... of my next 1001 days.
Yes- May 1 will begin my 101 in 1001. I have made a blood oath with a good friend that I will also re-nano in the month of May. Yes, it was balls to the wall during November... but since then I have been a McFly slacker when it comes to moving my writing dream ahead.
Always so many good ideas that are like fruit still hanging ripe on the vine... just waiting to be picked... errr written.
I looked at some bikes... both online and in the Target store. I'm checking out the Schwinn 700c trail way 28" hybrid bike. With 21 gears and weighing in at 40 pounds (and with a comfortable seat, too) it was a pretty sweet deal at $199.00. Anyone know anything about this one? It seems pretty nice and I'll need to mull it over (and put aside some savings) during the next week.
Regarding my 101 in 1001, please check over the entry titled "the list". I'll comment on each item as I complete it. Hopefully sharing the benefits I've acheived from each. Healthy things, fun things, serious things. And I will go on the record as saying I reserve the right to change (and probalby will change a few) some of my 101 as time goes on.
Well (heavy sigh) I'm walking to my "101" starting line to begin tomorrow at 5:30 a.m. when the alarm clock sounds on May 1st.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Monday, April 28, 2008
NFL Draft
Detroit Lions:
1. Offensive tackle Gosder Cherilus of Boston College. I like this choice. A big, meaty and mean tackle... a hog up front.
2. Middle linebacker Jordon Dizon of Colorado. A little small... but the guy was Big 12 defensive player of the year. A tackling machine. They say he always has his nose on the football... whatever the hell that means.
3a. Running back Kevin Smith of Central Florida. Led the nation in rushing yards. A big and strong upright runner.
3b. Defensive tackle Andre Fluellen of Florida State. Another big boy that fills a need on defense.
3c. Defensive end Cliff Avril of Purdue. Not so big and not nearly as good as you need. But maybe Rod Almighty can work his magic on him (unlike Kalimba Edwards and Shaun Rogers).
4. No picks.
5a. Wide Reciever Kenneth Moore of Wake Forest. Huh- a real Forrest Gump type of selection? They picked a mediocre wide out- WTF for? Stupid pick Millen.
5b. Fullback Jerome Felton of Furman. Well since they didn't have a real fullback picking one makes sense... and why not take Felton who hails from the hotbed of fullbacks --- Furman College. Another head scratcher of a pick.
6. No picks.
7a. Defensive Tackle Landon Cohen of Ohio. Adding more bodies to the mix is good. But being that he is "vastly undersized" (Scouts words- not mine) has me wondering if Millen and Marinelli have thing for small, undersized, underdog type players? Lots of heart will only get you so far if the other guy drills you into the ground every play. It's not like you get to use a slingshot to even the odds, like David did with Goliath.
7b. Safety Caleb Campbell from Army. They got a staanding O for selecting him. The first Army player drafted since 1947. Hope he can make the team or it's off to Iraq with the U.S. Army. He will begin serving his payback for that West Point education.
Overall Grade: B-. They drafted to fill their needs. They had lots of holes. If only the players they drafted last season (Alma-Francis, Stanton, C. Johnson and Alexander) begin to show they can play in the NFL. Marinelli needs to have his Lions show some improvement "on" the field and not just in the locker room.
Detroit Lions:
1. Offensive tackle Gosder Cherilus of Boston College. I like this choice. A big, meaty and mean tackle... a hog up front.
2. Middle linebacker Jordon Dizon of Colorado. A little small... but the guy was Big 12 defensive player of the year. A tackling machine. They say he always has his nose on the football... whatever the hell that means.
3a. Running back Kevin Smith of Central Florida. Led the nation in rushing yards. A big and strong upright runner.
3b. Defensive tackle Andre Fluellen of Florida State. Another big boy that fills a need on defense.
3c. Defensive end Cliff Avril of Purdue. Not so big and not nearly as good as you need. But maybe Rod Almighty can work his magic on him (unlike Kalimba Edwards and Shaun Rogers).
4. No picks.
5a. Wide Reciever Kenneth Moore of Wake Forest. Huh- a real Forrest Gump type of selection? They picked a mediocre wide out- WTF for? Stupid pick Millen.
5b. Fullback Jerome Felton of Furman. Well since they didn't have a real fullback picking one makes sense... and why not take Felton who hails from the hotbed of fullbacks --- Furman College. Another head scratcher of a pick.
6. No picks.
7a. Defensive Tackle Landon Cohen of Ohio. Adding more bodies to the mix is good. But being that he is "vastly undersized" (Scouts words- not mine) has me wondering if Millen and Marinelli have thing for small, undersized, underdog type players? Lots of heart will only get you so far if the other guy drills you into the ground every play. It's not like you get to use a slingshot to even the odds, like David did with Goliath.
7b. Safety Caleb Campbell from Army. They got a staanding O for selecting him. The first Army player drafted since 1947. Hope he can make the team or it's off to Iraq with the U.S. Army. He will begin serving his payback for that West Point education.
Overall Grade: B-. They drafted to fill their needs. They had lots of holes. If only the players they drafted last season (Alma-Francis, Stanton, C. Johnson and Alexander) begin to show they can play in the NFL. Marinelli needs to have his Lions show some improvement "on" the field and not just in the locker room.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Screaming Kids
My eardrums are killing me. After having filled in for a freinds dental practice for the past three days, all I can say is ouch!
as a dentist, I already konw we've got that bad rap... "I hate dentists" is a mantra repeated throughout the world everyday in dental offices. It really stinks that as a dentist, kids will be screaming in the wating room even before they see me... heck even before they've seen any dentist.
Parents please! Don't help us out by telling your kids that it won't hurt... or it won't hurt too much... or (God forbid) that it really will hurt like hell! After three solid days of screaming kids I can see why I never became a kids dentist. Some of these kids have really bad teeth and need immediate treatment... "helping" us only makes it worse.
as a dentist, I already konw we've got that bad rap... "I hate dentists" is a mantra repeated throughout the world everyday in dental offices. It really stinks that as a dentist, kids will be screaming in the wating room even before they see me... heck even before they've seen any dentist.
Parents please! Don't help us out by telling your kids that it won't hurt... or it won't hurt too much... or (God forbid) that it really will hurt like hell! After three solid days of screaming kids I can see why I never became a kids dentist. Some of these kids have really bad teeth and need immediate treatment... "helping" us only makes it worse.
Opps... I missed one
And How did I forget Mythbusters? What a cool idea. These two guys check out myths and urban legends and put them to the test by trying to prove (or disprove) them. (Discovery (44).
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
My Seven Favorite TV shows
No it doesn't include American Idol" and "Dancing With the Stars". Most are on the Discovery Channel... that's channel 44 for those with Time-Warner cable in the San Diego area.
1. Deadliest Catch. Who would have thought I would enjoy frozen fisherman in the Berring Sea trying to catch Alaskan King Crab? For some crazy reason I find this show interesting. Discovery channel (44).
2. Cash Cab. This is a cross between "Jeopardy" and public transportation. It's fun to play along with Ben and his riders, trying to guess the correct answer to his trivia questions. Also on Discovery (44).
3. Seinfeld. Yeah a rerun... but at least a good rerun. Who cant' relate to one of the cast? George, Elaine, Kramer and of course Jerry. Oh.... helloooooo Newman! Fox (6) and TBS (2).
4. O'Reilly Factor. Okay, Okay.. pipe down you liberals. I think O'Reilly, (although a rather pompous ass and someone who leans far to the right), does actually present both sides of the issues. I find it refreshing that he gives everyone a chance to give their side of the argument. That's more than I get from Chris Matthews or Jim Lehrer. Fox News (37).
5. Dirty Jobs. Mike Rowe does some of the dirtiest jobs in the world and shares them with you. Stinky, smelly and tiring these jobs are ones I'd never want to do... but I'm glad he is! Discovery (44).
6. The Simpson's. They're getting a little thin on material but still fun to watch. Everyone can relate to Bart and his brainy sister Lisa. Fox (6).
7. SportsCenter. What sports junkie hasn't watched sportscenter? I go their for highlights, scoreboards and love the way they keep me informed. ESPN (29).
1. Deadliest Catch. Who would have thought I would enjoy frozen fisherman in the Berring Sea trying to catch Alaskan King Crab? For some crazy reason I find this show interesting. Discovery channel (44).
2. Cash Cab. This is a cross between "Jeopardy" and public transportation. It's fun to play along with Ben and his riders, trying to guess the correct answer to his trivia questions. Also on Discovery (44).
3. Seinfeld. Yeah a rerun... but at least a good rerun. Who cant' relate to one of the cast? George, Elaine, Kramer and of course Jerry. Oh.... helloooooo Newman! Fox (6) and TBS (2).
4. O'Reilly Factor. Okay, Okay.. pipe down you liberals. I think O'Reilly, (although a rather pompous ass and someone who leans far to the right), does actually present both sides of the issues. I find it refreshing that he gives everyone a chance to give their side of the argument. That's more than I get from Chris Matthews or Jim Lehrer. Fox News (37).
5. Dirty Jobs. Mike Rowe does some of the dirtiest jobs in the world and shares them with you. Stinky, smelly and tiring these jobs are ones I'd never want to do... but I'm glad he is! Discovery (44).
6. The Simpson's. They're getting a little thin on material but still fun to watch. Everyone can relate to Bart and his brainy sister Lisa. Fox (6).
7. SportsCenter. What sports junkie hasn't watched sportscenter? I go their for highlights, scoreboards and love the way they keep me informed. ESPN (29).
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Six Big Issues
As I see it there are six major issues that our three remaining presidential candidates need to address:
1- US Economy. Is it my imagination or did the price of "everything" go up this past year? Can you attribute that to a few things... the high price of crude oil, the obscene profits by big oil and the increase in the US minimum wage. Lots of other things factor into our current recession but these items effect every American in the country. If you have to pay workers more and the cost of transportation is constantly going up- is there a reason to expect anything else. Hello inflation of the 1970s.
2- The Twin E's. Energy, and the Environment. So what's it going to be? How are we going to approach this problem? The Bush plan of vague promises for the future but make all the oil profits we can now is total bullshit. Where's a plan... I mean a real plan... for the not just the next five years but the next 500 years? The next president needs to step up and address this concern... and soon!
3- Global Warming. Does it really matter if all this pollution, waste, burning of fossil fuels etc is the source of the problem. The fact is the weather is shifting and the way it is shifting isn't good for us... you know the voters who have to live with it. We need to get the industries of our country to clean up their acts. Not because it's being legislated - but because it's the right thing to do. If they don't know what the right thing to do is... then we should f$#%ing tell them! The next President can't cozy up to big business and let them continue dumping toxic wastes into our ground and water and polluting the air we breathe. The President will need courage to stand up, look these greedy bastards in the face and say... "You know what? You've made billions of dollars ripping off the people and polluting the countryside. It's time to take ownership and clean up your mess...or else."
4- Jobs, fair trade and health care. We need to make it easier to sell our own products in our own country. It's not fair to everyday Americans that their paycheck comes from menial service industry jobs and our products get cheaply made by dollar an hour Chinese laborers. We need to have decent jobs so employers and workers can afford health care for themselves and their families.
5- The War. The next President needs to be able to solve the problems we have around the world that we hae created and exacerbated during the last four years. Not having a foreign policy has hurt economically, politically and in the stature we "used to have" around the world. We've burned any diplomatic bridges we've had in the past and a true statesman will be needed to let the world see the good in America again.
6- Should we get out of Iraq? I think we should let them fight their own battles. We've been there for over five years and those spineless Iraqi's have run away from taking any and all responsibilities for the state of their nation. They could really care less whether they have a democracy or not... so why the heck should we care? Thousands of Americans have died and for what? So their citizens can remain just as corrupt as the day we invaded? WMDs... where are they? Instead of kicking their asses like every invading country should... we are letting them bleed us dry until we leave with our tails between our legs.... beaten and broken. McCain is right... if you're going to fight then fight to win. If it means crushing their asses with overwhelming force then that is what you do. War is hell and if you're fighting a war you fight to achieve TOTAL VICTORY or you get what you have now in Iraq. It was the same stupid strategy Johnson used in Vietnam. Worthless, weak and ineffective.
Crush your opponents and they will fear you- coddle them like we have and they crap all over you. Rumsfeld is a total chickenshit for not pulling out all the stops and delivering a crippling and deadly blow to the enemy. His cowardice and short-sighted war fighting has earned him the the stained reputation for his cowardly, yet arrogant attitude. What a putz.
What message will that send to the world? The message will be that America is a pushover. Now we have Iran sitting with nuclear reactors/weapons? and salivating to get in and control the weak Iraqi's.
W....just another fine mess you've gotten us into!
Give them back their sheikdoms and dictatorship.
So our next President faces all these challenges and many more. You would have thought that a Republican President and Congress would have been able to accomplish something (hell anything would have been nice) together- instead it has only divided the country. The whole sorry mess that the past 20 years of Bush-Clinton-Bush makes me want to vomit.
... with all this we are left with a bunch of inexperienced candidates and empty (headed) promises.
Here's my rundown on the final three:
Obama.
Inexperienced Senator from Illinois. Talks a good game but doesn't have a track record to back him up. The dude has been hanging around the the wrong people in his past and as his preacher puts it... "the chickens have come home to roost." You're known by the company you keep Mr. Obama... and the company you have kept in the past is a little shady.
Clinton.
Egomanical Senator from New York. Holds office because of her husband and wants to get elected President on the same qualifications. Lies, cheats, steals, and can't be trusted. But you can almost forgive her since all politicians are that way... but she's so totally unlikeable... like fingernails on a chalkboard. We don't need a rerun of the drama that was the Clinton years.
McCain.
Honest, squeaky clean Senator from Arizona... whose own party members aren't sure about. He's been a maverick his whole life. Can he be trusted to do the right thing? A war hero, POW and patriot... with a mean streak in him a mile wide. Known for his temper and of course at 74 he's older than dirt. If he doesn't get his way will he throw a tantrum? Seems like the spoiled, bratty kid who never grew up.
Okay... now you can cast your vote... It's almost comical if it weren't so sad. I think we're in for another rough road ahead... after the November elections.
1- US Economy. Is it my imagination or did the price of "everything" go up this past year? Can you attribute that to a few things... the high price of crude oil, the obscene profits by big oil and the increase in the US minimum wage. Lots of other things factor into our current recession but these items effect every American in the country. If you have to pay workers more and the cost of transportation is constantly going up- is there a reason to expect anything else. Hello inflation of the 1970s.
2- The Twin E's. Energy, and the Environment. So what's it going to be? How are we going to approach this problem? The Bush plan of vague promises for the future but make all the oil profits we can now is total bullshit. Where's a plan... I mean a real plan... for the not just the next five years but the next 500 years? The next president needs to step up and address this concern... and soon!
3- Global Warming. Does it really matter if all this pollution, waste, burning of fossil fuels etc is the source of the problem. The fact is the weather is shifting and the way it is shifting isn't good for us... you know the voters who have to live with it. We need to get the industries of our country to clean up their acts. Not because it's being legislated - but because it's the right thing to do. If they don't know what the right thing to do is... then we should f$#%ing tell them! The next President can't cozy up to big business and let them continue dumping toxic wastes into our ground and water and polluting the air we breathe. The President will need courage to stand up, look these greedy bastards in the face and say... "You know what? You've made billions of dollars ripping off the people and polluting the countryside. It's time to take ownership and clean up your mess...or else."
4- Jobs, fair trade and health care. We need to make it easier to sell our own products in our own country. It's not fair to everyday Americans that their paycheck comes from menial service industry jobs and our products get cheaply made by dollar an hour Chinese laborers. We need to have decent jobs so employers and workers can afford health care for themselves and their families.
5- The War. The next President needs to be able to solve the problems we have around the world that we hae created and exacerbated during the last four years. Not having a foreign policy has hurt economically, politically and in the stature we "used to have" around the world. We've burned any diplomatic bridges we've had in the past and a true statesman will be needed to let the world see the good in America again.
6- Should we get out of Iraq? I think we should let them fight their own battles. We've been there for over five years and those spineless Iraqi's have run away from taking any and all responsibilities for the state of their nation. They could really care less whether they have a democracy or not... so why the heck should we care? Thousands of Americans have died and for what? So their citizens can remain just as corrupt as the day we invaded? WMDs... where are they? Instead of kicking their asses like every invading country should... we are letting them bleed us dry until we leave with our tails between our legs.... beaten and broken. McCain is right... if you're going to fight then fight to win. If it means crushing their asses with overwhelming force then that is what you do. War is hell and if you're fighting a war you fight to achieve TOTAL VICTORY or you get what you have now in Iraq. It was the same stupid strategy Johnson used in Vietnam. Worthless, weak and ineffective.
Crush your opponents and they will fear you- coddle them like we have and they crap all over you. Rumsfeld is a total chickenshit for not pulling out all the stops and delivering a crippling and deadly blow to the enemy. His cowardice and short-sighted war fighting has earned him the the stained reputation for his cowardly, yet arrogant attitude. What a putz.
What message will that send to the world? The message will be that America is a pushover. Now we have Iran sitting with nuclear reactors/weapons? and salivating to get in and control the weak Iraqi's.
W....just another fine mess you've gotten us into!
Give them back their sheikdoms and dictatorship.
So our next President faces all these challenges and many more. You would have thought that a Republican President and Congress would have been able to accomplish something (hell anything would have been nice) together- instead it has only divided the country. The whole sorry mess that the past 20 years of Bush-Clinton-Bush makes me want to vomit.
... with all this we are left with a bunch of inexperienced candidates and empty (headed) promises.
Here's my rundown on the final three:
Obama.
Inexperienced Senator from Illinois. Talks a good game but doesn't have a track record to back him up. The dude has been hanging around the the wrong people in his past and as his preacher puts it... "the chickens have come home to roost." You're known by the company you keep Mr. Obama... and the company you have kept in the past is a little shady.
Clinton.
Egomanical Senator from New York. Holds office because of her husband and wants to get elected President on the same qualifications. Lies, cheats, steals, and can't be trusted. But you can almost forgive her since all politicians are that way... but she's so totally unlikeable... like fingernails on a chalkboard. We don't need a rerun of the drama that was the Clinton years.
McCain.
Honest, squeaky clean Senator from Arizona... whose own party members aren't sure about. He's been a maverick his whole life. Can he be trusted to do the right thing? A war hero, POW and patriot... with a mean streak in him a mile wide. Known for his temper and of course at 74 he's older than dirt. If he doesn't get his way will he throw a tantrum? Seems like the spoiled, bratty kid who never grew up.
Okay... now you can cast your vote... It's almost comical if it weren't so sad. I think we're in for another rough road ahead... after the November elections.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
"The List"
My list of 101 things to accomplish in 1001 days:
Health
1 Lose 25 pounds (get to 180)
2 go on a one day fast
3 go on a three day fast
4 be a vegetarian for 30 days
5 avoid fast food for one month
6 run a 5 k road race
7 run a 10 k road race
8 eliminate potato chips for 60 days
9 no sweets for 25 days
10 floss my teeth for 21 days in a row
11 do the Coronado Bridge walk
12 buy a FIR sauna
13 work out at USMC gym 25 times
14 get a back massage
15 flexibility (stretch 7 minutes for 60 days)
16 get eight hours of sleep for a week
17 get a complete physical
18 do a juice only diet for ten days
19 go one month without soda
20 buy a bike and begin riding it
21 run every other day for two months
22 use Bow flex every day for 21 days
23 Be able to do 100 sit-ups at one time
Personal Growth
24 list 101 things that make me happy
25 learn to type w/o looking at my fingers
26 Do 250 mini-courses in the next year
27 take an adult ed/learning annex course
28 learn to speak Spanish
29 Do not curse for one day
30 Read a book-a-month for one year
31 learn to take better photos
32 learn to meditate
33 don't speak for one whole day
34 make two new friends
35 no TV watching for 3 straight days
36 learn to cook 7 new dishes
37 reconnect with 7 old friends
For My God
38 pray (min 5 min) everyday for 30 days
39 five acts of random kindness
40 attend church for 7 straight Sundays
41 go through the bible
Trips and Visits
42 list of 101 places to visit (50 locally)
43 visit Yosemite Park
44 go camping
45 go to spring training (Peoria/ Lakeland)
46 go on an Alaskan cruise
47 see a football game at the Q
48 Attend a political rally
49 go whale watching
50 visit Tijuana, Mexico
51 go to Disneyland
52 Drive up the coast on Highway 1 in #86
53 Go horseback riding
54 ride in a hot air balloon
55 go fishing on a boat in the ocean
56 attend a classical music concert
57 attend an opera
58 attend a play
59 go trout fishing
60 visit Michigan (see bro)
61 visit Italy
62 Visit Roswell, NM
63 watch a movie in the theater by myself
Things 2 Do
64 earn over $100,000 a year
65 fix or buy a new scanner
66 make a family cookbook (for the kids)
67 find a hobby
68 buy a new weed-eater
69 repair the banister
70 park both cars in garage
71 sell something on e-bay
72 finish landscaping side yard
73 finish landscaping backyard
74 decline plastic bags whenever possible
75 Renew Passport
76 boogie board 7 times in the summer
77 visit a hospital or retirement home
78 send a message in a bottle
79 watch the sun set over the ocean a dozen times
80 buy a new suit
81 wear all my everyday clothes in next 6 months
82 volunteer at a museum or zoo
83 work at a haunted house
84 Get involved in the SDCDS
85 get involved in the HOA
86 buy a used convertible (Z-3, Miata, etc)
87 make (or help make) wine from grapes
88 do a volunteer dental gig
89 Nana's Christmas village
90 form a fantasy football league
91 learn to finger whistle
92 shave my head?
93 look at Jupiter/ Saturn through a telescope
94 reduce our house water use
Writerly Stuff
95 re-write “Big Dam Adventure”
96 make a video
97 8 page family newsletter every other month
98 Read a classic peice of literature
99 finish one “flip books” project a month
100 get a rejection letter for my writing
101 finish my party book
Bonus
make a new 101 in 1001 list
Health
1 Lose 25 pounds (get to 180)
2 go on a one day fast
3 go on a three day fast
4 be a vegetarian for 30 days
5 avoid fast food for one month
6 run a 5 k road race
7 run a 10 k road race
8 eliminate potato chips for 60 days
9 no sweets for 25 days
10 floss my teeth for 21 days in a row
11 do the Coronado Bridge walk
12 buy a FIR sauna
13 work out at USMC gym 25 times
14 get a back massage
15 flexibility (stretch 7 minutes for 60 days)
16 get eight hours of sleep for a week
17 get a complete physical
18 do a juice only diet for ten days
19 go one month without soda
20 buy a bike and begin riding it
21 run every other day for two months
22 use Bow flex every day for 21 days
23 Be able to do 100 sit-ups at one time
Personal Growth
24 list 101 things that make me happy
25 learn to type w/o looking at my fingers
26 Do 250 mini-courses in the next year
27 take an adult ed/learning annex course
28 learn to speak Spanish
29 Do not curse for one day
30 Read a book-a-month for one year
31 learn to take better photos
32 learn to meditate
33 don't speak for one whole day
34 make two new friends
35 no TV watching for 3 straight days
36 learn to cook 7 new dishes
37 reconnect with 7 old friends
For My God
38 pray (min 5 min) everyday for 30 days
39 five acts of random kindness
40 attend church for 7 straight Sundays
41 go through the bible
Trips and Visits
42 list of 101 places to visit (50 locally)
43 visit Yosemite Park
44 go camping
45 go to spring training (Peoria/ Lakeland)
46 go on an Alaskan cruise
47 see a football game at the Q
48 Attend a political rally
49 go whale watching
50 visit Tijuana, Mexico
51 go to Disneyland
52 Drive up the coast on Highway 1 in #86
53 Go horseback riding
54 ride in a hot air balloon
55 go fishing on a boat in the ocean
56 attend a classical music concert
57 attend an opera
58 attend a play
59 go trout fishing
60 visit Michigan (see bro)
61 visit Italy
62 Visit Roswell, NM
63 watch a movie in the theater by myself
Things 2 Do
64 earn over $100,000 a year
65 fix or buy a new scanner
66 make a family cookbook (for the kids)
67 find a hobby
68 buy a new weed-eater
69 repair the banister
70 park both cars in garage
71 sell something on e-bay
72 finish landscaping side yard
73 finish landscaping backyard
74 decline plastic bags whenever possible
75 Renew Passport
76 boogie board 7 times in the summer
77 visit a hospital or retirement home
78 send a message in a bottle
79 watch the sun set over the ocean a dozen times
80 buy a new suit
81 wear all my everyday clothes in next 6 months
82 volunteer at a museum or zoo
83 work at a haunted house
84 Get involved in the SDCDS
85 get involved in the HOA
86 buy a used convertible (Z-3, Miata, etc)
87 make (or help make) wine from grapes
88 do a volunteer dental gig
89 Nana's Christmas village
90 form a fantasy football league
91 learn to finger whistle
92 shave my head?
93 look at Jupiter/ Saturn through a telescope
94 reduce our house water use
Writerly Stuff
95 re-write “Big Dam Adventure”
96 make a video
97 8 page family newsletter every other month
98 Read a classic peice of literature
99 finish one “flip books” project a month
100 get a rejection letter for my writing
101 finish my party book
Bonus
make a new 101 in 1001 list
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
101 in 1001
I saw this interesting goal-setting and achieving idea in a gather.com post almost a year ago-, thought about it- and promptly forgot about it. My daughter brought this idea back to the front of my mind last month. The idea is fairly simple. You select 101 goals (big, small, frivolous, serious, personal, global--- you decide) and make an attempt to accomplish them in 1001 days (that's 2.74 years).
I'm in the process of sifting through some ideas and compiling my 101. I've checked out some websites that have ideas and tracking tools. They are listed below:
http://www.triplux.com/dayzero/ (an overview)
http://community.livejournal.com/mission101/profile (gives you the rules)
http://www.happiness-project.com/
http://www.timeanddate.com/date/dateadd.html (calculates your end date)
http://www.wearewhatwedo.org/
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
So.... let the adventure begin... It starts at 12:01 a.m. on Thursday 5/1/2008 and end as the clock strikes midnight on Thursday 1/27/2011.
I'm in the process of sifting through some ideas and compiling my 101. I've checked out some websites that have ideas and tracking tools. They are listed below:
http://www.triplux.com/dayzero/ (an overview)
http://community.livejournal.com/mission101/profile (gives you the rules)
http://www.happiness-project.com/
http://www.timeanddate.com/date/dateadd.html (calculates your end date)
http://www.wearewhatwedo.org/
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
So.... let the adventure begin... It starts at 12:01 a.m. on Thursday 5/1/2008 and end as the clock strikes midnight on Thursday 1/27/2011.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Mount Soledad Cross
Aren't we a country founded on Judeo- Christian principles? I mean just how bad is having a war memorial with this cross on it? Is it really the separation of church and state that is at stake or is it something else? Or is it that people hate the idea of Christianity so much that it's worth tearing a fifty year old monument down.Background: The Mount Soledad cross sits on land controlled by the federal government. However, opponents say the presence of the cross there violates the state constitution. Supporters contend the cross is part of a larger war memorial and there is no constitutional violation. The Latin cross was dedicated on April 29, 1954 to honor Korean War veterans.
"The 20-ton, 43-foot-tall cross has been the center of an epic legal battle begun in 1989 that has
concerned one question: whether the presence of the cross on government property violates the religious establishment clause of the state constitution. ""For decades the cross stood on land owned by the city of San Diego, but in 1991 U.S. District Court Judge Gordon Thompson ruled it violated the state constitutional ban on government preference or aid for religion. The ruling came in a lawsuit filed by the late Philip Paulson, a Vietnam war veteran and atheist. The ruling survived several appeals and stood for more than a decade. "
"New plaintiffs were the Jewish War Veterans, a national veterans group, and San Diego resident Steve Trunk, who took the place of Paulson after he died. "
"The city is out of the case, and defense of the cross now falls to the federal government. At yesterday's hearing, the plaintiffs argued that the cross is a clear religious symbol and is not simply one element in a larger, secular war memorial to honor dead veterans, as cross supporters maintain."
History:
Three differently shaped Christian crosses have been constructed since 1913 on City government property at the apex of Mt. Soledad (Mt. Soledad Natural Park) in the community of La Jolla.
The original wooden cross on Mt. Soledad was erected in 1913 by private citizens living in La Jolla and Pacific Beach, but was stolen in 1923; later that year it was affixed back in the ground in Mt. Soledad Natural Park only to be burned down by the Ku Klux Klan.
The second cross was erected in 1934 by a private group of Protestant Christians from La Jolla and Pacific Beach. This sturdier, stucco-over-wood frame cross was blown down by blustery winds in 1952.
The third (current) cross, 29 feet (9 m) tall on top of a 14-foot (4 m)-tall stepped platform, was installed in 1954. It still stands today. A windstorm damaged one of the flimsily constructed cross members in 1955 and the concrete structure had to be repaired.
According to Wikipedia, the granite and marble memorial stones around the base have been added since 1989's lawsuit challenge.
According to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) , there are several possible ways to resolve the current situation:
+ The cross may be dismantled.
+ The cross may be sold to a third party and physically transferred off the public land. An Episcopal church, located within a few hundred feet from the present location of the cross, has agreed to place it on its property.
+ The government may hold an auction and sell the parcel of the land with the cross to the highest bidder. However, the government is not allowed to give any preference to those buyers who are interested in preserving the cross. An auction such as this was the subject of Proposition K in 2004, which failed 40% to 59%.
Defenders of the cross see all these options as unacceptable and are determined to find a way to leave the cross intact in its present location. (As a side note , San Diego citizens have voted overwhelmingly on several occasions keep the cross at it's current location- so much for the will of the people).
Imagine the outrage if Spain tried to tear down the cross that Franco erected at the Valley of the Fallen Memorial? It's the same thing in San Diego- but on a smaller scale.
Hmmm. This whole, sad battle has benefited no one but lawyers. I would guess that millions of dollars have already been spent on both sides- trying to prove their point. And it looks like millions more will go out to line the pockets of our litigators before this gets settled. Nearly twenty years of fighting to tear down a monument to United States soldiers killed in the Korean War.
When does the legalism stop? The next thing you know they'll be going through our national military cemetery's to rip up Christian crosses and replace them with square headstones. What will be next? Maybe it's time to take "Christmas" off the government calendar as a national holiday? Maybe having the government seize land that has a church on it through the process of "eminent domain" and then tearing it down because it's on state land?
Is it any wonder we stay divided as a country? With all the "real" problems that face Americans- we still fight over this.
Monday, April 14, 2008
Coming soon: NFL Draft... April 26 @ 1200 PDST
Mark your calendars... Whether you're a Charger fan or Lion fan or whatever. It is looking like Meeechigan's Jake Long( Offensive Tackle) could be the #1 pick of the Miami Dolphins. The Fins, by having the worst record in the NFL will draft first. The Detroit Lions pick #15 and the San Diego Chargers are selectingn at #27.
Saturday, April 5, 2008
Earth Day is Tuesday, April 22nd
Earth day was started in 1970 by Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson. It has attempted to put the care of our environment and natural resources into focus in America's political realm. Even today, 38 years later, we still struggle with getting our industrialists and politicians to see the need and benefit of keeping our environment clean.
If I were king for a day, I would:
1- Make electric cars mandatory by the year 2015. Good bye gas guzzlers and gas autos period.
2- Declare our energy independence from fossil fuels. We can develop an atomic bomb, put a man on the moon and win a cold war... certainly we can put together our "best and brightest" toward a common goal of sustainable, renewable energy. This would mean more (and better) solar and wind power. Also more geothermal, hydroelectric and even nuclear power.
3- Take all those who are unemployed and get them off their butts to pick up the trash, clean up the inner cities and restore our wilderness preserves. The govt is paying out welfare $$$ it's time the unemployed got a chance to earn it. Bring back FDRs CCC program.
4- Renew our infrastructure. Highways and bridges that are falling apart need to be repaired. Get with it!
5- Make recycling a high priority and make disposable items biodegradable. We need to get far away from plastics and Styrofoam containers and bring back glass and paper.
6- Make going green a good financial decision. Renewable energy should be a source of future jobs. Solar energy farms in the desert regions of the country and Wind farms in the great plains should become the norm.
7- Finding a way to purify our waters and keep them clean should become another high priority. I don't relish the thought of my tap water providing me with daily doses of Prozac or estrogen (you read the news you know what I mean). Desalination is expensive but maybe we need to look at that idea.
Editorial:
This baby boom generation has made a lifetime out of stripping the world of it's natural resources for profit and pleasure--- and using the ocean as it's toilet. They've exploited the world's riches and done nothing in return except pollute the world and grow rich while doing it. Now they're beginning to collect social security checks and will exploit that system and ride it until it goes bankrupt. They've taken no responsibility and won't. Essentially they had their cake and ate it too..... leaving the cleanup for the next generation.
Sadly I am the tail end of that generation. I'll get none of the benefits... but get to see the results of the baby boomers. The results are polluted water and air, overflowing landfills, toxic waste dumps and dwindling resources to name just a few. Rising global temperatures, droughts, floods, melting ice caps, acid rain, falling bee populations, animals becoming extinct, deforested regfinos turning to deserts, etc. I could go on but you get the picture. When a whole generation--- the "ME" generation--- arrives on scene and takes whatever it wants... if it feels good do it....
There was the "Greatest Generation" made famous by Tom Brokaw's book. They fought and won WW2. They were followed by the Baby Boomers (born 1945-1962) who will go down as the "Greediest Generation".
Friday, April 4, 2008
Heroes We Need
For those who may not know it, California isd facing a budget crisis. The Governator has made across the board cuts. It affects education. It affects roads. It affects hospitals. It affects pork barrel projects. But most of all it affects education. IT affects our future generations.
Click the link to see a well done video on how the cuts are affecting our kids, our schools and ultimately our future... all because our elected legislators in Sacramento spent foolishly over the past several years.
Link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BgNZaNSUpZg
Heroes We Need
Click the link to see a well done video on how the cuts are affecting our kids, our schools and ultimately our future... all because our elected legislators in Sacramento spent foolishly over the past several years.
Link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BgNZaNSUpZg
Heroes We Need
Wine Racking
It was wine racking time at the old homestead yesterday. For those who may not know what racking is then I'll explain. Racking is the process of draining the good wine off the top of the dead yeast cells (called lees). There is certain equipment needed to accomplish this.
First you need a syphon tube. Usually it's a rigid plastic rod attached to a coil of flexible plastic tubing. Creating a suction, you let the carboy of wine drain from one container to a cleaned and sterilized second container by gravity feed. When the first container is nearly drained you pull out the tube so that the "lees" aren't sucked into your clear wine.
Since you want to "top off" the new carboy to eliminate air space, you can add boiled sugar water, grape juice or wine to the container and then cap or seal the top with either a stopper or a air trap. An air trap by the way allows trapped air (usually CO2 from the fermentation) to escape but doesn't allow outside air to enter. It's important to cap this "bung hole" to keep your wine from becoming infected by stray yeast or bacteria which could spoil it before it's ready to drink.
All in all I racked ten gallons of wine (blackberry, blueberry, elderberry, pear and a mixed variety of all those. Funny think, I'm getting so good at siphoning that I didn't spill or taste any of the wine. I was hoping for a little taste to see how it was progressing. Oh well- maybe next time during the bottling process.
First you need a syphon tube. Usually it's a rigid plastic rod attached to a coil of flexible plastic tubing. Creating a suction, you let the carboy of wine drain from one container to a cleaned and sterilized second container by gravity feed. When the first container is nearly drained you pull out the tube so that the "lees" aren't sucked into your clear wine.
Since you want to "top off" the new carboy to eliminate air space, you can add boiled sugar water, grape juice or wine to the container and then cap or seal the top with either a stopper or a air trap. An air trap by the way allows trapped air (usually CO2 from the fermentation) to escape but doesn't allow outside air to enter. It's important to cap this "bung hole" to keep your wine from becoming infected by stray yeast or bacteria which could spoil it before it's ready to drink.
All in all I racked ten gallons of wine (blackberry, blueberry, elderberry, pear and a mixed variety of all those. Funny think, I'm getting so good at siphoning that I didn't spill or taste any of the wine. I was hoping for a little taste to see how it was progressing. Oh well- maybe next time during the bottling process.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
How does your garden grow?
Revising the landscape is this spring's project. I have taken a concerted effort to improve the livability of our backyard. Instead of waiting for the time when we can afford to renovate it properly (to the une of over $20k I might add) which might never come, I took charge. I decided to invest some sweat equity and some charigng at the local nursery and also Home Depot. Here's a few pictures of my results so far. (That's five bags of bark mulch spread out over a 24 x 2.5 area about 3 inches deep. Trust me when I tell you that stuff (dyed reddish orange) stains your hands- and anything else it touches).
Here's the upside down tomato farm. - -->>>Surprisingly this thing really works. We had the most tomatoes ever from it last summer. This year we have four tomato vines hanging below and two that will use a tomato cage on the top. Also there are six Serrano hot peppers planted in the top. I will attach a drip irrigator to the top this afternoon and that will keep the plants moist and watered until the growing season ends in July. Yes- it'll be hot again this summer and with less than normal rainfall again this winter (thanks to la nina) we might face some water rationing when the heat of the summer hits us full force in June- July- August- September) Let's pray it doesn't mean more wildfires!!!
<<<--- Last but not least is our grape vines. This vine was planted last year and has been pruned per UC- Davis specifications. It's doing great don't you think? We planted a pair of vines last year and then added six more this spring. Four red and four white grapes. They should become prolific after three summers in the ground. So until then it's just a matter of giving them water, food, support and pruning them correctly. It seems like I'm raising a child rather than a grape vine... doesn't it?Well enough of this. It's time to play with the irrigation and lay down a feeding of fertilizer before the forecast afternoon rain. They think this might be the last rainfall of any significant amount before the summer heat. Let's hope they're wrong!!
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