BREAKING POINT

Coloured Vatican

2011-12-09T10:36:00.001-06:00

I had a great time in Italy with my wife. I hope we can go back again sometime soon. This was taken near the top of the Vatican and then coloured by me.

I feel out of place

2011-12-09T10:33:00.001-06:00

Somedays it seems like I just don't fit in. I'm not saying that today is one of those days, but there are those days where it's like I'm from somewhere completely foreign to here.

Movember

2011-11-26T10:01:00.001-06:00

Saw this design on a shirt yesterday and thought it was a great way to promote Movember's cause.

Yes I am

2010-02-18T12:11:00.000-06:00

A model of productivity.

At least in my mind. Never mind what you all think. I am getting things done.

Sort of.

First of all I am waiting for my local radio station to play Informer by Snow. That song and artist was a topic in one of the games played with a youth group that I help out with and I want to hear it today and hope that it is played on the radio that is usually on at my wife's work.

I have got some things done. Washed a load of laundry. Dried that same load. Washed one more load with another in the wings and then dry both.

Lots of accounting paperwork to be done. I really want it done. No reason not to. In fact it would probably help sway decisions about where to go on vacation, perhaps.

I've got a washroom that I want to tackle too. But that will probably have to wait.

And now I am hungry.

Snowman at Eight Feet

2009-12-30T10:09:00.002-06:00

We had just the best day and the best time building this gimormous snowman. He is about eight feet tall and all five of us got outside to build him. Filling buckets of snow, scooping the snow, shaping the man, using a ladder to finish him up. Fun, fun, fun,

Christmas 2009

2009-12-30T10:04:00.002-06:00

This is one of many of our Christmas photos. It takes a lot to get the right shot. Expressions, headwaving, lighting, batteries and all. But it is worth it to see a nice shot of all of us.

Houses and Buildings. The entry.

2009-08-29T18:24:00.001-05:00

Darn it. I missed the entry deadline. I had it in my head that it was the 31st, not the 25th.
Next time.
I have the next catagory: In my neighborhood.
Time to brainstorm.

House & Buildings

2009-08-10T08:47:00.003-05:00

That is the subject that I have to interpret and photgraph by the 25th of August. I should be able to do that. I have always wanted to use my photography and try to enter some contests to try and win a prize but never actually got around to doing it. No more. I will enter this one and after the entry I will post my submission and any feedback (if any) about the shot selected and I will try to, at the very least, link to the winner of the contest or post it here.

Good luck to me. And to you if you choose to enter (Canadian entrys only).

Each month, Photo Life Newsletter subscribers have the opportunity to win terrific prizes by entering our on-line photo contest. It's easy and it's free! Just check the themes and follow the instructions to send your winning shots.
August 2009 edition:Theme: Houses and Buildings
Deadline: August 25, 2009
Prize: Fujifilm FinePix F200 EXR digital compact camera (approx. retail value: $399)
Instructions: Submit a maximum of 3 images per theme (JPEG format only; image width from 400 to 2000 pixels; files must not exceed 1 MB). Indicate the name of the theme in the 'subject line'. Indicate your name, mailing address, and telephone number in the e-mail. Indicate the title of the image as the name of the file.

The contest is also sponsored by www.fugifilm.ca

Live for Now

2009-08-04T09:51:00.002-05:00

Live for the now.

As in take this moment and make it yours. Do what you need to get it done. Have something that you have been putting off? No longer. Get it done.

A guy, that frequents the same Starbucks as I do, said the same -to that effect.

It's not a new concept. Not really a rehash of an old one either. Just a matter of fact statement of what his view in life is right now. From what I know about him, according to him, he has never held a job (working for someone else). He recently took up a job, at his doctor's request, as a commisionaire. For health reasons.

Camp Memories 2009

2009-07-16T12:47:00.004-05:00

The three on the river.

Boat ride with friends

On our stoop beside the camp.

that Magic feeling

2009-06-19T09:43:00.000-05:00

Sharing Compassion 2009

2009-06-01T09:54:00.001-05:00

my barista has a first name

2009-05-22T09:53:00.000-05:00

Pizza, Lobsters, and Shopping

2009-04-17T22:32:00.002-05:00

i am sitting here waiting for my wife's nap to get over so we can go shop at walmart and ron jons and maybe flirt.

Pizza

we had dominos for supper. I haven't had their pizzah in an age. I think last year in Boston. They have a deal that get you three Medium one toppers pizzah for $5 each. We took it and it was great. Ordered the boxes online. It's the first time that i have ordered food online and it was cool. I could see the options and coupons and what i was ordering. the food was ready in ten minutes. they called to see if we were on our way.

Lobsters

As I am waiting i look over at the three kids. One is sleeping. Two are watching Spongebob. All three look so, so red in the face. Very lobsterish. It is partially amuzing, but i sympathize with what pain they might be feeling. I have a burn too. Arrggh. We get covered with 60spf sunscreen, but still the sun fought through

Dream Icon
The wife is awesome. she gets the oddest tan lines. uses tons of sunscreen or none at all depending on the minute. Right now she has some lobster color too and it is of great appeal to me. When I visualize the 'perfect tan lines', she has them right now. Great appeal. I won't have to dream for a few weeks now!

The Shopping
We are supposed to get to Walmart tonight. I don't know that we will. We also have plans to go to Ron Jons. And I am trying to squeeze in a stop at either Beach Wave and/or Flirt. Trying to get wife to get a new swimsuit. It isn't working so well. She likes the idea of one, but doesn't like the prices having been spoiled by Value Village/Savers pricing and knowing that she has three suits now. I'd like to have her get a new one. One that fits and flatters the great body that she has. I've threaded some of the ideas of styles being considered on other threads. So we will see. We leave tomorrow and the next time a beach will be nearby could be months away.

Months away.

Months away.

Months away.

Months away.

the beginning of the end

2009-04-17T18:06:00.002-05:00

The EndWe are nearing the end of our vacation. it has been a great time. a few sunburns. a little tired. but no worse for wear. weather people were saying that today was about 75F, but it felt like a lot more in the sun minus the breeze. we spent yesterday and today at the pool doing very little beyond laying there or swimming. Today we went to the Atlantic Ocean to see what was going on there. A lot of people were doing the same thing. Nice beach. Crashing waves knocking kids over left and right. some guy build a sand hand sculpture on the beach. Kite flying. surfing. wind supported kite surfing. Pelicans. Seagulls. Sand. More sand. Except for the cool breeze it was a nice spot. The water was warm enough. And salty. The kids had fun running from the blanket to the water. From the water to the blanket. Back again. Chasing waves chasing kids chasing waves.

Marco Polo.

At the pool in the afternoon we had about eight or so kids playing Marco Polo. Some know how to play. Some don't. Some adults chime in from the poolside shouting out Polo in chorus with the kids in the pool. Some adults scold the other adults for playing Marco Polo. Good times.

Denny's or Lenny'sIn college, I had friends who made up a counter restaurant to Denny's called Lenny's. So every time a conversation is had about Denny's I automatically think about Lenny's, sometimes out loud even, like yesterday. We had supper at the nearby Denny's. It was our second attempt as a family at Denny's. I had eaten there before by myself with good success. Our first family outing to Denny's wasn't the most ideal experience. I had a good enough time but it brought enough hesitation to us eating there again. It was a good time. The food was good. The kids were content enough to eat all they could. I actually really enjoy my fahita steak wrap meal. The kicker was the $42 price tag. That's about $75 or $93 dollars Canadian for those of you doing exchange rate things. A bit unexpected from Denny's, even with five people. No desert tonight. The lady serving us was entertaining. The impression was that she was just starting out working there.

The BeginningSometime tomorrow we begin the long trek home. Don't know when we will leave exactly. Just know that the road will be long. the drive will be long. Hoping that the snow will be gone. We have one stop in Boston. But the getting there will be the fun part. No need for Pedros on the way back with us having stopped there on the way down. Happy trails.

Fill it out. A letter to whoever.

2009-04-16T23:04:00.001-05:00

Fill it out;

Dear____,
I______ you.
You have a nice ______.
You make me _______.
You should _______.
Someday I will ______.
You + me = ________.
If I saw you now I'd __________.
I want to ________ you.
I would build a _______ just for you.
If I could sing you any song it would be _________.
We could __________ under the stars.
Sincerely,
_______________
(P.S. ______________.)

Why do we have sex?

2009-04-16T22:27:00.003-05:00

Top 50 reasons MEN have sex:
1. I was attracted to the person.

2. It feels good.

3. I wanted to experience the physical pleasure.

4. It’s fun.

5. I wanted to show my affection to the person.

6. I was sexually aroused and wanted the release.

7. I was "horny."

8. I wanted to express my love for the person.

9. I wanted to achieve an orgasm.

10. I wanted to please my partner.

11. The person’s physical appearance turned me on.

12. I wanted the pure pleasure.

13. I was "in the heat of the moment."

14. I desired emotional closeness (i.e., intimacy).

15. It’s exciting, adventurous.

16. The person had a desirable body.

17. I realized I was in love.

18. The person had an attractive face.

19. The person really desired me.

20. I wanted the adventure/excitement.

21. I wanted to feel connected to the person.

22. I wanted the experience.

23. It was a romantic setting.

24. The person caressed me.

25. The person made me feel sexy.

26. It seemed like the natural next step in my relationship.

27. I wanted to increase the emotional bond by having sex

28. I wanted to keep my partner satisfied.

29. The opportunity presented itself.

30. It just happened.

31. I wanted to intensify my relationship.

32. I wanted to try out new sexual techniques or positions.

33. My hormones were out of control.

34. The person was too "hot" (sexy) to resist.

35. I was curious about my sexual abilities.

36. I wanted to improve my sexual skills.

37. I wanted to become one with another person.

38. I saw the person naked and could not resist.

39. The person was a good kisser.

40. I wanted to feel loved.

41. I wanted to celebrate a birthday or anniversary or special occasion.

42. The person was too physically attractive to resist.

43. It was a special occasion.

44. I hadn’t had sex for a while.

45. The person had beautiful eyes.

46. I wanted to communicate at a "deeper" level.

47. I wanted to experiment with new experiences.

48. The person was intelligent.

49. I wanted to keep my partner happy.

50. I was curious about what the person was like in bed.

And now for the women:

Top 50 reasons WOMEN have sex:
1. I was attracted to the person.

2. I wanted to experience the physical pleasure.

3. It feels good.

4. I wanted to show my affection to the person.

5. I wanted to express my love for the person.

6. I was sexually aroused and wanted the release.

7. I was "horny."

8. It’s fun.

9. I realized I was in love.

10. I was "in the heat of the moment."

11. I wanted to please my partner.

12. I desired emotional closeness (i.e., intimacy).

13. I wanted the pure pleasure.

14. I wanted to achieve an orgasm.

15. It’s exciting, adventurous.

16. I wanted to feel connected to the person.

17. The person’s physical appearance turned me on.

18. It was a romantic setting.

19. The person really desired me.

20. The person made me feel sexy.

21. The person caressed me.

22. It seemed like the natural next step in my relationship.

23. I wanted to become one with another person.

24. It just happened.

25. I wanted to increase the emotional bond by having sex.

26. I wanted the experience.

27. I wanted the adventure/excitement.

28. The person had an attractive face.

29. The person was a good kisser.

30. I wanted to intensify my relationship.

31. My hormones were out of control.

32. I wanted to try out new sexual techniques or positions.

33. I wanted to feel loved.

34. The person had a desirable body.

35. I wanted to celebrate a birthday or anniversary or special occasion.

36. I wanted to communicate at a "deeper" level.

37. I was curious about sex.

38. It was a special occasion.

39. The person was intelligent.

40. I wanted to say "I’ve missed you."

41. I wanted to keep my partner satisfied.

42. I got "carried away."

43. The opportunity presented itself.

44. The person had a great sense of humor.

45. I wanted to improve my sexual skills.

46. I was curious about my sexual abilities.

47. The person seemed self-confident.

48. I wanted to make up after a fight.

49. I was drunk.

50. I was turned on by the sexual conversation.

Your Turn:
Why do you have sex? Is it for one of the reasons above? Or some better reason? That can even include self pleasure.

Another Pot A Brewing

2009-03-16T10:54:00.000-05:00

It is true. I drink too much coffee. I have had seven cups worth today. I don't even like coffee. The real reason is because my wife likes coffee and I want to relate with her. So learning to drink coffee is my starting point in that traffic jam of relationship building.

something I stumbled across:

Caffeine Consumption

Here are the top five "caffeinated" cities in the U.S., according to a recent poll by HealthSaver. The study measured caffeine intake in coffee, tea, soda, energy drinks, chocolate, and caffeine pills.

1. Tampa
2. Seattle (#1 in coffee consumption)
3. Chicago
4. New York (#5 in soft drink consumption)
5. Los Angeles

hic-cup

2009-03-13T10:32:00.001-05:00

Nothing ruins my appetite quite like hiccups. I hate them awefull. I can't enjoy my food when I have them. The poorly timed hiccup when I am, mouth opened, taking a bite of some food combined with the irritating intake of air and food with the sound of the hiccup. Gives me a slight headache too.

Mind over matter. Still can't win. No solutions required. Thanks.

Got the hiccups during tonights supper and have spent the last 20 minutes trying to get rid of them before finishing the meal off, which was delicious! Lime chicken wings. Yum.

P90X a la carte, bags of oats and a certain deja vue

2009-03-09T10:54:00.000-05:00

The Deja Vu

My daughter (4) loves to watch videos. And this morning it feels like deja vu. It feels like I've posted this post before, while she is watching a spiderman video about the green goblin and my disco profile picture and web surfing feeling. I know that I haven't done it like this before, but it feels so real as a repeat kind of event!

P90X a la carte

Last night was a lot of fun. The wife and I did a 45 minute P90X workout without Tony Horton. It was a best of P90X kind of thing, where we included our favorite exercises (hers were Kempo'd, not my favorite!) and included our Tony sayings. "Ain't nobody gonna lift more than me!" It was hard to keep the focus, I like the video layout to see how to do it. But it was worth it to see QM's running man plyo routine!

Bags of Oats.

What are you working on today? That's the question I ask my dad-in-law when he comes over to our house. It's really code for, "what help can I give you with what project?". So today's project was loading about 20 bags of 25kg oats and about 10 bags of 40kg oats on his truck to take to a feed store. Ugh, like I want to do arms and back this morning! It helps him out though, which I don't mind. He does a lot to help us out, just wish that every time he came over wasn't attached to a request to get something done!

The Zombie

My wife finally woke up! It's 1PM and she slept for hours. Now she is looking for brains. Won't find any here!

it spreads so nicely!

2009-03-08T10:58:00.000-05:00

I love Nutella. The hazelnut spread is a-ma-za-zing. We went on a trip to Italy last summer and were introduced to the taste every breakfast. They had these mini servings that we would spread on our breads. To die for. Thank goodness they have it here at home. We go through a bottle (I should say that I go through a bottle) about every three weeks or so.

I might have enjoyed my PB sandwiches more if I had tasted this when I was growing up!

Enough Cabin Fever To Go Around

2009-02-21T10:57:00.000-06:00

My Apologies.

It has been nearly two and an half years since my wife has seen the light of day in town by herself, with me at home. Call it what ever you want. I am sorry that it has taken this long, but it is what it was. If you knew then you know. I think she enjoyed the outing. It won't be two years before it happens again.

No. There aren't chains and locks involved or any other bondage related stuff going on. Not yet anyway.

Cryptically,

kingMEdia

I am the whipping boy

2009-02-14T11:00:00.000-06:00

How I see Valentine

I wish I were getting spanked the erotic sense of the word, but not a chance. Nope. Instead I am here while my wife works. She went in to work an hour early and said that she may stay a couple of hours later past her shift time (it ends at midnight). Valentines Day ~~sucks~~ is great. No card from her. No card from me. Just a 'I'm off to work, happy valentines day' lean over and kiss me on the head kind of thing. Not much different than last night (two hours on the computer then falls asleep on the couch) or the past however many months days. I don't enjoy posting here anymore... to much negative about me being spread about. I am just tired of it all. You are supposed to be supportive and all that. Right. jUst keEp on blaming it all on me. I am the bad guy. Still.

In my other inbox

I have 2186 unread emails. All from people who care less about me and are just looking for ways into my wallet. It takes a lot of time to filter through them and I probably could just delete them all... except for the ones from puretracks (i like the FTOW)

For your brain

Find the synonymous word for each word in the following
pair. For each pair, the words you find should rhyme with
each other, the first word being an adjective and the
second a noun. Some of these are easy, others are more
challenging. Good luck!

For example: angry father = mad dad

sneaky insect
humorous rabbit
happy boy
muscular tune
close fright

Final thought

The radio said on Friday that a study shows that a large number of people have headaches on Valentines Day. I think that they might be on to something there. I have a huge migraine right now. I think it ~~is great~~ sucks.

B.J. - The Final

2008-11-02T10:09:00.000-06:00

Barak vs. John.
The final is almost here. If you don't mind click over to squidoo.com/exitpoll and take the quick poll about if you are going to vote. And another quick poll about who you plan to vote for. After the election the page will be updated with a poll about if you did vote and who actually got your vote. Thanks. Your vote counts.

What I Want for Halloween

2008-10-31T15:10:00.003-05:00

What do I want for halloween? I want some candy corn. I want to come and find my wife in one of these costumes or something similar!

Not so sure about these two though... yes to one and not so much to the other!

Fight For The Finish

2008-08-30T12:03:00.001-05:00

Feels So... Good For My Health?

2008-08-23T20:33:00.004-05:00

According to an article in the September 2008 issue(p.169) of Men's Health, masturbation is good for your health.

A 2004 study in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that men who ejaculated 21 or more times a month were 33 percent less likely to develop prostate cancer. It appears that regularly evacuating your system may keep cancer-causing chemicals from building up in your prostrate.

Yet another reason for the cause. I'm just not so sure that evacuating your system so much would really lead to a reduction in prostrate cancer. What are the other factors involved with this study? Maybe these low risk guys eat a certain type of meal, work out at the gym, work as stockbrokers. Guess I know what needs to be done for better health. I love how it feels but I just don't have the time to fit in that many sessions. Really though, there are too many other things that need to get done for me to spend as much time as I would have to allow for this type of therapy. But, in the name of good health, I can (or will?) commit to this project.

So how do you squeeze all the time in needed to get over 21+ sessions?

Vitamin Use Linked To Weight Loss

2008-08-23T20:15:00.001-05:00

This is an article taken from the summer 2008 issue of the Health Journal:

Regular multivitamin use may reduce appetite in women aiming to lose weight, and is linked with lower body weight and fat mass in men, according to findings from Laval University, Quebec.

The study published in the British Journal of Nutrition, indicates that food restrictions, the basis of many diets, also reduces the body's intake of essential nutrients, which can affect hunger. This could be because some vitamins and minerals are involved in the synthesis of various hormones and signalling pathways in the brain that control food intake, suggest the researchers.

Vitamins. Are they good for you or just a waste of money and time? I have a hard time to consistently take my vitamins. I figure though it is worth it to take them for me. For the most part I use just a daily multi. My meals are very randomly placed through the day and not always the best of quality (I like the junk food).

The kids take the Bugs Bunny multi-s on an irregular basis... pretty much for the same reason. Just to top it up.

What's your take on multivitamins? Do you take them? Notice a difference? Take them regularly? Think they are a waste of time? Weigh in...

How much is too much?

2008-08-07T11:00:00.003-05:00

How much is too much? Is there a reasonable limit to what one should pay for water?

How to lose 80lbs in six months

2008-08-07T10:37:00.000-05:00

Now I've watched the movie 'Supersize Me' and seen the benefit of eating McD's over a period of time. Quite a sight. It didn't stop me from eating there, although it did help create awareness of making the right choices in what I pick to eat.

I just finished reading an article in our regional newspaper from about two months ago which is why I am on this topic. It was from the Associated Press about a man in Quinton, Va. The headline is "Man sheds 80 pounds over six months by eating at McDonald's". Here is the rest of the article.

A Virginia man lost about 80 pounds in six months by eating nearly every meal at McDonald's.

Not Bic Macs, french fries and chocolate shakes, but salads, wraps and apple dippers without the caramel sauce.

Chris Coleson tipped the scales at 278 pounds in December. The 5-foot-8 Coleson now weighs 198 pounds and his waist size has dropped from 50 to 36. The 42-year-old businessman form Quinton says he chose McDonald's because it's convenient.

So, we may have a new Jared. I think that it is great that he has lost 80lbs and just as great that he used McD's to get it done. It comes back to one thing. Making the right choices. Actually, it might be two things. It also takes the action to do the right thing. You can make the right choices, but you still need to follow through on it.

Spread It Thick

2008-07-19T22:09:00.002-05:00

The first Ferrero hazelnut and cocoa spread was created in the 1940s by a pastry maker called Pietro Ferrero (founder of the Ferrero company) in Piedmont, Italy. The product was known as "pasta gianduja", ("pasta" which means paste and "gianduja" which is the name of a carnival character famous to the region; this character can be found in the first advertisements for the product) This original form of the product was actually made in loaves and wrapped in tinfoil, so it could be sliced and placed on bread for mothers to make sandwiches for their children. Many children would throw away the bread and only eat the pasta gianduja! So Mr. Ferrero altered the product into a paste that could be spread on bread and packaged it in a jar. This version came to be known as "Supercrema gianduja" and was eventually renamed NUTELLA^® in 1964.

We became victims to this brand while on vacation in Italy. It was everywhere and it was delicious. When we returned home from our trip, Nutella quickly made its way onto the shopping list and on our cupboards where it sits now, mostly empty!

103 questions raised

2008-07-19T18:05:00.004-05:00

One Hundred & Three Questions People Might Ask

001. Whens the last time you ran?
At our camp racing away from my oldest son!

002. Do your jeans have rips, tears, and holes in them?
Yes, one of my work pants has a hole right below the zipper.

03. What are you dreading right now?
counting things

004. Do you celebrate 4/20?
no.

006. Favorite ice cream?
Chocolate chip cookie dough

007. When was your last doctor's visit?
Almost two months ago.

008. Do you get the full 8 hours of sleep a night?
Hardly ever at all... and certainly not in a row.

010. Do you believe in 'True love at first sight'?
I think so... i put my all into one... relying that she does the same.

011. What do you think of global warming?
It is a real problem although it seems hard to realize what we can do to make the difference when so many people think that there is no problem at all.

012. If anyone came to your house on your "lazy days" what would they see?
They'd see more than they'd want to see... and not just talking about the mess...

014. Have you ever been on your school's track team?
I was the track team... so, um... yes. (200M in 24s: far from great, but my best fastest 200M)

015. Do you own a pair of Converse?
Not any more, although i did have a pair of origional weapons back in the day

017. Do you eat raw cookie dough?
Used to all the time, but now it just seems weird to go in the bakery and dip into the batter.

018. Have you ever kicked a vending machine
Yes... i don't think that it learned it's lesson.

019. Don't you hate when the radio ruins good songs by playing them over and over?
Sometimes, but then if the some is real good then it should sound good over and over again.

021. Do you watch Trading Spaces?
No, but it I have a book about the show.

022. How do you eat oreos?
I split them in half, peel off the white to eat, lick the rest off then eat the cookies one side at a time.

023. Do you ever stay online for a really long time waiting for someone?
I have... just for my wife and I am still waiting. But really, it's me waiting for her to get offline so I can get through to her!

024. Are you cocky?
Not so much.

030. Could you live without a computer?
Today- yes.

031. Do you wear your shoes in the house?
When I am ready to leave the house. The rest of the time it is preferred to be barefoot.

032. At what age did you find out Santa wasn't real?
He's real. What are you talking about!?

034. How many phones, house phones and cell phones are in your house?
That work? Eleven... and most of them don't work. Not bad considering my next door neighbor used to work for a phone company.

035. What do you do when you're sad?
Hold back the tears, draw in the walls, listen to the silence in my head, find some music.

036. Who would you call first if you won the lottery?
My wife...

037. Last time you saw your best friend?
At 6PM.

040. Who or what sleeps with you?
My best friend.

041. Are you/have you ever been in love?
I am.

043. How do you like your eggs?
Sunny side up with a slight yet firm run.

044. Are you in highschool?
No.

045. Is anyone on your bad side right now?
Yes.

046. What jewelry are you wearing?
The ring, and three necklaces.

047. What's the first thing you do when you get online?
Go to Caloriecount or Facebook.

049. Do you watch Grey's Anatomy?
Not any more. I never know when it is on and my TV reception isn't good due to where I live. I' really like to watch Lost.

050. How do most people spell your name?
Correctly.

051. Would you wear a boy/girlfriends clothes?
Yes. I am right now. Don't tell her!

056. What are you doing tomorrow?
Counting things at work.

057. Is Justin Timberlake becoming the next Michael Jackson?
Maybe musically, but he's a long way off from Neverland. MJ is in a catagory all of his own.

058. Favorite name for a girl?
I have a list... and some are in play.

059. Favorite name for a boy?
Same as #058.

060. Will you keep your last name when you get married?
Yes, and I did. Although I did change it before I got married.

061. Your favorite restaurant you don't get to eat much at?
Two places now... Crazy Pizza @ Risto and Barbeque Barn

062. When is the last time you left your house?
7:09AM, 18th July2008.

066. How do you like your steak?
Medium well. With a marker that says Medium well.

067. Do you return your cart?
It's about 50/50. I love to push it with force into the cart racks.

069. Do you have a dishwasher?
Yes. She is fabulous at it too!

070. What noise do you hear right now?
Bourne Ultimatum movie and my ceiling fan rotating with party streamers flapping.

071. Would you survive in prison?
I will survive!

072. Next concert you hope to go to?
Blue Men Group, Lenny Kravitz or Third Day.

073. What was the last thing you ate?
51g of Reese's Pieces with a Batman theme.

074. When was the last time you said I love you?
Around 8PM to my youngest son.

075. Who is the youngest in your family
Define 'your family'- Me, my brother or my daughter. All three are correct.

076. If all of your friends were going on a road trip, who would be most likely to go?
The Freakin Rican.

077. Do you know anyone with the same name as you?
Yes. Two others with my first and last name that I am aware of.

78. How many shoes do you own?
Too many. I used to sell footwear and would have more pairs if not limited by my wife. Smart wife.

080. When is the last time you ate peanut butter?
At 10:51pm today.

081. What brand is your cellphone?
Nokia

082. What's for dinner?
It was a yummy roast ham with pineapple and cherry filled glaze, side of cream potatoes and some carrots. I have a very good cook in the family.

083. What's the last thing you purchased?
Gas for the ride home.

084. Do your siblings ever pay for stuff for you?
No.

085. Where is your cell phone?
On the counter.

086. Is your phone on vibrate or ring?
Beeps once then vibrates.

087. What brand are your pants right now?
American Eagle.

088. Ever been to Georgia?
Yes.

089. Did you eat breakfast this morning?
Strawberries and a coffee-vanilla protein shake.

090. Do you like marshmallows?
Yes to flaming death quality.

091. What irritates you most on the internet?
How hard it can be to find some things and the unwanted ads and junk emails.

092. What brand is your digital camera?
Fuji.

093. Do you watch movies with your parents?
Not so much.

097. Do you own expensive perfume/cologne?
Yes.

101. Do you like sushi?
No. I don't like fish but would eat a non-fish related sushi item.

102. Do you get your hair cut every month?
Not quite. I try to keep it as it is a fleeting covering.

103. Do you go online everyday?
Just about everyday. 3-5 days of the week for 10-20 minutes.

That's a lot more about me than you might have expected to know or learn. I know that there are a couple of questions missing from the sequence (not for any reason in particular) so if you have a question you would like to see in there, then comment away.

My Top Three- Places You'd Go On A Missions Trip

2008-07-03T08:23:00.004-05:00

1). Ireland... never a question, my world's most wanted destination
2). Thailand
3). Ecuador... at the moment... but where God leads

2&3 are Compassion related.

My Top Three- Places To Order Fries

2008-06-06T08:23:00.000-05:00

1). Mr G's (Chicago) They come in a brown bag, salted and ketchup layered
2). McDonald's... kids love them, so do I
3). Wendy's ... `specially the well cooked ones and they square cut them.

updated:
there is this restaurant in Venice, Italy that has fresh cut fries that rock.

My Top Three- Charities

2008-06-05T08:23:00.000-05:00

1). Compassion Canada
2). Samaritan's Purse
3). Easter Seals

My Top Three- Birds

2008-06-04T08:23:00.001-05:00

1). Chickadees
2). American Goldfinches
3). Eagles... in flight

Howl Away

2008-06-03T08:23:00.000-05:00

"He who cannot howl will not find his pack"
-Charles Simic, poet

Sometimes it is hard to hear advice, especially if you are not ready for it. You can find yourself misinterpreting it or worse yet have no idea what is being shared. It is a real shame when you ignore advice from those closest to you (especially if they have a vested interest in your well-being). And harder still when you ignore their advice to go and ask for advice from people you don't know. Happens all the time. What is the benifit of 'being there' when that happens?

Any advice out there on that?
Really.

My Top Three- Cola Flavors

2008-05-30T11:23:00.000-05:00

1) Barq's Root Beer (it's got bite!)
2) red cream soda
3) Sprite

My Top Three- Pizza Toppings

2008-05-29T11:21:00.000-05:00

1) chicken
2) cheese
3) bacon squares

My Top Three- Cars (Vehicles really)

2008-05-28T11:03:00.001-05:00

1) 300
2) old Dodge Charger type
3) Hummer

Planes, Trains & Automobiles, and oh yeah, boats too!

2008-05-28T08:23:00.002-05:00

It shouldn't be hard to get to somewhere from where we are. Simple planning usually does the trick. What will get us there? Which way will we take? What route do we follow? What will be the cost?

So we have been planning a trip in Europe and figure it should be straight forward enough. Leave, go and come back. Right? I think planning a trip before there was internet might have been easier than now. Today we get to see each place, see what each company offers, and compare it with others or even against itself and collector sites (resellers) to find the best deals out there.

One choice between two places would be so much easier.

We know we need to fly. Simple. Really. With connector flights, multi-city options, one leg flights, cost-saver airlines, and buy now deals... it is just ridiculous. Not all the flight options are money savers. We had one roundtrip flight say that it would cost $10,800 for two. No thanks (Air Italia).

Welcome to Italy

2008-05-27T07:29:00.004-05:00

In less than three weeks we are off to Europe. This girl might greet us at one of the hotels that we stay in. If everyone is as pleasant looking as she is that we should have no trouble having a fabulous trip. I don't want to over hype the trip. Just enjoy it for what it is. The best part, by far, will be the company I will be with. Everything else is a bonus. Hope to see the Eiffel Tower, but it looks like we may not be able to get that way.

Measure Of This Man

2008-05-10T18:38:00.005-05:00

In a slow manner I've begun to read The Measure of a Man by Gene Getz. This book is not the book of his that I wanted to start reading (he has written a few) but it is the one I know I need to read first. I have the 17th printing (1964) edition with 218 pages to get through.

The challenge is this: the format. Each chapter is self contained with a personal project at the end to develop a particular quality and make it a part of my life. This will hopefully be a productive springboard in a continuing journey.

I progress.

The Return

2008-05-10T18:26:00.002-05:00

Tax time for most is a dreaded time of year. Scrounging up paperwork, records... figuring out the totals... did the one get carried... do I get a refund or do I owe. For me, I never like this time of year, not because of the fear of owing... (just the hassle of gathering all of the needed figures and records). Having a look back at a years worth of transactions can uncover a lot of truth and emotion. 2007 was a rough year overall and the transactions show it. Why I don't like this time of year is I can file away the figures but I cannot file away the emotions. I wish... I wish... I wish... someday,... maybe?

Travel

2008-05-08T15:10:00.002-05:00

airtransat.ca/
holidayhouse.ca/
transatholidays.com/
holidayescapes.ca/
globusjourneys.ca/
itravel2000.com

just a few links to explore when planning a trip to Europe.
agentlingo.ca
budgettravelonline.com
airfrance.ca
transatholidays.com
trafalgar.com
exotictours.com

as well...
aircanada.ca/
expedia.com/ (helps with connector opportunities)
ramada.com/
bestwestern.com/

smushed boobs

2008-04-12T13:29:00.000-05:00

I am just happy to be here.

i have never been a huge fan of Pamela Anderson. Baywatch... mmah. Her movies were just awright... My wife was looking on an entertainment site (i think it was for US magazine) and they had a feature showing pictures of what they thought were smushed boobs and included this picture of Pamela. She has had enhancements, then taken them out, then put them back in. Does that kind of action make sense? Is it for personal reasons or for her is it an opportunity to enhance her marketability? She does have large breasts and they do seem smushed in this picture but what is on her mind? I look at the expression in this picture and think that either her dress is too tight or the crown on her head is dug in a little too deep or maybe one change too many, if you know what i mean... The eyes say it all.

If I had to step it up

2008-03-15T20:52:00.000-05:00

It's a wierd question to have to take on, wierder still that I got this link from a youth pastor. Fun to know, I could take them.

Getting dumped

2008-03-01T16:18:00.000-06:00

Today it is going to snow. Do you know how much we are going to get? It starting to become a challenge to figure out exactly how much we are supposed to get. At this point of the year, any amount is too much.

I am listening to weather reports on the radio stations and they are all saying the same thing these days. I know that they all get their reports from Environment Canada and that the stations I am listening to are owned by the same company, but I am not interested in doing math to figure out exactly how much snow to expect.

They said today. Up to 2cm in the morning. 2 to 5cm in the afternoon with a winter storm advisory in the afternoon followed by 10 to 15cm overnight. Then another 2to 4cm the next morning.

So are we really expecting 16 to 26cm over the course of the day? Are they spreading the snow out over the day to give themselves something to talk about? Or would it be more sensational to talk about the Blizzard of `08! March is roaring in like a lion, but they are making it seem like it's a stuffed toy. Roar.

Am I too pretty?

2008-03-01T15:57:00.000-06:00

The below article is from a Tampa Bay newspaper report this week. Do you think they were too pretty or just victims of their own circumstances? How do you go about determining who is too pretty? What do you use to measure the level of prettiness? Do you have to stand beside a Richard Simmons cutout and pretty it out for boarding judges? Guess we'll have to drive if we want to get around the southwest!

Prejudice against pretty?

That's the claim from a pair of 18-year-old best friends from Oldsmar who were escorted off a Southwest Airlines plane.

USF student Nisreen Swedberg and friend Sarah Williams claim the flight crew was rude to them from the moment they stepped onto the plane at Tampa International Airport on February 14.

Swedberg said she asked a flight attendant for a bottle of water and was told she could wait until the rest of the flight was served.

“And I patiently waited and then when they came around with water, they skipped me,” Swedberg said.

At one point, Williams had to use the plane's bathroom. She saw another passenger in it, and when he hadn't come out 15 minutes later, she knocked on the door.

When he came out, Williams says the man came over to her seat and yelled a profanity at her. Williams admits she yelled a profanity back at him but was puzzled when she says the flight crew only questioned her.

“I think they were just discriminating against because we were young decent-looking girls. I mean, nobody else on the plane looked like us except us,” she said. “[The flight attendants] were like older ladies. We were younger. Who knows, they could have been just jealous of us because we were younger.”

Southwest defends the incident, saying the women caused a disruption on the flight.

When the plane landed in Los Angeles, the women were escorted off by four uniformed police officers and later questioned by the FBI.

Nearly two hours later, the women were released. No charges were filed.

Still, Williams and Swedberg say they were banned from all future Southwest Airlines flights, including their scheduled flight home to Tampa.

Swedberg spent $419.50 on a one-way return ticket and arrived at TIA on Monday. Williams is still in Los Angeles trying to find a cheaper flight home. She hopes to be back to Tampa by Saturday.

Wierd Words

2008-01-25T08:01:00.001-06:00

A reasonably common word which contains all five vowels, each used once, and in their correct alphabetical order. What is it?

blog block begone

2008-01-13T10:19:00.000-06:00

I have had a lot to say over the past year but no real strong desire to get the words out... over the last two days i have seen enough to reenforce that feeling... i see something bloggable, but just cannot get it together to put it into text... i don't know what that makes it, but it's not nice...

A Christmas Wish

2007-12-18T00:38:00.002-06:00

To All My Democrat Friends:Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit, my best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low-stress, non-addictive, gender-neutral celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasion and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all. I also wish you a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2008, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make America great. Not to imply that America is necessarily greater than any other country nor the only America in the Western Hemisphere . Also, this wish is made without regard to the race, creed, color, age, physical ability, religious faith or sexual preference of the wishee.

To My Republican Friends: Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Smarter than a first grader?

2007-12-18T00:38:00.001-06:00

A first grade school teacher in Virginia had 25 students in her class. She presented each child in her classroom the first half of a well known proverb and asked each to come up with the remainder of the proverb. It's hard to believe these were actually done by first graders. Their insight may surprise you. While reading, keep in mind that these are first graders, 6-year-olds, because the last one is a classic!

1. Don't change the horses... until they stop running.
2. Strike while the... bug is close.
3. It's always darkest before... Daylight Saving Time.
4. Never underestimate the power of... termites.
5. You can lead a horse to water but... how?
6. Don't bite the hand that... looks dirty.
7. No news is... impossible.
8. A miss is as good as a... Mr.
9. You can't teach an old dog new... math.
10. If you lie down with dogs, you'll... stink in the morning.
11. Love all, trust... me.
12. The pen is mightier than the... pigs.
13. An idle mind is... the best way to relax.
14. Where there's smoke there's... pollution.
15. Happy is the bride who... gets all the presents.
16. A penny saved is... not much.
17. Two's company, three's... the Musketeers.
18. Don't put off till tomorrow what... you put on to go to bed.
19. Laugh and the whole world laughs with you, cry and... you have to blow your nose.
20. There are none so blind as... Stevie Wonder.
21. Children should be seen and not... spanked or grounded.
22. If at first you don't succeed... get new batteries.
23. You get out of something only what you... see in the picture on the box.
24. When the blind lead the blind... get out of the way.

and the winner and last one!

25. Better late than... pregenant.

Christmas Countdown

2007-12-18T00:38:00.000-06:00

Roll The Dice

2007-10-15T11:27:00.001-05:00

Coming up snake eyes

The surveillance car turned chase car turned wait car

Feet, just waiting

I am still at Odell Park. I have been passing time by for about an 90 minutes and still have over 90 minutes more to wait. The longest wait in my life. The biggest gamble of my life.

I am very dysfunctional, I think if I have an idea of what I want in life I can be very methodical. I can clearly see the steps or processes needed to make that happen. I can see the outcomes and I feel I can influence what happens. It is a great feeling when this is successful. Structured, within expected time frames, little to nothing overlooked. This is a big contrast from how I was brought up in my youth. I love my parents but life didn't present the opportunity for them to stay together, and I was raised by my mother, who did a great job considering what she was working with. Very little structure as a result. Which is fine.

For as structured as I like things to be, I love chaos a lot more. I like to gamble. Not so much with money, but with life decisions. I have an instinct for making correct choices at the correct time. I credit this to God. Always. He has had such a huge hand in my life. Timing is everything! So very true. I am impulsive. I have no problem be spontaneous (especially when the mood suits). I would often times in college get up one morning, grab my bag, music and a book or two and head down to the bus station and go just any random place a day would take me. No itinerary, no plan. Just go and enjoy. Out of my control as to what would happen, what I would see or do, but it was okay and fun.

Not at all like today.
Today, I feel like it's such a crap shoot. Everything has been planned by other people. I don't know the whole plan. But I am told bits about it and then find out more, than more, than more. I am told one thing than see another happen. So frustrating! Hard to trust. Hard to believe. Even harder when I am asked to step back an let nature take its course. Fuck. I did so much to persuade and convince, so that the right 'us' scenario happens. All I want is the best. I feel helpless, so utterly helpless. I have actions I can take, but it won't bring me the result I am looking for. The risk is too high to pursue those options. I need to be trusted as much as my trust needs to be given. I am willing to do so. I just cry out to my Lord that the same will be returned.

Rely on each other for life. Tough to do when people are so independent and have their own ulterior motives for taking the steps they take. Here I am waiting. I feel helpless, like I'm being taken advantage of. I feel alone. I see three outcomes and I only like one of them. I feel it won't be the outcome that happens. Sucks.

I have prepared for the moment. I have done my research. I know all the outcomes. I pray to God I have made the right choice. I am so afraid that I have not. And having rolled the dice, I feel foolish.

Tomorrow might be a bigger gamble. One I hadn't counted on. Like, I'll be taken advantage of. Sucks.

Originally written: 15 August 2007 @ 3:31PM

Yes Or No?

2007-07-08T14:25:00.000-05:00

When to Say "Yes" and When to Say "No"
By Michael Masterson
I make a lot of commitments that unnecessarily add stress to my life. Why I find it so difficult to say "no," I can't say. But it's something I'm teaching myself to do.
The first step is to figure out when to say "yes" and when to say "no." Here's what I've come up with...
1. Say "yes" - often but not always - to two people: your spouse and your business partner.
2. Say "no" - as often as you possibly can - to everyone who asks you for help. This would include:
your lazy colleague
your shiftless friend
your spoiled children/grandchildren
your most self-centered customers
anyone who isn't willing to give back
Here's something else you can do to lighten your load and maintain your forward momentum:
Write a list of 20 things - people, situations, responsibilities - that cause you stress.
Reduce that list to 10.
Reduce it again to three.
Now pick one of those three - and stop doing it.
If you are like me, the thing that is creating the most stress in your life right now is something you are doing to help out someone who doesn't deserve it. And if you're like me, you feel guilty about even thinking about stopping.
Do yourself a favor. Call him up right now and tell him very definitively that you are going to stop doing it at the end of this day/week/month/year. Offer a simple explanation. Don't feel the need to elaborate. If he objects, say "I'm sorry that this will be inconvenient for you. I am sure you will be fine in the end. But the decision has been made."
And stick to it.
Try it. You'll be amazed at how good it makes you feel. Do that and don't take on another responsibility for at least 24 hours.

This article appears courtesy of Early To Rise, the Internet’s most popular health, wealth, and success e-zine. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com.

Not too bad advice. I am on track with agreeing with his statement on saying yes often but not always to your wife, which is something I have always tried to do but sometimes it is harder to do than others and ends up in discord... something for another post, in my head.

On his line about making a list of the 20 things, then reducing it, then again... I just don't see how that works. There have got to be certain circumstances where that is not possible to 'reduce the stress', particularily if it involves family or friends. I know I have some things beening done around me that are causing me stress and I would love for them to be stopped and have even tried to put an end to them -to no such luck, the things are still going on and I am still being stressed about them (along with other things). Maybe he is talking about something different. Not saying it cannot be done, just not sure how it can work.

What Are You Working For?

2007-06-30T09:09:00.000-05:00

A job is only a short-term solution to a long-term problem. Most people have only one problem in mind, and it's short term. It's the bills at the end of the month. Money now runs their lives. They have created a pattern of get up, go to work, pay bills, get up, go to work, pay bills. You say you are different than everyone else? Are you saying, "I'm not interested in money."? Then why are you working at a job for eight (or more!) hours a day? There is a denial of truth- if you weren't interested in money, then why are you working?

Most of the time life does not talk to you. It just sort of pushes you around. Each push is life saying, 'Wake up. There is something I want you to learn.'. If you learn life's lessons, you will do well. If not, life will just continue to push you around. People do two things. Some just let life push them around. Others get angry and push back. But they push back against their boss, or their job, or their husband or wife or common law partner. They do not know it's life that's pushing. Some give up. Others fight. A few learn the lesson and move on. They welcome life pushing them around. To these few people, it means they need and want to learn something. If you learn the lesson then you will grow into a wise, wealthy and happy person. If you don't you will spend your life blaming a job, low pay or your boss for your problems. You'll live life hoping for that big break that will solve all your money problems.

Or if you're the kind of person who has no guts, you just give up every time life pushes you. If you're that kind of person, you'll live all your life playing it safe, doing the right things, saving yourself for some event that never happens. Then, you die a boring, old person. You'll have lots of friends who really like you (facebook???) because you were such a nice hard-working person. You spent a life playing it safe, doing the right things. But the truth is, you let life push you into submission. You chose to play it safe.

What will you do?

All In A Word

2007-03-23T22:29:00.000-05:00

fi yuo cna raed tihs, yuo hvae an itnerseting mnid too!Cna yuo raed tihs? Olny 55 plepoe out of 100 can. i cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno't mtaetr in waht oerdr the ltteres in a wrod are, the olny iproamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it whotuit a pboerlm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Azanmig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt!

Winter's Nearly Done

2007-02-28T08:41:00.000-06:00

hand over the keys to the freezer and nobody gets hurt

Just about through with this thing that we call winter. Still lots of snow on the ground but the temperature has risen to a more playable level. Sent the boys out to play in the snow for the first time in a long time- it was just over the freezing mark yesterday. Hopefully it warms up a bit more though as we are supposed to have football game outside in less than two weeks.

No More Soda Or Pop

2007-02-17T13:36:00.000-06:00

What You Drink Is as Important as What You Eat

By Al Sears, MD

A few days ago, a patient walked into my office with one of those super-sized soft drinks from a fast-food place near my office. It wouldn't have surprised me - except that it was 8:30 in the morning.

I wondered how common this breakfast-soda habit has become, so I did some research. It turns out that more than 15 percent of people now order a soda when they go to a restaurant in the morning. That's a jump from less than 8 percent in 1990. And there's an even bigger jump in the number of people who open a can of soda at home every morning: 2.5 percent, up from less than 0.5 percent 20 years ago. That's a 500 percent increase!

What you drink is just as important for weight loss and overall health as what you eat. And both diet and regular sodas are dangerous... for different reasons.

Regular sodas spike your blood sugar almost immediately, which triggers your body to produce waves of insulin. Insulin stimulates fat production and fat storage. Diet sodas usually contain aspartame, a neurotoxin that prevents the hormone leptin from communicating with your brain. This is critical, as leptin is the messenger that tells your brain, "I'm full." As a result, you are far more likely to overeat.

The best thing to drink with breakfast is water. It's the way I start my day. But if you need a pick-me-up, green tea is better than soda. It gives you a gentle energy boost and is full of disease-fighting antioxidants. (Even regular tea or coffee is better than soda.)

[Ed. Note: Dr. Sears, a practicing physician and the author of The Doctor's Heart Cure, is a leading authority on longevity, physical fitness, and heart health.]

I drink a lot of pop. A lot. It's not good for me, I know. It is just so tasty.

I Don't Drink Diet Pepsi

2007-02-03T14:22:00.000-06:00

I'll stick with my life, thanks

There are a lot of things I don't do and drinking Diet Pepsi is one of those things. If you have seen any recent television ads for Diet Pepsi you will see a person asked to drink a can and they get asked if there is anything in their youth that they want to relive or have back again. The commercials cut to a shot of them in their desired state but with the awkward twist of being who they are and it doesn't work the way it used to. Wearing the tight (leather) jeans of the '80's and going to a business meeting in the '07's and falling on the floor because the pants were so tight and they couldn't sit down. When the flashline stops the commercial cuts back to the person and they say 'on second thought, I'll just stick with my Diet Pepsi'.

Great ad series really. Somethings never change and most other things always do and it's best to let things end where they should instead of trying to recapture the glory days gone by. Pepsi of course is saying that their Diet Pepsi is still the same as it was in the old days and that of course it is an easy thing to work into your life of today.

All of this is to say that I am having my Diet Pepsi moment right now. Not with something to do with me directly, but with my wife. She wants to become a respitory therapist someday and will have to go to community college at some point to pursue this desire. One of the classes she needs to take is either chemistry or physics. To take those course at the college would cost a couple of hundred bucks plus books and time to get to the school (45 minutes away). So enter the Diet Pepsi moment: I am married to a high school student! She can take either of the classes at our local high school (8 minutes away) for free and have it count to her requirements for the respitory therapist qualification. So she is taking a physics class at the high school with everyone else in the class being half her age (except for the teacher, maybe?).

Nothing wrong with persuing knowledge or bettering yourself educationally and she seems to be doing well with the course. It just seems that we are going through a series of Diet Pepsi moments with everything from the clothes see wears to class, how she hauls her books to class, the new lingo, dangle earrings, music interests and more. Not to mention the MILF factor that I know is running through the halls, which is kind of cool- knowing that I have a hot wife- but not in that I cannot capitalize on it. The changes are a bit overwhelming to me and makes it difficult to know who is coming in the door. Basically, keep your Diet Pepsi and your flashbacks, I'd like my life back.

The flipside of this maybe she will ask me to her prom or the any of the dances they might have. Better go get some lessons.

A New Year Of Whatever

2007-01-02T07:12:00.000-06:00

A new year of more whatever. A quick look back at 2006 brought very little in the way of surprises for me. It was however a year of changes for me and my family. A new job for both my wife and myself mark the biggest change. We added a new vehicle to haul ourselves around.

What will this year bring? Hard to say. Maybe more posts here. I didn't put as much on this spot as I thought I would, but that I am still contributing to the thoughtbasket says enough for me.

Make this year your best.

One Word Challenge

2006-11-21T09:27:00.000-06:00

One Word Challenge
You can only use one word...Not as easy as you may think.

1. Yourself:
2. Your significant other:
3. Your hair?:
4. Your mother?:
5. Your father?:
6. Your favorite item:
7. Your dream last night:
8. Your favorite drink:
9. Your dream car:
10. The room you are in:
12. Your fear:
13. What you want to be in 10 years:
14. Who you hung out with last night?:
15. What you're not?:
16. Muffins:
17: One of your wish list items:
18: Time:
19. The last thing you did:
20. What you are wearing:
21. Your favorite weather:
22. Your favorite book:
23. The last thing you ate:
24. Your life:
25. Your mood:
26. Your body:
27. Who are you thinking about right now?
29. What are you doing at the moment?:
30. Your summer:
31. Best part of your life:

Just A Rant

2006-11-09T10:47:00.000-06:00

The great thing about this Breaking Point is that if I don't have much to say then I say nothing. Lots on the mind with nothing to pour out. I have discovered that there are over 2000000 more blogs that get read more than this one and I am okay with that. Thank you technorati for that vote of confidence even if it's just me who reads this.

Thankful For What???

2006-10-07T22:11:00.000-05:00

gobble, gobble

Tomorrow is Canadian Thanksgiving Day. What a nice time of the year. A good temperature. Nice colors on the leaves. Time with family. Time with Friends. Football. I am thankful for alot, but these are a few of the good things.

What makes you thankful?

Smashing Pumpkins

2006-10-07T22:07:00.000-05:00

The Big Heavy

This pumpKin didn't break any world records or anything but it sure was big enough. To have such a large pumpKin for the area it was grown is always interesting to me as the growing season is so short. What I would really like though is the chance to carve the pumpKin into some creation!

Grow my own.

Tarred And Feathered

2006-09-17T21:39:00.000-05:00

Paved With Good Intentions

Politics is interesting. Media approach can be interesting in politics, much more so during an election period. The problem can sometimes be that people do not care about what politicians have to say. Voting turnout records tend to back that up.

The question is, how do you get out a message that matters and is persuasive enough to create an increased response from the people needed to hear the message? Tv, radio, newspapers, press conferences, rallies and townhalls are the logical and traditional ways to set the 'winning' platform.

With new media the internet and all that it provides has turned into a growing grindmill for distributing the thoughtflow of parties involve. Unquestionably the internet has shifted the way politicians market themselves with many more 'grassroots people' becoming involved in the democratic process. Blogs, podcasts, videotubes, and other sites make it easier for everyone to be involved in one form or another. Of course not all the people are genuine in what they are trying to accomplish as you have people who work for the politicians directly marketing through the internet as if they are grassroot people.

An underused form of media that didn't seem to get overlooked in this particular election is attack ads by way of outdoor billboard advertising. I love billboard advertising. Quick, clever (sometimes) and to the point. This is the first time that I have seen political billboard ads depart from the usual standard and boring picture of the guy running with a stiff smile and party colours saying who he is and what party he represents. And I love it. Two excellent points made by two opponents on the one topic that is of interest to the voting area. If an election is decided on one message this would be it for this area.

If only this idea stays on in future elections. If only.

I Am The Disappointment

2006-09-11T20:52:00.000-05:00

It seems to haunt me where ever I go in life. Disappointment. Always because of me. It is said that Technology and Innovations makes everything better, easier and all of that. The strong reality is that for me it has made everything worse, harder and all of that.

I cannot blame anyone else. Nor do I want to. As this guy, I will take the responsibility. I am human and as such I have failed, again. Weak, pathetic and disgusting all in one fell swoop. I don't know the solution--- aside from moving to a hermit state. There is little comfort in knowing that I am not alone in my err (millions and millions in jail for various troubles). The Bible is equally full of thorns... some larger than others. It is a bit confusing sometimes as to how some are overlooked. Some got past the troubles and continued on to the great things. Some just got swallowed up in their circumstances.

Choices have to be made.

Apologies are never enough. Words even less.

My consolation is this:

“Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.” (Ephesians 2:19-21)

Sinner saved by grace. Jesus is my cornerstone and I am being built to become the dwelling I should be that God might live by His Spirit in me. I still need lots of construction as my walls have fallen. Working for a large building construction retailer I know that this kind of project cannot be completely finished by myself (I can only draw a crooked-straight lines). Building projects take time, have cost overruns, and sometimes are scrapped to be started all over again. Know any plumbers?

31.4% of Americans don't have internet access. I do (hate to be Captain Obvious, but it's true). Some days I wish I didn't. Today is one.

Lonely Skies Tonight

2006-08-27T21:59:00.000-05:00

Planet, Not A Planet- Pluto's Last Day

I meant to post this a couple of days ago, but was so distrought at the latest scientific newz. The Milky Way has lost a planet. Not misplaced, but displaced. Milky nearly added three planets. For the record, in the picture Pluto is left with its moons from left to right, Charon, Nix and Hydra.

Drawn In Sand

2006-08-14T22:33:00.000-05:00

The ceasefire has been declared. Lines have been drawn but nothing really has been accomplished. Nothing, except for a lot of destruction (good time to be a contractor) and death. Isreal succeeds in pushing back the Hessbelah further away from the border. It fails at getting back the two soldiers that were kidnapped, which is what instigated the whole conflict.

It is reported by media as being a war. I just cannot see how it totally qualifies as being one. Sure the conflict lasted a few weeks. Sure Isreal jammed Lebenon full of holes with its aireal bombardment. Sure the Hessies bombed back. Sure they play the media pipebag well to create a storm of propagandal influence to sway world opinion in their favor.

It all comes back to branding. Which lends strongly to perception. Not to mention the stand on the whole affair by the United States. More on this topic for sure... in the next post. Think about this event until the next post: how does this assault compare to the Iraq/Kuwait entanglement?

Riddle Me Not

2006-08-14T21:11:00.000-05:00

Two sets of rules have made it to the Breaking Point blog. This may be the new gardening theme for me (probably not- as rules are made to be broken). The following comes from the uncovering of ESPN's John Sawatsky by Seth Godin.

You need to ask questions every time you interact with a consumer, a job applicant, a co-worker with a great idea or even someone sitting next to you during an interminable wait for the airplane.
I found John's seven rules in a search cache. Here's a summary of what doesn't work:
1. Asking a question with no query
Examples: "Your neighbors don't like you." "Some people think you killed your wife."
2. Double-barrelled questions
Like: "Is this your first business? How did you get started?" You're unlikely to get answers to both. One question at a time.
3. Overloading
Ask: short, simple questions. "What is it like to be accused of murder?"
4. Adding your own remarks
Again, this is not the time or place to say that you hate Chryslers... You're not being interviewed.
5. Trigger words
One famous example of this was when TV reporter John Stossell asked a pro wrestler about the "sport'' by volunteering this about the fighting: "I think it's fake." The pro wrestler hit him--twice. "Was that fake?" he demanded...
6. Hyperbole by the questioner
Overstatement typically causes the interview subject to counterbalance by understating...
7. Closed query (Yes or No question)
If the question begins with a verb, its most likely a closed question -- and will generate a one word answer.

Good starting point on John: American Journalism Review

Thank you Seth for the thoughts and digging this out of cache. You call this The Riddler, but I'd rather call it The Mystery. Sports writers today (especially broadcaster) seem to stick so close to their format of questioning that America could probably parrot word for word most of the questions that are asked to athletes with little to no trouble. When sportcasters do decide to step out and ask questions that are on the edge of the interviewing envelope it almost always seems to come off like a Bill Lambier flagorant flop or worse yet... a Shaq freethrow (a wasted opportunity to put down two easy points). Jim Grey comes to mind as a frequent offender of this with his tenacious knack for asking the tough question at the wrong time- not to mention asking the wrong question to begin with as if to stir the pot (a good idea) but with a strainer spoon and trying to make something out of the nothing that was really there. He is not alone. Credit to him for trying, but he would need more than these seven rules to help him.

Stay relevant. Know your timing (it is everything!)
Back to you Costas.

Rules For Survival By Bob

2006-08-06T07:24:00.000-05:00

While I put my 16 rules together in response to a business question, I've been told by others that they can be applied to almost any pursuit. Here are the 16 rules I try to live by:

1. Get and stay out of your comfort zone. I believe that not much happens of any significance when we're in our comfort zone. I hear people say, "But I'm concerned about security." My response to that is simple: "Security is for cadavers."

2. Never give up. Almost nothing works the first time it's attempted. Just because what you're doing does not seem to be working, doesn't mean it won't work. It just means that it might not work the way you're doing it. If it was easy, everyone would be doing it, and you wouldn't have an opportunity.

3. When you're ready to quit, you're closer than you think. There's an old Chinese saying that I just love, and I believe it is so true. It goes like this: "The temptation to quit will be greatest just before you are about to succeed."

4. With regard to whatever worries you, not only accept the worst thing that could happen, but make it a point to quantify what the worst thing could be. Very seldom will the worst consequence be anywhere near as bad as a cloud of "undefined consequences." My father would tell me early on, when I was struggling and losing my shirt trying to get Parsons Technology going, "Well, Robert, if it doesn't work, they can't eat you."

5. Focus on what you want to have happen. Remember that old saying, "As you think, so shall you be."

6. Take things a day at a time. No matter how difficult your situation is, you can get through it if you don't look too far into the future, and focus on the present moment. You can get through anything one day at a time.

7. Always be moving forward. Never stop investing. Never stop improving. Never stop doing something new. The moment you stop improving your organization, it starts to die. Make it your goal to be better each and every day, in some small way. Remember the Japanese concept of Kaizen. Small daily improvements eventually result in huge advantages.

8. Be quick to decide. Remember what General George S. Patton said: "A good plan violently executed today is far and away better than a perfect plan tomorrow."

9. Measure everything of significance. I swear this is true. Anything that is measured and watched, improves.

10. Anything that is not managed will deteriorate. If you want to uncover problems you don't know about, take a few moments and look closely at the areas you haven't examined for a while. I guarantee you problems will be there.

11. Pay attention to your competitors, but pay more attention to what you're doing. When you look at your competitors, remember that everything looks perfect at a distance. Even the planet Earth, if you get far enough into space, looks like a peaceful place.

12. Never let anybody push you around. In our society, with our laws and even playing field, you have just as much right to what you're doing as anyone else, provided that what you're doing is legal.

13. Never expect life to be fair. Life isn't fair. You make your own breaks. You'll be doing good if the only meaning fair has to you, is something that you pay when you get on a bus (i.e., fare).

14. Solve your own problems. You'll find that by coming up with your own solutions, you'll develop a competitive edge. Masura Ibuka, the co-founder of SONY, said it best: "You never succeed in technology, business, or anything by following the others." There's also an old Asian saying that I remind myself of frequently. It goes like this: "A wise man keeps his own counsel."

15. Don't take yourself too seriously. Lighten up. Often, at least half of what we accomplish is due to luck. None of us are in control as much as we like to think we are.

16. There's always a reason to smile. Find it. After all, you're really lucky just to be alive. Life is short. More and more, I agree with my little brother. He always reminds me: "We're not here for a long time; we're here for a good time."

A special word of thanks.I owe a special thanks to Brian Dunn. When I first wrote these rules down and was thinking about compiling them into a book — that book, like most books I suppose, has been half-done for a while ; — Brian read them and suggested a title. His suggestion was, "They Can't Eat You." I like Brian's suggestion for two reasons: 1. It reminds me of my Dad. I sure miss him; and 2. It's true. No matter how difficult things get, you're going to be OK. It's very important to realize that. Thanks, Brian.

Republishing my rules Should you care to include all or part of this article (or any article in my weblog for that matter) in one of your publications you have my permission to do so provided that you credit me for the material, mention where it was obtained and also my copyright. A suggested form might be "The above (or following) article (or rules for survival) is included with the permission of Bob Parsons (http://www.bobparsons.com) and is Copyright © 2004-2006 by Bob Parsons. All rights reserved."

The Dead Kennedys

2006-07-23T18:16:00.000-05:00

A little history lesson.

Abraham Lincoln was elected to Congress in 1846.
John F. Kennedy was elected to Congress in 1946.

Abraham Lincoln was elected President in 1860.
John F. Kennedy was elected President in 1960.

Both were particularly concerned with civil rights.
Both wives lost their children while living in the White House.

Both Presidents were shot on a Friday.
Both Presidents were shot in the head.

Now it gets really wierd.
Lincoln's secretary was named Kennedy.
Kennedy's secretary was named Lincoln.

Both were assassinated by Southerners.
Both were succeeded by Southerners named Johnson.

Andrew Johnson, who succeeded Lincoln, was born in 1808.
Lyndon Johnson, who suceeded Kennedy, was born in 1908.

Have a history teacher explain this--- if they can.
John Wilkes Booth, who assassinated Lincoln, was born in1839.
Lee Harvey Oswald, who assassinated Kennedy, was born in 1939.

Both assassins were known by their three names.
Both names are composed of fifteen letters.

Now hang on to your seat.
Lincoln was shot at the theater named 'Ford.'
Kennedy was shot in a car called 'Lincoln' made by 'Ford.'

Lincoln was shot in a theater and his assassin ran and hid in a warehouse.
Kennedy was shot from a warehouse and his assassin ran and hid in a theater.

Booth and Oswald were assassinated before their trials.

And here is the kicker...
A week before Lincoln was shot, he was in Monroe, Maryland.
A week before Kennedy was shot, he was with Marilyn Monroe.

Not my research so feel free to dig through history and see if this matches out. I found this article in a weekly ad magazine... my like of JFK helped it catch my attention. I am not sure that in the grand scheme of life's things that it really matters, but I can see how this might be able to add more fuel to the conspired theories which if you add Lincoln to the picture really expands the possibility of such a thing.

Wasn't that Lincoln hiding in the smoking bush???

All In The Ground

2006-07-17T22:40:00.000-05:00

It is done. All of the plants have made it into the ground without completly dying on me! I was a little worried though that I wouldn't make it in time. The asianic lillies purchased were nearing their last legs. Almost all without petals and starting to fade. I have to thank my wife for helping with the planting of these final plants. It would have not been completed otherwise. She was even willing to delay our camp memories trip by one day which is very nice of her. Poor kids... are we going yet? No? Why does daddy need to plant things? When are we going to go?

Tomorrow morning.

Hitting Me Here

2006-07-16T22:23:00.000-05:00

The attacks in Isreal and Lebenon are starting to hit close to home. Wars and fighting across the ocean usually have little effect on what I think about and done on this side of the world. But the recent fighting has started to change all of that. There is very little that I will do about this latest conflict. I won't fly to Isreal to try and stop the fighting. I won't join in the scurmish. I will watch half closely and pray. I don't know exactly what to pray for though. Beside God's will, which is what He is going to do anyway. Praying for peace is the logical thing, but the conflict is biblically needed for things to work a certain way.

More to this post later. As I think about it some more... which I will.

So It Might Be A Gardening Blog

2006-07-08T19:25:00.000-05:00

Do you like butter?

Extra points if you spot the cricket

I think it is only going to be a seasonal thing, but it seems that this blog has turned its thoughts towards flower gardening for now. I like photography and the easy thing to take pictures of right now is all of the flowers around in full bloom. I still have about twenty-two plants to get in the ground before they die on me. I've done quite good this year at getting most of them in, but the trouble now is keeping whatever animal it is from eating the leaves off of my Blackeyed Susans! I cannot think of which animal it would be... deer, groundhog, racoon, squirrel, dog, cats, fox, chipmunk- all these animals that have access to the plants right now. Makes it hard for the plants to survive for next year.
Not much else going on in the brain right now, although I am reading a book with writings from Thomas about Jesus that was discovered about sixty years ago.

Might Be Sunshine Might Be Purple Rain

2006-07-01T11:50:00.000-05:00

Mystery color number one

Well, I made it back to the garden centre that had the mystery colored coneflowers and was able to get a picture of the white flower. It's not that I find it to be an ugly color. It is just that I don't have a spot I want white coneflowers to be.

They package the flower as Sunshine with a yellowish hue to the petals. But that doesn't make it any more purple in any way... hope it rains.

Without this blog turning out to be a garden blog (not what I have in mind, just on it), I purchased 16 asianic lily flowers from HD yesterday for $2.88 a pot (8 yellow and 8 pink). The store had geraniums for that same price but I find them to be a bit messy and they have a smell that gets on your hands which I am not a big fan of. But they have this small tree ($29) which flowers pink in the spring and it's leaves turn purplish. I sort of want to get two of these for the front porch area and plant the 16 lilies around the two trees.

Mystery Color

2006-06-17T13:37:00.000-05:00

It will maybe take two summers to uncover the latest mystery on hand. I purchased five purple coneflowers from a local garden center. Not part of the mystery. I also purchased two mystery plant containers. I only know that they are coneflowers and are gigantic in size compared to the size of the other five purple coneflowers. I just don't know the color of the flowers and may not know until next summer. The heads didn't make it, but the plants will... unless I forget to dig a hole for them which is very possible! So will it be purple or white? I am hoping for purple.

Simply Complex

2006-05-27T10:09:00.000-05:00

For every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple, and wrong.
-H.L. Mencken, famous newspaperman and commentator.

Solutions dreamt up and thought of as pure genius may in fact be complete bunk. I'm sure you may have felt the same at some point.

Chicken Or Egg

2006-05-21T17:13:00.000-05:00

I hope this is not a reflection of this blog.

These Are The Days

2006-05-21T14:54:00.000-05:00

Curiousity killed the cat. It's a good thing that I like cats. Here it is for those of you who were wondering.

You've probably heard the theory (more like a statement) 'One true love for everyone'. Well, for that to be true there needs to be more to the statement/theory. It goes something like this: One true love for everyone. Either there is one true love for everyone or there isn't. Simple so far as it is just logic and counterlogic. Tricky part comes next. If there is one true love for everyone how does one find that true love? What if one is in England and the true love is in Australia? Can it still be true love if the person from England never goes to Australia to find the true love if the one even knows to go there? One may go his/her whole life without meeting the true love. (Not so tragic) But one may go his/her whole life and have already met the true love and not even realized it either at all or until it was too late and couldn't do anything about it. (a tragedy for some). It can even go as far as being with the one true love and still not knowing it.

The other theory of true love is just as mind bending.
If it's true love let them go. If it's true love they'll come back and if it's not true love they'll never come back (it wasn't meant to be). Who in their right mind wants to let go of what they love most?

It's what you do that counts, not entirely what you think. I realize that I don't know everything (if I did, Ken Jennings wouldn't be a household name). This is something that I've been able to realize since a young age and means I'll hopefully have more years to learn and figure everything out. As a true believer in God, I know that he has planned and preplanned (setting up for another topic) my life which includes the wife who He has allowed me the privilage of being married to for over eleven years. When I first saw her playing a piano at a winter camp I said that she was the one, it didn't matter she was going out with someone else. That moment came a long time before popping the question and all these years later it is still the same. We're still a pretty good team. One family of five. It couldn't be anyone else to handle raising the four of us.

I feel bad for the ones who don't have that true belief in God...

These are the days worth living
These are the years we're given
And these are the moments
These are the times
Let's make the best out of our lives
And even if hope were shattered
I know it wouldn't matter
Cause these moments
These are the times
Let's make the best out of our lives
Oh yeah, let's make the best out of our lives
Oh yeah, let's make the best out of our lives

more, as I learn more... now I have to go clean the bathroom before my wife gets home.

Happy Mothers Day

2006-05-14T19:30:00.000-05:00

Happy Mothers Day to all the mothers out there.
From all of us children.

Truth- Hard To Believe

2006-04-16T18:23:00.000-05:00

"Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."
John 20:29b (NIV)

Easter. Jesus is alive! You are free to believe whether He died on a cross to pay the price for your sins. It's a hard thing to do if you haven't seen the nail marks in His hands. It was a hard thing to do, His dying on a cross. But Jesus is waiting with arms opened wide, waiting for you to believe.

Crazy Salesmen

2006-04-06T08:10:00.000-05:00

It doesn't seem to matter who you are. Salespeople are hard to avoid even if you are a dog. Everywhere you look there they are. If only it took a bark to keep them away. Even in my dreams I find someone trying to sell me something. How do you get away from that?

Bore

2006-04-04T10:00:00.000-05:00

You can never bore someone into doing business with you!
-David Ogilvy, famous advertising executive

No, you need to interest them, intrigue them, entertain them and get them completely involved in your story and its possibilities.

Sister Patricia Proctor, a Catholic nun living in a monastery in Spokane Washington, is a unique example of someone trying to do just that. She is trying to create an impassioned picture of a life dedicated to God to help Catholics looking to renew their faith. Now I am not an advocate for the Catholic faith, but I am an advocate of Sister Patricia whose passionate commitment is very persuasive.

So You Think You Can Dance

2006-04-03T22:35:00.000-05:00

It's sort of like the original dancing baby, but without the panache, the eeriness or the surprising elegance. What marketers need to understand about most viral videos is that they are like car wrecks. We slow down and shake our heads. We can't believe what we're seeing. Or we are seeing something for the very first time and it's remarkable.
-Seth Godin, April 2006

Ally McBeil had her dancing baby. Funny and it followed her everywhere. Now the Pillsbury Doughboy has decided to mambo. I like what Seth Godin's blog has to say about how the Doughboy grooves. For a piece of pastry, Doughboy can move.

Timing

2006-04-01T21:52:00.000-06:00

Timing is everything. I don't care what people say different. It is.

The Circumstances

2006-02-27T22:19:00.000-06:00

That the circumstances don't determine our success, but we merely work with the circumstances to become successful.
-Rich DeVos, January 1974

that's a lot of difference.

That's Life

2006-02-27T22:11:00.000-06:00

I took a test today that asked this question: If you've found your soul mate, can you still have doubts? The answers you could choose were- 1) Yes, that's life. 2) No, if you still have doubts, they aren't your soulmate. I answered yes initally. Human nature to me is to doubt. So I would have no problem to with doubting even though I'd be sure I've found my soulmate. But with a second thought (as they always are) I might be leaning more to the second answer. I have a true love theory... which never worked this question into the equation. Back to the drawing board? Maybe not. Where do you stand?

The Best

2006-02-25T22:22:00.000-06:00

Who were the two artists of ancient times who competed to see who could paint the visible world most faithfully? "Now I shall prove to you that I am the best," said the first, showing the other a curtain which he had painted. "Well, draw back the curtain," said the adversary, "and let us see the picture." "The curtain is the picture," replied the first with a laugh.
-Nikos Kazantakis

The First Day

2006-02-14T22:40:00.000-06:00

Wasn't sure if I would come to the point of making a blog. Nothing to really blog about. Why would I want to write anything online, especially if I don't even keep a diary. Here it is though. If it's free, then why not.