Blah, Blah, Blog

Tramps & Thieves

2011-08-13T03:42:00.003-07:00

Went out to a birthday celebration at a bar tonight. The band that played is a great one that we go see often. They are Tramps & Thieves! They're a great band! Go see a show!
http://www.aztrampsandthieves.com/

2011-08-12T10:27:00.001-07:00

It's a wonderful day and should only get better! (It's all in the attitude anyway so I know it's gonna!)

Happy and Smiling

2010-10-15T23:33:00.000-07:00

Happy and I'm smiling, walk a mile to drink your water.
You know I'd love to love you and above you there's no other.

This video is hilarious!

2010-10-14T00:00:00.000-07:00

Fuck You

Go Suns!

2010-04-21T14:02:00.000-07:00

Suns win game 2 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs!

Now let's go get some wins up in Rip City!!!

Change At Last...

2008-11-04T09:37:00.001-07:00

...I Hope.

39 points? Dang!

2008-06-18T17:04:00.005-07:00

It seems that the Finals Trophy has yet again eluded the MVP's team.

I think there is a jinx or something going on.

That MVP award had to be good for a little while at least...then came KG and the Celtics with a big, big win to make sure everyone knows that the best team won!

I have to say, as a Suns fan, that losing a HOUSE and gaining a SHAQ did nothing for the Suns!!!
(look who got the championship...)

Kevin James Gets Smacked Down!

2008-05-17T10:54:00.003-07:00

(click the pic for this mans nightmare come true on Hardball)

A big mouth with nothing to back it up...OUCH!

You Will Be Missed Shawn...

2008-02-09T15:45:00.000-07:00

Marion, a 6’7”, 228-pound forward, has averaged 18.4 points, 10.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.89 steals, 1.35 blocked shots and 37.8 minutes in 660 games during his nine-year NBA career played entirely with Phoenix.

The ninth pick of the 1999 NBA Draft, Marion has averaged double figures in scoring in each of his nine seasons while shooting 48.1 percent from the floor, 34.2 percent from three-point range and 82.4 percent from the foul line. Additionally he has connected on at least 80 percent of his free throw attempts in each of his first eight seasons. Since the 2005-06 season, the 29-year old forward has averaged 18.8 points, 10.6 rebounds, 1.98 steals, 1.58 blocks and 38.4 minutes while shooting 52.4 percent from the floor. Marion, who earned Third Team All-NBA honors in 2004-05 and 2005-06, averaged a career-high 21.8 points during the 2005-06 campaign. Additionally, he teamed with Dwyane Wade as a member of the bronze-medal winning U.S. Olympic Team in 2004 and earned NBA All-Rookie Second Team honors in 2000. A six-time NBA Player of the Week and one-time Player of the Month, Marion finished fourth in the voting for the 2007 Defensive Player of the Year Award after leading the NBA in steals (156).

The four-time NBA All-Star (2003, 2005, 2006, 2007) has started each of the 47 games in which he appeared this year for the Suns and has averaged 15.8 points, 9.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 2.02 steals, 1.49 blocks and 36.4 minutes while shooting a career-high 52.6 percent from the floor, 34.7 percent from three-point range and 71.3 percent from the foul line. He has led the Suns in scoring five times this year and topped the squad in rebounds on 27 occasions. Marion was the Suns’ leader this season in minutes played (1,713), defensive rebounds (378), total rebounds (464), steals (95) and starts (47) and ranked second in field goals made (304), field goal percentage, offensive rebounds (86) and blocked shots (70). He joins Kevin Garnett as the only players in the NBA this season that rank in the Top 20 in both rebounds (14th) and steals (8th). Marion currently leads the NBA in steals-to-turnover ratio (1.94) and is also ranked among the league leaders in field goal percentage (17th), blocks (21st) and minutes (39th). Marion, who has recorded at least 30 double-doubles in each of the past seven seasons, has registered 23 double-doubles this season. One of his double-doubles this season was a 17-point, 24-rebound effort against the HEAT on Nov. 9 at Miami. The 24 rebounds were a season-high for Marion and tied as the fifth-highest single-game total against the HEAT in franchise history.

Marion finished his Suns career among Phoenix’s all-time leaders in minutes played (2nd-12,134), three-point field goals made (2nd-652), three-point field goals attempted (2nd-1,905), rebounds (2nd-6,616), steals (2nd-1,245), field goals made (3rd-4,879), field goals attempted (3rd-10,136), blocked shots (3rd-894), points scored (4th-12,134) and games played (5th-660).
In postseason play, Marion has appeared in 65 games and has averaged 17.1 points, 10.9 rebounds, 1.52 blocks, 1.49 steals, 1.4 assists and 40.6 minutes while shooting 46.3 percent from the floor, 34.6 percent from three-point range and 81.1 percent from the foul line. He departs Phoenix as the Suns’ all-time postseason leader in rebounds (706) and among the team’s playoff leaders in blocks (2nd-99), steals (3rd-97), three-point field goals made (3rd-63), three-point field goals attempted (3rd-182), points scored (5th-1,109), games played (5th-65), field goals made (7th-446) and field goals attempted (7th-963).

You will be missed Shawn, good luck in Miami!

ILYSM

2008-01-08T15:02:00.000-07:00

This is for my wonderful wife who takes great care of me!

My Dad...

2007-10-31T08:33:00.000-07:00

I want to introduce you to my dad.

His name was Herman but went by his middle name, Leroy.

He's a fantastic father who always put his family first.

He's been gone for more than a decade but I still feel his presence...daily.

I hope to be as great a father to my kids as he was to his.

I can't imagine it being easy but I know I can do it!

He still loves me!

Thanks Dad!!!

Global Warming is Natural

2007-10-10T10:29:00.000-07:00

There have been many ice ages in Earth's history.

Here is a chart that shows average global temperatures over the last 2 billion years. http://www.scotese.com/climate.htm During the Ice House periods the earth's climate could have been described as an ice age. There have been at least 4 major Ice House periods, but even within these there were cycles of colder and warmer climate. There is ample evidence to support these cycles of glaciation. There are a number of factors that affect Earth's climate.

The major factor that changes climate over time has been the pattern created by the variation in the Earth's orbit around the sun. The Earth changes in its distance from the sun and in its orientation to the sun as it orbits the sun. The three major variations are called eccentricity, obliquity, and precession. They produce cycles in climate that are on 400,000 years, 100,000 years, 41,000 years, and 19-23,000 year frequencies. As the earth moves further away from the sun, ice ages are initiated and continue until the earth has moved back towards the sun. To see some diagrams of these orbital cycles of Earth check these websites: http://www.uwsp.edu/geO/faculty/lemke/geol370/lecture_notes/16_causes_of_climatic_change.html and http://deschutes.gso.uri.edu/~rutherfo/milankovitch.html

So, even though I agree with taking steps to make the atmosphere a cleaner air to breathe, avoiding the highs and lows that this planet has gone thru and will continue to go thru, is unavoidable.

'nuf said! Have a great day!!!

Quoting a Utah Jazz Fan...

2007-08-17T07:05:00.001-07:00

The Spurs championship will only be remembered on paper. It was a farce and a joke. They feel guilty about playing dirty, cheating, and having the help they needed from their coward buddy Stern so they could beat the Suns. Nothing like making a decision that is blatantly unfair and biased and then hiding from the Suns crowd while sucking your thumb like a baby. Way to go Stern. How can you even look another man in the eye??? This is absolutely true no matter what any spurs fan says. It galls you doesn't it. It ticks you off that people see it for what it really was. You live in denial and hatred towards Suns fans because you KNOW in your hearts and brains that the way you won this championship is a joke to the rest of the world. The spurs knew they were going to lose against the Suns by the end of the series so they had to cheat just like 6 year olds on a playground by playing dirty and taking cheap shots to win. You can say that the Suns fans are whiners (this is your defense mechanism so you can live with yourselves) and you can say how you beat Utah and the Cavs but it does not change what everyone already thinks and knows to be true; that the spurs championship is a joke and will not be remembered or ever cared about. The low ratings prove that. No one cared except delusional San Antonio fans. And what may even surprise you more is that I am a Utah fan and can concede that the spurs beat us fairly. But after the spurs beat the Suns the NBA championship was over. The Suns would have rolled over us and the Cavs as well. The true NBA finals started and ended with Phoenix. The spurs knew that. A little help from friends in high places and some dirty play took care of that. Now you spurs fans are all upset that everyone can see you for what you truly are. A joke. Sleep on that. Oh wait, you probably can't sleep at night knowing the truth. Oh well, sucks to be you.

I KNEW IT!!!

2007-07-23T09:00:00.000-07:00

The FBI is investigating allegations that veteran NBA referee Tim Donaghy bet on basketball games over the past two seasons, including ones in which he officiated! The probe also involves allegations that he had connections to organized crime associates.

The first picture that comes up on Google's photo search page goes to the laser eye center where he had his eyes worked on. I did them the favor of calling them to let them know they might want to change their representative pictures on the website as a courtesy.

Here's his little ditty on the page...

"My contacts were very uncomfortable and were constantly drying out when I was on the floor. I am much more comfortable and my vision is great. Thanks to Dr. Siepser."
Tim Donaghy

NBA referee

FLIP, FLARN, FILTHY, CHEATING SON of a BEE-ATCH!!! I KNEW IT WAS BULL$HIT THAT KEPT THE SUNS OUT OF CONTENTION THIS YEAR ESPECIALLY!!! NBA IS GOING TO HAVE A HARD TIME RECOVERING FROM THIS ONE...I QUIT BEING A FAN WITHOUT EVEN NEEDING ANY PROOF BUT THIS BACKS ME UP 100%!

HMMM...

Off Duty DPS officer slept at home that night...

2007-07-07T08:50:00.000-07:00

http://southwestrides.com/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=35160&postcount=122

(click the pic)

Anyone thinks this sucks should call to Sheriff Joe Arpaio and demand that he not let this idiot off the hook. We need the good cops out there and I am thankful for them but when a dumbass like this does what he did, he needs to be made a BIG EXAMPLE of...

http://www.mcso.org/index.php?a=GetModule&mn=Contact_Us

Here's a link for anyone who cares to speak up for an innocent bystander who's life will never be the same (and against a cop who woke up with a hangover)

Fractal Background

2007-06-10T08:51:00.001-07:00

Just a few fractals that I combined into a poster size for background use...

Nothing consistent save change...

2007-06-06T19:46:00.000-07:00

Everything comes to pass, nothing comes to stay.

2007-06-06T19:36:00.000-07:00

Love yourself and be awake-

Today, tomorrow, always.

First establish yourself in the way,

Then teach others, and so defeat sorrow.

To straighten the crooked you must first do a harder thing-

Straighten yourself.

You are your only master.

Who else?

Subdue yourself, and discover your master.

Forever Learning

2007-06-06T19:33:00.000-07:00

Don't cling to your own understanding.

Even if you do understand something,

you should ask yourself if there might be something you have not fully resolved,

or if there may be some higher meaning yet.

-Dogen

A Letter to David Stern

2007-05-21T06:53:00.000-07:00

OUCH!!! Cheating is never OK and the REWARD that you gave to Robert Horry and the Spurs is SICK AND WRONG!!!

You have lost a NBA fan for life over this BULL-LONEY...I also will blog it into the dirt and tell everyone that I meet what my feelings are. I may never watch another NBA game on tv. I'll NEVER spend another dollar on NBA merchandise. I'll NEVER attend another NBA game in person. If you add all these up over the last 25 years of being a fan, a hardcore fan, it would amount to a lot of dollars and you have lost them forever!!!

I am raising my children to be honest people and when my kids asked how this could be allowed, I had to tell them that I honestly believe that there is CORRUPTION in the NBA leadership, they were AMAZED. How could this happen they asked me again. I had to say that Stern cares more about money than he cares about the game.

I SEE DAVID STERN ON A GREASED RAIL STRAIGHT TO HELL AND ROBERT HORRY WILL BE THERE WITH A HANDFUL OF SAND FILLED VASELINE TO GREET HIM!!! hahaha

Had to get one rip in. You all are just fools to think that America will stand for this BULL-LONEY! GOOD BYE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OH yeah, it's not the first time that the fans have been bent over by Stern.
Check out this link... http://members.aol.com/phatknicks/ and then this one relating to another Spurs incident this season... http://thestartingfive.wordpress.com/2007/04/19/another-view-of-the-tim-duncan-joe-crawford-incident/

Now, this last link is the BRANDING IRON of the DEVIL HIMSELF stamped on Sterns posterior. Las Vegas wants an NBA franchise! Whoo Hoo! This can only be good for the NBA. NOT!!! http://www.kvbc.com/Global/story.asp?S=6333516

Alright. Have fun. Take it easy and don't take this personally, whoever reads this. I have lost all respect for the NBA, which is the ONLY SPORT I FOLLOW, and will have to follow a new sport from here on out because NBA basketball is CORRUPT and WORTHLESS form of entertainment because of said corruption.

*click the title for a BULL-LONEY link to STERNS NBA PAGE. Cheating bastard needs to be replaced, IMHO!!!

Road to Nowhere - by Flea

2007-04-22T15:30:00.000-07:00

Road To Nowhere
Posted by Flea on April 9, 2007, 7:09 a.m. ET

I have nothing to write about the lakers

nothing at all

they have gotten worse and worse all season long

never seen anything like it before

very strange

they do not believe in themselves

as the season has gone on they have lost more and more of their identity and sense of teamitude

it is impossible to win if you dont believe in yourself

if they play suns or mavs in the first round

unless they have a profound awakening of some kind

they will be swept

swept away like the early season hopes we all had in los angeles

they cant win with kobe doing all the scoring.....can not...no chance.....no way

so forget about that plan

might be entertaining but aint gonna win no playoff games against a good team

i have nothing to say about it

i'll just hang out with with my little kernel of hope for divine intervention

and say nothing

- Flea on his Laker blog

*!*!*!*

HE WAS RIGHT!

SUNS WIN GAME 1 OF THE SERIES AGAINST THE LAKERS 87-95

Nice Point...

2007-03-17T22:47:00.000-07:00

I was just watching the intro to Saturday Night Live and Chris Rock was talking about the next election. "I think that not only will Barack Obama be the next Democratic nominee but will be the next President of the United States. And for you doubters out there who ask, 'are we ready for a black president?' I say Why not? We've just had a retarded one!"

De-volution*

2007-03-06T15:44:00.000-07:00

OK, that damn ass backwards group of religious zealots is in the news again. (Islamic Taliban)

I do not like to get down on any one religion but believe that anyone who takes any religion to the extent that he thinks it is ok to kill for it, he is ASS BACKWARDS.

If all the religious right could just calm their worshipping selves a little bit, we might be able to learn to get along. Unfortunately, each one 0f them feels the need to be the only right religion so God's beautiful earth will continue down a troubled path until we can begin to see the light...here is a story that illustrates just that.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In the tribal areas of Pakistan, a shave may cost your life.

"The government is unable to protect us so we will abide by what the Taliban tells us to do and stop shaving beards," said Niamat, a barber in Khar, the headquarters of the Bajaur tribal agency along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.

And the Taliban mean business, On Sunday night, bombs destroyed two barber shops and three others suffered partial damage after the owners refused to follow the orders.

"I am a Muslim and I know that no one can force me to shave or not to shave. This should be my decision," said Nasir, a regular customer, wearing a green turtleneck sweater and jeans. "But I was threatened. They asked if I will obey the new laws; I will obey because I am afraid."
A barber shop in the tribal region where the Taliban have banned shaves.

A couple of weeks earlier, in the middle of the night, someone slipped leaflets under barbershop doors throughout the Bajaur Tribal Agency. The warning was hand-written in Pashto, the language of the Pashtun tribes who inhabit the border regions of Pakistan and Afghanistan.
The leaflets read: "SHAVING BEARDS AND TRIMMING BEARDS IS UN-ISLAMIC AND IS FORBIDDEN. VIOLATORS WILL BE KILLED."

The customers panicked and the barbers panicked too. In almost every barber shop the owners put up signs begging their customers not to force them to give a shave.

A shave costs less than 2 cents -- but the Taliban edict forbidding barbers to shave or even trim beards will cause severe economic hardship, and put many of the 200 barbers in Bajaur out of business.

"Barbers are poor people, they have no other business," said Ikram, another regular customer. "If they can’t give shaves, they will not be able to feed their children."

*this was originally presented at MSNBC. Click the title to go to the original page.

Disneyland at Last!

2007-02-09T18:23:00.000-07:00

So we had a great time as you can see from the pics. We retired to the hotel after two busy days at Disneyland and then snuck out to see a heavy band play some heavy stuff! I don't recall the bands name, Prophylactic Willy or something like that...

Whoo Hoo!

2007-02-09T15:14:00.001-07:00

Record Setting Numbers in the NBA

2007-02-06T14:11:00.000-07:00

44 would be the number of points KG scored, (his career high) along with 11 boards, two assists and three steals, to carry the T-Wolves to end the Suns' winning streak at 17.

Carmelo Anthony recorded his first career triple-double as he tallied 31 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, but Denver came up short in a 113-108 home loss to Phoenix. Nene scored a career-high 27 for the Nuggets as well.

OK, my point is that the best stars in the league have to achieve record breaking numbers to beat the Phoenix Suns. (and the Nuggets had two records broken and still lost)

Looking forward to how the second half of the season turns out. The west is gonna test the Suns for sure...

The Other White Meat

2007-01-22T19:55:00.000-07:00

Wrong Person Fired

2007-01-01T16:52:00.000-07:00

Green fired after 3 losing seasons in desert

Coach was 16-32 during tenure; team will make eighth coaching search

After watching the horribly sad Cardinals come here from St. Louis back in the 80's and never being a fan, I tried this year to give them a chance. They said that they would be much better this year in their new stadium. They said that they'd be contenders. They sold out almost the whole season so I was not the only one tricked. The flipping team has only had one winning season amongst the last twenty-two seasons!!! The whole issue is the CHEAP BASTARD owner named Bill Bidwell who refuses to spend the amount of money necessary to get a winning team to have a winning season. Buck Bill Fidwell!!!

All the World's indeed a Stage...

2006-12-25T14:14:00.000-07:00

Look what I got for Christmas this year!
A signed Platinum Album of Rush's 1976 release,
All The World's A Stage!!!

(Click it, the picture is HUGE!)

They got Osama bin Laden!!!

2006-12-17T13:24:00.000-07:00

GUWAHATI, India - An elephant named “Osama bin Laden” that has killed 27 people in northeast India, has been shot dead, triggering protests by conservationists who say forestry officials had probably shot the wrong animal.

The 10-feet tall male elephant had been terrorizing villagers in Assam state for the past two years, destroying hundreds of homes and trampling scores of people -- prompting locals to name him after the elusive al-Qaida leader.

The animal was accused of killing 14 people in the past month.

A forestry official said on Sunday “Osama” had been shot dead on Saturday in a tea plantation on the outskirts of Behali town, about 90 miles north of Guwahati, Assam’s main city.

“The elephant was killed after villagers identified him,” a senior forestry official said, adding the animal could be identified because it had no tusks.

Despite efforts by local authorities to hunt him down, “Osama” had evaded them moving from place to place, hiding in forests and tea estates in the northern parts of Assam.

Sounds like an aptly named elephant...

Q

2006-12-12T16:20:00.000-07:00

'nuf said.

2006-11-13T03:06:00.000-07:00

An Honest Mistake

2006-10-06T15:35:00.000-07:00

NOT!

Territories

2006-10-06T08:52:00.000-07:00

Every group/country/religion thinks they are the only 'right' ones but they cannot all be 'right'.
We can all be right though, by accepting the truth where we find it.

We look back to the ancient religions of the planet and scoff at how they could have been so primitive. In 5000 years, I can only imagine our knowledge of the powers that be, will be much more enlightened and we will indeed become closer to God but God will not be the same diety that the different religions around the world view him/her as. We are all a part of this great universe. We are all entertwined and everything that happens to one of us happens to each of us. We need to come together and be there for one another, not allowing trivial things like religious orientation, or political views, or where we are on the planet, come between us.

We need to have our maps look like this:Rather than this:

Someday we will indeed be on the other side of the 'veil' and I will stand tall and be proud of the life I led and how I treated the people in my life. Treat everyone as your friend and you will have no enemies. I am afraid that some windshields have become in desperate need of some windex......even though this may not be the same way we would want to apply the windex nowadays.

Territories

I see the Middle Kingdom between Heaven and Earth
Like the Chinese call the country of their birth
We all figure that our homes are set above
Other people than the ones we know and love
In every place with a name
They play the same territorial game
Hiding behind the lines
Sending up warning signs

The whole wide world
An endless universe
Yet we keep looking through
The eyeglass in reverse
Don't feed the people
But we feed the machines
Can't really feel
What international means
In different circles, we keep holding our ground
In different circles, we keep spinning round and round

We see so many tribes overrun and undermined
While their invaders dream of lands they've left behind
Better people...better food...and better beer...
Why move around the world when Eden was so near?
The bosses get talking so tough
And if that wasn't evil enough
We get the drunken and passionate pride
Of the citizens along for the ride

They shoot without shame
In the name of a piece of dirt
For a change of accent
Or the colour of your shirt
Better the pride that resides In a citizen of the world
Than the pride that divides when a colorful rag is unfurled

My old bike...

2006-09-26T18:47:00.000-07:00

Here is a shot of my FZR that I sold to help fund my move down here from Oregon.

Words of Wisdom

2006-09-25T20:15:00.000-07:00

I believe it was the Roman Curtius Rufus who observed Alexander the Great, just as battle was about to begin, hike up his loin cloth and advise,

"Never pass up the opportunity to take a leak."

Turn the Page

2006-09-23T11:22:00.000-07:00

How can anybody be enlightened?

Truth is, after all, so poorly lit...

Scared of that!!!

2006-09-03T18:36:00.000-07:00

A creature that was found dead after apparently being hit by a car in Turner, Maine, is shown Saturday. For years, residents across Androscoggin County have reported seeing and hearing a mysterious animal with chilling monstrous cries and eyes that glow in the night. Now, residents are wondering if the animal found dead over the weekend may be the mysterious creature.

a good friend

2006-09-01T22:39:00.000-07:00

Somewhere over the rainbow
Way up high
There's a land that I heard of
Once in a lullaby

Somewhere over the rainbow
Skies are blue
And the dreams that you dare to dream
Really do come true

Some day I'll wish upon a star
And wake up where the clouds are far behind me
Where troubles melt like lemondrops
Away above the chimney tops
That's where you'll find me

My good friend up in Oregon, lost his son this last week due to complications during a surgery. His funeral was Wednesday and my mom was kind enough to go in my place to pay him respects. Thank you mom! Mike, stay strong for your family. Kaden, those signs to your mother mean everything to her...

Truth...

2006-08-31T19:29:00.000-07:00

Sakka asked the Buddha: "Do different religious teachers head for the same goal or practice the same disciplines or aspire to the same thing?"

"No, Sakka, they do not. And why? This world is made up of myriad different states of being, and people adhere to one or another of these states and become tenaciously possessive of them, saying, 'This alone is true, everything else is false.' It is like a territory that they believe is theirs. So all religious teachers do not teach the same goal or the same discipline, nor do they aspire to the same thing.

"But if you find truth in any religion or philosophy, then accept that truth without prejudice."

All in the Family

2006-08-31T19:12:00.000-07:00

Internal peace is an essential first step to achieving peace in the world. How do you cultivate it? It's very simple. In the first place by realizing clearly that all mankind is one, that human beings in every country are members of one and the same family.

-the Dalai Lama

(I will have to admit this includes George W Bush)

2006-08-31T19:02:00.000-07:00

Not thinking about anything is zen.
Once you know this, walking, standing, sitting, lying down,
everything you do is zen.
To know that the mind is empty is to see the Buddha...
Using the mind to look for reality is delusion.
Not using the mind to look for reality is awareness.
Freeing oneself from words is liberation.

The Fountain of Lamneth

2006-08-21T20:45:00.001-07:00

Now at last I fall before the Fountain of Lamneth. I thought I would be singing but I'm tired, out of breath. Many journeys end here but the secret's told the same. Life is just a candle and the dream must give it flame.

I was looking for the answer but the journey is the answer...

Here all along

2006-08-20T20:45:00.000-07:00

I like PostSecret. You can relate to at least one every week...

Just look at the numbers...

2006-08-08T21:30:00.000-07:00

Blah, Blah, Blog...

2006-08-07T20:30:00.000-07:00

Testing a program...

2006-08-05T16:26:00.000-07:00

Q Mug by picturecloud.com

A Safe Veteran

2006-07-14T18:16:00.000-07:00

Here is a snapshot of a veteran at a function where Bush was speaking.

I am glad to see that he is still receiving good benefits from the VA.

A Nice Climb...

2006-07-14T17:34:00.000-07:00

Here is a rock that looks like a smooth rappel...

(base picture stolen from my wifes photo/art page)

MotoGP for the Masses

2006-07-13T15:53:00.000-07:00

It seems that ABC has decided to show some motorsports besides Nascar... On July 30 they will air the MotoGP races at Laguna Seca in California. I would highly recommend it and am looking forward to the announcers try to pronounce some of the names of the riders. I think it is going to be funny. Too bad ABC can't have Howard Cosell do the announcing.

"I see." said the blind man

2006-07-11T11:26:00.000-07:00

Do you want to understand?

The whole world is one of your eyes, the body produced by your parents is a cataract.

All ordinary people ignore the indestructible, marvelously clear, unfailingly mirroring eye, and cling fast to the dust cataract produced by the relationship of their father and mother.

Therefore they take illusions for realities, and grasp at reflections as the physical forms themselves.

P'u-An

A human being is part of the whole, called by us ‘Universe,’ a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings, as something separate from the rest—a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us.

Einstein

Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.

Gal 6:7

Always know, sometimes think it’s me,
But you know I know when it's a dream.
I think a "No" will be a "Yes," but it’s all wrong.
That is, I think I disagree.

Lennon/McCartney

However mean your life is, meet it and live it: do not shun it and call it hard names.

Cultivate poverty like a garden herb, like sage.

Do not trouble yourself much to get new things, whether clothes or friends.

Things do not change, we change.

Sell your clothes and keep your thoughts.

God will see that you do want society.

Thoreau

That I am not a member of any Christian Church, is true; but I have never denied the truth of the Scriptures; and I have never spoken with intentional disrespect of religion in general, or of any denomination of Christians in particular.

Abraham Lincoln

If I were not an atheist, I would believe in a God who would choose to save people on the basis of the totality of their lives and not the pattern of their words.

I think he would prefer an honest and righteous atheist to a TV preacher whose every word is God, God, God, and whose every deed is foul, foul, foul.

Isaac Asimov

Let me tell you the secret that has led me to my goal: my strength lies solely in my tenacity.

Louis Pasteur

Goodbye Cruel World

2006-07-11T09:56:00.000-07:00

I've got electric light

and I've got second sight

I've got amazing powers of observation

...and that is how I know

when I try to get through

on the telephone to you

there'll be nobody home...

Goodnight Syd...

Dark Side of the ?

2006-07-02T15:44:00.000-07:00

God the Father

2006-06-26T19:04:00.000-07:00

Whenever your children are out of control, you can take comfort from the thought that even God's omnipotence did not extend to His own children.

After creating heaven and earth, God created Adam and Eve.

The first thing he said was "DON'T!"

"Don't what?" Adam replied.

"Don't eat the forbidden fruit." God said.

"Forbidden fruit? We have forbidden fruit? Hey Eve...we have forbidden fruit!"

"No Way!"

"Yes way!"

"Do NOT eat the fruit! " said God.

"Why?"

"Because I am your Father and I said so!" God replied, wondering why He hadn't stopped creation after making the elephants.

A few minutes later, God saw His children having an apple break and He was ticked!

"Didn't I tell you not to eat the fruit?" God asked.

"Uh huh" Adam replied.

"Then why did you?" said the Father.

"I don't know" said Eve.

"She started it!" Adam said.

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"DID NOT!"

Having had it with the two of them, God's punishment was that Adam and Eve
should have children of their own.

Thus the pattern was set and it has never changed.

(I love you Dad)

2006-06-22T19:42:00.000-07:00

Where is the love?

Happy Fathers Day

2006-06-18T10:38:00.000-07:00

Here are my 3 children at different points in thier lives. I am so proud to be their dad!

A Haiku

2006-06-10T20:29:00.000-07:00

Memories with many friends

Thousands as into the concert I was

Shows I'll never forget

Peregrin Falcon

2006-06-09T23:52:00.000-07:00

The Suzuki Hayabusa has a top speed of over 220 miles per hour.

It's gonna be hot...

2006-06-03T09:48:00.000-07:00

The record was set back in 1909 at 110 degrees. Todays predicted high is 112...

Is global warming to blame?

Would you like a piece of pie?

2006-06-03T08:58:00.000-07:00

With the advice of my friends, including my wife, being of the same nature, I find myself looking at the different ways that man sees God. I think that coming together with others who share the same view of God can only strengthen my life. Alone we can be strong but with the support of others we can only be stronger. Thank you friends for your comments. I probably knew this all along but my whole religious background being of one belief and my family going and getting into the whole ceremonious thing and not including me when they did it, left a bad taste in my mouth for organized religions as a whole. I guess I should open up...

Looking at the chart above, I can see that one third of the world is either Islamic or non-religious. Those two will not work for me and my family. One third is Hindu or Buddhist, or even older religions and the whole reincarnation as a rat if you are bad thing has me afraid to even look at the Hindu way. I like the Buddhist peace but feel awfully alone for the most part there. That leaves the third of the world that practices Christianity. My belief in God is strong and always has been. I only had a distaste for organized religion. (especially the televangelists and bible thumpers screaming 'heal this woman!') Now I just need to find a good place to learn to be closer to him and bring my family closer to him. We can only benefit...

Next!

2006-05-28T10:26:00.000-07:00

too many religions

cling to the past

mankind says "NEXT!"

Next...

2006-05-27T19:42:00.000-07:00

I guess I should quit my bitching if I do not plan on taking action.

Here is my next career objective.

I am proud to announce to you...

Welcome to Phoenix, Mavs

2006-05-24T09:15:00.000-07:00

Now watch out as Steve Nash and Raja Bell, your former stars, are gonna help burn you up!!!

My prediction is the Suns in 5 for the Western Conference finals. (knock on wood)

My prediction in the Eastern Conference finals is the Heat in 5 as well, if last nights game shows all the Pistons have in them...

Energy Revolution

2006-05-11T18:58:00.000-07:00

It is time for a change. Our enemies cannot be the ones who control the worlds energy source. We need to let go of old ways and grab hold of new technologies that will allow us to fuel ourselves and employ Americans to do it! Read this article and then look at this one. When we free ourselves from the chains that bind us to countries full of people who hate Americans, we can only be better off...

Just Do It...

2006-05-07T08:07:00.000-07:00

Go Home and Cry that is...

Light out of darkness

2006-05-05T07:11:00.000-07:00

My first posted fractal image...A Mandelrot set illustrating Z*(n)^2 + c and amended lighting via Photoshop5.

Rasheed fined $20,000 for his 'opinion'

2006-05-02T09:27:00.000-07:00

2005 Playoffs

NBA officials get extremely touchy when a participant claims that officials make calls to steer the outcome of a game.

Houston Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy caused a major uproar earlier in the playoffs when he alleged during the Mavericks series that an official told him that instructions were in place to single out a player — Houstons Yao Ming. Van Gundy later backed off saying that he’d talked to a league official rather than a game official. However, the league levied a huge fine, and Van Gundy was warned that a similar future transgression could result in a severe suspension or even banishment.

More recently, after a Game 5 loss to Miami in which he managed just two points, Rasheed Wallace said, “Y’all know we’re going to win game six. If y’all don’t know that, y’all crazy.” The clear implication was that the officials were going to find a way to extend the series with their whistles. Wallace was promptly reprimanded and fined $20,000.

"I wanna be like Mike" - Kobe Bryant

2006-05-02T09:13:00.000-07:00

(Feel free to replace the name, Kobe Bryant, anywhere the name, Michael Jordan appears)

In 1994, Jack Madden, recognized as one of the best referees in history, retired after having presided over 35 NBA Finals games. He continues to follow the sport closely, and we checked in with Madden for his views on refereeing a Bulls-Jazz series.

SI: Fans and players have the perception that referees are ready with a makeup call when a clearly bad call has been made on the other end of the floor. Is that true?

Madden: No, that's a myth. If we did that, we'd make a travesty of the game. We're human. Sometimes we miss calls. But if we called a makeup for everything we missed, we'd be trying to even the score all night.

SI: So is it also a myth that Michael Jordan gets away with more than most players?

Madden: There's some truth to that. Michael Jordan is the greatest player I've ever seen. He's so quick with his feet that he gets away with walking an unbelievable number of times, especially when he's in the post, with his back to the basket.

SI: Why don't officials call it?

Madden: Sometimes his feet move too fast [for the official to detect the violation], and sometimes the refs are concentrating on what the defensive player is doing.

SI: Did you nail Jordan for traveling?

Madden: All the time. He got upset about it, too. I think he hated to see me walk into the gym.

SI: Does Jordan intimidate officials?

Madden: He intimidates the younger referees. He gets in their faces, and that can be tough for a new guy. Obviously Jordan intimidates players and coaches, so you can see how it would happen with some refs. But not the veterans. They've heard it all before.

SI: What about John Stockton? His opponents claim he's a dirty player.

Madden: I never saw that. He's very smart, very competitive, and other guys are jealous because he's so great for his size.

SI: When you officiated, what did you look for with Stockton?

Madden: We'd probably concentrate on how he was setting screens. He sets a lot of them during a game. Some are moving screens—but not as many as opposing teams think.

SI: Do the Bulls get more calls in their favor, the way many felt the great Celtics teams did?

Madden: I laugh when I hear that. People don't realize that when you're the better team, you are better in every way, including how you execute. The great teams deserve all the breaks and calls they get.

Issue date: June 15, 1998

You mean this is not the first time???

2006-05-02T08:01:00.000-07:00

2003

NBA commissioner David Stern has expressed his disappointment with the NBA officials who staged a visible protest of the suspension of referee Michael Henderson at Friday night's games.
NBA referees turned their jerseys inside-out and wore No. 62 -- the number assigned to a disciplined colleague. "Last night's display was woefully inconsistent with the professionalism with which NBA officials normally conduct themselves," Stern said in a statement on Saturday. "There is nothing more to say at this time."

The league promised more punishment for the referees showing support for Henderson.The NBA released a statement from deputy commissioner Russ Granik on Friday saying any referees taking part in the protest "will be subject to appropriate discipline."The officials were responding to Michael Henderson's being taken off three job assignments and summoned to the league office.

Henderson's bad call at the end of Wednesday night's Lakers-Nuggets game was publicly acknowledged Thursday by the NBA. "An unprecedented job action was taken against one of their colleagues, so an unprecedented response was necessary," said Lamell McMorris, a spokesman and negotiator for the National Basketball Referees Association.

Referees at all 10 NBA games Friday night were expected to take part in the protest, although officials Eddie F. Rush and Nolan Fine worked the Grizzlies-Bucks game in Milwaukee and did not. The third member of their crew, Rodney Mott, wore his shirt inside out with No. 62 magic-markered on the back. McMorris said Rush and Fine were "intimidated" by refereeing supervisor Ronnie Nunn. "From what I understand it was typical bullying tactics by the NBA. Ronnie Nunn came in and threatened them, told them if they wore their shirts inside-out they'd be fired," McMorris said. NBA vice president Stu Jackson did not return a call seeking comment on McMorris' allegation.

Henderson, in his second season as an NBA official, mistakenly whistled a shot clock violation after an attempt by Denver's Andre Miller brushed the rim and was rebounded by a teammate. The officials huddled and ruled it an inadvertent whistle, resulting in a jump ball. The Lakers won the tip and made the game-winning shot with 3.2 seconds left.

"This was an unfortunate call at a highly critical point in the game, and we very much regret the error," NBA vice president Stu Jackson said his statement Thursday. He was not immediately available for comment Friday night. McMorris said Henderson's three-game punishment was unprecedented. "It's inconsistent with the performance evaluation standards that the league introduced to initiate communication between supervisors and referees," McMorris said. "This has never occurred for a bad call." McMorris told SportsTicker he had spoken with Henderson and categorized his mood as "upset, as well as the entire NBRA is upset. He's more hurt than anything."

Luck the Fakers!!!

2006-04-28T22:36:00.000-07:00

I have never seen such a horribly officiated game in my entire life!

I wonder how much an NBA ref goes for these days... Obviously the Lakers can afford them.

I would go on but want to refrain from using the only words that fit.

FLIP FLARN FILTHY NBA REFEREES!!!

Lakers 6th Man award goes to...

2006-04-26T20:53:00.000-07:00

...Joe Crawford!!!

(how much does a ref cost nowadays?)

Guck the Fas companies

2006-04-23T09:36:00.000-07:00

Michael Ramirez, California -- Investors Business Daily

G's Old Scooter

2006-04-22T10:34:00.000-07:00

A nice link that reflects my feelings...

2006-04-20T19:30:00.000-07:00

Click the title for a link to a short filmstrip. Thanks Cabbage!

Dead End

2006-04-12T19:17:00.000-07:00

Cockpit tape played at Moussaoui trial

The judge sent the jury home for the day and the defense will begin its case on Thursday. Just after that, Moussaoui shouted, “God curse you all!”

I am afraid that the Jury will sentence him to death but I think that a much better punishment would be to put him in San Quentin and be a bitch to every big bad lifer in the place. I can see those big boys lining up now outside of his cell waiting to make him cry like the pussy that he is by cranking him up his Islamic ass!!! It should feel like the World Trade Center towers being crammed up inside him... That would be a much more fitting sentence for this radical Islamic piece of shit. Everyone else seems to have a fine time getting along until you get to that religion, they think that Allah is going to line up virgins for them and their worldly acts. (killing non-believers) HA HA FUCKING HA!!! Golly, I cannot believe that there are people in this world that still believe such stupidity. Where the fuck do those fucking stupid desert cavemen think that Allah is going to come up with all those virgins? LMAO! Good Luck Dumb Fuck!!!

I guess they are going to be the next dead end branch of upright walking people since the Neanderthals. (and we don't miss them either)

a fish out of water

2006-04-05T23:18:00.000-07:00

This is a pretty cool find of late...click the title link for the article.

John 10:09

2006-04-01T09:35:00.000-07:00

I am the door, by me, if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and go in and out and find pasture...

You got her what?

2006-04-01T01:14:00.000-07:00

My little girl is growing up...

It's Alright

2006-04-01T01:10:00.000-07:00

Give it all and ask no return

and very soon you'll see

(and you'll begin to learn)

That's it's alright

Gosh Danged Immigrants Anyway...

2006-03-29T22:18:00.000-07:00

Hmmm...

Whew!

2006-03-29T13:52:00.000-07:00

Takoradi, March 26, GNA - A Catholic priest said on Sunday that it would be fruitless for Christians to look for signs of the end of times or the second coming of Jesus Christ through rare natural occurrences like the lunar eclipse.

Therefore they should be wary of "religious charlatans" and other unscrupulous people who might give different interpretations to this and other rare phenomena to corrupt their faith.

The most Reverend John Martin Darko, the Bishop of the Sekondi-Takoradi Diocese, told the GNA that Christian must be ready at all times for the coming of Christ by eschewing corruption and other vices and also be disciplined and obey the laws of the country. "Again if we love and do good to our neighbours irrespective of their sex, religion, status or ethnic origin, then we must be ready for the second coming of Jesus", he said.

The flight of Icarus

2006-03-29T13:30:00.000-07:00

回歡迎！

2006-03-22T20:50:00.000-07:00

歡迎Amare Stoudemire。敲在木頭但我希望您的戲劇實現前個季節因為我想要看太陽得到一些圓環!!!

الفرس النازي, نازي

2006-03-19T08:58:00.000-07:00

Arabian Nazi is the translation of the Arabic title. It seems that this guy is leading his followers down a path that Adolph Hitler led the German people down. I sure hope that the people of the middle east can get their shit together and join the rest of the world in modern time!

(I guess the shithead that leads our country uses religion to his own needs as best he can too so here is my disclaimer: Fuck Bush!)

OK, now that has been said, this article explains it ...

Iraqi cleric wants gays killed in "most severe way"

In the midst of sectarian violence that threatens to drag Iraq into civil war, the country's influential Shiite cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani has issued a violent death order against gays and lesbians on his Web site, according to London-based LGBT human rights groups OutRage. Written in Arabic, the fatwa comes from a press conference with the powerful religious cleric, where he was asked about the judgment on sodomy and lesbianism. “Forbidden,” Sistani answered, according to OutRage, “Punished, in fact, killed. The people involved should be killed in the worst, most severe way of killing.”

Considering Sistani's stature and influence within the Iraqi Shiite majority, OutRage member Ali Hili declared the cleric's statements extremely dangerous. “Sistani's murderous homophobic incitement has given a green light to Shia Muslims to hunt and kill lesbians and gay men,” said Hili. “We hold Sistani personally responsible for the murder of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Iraqis. He gives the killers theological sanction and encouragement.”

Air America - Coming Back to Phoenix!

2006-03-17T08:55:00.000-07:00

On March 1, 2006 our Air America Phoenix station was taken off the air by a Religious Broadcasting company. This was a “dark” day for progressive talk radio in America. You have flooded us with emails pleading to get us back on the radio and asking how you can help. We have heard your cries. Our goal is to be back on the air on April 3rd, 2006!

A deal has been negotiated with a local station and the final details are being ironed out! Our Freedom Express is running on schedule thanks to your generous support. But the battle is not yet over. We still need your strong support in the next few weeks to make our dream come true. It is very important to get as many people as possible involved at this critical juncture.

You gotta be kidding me...

2006-03-14T07:32:00.000-07:00

On The Lamb...

...is the actual title of this blog entry as kid is a young goat. It seems that a Deputy Fire Chief in Mesa, AZ got caught banging one of his neighbors young sheep out in the barn. Isn't it 2006? In this town there are plenty of people and pages of yellow by the score advertising phone numbers of escorts. Why a sheep? WHY A SHEEP???

"Waves upong waves of demented avengers marched cheerfully out of obscurity and into the dream - dream - dream"

Here is the story courtesy The Arizona Republic.

Deputy fire chief suspected of bestiality
Lindsey Collom The Arizona Republic Mar. 7, 2006 12:00 AM

MESA - A deputy fire chief was jailed Sunday on suspicion of disorderly conduct and criminal trespassing after a neighbor discovered the man half-undressed inside the neighbor's barn, authorities said. The neighbor told investigators the man was holding down a sheep. The Mesa Fire Department placed Leroy Donald Johnson, 52, on paid leave Monday pending an internal investigation. Johnson, deputy chief of technical services, has been with the Mesa Fire Department for nearly 26 years.

Assistant Fire Chief Mary Cameli said Johnson has been an "exemplary" employee with a spotless personnel record. "We were all very surprised by this," Cameli added.

Johnson's neighbor told Maricopa County Sheriff's deputies that he was called home Saturday afternoon when his 13-year-old daughter saw Johnson drag one of their sheep into a barn. The teenager said Johnson knocked on the front and back door of their home in the 1200 block of East Catclaw Street before grabbing the small gray lamb, records showed.

When confronted by deputies, Johnson said he was in the barn with the sheep but would not discuss why he was there or what he was doing. One of the deputies noted in his report that Johnson had bloodshot eyes and smelled of alcohol.

Johnson did not return a call for comment Monday.

A dozen hot wings and a pitcher of Heineken please

2006-03-05T16:21:00.000-07:00

Here is the best reason I have found for drinking beer while eating chicken wings...

YUK!

永恒

2006-03-05T16:20:00.000-07:00

因此我在讀透露匿名的人的秘密，是知道我也有一個的明信片。我考慮在我的自己的一張卡片送信但是認為我在我的 blog 在這裡會照常舉行和公佈一個。在這裡是 ...我為了一起密封家庭討厭 Mormons ' 時間和所有永恒 ' 如果每名成員不是存在的。我蔑視一個家庭的選擇也給它。

Port Authority

2006-03-01T23:02:00.000-07:00

I do not know, nor do I know how to look it up, but I wonder who or what company runs the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey...

A few facts, and a link to a very cool blog.

2006-03-01T22:43:00.000-07:00

100% of containers coming into Hong Kong are inspected. Only 5% in the U.S. are inspected. From Nancy Pelosi.

The handheld devices that detect radiation in a container have an error rate of40%.
24 of the top 25 US Port Facilities are owned by foreign-based companies. From Hardball on MSNBC.

Bird flu kills German cat

2006-03-01T18:17:00.000-07:00

(seems like a little kitty karma at work here)

A cat found dead last weekend on the German island of Rügen was infected with a dangerous strain of bird flu, health officials have confirmed. Tests are being carried out to determine whether the virus is exactly the same as the aggressive H5N1 variant that has so far infected 174 people, mostly in Asia, more than half of whom have died. The danger to humans is "theoretical, but nothing can be excluded", says Thomas Mettenleiter, head of the Friedrich Loeffler Federal Research Institute for Animal Health on the neighbouring island of Riems, off Germany's northern coast.

Some more bike shots

2006-02-26T21:26:00.000-07:00

Next, I am going to have to try and mount my camera in my tank bag for some onboard movies. Hmmmm... : )

Keep the Wheel Side Down

2006-02-23T16:56:00.000-07:00

Scooter

2006-02-23T16:42:00.000-07:00

It all seems pretty obvious now...

2006-02-23T10:05:00.000-07:00

The bastard, Dick Cheney, was drunk when he shot his hunting buddy. Every time I have watched COPS and they pull over a drunk driver, the reply to the obligatory question "how much have you had to drink?" is always "one or two beers". With Dick shooting his hunting partner, then hiding it from the press, and not allowing LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS to meet with him until well after any amount of alcohol would have been processed by his system, THE ONLY LOGICAL ASSUMPTION CAN BE THAT THE MOTHER FUCKER WAS DRUNK.

I am ashamed of the current Executive leadership and sick to my stomach that this piece of shit, Dick Cheney, can get away with what I would have been thrown in jail for. Fuck You Dick! hahaha (that sounds cool) Fuck You Dick!

I am just glad to live in the year 2006 where this will definitely get out to the world. If this had happened to Kennedy, Carter, Reagan, or that other fucking Bush, the information would have been quietly swept under the rug and kept there. But in this age of information, the truth is going to come out and it may be the straw that broke the camels back. With all the other bullshit that has happened under this Presidency, this may just be what America needed to stop being fed BULLSHIT from the Executive Office! (Fuck You Dick!)

OK, with that off of my chest, here is a picture of Dick showing how drunk he was, in his opinion that is...

Whoo Hoo!

2006-02-22T16:43:00.000-07:00

Here are a few shots of my new bike. I had been looking for a used bike to save some cash but the resale values for bikes here in the valley have their prices almost as expensive as the new ones are! (plus you get no warranty) So finally, after looking at the Yamaha FZ1 and the Honda 599, came across the Suzuki SV650S which was definitely the bike for me! It has a V-twin engine rather than the inline 4 cylinder bikes that I have ridden previously. That will also give it more torque for better power in handling. It will take a little getting used to after 2+ years of not riding anything since my FZR600 but I am stoked to get some miles on those tires!!! Ok, enough yapping. Here is the bike!

(oh yeah, I am also the only member of the Southwest Chapter of the Camel Toe Race Team!)

Honest

2006-02-20T16:26:00.000-07:00

"Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be"

- Abraham Lincoln

I'm Fixing a Hole

2006-02-20T11:31:00.000-07:00

I’m taking the time for a number of things
That weren’t important yesterday
And I still go.

I’m fixing a hole where the rain gets in
And stops my mind from wandering
Where it will go.

I guess it is like spring cleaning. You have to get rid of the stuff in the attic that you have been storing, for no good reason, for years and years. I guess this is a part of that process. Thank you for your participation!

(miracles need only be noticed to be real)

Sick Joke

2006-02-18T17:17:00.000-07:00

Three women had a very late night drinking. They left in the early morning hours and went home their separate ways.The next day, they all met and compared notes about who was drunker the night before.

The first girl claims that she was the drunkest, saying, "I drove straight home and walked into the house. As soon as I got through the door, I blew chunks."

The second said, "You think that was drunk? Damn, I got into my car and wrapped my car around the first tree I saw. I don't even have insurance!"

The third proclaimed, "Shit, I was the drunkest by far! When I got home, I got into a big fight with my husband, knocked a candle over, and burned the whole house down!"

The room was silent for a moment.
Then, the first girl spoke out again,
"Listen girls, I don't think you understand. Chunks is my dog."

He who hesitates is lost

2006-02-18T16:57:00.000-07:00

In moving forward in recovery from shoulder injuries and seizures I see quotes that give meaning and I can draw strength from. Here is one of them that has inspired my recent changes for the better...

"Though we have heard of stupid haste in war, cleverness has never been seen associated with long delays". - Sun Tzu