So, what's the answer?

Once again, hurricane predictions were way off for this year. What I like about global warming alarmists, is that they can use global warming to answer both sides of a question. More hurricanes? Global warming. Fewer hurricanes? El Niño apparently is to blame . . . which some say is fueled, in part, by global warming. Of course.

Meanwhile, Maine and North Dakota are already breaking records with snowfall. But that's just the climate issue. Our energy needs are another issue.

What's ironic, is that the environmentalists don't seem to want to do anything practical about a solution to our energy needs. The fact is, we are where we are. We like our cars, ipods, cable TV, high speed internet, and all of the other things that make each decade more advanced than the previous. And it all takes energy to produce and/or operate. In Texas, a wind farm . . . a massive wind farm . . . is being challenged by environmentalists.

The federal suit, filed in U.S. Western District Court in Austin, said the turbines could kill untold numbers of migratory birds and damage the bay.

Personally, for what you get from wind turbines, I think they're a waste of space. Ted Kennedy doesn't want them in his backyard. For all I know there's merit to the Texas challenge. But that's not the point. If coal is bad, nuclear is bad, wind turbines kill birds and thus are bad, what's left? In Texas, several coal plants have been cancelled due to challenges by the environmentalist groups. Now this. What about solar energy? Well, it likely less efficient than wind energy, and it takes a lot of resources to manufacture. A process that includes strip mining for the materials needed for the cells. Not to mention production factories . . . not to mention storage cells containing lead and sulfuric acid . . . lots of and big storage cells . . . not to mention the space needed for the solar panels. Lots of space. Space that I'm sure would displace many species of living things.

So, solar is bad.

Life sucks. Energy, that is. Meanwhile, people complain about the high costs of gas and electricity. Well, it has to come from somewhere. But where?

Global foolishness

Well, you can marry, but you shouldn't have kids. We need to stick a cork in many an animal's butt to keep them from farting. And, you shouldn't exercise. All these things contribute to global warming. What's next? Divorce.

WASHINGTON - Divorce can be bad for the environment. In countries around the world divorce rates have been rising, and each time a family dissolves the result is two new households.

"A married household actually uses resources more efficiently than a divorced household," said Jianguo Liu, an ecologist at Michigan State University whose analysis of the environmental impact of divorce appears in this week's online edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The whole article is here:

http://green.yahoo.com/news/ap/20071204/ap_on_sc/divorce_environment.html

Maybe one of the divorced occupies a space that was previously occupied? Nah.

So, there you have it. If you've been divorced, you're contributing to the decline of the earth.

Not the only one.

From jsonline:

Fast-changing weather conditions foiled Milwaukee public works officials' plans to deal with the weekend's snow and ice, Public Works Commissioner Jeff Mantes said today.

Nonetheless, Mantes added, "We do sincerely apologize to our good citizens who have been unintentionally inconvenienced by our efforts... The citizens expect a good job."

Earlier today, aldermen lashed out at Mantes' department, blasting its weekend snow-plowing efforts as the worst in decades. At a City Hall news conference, Aldermen Terry Witkowski, Joe Dudzik and Bob Donovan said they and all of their Common Council colleagues had been inundated with calls from constituents complaining about the plowing.

I'm happy to see Mantes respond accordingly. With the temps a bit higher, plows should have an easier time keeping the roads clear and cleaning up what they missed.

In touch not out of touch

This is wrong. Very wrong.

http://www.vogue.co.uk/vogue_daily/story/story.asp?stid=48910

I've always admitted to being in touch with my feminine side, but this? Men wearing Croc's is bad enough.

What's next?

How much snow fell?

If you were to look outside, or more specifically, drive the streets, you'd think it was February and we've been dumped on all winter long. The plowing is the worst I've ever seen. My dad was a supervisor in Milwaukee's public works so I have a bit of an insight here. Salting is bad, clean up is bad, all the side streets are terrible. Even the main streets aren't well plowed to the curbs. And this is the first snow! If you live in the city, I encourage you to contact your alderman and complain. I have. I thought the city did pretty well last year. If this is any indication, it's going to be a long winter.

One more thing . . .

I haven't heard a lot of talk about it . . . but, the onside kick attempt by the Packers was a thing of beauty! It didn't work, though, as the ball hit one of our player's arm before it traveled 10 yards. Still and all, a beautifully executed play!

Also (OK, that's two things), Greg Jennings is not only a good receiver, but he's also one of the best at run after catch (RAC yards). He's really a smooth runner. Quick and quick to change direction. I wish the Packers would incorporate a wide out screen for him.

Packer and Cowboys Epilog

First, let's not make any excuses. The girls won. Say what you want about the refs and the play calling, we couldn't stop them from scoring. Period. Their strategy of moving TO around was brilliant. Nice job. Some thoughts.

Cowboy offense. Romo is good, no doubt. But, he didn't get any pressure. The very few times he did, he threw off. The run game was held in check save for a couple of big plays. TO is great. Witten is great. The front line did a great job.

Packer defense. Lost. While KGB may or may not have made a difference, Woodson would have. Harris was lost out there and it's because he didn't have any help. While Witten didn't show up until later in the game, he was effective and mismatched against Hawk. What would it have hurt to try some blitzes?!?!?! It drove me nuts to see the Packers do essentially the same thing on defense . . . ALL. NIGHT.

Packer offense. Got lost along the way. I'm not sure who's at fault, but the decision to go long time afer time was just plain stupid. Even if the call came from the coaches, Favre had no business throwing ANY of those passes as there wasn't anything there. That said, we moved the ball. And came to within three after scoring 14 unanswered points . . . with Aaron Rodgers, no less. Who did great, by the way. It could have been closer, it could have been worse.

Dallass defense. Other than getting more pressure on our quarterbacks, they didn't fare any better than we did. While I'm willing to admit the Cowboys outplayed us, I'm not willing to go all the way with the team. Again, if you look at their schedule, the Packers and the Giants are the only teams of substance they've defeated. Will they go undefeated? They've got Detroit, Philly, Carolina, and Washington. They could. Could they win the NFC. Well, they'll have to beat us again. Assuming we'll have players back and have learned something . . . I don't know. Again, their defense looked pretty suspect to me.

OK. A few thoughts on the refs. First, why that wasn't a take away by Harris is beyond me. And if it wasn't, then they're going to have to revisit what constitutes a fumble. Based on yesterday's call, if the ball comes out of the hands of a runner in the course of falling to the ground, but his forward advance has been stopped, that shouldn't be a fumble. How many replays have we watched to determine just that? Like, a lot? Second, interference is the most subjective call in football. Fact is, our guy put his hands on the receiver. Clearly. Did he grab him? No. Did he impede his progress? No. Was the ball catchable? Didn't look that way, but hard to say. Should it have been a penalty? I don't know. I agree with Collinworth, though. To make that call and virtually hand 7 points to a team, you'd better be pretty damn sure.

Lastly. I echo the millions who are saying the same thing . . . the NFL network sucks and Bryant Gumble is clearly the worst football commentator in the world.

Halftime

Well, my nervousness was correct. If you're watching the game, everything Cris Collinsworth said is true. Why the Packers got out of their game plan is beyond me. Plus, you gotta make defensive adjustments. Look at what happened . . . in their ball control offense, the Packers move the ball. Heck, they score with Rogers! They blitz. The girls go three and out.

Duh.

Running game is in check, so far. But they've got to get to Romo. TO is burning us bad.

The girls and Romo are playing good.

Packers and Cowpies

OK. If I'm going to claim to be a football guru then I should make a prediction about tonight's game. Truthfully? I'm nervous. Two things. One, we're a little banged up. KGB and Woodson may not play. I think we could survive without KGB, but not having Woodson might be a factor. Second, Texas Stadium. Bad karma for Brett. Weird field with it's arched surface. And if you've ever been to Dallas you'll know what I', talking about . . . the most rabid fans in football. Cheeseheads don't come close to comparing. Noise could be a factor.

Having said all that . . .

I've pointed out at a few other blogs that the Cowboys haven't defeated anyone of any real substance. Of the teams they've won against, only the Giants have a winning record. The Packers have fared against better teams over all. Plus, you can score on Dallas. They don't have a dominating defense like the Bears, Ravens . . . or even the Packers. I give the edge in defense to the Packers. Offensively, TO will be a concern. Witten will be a bigger concern. The girls don't have anything special as a running game so I don't see them "running" away with a victory. Which leaves Romo. Our front 4 has done a great job of providing pressure with no additional help.

For the Packers, I think the 5 receiver set will give the girls problems. The emergence of a running game could also prove to be beneficial as it's something a lot of teams didn't think they had to contend with. The edge in quarterbacks goes to the seasoned Favre.

So . . .

The Packers go with a ball control offense to take the field out of the equation. They hold TO in relative check and get three sacks on Romo. The 5 receiver set proves again to be a problem for the opposition. Grant will catch more passes and the Packer will win 31 - 24.

Death

Serious heading, I know. But, it's a serious topic.

I'm sure many of you have had a family member or close friend die. It's sad. It's very sad. First, it's the end of life's journey for that person. That's it. Game over. I think it's made all the worse when someone young dies. We expect people in their 80's and older to die. It's what happens. Old people have lived their life. They've made their contributions. There is no next step other than death. When you're 40 or 50 years old, there's a lot of life left.

At least, there should be.

The other thing about family and friends dying is that it hits close to home. It reminds us of our own mortality. The inevitability of death. I don't mind telling you, it's unsettling.

Which means the only thing worse than death itself, is knowing you're going to die.

A friend of my wife was diagnosed with cancer a couple of years ago. The news was bad enough. It was made worse by the fact that it was an agressive and an already wide spread cancer. It was, in effect, a death sentance.

She fought it. She fought it as hard as anyone could. She also lived as much a she could. Spending time with her family, friends, and doing things she enjoyed. As for many, the cancer slowed. Her treatments allowed her time.

She called my wife the other day to inform her that hospice had been set up for her at home. The end is near. All that can and could be done has been done. The fight is over. Cancer won.

From here on she's to be made "comfortable". I can't imagine what that is.

So, what worse? Going to a funeral or visiting a friend who is dying?

It truly puts everything in to perspective. Of the many things I want to impress upon my daughter is the frailty of life and the finality of death. You get one chance. There's no undo, no rewind, no mulligans, no challenges, no do overs. Live life. Enjoy life. But don't tempt or tease or think you can cheat death.

I've had open heart surgery, an exploratoy biopsy (negative), emergency gall bladder surgery, and a blood clot in both lungs. I certainly know what the scare is about. True, in any of these situations, I could have died. But I wouldn't have known about it for very long . . . if at all. Knowing that there are no more options . . . no more hope . . . just death . . . would be terrifying.

So, this Christmas holiday count your blessings. Spend time with the ones you love, and cherish life. People like to say, "live today as though it were your last". I actually hate that. It has a finality to it. I prefer . . .

live today as though it were your first.

The first snow

The other night I was reading in bed with my daughter. I got up to get her some water and noticed that the snow had collected a bit outside. I made the comment: "Hey, there's snow on the ground." I then heard footsteps racing from the bedroom in to the kitchen and saw my girlie looking outside the window. "Woo hoo!" she yelled and went racing to the front window. "Cool!" she said as she came back to the bedroom obviously happy with nature's work.

No winter blues here.

Heaven on Earth

Every now and again, I come across a little something that makes life all the more precious.
This time around:

Cheesecake bites at Arby's.

Little bits of deep fried heaven.

There's always a chance

While not a fan at all, my sympathies go out to Kanye West and his family. His mother died as a result of complications from plastic surgery. Her death has uncovered the rather "questionable" qualifications of the doctor who treated her. Cleary, from all accounts, this "doctor" is a dirt bag and whatever "practice" he has should be closed. and all qualifications given him stripped. Now, it may well be Kanye's mother would have died no matter what. The final cause of death hasn't been revealed. But her tragic death should act as a reminder to all, but mostly women, that there is no "simple" surgical procedure. Yes, many have become "routine" but going under the knife always carries with it some risk. I think it's goofy to be so image obsessed to a point of wanting to have surgery done to alter your looks. It's nuts. Virtually all plastic surgery looks like . . . you've had plastic surgery! Reconstructive surgery is different. I can even go so far as someone wanting to correct a bump in their nose or having crooked teeth fixed. But the extent to which some women go is frightening. Fake boobs are the worst offenders. In many cases women go too big. In all cases fake boobs look stupid. Fake. Why someone would want to have a couple of sacks of water implanted in their chest is beyond me. Granted, not many people die. But they do. Other complications are more common though not life threatening. Pain, scars, infection, bad results . . . there's just no guarantee.

I'm just sayin'

I've mentioned the arthritis in my back. After a bad few weeks of pain, my doctor tells me I could go see a neurologist at a pain clinic if I want. There's more a neurologist can do for a person, even outside of surgery. So, I decide that that's what I want to do. Now, I need the referral from my doctor. No problem. I call the pain clinic and I am given a few options in which to see the doctor. All within the next few days. I schedule a week from my call. The neurologist tells me in addition to the xrays, he'd really like an MRI to make sure there isn't any nerve damage or other problems to consider. Now, I have insurance. I pay for a percentage of it. It's not a cadillac plan, but it's coverage.

Anyway, the doctor gives me a few options for centers that do MRI's. I call. I'm given a few schedule options within the next few days. I schedule about a week from my call.

So, I went from my doctor to a neurologist, had a MRI done, all in the span of a couple of weeks. And only because that's how I scheduled it.

Think you can do that in Canada or Great Britain?

Football Guru

I run an office football pool at work. Actually, there's two. A weekly pick game, and a seaon long pick game. I've won the weekly game once so far, but I lead in the season long contest. Over at WISN's website, they run a pick contest. Since I run the pool at work, I'm often kidded that I must be cheating. I know it's all in good fun but I now have proof of my football picking prowess. Over at the WISN contest I am currently 13th among 717 players, or the 98% percentile. Have a look above.

In your face!

Humpback or Blue?

I watched the Baltimore Ravens embarrass themselves tonight. Pitiful game, really. McNair really looked bad. Really bad. Like, retirement bad.

But it was after the game that I felt the most disturbed. I don't know the name of the announcer guy, but Steve Young and Emmit Smith have to be the most annoying on camera . . . not talents . . . blow holes ever. These two make Dan Marino look humble. They make Joe Theisman look inviting. They make Dan Dierdorf look good. They talk clearly to listen to themselves talk. Young tries to look and sound the part of a shrewd and cleaver analyst. It comes off as retarded.

Even Cris Carter is looking good after this.

My achy breaky back!

OK. I stole that from Hannah Montana. Which also means you know I watch Hannah Montana. A by product of having a 7 year old daughter. I wouldn't admit to really liking it . . . a lot! Nooo.

Anyway.

I've got arthritis in my back. It presents problems from time to time . . . and pain. When I'm good I can still walk around State Fair with my 60lb 7 year old on my back. But, when I'm bad, I can barely carry my own weight. Both my parents have arthritis, as does my older sister and brother, so it comes as no surprise. I've been to the doctor and I've had an MRI. It's there. It just a matter of living with it and doing what I can to keep it under control. One of those things is physical therapy. I've gone a few times and it has always done good by me. Between what they do and the excersies (stretching) they give me to do, I've always managed to do better.

Well, I did some work for a spa last year. I did it for exchange of servcies . . . a barter. I thought it would make a nice gift for the wife. Well, she decided it would be nice if we went to a spa day together. I really didn't want to as I'm not a big fan of all the smelly stuff and creams they want to rub on you. But as it was a nice date out with my wife, I agreed.

First, not as bad as I first thought. Yes, there was the aroma stuff, soft music, creams, and the like, but it was really low pressure. If you didn't want it, you didn't have to have it. I was having two things done, a cranial sacral massage, and a full body massage. The cranial sacral massage, I thought, would be good for my back as it targeted the spine, neck, and head. It wasn't a massage as much as it was a pressure point procedure. Supposedly designed to break up connective tissue and reduce tension. It was about 30 minutes long. My reaction is so-so. There were some things the masseuse did that mimiced what my PT did. That felt good. The rest of it . . . well . . . it was relaxing.

Then I go for my full body massage. I've never had one before. I'm both looking forward to it . . . and not. On the one hand I knew it would feel great. On the other hand, it seemed a little weird to have a female other than my wife rubbing me down while I'm in my underwear. And, I was nervous. I've heard about the "it hurts so good" comments. Particularly about my back. Well, she starts . . . and it feels pretty good. She really digs in! She also does some "adjustment" type things on my back as if to "straighten" or pull the tissue from the spine. It doesn't hurt. But it doesn't feel great, either. I tell her to relax on that because of my arthritis. She moves on and everything seems to go well.

Afterward my neck hurt. But my back felt alright. My wife and I went out to eat and went home. We both slept good.

I woke up with the most intense pain in my back I've felt in a long time. My neck hurt and was stiff, the middle of my back had multiple knots in it, and my lower back was twitching. I barely made it to work. Good thing it was Friday. I sat on a heating pad all day long and took some pain killers. That helped, but didn't provide any real releif. The weekend was spent doing ice bags and heat pads, watching TV, and reading with my daughter. It was terrible! I was in all kinds of pain! I was worthless the whole weekend.

It's Monday and I'm better, but far from normal. I have PT tomorrow so this will be a topic of conversation. Did the massage screw up my back? I'm certainly gun shy now. Was it just my situation? I told them I had arthritis in my back. You'd think that would be factored in to the things they do to you. I know one woman working there of a PT for 9 years before coming to this spa. So you'd think they know about things like srthritis and such. Dunno. But, I likely won't be back anytime soon!

Why I love Halloween

I get to paint my nails!

Yes, I love the decorations, the kids, the scary movies, even the candy. But, at Halloween, the slight goth in me gets to come out. Plus, it looks cool when I'm playing guitar.

Needs to come off, though. I get a lot of weird looks.

I won't see it now

I was never a big Seinfeld fan. The sitcom mostly annoyed me when I watched it. So, it was no big loss to me when it went off the air. Plus, I can't say as I've missed Jerry much . . . if at all. Nothing against him, really. Just don't care.

Well, now I do care. His constant hyping of his new movie "Bee Movie" is driving me nuts. He's showing up everywhere . . . a lot! He's hyping his movie more than Disney hyped High School Musical 2! That does it for me. Any chance I might have taken my daughter to see this movie is now gone. There's a lot out there. Jamie won't miss it, and I'm sure someone will have the DVD we can borrow. But, put any of my money to this? I think not.

UPDATE!

Turn out, Bee Movie isn't exactly setting the ticket booths on fire . . . whatever that means. So far, it's done about 30 some million. Gangsters opened better and with new movies about to open, it's not looking good. It's not expected to last long on the marquee. Predictions are 139 million worldwide. It cost about 130 million to make. Does my heart good.

Packers vs Broncos

I hate to admit it, but I picked against the Packers this week. I still managed 11 correct over at Fraley's blog besting everyone else. In fact, at the WISN contest, I'm 29 out of about 650. In the upper 95%! Not bad. Anyway . . .

I certainly wouldn't have wanted to be Bigby had the Packers lost. Granted, there was lots of football after he committed his fouls (something like 60 yards of penalties all by himself!) but his penalties were just stupid. Plus, he looked a little like he didn't care. Something that doesn't go over well with Packer fans.

Over shadowing that, though, was Favre's performance and the touchdown passes he threw. You love him, you hate him. You get it all with Favre. Can you imagine? Going from complete fist pumping elation when Elam nailed his field goal to total devastation one offensive play later.

Denver might be mile high, but Green Bay is feeling higher today.

Don't let the door hit you in the . . .

The JS reported that Jesus Salas resigned after the budget was finialized because of frustration over the lack of more tax dollars for illegal immigrants. Specifically, an in-state tuition provision for the children of illegal immigrants wanting to attend college. To be honest, I think it's wrong to punish the children for what the parents did, but I'm tired of my tax money going to suport those who came in to this country illegally. Our economy is burdoned enough. Other reasons the regent resigned:

• Signing the Real I.D. legislation, which requires applicants for Wisconsin driver's licenses
to show proof of legal residency.

• Signing legislation that ended a program in which Wisconsin's housing authority financed
mortgages for people without Social Security numbers.

While I sympathize with those kids who may have counted on tuition help, these other provisions in the law are exactly what I'm talking about. Why would anyone oppose this? One would think these provisions would apply whether an illegal or not! Well, to Jesus Salas . . .

Don't let the door hit you in the ass.

Soda Conspiracy?

Whenever I order a soda at a fast food drive thru, I always order my soda with no ice. Not that I don't like cold, or have filling issues, or feel I'm getting more for the money. It's simply that I don't like my soda becoming diluted with water. It takes me the better part of the afternoon to drink it all and if there's ice in it it tastes like watered down coke . . . or whatever flavor I opted for. I don't mind room temperature soda but I hate watered down soda. Thus, no ice.

Well, I'm pretty sure there's something going on and they're all in on it. On more than one occasion I've grabbed my soda and had it spill all over the place because the cover wasn't on properly. This never happens with an "iced" drink. Conincidence? I think not. I think they think I'm being cheap and this is their little way of getting back at me.

Well, I'm on to 'em. I ain't spillin' no mo!

Children . . . evil?

I've read on a few blogs recently, peoples various encounters with children. The bloggers are generally witty with their stories, but the responses they receive are nothing short of shocking to me. That, or people really don't know how to be funny.

For the longest time, I didn't want children. Before I married I made it a real point to let my wife know that. Well, she wanted kids. So, we agreed we would wait and possibly have one.

It wasn't that I didn't like kids. I did. A lot. I was that "kid magnet guy". Always playing with the kids as an adult and having fun. I just knew that a child would put a real cramp in the time I wanted for myself, and for my wife, Jackie. I was selfish. Plain and simple. But, as each of our friends had a child, the defenses wore down. The final brick was the birth of my neice. I became very attached to her . . . and her to me. It was time. After being married 17 years, we had a child.

But, the point of this isn't to tell my story. The point is, I've been on both sides as an adult. I know what it's like not wanting to be bothered with kids and conversely, having one of your own. The bottom line . . . kids are not evil. The are not the devil reincarnate. Mostly, they are not to blame.

Kids make noise. They make noise when having fun and they make noise when they're fighting. Some are louder than others, but they all make noise. Kids making noise never bothered me. That's not to say I understand that there's a point at which it needs to be controlled. I don't know that outside in their own backyard is one of those places in need of control, but I know kids making noise isn't everyone's favorite thing. My wife and I have our daughter fairly well trained. From very young on we made it a point to say "inside voices, please" and made sure that she understood the difference between being at home and being out in public. More than that, we were sure to step in when there was fighting. There was no way, if we were within earshot, that fighting would be tolerated. Much less, fighting that resulted in screaming kids.

That's the bottom line. Clearly there are good kids and . . . spirited kids. But kids know only what their allowed to know and what they can get away with. I know people jest. I know it makes for good stories. But the children are not to blame. It's up to the parents to take the time and make the effort. Kids are not evil. If anything at all, they are the epitome of innocence. I find it appaling people would be so thoughtless and callous as to call children evil and make it sound as though they are the bane of our existence, and need, at best, to be tolerated and, at worst, to be silenced. I can't imagine a world without children. They keep me young. They make me smile and laugh. They love unconditionally. They have no bias. They need less maintenance than most adults. They forgive and forget.

And if the worst part of your day is listening to the noise children make, then I am truly envious.

My daughter is so proud!

Actually, she was cowering away a little.

This is actually old news. But, I've been waiting for the picture proof to be sent to me bya friend of a friend . . . and that hasn't happened yet. Darn it! Anyway . . .

So, the family is at Germanfest this past summer. My daughter attends the German Immersion school and the school is participating in the parade. Also, my wife volunteered at one of the beer tents so we had a few reasons to be there.

After the parade, and while my wife was pouring, my daughter and I go to the kids area where Disney Jams has set up. I was hoping Jamie would see a few of her friend there, but she didn't. So we sat for a while and listened to the DJ's. They did a good job. A guys and a few girls really worked the crowd. A lot of kids were dancing to the music. I told Jamie she could go and dance but, you know how it is . . . you don't know anybody . . . you feel sort of exposed. Well, the DJ's held some contests. One was a trivia contest on, of all things (and of course) Germany! It was geared for the kids so the questions weren't that hard but Jamie was agast when she knew all the answers and saw the prizes they were handing out. Well, then she went down.

After a bit they held another contest and called for the parents. Oh boy. Well, I had to lead by example so I started to the dance floor. I was too late. Three pairs of a kids and their parent were chosen by the time I got there. It was an easy contest. A ball toss in a basket over the head sort of thing. Anyway, I stayed on the dance floor with my daughter and danced with her for a couple of tunes. OK. Now it gets good.

They held another contest and, again, wanted some parents . . . only parents. I raised my hand and looked as eager as I could . . . and got chosen. So, there I was with two other moms participating in a Radio Disney contest. I saw one of the girls walking up to us with toy blow up guitars and knew immediately what was about to happen. And I knew right then I was going to win.

Sure enough, it was an air guitar contest to some 80's music. They provided us each with a guitar and a wig to wear. It was basically our job to "air guitar" the best we could to a song for the crowd. Again, I thought unless this was Lita Ford and Joan Jett standing next to me, I was going to win. For my daughter, of course!

The song was "What I like About You". There's isn't much from the 80's I don't know but I figured it helped to know the song. For those who may not know, I am a guitarist, a lead guitarist. I've played on stage, and have no shame. I was a cross between Gene Simmons and Eddie Van Halen doing every guitar trick, making every facial expression, and strutting around like a pagen god . . . I'm pretty sure I saw my daughter hiding behind someone.

While I'd like to think that as the only male participant in front of a crowd of mostly females had a lot to do with my winning, I'm pretty sure it had to do more with being able to make a bigger fool of myself than the other two women. I was, of course, gracious in winning. My prize was a Spy Kids 3 3D DVD. Nice! We've seen it but didn't own it.

Afterward, once the horror of it passed, my daughter was very proud of me. She told all of her friends.

So there. I won on Radio Disney!

Take a moment . . . take lots of moments

The tragedy that took place in Crandon should remind us all how precious life is, and how precious the people in our lives our. While this sort of thing is extremely rare and we have no reason to live in fear, we should take a moment . . . take lots of moments . . . to let those close to us know we love them. My heart goes out to all the families affected by this.

Packers vs Da Bears

Well, this is a no brainer. Look at the previous 4 weeks as compared to the Bear game. Very few mistakes. Almost no turnovers or penalties. The Packers virtually handed the game to the Bears. Not to say that the Bears didn't play well in spots . . . they did. They certainly made a better adjustment than did the Packers at half time. But, this is no division winning team. I predict they will lose against the Vikings this weekend. As for the Packers, what this does show, is that they need to play mistake free football to increase their chances of winning.

Just a loser

So, Britney Spears lost custody of her children. I'm sure she'll go out tonight anyway.

I question my own willingness to bother with this. By doing so it makes me part of the problem . . . giving her too much attention. But, I can't help it.

This really makes me sick. First, she had no business having kids in the first place. She's not smart, not a good parent, not a good role model, and has actually put the children in harms way. Of course, look at where the kids are now . . . with Federline. Who might just be a point or two smarter than Britney. Since Brit's as dumb as a rock, that's not saying much. Now, I know with money you can have the children raised by nannies and the like, sent away to school, and in general just not be bothered with them. Then, why have them in the first place? It's sick. What kind of up bringing is that? What's more, if Twitney wants to kill herself with self indulgence, fine. But she's brought two lives into this world who have done nothing wrong to deserve the likes of her as a mommy. And in spite of her, love her, need her, and call her mommy. She's done nothing to deserve these kids and their love.

The only good thing is that they're young enough to forget a lot of this.

Favre, the greatest ever?

This was the topic of discussion on the radio this afternoon. I didn't hear the entire segment but what I did hear about 3 said "yes" and about 3 said "no". For various reasons. Of course, not only are the Packers 4 and 0, but Brett has broken a couple of long standing records and will surely set new ones that won't be broken anytime soon . . . if ever. So, is he the greatest quarterback of all time?

On the one hand, he has only one Superbowl win. Let's not forget how god awful he can look. Also, he's not that accurate. It's safe to say he's no Joe Montana.

But . . .

He absolutely personifies the game. He's quick to get on his receivers for blowing a route and quick to pat the helmet of whoever put a good hit on him. Everybody likes him. Everybody. He's well respected. While his numbers prove he's deserving of a place in football history and the Hall of Fame, it's his attitude and love of the game that truly defines him. When I think of the other great quarterbacks, Montana, Bradshaw, Fouts, Marino . . . I can't help but think that part of their greatness came from the rest of their team, their receivers, and running backs. Favre makes a team great all by himself. Like the others, he's best when he has a supporting cast. But he's great all by himself. If you look at his carreer with the Packers, I don't think you could say he's ever had a Rice, Winslow, Duper, or Swann equivalent on the team. I mean no disrespect. I just think that the Packer's success has been largely due to Brett Favre.

Because of that, yes. I think he's the greatest ever to play the position.

Packers Week 2 against the Giants

What a difference a week makes! While the running game needs some obvious improvement, the offense sure showed up in a big way. Must be nice to be Favre! The defense continues to be strong. Over all, an incredeble performance over another good NFC team. We're on top in the division.

Packers Week 1 against the Eagles

A few thoughts:

1. The defense won this game, as did special teams. Nice job by our kickers.

2. Third and one on your own 12 (there abouts) and you go for the bomb? WTF?

3. Jones and Bubba need to learn how to get open.

4. This will likely become a common theme . . . no running game. This will put a lot of pressure on Favre. It will also make it easy for defenses to figure out our schemes.

5. We played and won against a very good team. While I think we got a little lucky, we kept them from scoring and did what we had to to win the game. It's easy to forget that. Also, this is an NFC win. That's important.

6. Favre wasn't perfect, yet he showed signs of his greatness. He also showed signs of his knuckleheadedness. But it didn't bite us in the butt.

7. Chicago lost. Minnesota and Deteroit won. Good for us.

1-0-0

MTV VMA's

Well, who ever directed the fashion show directed this pile of steamy turd. Wow. First, Twitney Spear's performance was . . . embarassing, at best. Second, would someone please tell Sara Silverman she's not funny . . . please? Third, the show was a mess. It was difficult to watch. The one bright spot for me was Rhiannon. Although I hated her hair and outfit, I like her, and was happy to see her win.

The most baffling part of the show was the fight between Kid Rock and Tommy Lee. Were they fighting over Pam? If so, are you kidding? Plastic-filled, lip-injected, fat-suctioned, no-talent skank Pam?

Geez.

Fashion and Music

In the past, MTV has aired a Fashion and Music event. I recall the first one's I watched being pretty cool. Basically, a fashion show set to live music. The music came from various bands. Mostly lesser known. WHich made it all the more cool as you got to see new fashions and hear new music.

Well, I've tried to keep up with MTV over the years. I'm not sure when it lost me, but certainly as it became less and less about music and more and more about absolutely pathetically stupid shows, I tuned in less often. I remember having it on all day on saturdays as I cleaned the house! Not anymore.

Anyway, the fashion and music shows came and went. I haven't seen one in a while. Well, suddenly I see one airing on VH1. So I DVR it. I watched it tonight. A few thoughts:

First, what idiot thought that jerkbag Jeremy Piven was a good choice to MC this show? What a douche. He stunk.

Second, the title is music and FASHION . . . ? Where's the fashion?! Oh . . . way at the end of the show! A couple of token runway shows!

Third, all the music was by popular artists. Aerosmith, Usher, Fergie, Avril . . . and others. Which isn't so bad but I preferred the lesser known music better. One performer was Jen Lopez. I just don't get her appeal. She doesn't sing that well and dances as if she's wearing hoofs.

Pretty boring, all in all. Too bad. It's a good concept.

Vickenstein and other monsters

The monster has been caught and is receiving his just due, so far. Between the suspension, dropped deals, and NFL pay, Mike Vick has paid big time already. And there's more to come with his prison sentence.

While I have no sympathy for Vikenstein, I wish we felt the same fury over people that leave babies for dead, people who kill while driving drunk, and people who, in general, commit abuses toward children.

Of course, it would be great if we got this worked up about crime in general, but I'll take what I can get.

10 - 6

That's my official Packer prediction. When I look at their schedule, I can see them winning ten games. They'd do better if they had a running game, but they don't. Which is too bad . . . and kind of aggrevating as they had/have money to spend. A good tight end would also be nice but if Bubba reclaims the hands he once had, we could be OK. Also, if they go to a primarily passing offense we'll be OK.

Our defense could rank in the top 5.

The other things in our favor is our weak division, and a not so terrible schedule. We could lose the first three games. I don't think we will, but we could. None the less, we end up 10 - 6. That will win us the division and, of course, get us in to the playoffs.

Superbowl?

Miles to go before I sleep

Yes, summer is almost at an end. At least as far as summer vacation goes. There's till plenty of good weather to come and things to do for fun. Let's have a looksie . . .

Labor Day weekend brings the St. Martin fair in Franklin. If you want to know where all the mullets have gone, you'll find them here.

Weekend after that is TosaFest, a street festival with food, entertainment, and lots of people. Fewer mullets, too.

Weekend after that, Cedarburg's Harvestfest. Lots-o-fresh produce and typical fair fare. The grape stomp, and grape spittin' contest are highlights.

End-o-the month is HarvestFest at the State Fair grounds. Kind of a sleeper festival, it's a great time for the family!

Oh yeah, don't forget to help your children with their homework!

(Burp) Excuse me

So, experts in Norway have determined that the methane gas expelled from a burping (or farting) moose is equivalent to that of a car that has traveled 13,000km's. Methane gas is considered more damaging than carbon gas. So, farting cows, burping moose, having large families, walking to the store instead of driving, . . . even trees themselves . . . contribute to global warming.

Ridiculous.

And the winner is . . .

Best food at the Fair . . . the London Broil Sandwich! I managed to get to the fair 5 times and had something different each visit. While the Wisconsin building has the best value for food, that London Broil sandwich is hard to beat. Piled high with onions, peppers, and BBQ sauce . . . it was great.

Cream Puff as they were meant to be

Need I say more?

My daughter Jamie (on the left) and my niece Paige enjoying their cream puffs at the fair. For the record, I didn't have one. I opted for cheesecake on a stick instead.

Favorite Fair Food

I've been to the Fair three times now. Two more to go. At this point, I would have to say my favorite food is the London Broil sandwich found at the stand next to the track. Pile on some onions and various peppers and you've got heaven. Coming in second is the baked potato found in the Wisconsin building. I like the funnel cakes, but at Germanfest you got about 4 times the amount of serving. My daughter can easily finish her own portion.

Two more days, though. Things could change.

Fairest of the Fair

I made this first observation about the Fair a few years back. Which is, how is it there are cute young girls in the animal buildings doing all of the cleaning and such? I don't mean to stereotype, but these girls would look more at home modeling in some catalog than scooping poop at the State Fair.

Second, the days of the bare-midriff and low-cut jeans seem to be finally at an end. The only hold outs are the older women who still think they can wear the style even though they never could . . . or should have . . . and still can't. This is good. First, no matter who the girl, I'm not interested in looking at her butt crack. Or at her thong. Second, the low-cut jeans were also a mistake for a lot of women to wear. More than that, though, they were awfully low, at times. A little cleavage is one thing. That kind of exposure I don't need my daughter to wear. I'm happy it's ran its course.

Another pension scandal?

Yeah. Good luck with that 1¢ tax increase.

I really want this to go to referendum, though. First, as there's no chance of public approval, it will send a message. Some have said it would go down 80-20. I think that's optimistic, but, who knows? Second, it would be an election year and it would get on record those who support this increase. Those who can't seem to think of any other way or means to get the county budget in line. Raise taxes to save taxes. Yeah. That'll work.

Do you remember?

My daughter does something I remember doing after watching a movie. Particularly if she really liked the movie, she'll continue it in her mind while going to sleep. She's awakened on a few occasions to tell me that she was thinking about how the movie she watched would continue. I remember doing that. I'd like a movie so much that I'd be disappointed it came to an end . . . or would want the story to simply continue.

(Sigh)

Ok. Dorky time over.

Greatest Movie of All Time

This comes up in conversation every now and then, right? Favorite movie, actress . . . worst . . . I was channel hoping tonight and came across The Dirty Dozen. That is a great movie. While not everyone's cup of tea being a war movie and all, it still has to rank up there on anyone's list of great movies. I have to admit, I tend to like modern movies more than old. But, this is a classic. It's very watchable by today's standards. What a cast! Simply a great movie!

Lindsay Loser-han

As opposed to Paris (particularly) and Britney, this girl has talent. She can sing (moderately well . . . she's no Hannah Montana!), she can dance, and she can act (I know, debatable). I've held out hope for her for a long time because she does have talent and it seemed, at one point, she was trying to pull herself together. Unfortunately, what she does share in common with the other skanks is that she's an attention whore. Big ego, thinks she can do no wrong because she thinks she can get away with it. The other thing she has in common with her fellow skanks is that she's a train wreck just waiting to happen.

So, after her last drunken car crash she heads to rehab. Comes out all sober and ready to take on the world again. She's pictured having water at parties. She's also placed on probation and given one of those ankle thingies to wear to monitor your alcohol intake. Well, the train wreck just might have occurred. She's arrested, again, charged with DUI and with having drugs. Apparently, after drinking heavily at some party, she got all in a huff because one of her assistants quit on her. Well, she commandeers an SUV and takes off after the, now, former assistant. The SUV belonged to a guy at the party who was there with two other friends. They're all in the car.

Well, to keep this short, she's led to a police station. Cops come out, investigate, and arrest her. She told the cops "the black kid was driving, and that the pants she was wearing that had the drugs in them weren't hers. She flunked the sobriety test. The three guys tell a different story, of course. All of which puts her in very big trouble.

Anyway, I'm done. Have been for a while. But this really nails it. Again, it's too bad because I think she had (maybe still has) a real future as an actress. I'll be interested to see how her new movie fares. Good luck, Lindsay. You're going to need it.

A penny here, a penny there . . .

The County Board approved a referendum for a one cent increase in the Milwaukee County sales tax. They say the money will go to parks, transit, property tax relief, and to the municipalities for file and police aid.

Good luck with that.

Of course, proponents claim it's a way to salvage everything from apparent total colapse. As one supervisor put it: "In the balance is the quality of life in our county, If this is not the answer, what is?"

Well, how about better money management? How about eliminating pork spending? How about getting benefits and pensions in line? How about cutting the size of government?

How about saying "no" every once in a while?

What makes me cringe about the budget, tax increase, and such is that it's always the repsonsibility of the taxpayer to solve the problems. Which always means more taxes. The oneous is never on spending or the spendee. Or controlling spending. Or even cutting spending. Nope. Just raise taxes. Get more money. Nevermind using that money wisely.

What's particularly stupid about the increase is that you're just column switching. OK. Maybe my property taxes go down $200 a year. But, I'll pay that much more for a car I buy. And everything else, of course.

The other thing is, being a county tax, many people will simply go outside the county to buy things. Particularly if they're high price items. Sort of defeats the purpose of the tax hike, doesn't it?

At least it's going to a referendum. I'd be shocked if it passed. In fact, I predict it will do down with 65% opposed. Maybe 60%. There are some who will believe the hysteria. Interesting thing about this: this will come up in an election year. Perhaps not the best strategy? Particularly in light of a contentious state budget?

Thanks, FDA . . . no EPA . . . no both!

Thanks, in part, to the global warming alarmists, my asthma inhaler is now a CFC-free device. No big deal, really. It's just that on my prior insurance plan it cost me $10. With my current plan it would have cost $8. But, no. Because CFC-free MDI's (metered dose inhaler) are new, they're all brand name and now cost $25! Now, I understand the whole CFC thing. It's good we've eliminated its use for the most part. But an MDI puts out a grain of sand on a California beach equivalent of CFC into the atmosphere! Once again, in their attempt to help, the government actually hurts us. Asthma is widespread in lower socioeconomic areas. Partially due to allergies to cockroaches and rodent feces. So the ruling really hits this class hard. Sure, it may point to why we need universal healthcare . . . but we don't have it now . . . and people are suffering because they can't afford simple medications. I'm not quite sure who the bigger genius is . . . the FDA, or the EPA?

Cavemen

We knew this would happen. The Geico cavemen have their own show. You know, it might be real funny . . . but I doubt it. And it's too bad. This has been a good ad campaign for Geico and could have gone down as one of the greatest along side Miller Lite Taste Great - Less Filling ads, the Budweiser frogs, and others. This is similar to Saturday Night Live skits becoming movies. Few . . . VERY few of them wind up being funny. So, we'll see. I just don't see it working.

What to ride, what to ride . . .

So, if the city decides to go in to the bike rental business . . . won't that compete with the electric trolley plans?

Reading is fundamental

Maybe more so than people think. I read to my daughter. I have for as long as she's been able to sit in my lap. She loves it. It SOP at bedtime and it's a great way to just have quiet time . . . as well as a good activity when the weather ain't so good.

I've been noticing something, though. Because of my daughter, I know a lot of other little kids. Some are good. Some are . . . spirited. Lately, when I've talked to other parents I ask about reading. It's easy to do with Harry Potter, Judy Moody and other books that are so popular. It's not an unusual topic to bring up. What I've been finding, though, is that the more . . . spirited the child, the less likely the parent is to be reading to them. Now, I'm sure if you Googled this topic you'd find all kinds of information on this so I'm not claiming to be on to anything, nor am I trying to stereotype parents and their kids. This is simply an observation.

It makes sense, though. First, from young on you teach a child to, if nothing else . . . relax! Sit in one place and be quiet for a little while. Don't get me wrong, I love noisy children. The noisier, the better. I know they're having fun. But, there is a time to calm down and relax. Even if not in the house, when you go out, whether it be to eat or another person's house.

Second, it trains them to pay attention. This is important. Be it for your own communication with your child, or an eventual teacher that will want their attention in school.

Third, it builds vocabulary. This clearly shows itself in kids. Those who are read to or like to read have MUCH better vocabularies than those who don't read or aren't being read to.

Fourth, it aids the imagination. We all know this. It's one thing to see it on TV or in a movie. But it's another to read a book.
An imaginative child knows how to have fun . . . no matter what.

Lastly, I think it helps build the bond between you and your child. After all, it's just you and her/him. Your time. It shouldn't necessarily treated as a "treat", but it should be special.

I like to engage my girlie after we read. If we're reading a chapter book, I'll ask her to bring me up to date on what happened since we last read. As if to be the dumb daddy (go ahead, make your jokes). Other times we'll simply discuss a book once we've finished it. As I'm sure it is with other parents, I'm amazed at my girlie's retention. Not surprisingly, she does well in school.

Like other parenting responsibilities, however, this takes time and a commitment from a parent. While I can be put off by a child's behavior, I rarely blame the child. This is something I feel can go a long way in a child's life. So read, read early, and read often.

Boing boing boing

What is the attraction to bobble heads? They never really look like whoever they're supposed to be, they don't have any collector value that I'm aware of, and they're just kind of stupid. What am I missing?

Leaking off

I hate plumbing. I can do it, I understand it, but I hate doing it. I imagine doing a new house rough in would be fun, but any work on an existing system, particularly an older house, sucks. Big time. First, it always takes longer than you planned. Partially because of the "3 rule" . . . three trips to the hardware store. Invariably you forget something, measured something wrong, or break something. Usually, all three. More than that, though. It's messy, stinks, and requires one to contort themselves into positions not covered in the Kama Sutra.

Again, I can do it and am generally successful at it. This past weekend, I replaced our bathroom vanity. Any DIY'er knows this isn't a tough job. You do have to disconnect both the plumbing supply and waste. Again, no big deal. Taking things apart are almost never a problem! I get to turning on the water to test for leaks. Hot and cold supply . . . good! Drain . . . good! Then where is this drip coming from?! The seal at the bottom of the sink! !(^$*^!#(*!@!

So, with perfectly good connections, I have to take the drain apart again to re-seat the drain pipe at the sink bottom.

Just when my back was feeling good, again.

"Sit down!"

As one might imagine, there were a number of people of Italian descent at Festa. In relation to a post I made about people standing at concerts . . . I sat in the eighth row near the edge for the Dennis DeYoung concert. It was a perfect seat for what I could get 20 minutes before the show. Well, as always happens, when Dennis came out everyone stoop up. No big deal, you expect that. After the first song you expect everyone to settle down and sit down, though. Nope. In fact, a bunch of people started standing on the bleachers. Well, that didn't sit well (pun intended) to a large group of 60-somethings sitting in front of me. The women proceeded to beat . . . yes, BEAT the people with whatever they were holding to get them to sit down! YEAH! I was cheering them on! They had a bit of clout as a few of them were talking the Dennis' wife before the show. Who, by the way, is beautiful up close and . . . wow, rather endowed. Nice work, Dennis!

Anyway, from that point on while the front few rows stood throughout the concert, the rest of us enjoyed the show in a perfectly good seat . . . sitting down.

Victoria Beckham

Is anyone else completely sick of this girl already? What is the deal with her and her husband? You'd think dignitaries from another planet were coming here! And I hate the way she looks . . . that stupid haircut, up to there skirts, fake boobs, and that same look . . . all the time! I heard she essentially told Paris to take a flying leap so she's got a few points going for her. But everything else so far is making me crazy. And David? It's soccer! Who cares?!?! Talk about overexposure!

There is no Styx

Without Dennis DeYoung, that is. For virtually every group, there is a foundation that exists that defines their sound. This varies from group to group. For Van Halen, it was certainly Eddie himself. He did virtually all the writting and was responsible for that Van Halen sound. While having a hack certainly didn't do the group any favors (Cherone) there was still the under lying sound that defined Van Halen. Without question, Dennis shaped the Styx sound and character. He split from the group some time ago due to creative differences and under much tension. There are bad feelings on both sides. I'm not going to tell the whole story other than to say that both sides have legitimate issues. But, the bottom line is this: there would be no Styx without Dennis DeYoung. I doubt anyone would have heard of Tommy Shaw or Jimmy Young . . . or their music. Dennis had (and still does) a very successful solo career. Does anyone know that JY and Tommy Shaw had solo careers? Dennis performs his act with symphony orchestras. JY played TA Verns. Pretty sure the crowd was there for wet t shirt night.

Anyway, I saw Dennis at Festa Italiana last night. I went by myself as my wife and daughter went up north to visit some friends. First, it was a perfect night. Second, I've seen Dennis a few times before, but this had to be his best performance yet. He didn't play with an orchestra, nor did he include his Hunchback singers. It was just him and the band. Glen Burtnik was a special guest. Glen played on the Edge of the Century CD. Well, he . . . they . . . rocked. I swear, it was as thought there was a conscious decision to make everything heavier! The ballads were still ballads, but the rock stuff . . . would rival Creed in their day. It was an incredible performance.

Did I mention she was 7?

The other day I'm goofing around with my daughter Jamie. Of the many qualities I love about her is her sense of humor. She really has a good sense of her own humor . . . and gets mine. At one point she tells me: "Oh, you're just being sarcastic!".

She was right.

Seven.

During that same goof session, Jackie tried cracking a joke. After a slight silent pause Jamie tells her: "All I hear are crickets, momma."

Seven.

Then, the other day she tells me that one of the things we share in common with monkeys are our "opposable thumbs".

Did I mention she was seven?

A perfectly good seat . . .

I didn't make it to Summerfest this year. A variety of reasons. No loss. There will be plenty of future opportunity. I have been there many times in the past and my wife went this year a few times. In fact, she and her sister went to see John Mayer the night he played. Now, all discussion about why anyone would want to pay money to see this bore aside, she brought up an issue that has always baffled me. Why do people, with perfectly good seats . . . and up away from the stage . . . insist on standing throughout the concert? My wife's sister stood through the entire show! She said she had to because everyone else was standing and wouldn't have been able to see. OK. I can accept that. So, if you have seats that allow you to see without having to stand . . . why do it?!?! No offense . . . well, maybe a little . . . but especially at a John Mayer concert?!?! It's happened to me in the past. At Summerfest and other concerts. Fortunately, I'm usually around other people who think it equally as strange as I that someone finds it necessary to stand when they clearly don't have to and have joined me in a verbal assult of the morons. In the case of the Mayer concert, I guess everyone suffered from the same intelligence depletion.

That may explain why he has so many fans.

In Your Face!

My daughter was playing with 6 small sea shells she had gotten from school on our coffee table. She was making them spin on the surface of the table. After a bit, she asked me if I thought she could make them all spin at once. Normally, I'd play along and let her prove me wrong but I didn't think it was worth her effort so I told her no. She tried a few times unsuccessfully. I told her that the shells didn't spin long enough for her to get them all going. She then scooped them all together, put her hand on them all, and gave them all a twist . . . spinning them all at once.

Huh. I guess I'm stupid.

Flip-flop, flip-flop, BANG!

I hate flip-flops. I hate the name flip-flops. I hate the sound they make. They aren't particularly attractive. They belong on a beach or a backyard . . . not at work! They particularly don't belong on men. They look and sound, and I'm sorry, gay. One of the top three worst fashion, if you want to call it that, mistakes of all time. The others? Crop tops. Here's a case, though, where all by itself isn't so bad. It just that only so many females look good wearing them . . . and they aren't the ones wearing them. Next, low, low cut jeans. First, refer to the above comment. Same here. Even more so. Second, I don't need to see anyone's entire butt crack. I don't find it sexy or appealing. Then, flip-flops. The last would be those stupid looking over-sized sunglasses that make you look like a bug when wearing them. The likes of which Paris Hilton, and others, wear. My wife was offered some deal on a designer pair . . . I wouldn't let her get them. Stupid looking.

Flip-flops are, at best, girls-wear for the backyard or beach.

Happy Daddy's Day To Me!

I'm a son, a brother, a cousin, a husband, a brother on law, a son in law, and an uncle. But it wasn't until Jamie came along I became a daddy. And with all due respect to my relation to the other people in my life, being a daddy is the best.

Speaking of summer vacation . . .

My daughter asks me the other day, "Daddy, when are you off for summer?" Feeling suddenly depressed I had to explain to the young one that daddy didn't get the summer off like kids in school do. She then remarked, "Will I have to do that when I grow up?" rather astounded. Feeling even more depressed, I revealed to her that yes, when she gets older and obtains a career, she'll have to work all the time. Unless she becomes a teacher. Then she could have off when the kids do. You may well guess what she responded with . . . "I wanna be a teacher, then."

I wish I had thought of that.

Summer time with the child

An interesting dual perspective goes on this time of year. The kids can't wait for school to end and summer vacation to start, and we parents are . . . well, perhaps a tad less enthusiastic about the coming months. Don't get me wrong, I love spending time with my daughter as does my wife. But it now becomes an everyday challenge to keep her occupied. Recalling my youth (insert tired and heard before joke here) I lived in a neighborhood with roughly 14 kids. All living next to me and in a standard neighborhood . . . no alleys. There was simply no issue for my mom, or anyone else's, in terms of finding things for us kids to do. I also had an older brother and sister. Though at a certain age, sis started doing her own thing with her own friends. Jamie is an only child, we live in a neighborhood with an alley, and her closest friend is her older cousin up the block 8 houses. The days can be challenging for Jackie, my wife. But, she handles it well. First is simply her dedication as a mom. She takes the summers off from work (nice to have that ability) to be with Jamie. Second, she's all about routine. Morning routine, afternoon routine . . . Third, Jamie's at an age where she can help out more so chores are coming in to play. Fourth, activities. Jamie is signed up for various things with the Girl Scouts, the library, the Zoo, the Gardens . . . and whatever else. Not too much. Just a day here and there to help pass the time. Five, play dates. I love play dates. Doesn't matter if they're here or there. A couple or a few kids playing together can really pass the day. It's a great way to entertain while getting your own things done.

Anyway, summer's here. Enjoy your time with your kids!

Perhaps another time . . .

There are a few sites that apparently have pictures of Nicolette Sheridon (Desperate Housewives) and Sharon Stone both topless. My reaction to both headlines (I haven't seen the pictures) was the same for both.

Gross.

Jessica and the larger picture

I like Jessica McBride. I never met her or talked to her, but with her blog, columns, and now defunct radio show she came across as a passioned, no-nonsense woman who not afraid to speak her mind and intelligent enough to do so. I didn't listen to her radio show much. I simply couldn't. I wish there would have been regular podcasts available, but there weren't. When I did tune in, I liked her show. No, she's no Belling or Diebert. There's a part of radio hosting one either has or doesn't has . . . have, and she really didn't have it. But, she was no worse than some of the hacks on NPR. Joel McNally can't for the life of himself string words together in any consistent manner to form cohesive sentances. It drives me nuts to listen to him. Now, as to why Jessica got the boot . . . who cares? It's a radio thing. It happens. To be honest, I'm looking forward to Dennis Miller as I like him a lot. But, there are those in the blog world that have taken up the cause of being Jessica's personal boil. In fact, there are several cases in which it seems the sole purpose of a blog is to be the blogthorn in another's person's side. I don't get it. What's more, while the bashing and name calling is plentiful, there lacks any real substance. No conterpoint to the point that's being trashed. I think it takes a certain amount of guts to lay yourself out there for all to comment. Certainly, with many, it an opportunity to discuss an issue, present your side, and agree to disagree. For others, it becomes an attack. An attack on intelligence and on character. Again, often with no counter point to the issue.

I don't visit those blogs very often.

MTV Movie Awards

There was a time when this show was quite an event . . . for me. I'm sure from their own perspective it still is, but it sure has lost some luster over the years. What did they actually give out . . . 5 awards? In two hours? OK, I'm kidding, but not much. First, they didn't have the usual parady open they normally do. It's been the best part of the show over the years. Not this time. My guess is that it was partially due to the lack of talent available to do the skits in Sarah Silverman, an abrasive, over hyped, and not very funny comediane. Her one plus is that she'll take shots at just about anyone. That night, she took a shot a Paris Hilton. One that got a huge applause from the gallery. It did my heart good. Especially when they cut to Paris (apparently a bit of a surprise show) and she was none too happy about the joke and response. Cry me a river. Anyway, the show was a huge bore-fest for the most part. Even in the area of "babes", there's not much to talk about. What I did find curious, though, was Amy Winehouse's performance. I guess what I like is that she's not a clone of the current crop of pop star skank . . . and she's definately not a babe. What I don't like is that while I can't say I like her music, she's sucks doing it. I'm no fan of Bjork. But when she was on Saturday Night Live a few weeks ago, I found her performance rather compelling. Not so with Amy. Thank technology for DVR's. I could fastforward my way through. Other notables from the evening: did anyone understand what Jack Nicholsen was talking about? The Bruce Willis, Justin Long skit also made no sense. Cameron Diaz thinks way too much of herself. Rhiannon and Posh both need to get the hair out of their eyes. Who thinks this looks good? No Lindsay. No Britney. Has Will Ferrell diminished himself to starring in the world's dumbest movies? Over all, apretty disappointing show.

I'm famous!

Not really. This picture I took was featured on one of the local channels during the news broadcast. I took the picture at the zoo. My daughter, Jamie, and her two friends, Hannah (and her brother Jack), and Adelle were walking arm in arm. I fired off a few shots walking backward. One of those situations were lucky is better than good. Anyway, Hannah's mom actually sent the picture to the station. Not only did they show the picture but said their names . . . on TV! Jamie was very excited. She told me she had to call her cousin to "rub it in her face". Not crazy about that, but I let her have her moment.

Shrek's Ear Fungus

Actually, Ogre's Ear Fungus. Jackie, Jamie, and I saw this hiking this past weekend.

Going out with my . . . woman?

My wife will not take my daughter to McDonalds. It's always been my thing to do. Mostly because my wife hates McDonalds and partially because she like to introduce my daughter to different things. As for my daughter, she has always enoyed going to McDoalds with me, and I've enjoyed taking her. She likes the fires and, of course, likes the toy they give out.

So, the other day we were home and I suggested we go out to eat. Now, I'll often pick the Mayfair Mall food court as my daughter can get a taco (she loves those!) and I can get something else. Can't say McDonals is my favorite, either. Well, she says to me: "Daddy . . . I want to go somewhere, but I really don't want to go to Mcdonalds. I want you to take me somewhere nice."

(You hear the sound of me hitting the ground having fainted.)

Wow. I did't know what to say at first! I agreed, of course, but felt a little funny about it. Again, my wife takes her to nice places all the time. As a family we go to nice places all the time. I guess that was the funny part . . . this would be the first time I took my daughter to a nice place by myself. I felt kinda weird. But I was looking forward to it!

In the end we stayed in and I made her a nice meal. There was a new Zak and Cody on and she didn't really want to miss it even though she knows I can DVR it. Oh well, next time. I can't wait!

Naturalnessocity

I have to admit. I feel sorry for women at times. There exists huge cultural and societal definitions and pressures that make day to day living very . . . well, if nothing else, time consuming. Now, I'm not a fan of the "french woman" as it pertains to body hygene. But I also hate the extremes that women here go to to make themselves look . . . like a woman! One of the things I have always found attractive in a woman is their natural beauty. All of my close girlfriends (and my wife) were (are) women that are to me naturally beautiful. Now, I understand a woman shouldn't have a uni-brow, mustache, or other hair that would focus one's attention. Even men have to "groom" from time to time. I'm mostly talking about the incredible lengths in terms of hair and make up some women go through to make themselves, to themselves, look presentable. Women! It's not necessary! I remember the wife of a guy I used to work with. Her makeup had to have been applied with a trowel. One day he came to see me at work and had this "girl" with him. Honest to gosh, I didn't recognize her . . . but thought she was cute. I thought she was some kid! It was his wife! OMG!

I bring this up because of some pap' sites posting picture of Pam Anderson sans makeup. Now, I'm no fan-o-Pam. At all. Whatsoever. I don't think she's hot, a babe, and hate everything she's done to herself in the name of popularity. It's gross. But, these pictures reminded me of what hse was like when she first appeared in Playboy. She was cute! In fact, in spite of what I just said, I didn't think she looked that bad in the recent pictures. Certainly much better than when she's got all the clown makeup on. I find this to be true more often than not of women I see without makeup on.

While there's something to be said for a glamed up woman, I'll always choose one who's comfortable with their own image and doesn't feel it necessary to spend an hour a day making themself look "presentable".

What I'll miss

My girlie turned 7 a couple of months ago. Every birthday of my daughter's, my wife and I will spend time throughout the day telling Jamie just what was going on on the day she was born. It's mostly for us, of course, but my daughter seems to get a kick out of it. It got me wondering when she'll get sick of hearing it. Maybe never. I'd like to think there are certain bonds a child will always have with their parents. Some are obvious. I hope there are many. But, who knows? There are the little nuances that make up a family that again, hopefully, don't get lost over time. I'd like to think that when I'm 80 she'll still love hearing the stories. It will define us.

Well, that got me thinking . . . what else will change? What else will stay the same? What will I miss? This is a little pathetic as my daughter is only 7 years old. But I already miss a few things. Believe it or not, changing a diaper. You couldn't pay me to do it on another child before my daughter was born . . . and you couldn't pay me enough to make we do it now. My own child was different. Never bothered me. Also, I used to sit up and sleep with her when she got sick. We'd both be wrapped in a blanket on the recliner. We still do that, but not all night. It's more comfy in bed.

What else? I've always held her feet when we slept together, still do that now. We enjoy shopping together. School and her friends. She likes it when I'm around. Watching her play. Drying her off after a shower or bath. Brushing her teeth. Buying toys. Dressing her.

I know, there's a lot to look forward to. Things I've yet to experience.

I'll just miss those things as well someday.

Mostly, though, I'll miss her just being a child. Unfettered, unbiased, devoid of influence and pressure. The world revolves around her and everything I do is to either protect her, or to help her protect herself . . . to function without the parents. Everything we do, everyday, prepares her for a world without our help. I'll be proud, but I will miss these days.

Snowbirds

I just came back from visiting my mom, sister, and brother (and brother in law) in Snottsdale, AZ. (well, a month ago) As it's March, it's still winter. In fact, it's quite nice in the winter with days in the 70's and 80's, and nights in the 40's and 50's . . . it's enough to make one want to move there. But, hold on. We were "lucky" on this trip. The temps got into the mid to upper 90's and very dry while we were there. A bit of an anomaly . . . but only a bit. Come May through September, temperatures in the 90's . . . continuously . . . day and night . . . are quite common. Come the summer months temperatures in the 100's are normal . . . all the time! It's weird. Here, days almost always cool off at night. In Phoenix, even at midnight it's 100 degrees! I was talking to a friend about this the other day. The comparison, of course, is winter here. But,at least here in Wisconsin, we don't have 3 to 4 months worth of zero degree weather . . . continuously! And, it's easier to keep warm than it is to keep cool. They spend as much on energy keeping cool as we do keeping warm, it's just as hard on cars and roads, and we don't have too many insects that can kill you. Even with the occassional April snow storm, I'll stay in Wisconsin.

Hawk

We have a hawk that visits every now and then. This picture was taken right in our front yard. A.J. (get it?) let me get pretty close to him. He was eating a mouse. Cool bird.

Choo choo!

The idea of building and using trains of some sort continues to be discussed in this city and county. Even though the general public is overwhelmingly against the ideas. At the same time we're lamenting the decline in support over our bus system. It's being discussed because of money that's available federally for transportation needs . . . alternate transportation needs. Of course, no legislator worth their weight in special interest money will turn down what they think is "free" money (taxpayer money). So we have these useless discussions. Well, duh! Use the money slated for the rail ideas no one wants and put it towards our bus system! This seems an easy solution, but it isn't. First, we'd have to have the money re-appropriated as it's meant for alternate transportation and can't be used for such yucky things like roads and buses. Here again, shouldn't be a big problem. The democrats are in power locally, and we have two democrats in federal power respresenting the state . . . just make a phone call and ask! The second problem is this notion that "if we build it, they will give up their cars for slower, less convenient, and less reliable transportation." This is as far from reality as humility is in hollywood. Ain't gonna happen. Some like to point to the success other cities have had with rail. What they fail to point out are the FAILURES rail has also had in various cities.

Now, I'm all for mass transit. But virtually all rail systems are the most inflexible of options. They require track and a place to put them, building infrastructures for boarding and unboarding, cannot be re-routed for any reason such as an accident, break down, weather, or route demands, have a higher operating costs than buses, and simply cannot offer as many routes and stops as buses can. Milwaukee is just not a rail city. We do not have the large pockets of population or the concentrated area of jobs to make a rail system work . . . without costing the taxpayers to run it.

Let's support our buses. Let's reappropriate the transportation money for our bus system. But, let's also abandon all notions of a rail system in this city and county.

The Academy Awards

Overall, I thought the show was boring. I think this speaks to it's overall length more than anything else. Though there were some things to blame. First, it didn't seem like there was the kind of "anticipation" one had about this crop of movies and the awards it would get. Second, the lack of a lot of big names. Third, while I thought she did fine, Ellen didn't do anything to liven things up. Pretty much to the script. A few thoughts:

• Ellen was funny but, again, to the script. The only skit I thought was bad was the vacuum cleaner skit.

• No big surprises in the winners categories . . . and that was kind of disappointing. Was glad Arkin got the award over Murphy.

• An Inconvenient Truth is not a documentory. What an insult to the other documentarians.

• I was surprised there weren't ANY political statments about the war.

• I was surprised there weren't any jokes about Britany.

• I loved the dancers. This is in complete contrast to past years and enduring Debbie Allen's snorefests. The Snakes on a Plane skit and Ellen's joke about the dancers being naked was funny.

• And this is what happens when one isn't over exposed . . . I thought Celine Dion looked good and sounded good.

• The film montages were all waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too long.

• While not a big Ferrell fan, the skit with him, Jack Black, and John Reilly was the best part of the evening.

• There is really something wrong if you can't deliver even the most basic of acceptance speeches without reading it word by word from a piece of paper. I love Alan Arkin, but his speech ruined it for me.

• Ava Green looked like a witch.

• Gweneth and Nicole both looked horrid. That pasty comb-over hair and pale complextion look they both donned was not very attractive.

• While not a "babe" in my book, Jessica Biel looked great.

• Why was Seifeld given his own stand up routine? It was odd, too. Making jokes about going to the movies . . . at a movie award show. Granted it was about concession and garbage . . . still . . .

• Message to Robert Downey and Philip Hoffman . . . a 25¢ comb and ten seconds in front of a mirror. Geez.

• No one insisted on more time to stoke their egos . . . uh, say a few more words before the music really cut in.

As one who has worked as a producer, director, videographer, gaffer, writer, and editor, I know all too well what goes in to making a movie and who really does the work. That said, I wonder if we really need to see the editing, sound, make up, etc, awards presentations. Many awards are given in a seperate ceremony. The Golden Globes doesn't show these categories and they keep that show to two hours. I wonder if the Oscars would be better served doing the same.

Lastly, while I thought Ellen did OK, I also wonder if, again, like the Golden Globes, they might try going without a host. Is it really needed? An announcer might be enough.

Well, on to the really fun one . . . the MTV Movie Awards!

Now I gotta treat her nice!

Jackie called me the other day and told me about her morning routine with Jamie. Normally, Jamie gets up, gets into bed with us and watches a little TV before starting the morning necessaries before school. On this day, Jackie got up to find Jamie working on some art work. Jackie asked what homework this was for (figuring she forgot to do it the night before). Jamie replied: "It's a thank you card for you and daddy . . . cause I love you." We had spent the past few nights making thank you cards for her friends that came to her birthday party.

Have I mentioned I love that girl?

Happy Birthday Jamie

Actually, Jamie's birthday was the 14th, Valentine's Day. She's now 7 years old and growing like a weed. We had a party for her and some of her friends this past Saturday. The party was at our house and had a "magic" theme to it. The "magic" was a combination of science magic and magic magic. I was originally going to hire a magician. But as I've always had an interest in magic decided to do some tricks myself.

The day of the party, Jamie went down to the rec room to look at our set up and decorations. She came upstairs and said: "Pretty good, pretty good. But, there's one thing missing." Of course we asked what that was. Jamie threw her fist into the air, struck a pose and said: "the party!". I love that kid.

Everything went well. The tricks were great and the kids were great. We made magic wands, slime, ate tacos, played a few games, and had lots of fun. We even let the party wind down by letting the kids stay and watch a movie.

Happy Birthday Jamie. Your daddy loves you very much.

Illegal immigrants

The illegal immigrant issue, to me, is very important. Here in the north I think it's easy to not see the whole picture . . . the negative impact illegal immigration has on the country. Talk to people in the south (I know several) and you get a much different picture of the situation. Most polls indicate people agree that we need to do something about illegal immigrants. What that is exactly we don't agree on. One thing, we shouldn't make it easier or more attractive to be here illegally than it is to be here legally. That just makes sense, doesn't it? But that isn't the case. We know there are counties and/or states that allow taxpayer benefits to illegal immigrants. Things like loans, education, healthcare . . . even social security. Why should we allow someone who is not here legally to receive taxpayer benefits? That makes no sense to me. You may as well be rewarding people for being here illegally. Here in Wisconsin, until recently, an illegal could get a driver's license. Well, in one section of Doyle's budget rape is a component that would allow lower tuition for illegal immigrants. At the same time, he raises tuition for everyone else. Now, personally I don't care about the tuition hike. The UW system is still pretty cheap by standard. But allowing lower rates to illegals is not only ignoring the problems of illegal immigration, but unfair to both the taxpayer and those who are legal citizens wanting to attend our colleges. We should provide the motivation and means to become legal citizens. Otherwise, it's virtually another form of welfare and a burden on the taxpayers.

Anna

When I first heard the report of Anna Nicole Smith's death, I was saddened. Simply, here was another example of how inspite of fame, money, and looks (to some. Not me.) that kind of liestyle with catch up with you. It's another reminder of how we are all the same. From the mega-egomaniacal John Travolta to the common counter person at McDonalds . . . we're all subject to life's harshest realities. It was particularly sad as she leaves behind a 2 year old. A daughter who was just begining to know her mother . . . moron and all that she was.

It bugged me, too, that from time to time I said: "I wish she would just go away". Of course, her death and my comments were completely coincidental. But I couldn't help but feel a little guilty.

But, in the end she was a no-talent, gold-digging, skank whore, who lead a life destined to kill her.

I won't miss her.

Rights for children

This is a controversial subject. Partially because it deals with the Pro Choice and Right to Life issues which are highly political issues. Which itself is somewhat of a shame. But, the other reason it's a messy subject is the whole "how far do you go" question with regard to protecting children. After all, up until a certain age (like 40) children really don't know any better about most things. So to grant them "legal rights" makes the assumption they know the difference between one component of an issue and another. This becomes silly when we talk about toddlers and babies . . . and even more ridiculous when we're talking about a fetus. But it does raise the question, what rights do they have?

I bring this up in light of several articles I read. Sorry, I don't have links or specifics. Doesn't matter. In one article the local DA is bring up double homicide charges to a man who killed his wife . . . and her three month old fetus. Obviously this raises debate over the issue of "what's life" and how much should it be allowed with regard to rights. Abortions are commonly performed at three months. On the one hand, from the pro life stand point, abortion is no different than what this man did. The difference is that the mother who was killed wanted her baby and those who abort do not. In both cases, the life of the fetus is ended. In different manners, but ended nonetheless. Does that fetus have any rights? Was it's life taken against it's will? Keep in mind, we're beyond the zygote stage. While the fetus is only inches long at this point, it resembles in every way a human baby with working organs and the ability to feel pain. It's viable life, no question. But should it be protected under the scope of law? Is it OK for the mother to decide to terminate the life of the fetus (and subsequent doctor) and no one else? Obviously, the question of when life begins is at the core of the issue here.

Two other articles I read. One was about a mother who in a deranged fit (apparently bipolar) decided to kill her two children. One was 8 the other 3. She stabbed them in the neck several times with a large knife. This was a brutal killing. What those children went through while dying . . . choking on their own blood, the pain, the horror . . . I can't imagine. But this reminds me of Adnrea Yates who drowned all her children (again bipolar) and now may spend time in a health facility instead of a jail because of the trial lawyers and their ability to convince a jury Andrea doesn't belong in jail. Will the mother who stabbed her children see jail?

The other article reported that a man, mad at his two year old for crying, hit her knocking her unconscious. He then took her to a nearby playground to hide her as he thought he killed her. They found her dead some time later. What's more, they also found little foot prints in the snow indicating that she regained consciousness, walked around lost, then died of the freezing temperatures. Again, I can't imagine the hopeless feeling this little girl had before she died.

The last article I read dealt with a sentance that was handed down to a babysitter who had killed a baby from shaking her. She received 10 years in prison. I'm not sure how much one has to shake a baby to kill it . . . and I'm sure the intent wasn't to kill the baby . . . but this seemed an appropriate sentance. Again, I'm sure there was no intent, but it was certainly reckless.

All of this makes me wonder . . . what protection do babies, toddlers, and children have? Really, none. We put a lot of faith in adults to watch over and protect the interest of little kids and babies. Is a fetus that much a different story? I'll admit, I'm against abortion as a means of birth control. As intelligent, moral adults, we know there are other ways to prevent pregnancy. Between the cavalier attitude we seem to have over parenting and pregnancy, and the lack of regard for life we have on the life of a baby and children, I'm all for more severe penalties for crimes against children. Children and babies are the absolute definition of innocent and want nothing more than their very basic needs. What's more, in spite of who ever it is that mothers or fathers a child, there's an automatic unconditional love for the parents. They simply don't know any better. They are completely dependant on us for care and nurturing. Is it too much to ask to allow them a chance at life?

I think not.

Da Barely Bears

I tend to be as neutral as I can when it comes to the playoffs. I have my favorites and I have my opinions but mostly I just want good football. Having said that, I really wanted the Colts to win. As with Favre and Elway, I wanted to see a great quarterback get his due. For Dungy, too. It's a great validator for both of them. As for the Bears, like many other people I felt they really didn't belong in the Superbowl. I know it's hard to argue their record, but like the Bears of several years ago when they did a similar thing, they just weren't (aren't) a complete team.

The Superbowl revealed these things:

1. Defense wins Superbowls. What I don't think people thought of is that Indianapolis had a pretty good defense. Particularly when matched with the Bear's weak offense.

2. While defense is important, a good quarterback is equally so. Manning is great. Grossman is bad . . . very bad. I'd be a little surprised if he's the quarterback next season.

3. While a good defense and a good quarterback are important, equally so is the coach. Dungy nailed this game.

Over all it was a good playoff season and a good Superbowl. Congrats to the Colts on a great victory!

Higher Callings

I read the reports about Angelina Jolie at the Golden Globes. I never thought much about Angelina. She's not attactive to me, she's not a good actress, and always came off as somewhat weird. Now, I don't mind weird, but hers is a strange weird. I was willing to cut her some slack, though as she very much puts her money where her mouth is. And this doesn't appear to be a "fad", or something just to make herself look good (well . . .). It appears that she is genuine about her work. Fine. Maybe we need more people like her. But, she comes off not only as someone who is better than you, she comes off as waaaaaay better than you. That just repulses me. She always came off as very full of herself. Now, you'd think she was queen of the world.

Coincidently, I read this article:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/18/AR2007011801699.html

It made think a bit about people who develop this calling to do things like this. I really don't understand it. I don't really want to, either. To become so overly consumed by the drive to try and make a difference in the world . . . and not just make a difference, but make a difference on a grand scale . . . is puzzling to me. At what point does this ambition become stupid? Take Andrea. Wouldn't common sense tell you that putting yourself in that situation will raise the chances of getting hurt? Or killed? What good are you then? And what possible difference have you made?

I have a 6 year old daughter. Soon to be 7. That's all the inspiration I need to make a difference in this life. As well for my wife and close family. I'm no coward. But I won't walk across a minefield in an attempt to make a name for myself.

The Golden Globes

Certainly more interesting than the People's Choice Awards, the Globes are thought of as an early indicator of the Oscars. Not sure if that's true, but the show is better over all. Of the winners, America Ferrera (sp?) for Ugly Betty, Alec Baldwin for 30 Rock and Bill Nighy for Gideon's Daughter. Three actors I really like, and two shows I watch. Sometimes, though, it's not who wins but who doesn't win. I was glad Desperate Housewives didn't win anything. Also, Jeremy Piven (jackass), Julia Dreyfuss (annoying), Annette Bening (drunk and annoying) and Kiefer Sutherland (he has enough already). Of course, half the fun are the fashions . . . I thought Jennifer Hewitt looked great, as did Sienna Miller. Though, I'm not crazy about the shiney face thing going on lately. Cameron Diaz looked like an alien space ship stewardess, Patricia Arquette looked particularly unattractive. I thought Gillian Anderson looked attractive but had a stupid dress on. While I like her a lot, America's dress needed to fit better in the . . . uh . . . Globes. Spilling out understates it. Most of the guys looked good. On to the Oscars!

People's Choice?

So, I watched the People's Choice Awards the other night. Award shows are a bit of a guilty pleasure. They're stupid in that how can you really compare films and performances against one another, but . . . a few thoughts.

The PCA is really worthless. Who votes for this? Especially, who votes for the initial nominations? Two of the "best" comedies are Click and The Break Up? Wow. What kills me, though, is how everyone acts as though they've won an Oscar . . . thanking the studio, manager, producer, director . . . geez. Who cares?

I like how these shows tend to reveal things about people. I used to think that Hillary Swank, Halle Barry, and Charlize Theron seemed like "nice" women. Nope. As egomaniacal as any of them. How they carried on after winning an Oscar. You'd think they'd found a cure for cancer!

As for the PCA's . . . about 6 references to Britany Spears and underwear, often only three nominations in a category, no tribute to the passed, and only Masi Oki (from Heroes) acknowledged the other shows during his acceptance speech. Goes to my earlier point. He seems nice.

Of course, I like to see what the women wear. From what I saw, nothing too outrageous and nothing too spectacular. There was one rather skinny presenter wearing a rather low cut dress that looked bad . . . too boney.

Well, up next . . . the Golden Globes!

Child's insight

Tonight my daughter told my wife that the reason she doesn't like going to bed is that she doesn't like saying good-bye to the day.

Perfect.

Lighter out later!

I noticed driving home from work that it was 5:30 and the sun was still setting. The longer days are starting Well, this made me pretty happy. I went home, cleaned the kitchen and decided to make Chicken Stew. Diced up some chicken, carrots, celery, cooked potato, added some peas, and a few string beans. Little of this and that and it turn out great! Big vat of it, too. Back before Jamie came along I cooked a lot. Jackie worked full time and I was often home first. So, I did the cooking. After Jamie came along Jackie was home more and she started doing all the cooking. That's the way it has stayed. Every now and then I flex my cooking muscle and whip something up. It's fun. One can be creative and work with their hands. I'm anal, though. I have to start with a clean kitchen, I need certain knives and sharp, prefers no one help. I hate sharing the glory of a great meal. While I work I clean up. Little is left when I'm ready to plate. This stew turned out great. Tomorrow I'll grab some peasant bread to use as bowls and serve it up to the family. Should be awesome.