Observations of a 4 year old birthday party

    My daughter celebrated her 4 years on the planet. During all the festivities, I made note of several little events I felt compelled to comment on here.

    I think one of the most annoying things I have experienced, even before becoming a parent, is watching other parents leave their children to fend for themselves at public functions. As soon as they arrive, the parent and child go their separate ways. I am not sure if this is a misinterpretation of “it takes a village” or what. Having been a camp counselor, I instantly feel I have to keep a watchful eye on the child. I find it hardly coincidental that the parent capable of this is oftentimes paired with what we in the childcare field referred to as “demon spawn.”  While most children have a natural appeal, these beings evoke no calming emotion. Luckily, the party only lasted 2 hours. I did quietly smile to myself watching these kids putting away soda in college beer bong proportions.  It’s almost like karma in disaccharide form.

     Other than that, I reaffirm my hatred of Bratz toys. The good news is that the toy gods were smiling upon us because there was only one this time. I find it really hard to celebrate inner-city attitude venerated as if it were culture. Bling is merely the substitution for the phrase “fascinated by shiny objects.” Even the frickin’ name emphasizes illiteracy…..

A beginners guide to coffee drinking

   After spending the weekend in Lancaster, PA while vacationing with extended family, I was reminiscing about one of the activities: drinking coffee.

    We were talking about the best flavors of coffee, brewing techniques and the equipment we used at home. Humans, like any living creature, are ones of habit. Coffee is no exception. For some reason, I feel compelled to share my meager if not useless knowledge with the novice coffee drinker.

     First, the source of the coffee is very important. If you don’t brew your own coffee, you have to be selective where you purchase it. Almost every gas station on the planet has something that does involve coffee beans and a brewing process. However, that liquid should only be consumed under controlled conditions.  Those conditions would include dissolving your stomach, participating in a bet or when the Slurpee machine is broken. Truck Stop coffee tends to be good.  McDonald’s coffee is functional, but fast food restaurants in general are risky coffee stops. They are risky because those pots tend to get made by people who don’t drink coffee.  Dunkin Donuts offers some pretty good brewage, as was Starbucks. Having worked at Denny’s Restaurants, I can vouch for that stuff as being good too. A note to the handful of readers who made it this far: a good cup of coffee is still an accomplishment. You should simply stay clear of the bad stuff.

      Next, the stuff you add can make a difference. The first category is dairy. The most important thing to remember is not to use anything less than whole milk. Half-n-half creamer is the best. The sweetness of the cream rounds out the flavor of the coffee. The trick is to use a creamer that actually had something to do with a cow. Powders or imitation milk things are not only evil, they completely obscure the natural flavor of the coffee. Besides, flavoring your coffee with flavoring found only in the creamer could get you beaten in most coffee shops. The sugar category allows for much more lattitude with consumption. However, artificial sweetners do not capture the disaccharidic pleasure of sucrose. Aspartame/NutraSweet, with heat & age, can breakdown into formadehyde (the carcinogenic liquid once used to preserve dead animal specimens). I would also stick with regular sugar as we have a clearer view of what the side effects are.

       The container in which to consume coffee is also somewhat important. Ceramic or insulated mugs are very good, but you still need to be careful. If you have an annoying picture or quotation on the side, the beating rule could take effect. On the other hand, you have almost guaranteed that your mug won’t get taken where you work. Styrofoam cups are good for travel. Unfortunately, they still tend to be dangerous. They may not feature stupid pictures or slogans, but some people still manage to dump them on their laps while driving. A good rule of thumb is to not put anything on your lap while driving. Just ask Hugh Grant.

      Finally, caffeine has been proven to not be too bad. Studies show that your alertness increases 15 minutes after consumption…and energy levels up to 4 to 5 hours. It also shows temporary boosts in memory. Coffee also has some anti-oxidant capabilities. Other positive things coffee can do for you is to give you the ability to put dark rings on notebooks, newspapers and important reports that you are expected to hand in to your boss. It gives you something to talk about with coworker with, as well as a solid reason to use the bathroom excessively. It has remarkable power to stain your teeth and give you really bad breath. It’s also really good with pie.

A post of mine is referenced on Wikipedia!!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religious_debates_over_the_Harry_Potter_series

    Hey! I have recently discovered that one of my older posts about Harry Potter is referenced on Wikipedia. Check out reference #61 at the bottom!! Woot Woot!

    I am reminded of the scene from the movie, The Jerk, when Navin Johnson (Steve Martin) got excited when he found his name in the phone book…….O.k., maybe I am not THAT excited about the mention in Wikipedia.

Hey, Dad’s cool again!!!

  All it took was remembering all the Star Wars movies.

       Playstation 2 has a game called Star Wars. It consists of the characters and story line of the original films, except they are all Lego-shaped. The game is kind of cool, actually. I don’t really play it, but my kids like to.

       Anyway, the cast of characters is pretty long. I constantly get asked who’s name is what & which movie were they in. Seeing as I was there the first time, and have seen all the movies with them. I can be the fount of knowledge, even if the only thing flowing out of it is the ability to tell Power Droid from a Bespin Guard.

    Woot Woot!

The next generation of Dead Milkmen fans has arrived!

   While playing my 12 String Yamaha acoustic guitar, I recklessly careened through a bunch of songs from the 1980s. I pulled “Punk Rock Girl” and “Big Lizard In My Backyard” out of my memory.  Ihad to make it the clean version as my children are all under 10, but it went over very well.  They had formed what was the embryonic stage of a mosh pit. My sons and daughters were “whoopin’ it up.”

    Afterwards, I was hit with “Hey, Dad. What was that song you were playing?”

    I am thinking tomorrow’s music lesson may include The Cramps.

I remember Sept. 11th

   I was at work when it happened. We had a television in the conference room which was on the whole day.  Everyone was staring in disbelief at what happened. I think the collect mind of most Americans was that we are vulnerable. I think it also made us realize that the hate some feel towards us is very real. For awhile, we found faith. We shared patriotism. Differences among us weren’t a big deal. Suddenly, we were all Americans again. 

      I arrived home after work, gave my family a hug and we shut the television off. Informational turned into overload. Watching the planes crash into the buildings over and over again was too much. Trying to hold the moment together, I crawled onto the floor with my 2 year old son to play with him. He wanted to play with blocks. It seemed like a simple task. Large cardboard blocks. Right? Unfortunately, like many two year olds, he decided to knock over the tower we just built. The symbolism was too much. I talked him into cuddling on the couch and read him a book.

    Something was lost that day. I am not sure if we will get it back. It does warm my heart that some people have tried to get it back. By reaching out to others, making it a day of rememberance and charity, is a good start.

We remember.

Should Kari Byron be the next president?

  Combining the need for a viable candidate with a very popular search term that brings people to my blog; I am asking my blog readers to offer their thoughts on whether or not we should vote for Kari in 2008.

   First, let me explain that I do not know Ms. Byron. I am simply exploring the political waters for her.

   With that said, let’s do some comparing to the other candidates to see how she stacks up.

Hillary Clinton – wears sensible shoes
Kari Byron – wears Chuck Taylors

Hillary Clinton – is both for and against the war
Kari Byron – blows things up in parking lots

Hillary Clinton – has been investigated for questionable dealings
Kari Byron – conducts investigations on Mythbusters

Hillary Clinton – may or may not live in New York to satisfy campaign law
Kari Byron – lives in California.

Barack Obama – has no political experience
Kari Byron – has no political experience

Dennis Kucinich – former mayor of Cleveland, OH
Kari Byron – people have heard of her

Rudy Guiliani – former mayor of New York City
Kari Byron – spent one episode wearing silver body paint

To me, the choice is clear. Although her background is in the fine arts, she seems to have a solid appreciation and grasp of science. She doesn’t have any political experience, but incumbency has already proven to be useless at this point. She seems fairly articulate and already has a fairly large base of fans. The fact that she spends energy getting to the bottom of information and actually CARES what the findings are is important.

However, it is possible that the cheesecaky FHM photo shoot might be held against her. I am guessing that Hillary Clinton might try to use that against Kari, seeing as Hillary couldn’t pull off the naughty lab tech look.

Hey, it could still happen. The only other presidential candidate choices based on search terms that get people to my site include spyware removal, Angel Boris, Julie Sidoni and girls with long tongues.

So, if not Kari Byron; should girls with long tongues be the next president?  We’ll just have to see what the voters have in store for us, I guess.

I’m editing the book I wrote last year

   I have decided to do something with it finally. I must say that it’s harder than I thought. Coming up with the story ideas are easy, compared to fine tuning what I already have down on paper.

   I have rewritten the first paragraph several times, but think I have it much stronger now. I have also worked the storyline so it is much smoother, removing one part because it’s not needed anymore and have better coordinated character entrances and exits. Overall, I’d say I should have the final draft by the end of the fall.

   For those of you who haven’t heard, the story is about a widow with three high school aged children who go on a special vacation. A privately funded research facility gives this family a chance to spend time with their father who passed away 5 years earlier.  Special crystals in the story have the ability to channel memories into an interactive hologram of sorts.  However, during the visit with the “mirror” (as the image is called); instead of the automaton they expect – the husband/father actually comes back to visit with his family briefly.  It’s a glimpse of the other side. It blends technology and science with the supernatural. I have really tried to make it as real as possible.  Although science-fiction/fantasy, I think many people might be able to identify with the characters in the story because I believe it taps into some universal emotion. I just hope I do the story enough justice.

It rocks!

What is religion’s role in politics?

   First of all, let me say that I believe having religion is important. Religion, in my opinion, is having a relationship with the divine force. Faith is the expression of that relationship with the divine. Morality is the behavioral standard that we apply to ourselves when interacting with the world around us. Unfortunately, we have forgotten or lost perspective of several important things.

    Religion is something one has to find within themselves. Until someone experiences that specific moment where they find their own “proof” for the divine force, it will always be foreign for them. That person might know what to say to sound like a believer, but don’t feel it. They might surround themselves with religious people and the symbols of the faith, but that doesn’t instill faith automatically. Judging, condemning or shouting at people who don’t believe isn’t going to help anything. Telling them they have the wrong faith unless they share yours is even more spiritually damaging. Emphasizing or implying one is better than another is also misguided. I also think that a great deal of emphasis has been giving to religious symbols. Faith shouldn’t be threatened by the presence of some symbols or the absense of others. Destruction or desecration of those symbols, although disrespectful, doesn’t destroy faith because faith is something inside you.

   Does the absense of religion mean that person can’t function within our government? Not necessarily. Should they still be aware of religions? Yes. Can you be a leader in the government with it? Yes. Can you be a leader in the government without it? Yes.  While the presense of faith may influence decisions, the main premise behind a democracy is representing the people. You obviously can’t please everyone, but you also have to take other peoples’ viewpoints (including religious ones) into consideration. Having faith as a leader does not mean using it exclusively to find direction or make decisions. Leaders who reinforce their beliefs exclusively through their position of power carry the appearance of a dictator.

   Finally, I think the problem with religion in politics now is based on the fact that religion is worn as clothing. It is being used to disguise a candidate to make them appear acceptable to a group of people the candidate believes will help them win votes.  Religion is a beautiful thing, and in my mind, flawless. The flaw is in how it is exploited and manipulated by those who claim to practice it.  Essentially, another layer of the “say one thing, do another” mentality that has most voters fed up with our current political system. Sen. Larry Craig is just another example. Tell the public what you think it wants to hear, even if your current lifestyle doesn’t jibe.

*****side comments on current presidential candidates

Most candidates don’t strike me as being particularly religious, at least visibly. The only talk I have heard or read about religion in the presidential race is about Mitt Romney (Mormon) and Barack Obama (Islam).  It seems that some voters are deadset against either of these two because they aren’t Christian. That strikes me as incredibly misguided. What if Christian were a minority faith? Would it make sense to rule them out, simply because of that? Or are people just looking for ways to split the US vs. THEM thing? Bush, who seems relatively open embracing his Christianity(Methodist, if I remember correctly….although I have heard “born again” which strikes me as being generally more fundamental or charismatic for the Methodist line of thought.) His decisions have obviously colored his decisions on legislation. It’s even to the point where his view is the minority, yet it gets pushed through as law. Stem cell research. Case & Point.  I just don’t see how that makes us any better off than a more balanced leader. Of course, Bush never tried to mend any bridges after capturing just enough votes to win the election. A true leader would have reached out to the 49% of the vote that didn’t vote for him. Low voter turn out should have reinforced his need to reach out.

Of course, the other side of the coin is that Democratic frontrunner Sen. Hilary Clinton could spend the rest of her life claiming to be whatever religion she wanted to. There is still no way I could believe that she have the spiritual substance having been involved with so many questionable legal dealings.  Bill Clinton didn’t do us any favors either. A man who can’t respect the marriage vow doesn’t strike me as one who can be trusted to lead the country. I swear the only difference between Bill Clinton and George W. Bush sometimes is that Gee Dubya wasn’t as good of a liar as Clinton.

Would someone please tell me that this next election WON’T be another vote for the lesser of two evils again!!?!

5 Traits I Really Like In A Co-Worker

1) A Sense Of Humor – There is a time to be serious and get down to work, but being able to laugh is important too. You don’t necessarily need to be a prankster, but don’t take everything seriously.

2) Know the difference between venting and complaining – Sure. Everyone has their bad days. Things don’t always go smoothly. Let people know you’re having a bad day, then try to move on. Don’t become the human dark cloud who then evolves into a psychic vampire and drains the life and enthusiasm for being there. If things get that bad, dude; quit. If you are reading the classified during your lunch hour; it might be time to move on.

3) Flexible – Things don’t happen when they need to, nor does the equipment work the way it’s supposed to all the time. Figure out work arounds. Don’t go postal.

4) Be willing to help out where it’s needed – Don’t be the person who will literally only do the things specifically listed on your job description. Especially if you work in a small office, being willing to help others can go along way.

5) Beware of the psychological condition of TRANSFERENCE – If you just ended a customer call after getting your face ripped off because they didn’t get their way; don’t take it out on anyone.  Empower yourself.  Learn what you can and can’t do, then only worry about the stuff you can change. If a customer tries to rip you a new one, tell them you’re willing to help but not be abused. Be willing to help, but not willing to be a pariah for all the evils ever befallen from them in the past. Oh, and don’t go blaming the person or group who handled the issue before. Bad karma, otherwise.

Bonus trait: practice decent personal hygiene. Co-workers are willing to cut you some slack for the occasional broccoli in the teeth thing after lunch. Bad coffee breath is possible to cope with for brief periods. I am talking the shower/bath thing. Clean off. Use deoderant or other anti-stink technology.