Christmas 2008

Another fun filled Christmas weekend comes to an end. The Christmas of 2008 turned out to be a good one for the boys.

My favorite present was given to me from Jordan...Duct Tape.

2 Bailouts down....How many more to go? Its anyones guess?

It was no surprise that the government approved another corporate bailout for the domestic automakers. Of course it was much smaller than the one the banks received, but still it came at the cost of the hard working American taxpayers. It goes to show that these companies are not management effectively. A company should be prepared for tough times and not expect Uncle Sam to help them out due to lack of fiscal planning

I think it would be better suited for the government to help the taxpayers that are keeping this debt ridden nation afloat. Why is it that big Corporate Executives can continue to draw large salaries/bonuses, use private jets and other luxury wants but come crawling to the government for money. Yes, it sounds like the government welfare program that continues to provide for lazy people that refuse to work or find ways to make money that is undetected to the government and have the government help them live high on the hog.

Maybe these corporations that are begging for money should tighten their belts and slash waste. Stop giving bonuses and stock options when the company's performance does not warrant it. The executives that are making unexcuseable large salaries should take a pay cut to help the company save money. You don’t need millions of dollars a year to feed your family of 4.

REMEMBER ALL YOU HARD WORKING AMERICANS, KEEP WORKING MILLION OF AMERICANS ARE DEPENDING ON US SO THEY CAN CONTINUE TO BE LAZY AND RIP THE GOVERNEMENT OFF AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF US.

Watch Out!!!

I wanted to share this clip from a recent soccer game I attended. Keep your eye on what happens to the ball when it goes out of bounds and is put back into play

Stupid People and Guns

With the recent news of another sports figure involved with a gun incident. I thought I would share the below clip. Maybe there is a good reason politicians are lobbying for stricter gun control and laws. Make sure you turn up the volume before viewing this clip!


http://splodetv.com/video/gun-accident-compilation

OOOOPPPPSSSS!!!!

Trying to follow in his mother's footsteps, Jordan made a failed attempt to trim his bangs. Better luck next time!!!

Hold on!!! Here we go!!!

If the current economic recession we are experiencing is not enough. We now have to deal with the rising cost of health insurance. I can’t argue that health insurance is not necessary. Given my families medical history it’s a must for me and my siblings.

After reading a few articles, I am dumb founded as to why the cost of health insurance is rising at unseen before levels. What is contributing to the rise....greed, lazy people on welfare? Inflation is only 2-3.5% yearly. It is hard for hard working Americans to keep up. Workers are now paying $1,400 more in annual in healthcare premiums for family coverage than they did in 2000. It is no wonder why there is a growing number of uninsured Americans.

Some national surveys show that the primary reason people are uninsured is the high cost of health insurance coverage. Nearly 47 million Americans are uninsured; the United States still spends more on health care than any other industrialized nation.
Premiums for employer-based health insurance rose by 6.1 percent in 2007. Small employers saw their premiums jump as well with an increase 5.5 percent. Smaller businesses with less than 24 workers saw a larger increase of 6.8 percent.

Health care spending is 4.3 times the amount spent on national defense. Hopefully Barry and his band of merry men and women can help once he takes office Jan 20 2009

And that is a Wrap!

With the RSL Season ending in a loss to the Red Bulls at the Western Conference finals, one was to wonder what if. What would have happened if RSL didnt have 4 shots ping off the goal posts? They would be playing Columbus.

All n All it was a good game to watch. The best part was I had the oppurtunity to sit next to Marcelo Balboa and help with stats. It was a once in a lifetime oppurtunity.

Another DAMN Bailout!!!

I am interested to see which industry will be next to beg the government for money. Airlines, Transportation, Healhcare....... It seems like its turning out to be Corporate Welfare at its finest. How the hell can the executives of the financial and automaker industries beg for money to keep their businesses aflost when they are receiving millions in compensation and perks??? Its just like the lazy asses that dont need welfare, but want to live the comfortable live so they learn how to play the system. Yet, its the hardworking people that are honset and pay their taxes that have to pay for this stupidity. Maybe if the executives took at paycut and were paid by the perfornace of their companies, they wouldnt need to be begging for the government to bail them out.

Not all Churches are Created Equally!!!

I thought that the Mormon Tabernacle Choir was the best church choir out there until I visited this church. Enjoy!!!

See more funny videos and TBT Videos at Today's Big Thing.

My Dear Sweet Boys

As Christmas is approaching, we got dragged out for our yearly picture taking trip.
We managed to get a few good poses from the boys. We are selling prints, all funds will go towards their trust funds.....kidding.

Time for a Change!!!

I was happy with the outcome of the recent election, not because Barry won, but how he did it. It was not easy to convience the American people that he was capable of taking on the task of President-Elect. Given how blacks have been treated over the years and the misconceptions some people have had. To be trusted as the First Black President of the United States of America, is an enormous feat to have accomplished.

I think it goes to show that we helping Dr. MLK Jr's sppech come true.

"I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."

"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character."

My Worse Nightmare!!!

Jordan recently had a huge birthday bash to celebrate 5 years on Earth. As family and friends showered him with gifts, one gift hit me hard. As Uncle Paddy presented a gift to Jordan, I watched in horror as Jordan opened his present. I was speechless, I wanted to puke. My wonderful, thoughtful Sister-In-Law bought Jordan a Lebron James #23 jersey. Yes, this is the same number made famous by his Airness-Michael Jordan.

As my son will learn and have to decide from good and evil, the tug-o-war begins. Who will convince Jordan what player's jersey he will want to wear? So far, Kristy has gained an edge....for now

Change is Good

My view on my 6th Floor perch during RSL soccer games has changed. With the recent move to RIO TINTO Stadium the Press Box is a mere 4 floors up, quite the change.
I think the new stadium is much better suited for soccer games. I am not sure the hassle and the hagling over public funds was worth it. Hopefully RSL and the Soccer haters (you know who you are) will be able to kiss and make up. The time will come with Utah will be the soccer Utopia of the West. Some day............

Its been that long???

Its been 6 years, since our sweet mom passed away. As i sat in the hospital that October night I would have never guess things would have played out like they did. I am very grateful for my family and friends who have stood by my side and helped me cope. My siblings have managed to grow and make mom proud.

Today, I took Jordan to the cemetary to give mom flowers. Jordan has never known mom, just through stories has learned what a great woman she is. So I was a bit taken back when he told me he wanted some time alone with Grandma. So he sat quietly by the headstone. then when he was ready to go, bent down and kissed the headstone and quietly waked a way.

Just one more thing to Love

I am not making this point to start a political debate, just pointing out a good fact about the Obama-Biden push to the White House. IMO....our President and VP should be educated people. Regardless of where they received their papers, I want to be comfortable knowing that they are educated and can manage the country. Given that current state of the economy, we need some!!

Obama-Harvard (J.D., Magna Cum Laude) Biden-Syracuse U. (J.D.) McCain-U.S. Naval Academy (Rank 894 out of 899) Palin-U of Idaho(B.A. Journalism.

Now I prefer to have someone who graduated at the top of their class rather than the bottom. Dont you? That right there shows the motivation and dedication they had.

WTH is up with BFF

was getting another reality show. If her singing career and show with that anorexic daughter of Lionel Richie wasn’t enough. Now we have to be bombarded with ads about her new show MY NEW BFF. C'mon.....Does a hotel heiress really need help finding friends or even BFFs. I am sure after the elections Sarah Palin will be in need of a new BFF.

WTF......She needs to focus her time and energy in making a different in the world. Save the trees, whales, Red-Footed Lemur. Someone of her caliber and wealth needs to put her money and time to good use. The last thing the viewing public wants to see is some blonde bimbo prancing around the TV screen. We need more quality TV shows.

Sportmanship

Being a good Sportman and Sportsmanship.....IMO it goes beyond the textbook definition: " as fairness, courtesy, being a cheerful loser."

I bring this up becuase, Today as with most Saturdays I had the opportunity to go play co-ed soccer at a local indoor facility. The team I am currently on is not the greatest, but suffices until my knee is back to 100%. Well....the team we played against a (green) team that had about 15 people to our 8. We were up for the challenge. No sooner had the game started than we netted 3 goals. I have never played against a more pathetic team. A the game progressed, the one-eyed ref continuously favored the other team by not calling fouls for hand balls, flying elbows or a combo of other tactics used to gain the upper hand.

It was not our fault that the other team sucked and were no better than a groups of 12 yr olds. You would think that by paying the ref to call the game in your favor was enough...it wasn’t. Should one be a poor sport if they or their team suck and continously lose? Gracefully lose and we a shining example of what a good sportman is. Instead of calling out to direct and motivate team members, the green team was complaining. If my team even bumped a player on the green team they were all over the ref. These people needed a lesson in how to lose gracefully.....I think there is a book by Al Davis (Raiders Owner) on this topic.

I think my team was a perfect example of true sportsmanship. After all we were fair enough to let them score twice so they wouldn’t leave without scoring. We barely managed to walked away with an 11-2 victory. I won MVP of the game due to my acrobatic leap to block a shot and manage to get a knee in the back at the same time.
Now that is a perfect example of a true sportsman....taking one for the team to protect the slim lead we had.

Sound Off!!!

I almost choked on my PopTart Sunday morning when I heard the Federal Gov was earmarking $700 billion dollars over the next few years to buy "toxic" assets of the large troubled US Banks. WTH!!!..$700 billion, that is about equal to the combined net worth of the 15 Richest people in the world.

I can see why the government is getting involved to protect the economy, but at what expense to the citizens and hard working taxpayers. It seems that the big cats that run these financial institutions have little or no blame when it comes to chaotic problems as the ones plaguing the financial markets and economy right now. If anything they are fired or "forced" to resign, but they don’t leave broken. Most of these individuals are given a nice golden parachute, so they will never be poor or go broke. And all of this is at the expense of us poor folk.

It seems that the government will promise money to any large Fortune 500 company, even if they dont have it. I can understand why the governement is trying to help soften the blow that the credit crunch is causing and to avoid "toxic" or troubled assets from flooding the markets. Their help...at what cost? Look at the national debt. As of September 2008, the government’s debt was a staggering $9.7 trillion. TRILLION...Not billion or Million. This figures out to be about $32,000 per capita. So while the government is underfunding SS, Medicare/Medicaid and other important programs, they have no problem handing out $700B to banks and financial intuitions who have been poorly managed. Maybe the government needs to pass laws that protect things like this happening again. I doubt it.

I am finished ranting...I will step off my soap box. God Bless America....Go Cowboys!!!

A Fond Farewell

Tonight was a bittersweet moment as time at RES came to a close. With RSL finishing the final touches on their expensive, state-of-art stadium, RSL played their finally game at the stadium. After 4 tumultuous years, that saw a dozens of players come and go, 2 coaches, GoldBalls with Real Madrid and LA, and a World Cup Qualifier, RSL bid farewell to RES. The experiences and sites seen over these years are memorable and will never be forgotten. I hope my view at the next stadium will be just as nice.

Eating Is Hard Work

Now that Carter has broken the 1 yr mark and is able to eat normal food. he has been spending some extra time practicing to be a competive eater. Some of his conditioning sessions break into his early evening nap time.

Gone Fishing!!!

There comes a time in every child’s life where they need to have the chance to go fishing. In our family, Paddy is the Master Fisherman. So when Jordan came to me and wanted me to teach him to fish, I turned to Paddy to advise me. A nice trip to the sporting goods store and we were set. Jordan made it clear to Paddy that he wanted only the best, too bad Nike doesn’t make fishing gear.

So one Saturday morning I took Jordan to the local fishing hole for a test run. It didn’t go as well as planned. There were minnows and gold fish swimming by the banks of the pond. Jordan was more interested in tossing pieces of Power Bait at the fish than casting his line into the pond. After about 15 mins of watching Jordan try to catch the fish with Power Bait and his bare hands, I decided to put an end to the game. All in All, the 2 hrs we spent at the pond were fun and enjoyable. Now I just need to find a FISHING FOR DUMMIES book with pictures. Then maybe Jordan will understand that a fishing pole with bait works better than his bare hands.

A Government Out of Control!!!

The War in Iraq, The Mortgage Crisis, The Presidential Election....I can continue naming problematic issues but will spare you the reading. Out of all the issues putting the strain on the government and economy that I have never understood is how the welfare and assistance programs function. Granted, there are people that have bad luck and have no control over how their lives play out. This I can understand that the government is there to step in and save and help. What about the people that are lazy or have figured out how to play the system? This abuse is ignored!!! It makes me sick to see people that use their food stamps at the grocery store or gas station to purchase "necessities", only to go hope into a large pimped out SUV or car. How is this possible? Luxuries like this should be earned and not given to people that have to rely on the government to pay for their food and medical needs because they WANT the nice things in life without working for them. Cmon!!!

I wake up every morning and go to work for 8-9 hrs, pay taxes and insurance premiums faithfully out of each pay check. After this I am expected to pay my bills out of my own pocket with no help from the government. So it’s hard to watch people abuse a generous system fund by my tax dollars and other hard working Americans. I have known a few people that have managed to play the system. They too have jobs, but choose for the lesser paying jobs. They want to appear as poor as possible. It’s their choice to make $7-10/hr instead of more. No one hold a gun to their head and robs them of their free agency. If you choose this, you should go without the finer things in life...the nice SUV, Prada handbag, Tag Heuer watch or daily trips to Starbucks.

The government would have millions or even billions if they would spend a little more time and money to prevent and stop the abuse. After all, look at the national debt!! Some of the money save from the abuse could go towards paying down the debt and paying more into SS benefits for the current and future retirees.

OK...I am done; I will step off my soapbox, thanks for listening to me vent. GOD BLESS!!!

Life's Crazy Circle

Well....I have finally come to the realization that I am getting old. Besides the extra weight I have gain, the thinning hair and a few gray stands of hair that I try tp pluck out. My baby Jordan is starting Full Time Pre-School. What makes things even crazier, his pre-school is in the old Murray Library that Grandma Nancy worked at 30+ years ago. This is the same one that is kiddie-corner from my old pre-school.

It was nice to walk thru Jordan's pre-school and picture the library as it was back in the late 70s and 80s. Feathered hair, bellbottom jeans and other wonderful clothing styles of that time. I counted atleast 6-7 people I knew from high school that were bringing their kids to enroll at the school.

What is it about the hometown that brings people back to raise their kids? I have tried for years to escape the grasps of Utah and the Murray area. Somehow I find myself remembering how good it use to be and wanting the same for my kids. I guess I am doing something right or atleast trying too......

Beer Goggles

If I wasnt already taken, I would have volunteered for this experiment. I came across this article a few weeks back and forgot to post it.

http://news.yahoo.com/story//livescience/20080814/sc_livescience/peoplereallydolookbetterwhenyoudrink

When Selling Pills to Humans isnt Enough?

I had a friend show me a story about a new development in the pharmaceutical market. It appears that the wonderful folks at Pfizer Labs (aka legal drug pushers) have developed the world's first diet pill FOR DOGS! The below site shows dogs just like they'd show people on diet products!

http://www.slentrol.com

The Summer of Fun

I dont know what it is with the summer season, but it seems that its a good time of the year for children to grow and change.

Jordan is the BIG MAN on campus as he started pre-school last month. He has already manage to make some friends and form his own Rat Pack. Lucky for us, he has behaved and managed to stay out of trouble. I guess he is waiting to save the best for when he is in Elementry.

Carter "C Note", has manage to create a name for himself. Borrowing from Patrick vs Braden battle when the much smaller Braden showed Patrick who owned the Mini basketball court. For those that are not familar with this epic battle (I will spare you the details), Braden sent Patrick to the ER with a cracked skull due to a golf club (3 Wood) to the cabasa. One night after Carter had enough of Jordan's harrassment, he waited patiently until Jordan was close by and BAM!!! a smack on the head with a hammer. No ER visit this time since it was just a plastic play hammer, put Jordan thinks twice before he messes will the Lil One.

Below of current pictures of the boys....Enjoy

Bend it Like Who?

To protect her idenity, Jane Doe managed to hustle $100 from me.

On our recent trip to California to visit Auntie Posh and Uncle David, we were out for a walk with some friends. An idea came up and soon a wager of $100 was made for the first person to complete the feat. I cut out the part where I embarassed myself.
Here is the better attempts

Soccer Donut Stunt

Back in the Saddle AGAIN!!!

(The old song by Gene Autry, remade by Aerosmith is playing in the back ground as I am getting ready for my game)

After 8 long months of the pitch due to a minor knee injury ( Another proven fact that blondes dont belong playing soccer...lol) I decided to once again lace up the boots, cinch the gloves on and take the field. This time in a more skillful leage than before. The fist game back went well, the knee still needs some work. I think I need to worry about getting in better playing shape then worry about the knee after. Wait...maybe its the extra 30lbs I gained by being inactive.....Does Jenny Craig help overweight soccer players???

Joke of The Day

A blonde gets a job as a teacher.

Watching the kids play she notices a boy in the field stood by himself while all the other kids are running around having fun with a ball.

She takes pity on him and decides to speak to him.

"Are you ok?" she says

"Yes" he replied.

"You do know that you can go and play with the other kids", she says.

"Its best I stay here" he said.

"But why?" says the blonde.

The boys says "Because I'm the goalie"

Check This Out!!!

I am the one in the Red shirt.

How I spent My 4th of July Weekend!!!

I thought I had seen it all. Growing up in the city and all. This weekend I was invited to take in 4th of July festivies in a rural Wyoming town. Yes, the parade are shorter, the festivities different. It was a good culture learning experience.
Here are some of my observations; I hope you find them as amusing as I did.

1. Most floats in the parade consisted of A) A 4x4 truck pulling a trailer or B) A 18 wheeler.
2. The "floats" that consisted of a trailer were decorated in country decor...sagebrush or tumbleweed. Quite the opposite from parades of past in the city with elaborate decorated floats with bright colored paper designs, etc...
3. Maybe half way thru the parade there is a "float" serving beer on tap to all willing parade viewers of age. Yes, Jordan didn’t understand why they would give him some bubbly apple juice.

All in all it was a good experience with the best fireworks display ever. It looked like a clip from a war movie, with Bombs over Bagdad by Outkast playing in the background.

Picture to follow once I find the digital camera.

Dad's Food SUCKS!!!

I have never claimed to be a cook like Merial or Wolfgang Puck. I do however strive to cook edible meals for my family. After a recent dinner, I think I need to hire a chef or switch to frozen dinners. Lil Carter informed me that my meals were crap and he would find something better to eat. See picture below.

A Proud Moment for a Father

My boys know how to keep me happy. At a recent session of Jordan's Soccer School the parents were invited to come join the kids on the field. Deidra was manning the camera so took the field. I was shocked to see the lil one following me out. To have both of my boys interested in soccer and becoming professional soccer players was more than I could handle. My boys want to be able to provide the best for me in my Golden Years. Watch out Brooklyn and Cruz....Jordan and Carter are ready to take the pitch with you.

Sacrifice...What does it really mean?

How you define the word Sacrifice? I search a few dictionaries to come up with the best definition. Sacrifice is defined as “to give of oneself or one's interest for others, do go without or give up something to benefit others".

A friend shared a story that they heard recently of a parent that was unsure if they would have a birthday party for one of their children. Money was tight, the government check was not expected for a few more weeks, but there was money in the "rainy day fund". Was it necessary to withdraw money from the fund? What does one do when given such a difficult decision? For me it’s a no brainer, give the child a well deserved party. Hell....the kid deserves surviving another year is this life. Sacrifice, do what you need to do to have a party. No need to make it glamorous or invite the whole neighborhood. Just something simple. Why would a parent struggle with spending their "rainy day funds" to provide enjoyment and celebration for their child? Greed? Selfishness? Ignorance?

I will step down on my soapbox. Thanks for listening to be vent and get a troubling situation off my chest. GOD BLESS!!!

WENUS, The Word of the Day

Get your mind out of the gutter. When I heard this word I was thinking of something gross. Today, I learned what the word meant. Interesting....one would have never thought that work would be the perfect enviroment for a educational experience.

Click on this link to learn the proper defination of WENUS. On that note, remember to protect yours. LOL

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=wenus

Nice Shot!!!

I think this shot could be comparable to a half-court shot in basketball. Way to go Becks!!!

Following in the foorsteps of others

Without any prompting from others, Jordan decided he wanted to start training for Soccer. As I held back the tears, I enjoyed the moment as a proud father. For once in his young life Jordan is making the right decision. (LOL) I can only hope in a matter of 10 years he will have mastered the game of soccer and will be attracting big name sponsors....if not there is always McDonalds. To be Continued.....

2008 MLS Miracle

After 3 less than perfect seasons, RSL managed to pull off one of the biggest upsets in Professional Sports History. This trumps the recent (2008) Super Bowl XLII victory for the NY York Giants, Rulon Gardner overpowers Alexander Karelin for Greco-Roman wrestling gold, RSL shut out 4 time MLS Cup winners DC United. RSL soccer 4 goals in 90 minutes and held United to no goals. Things might be finally looking up for the new sports franchise in Utah.

SPRING TIME!!!

With the passing of the Vernal Equinox, Spring time ushers in a new soccer season. New faces and new hopes!
Jordan was able to attend a team practice for ReAL Salt Lake. He did get teased due to wearing the wrong team jersey. Yet he remained loyal to Uncle Dave.

Spring Retreat

We escaped the fridged and punishing weather of Salt Lake to relax in the nice, dusty weather of Moab. I guess warmer weather doesnt come without some sacrifice.

During the recent family retreat we went exploring in Arches National Park. Somehow I was talked into hearding the 2 boys up a trail to see the "Delicate" arch. Hearding meant packing Carter and making sure Jordan didnt get lost in the brush chasing lizards and other desert bugs.

Joke of the Day

These are actual comments made on students' report cards by teachers in the New York City public school system. All teachers were reprimanded but, boy, are these funny!!!

1 Since my last report, your child has reached rock bottom and has started to dig.
2. I would not allow this student to breed.
3. Your child has delusions of adequacy.
4. Your son is depriving a village some where of an 'idiot'.
5.Your son sets low personal standards, and then consistently fails to achieve them.
6. The student has a "full six-pack" but lacks the plastic thing to hold it all together.
7. This child has been working with glue too much.
8. When your daughter's IQ reaches 50, she should sell.
9. The gates are down, the lights are flashing, but the train isn't coming.
10. If this student were any more stupid, he'd have to be watered twice a week.
11. It's impossible to believe the sperm that created this child, beat out 1,000,000 others.
12. The wheel is turning, but the hamster is definitely dead.


These 16 Police Comments were taken off actual police car videos around the country:

1. "You know, stop lights don't come any redder than the one you just went through."
2. "Relax, the handcuffs are tight because they're new. They stretch after awhile."
3. "If you take your hands off the car, I'll make your birth certificate a worthless document."
4. "If you run, you'll only go to jail tired."
5. "Can you run faster than 1200 feet per second? Because that's the speed of the bullet that'll be chasing you."
6. "You don't know how fast you were going? I guess that means I can write anything I want to on the ticket, huh?"
7. "Yes,sir, you can talk to the shift supervisor, but I don't think it will help. Oh, did I mention that I am the shift supervisor?"
8. "Warning! You want a warning? OK., I'm warning you not to do that again or I'll give you another ticket."
9. "The answer to this last question will determine whether you are drunk or not. Was Mickey Mouse a cat or a dog?"
10. "Fair? You want me to be fair? Listen, fair is a place where you go to ride on
11. "Yeah, we have a quota. Two more tickets and my wife gets a toaster oven."
12. "In God we trust, all others we run through NCIC."
13. "How big were those 'two beers' you say you had?"
14. "No sir, we don't have quotas anymore. We used to, but now we're allowed to write as many tickets as we can."
15. "I'm glad to hear that the Chief (of Police) is a personal friend of yours. So you know someone who can post your bail."
AND THE WINNER IS....
16. "You didn't think we give pretty women tickets? You're right, we don't. Sign here."

Money Money Money

You know you have too much money when you do stuff like this. Click on link

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/01/29/richest-man-in-india-buil_n_83910.html

Just Another Blonde Joke

Thank You Kelly!!! What would be do if we couldn't poke fun of blondes???

Laugh of the Day

Psycho-T throwing it down

Its nice to see a white boy putting the rock down. This clip is almost as nice as Vinsanity in the 2000 Olympics. You be the judge