ball farther but it cannot improve you mechanics which I concede that Barry has. But if you see the way that he is playing today, you start to wonder that if he was on steroids and now is not, it would provide a rational explanation for his current condition. His legacy as it stands is going to be that there will be a asterisk in people's minds next to his name when they look at the list of home run hitters.

Technorati Tags: Baseball, Barry Bonds, Steroids, Home Runs

In full bloom

I decided that Saturday morning was a good time to snap some pictures of the landscaping around our house. I dropped mom off to the airport early in the morning and after getting a little more sleep, got up and took the dogs for a walk. The rain had not come yet so everything looked calm and the flowers were opening up. We have a wide assortment of flowers. But there are a lot of Iris's around the yard. I took a few shots of the front and back to give a little idea of the landscaping.

By the street we have a patch of Morning Glories and a few Irises. Closer to the front porch we have all kinds of plants and flowers including Lamb's Ear, Mint, and Hanging roses.
On the other side of the driveway are some rose bushes with several different colors. So far I see red, yellow and orange roses. I will know the rest soon.
In the back by the pond are more Irises of a least 2 varieties. I have to admit that while I am not good with identifying the different flowers and plants, I appreciate the look and design of the yard with what is planted. Maybe with time I will be able to do a better job of identification. Right now I trust in others with more experience. I hope that I can continue to take care of the landscape as good as the previous owners. Click here to see more pictures.

Technorati Tags: Family, Flowers, Landscaping, Iris, Morning Glories, Roses

Field trip to the stars

On Monday, my children were off from school. So we took a little field trip of our own and went to the Morehead Planetarium and Science Center on the campus of UNC.
We had heard about a show that they had going on that we knew would be perfect for the kids. Evan, who is 7 years old, is really into reading the Magic Tree House books by Mary Pope Osborne. The Planetarium has a show going on for the new book "Magic Tree House Space Mission" so it mixed 2 of his passions, the Magic Tree House books and space. Simon, who is 6, is also totally into space and has the advantage of having his old brother read the books to him. The books have 2 main characters, Jack and Annie, and a tree house that magically appears and takes them to different places to find answers to questions that they have been given. I have to say that I enjoyed it almost as much as my children. They were talking about it the whole ride home. This is something that I would recommend for anyone to see.

Technorati Tags: Family, Morehead Planetarium, Mary Pope Osborne, Magic Tree House

What's in a name?

Rogel writes in his blogabout the importance of naming his child.

Growing up I began to understand that there is, in this family legend, more than just an old mans desire to demonstrate illustrious lineage. This legend was intended to teach me about the history of my family, about the importance of naming and remembering past generations.

The name that you choose for your child can mean different things for each culture. For my own family in Norway the name you chose would affect the last name for the next generation. If your name was Hans Olsen and you named your son Olaf, your son's name would send up being Olaf Hansen meaning "Son of Hans". The first name would be used in the last name of the next generation. I think that the importance of names in regards to your heritage is being lost for some people in this generation. A name should be something that defines you. And it is great if you pick a name that has ties to your family history. For my children, we did not choose names necessarily from the ancestors but chose names with a particular meaning. After having 2 miscarriages, my daughter Celeste was born. Her name means "From the heavens" and to us she truly is a blessing from the heavens.
I think that a name should help tell something about you whether it is something about your ancestry or what you parents see in you.

Technorati Tags: Family, Baby Naming, Ancestors

The reason to move

Rogel in his blog brings up an interesting point that may only scratch the surface of the reasons we left New York but shows the growing trend that is immediately noticed when arriving here in North Carolina. The main reason for leaving New York was not taxes but did become one of the many contibuting factors in our decision. The truth to the graph which shows where people are migrating to is definitely true as far as the type of people moving into North Carolina. On my block, most of the people are transplants from the Tri-state area (New York, New Jersey and Connecticut). Some of the main reasons that we left were the cost of living, overcrowding, schools and wanting a different pace of life. Staten Island is especially bad as far as the population. It is becoming more crowded by the day and the whole look of the island is changing in a bad way. I would advise that lower taxes should not be the only reason to move. Moving is a very stressful thing to do to yourself so you should be very clear and sure of your reasons for doing so.

Technorati Tags: Moving, Cost of Living, Taxes

It is all about RESPECT

I love North Carolina. One of the big differences between North Carolina and New York is how the people treat each other. The first day in our new house, we had neighbors coming over to say hello and welcome us to the neighborhood. As I took the dogs for a walk people driving by would wave that I had never seen before. In New York, the only thing that a complete stranger would wave at you is the middle finger! The businesses here also treat you very differently. We bought a mattress from a store in town and the owner brought it by the next night on his own and since we did not have a bed frame yet, he brought us a metal frame to use until ours came in. The car dealerships have an are set up for kids with games and a TV so that the adults can look at the cars and talk with the salesperson without being interrupted. My bank actually called today to see how everything was and if I had any problems or questions about my account. Now that is service! It is so nice to have people treat you with respect instead of just a piece of meat with a wallet. It really is all about respect. When you respect others, you treat them differently than you would if you did not respect them at all.

Technorati Tags: North Carolina, Respect

We're not in New York anymore Todo!

We moved down to North Carolina on February 28th. Early in the morning we packed everyone and everything into our Honda Odyssey with the U-haul on the back and started down the road. 2 Adults, 3 kids, 1 4 week old infant, 2 dogs and 500 miles to go. What were we thinking? It took us around 13 hours to reach Raliegh, with stops for food, gas and the bathroom. But we made it. After closing on the house, we pulled up to our house in Wake Forest for the first time as owners. It was exciting and the kids loved the treehouse in the back. Our joy was tempered by the bad news that there were troubles with the moving truck and it would be a few days before we would get our things. What a headache! The kids slept in sleeping bags on the floor and we slept on air mattresses. We ate off of paper plates and had to buy ice to put in a cooler so that we could have a few food items in the house since the refridgerators were on the moving truck. The truck finally came on Friday and then the real fun began. Boxes, boxes everywhere and you can never find what you are looking for. I will post before and after pictures of the rooms as we paint and set everything up in the house. For now we are settling down and have foudna church that we like. It is Hope Lutheran Church in Wake Forest. It is bigger that what we are used to but the people are very friendly and nice and have welcomed us with open arms.

Technorati Tags: Moving, Hope Lutheran Church, Wake Forest

Stupid in America

I watched 20/20's report Stupid in America last night. I was not suprized by what I heard. The public school system is failing our kids. There are many parts to this that I agree and disagree with the report. Yes, monopolies do not work because most have no reason to do better because there is no real competition. You can either go to the school assigned to you, pay to go to a private school, or hope to get your child accepted into a charter school. Monopolies kill off innovation which is in part why children going to private or charter schools are doing better. The problem stretches far beyond the school system itself because the public school's hands are tied by the Teachers Union TEA which does not allow accountability on the part of teachers. It is almost impossible to punish teachers that do things that would make your heart stop. Private schools do not have that problem so the caliber of teachers is much higher and the innovation of teaching is much higher. The issue of money is because monopolies are so ineffective that they eat up money. Everything costs more because they have no need to be more efficient. Private schools can't afford to waste money like that. That is why they spend so much less on each child than the public schools and do better with what they have.
I agree up to this point with the report. Here is where I think the report is lacking. Generally students sent to private and charter schools have parents that take a bigger interest in their children's education and tend to work with their children on their schoolwork/homework. I am not saying all but more are involved. This is also why some children do just fine in public school because their parents are taking the responsibility of making sure their child is learning. If a child is in high school and still cannot read above a 4th grade level, then the parent failed the child as much as the school did. Ultimately it is the responsibility of the parents to make sure their child is learning.

Technorati Tags: Stupid in America, ABC News, Public School, Private School, Charter School, Teachers Union

2 Sunday Services follow-up

Well, we had a congregational meeting and it was an overwhelming decision to go ahead with 2 services on Sunday. The meeting was held directly after our Sunday morning service. The really ironic part to this is the fact that the attendance at the service was 194. There were people standing in the back of the church! So now we will have 2 Sunday Services starting at the beginning of February. The times will be 9:30am and 11am. Anyone is welcome to come. We have Sunday school for the children that starts at 9:30am and an Adult Bible study at 11am. Bethany Lutheran Brethren Church is located at 233 Westcott Blvd, Staten Island, NY.

Technorati Tags: Lutheran, Church, Sunday Services, Bethany Lutheran Brethren

Take that Pat Robertson

I am glad to see someone giving it to Pat Robertson. After his callous remarks, Israel has cut off communication with him and those associated with him. It will be interesting to see who his true friends are after the fallout from this. In the meantime, it did not take long for Robertson to change his tune, especially when it hits his wallet. This is how you find out what the person is really all about. How can anyone take Pat Robertson seriously when one minute he makes these bold statements that he says with conviction and then the next minute is backpedaling because he will lose a lot of money? Pat, it is time for you to go away. No one wants to hear what you have to say because you will not stand for what you believe. Or maybe you don't actually believe anything you say...

Technorati Tags: Pat Robertson, Ariel Sharon, Politics

Pat Robertson at it again

I am a conservative Christian and I hold to conservative values. In my opinion, Pat Robertson should not be called either and I would not give him the time of day if he asked for it. It is embarrasing to hear his comments about Prime Minster Ariel Sharon. Robertson is quoted as saying on his television show:

God considers this land to be his. You read the Bible and he says `This is my land,' and for any prime minister of Israel who decides he is going to carve it up and give it away, God says, `No, this is mine.

Where is he coming up with this stuff? If you read the Bible, God gave that land to the people of Israel. I am glad that the President is condemning this kind of irrational and totally offensive remarks. What I now hope is that people start to realize how messed up Robertson is and I think it is time to tell Robertson that the Republican party wants nothing to do with him. I expected the reaction that you are hearing from those that do not like Israel. I do not expect that from decent human beings.
Personally I pray for Sharon's recovery. I pray that the people of Israel will remain strong and confident during this time.

Technorati Tags: Pat Robertson, 700 Club, Ariel Sharon, Politics

New Years Resolutions

I have to say that I never took a New Years resolution seriously in my life. The problem that I have with them is that there is not that will continue to motivate you to stick to whatever you decided to give up or change. Deciding to lose weight this year as a New Years resolution may start out OK just like anything else that you decide to try and change at any time in your life. You may even start to notice a difference in the beginning but eventually the novelty that started you on this path will wear off and you will go back to what you were doing before. I read an article that really captured what I think is the problem with these resolutions.

The reasons he says are simple...
1. Most people actually expect not to keep a resolution
2. Most don't know how to truly set goals or don't believe it matters

It can be fun to think up resolutions with your friends but if it is seriously something that you want to change then make a plan and skip the resolution.

Technorati Tags: New Years Resolutions, Resolutions, New Years

The State of Health Care

Over the New Year weekend my wife had to go into the hospital. She is in her last month of pregnancy and when she was at the doctor's office, she blacked out for a minute. The doctor sent her to the hospital to have her checked out. This was fine. They did every type of test known to man (EKG, CAT scan, X-rays, blood work,....) and the result was that they could not find anything wrong. I still do not have a problem with this. However, the next morning when my wife was visited by her doctor, the doctor said that she was going to see about getting her released. However, the specialist needed to OK the release. It took 5 hours to get the OK. This I have a problem with. You want to know why health care costs keep going up. At 9am my wife should have left the hospital and it would only have cost 1 day in the hospital. But since she was release after 11am, it counted as another day. This is what is driving health care costs up. They clear a bed by 2pm and now can bring someone else in and charge them for the day.

Technorati Tags: Health Care, Hospitals