Muy Loco!

I just had to share a shot of my three crazy children. I am indeed a proud father of some cool cats!

 

Dione, Tethys, and Pandora

The Cassini spacecraft photographed these three moons while passing Saturn. I was taken aback at the incredible clarity and alignment of the moons so had to share it. (besides, I am sick of bitching about everything on my blog) hahaha

Happy Birthday to Me...

Ok, Thanksgiving was my birthday. I am 38 years old. I am thankful for my family. I am thankful for my friends. I am thankful to have a nice house in a nice neighborhood. I am thankful for everything in my life.

Isolationism

I say "Fuck 'em and feed 'em fish heads!"



Leave the world to its own devices. The only reason we deal with the rest of the world anyway is to make money off of them. We need to buckle down and take care of the people here in the USA.

It seems a strange coincidence (I don't actually believe in coincidences) that my last post was regarding the terrible thing that happened in America during the Reagan administration, the killing of John Lennon, who was a man the government was afraid could give backbone and a voice to those who disagreed with our world policies. Now, we have Bush and his administration at least, going to war in Iraq under false pretenses, and at most, creating the whole 9/11 abomination as an excuse to tackle anything they declared to be terrorist or supporting terrorists. I am just sick to my fucking stomach every day I read the new news...what is going to happen next? When do we start to be honest with ourselves, the United States, with a government for the people and by the people. What fucking people? The rich motherfucking bastards that benefitted from the beginning and who refuse to let go for the next generation of humans. The world that my children are going to live in will be much better than the world that I grew up in believing what was taught to me. I am glad that now when my kids ask questions, they will have access to the truth, or at least many different versions of what may be true and not just take what the American government gives them through school and the media. Now the media is bugging me too here in America. Back in the beginning of the war in Iraq, I remember hearing Tony Blair talking to his parliament about wanting to get more of the rebuilding dollars to companies in the UK. I NEVER HEARD ANYTHING ABOUT MONEY OVER HERE IN AMERICA. THAT IS BECAUSE HALLIBUTON DIDN'T WANT US TO THINK THAT ANYONE STOOD TO MAKE MONEY ON THIS FUCKING WAR. I am ready for a change and cannot imagine waiting another 3 years for this bitch bastard George W. Bush to end his term in office. It is time to impeach this lying sack of shit and replace him with someone who cares about more than money. FUCK YOU GEORGE BUSH AND FUCK YOU DICK CHENEY!!! (a couple of whining pussies) Have fun in Hell, and when you get there be sure and brag to the devil how you deceived an entire country into a war that was only for MONEY.

(click the title link re: Isolationism)

(also see this: http://www.physics.byu.edu/research/energy/htm7.html)

(one more: http://911research.wtc7.net)

December 8, 1980

"I heard a voice in my head saying, 'Do it, do it." Mark David Chapman recounts, "and as he passed me, I pulled out the gun and aimed at his back and pulled the trigger five times in succession."

Chapman said that his compulsion to kill Lennon began one day in his apartment in Hawaii where he was sitting on the floor looking at The Beatles' "Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band" album. His animosity began to consume Chapman.

"There was a successful man who kind of had the world on a chain, so to speak, and there I was, not even a link in that chain, just a person with no personality," Chapman said, "and something in me just broke."

~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~

The album, Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band, is my favorite of all time. I have had some very meaningful experiences while listening to it but never imagined that it could mean different things to different people. The album is more than just music. It is more than just a story. I cannot understand what in it drove this Mark David Chapman to kill John Lennon but hope that the parole board keeps this man off of the streets.

Sgt Peppers one and only lonely hearts club band.

I cannot tell you but I know it's mine.

Newspaper taxis appear on the shore, waiting to take you away.

I've got to admit it's getting better, a little better all the time - it can't get no worse.

And it really doesn't matter if I'm wrong, I'm right, where I belong.

Fun is the one thing that money can't buy.

A splendid time is guaranteed for all.

When you've seen beyond yourself, you may find peace of mind is waiting there.

Indicate precicsely what you mean to say, yours sincerely wasting away.

Give us a wink and make me think of you.

Somebody needs to know the time, glad that I'm here.

We'd like to thank you once again.

Somebody spoke and I went into a dream.

That is, I think it's not too bad.

Very strange...

 

A Very Good Grade

Now I have my son Joey showing me up...
I remember getting some A grades and even some A+'s.
I NEVER remember getting an A+++!
(like the one he got on his Hohokam pottery artifact project)

The teachers note says, "Out of This World, Awesome!"

Good Job Joey!!! - Dad

What would you do with a brain if you had one?

"I don't think we're in Kansas anymore" -Dorothy to her dog Toto

The separation of church and state is no longer of any concern to the school board there. I am very sorry to see this happen. As if George W. Bush was not an embarrasment enough, now Kansas goes and strikes Darwins theory from what is taught to children. I believe in God and am alive because of his blessings and plan for me. I do have the freewill to live my life and the more knowledge I have of this world that I am a part of, the better my life will be. I cannot see who or how anyone will benefit from the evolutionary theory being omitted from scientific teachings. I see that the religious right thinks that Darwins theory is full of holes. I see science without Darwins theory more full of holes...

I see the backers of this legislation as people who refuse to let go of what they learned as children, that God created the Earth and the heavens in 7 days... I like the story and understand that you had to explain things a little more simply a few thousand years ago so that people could understand and grasp the theory. I cannot understand how some can be so blind to the fact that we are constantly evolving. If evolution were not true, no one would ever get the flu again. The trouble is that a flu bug we immunize for evolves into a flu that can survive the attempts to eliminate it, and so on and so on. (Funny how the influenza evolution may be the end of mans evolution. The way things are looking we may be in big trouble when the bird flu goes human to human.)

We can also understand better now how long it actually took God to create the heavens and the Earth. We know that a day to an Earthling is 24 hours, and a day to a Venusian is 5832 hours long, and a day to a Jupiterian is only 9.9 hours long. Can't we easily see that a day to God may not be 24 hours long? Can't we easily see that a story told to people 5000 years ago, cannot be as scientifically exacting as we need it to be in this age of information? Can't we all just keep our religious beliefs, or lack of them, to ourselves and those interested in discussing them? I think that school is not the place that I want my children learning about God. I want my kids to have the same opportunity for learning that I did and not have anyone elses religious beliefs get in their way.

A fifth hole haiku

aim left slice right
dimples cutting through air
two-putt for par

 

Having Bush as President seems similar...

But thank God that Bush is now finally getting things straightened out. I am just sorry that they were never educated on the fine art of Ethics before they got their Jobs Leading Our Country...

 

Suns Beat Lakers in L.A. (122-112)

You Tell 'em Mike!

So we lost our home season opener to Dallas Mavericks in double overtime. It was nice to then travel to the City of Angels and beat the Lakers in their season home opener. The boys (LA) just could not get that triangle to work for them last night. I wonder if Phil Jackson is going to last there longer than Rudy Tomjanovich did...

 

A Cool Morning Bike Ride...

No, not this cool. I just didn't have another picture.

I took the bike out today (5am) for a ride around Dobson Ranch Golf Course. It took about 20 minutes and had me breathing heavy. I really think that bike riding is going to be a great way to spend some high quality time with the family and also to get some high quality time with just nothing but the wind in my ears, connecting with the day in the early morning hours before the city is even awake.

 

The next Lance Armstrong?

No, not hardly.
Just a man who rides the same brand of bicycle, Trek. I got a 24 speed mountain bike today to expand my exercise routine from the treadmill and eclipse machines to some outdoor biking. After seeing a streetbike accident in my neighborhood, the desire for a crotchrocket has diminished but two wheels still call my name so....here I am with my new bike!

I came home from the bike shop and showed my wife who instantly asked where hers was. I turned back around and took her back to the shop. She wanted one in red,which they have to assemble, so we will have to go pick it up later tonight when they call to advise us it's ready.

My kids are stoked that we can now go on family bike outings. I am stoked to have some solitary biking time without the motorcycle risk and get some good exercise in at the same time.

I guess the saying still stands though...'Keep the Wheels Side Down'.

 

This is only a test...

OK, did you figure out the trivia question? The answer seems pretty obvious when you hear it but here it is anyway...

Shaquille O'Neal missed all eleven of his free throw attempts against Seattle, December 8th, 2000.

 

Basketball Trivia

On November 4, 1960, Philadelphia's Wilt Chamberlain set an NBA record for the Most Free Throw Attempts in a Game with None Made when he missed all ten of his tries against Detroit. Who broke this record?

The answer tomorrow...

(oh yeah, the Suns lost to the Mavericks in double overtime by 3 points. the loss sucked but we got lots of game, almost 4 hours of TV time on TNT) 

Tim Duncan...

...enough said.

 

Whoo Hoo!

All Right Now! It is time for some NBA action and I am ready for some good stuff from the Suns, even without Amare for a while... I saw the Mavericks Airliner at Sky Harbor on my way downtown today and I have been itching to see the game ever since then... Tonight at 8:30pm begins the season and hopefully all the way to the finals!!!

GO SUNS!!!

 

Suns Season Begins Tomorrow!!! (stolen directly from suns.com)

Suns Open Season Tomorrow

Following a successful preseason (6-2), the Phoenix Suns are anxious to tip off the 2005-06 schedule Tuesday night when they host the Dallas Mavericks (8:30 p.m., TNT) at America West Arena. The Home Depot Home Opener will mark the first time the teams have met up since the Conference Semifinals, in which the Suns eliminated the Mavs to advance to the Western Conference Finals.

* * *

I cannot wait to watch the opening game on the new widescreen LCD TV on the brand new couch being delivered today. The couch has four fucking Lay-Z-Boy recliners built into it!!! With the Digital Video Recorder and NBA League Pass, I seem to be primed for an NBA overdose!

In the blink of an eye...

This afternoon, around 1:30, I heard a quick street bike in the neighborhood. I was out in the backyard working on the sprinkler system but stopped to listen. I heard it go thru gears 1-3 pretty quickly so it was probably going somewhere between 50 and 75 miles per hour. I then heard thump, thump, thud, scritch, crash!!!

I dropped everything and ran out, with phone dialing 911, to see what I could do to assist. Unfortunately, the rider and his blue Triumph were obliterated. The rider had been thrown 15 feet or so hitting a tree with his un-helmeted head. The top of his skull was torn off and grey matter was on the rocks to his side. Though I was on with the emergency operator, it was no longer a rush to get to this crash victim. He was already gone.

His father, an ER nurse, ran down and hollered for his boys to go get their mom. He was also in understanding that there was nothing to be done for him. Mom came down wailing for her son in grief. At that point, police had arrived and asked all non-witnesses to leave the area and began to tape it off.

I went back and grabbed a camera for documentation purposes but was told by the police that they would have to take my camera as evidence if I shot any photos. I walked away clean. Then the cops went about their business and I took a couple of shots. Here they are, none of the man who lost his life today, just a couple of shots of what was left of the bike from a couple houses away.

What happened was, the man hit a speed bump about 100 feet to the left of the bike in the picture while still accellerating. The bike caught a little bit of air when going over the speed bump and it did not get back to the ground and in control before he hit the curb. The front tire went sideways, sliding along the curb, and threw the rider into a tree. The forks and front tire stayed near the rider. The bike then flew to the spot above which is about 40 yards from the tree. The man was dead upon impact, I am quite sure.

Until today, I wanted more than anything to get a motorcycle again. As of right now, I could not see myself taking a risk like that. A long life with Heather and the kids is much more important than tearing up the streets with those crotch rockets that I loved to ride. I think that I am just a little shaken up by hearing someone die in my quiet neighborhood today on a bike.

(A Happy Memory)

Keep the wheels side down...if you can.


Scott

Nothing is Easy

Here is a lyric to a classic Jethro Tull song that helps me put things into perspective...

"Nothing Is Easy"

Nothing is easy. Though time gets you worrying my friend, it's o.k.
Just take your life easy and stop all that hurrying, be happy my way.

When tension starts mounting and you've lost count of the pennies you've missed, just try hard and see why they're not worrying me, they're last on my list. Nothing's easy.

Nothing is easy, you'll find that the squeeze won't turn out so bad.
Your fingers may freeze, worse things happen at sea, there's good times to be had.

So if you're alone and you're down to the bone, just give us a play. You'll smile in a while and discover that I'll get you happy my way
--nothing's easy.

Civil Disobedience

Rosa Parks, whose refusal to give up her bus seat to a white man sparked the modern civil rights movement, died Monday evening at 92 years of age.

50 years ago in 1955, things were a little different than they are now. It seems to be much further away than 50 years. I am glad of the progress we are making and glad for this womans strength.

Back then, Jim Crow laws in place required separation of the races in buses, restaurants, and public accomodations throughout the South, while legally sanctioned racial discrimination kept blacks out of many jobs and neighborhoods in the North.

Thanks to Rosa and her act of defiance, America is full of Americans, not Coloreds and Whites.

My hat goes off to Rosa and her cause. God Bless America!

Go Notre Dame!

SOUTH BEND, Ind. - Charlie Weis doesn’t usually let anyone else call plays on offense. He made an exception for 10-year-old Montana Mazurkiewicz.

The Notre Dame coach met last week with Montana, who had been told by doctors weeks earlier that there was nothing more they could do to stop the spread of his inoperable brain tumor.

“He was a big Notre Dame fan in general, but football especially,” said his mother, Cathy Mazurkiewicz.

Weis showed up at the Mazurkiewicz home in Mishawaka, just east of South Bend, and talked with Montana about his tumor and about Weis’ 10-year-old daughter, Hannah, who has global development delay, a rare disorder similar to autism.

He told Montana about some pranks he played on Joe Montana — whom Montana was named after — while they were roommates at Notre Dame.
“I gave him a chance to hammer me on the Michigan State loss, which he did very well. He reminded me of my son,” said Weis, whose son, Charlie Jr., is 12 years old. Weis said the meeting was touching.

“He told me about his love for Notre Dame football and how he just wanted to make it through this game this week,” Weis said. “He just wanted to be able to live through this game because he knew he wasn’t going to live very much longer.”

As Weis talked to the boy, Cathy Mazurkiewicz rubbed her son’s shoulder trying to ease his pain. Weis said he could tell the boy was trying not to show he was in pain.

His mother told Montana, who had just become paralyzed from the waist down a day earlier because of the tumor, to toss her a football Weis had given him. Montana tried to throw the football, put could barely lift it. So Weis climbed into the reclining chair with him and helped him complete the pass to his mother.

Before leaving, Weis signed the football.
“He wrote, ‘Live for today for tomorrow is always another day,'"
Mazurkiewicz said.

“He told him: ‘You can’t worry about tomorrow. Just live today for everything it has and everything you can appreciate,” she said. “He said: ‘If you’re (in pain) today you might not necessarily be in pain tomorrow, or it might be worse. But there’s always another day.”

Weis asked Montana if there was something he could do for him. He agreed to let Montana call the first play against Washington on Saturday.

He called “pass right.”

Montana never got to see the play. He died Friday at his home.

Weis heard about the death and called Mazurkiewicz on Friday night to assure her he would still call Montana’s play.

“He said, ‘This game is for Montana, and the play still stands,”’ she said.
Weis said he told the team about the visit. He said it wasn’t a “Win one for the Gipper” speech, because he doesn’t believe in using individuals as inspiration. He just wanted the team to know people like Montana are out there.

“That they represent a lot of people that they don’t even realize they’re representing,” Weis said.

When the Irish started on their own 1-yard-line following a fumble recovery, Mazurkiewicz wasn’t sure Notre Dame would be able to throw a pass. Weis was concerned about that, too. So was quarterback Brady. “He said what are we going to do?” Weis said. “I said we have no choice. We’re throwing it to the right.”

Weis called a play where most of the Irish went left, Quinn ran right and looked for tight end Anthony Fasano on the right.

Mazurkiewicz watched with her family.

“I just closed my eyes. I thought, ‘There’s no way he’s going to be able to make that pass. Not from where they’re at. He’s going to get sacked and Washington’s going to get two points,”’ she said.

Fasano caught the pass and leapt over a defender for a 13-yard gain.

“It’s almost like Montana was willing him to beat that defender and take it to the house,” Weis said.

Mazurkiewicz was happy.

“It was an amazing play. Montana would have been very pleased. I was very pleased,” she said. “I was just so overwhelmed. I couldn’t watch much more.”

Weis called her again after the game, a 36-17 victory by the 13th-ranked Fighting Irish, and said he had a game ball signed by the team that he wanted to bring to the family on Sunday.

“He’s a very neat man. Very compassionate,” she said. “I just thanked him for using that play, no matter the circumstances.”

He looks a little too happy...

HOUSTON - Rep. Tom DeLay turned himself Thursday in at the Harris County sheriff’s bonding office, where he was photographed, fingerprinted and released on bond on state conspiracy and money laundering charges.

Two grand juries have charged DeLay and two political associates in an alleged scheme to violate state election law by funneling corporate donations to candidates for the Texas Legislature. State law prohibits use of corporate donations to finance state campaigns, although the money can be used for administrative expenses.

The indictments charge that a DeLay-founded Texas political committee sent corporate donations to the Republican National Committee in Washington, and the national party sent funds back to the state for 2002 campaigns.

DeLay’s Republican fundraising in 2002 had major political consequences, allowing the GOP to take control of the Texas Legislature. The Legislature then redrew congressional boundaries according to a DeLay-inspired plan, took command of the state's U.S. House delegation and helped the GOP retain its House majority.

I guess that is why he looks so happy. He still thinks that he is untouchable... We will see how it comes out.

Let 'em eat cake!

I had to share a link to another blog. It is slightly disturbing but not at all suprising to hear... Reminds me of a quote of Marie Antoinette.
(Click the title to go to the blog...)

or here is the article click free:

Published: September 05, 2005 NEW YORK

Accompanying her husband, former President George H.W.Bush, on a tour of hurricane relief centers in Houston, Barbara Bush said today, referring to the poor who had lost everything back home and evacuated, "This is working very well for them." The former First Lady's remarks were aired this evening on American Public Media's "Marketplace" program.

She was part of a group in Houston today at the Astrodome that included her husband and former President Bill Clinton, who were chosen by her son, the current president, to head fundraising efforts for the recovery. Sen. Hilary Clinton and Sen. Barack Obama were also present.

In a segment at the top of the show on the surge of evacuees to the Texas city, Barbara Bush said: "Almost everyone I’ve talked to says we're going to move to Houston." Then she added: "What I’m hearing which is sort of scary is they all want to stay in Texas. Everyone is so overwhelmed by the hospitality." "And so many of the people in the arena here, you know, were underprivileged anyway, so this--this (she chuckles slightly) is working very well for them."

How can we use this disaster to our advantage?

Firms with Bush ties snag Katrina deals

White House connections attract renewed attention from watchdog groups

At least two major corporate clients of lobbyist Joe Allbaugh, President George W. Bush's former campaign manager and a former head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, have already been tapped to start recovery work along the battered Gulf Coast. One is Shaw Group Inc. and the other is Halliburton Co. subsidiary Kellogg Brown and Root.

Katrina may cost as much as four years of war

Government certain to pay more than $200 billion following hurricane

"I cannot put a cost figure on it," Vice President Dick Cheney said Thursday in a visit to the hard-hit states.

Robert Lichter, a statistician who studies the use and misuse of numbers in public policy, cautioned against reading too much into the early figures.
"Assume that all estimates are self-interested and all estimates are too low," Lichter said, especially those coming out of Washington. "The government is like a contractor — whatever it says, triple."

Puerto Penasco, Sonora, Mexico

This weekend we went down south to vacation at the Sonoran Spa Resort in Rocky Point, Mexico! It was a total blast!!! The resort is right on the beach and has everything you need without ever leaving the resort. There is plenty of other fun to be had but you could stay there the whole time and be just fine.

The first night, I drank way too much and got crappy with everyone. Luckily they love me and forgave me.

The second night, I did not feel like partying at all and went to bed fairly early. The third night was the best and we went to eat a huge dinner and blow off some fireworks on the beach and do some dancing. (don't try and visualize me dancing please...)

Our drive home was uneventful and smooth. Our new Dodge Durango got about 20 miles per gallon and took us just about a tank there and back. With gas prices over $3 a gallon, that was nice...

Well, that is about it. I am going to go cook up some salmon for dinner. Eating the foreign cuisine and the fast food on the freeway ruined my innards and I am looking forward to getting some healthy stuff back in me!

YouTattoos

A fairy from my dreams as a child. I used to dream of a fairy that came to play with me. I had this fairy in my dreams all the time until I was about 7 years old. Then one night, I dreampt that me and my friends, including my fairy, were swimming. My older cousins came and told us to get out as it was time for the big kids to swim. Soon water came bubbling up and my fairy drowned and I never dreampt of her again. Then one day, I met a girl and asked her out. That night I saw this tattoo. IT WAS THE EXACT FAIRY THAT I USED TO DREAM ABOUT!!!

Viva Bush! (not)

(quoted from msnbc.com) To make matters worse, the chief of the Louisiana State Police said he heard of numerous instances of New Orleans police officers — many of whom were from flooded areas — turning in their badges.
“They indicated that they had lost everything and didn’t feel that it was worth them going back to take fire from looters and losing their lives,” Col. Henry Whitehorn said.
*
It is nice that President Bush could come back from his 5 week vacation and begin paying attention to the country that he is the (supposedly) elected leader of. It is a show of his true colors. Seeing him talk today about "teaming up" and "working together" to get this taken care of was a little like hearing him tell us that the war in Iraq is "hard work". Then when he said that he was going to make sure that Trent Lott had a new house and he planned on sitting on the porch, I had to step back and wonder if I really heard the president put aside the rotting corpses and the dehydrated and starving survivors to assure his buddy that his home would be rebuilt. (unfortunately that was a fact...)

I am sorry sometimes to be so powerless to change things in Washington. All I can do is vote and speak my mind. Just for the record, I did not vote for Bush Jr or Bush Sr. I did on the other hand vote for William Jefferson Clinton, who in my opinion was the greatest leader of our time...

Our 12th Wedding Anniversary!!!

On September 3rd, 1993, I married Heather. I have grown happier by the day and we are celebrating our 12th anniversary this weekend. We are taking the family down to Rocky Point to stay at the Sonoran Spa Resort. The condos have an awesome view and are right on the beach. My buddy Mike from way back in the day and his family are also going down and have a condo just 3 down the hall from ours. It should be a good time for all!


Now, the story. When I was a child I used to dream of a little fairy. The fairy was my best friend and I dreampt of her every night. Well, when I was seven years old, my fairy drowned in my dream and I never dreampt of her again. (but I never forgot the dreams) Then one day, at my job, I met the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. I flirted with her and finally got up the nerve to ask her out. Luckily she agreed to... I went that night to pick her up and when I was opening the car door for her, I noticed a tattoo on her right shoulder. It was a tattoo of the exact fairy that I dreampt of so many years ago. When I asked her who the artist was, she said she drew the fairy imagining that is what her daughter would look like some day. I took this sign very seriously and am glad to say that this weekend is the twelvth anniversary of the day that I married the fairy from my dreams!!!