To Be Continued

I am in the middle of moving, buying, selling, and in general busier than a one legged man at an ass kicking contest. Yet, once this all settles down I will bring every one up to date.

I am an Amrican & I Love this Country

Recently, I have commented on some ultra-conservative blogs. I do not mind various points of view at all, this is America, we must have free speach, the freedom to speak ones thoughts and views with out the threat of punishment or prison. Yet, one thing I purpose vehemently to keep out of is the extremists views of any group. It is this very thing I often rail against and attempt to show the danger and folly of these views. This coupled with the fact I enjoy a good or for that matter a bad debate, I find myself responding to these people with sarcasm and smart-ass comments.

The one in which I seem to have become the Arch nemisis to this Joan of Arc is a woman who goes by Marie on her blog http://mariestwocents.blogspot.com - look at it if you must. You will see me called everthing from a west coast liberal girly man to a heartless bastard. I find it quite humrous to be described as such since most who know me would say I can be difficult and stir it up but in general I'm a good guy in the yellow hat.

To this end I have been doubted in my patriotism and love for my country. I have even been called un-American. I have began to re-discover the music of Rich Mullins. He is one of the very few Christian Contemperary singers that I enjoy and respect. Rich was killed September of 1996 in a car accident that saw him thrown from the truck he was traveling in and hit by another truck on Highway 57 in Illinois, about 15o miles from St. Louis. I miss what he might have written musically in the future but we are left with a legacy of music that has deeply touched my life.

It may seem weird that I mention this singer in a discourse of my loyalty to this country but Rich wrote a song that I love. It is a song that from the first time I heard it played gave me chills and sent a tear to my eyes. He touched my soul and my heart beat for America.
It is a song titled: Land Of My Sojourn

And the coal trucks come a-runnin'
With their bellies full of coal And their big wheels a-hummin'
Down this road that lies open like the soul of a woman
Who hid the spies who were lookin'
For the land of the milk and the honey
And this road she is a woman
She was made from a rib
Cut from the sides of these mountains
Oh these great sleeping Adams
Who are lonely even here in paradise
Lonely for somebody to kiss them
and I'll sing my song, and I'll sing my song
In the land of my sojourn

And the lady in the harbor
She still holds her torch out
To those huddled masses who are
Yearning for a freedom that still eludes them
The immigrant's children see their brightest dreams shattered
Here on the New Jersey shoreline in the
Greed and the glitter of those high-tech casinos
But some mendicants wander off into a cathedral
And they stoop in the silence
And there their prayers are still whispered
And I'll sing their song, and I'll sing their song
In the land of my sojourn

Nobody tells you when you get born here
How much you'll come to love it
And how you'll never belong here
So I call you my country
And I'll be lonely for my home
And I wish that I could take you there with me

And down the brown brick spine of some dirty blind alley
All those drain pipes are drippin' out the last Sons Of Thunder
While off in the distance the smoke stacks
Were belching back this city's best answer
And the countryside was pocked
With all of those mail pouch posters
Thrown up on the rotting sideboards of
These rundown stables like the one that Christ was born in
When the old world started dying
And the new world started coming on
And I'll sing His song, and I'll sing His song
In the land of my sojourn

In the land of my sojourn
And I will sing His song
In the land of my sojourn

This rings as true today as it did 12 years ago at the begining of a different Presidental administration that was as far from this current President and his adgenda as east is from west. If I could put into my own words the love and loyalty I feel to this country it would have been similar although less poetic to this Rich Mullins song. Thank you, Rich for your fierce determination to show what God can do with one man totally sold out to Him. Thank you for giving me the music to express this.

Happy Birthday to Me

I wonder if this makes me a little narcissistic writing this Blog about me today. I know Blogs are supposed to be places where you write your thoughts your dreams and in my case Rants, Raves & Reviews. As is my nature I have been long on rants short on raves and non-existent on reviews. The reviews thing is something that just hasn’t materialized because as usual everyday work and life has given me ample excuse not to follow-up with my source for preview tickets. Thanks to Jeff for making the connection I may get around to following up with it in the next couple of days. Then again why break a perfect pattern.

I am very goal oriented when it comes to planning. Yet, it of the execution of said plan that has always been my downfall. I never set the goal of becoming a millionaire or anything close to that. But, as I pass the halfway point of my life I realize if I want to ever retire and travel as an old person I will need a few million to pay for it all. Yes, I have a plan to be the old man that smells of mothballs with Bermuda shorts, Hawaiian shirt, yellow ball cap, black knee high socks and sandals chewing a nasty 50-cent cigar while I mall walk for my health. I really do want to be semi active in my advanced years.

Tomorrow is my birthday I will be 36. Not a bad age it should be the place where you have settled into your life somewhat. I have not settled in fact I have been remodeling my life for the last 2 years. I no longer associate with many of the friends I had back then I also have stopped communication with many in my family. These "losses" are not as tragic as they may appear, I am willing to let loose of those who either do not believe in me or have felt the need to not show me the respect I am due as an adult. I will not get into all the specifics of this but needless to say I do believe these relationships can be restored but only on a term of equal footing. I am not wanting pity or to become some Stuart Smalley charicature it is just the assesment of where I am today.

I have a loving fiancée who knows me for who I am and is still here. Her family has been very accepting and caring towards me over the last 2 years. They have helped me to see that every family is dysfunctional to a point but with respect of each other and love family sticks together working things out. I want to thank them for accepting me into their family.

I haven’t said much about my goals or where I am on my retirement plans because I am not really sure what direction I am going to head into. I am working on my writing more than just this Blog. I am thinking of starting a second Blog on in which I can comment more bluntly on the things I see in the workplace. I cannot do so here due to the fact that many at my work check this and read it. I guess you will all be happy that I FINALLY posted something. I also want to start some sort of small business that will eventually give me a supplemental income to facilitate my retirement.

We are currently in the process of selling our condo and the feed back to date has gone very well. No offers but very good feed back. I think it is going better than expected by our realtor but maybe I will get away with my bold pricing for this unit. All I hope for is that we can hold out until May so we pass the 2-year point on ownership to avoid state taxes. If not it will be another lesson learned for our next remodel. I have to make this short because the condo will be open for display in 30 minutes and I need to get my cat & dog and make my way elsewhere. I know that in my life "the best is yet to be" to steal a quote I first heard from an old employer James E. Stowers Jr.

TRAVEL CHANNEL

you Here is a little something to fill space on the blog... It didnt take long and it is kind of fun. Alot is going on right now we are attempting to move and had alot of holiday fun. Hope to have something interesting in the next couple days.





create your own visited country map
or check our Rome travel guide



create your own personalized map of the USA
or check out ourCalifornia travel guide

Vote Early ~ Vote Often

Trudy & I arrived at our assigned polling location to fulfill one of the major responsibilities bestowed up on us as Americans... to Vote. While I could go into a long discourse on the reasons every citizen should go and vote in EVERY election, I won't. What I will do is give the Election Boards across the nation some ideas on how to run a better polling location.

The major problem in every election I have voted in to date are the long lines. If they would take a look at many fast food locations they would find the solution to this. The 'cattle shoot' line divider would do the trick. You know, the ones with the retractable nylon dividers. It would resove the many having to stand in the rain waiting to cast a vote.

While we stood over an hour in line to cast a vote it would have been nice to recieve a snack and/or a drink. I know many of you are like, What about the mess? Who will serve it? Well, I would think that when you enter, maybe, they could have a cooler of beverages and a dispenser for snacks. Then a couple of trash receptacles would do the trick for clean-up. They should also consider a flyer of the issues and candidates to hand out informing us of things like the left wing veiws of the dog catcher we are voting for. To spade or nueter... to de-claw or not de-claw, those types of things.

Door prizes would be another draw to the polls and I would think that the Presidential election would have the best door prizes. Come and vote go home with a toaster oven or a new computer. Think of the corporate deals and sponsorships that could be garnered. This election is brought to you by Coke.

Mascots could be another way to alleviate the wait. A big headed Uncle Sam could greet you give you your snacks, drink, and raffle ticket. Pose for pictures with the voters and sundry kids waiting for thier parents to vote. The mascot could also do balloon figures, some card tricks or my personal choice saw the local politician in half. (No real need to put them back together)

Election Rides might be cool. Think about this, you arrive at the polls and are wisked away to an hour long ride telling the importance of voting in America. You start off watching the Mayflower Compact being voted on - other votes for... independence - the Constitution - rights for blacks to vote - the Sufferage vote. You understand where this is going, Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln all admonishing us to vote. It would be a complete ride if at the end all the former Presidents were to pat your butt as you run down the tunnel into a stadium with thousands cheering you onto vote.

I could go on with more bright ideas on making the voting process better in this country. Look at the up side we can vote with out fear of anything except the results. We dont have to worry about being blown up or shot for voting or fear of political retaliation because we voted for the ''wrong'' person. When it is all said and done, inspite of the worst of the political campagning we have a very good system to govern our country and ourselves. Just next time, some one remind me to bring along my latest reading, it could be a long wait.

P.S. check out this site for a fun drinking game: http://web.ics.purdue.edu/~smith60/index.php?itemid=201

Baseball Kerry's away Bush

An odd title to be sure but this is a potpourri of my crazy goings on the last few weeks. Some funny some thoughtful and some just plain ol' boring.
Baseball is very, very good in St Louis these days. The Cardinals have THE best lineup in baseball and one of the greatest in the history of the game. This is my opinion and a fact.

Tony Womack leads off and is hitting 30 points higher than his lifetime average. He is followed by Larry Walker a lefty who is clutch and carries a lifetime on base percentage of .401. Walker will get his pitches because after him is Albert Pujols. Albert is the real deal, he will become one of the greats of the game in four years of major league baseball only two players have better all around stats. The Splendid Splinter Ted Williams & Joltin' Joe DiMaggio and they both hit around .400 in one of their first four years. Watch Albert at every chance, one of him only shows up ever generation or so.

The clean up batter Scott Rolen is considered the best all around third baseman in baseball. Scott is 6'4" fields third like Brooks Robinson and hits like Mike Schmidt. He is a scary and exciting player, while he is no Pujols, the fact still remains he would hit cleanup on any team in the Majors. Hitting fifth is Jim Edmonds who still has some pop and can hit for average. Jim strikes out a little much for my contact hitting preference but when he is on he can carry the team through a slump. Also with six Gold Gloves and what many consider the most dangerous arm in baseball, he makes plays in centerfield like Jackie Robinson.Batting sixth is Edgar Renteria one of the best clutch hitters in the game. He smells RBI anytime a man is in scoring position and delivers them over 35% of the time a huge number for any player. In fact, he is a better hitter with runners in scoring position that with no one on base.Journeyman Reggie Sanders batting seventh tells you how powerful this lineup really is because with his numbers he would be a fifth or sixth place hitter on any other team. The only hole in this lineup is Mike Matheny but he allows the Cardinals to pitch and keep runners on because of his arm and defense. In addition, this year he hit .247 while not overwhelming it does place him in the top 10 in the National league for number eight hitters.

This powerful lineup has played strong winning the National League Central by thirteen games over the Astros. They also sent the Dodgers to the links in four games of the Division Series. They have served notice to the Wild-card Astros by winning the first two games of the League Championship Series.

I camped out at Busch stadium a couple weeks ago to get play-off tickets. It was one of the best and worst experiences of getting post season tickets. The Cardinals choose to sell both rounds of the play-offs at once a great idea one night sleeping in a lawn chair and I am set for both rounds. The down side was they sold twelve tickets for each game and out came the scalpers. I will not get into this here but one of my next blogs will be devoted to the market of scalping. Needless to say, I was less than happy to find out that standing room only was all that they had when I got to the window eighteen hours after I arrived at the stadium. All of this was bearable due to Trudy being able to bring food and hang out with our new friends and me.
As I have found though standing room only is an awesome way to watch the game. Yes, it was a little tiring but when you watch, your favorite team win three games it is well worth it. Should they play any more games in St. Louis I will be seated... maybe. I may just wander down to standing room only to find the camaraderie of the masses.
On the side, Jeff ill call you during any extended rallies by the Cards because he is in Ohio and they like to watch some other team. Any one ever heard of them? Yankees?? I have no clue what that is all about.

Kerry is the alternative to our current presidential situation. My father and I spoke at length about a second Bush in the White House back in 2000. It was our conclusion that Bush would lead us into a war somewhere and my favorite place was Iraq. Now this is only verifiable by him and any one who might have remembered me talking about this. That is not as important as our current situation.

We are in a war no other words for it and of the two candidates, we have to vote for only one served under fire. He was awarded medals and no matter how you slice it he did something in Vietnam. I have never been under fire I have no idea my reaction in that situation but it is my hope to have served with honor as Kerry did.

As for him coming home against the war and testifying, I want to go on the record saying: Kerry earned the right to speak his mind about the war. If he lied intentionally, about what happened in Vietnam then he should be honest about what happened. Kerry should be called out about lies he originated and apologize for passing off any false fabrications told by him from other sources. He should not be called out on what he said by pundits who were not there and/or too young to even remember Vietnam. He should never be called out by some one who used his daddy's influence to hide in the National Guard. Kerry was under fire and he has the right, protected by the Constitution, to tell his story, the truth, to the best of his memory.

It has long been our in our political history to associate military service with the ability to lead the country. Let's remember though not every war hero who was elected was actually as heroic as their legend and political stumping would lead you to believe. So that this election would use war and service in wars to help determine who is a more capable leader is nothing new. We as a Nation need to honor those who fought and served in the Armed Forces. Yet, to our discredit over the last year, we have allowed people to smear the records of men and women who have served with distinction.

As for the Liberal record of Kerry I'm sure coming from Mass. one of the more liberal states he is a product of the voting patterns of his state. Does being liberal make you more or less effective a Commander in Chief? Eisenhower was the most liberal of Republican Presidents and under his administrations, this country prospered greatly. Clinton in all his liberal beliefs led the country in one of its greatest economic booms. They both had a down side. Clinton had an affair that clouded the effectiveness of his administration. Eisenhower had affairs of his own and held a foreign policy that was one of the least effective of the latter Twentieth Century.

Bush to his credit has handled a number of crises during his administration. He also has done some things I personally disagree with. It is my personal estimation that once history reflects its light on this administration we will be appalled at the corruption and billions of Dollars that ended up in the pockets of Bush and his pals. That can be disputed until the election and after because we will never know until ten or fifteen years down the road. Remember, this is MY opinion take it or leave it.

The real issues and what should make every conservative cringe are two specific issues: Abortion & Gay Marriage. I will not get into my personal beliefs on these subjects because they deserve greater attention than I can afford here. For the writing at hand, I will represent the positions held by the majority of conservatives.

Abortion: For the most part, unless the life of the mother is in eminent danger there should be no abortions. An example would be a tubal pregnancy where neither the baby nor the mother would survive. In any other case, it should be determined by the viability of the baby to live outside the womb. Even if this would mean damage but not death to the mother should she carry to term. If you would like a statement of ethics on this take, a look at how any Catholic hospital handles situations and you have a good idea of the position of the majority of conservatives.

Gay Marriage: The vast majority of right wing conservatives hold to the position that gays and lesbians should not have marriage rights. Neither should they have the right to adopt children. Some would go so far as to say they should not have shared or sole parental rights to their own children. They should not have community property rights or the ability to have shared insurance.

Bush said Roe v. Wade would not be the litmus test for determining any judges. In the last four years, he has done nothing substantial on this front. He has even gone so far as to say he does not intend to overturn Roe v. Wade. The first statement was made at the third presidential debate in 2004. The second statement was made during the 2000 primary.
As conservatives, the ruling of Roe v. Wade is the crux of the issue. If this ruling could be overturned, it would be a great victory for the conservative base. Bush has done little than the status quo to alleviate this. He could have a grand plan to make this happen but with out a change in Judiciary appointment to those known to support the overturning Roe v. Wade it will probably stand.

He could have attempted to introduce a bill to congress limiting and redefining this Right but he knows no one in congress wants to have this on his or her records. I will not totally fault Bush on this one because he is actually playing politics as usual.
Bush on the issue of Gay marriage he has asked for an amendment to allow him to make a law defining marriage as only between a man and a woman in the Constitution. In order to pass this it would take a three-fourths majority of ALL members of Congress and then ratification of three-fourths of all 50 states. These things will not happen. This is a hot button, no politician wants to have on their record for voting up or down. Since, they would alienate a large portion of one base group or another.

Many conservatives say Bush is at the mercy of the Liberals in Congress and a Supreme Court that is split with Conservatives and Liberals. I offer this example. Harry S. Truman said the buck stopped with him. When it came to the biggest moral issue of his day, Racism, Harry used executive orders to integrate the Military, Federal Government, & Washington D.C. no questions asked. Truman did this in an election year with a majority Republican Congress and a dissenting "Dixiecrat" working to defeat any legislation insuring Civil Rights.

Should Bush honestly want to effect change he would find ways to make it happen. He only has a minority opposition from the Democrats and according to His own rhetoric, the majority of the American public want these things to happen. It is my estimation that Bush is only pandering to the Conservative Right to keep a large contingency in the Republican Party voting for him. Just as Bush used tremendous political clout to mobilize this nation to war he could have mobilized the Congress accomplish these two very passionate goals. Based in his comments and lack of comments on these two very key issues with conservatives he has done little to effect any real change.

I do not believe that either of these two choices are any more Honest, Honorable, or Sincere than the other one. In my opinion, Kerry showed better in the debates than did Bush. I know neither of them are sold on being truthful to the American public. I do not want anyone to vote as I see fit. If you want a place to look at the facts goto www.factcheck.org Frankly, for the reasons sited above Im not sure I can support either for President. As a person who holds certian Ideals sacred, knowing that neither truly suppport any of those I am left to ponder who to choose.

I will vote, there are a number of issues and canidates I can and am wiling to vote for. I am not sure what to do with the Presidental vote I may end up writing in my favorite choice if he would only run... Dave Barry. (I heard he has nothing to do starting in 2005.)

GO CARDS !!!

My Father

It is often said you can choose your friends but you can’t choose your family. My parents are the typical Boomers. Born after the war, raised in the Ozzie and Harriet era of the 50’s and 60’s, they grew up experiencing the life and times of their generation. The cold war, mutually assured destruction, Truman, the Kennedy assassination, Vietnam, Men on the moon, Flight as the norm, Muscle cars, the martial arts, computers, free-love, drugs, things that were not a regular part of their parents generation became accepted.

I know about this generation, as a child knows its own parents. Things are kept from us that are not ‘any of our business’, other things are shared in an effort to help us understand ‘who they are’ and maybe a little of who we are in the process. Of my parents, it has been my relationship with my father that has been the most difficult for me.

As a small child my memories of my father are limited. I recall going to the dojo to learn Judo from my father. I have memories of what had to be the fastest car in the world, a 1967 Chevrolet Camaro. I also recall one late, late night waiting for this student, father, instructor, to come home and build a home made of Lincoln Logs. There is also the day at the hospital not knowing I almost lost him to a motorcycle accident.

Then we moved back to St. Louis and in a short time many things changed. The Camaro and motorcycle were sold replaced by a number of funky cars including the Chevrolet Vega. Our house went through a sprucing up to be placed on the market for sale. And property was sought after to build my parent’s dream home. There was another change in the family the addition of a beautiful black haired blue eyed sister.

Shortly after her birth and our visit to the Magic Kingdom my father left. Moved across town to an apartment above a cleaners and filed for divorce. I know that after he left we had to go spend quality time with him and his friends. These visits were not fun as I can recall yet like any kid placed in the midst of a bad situation we made the best of it. Sure there are pictures with smiles and showing good times but remember this is the 1970’s not 1870’s… the catch phrase before every picture is SMILE.

He would later move to Paducah, Kentucky and we would be required to visit by law. Once I believe was Memorial Day. The next was 6 long weeks spent with two babysitters, sisters, my father had hired to watch my brother and I. These sitters sat in my dads bedroom and told us not to bother them. They also left us with their mother on the wrong side of the tracks. Two white boys from the suburbs in a low-income black neighborhood. Yet, as kids will do we made the best of it. Even the trip we made through the drive through liquor store so the sitters could purchase some ‘cowboy cigarettes’ I thought was cool because only in the John Wayne movies did I ever see anyone roll their own cigarettes. John Wayne was very cool to an eight-year-old.

Things didn’t change much in subsequent visits except they were longer and the location changed to Ponchatoula, Louisiana. The one bright spot of these visits was my father’s new wife and her family. While I was terribly shy to strangers they were very welcoming and took in three kids who were not pissed at them but at their father. I don’t believe I have ever thanked then for their kindness and acceptance but I will now. My only regret is that her parents are not alive now to know how much I greatly appreciate what they did for me. Thank you.

These visits with my father were a time to watch him work long hours and try to be a father on the weekends when he was off. We were babysat by the sports club my father joined. Then by a girl down the street from his house, I was later to find out mental illness ran in her family. The father committed suicide and she suffers from bouts of depression. I felt isolated because after every summer away for two months I had to remake friends at home. The friends we made at my fathers were never more than summer flings because kids move on.

There were more court battles, one brought on because when my father arrived I refused to go. I was not going to lose another summer to being isolated on 10 acres waiting to go back home. That was a glorious summer I did as I pleased went to the pool not the pond. Went to Six Flags on my season’s pass with friends. I even finished the baseball season with the team I played on for half of the previous summers. I earned money mowing lawns for friends and family and used it to fund my summer of freedom.

I don’t recall much of what I did that summer other than I did not spend it sitting in the house doing nothing or isolated outside of Ponchatoula. Also that the summer ended with a trip to the courts and telling the judge why we didn’t want to go down and visit my father.

I know now, that had my father spent more time with us while we were there… less time on work. Taken a vacation not related to a business trip with us, and maybe gotten us involved in some summer day camp these visits might have been less stress and more productive in building a better relationship with us. I know he never had much for a role model as a father except the occasional visits with family and his grandfather. This only goes so far because he is highly intelligent and could have attempted to learn to become a better father.

Even to this day he portrays how he lost out on his children’s lives and is not included. His inclusion always has a price. Don’t get me wrong there is also a price for my mother’s inclusion in things. Yet, his always comes with lectures and the world according to how he views it. He wants to pass on all his wisdom all his knowledge. He wants to have a legacy live on in his children. I guess he is not unlike many other fathers he wants to know his life his name will be remembered and passed on.

I am not a father myself and this may be for good reason. I have not been exposed to the best role models. From a sons advantage I know what I want to be as a father. I want my children to know that I love them, I want them to know my history, but ultimately want them to know what I have searched for almost thirty years. A father who helps them grow and become better people, citizens, and parents than I am.

I stand alongside my father; I have received very few things from him I do not stand as other children do on their parents’ shoulders and move on. I was handed nothing and have worked for everything in my possession. My life is not better or worse than others just different. I live by my choices but I also regret the wasted relationship I have to this day with my father.

I know he will never fully accept my choices and he will always view me in a suspicious light. I will never become the success he envisioned. All I hope is at the end of my time my legacy will be I left the world and any children I have better than when I entered.