The day after

Well I enjoyed Draft Weekend. Mark and I sat around for two days watching the draft and talking smack. I was disappointed with the Texans Draft. I thought that they reached for Brown OT, when he probably would have been available in the 3rd round. The CB Moulden as their first pick of the 3rd round was horrible! I'd have never selected him. He played for EKyntucky against small school recievers and was only average. Yes he scored very high at the combine, but obviously he doesn't play with heart and is an underachiever. The third pick of Slaton is solid and I think he will be a stud with the zone blocking scheme they use and his acceleration to the hole. He will average 4 yards a carry and is a danger to go all the way everytime he touches the ball. The fourth pick of Okam is a good pick too.

I would have taken Cason CB with first pick, Manningham WR with second, and Choice or Slaton with third pick.

I was really surprised that no recievers made it in the top round of the draft. Jacksonville was on crack when they traded up to 8th, and took Harvey. That was a dumbshit move as he would have been available later in the draft. I think Houston did right to trade back in the first as it gave an extra 3rd round pick. I think Kansas City had the absolute best draft, and the Cowboys did pretty good as well.

Overall I give the Texans a C on this one. I disagree with ever drafting a tweener or a project in the first two rounds. That's the kind of stuff Casserly and Capers did, and we are still rebuilding from that fiasco. I love Kubiak and Smith, so I hope they know what they are doing. Slaton's a great pick. Brown and Moldon....suck!

If Brown can pick up the zone blocking and get mean, maybe he will be worth it. If Molden can convert to safety and play up to his abilities, then maybe he will be worth it. I think there were many better players on the board at the time of the picks. If the Texans really wanted a Tackle they should have stayed at 18 and taken Otah or Cherilus.

Oh well. Here is another video to enjoy:

My Favorite three Days of the Year

My favorite three days of the year (excluding Christmas)are the first day of the regular season of the NFL, the Superbowl, and the NFL Draft. These are like holidays to me. The past few years Mark Ramsey and I have sat on his couch, marked off draft picks, debated, cussed, ate dip, drank beer, and had a great time. This year is no different. I'm headed to Houston tonight, ready for our annual draft party.

I usually purchase 2 to 3 draft magazines, scour websites, and eventually make my own lists of top players at each position (its the Mel Kiper in me). Yeah I'm an NFL junkie, but I do love it.

Last years draft had alot of depth and some great players. I'd rate it a B for overall Class and talent. This year I'd be hard pressed to rate it a C-, but there are still some studs out there.

Best Quarterbacks of the draft are Brohm and Ryan, though Flacco might be okay. Ryan is tough and can take a hit, but he float his long passes. He'd be best in a west coast short passing attack. Flacco has the strongest arm, but seems to have trouble reading defensive coverages and often uses his arm to force the ball. With time and good coaching, he could be a starter.

There are two stud running backs: McFadden and Mendenhall. These guys are A- guys who could make a great difference on the right team. I'm hoping the Texans take Mendenhall with the 18th pick, but he may not be available then. I also like Ray Rice, he's a throwback that keeps his knees pumping and has the spirit of an Emmitt Smith. J. Stewart is big and solid, but I don't think he's aggressive enough, Mark disagrees. I also like Chris Johnson as a small, but awesomely fast 3rd down back. I think of an old friend, Mark Shapiro, saying, "He could score from there." Which would be from any location on the field.

Fullbacks are WEAK this year. The best being Hillis and Schmitt.

The Wide Recievers are deep this year, but I don't think they are as talented as the top guys last year. In order of preference, I like Kelly, Doucet, Caldwell, Jackson, and Sweed. These guys all go in the first and second round.

Tight Ends are also weak this year, but I love Bennett from A&M. Big, strong and athletic. Maybe 3rd or 4th round pick.

Offensive Tackles are the deepest I've ever seen. Jake Long, Clady, C. Williams, T. Hills, J. Otah, and Cherilus all go early. Hills has lots of upside only recently making the shift to tackle. Cherilus is huge and quick and could be a great left tackle. I like Cousins in later rounds as he is not great, but is versatile and can play any line position.

Offensive Guards are okay this year. Only Greco and maybe Murphy are worth a high pick. I like Greco because he can play Guard or Tackle and could start at either position. Murphy is still learning the position, so look for him to take a few years to develop. I like Crummy for his mean streak, as he makes up for lack of pure talent with lots of heart.
I don’t like McGlynn at all as he is a “tweener” and TWEENERS SUCK! Benedict is a good sleeper. If he overcomes injuries he could be the steal of the draft on the second day. I also like Hale.

Centers are very weak. Sullivan and Lichtenstieger are the only ones I’d take and not until the late 3rd or 4th rounds.

Defensive Ends are deep again, but still not as good as last year. Chris Long is a lock and probable perennial probowler IMHO. Next are Campbell, Merling, Jackson, Gholston, Harvey, Geathers, and Crhis Ellis. Whoever drafts Blake will regret it. He’s a bust waiting to happen.

Defensive Tackles has some talent this year with Dorsey being the head of the class. Ellis is also awesome and I’ve heard rumors of teams wanting to move up to take him over Dorsey! Sims is the only other one that should be taken in the 1st round. I also have my eye on Red Bryant from A&M. He is a sleeper pick and is one of my favorite guys. He’s from Jasper and has made several visits to our high schools. He’s just a classy good guy.

At Inside Linebacker I like Bell, Lofton, Mayo, Wheeler, and Butler. They are all good, but not great. At Outside Linebacker, only two are worth a 1st or 2nd round pick: Rivers and Groves. Hayes, Connor, and Henderson are good 3rd rounders.


At Cornerback, again this class is not as good as last years. Jenkins and McKelvin are awesome and worthy of a 1st round pick. Flowers, Smith, Cason, and Cromartie are worth 2nd rounders. I think King and Jackson could be steals on day 2.

At Safeties, I like Phillips in the 1st round, and Morgan in the mid to late 2nd. All others are projects that will need a few years to jell.

I hope the Texans take Mendenhall or McKelvin with their first pick. In the third they may still find some rough gems. I don’t expect much on the second day.

Texans need RB, CB, LT, S, OLB, and another DE. They won’t solve all these problems with this draft.

So…yeah, I’m an NFL freak. All other sports are just hobbies~!

Here is a clip of the Texans introduction piece played in Reliant Stadium on that famous first game of 2002 against the Cowboys. We won! I was there! Go Texans!

40 and a day

Yesterday was a good day. Thanks to all my friends and family for the past two days of food, fun, and cake. Thanks to Preston for the 2d20 gifts and the new Last Day on Earth Zombiefest game.

I left out of my 90s diatribe that the Oilers abandoned Houston because Bud Adams and the Local Mayor had a tiff and screwed all Houstonians. My beloved Oilers became the now hated flaming meatballs! No one rooted for the Rams harder than I did in that Superbowl.

I also did several plays for Fort Bend Community Theater including the Mouse that Roared and Calling Metropolis (where I got to play General Mayhem and my sidekick was the beautiful Private Parts!)

The past 8 years have been tough. We suffered through 9-11 and that was the single toughest day I ever had in teaching. My college roommate, Todd Gibbs, was killed in Iraq on December 7, 2006. We have a crappy economy, high gas prices, high food prices, and have been at war since 2001.

My youngest son, Kevin, was born in August of 2001, and is a high functioning autistic. He makes me very proud and keeps me grounded.

We also started 12 to Midnight. The original members were me, Jerry, and Mark Ramsey. It later expanded to Trey, Craig, Neal, and Brendan. These are the greatest guys in the world.

So there you have it....4 decades.

This is the end of the dismembered trip down memory lane.....back to business tomorrow.

Stay tuned for my take on the NFL Draft!

Meanwhile enjoy the greatest running back ever!

Da Big Four Oh

Well, here it is. How do I feel? Tired.

Yesterday I left some good folks off the list: Mark Shapiro, Jonathon Wecker, Jonathan Meuller, Joel Schickmann, Vanessa Thompson, Lee Martin, and all the WTAG crew. I was in many plays: Playing for Time, Gold in them Hills, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Love Rides the Rails, Glass Menagerie, Bus Stop, and several others.

My vehicles: A 1972 Four door Buick Limited, a white 79 Firebird with orange bird on the hood, a crappy blue 81 Camaro, extended cab GMC 92 Sierra Classic, Chevy Lumina car, Chevy Blazer, 86 Sierra pickup, 2001 Ford F150, Chevy Malibu, and now a Toyota Corrola.

Favorites: Firebird, and Ford F150. I'm also very impressed with our new gas saving Toyota. No more Chevy's in my life. Chevy can kiss my butt.

Okay...the Nineties

Graduated Sam Houston with a Criminal Justice Degree and a minor in History, met Tracey Stimac in November, went on first date in January, moved to Albuquerque with her in April and married her on September 11, 1992. She is the best wife a man could have and fits me perfectly. I went through many odd jobs from Supervisor at Astroworld, to Subway Manager in Albuquerque. I worked as a 10 key inventory guy, and in a blue print shop. We moved back to Houston in 1993 and I returned to AstroWorld as Full-time Security. Working with Barbara Ison, Steve Mizwa, and Ronnie Dunn was awesome and we had some great years together. In 1994 I became a teacher at Hastings High school. I've taught Life Skills, Resource classes, Co-taught, World History, US History, Government, Economics, and World Geography. In 1994 we purchased our first big brick house in Katy and in 1995 David was born.

We played lots of games and had a very fast, fun filled life from 1995 to 2000. In 2000 we decided to move to Caldwell and get the hell out of the city of traffic and smog. Many family members thought we were crazy to leave a brick home in Katy for a trailer house on 20 acres of land surrounded by green trees, a garden, a catfish pond....yeah, they just don't get it.

My favorites:

State: Texas
Nation: Texas
Place: East Texas Piney Woods
Song Artists: Sting, Willie, Billy Idol, Blondie, Stone Temple Pilots
Songs: Blue Skies, Georgia on my Mind
TV Shows: Soap, Crime Story, Miami Vice, Babylon 5, X Files, Buffy, Angel, 24, and Supernatural
Movies: LoTR(3), Star Wars, Screwed, Die Hard (4), Rambo, Rocky, Terminator (3), Alien (4)
Play: Glass Menagerie, Camelot


To end today: "Well Hello there. It's been a long, long time. How am I doing? Well I guess I'm doing fine. It's been so long now, but it seems now, that it was only yesterday. Gee, ain't it funny, how time just slips away."- Willie Nelson.

Here is a clip of another of my favorite shows, Soap. It's a clip of Bob and Chuck using mind reading abilities:

One Day to Go

Okay before I go into memories of the 80s I gotta bitch about Oil and Gas prices. Crude oil hit $117.00 after reports of Arab pirates (terrorists) attacking a Japanese oil tanker. Okay, so one tanker gets attacked and speculators drive the price up. ONE tanker! There are thousands of tankers hauling crude, we currently have one of the biggest gluts of oil and gas in our history, but prices keep going up.

REGULATE THE INDUSTRY!!!! GOVERNMENT MUST REGULATE THESE BUTTHEADS!

Generally I'm anti-government, but again I find the big oil and gas companies' record profits vile when poor and middle class Americans can barely afford to fuel their cars and trucking prices are causing all our foods and products to suffer from inflated prices.

This is not Capitalism. This is not Supply and Demand as they try to lie to us regarding increased demand in China. If it was Supply and Demand we wouldn't have a glut of Oil and Gas right now! A glut should mean lower prices.

REGULATE THE INDUSTRY!

Okay, I'm done with my railing for now. Better hope I never get elected to Congress, cause guess who I would have in my crosshairs!

Okay...The 1980s. This decade rocked! Reagan reestablished that it was okay to love America, the hostages were released (due to threat of War, not anything Carter did- despite what revisionists would have us believe), Gorbachev rose to power and changed the world, Qadaffi was bombed out of his terroristic ways, and at the end of the decade the Berlin Wall came down and Eastern Europe was free.

Here are some random things I remember: Empire Strikes Back, A-Team, Magnum PI, Cheers, Night Court, Crime Story, Miami Vice, Blondie broke up, Big Hair Bands wearing Spandex, Billy Joel, Billy Idol, Elvis Costello, Elton John, BananaRama's VENUS, Clint Black, Dukes of Hazard, Buck Rogers, Mike Tyson, Morton Downey Jr., the House of Pain, trading Earl Campbell, Moon-struck, Drew Hill, Ernest Givens, and Allen Pinkett, Jack Pardee and UH Cougers Run and Shoot, Drama parties, sleepovers, high school football games, defeating Nacogdoches in the last football game I ever played in, skipping school every day of my senior year, hanging out in the Drama Shack, taking Megan to get her little love/peace tattoo, getting my palm read with Faith, playing games with da Boys (Maurice, John, Cliff, Brad, Brad Perry, Alan Champion, Trey Gorden, Lee Johnson, Robert West) and da Girls (Lorien, Lyle Kay, Marcie). Dancing with Sheila (da best dance partner ever!), hanging with Peanut, Amelia, and the Astroworld Internal Gang, playing intramurals in college with Todd Gibbs, Will Carpenter, and Jim Seri. I worked at Safeway, Astroworld in Merchandise Department, McCannic's Air Conditioning, AllBritton's Cafeteria, McDonalds, and AstroWorld as Internal Security Officer, and later as Supervisor.

I dated Lyle Kay McHaney for almost four years. We grew up together and she was definately one of the best friends I ever had. I hope everything turned out good for her. I loved her parents Darwin and Kay McHaney as well. I dated several other girls, but only a few really meant much to me, probably Staci McClintock being the one hardest to get over. Her mother and father were awesome as well. I'll never forget Mike (her dad) hanging out with me at NanCon until like 3 am.

Nancon in the 80s was awesome! It was there in 1985 that I met Jerry Blakemore who would go on to become one of my best and lifelong friends. We played in a game of Paranoia and killed each other a few times for being Communists.

I remember playing monopoly at Lorien's house during a Drama party until 5am and only Jenny and I still standing finally calling a draw. I remember going out with Ms. Hart (my Drama teacher) and buying margaritas (they carded her, but not me), I remember playing truth or dare and frenching her as well (hey she was only 4 years older than me!) I remember some great teachers: Ms. Jumper, Mrs. Brown, Killer Klopp. I remember some HORRIBLE teachers...Worst ever-Mr. Vanzandt.

I remember many games of football in the cowpastures, camping, fishing, hiking, and fighting with wooden swords, shooting shotguns, pistols, and rifles, and killing my first 8-point buck. I paraded the head throughout the neighborhood showing off (this seems sick to me now, but I was more of a country boy then). I remember both my grandfather's dying. I remember Grandma Wetterman spending Christmas' with us, and our Boston Terrior, Misty, farting on her. Grandma's reaction was priceless.

Well, of course, I'm leaving lots out, but this is only a temporary stream of conscious thing. My favorite show was Crime Story, so here is the opening. Enjoy.

Turning 40 and Fish Balls

Well, here I am. Facing the big Four Oh. I have until Wednesday, then I am in officially starting my 4th Decade on the planet. So this week you can expect alot of introspection and me remembering stupid random stuff from those four decades.

But first....FISH BALLS. Okay I believe in embracing foriegn cultures, especially food, but this is just...wrong. I won't eat Rocky Mountain Oysters and I won't eat Fish Balls. That's right...FISH BALLS. Okay, I know they aren't testicles, but...the term "Fish Balls" just isn't....appealing.

QUOTE: "Nan - More than 140 people were rushed to local hospitals with food poisoning after eating fish balls apparently made from the puffer fish in Ban Luang district of this northern province on Friday.
The villagers ate the fish balls in a soup offered at the funeral of Kham Sudsom on Friday evening at a house belonging to Daoloy Mongkol in tambon Ban Fah.
After the funeral, guests started vomiting, their tongues felt numb, they had weak hands and legs and were suffering chest pains. They also experienced shortness of breath."

Turns out the Fish Balls came from puffer fish....What can I say about that? I mean...pork, beef, hell- horse, anything but...Fish Balls! Disgusting.

Now back to 40. Here are my random, stream of consciousness thoughts about the years 1968-1979:

I remember watching the Fall of Saigon on television. I remember riding my bike and David Flowers saying, "It's a sad day for America. The President has quit." I didn't understand it then, but I do now.

I remember Elvis dying.

Happy Days, Lavergne and Shirly, Rockford Files, Barney Miller, Battlestar Galactica, Star Wars.

I remember the Iranians taking Americans hostage, and the yellow ribbons tied everywhere. I remember Carter seeming as if he was weak and couldn't do anything to make America better. I remember Ronald Reagan and his "There you go again" response to Carter in the big debate.

I remember fishing on Sam Rayburn, Toledo Bend, water skiing, and watching the Houston Oilers (Luv ya Blue). Earl Campbell was the greatest running back ever!

I remember what it was like being an Oiler fan in Cowboy country.

I had the Farrah poster! I remember the first time I heard KISS. I remember loving Blondie and buying all their records....hell, I remember records!

I remember my Papaw taking care of me in the summers and after school, my Mamaw cooking huge meals for me to eat before my mom and dad came to pick me up as Papaw wanted to make sure I got enough to eat. (I got fat in 3rd grade from eating her meals and homemade buttermilk biscuits, then going home and eating my mother's meals too). I remember my first play, Legend of Sleepy Hollow, and playing Ichabod Crane.

I remember deer hunting camps, playing in the Pine forests of East Texas, and discovering Dungeons and Dragons. I remember my parents adopting Samantha and Ann.

Finally here is a list of people I know were important in those years to me:

Mom, Dad, Papaw, Mamaw, Grandpa, and Grandma, Lonnie and Mary Flowers, John and David Flowers, Lary Gonzales, Jeff Easley, Thomas Driver, Scott Austin, Wayne Walker, Mr. Gin, Mrs. Dobbs, Mr. Nerron, Mr. Lamb, Mrs. Hill, Mrs. Vann, Angie Jacobs, Angie McAdams, Sara Botthoff, Cara Solly, Uncle Jim, Aunt Mary, Uncle Dee, Aunt Helen, Jimmy and Brian Wetterman, Danny Martin, Steven Carter, Alan Champion.

I'm sure I'm leaving lots off the list, but it is stream of consciousness.

Here is a great vid from the 70s for ya. If your my age or older you will definately enjoy it.



L8rs

Big Weekend starts tomorrow

Today is Friday....well, actually it's Wednesday, but since I'm not working tomorrow or Friday, it feels like a Friday to me.

Why? I volunteered to be the outside team coordinator for the next Walk to Emmaus for Brazos Valley. This means I'll be working hard and from Thursday to Sunday, but it won't be teaching, and I'm really excited about doing this service.

I'm not even going to go into politics today, other than to say I really don't like any of the candidates.....All lying lawyer politicians, and there is a special place for those types of people, but that's between them and God.

Anyways, here is another 80s video. Remember Mad Max? I do, and Tina Turner was awesome in this role. Enjoy.

More and more...

Man life is busy. I didn't post yesterday and I probably won't be posting Thursday and Friday, but hopefully next week I'll get back into it.

So...guess you heard about Obama's "small town America is bitter, so they are turning to guns and religion" comment.

WTHELL? Sigh....I thought he was smarter than that, even though I never really considered supporting him. So we poor, small town, rural backass woodsmen are bitter so we want to keep our guns, and turn to Jesus to make us feel better....


LAME!

Elitism shows through...you can't trust a lawyer politician. You Can't!

I got knews for you Mr. Harvard, Lawyer, Rich, Elitist, who calls out your Grandmother and talks about "typical white people," you are gonna lose. I don't like McCain. Not one bit. The worst of the Republicans. But with your continuing lapses of judgement and your looking down your nose at middle class, rural America, you are going to lose the general election by an even wider margin than Mr. Heinz-Kerry.

What I find most aggregious is that if a non-racist, good person, who happened to be white had made a comment about "typical black people" or that blacks use the pulpit of Churches only to state their political beliefs, that person would be labeled a racist and would probably have to leave our country for some place such as France. The media would be all over him, the liberals would want to invoke the death penalty, and only talk radio would concede he might have had a point, but that he shouldn't have said it.

When are we going to have a true discussion about racial inequality? African Americans have suffered predjudice and racism, but if we are ever to have true equality, the playing field has to be leveled for everyone.

Here's a fact for ya. 7 out of 10 African Americans have at least one white ancestor, and 3 out of 10 have more white ancestors than black.

Guess what? We are all cousins! Let's get on to making America great and realize that when you stereotype anyone, including "typical whites," you are expressing prejudice in the best of cases, and racism in the worst.


My two cents. Don't agree....Blogger is free, start your own. 1st Amendment. I'll die for you to express your ideas- even if I disagree with you, but I bet you wouldn't be willing to do the same.


OUT

Now for another 80s video. This one is by Genesis and is one of my all time favorite videos. Can you name the puppets in the video. I can do most of them.

Lawyers

This was an email that I laughed about for a while.

Enjoy.

These are from a book called Disorder in the American Courts, and are things people actually said in court, word for word, taken down and now published! By court reporters who had the torment! of staying calm while these exchanges were actually taking place.


ATTORNEY: Are you sexually active?
WITNESS: No, I just lie there.


_____________________________________
ATTORNEY: What gear were you in at the moment of the impact?
WITNESS: Gucci sweats and Reeboks.


_____________________________________
ATTORNEY: This myasthenia gravis, does it affect your memory at all?
WITNESS: Yes.
ATTORNEY: And in what ways does it affect your memory?
WITNESS: I forget.
ATTORNEY: You forget? Can you give us an example of something you forgot?
_____________________________________
ATTORNEY: What was the first thing your husband said to you that morning?
WITNESS: He said, 'Where am I, Cathy?'
ATTORNEY: And why did that upset you?
WITNESS: My name is Susan!
_____________________________________
ATTORNEY: Do you know if your daughter has ever been involved in voodoo?
WITNESS: We both do.
ATTORNEY: Voodoo?
WITNESS: We do.
ATTORNEY: You do?
WITNESS: Yes, voodoo
_____________________________________


ATTORNEY: Now doctor, isn't it true that when a person dies in his sleep, he doesn't know about it until the next morning?
WITNESS: Did you actually pass the bar exam?
_____________________________________


ATTORNEY: The youngest son, the twenty-year-old, how old is he?
WITNESS: Uh, he's twenty-one.
_____________________________________


ATTORNEY: Were you present when your picture was taken?
WITNESS: Are you kidding me?
_____________________________________


ATTORNEY: So the date of conception (of the baby) was August 8th?
WITNESS: Yes.
ATTORNEY: And what were you doing at that time?
WITNESS: Uh.... I was getting laid!
_____________________________________
ATTORNEY: She had three children, right?
WITNESS: Yes.
ATTORNEY: How many were boys?
WITNESS: None .
ATTORNEY: Were there any girls?
WITNESS: Are you shittin' me?


Your Honor, I think I need a different attorney. Can I get a new attorney?
_____________________________________


ATTORNEY: How was your first marriage terminated?
WITNESS: By death.
ATTORNEY: And by whose death was it terminated?
WITNESS: Now whose death do you suppose terminated it?
_____________________________________


ATTORNEY: Can you describe the individual?
WITNESS: He was about medium height and had a beard.
ATTORNEY: Was this a male or a female?
WITNESS: Guess.
_____________________________________
ATTORNEY: Is your appearance here this morning pursuant to a deposition notice which I sent to your attorney?
WITNESS: No, this is how I dress when I go to work.
_____________________________________
ATTORNEY: Doctor, how many of your autopsies have you performed on dead people?
WITNESS: All my autopsies are performed on dead people. Would you like to rephrase that?
_____________________________________
ATTORNEY: ALL your responses MUST be oral, OK? What school did you go to?
WITNESS: Oral.
_____________________________________
ATTORNEY: Do you recall the time that you examined the body?
WITNESS: The autopsy started around 8:30 p.m.
ATTORNEY: And Mr. Denton was dead at the time?
WITNESS: No, he was sitting on the table wondering why I was doing an autopsy on him!
_____________________________________
ATTORNEY: Are you qualified to give a urine sample?
WITNESS: Huh....are you qualified to ask that question?
_____________________________________





And the best for last:
_____________________________________


ATTORNEY: Doctor, before you performed the autopsy, did you check for a pulse?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: Did you check for blood pressure?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: Did you check for breathing?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: So, then it is possible that the patient was alive when you began the autopsy?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: How can you be so sure, Doctor?
WITNESS: Because his brain was sitting on my desk in a jar.
ATTORNEY: I see, but could the patient have still been alive, nevertheless?
WITNESS: Yes, it is possible that he could have been alive and practicing law.



Here is another great 80s video:

Protests

The first Amendment gives all Americans the right to express their beliefs and the right to assemble peacefully. Carrying signs and chanting are fine. I support them fully in their rights to do this. But then you get the looney's. The ones that try to put out the Olympic torch to protest human rights violations in China are wacky and wrong and should be arrested.

My fellow Americans...Your rights end where another person's rights begin. This has been upheld in the Supreme Court time and again. It's not new. It's the law and it's your rights as listed in the Bill of Rights.

So...protest all you want. But don't be stupid. If you are, then I hope you are arrested.

Personally I think that China is the new "Evil" empire and I pray for those youth that believe in Democratic principles, such as the ones involved in the Tianamin Square Massacre almost 20 years ago. China ignores human rights of its own people, takes away the unalienable rights of human beings, pollutes the environment as there are very little controls on industry, and sends the US poison in our animal feed, and paints our children's toys with lead. Yeah, I don't like the government of China.

However...why protest the Olympics? Why hold our athletes responsible for world politics. Carter was wrong in 1980, and Hillary is wrong with her ideas today. Even her husband disagrees with her on this point.

So...Protest...sure. Attack the torch or the torchbearers....then I hope the po po arrests you after throwing you very hard on your ass.


My two cents.


Here's another great 80s video. Take on Me, by Ah Ha. This was one of my absolute favorites. Enjoy.

More of the same....

Hillary got caught fibbing again. She made several speeches about a certain hospital that refused to care for someone who didn't have health insurance and then stated the person died as a result. The truth is that the person did have health insurance, was treated, but later died anyway.

Once this became known, how did she respond? Oops, my bad.

Okay...so we have a career lawyer politician who lies so often she doesn't even recognize when she's doing it.

And to think I was this () close to voting for her.

At least you don't hear such lies from Obama or McCain.

Tsk, tsk, and shame, shame.

This weekend my family and I are meeting up with my old friend Lorian and her family to see the bluebonnets at the Bluebonnet festival. This part of Texas is absolutely gorgeous covered in bluebonnets and Indian Paint brushes. If you ever get the chance, come visit during this time of year. You won't be disappointed, and Brenham is home to Bluebell icecream, the greatest in the country. Oh yeah, this is gonna be good.

I've been thinking about the 80s alot lately, some nostalgia. So this week I'm posting some of my favorite videos from those days. This one is Our House. Enjoy:

Adoption....I'm gonna be a daddy

Here's a story. In 1979 (I was 11) my parents recieved a phone call from my Aunt. She stated that a cousin had two little girls that she couldn't take care of and was going to give them to the state. The oldest girl, Samantha, was two and a half, and the youngest, Charlotte Ann, was just under a year old.
My parents had thought for years about adopting a little girl. I remember the family gathering in the living room when I was about 8 or 9 and praying for God's Will to be done. We went to visit my Aunt and meet the woman, who we hadn't known prior, but that was a distant cousin by marriage. I'll never forget that day. Sam wouldn't talk, but only point at what she wanted. Ann was shy, but seemed very spirited once the initial shyness wore off. I remember Sam was very skinny and both had long dark hair.

Their natural father had a large family of his own, and when my parents first contacted him, he said, "Hell no you can't have my girls." He then came and picked them up. My parents were devastated and we believed we would never see them again. However, a day or so later, he called and said that my parents "could give them a better life than he ever could" and that he was willing to sign away his rights.

So in less than a week, I had two little sisters. Both girls were a challenge to raise. We also always wondered how their early years effected their lives and psyche. Both girls have had very troubled relationships as adults. Now Ann has two daughters. She finally has a good job and is just beginning to rebuild her life.

Last week she was very surprised to learn that she is pregnant. She realized she can barely take care of herself and her daughter now, and after speaking to her boyfriend realized he does not want to have a baby either. She and he decided that they would put the baby up for adoption hoping that a good family would adopt the baby and give it a better life.

My wife and I decided that we would adopt the baby. Am I excited? Definately. I never imagined I'd be a daddy again. In fact I've said often that I wouldn't do it again. But I can't turn my back on family, and I know there is enough love in our home for one more.

I spoke to David about it and he is thrilled. His only question was, "What about my room?" I assured him that his room was his, and that his privacy would be safe.

Kevin also liked the idea saying he wanted a "sister."

I just want healthy, but I'd be happy to have a daughter.

Names currently under consideration:

Boy: Travis Lee

Girl: Jessica Lynn


So..pray for us. Pray for the baby, Ann, the birth father, and my family.

God's will be done.

Friday and a New Release

Howdy,

Kevin is a hoot. Last night he performed in a choir of first graders at his school. I was very surprised when he came down to speak into the mic to introduce the third song. The girl before him has turned off the mic. So he said his bit, realized it wasn't broadcasting, turned it back on and looked out at the crowd,"Hello?" he began to peals of laughter. He said the introduction, and did so flawlessly, but then everyone laughing made him smile and he forgot the last part of the intro. The teacher was trying to coach him, but he was having fun. Eventually he did finish and returned to his place where he danced, performed, and sang. He was a true Ham, and the hit of the show. I was simply amazed, overjoyed, and proud.

If you don't know, my son Kevin is mildly autistic and when he was three he had a vocabulary of maybe ten words. His growth has been tremendous and both my wife and I teared up with joy watching him last night.

Also we are real close to having Steamworks ready for sale. It's been a long road. I recieved the first draft of this two years ago and spent the summer editing the entire document. We then sent it off to a d20 guru who went over it again, then Korey (the author) rewrote much of it, and it went through another round of edits. Finally back in early February it was going to layout and we were gathering art. Art came in pretty steadily and man am I impressed with the final product.

I pushed originally to accept the work from Korey as I felt it really could be good. However, by last summer I had begun to doubt it as 4th edition had been announced and I knew we were still a long way away from finishing it. What's really funny is the biggest doubter in the company about the viability of the product was Preston Dubose, but now he has become its biggest proponent. It's a very cool book with hundreds of ideas and ways of including technosteam into any fantasy setting.

Korey did a fantastic job with it and I can't wait to see it completed.

Now for some fun. More awesome Jackie footage:

Bush...

Did ya hear that Bush wants to give the Federal Reserve extra powers to watch over every aspect of the economy so it can step in and control the economy whenever the economic forecasts look bleak. So much for the Republican idea that government should take a Laisee Faire course with business.

A free market economy should have very little, if any, controls. This is definately not free market.

Now, I actually agree with this progressive move, but I find it funny that Bush is doing it. I think we are very close to the brink of a major recession if not an outright depression, the likes we have not seen since the 1930s. Why do you suppose the government stepped in to bail out that big bank deal two weeks ago and spent a couple of BILLION to do it? Because if that big bank went under, it would effect other banks, and the government was afraid of a run on the banks by people to get their money out just like what happened in the late 1920s.

The Great Depression had many causes, but most historians agree a big part of it was buying stocks on margin (taking bank loans to purchase stocks believing the stock market would forever improve).

I believe the situation is actually worse today with 7 out of 10 Americans heavily in credit debt, in houses they can't afford, and with the ever shrinking value of the dollar. Speculation has caused oil and gas prices to go through the roof, despite having a GLUT of the stuff right now.

Things are bad! The US economy is currently being propped up by loans from Communist CHINA! Think about that (of course only Cold Warriors truly understand the irony of that).

Add to all of this the fact that 35% of the US population will retire in the next five to ten years (baby boomers) and our economy is in trouble. Why? We are a consumer economy. We must spend money and buy things to keep our economy going. Once these folks retire, most will begin purchasing much less than they have the past thirty years. That's a huge chunck of our economy gone. America is getting older, not younger, and the youth will be paying much more of their income in taxes to support the retiring baby boomers for the next twenty-thirty years.

I'd really like to know what Obama, MCCain, or Hillary would do to increase the value of the American dollar? I have never heard any of them even discuss the issue.

Here is a wild idea....Imagine you are an internationalist businessperson looking to increase your personal wealth and the power of your company. Imagine what it would mean for you to have a huge workforce that you could control with very little pay, and without having to ship products from overseas. How would you make this happen? Simple...destroy the value of the American dollar forcing Americans to live like the rest of the world (India for example). Unite Canada, US, and Mexico and create a new unit of exchange, the Amero. This way you get richer at the expense of American nationalism and our current state of living will be greatly reduced.

I will be a rebel if that happens.

Big Oil and Crappy Government II

For April Fool's I had a tooth yanked. It's fun to get old.


Did you hear about the Big Oil fellows going before Congress yesterday? Last quarter, and every quarter since Katrina and Rita hit several years ago, they have posted record profits while the middle class and poor suffer to pay $3.50 per gallon at the pumps with no end to the climbing prices in sight.

Kudos to the Democrats for holding these meetings. The Republicans were no where to be seen or heard.

Did you know that big oil and gas companies get over 18 Billion, YES BILLION dollars in tax abatements from our government. Sure wish I could get tax abatement. I guess my measly few thousand is more important to the tax base than 18 BILLION dollars of the big oil and gas companies. That's our frickin TAX system.

Republicans argue that it's just the market and that it will eventually correct itself. They point to the law of supply and demand.

Really?

Then how come we currently have a glut of oil and the cost still is going up? That's kinda against the basic law of supply and demand, and I'll say again that big oil and gas is not true free market. If it were, the consumers would have choice. We don't have any choice. Gas is gas and there is little difference in where you buy it.

They use a corn-ethanol mix in the summer supposedly to keep prices down, but it actually burns less effectively than gas and we get less gas mileage. In exchange we see higher food costs as most all canned goods use corn based preservation. So now consumers pay more for gas, and more for groceries.

AND...we give 18 Billion in Tax abatements to the Oil and Gas companies.

So...Democrats are leading the fight for middle class and poor on this issue. Republicans are hopelessly lost in their rich, lawyer, look out for the rich, screw the poor, mentality. That's why they are losing their base.

This about says it all...

Whether Democrat or Republican, I think you'll get a kick out of this!


A little boy goes to his dad and asks, 'What is Politics?'

Dad says, 'Well son, let me try to explain it this way:

I am the head of the family, so call me The President.

Your mother is the administrator of the money, so we call her the
Government.

We are here to take care of your needs, so we will call you the People.

The nanny, we will consider her the Working Class.

And your baby brother, we will call him the Future.

Now think about that and see if it makes sense.'

So the little boy goes off to bed thinking about what Dad has said.

Later that night, he hears his baby brother crying, so he gets up to
check on him.

He finds that the baby has severely soiled his diaper.

So the little boy goes to his parent's room and finds his mother asleep.
Not wanting to wake her, he goes to the nanny's room. Finding the door
locked, he peeks in the keyhole and sees his father in bed with the
nanny. He gives up and goes back to bed.


The next morning, the little boy says to his father, 'Dad, I think I
understand the concept of politics now.'

The father says, 'Good, son, tell me in your own words what you think
politics is all about.'

The little boy replies, 'The President is screwing the Working Class
while the Government is sound asleep. The People are being ignored and
the Future is in deep shit.
_____