Questions

I have no real reason for writing this, but I have some questions. I'm sure we all have those questions that we want answers to but don't have and probably won't have. I have been thinking about this lately, and I ask them to you, my loyal readers to maybe share some insight.

1. Why don't people use their blinkers anymore? Seriously. I can't recall the number of times I have been cut off because people don't think they have to use their blinkers. They're there for a reason, USE THEM!

2. How many different coffee houses do we need in a 3 block radius? Everywhere I look there is new coffee house trying to outdo the competition, or there are multiple stores of the same branch less than 300 yards away. Do we need that much coffee in that short amount of time?

3. Why do people think Margaret Cho is funny? Really, is she that hysterical? I don't get it. Maybe, I'm not supposed to get her humor and that's why it isn't funny, but I listen to her or watch something she does or says and I ask myself, who keeps telling her to make jokes?

4. How many reality shows about cooking or surviving a competition to we need? Honestly, I hate reality shows, but I like, no love, I'll admit it, love Amazing Race. It's the only one that requires skill. The others, just are a popularity contest. My suggestion, less reality more scripts. Give me something to care about!

5. Why do all high school basketball warm up cds have to be all rap? OK, this one isn't a big question, but it's something that I have noticed being a high school coach, and have to listen to. If you were to come to one of my games, I make the cds, and I don't allow rap. I'm all about the 80s metal rock, or arena rock. Something with soul, something with heart, something that is tolerable. I just don't get it. The last few days I have heard the worst of the worse. At one point I wanted to cut off my own ear. That's bad.

6. Do all politicians just belittle their opponents rather than talk about what they can do? All I hear is why the opposition shouldn't be elected and how bad they are. No one talks about the real changes that need to be made or the ways to go about making the changes. It's all nonsense and garbage.

Those are some of my issues. I have more, but I don't want to bore you. Let me know what you think.

Until Next time
P

The Bodega

This one isn't for everyone. It may not be your cup of tea, but I ask that you read it all before you make your decision to stop reading my posts. This is a promotion for a friend. I have this platform at my disposal and this time I'm using to help out a friend.

It may not be your type of music, it may not be your scene, and it may not be something you're interested, but I think it's worth checking out. I have a friend, who has released his first hip hop album called the Bodega. His name is K Wylin, and I have become a believer.

I was raised on rock and to this day, it is where my heart pulls me. There's a lot of rappers out there that make me sick. They hurt my head with their insane lyrics, horrendous messages, degrading messages, violent images, and just plain irresponsible. Now, not all of them are like this, and I acknolwedge that, but there are those that the above accurately describes and it gives the genre a horrible name. It is the reason I stay away from it.

Then there's my friend. I can tolerate him. No, scratch that, I appreciate him. His works, talent, lyrics, message, and poise separate him from a list of wannabes and pretenders.

Last night, at his release party, my wife and I, who are not hip hop fans, sat and watched him perform and we heard several of the songs from his new album, and many times during the night, my wife and I would lean into each other and say, "I liked that." The songs were fun, both lyrically and musically. He's up front that his album is a message between him and God, and that every song was inspired by his faith in Jesus.

I admire his talent, his passion and his heart for people. A few of his songs he had released a few years ago, and to him, they were very arrogant and egotistical. He told the crowd last night that they came off as though it was about him, and how awesome he is. He took the time to rewrite the lyrics to illustrate clearly that the point he was making is that he is awesome, but only through the grace of God. I loved the originals, but love the newer ones too.

If you know him, one of the phrases or words you will hear him say repeatedly is, "I appreciate you," or "appreciate." It's not just a word or expression to him, it's what he feels, genuinely. Obviously he wants this to be his career choice, but his goal isn't to make a million dollars year, or sell ten thousand units a week. His goal is to have the opportunity to reach that one person that doesn't know Jesus and encourage him to see that his life has meaning and he can something more than he is.

His words are encouraging, he message is strong, and his personality is approachable. What more are you looking for?

That's one of the many reasons that he is different than other hip hop performers out there. He understands that he is not the focus, his songs aren't the focus, but rather it's his message that should be the focus. One of his songs, entitled, Giving Children Hope, is about the responsibility that we have in the society we live in to get kids off the streets and away from the gang lifestyle and to give them the hope that they can be more than murderers and thieves.

K Wylin understands that his job is not just to sell records and pursue a career in hip hop, but that he also has a responsibility to his faith and to the people that listen to him. He isn't positioning himself as a role model, but rather showing listener who they should look to as a role model, and that is Jesus Christ. He is modest, entertaining, humble, funny, talented, and more.

So, where you're a fan of hip hop or not, and I know there are many, if you're looking for something with positive messages and entertaining songs, look to K. Wylin. I'm not just promoting this because he's a friend of mine, but I believe in what he's doing and believe in what he's promoting.

Kwylin.com is his website
You can buy his album the Bodega on itunes.

Until next time
P

Memories.

Lately I have been taken on a journey through history. I have been acquainted with photos from the past about my family, specifically, my Dad. Through the wonder and beauty of Facebook, I have had the opportunity for my family members to post pictures from their upbringing that includes many photos of my dad when he was my age and younger, much younger.

Now, I have seen some pics previous to this immersion of photos, but I never really noticed how much I look like my father. When my dad was alive, I didn't really see how the two of us looked alike. I didn't. Even today, when I see him at the time he was alive and the years leading up to it, I didn't see how I resembled him at all.

However, looking back, I can see it. I can see my dad, and I can see how I looked just like him when he was a teenager.

My father has been dead almost 20 years. He past away Aug 19th, 1992. It took me a long long time to move on from his passing and smile when thinking about him. Near the end of his life, he and I did not have the best relationship and I was very angry at him. When I learned of his illness, I was forced to put aside my anger towards him and focus on spending as much time with him as possible. I have a lot of memories of my father, some good, some not so good.

I loved my father, and I know he loved me, but at the same time I felt that I was never good enough for him. That nothing I did was ever good enough for him. Bare in mind this is what I felt then, not now. He was a tough man, stubborn, and set in his ways. He was quick tempered, but never mean. I was just your typical teenager that didn't like to be told what he could or couldn't do by a man that wasn't always around.

I was 16 years old when he died, and I feel like I missed out on so many great things and opportunities finishing high school and college and entering adulthood. I miss my dad even to this day, but I don't resent him, nor do I feel anger towards him anymore. I am in a better place, and accept him for who he was and know that despite his faults, he was a good man who loved me and appreciated me.

My memories of my father extend beyond the last three months of his life where the sickness ate at his memories and body. I remember the man that taught me to shave, drive, gave me my first beer, and thensome. He was a good man, and I am thankful for the memories that I have of him.

Family, keep the pics of him coming. I want to get to know him all over again.

Until next time
P

Moments

This is my favorite time of the year. The time between Halloween and the New Year. There so many great moments to take in, you appreciate the fact that it covers a few months. I love the weather, the smell of the air, the fact that I can wear the leather jacket, the decorations both inside the house and out, and it's basketball season.

The season has officially begun and now we get to play games, practice everyday, and really grow as a team and individuals. This is the time of the year where you need to cherish the moments that are presented to you. Celebrate the times you have with friends and family. Celebrate the moments in your life.

Gosh that was horrible. I just read that and I see the sentimental nonsense that just came out of my mouth. Am I really just one big cliche after another? Well even if I am, it still doesn't change the sentiment.

I am all about the moments in my life. All about remembering things and experiences. I remember the good and the bad, but I remember the moments, because without those, what's the point? If life is all about work and bills and pain, why do we get up each day and go through it all over again? You what insane is? Doing the same thing over and over again knowing that the result will not be good but you do it anyway.

Take time to remember a moment, celebrate that moment, look for ways to make it last.

Who remembers the movie, Dead Poets Society? Robin Williams plays Charles Keating, a teacher of English in an all-boys school during the 1950s. The school prides itself on preparing the men to become successful lawyers, doctors, etc. Keating wants them to appreciate life. There's a scene early on where he is talking about why they study poetry and why it is important. He tells the boys that medicine, law, engineering, or basically jobs, are important and necessary to sustain life, but that beauty, poetry, romance, love, these are things that we live for. We live for the moments. We work to create opportunities to live the moments. To have time for the moments. But if you work all the times and never look for the moment, what are you doing this for?

I think we could all do with the advice of Mr. Keating.... live for the moment. Enjoy life. Seize the day, as he told his students... Carpe Diem.

Make your lives extraordinary! Gosh I love that.

Until next time
P

Official

There aren't a lot of things or places that irritate me, but when I get there, you know you did something to get me there. In our household, we are officially boycotting Home Depot.

It started a week ago when Karen made a phone call inquiring about the cost and size of blinds. A simple call that should have taken 5 minutes tops. 30 minutes later, we still didn't have the answer we were looking for, and the quote that kept coming her way was, "just a second, let me transfer you." NOBODY KNEW A GOSH DARN THING!

We finally got the answers we were looking for and could finally get on with our day.

Yesterday.

Karen goes in to Home Depot to acquire the items we wanted. She arrives, goes to the station and is told that the person who works there and she needs to talk to won't be getting there for another five minutes. No big deal, right? 30 minutes later, the person is still NOT there. Finally, after 45 minutes they show up for work, tell Karen she cannot get the blinds she wants when she knows that she can. The guy then reluctantly does what she asks even though he knows she's right.

Then, she goes to the front to cashier, where she is met with a helpful worker who wants to assist getting things to the scanner. She is appreciative, but tells him that the beam is supporting the blinds and to be careful, the man then recklessly grabs and moves the beam which leads to him dropping the beam, and breaking the clips that the blinds attach to.

He then BLAMES Karen for it saying it was her fault. WHAT?! How in the world is this her fault? She then asks to see a manager. A man comes up to her claiming to be a manager, and turns out he is NOT. The two get into an argument and Karen is called a liar, a problem, and other things. Then the REAL manager comes and takes over the issue. Karen then explains everything and is greeted with apology after apology. Behind the manager is a sign that reads, "We go bananas for customer service."

Are you kidding me? You call this Customer Service? This was appalling and disgusting and is we are making it official and boycotting Home Depot. These people suck! I am extremely disappointed in them and the way they treated us. Who knows how many others this has happened to.

Do not go there, do not give them your money. Not until they mean what they say and customer service is a priority to them. This is horrible, and made my wife angry, sad, and brought her to tears.

How dare you? How dare you act out the way you did. I'm done with you, and so is my household.

Until next time
P

Say what you mean

I have noticed a lot lately, whether it is in the movies, on TV, in real life, or in those horrendous campaign ads, that people never really say what they mean. It's almost like they are hiding their intentions or hiding what they truly feel. Why is it so hard to just say what you mean?

Tell me if this sounds familiar to you...

A guy. Likes a girl. Wants to be with this girl. Girl has no idea guy likes him. Guy refuses to tell girl how he feels. Girl dates a loser because guy won't just be honest and say what he feels.

I think that is the basis for almost every single teen drama of the 80s, 90s, and current, or any other romantic comedy. The formula needs to change. It's sending the wrong message to the men and women out there that telling someone how you feel should be like this long drawn out process.

I say, if you feel it, and the opportunity is there, say it. Do it. Stop being afraid to be real, to be honest, and if it happens, be happy. This is your chance to be happy, take it.

This is my challenge to you out there. Take a risk and today, well extend it to Friday, say what you mean, this week. Don't hide it, say it. Be honest. Don't be mean or cruel, but be honest. Say what's on your heart. If you're in love with a man or woman, say it. Let them know. Again, don't ruin an already existing relationship that is happy, but, if you have the opportunity, take it, seize it, live it.

Don't let your life be like a movie, where you're waiting, and waiting, and waiting, and hoping for some hollywood happy ending, just do it. Make your own ending. Live the life you always dreamed of now, there's no reason to wait.

Until next time
P

Toss Up

Sophomore Year... Good gosh, that was a horrible mullet.

Are you person that you envisioned yourself to be when you were in high school? Is your life what you hoped it would be? What were you in high school? Jock...Prom King... Nerd... Lost... Romantic... Dreamer... President... What did you want to be?

Lately, I've been reflecting on the life I have and how it is compared to who I was in high school. I wasn't the popular kid in school. I wasn't the most hated either, but it wasn't everything I had hoped it would be. Took me a few years to get used to it, and actually like it. I had friends, good ones. I wished I knew them better. It was my fault, not theirs. I didn't put myself out there enough to let them get to know me better or I them.

I have taught in a high school as a sub and as full time teacher, plus I coach in a high school. I wonder who had it harder, my generation or the current one. I guess you could also include other generations to that wondering. Did my parents have it harder than I did? Harder than the students I see today? I don't know, you'd have to compare the differences and similarities of the time.

I know that for me, making friends and being accepted was hard to do. I went to a public high school, and a good one at that. My problem was that I didn't know anyone going in. I came from a private school and so high school was my first time in the public school setting. I went from 10 classmates in my 8Th grade graduating class, to my first period Algebra I class of 42. It was quite the culture shock.

However, there wasn't the media outlet that kids have today. There wasn't a Facebook, Myspace, or the Internet that we know today. There are the same peer pressures and the need and desire for acceptance. But, are the kids better or worse today, than when I was in high school? I don't know, it's a toss up.

I know that today, the pressures of getting into college, a good one, drugs, social status, and things of that nature are important, but I also remember them being important in my time. I remember being a senior and worrying about the next phase of my life. I wondered where I was going to be, what I was going to do, who I was going to be.

I also remember how tough it is to be accepted. To break free from the labels that peers put on you and call you each and every single day that you are in high school. I was mocked, ridiculed, made fun of, daily. I was also received and appreciated. It was a very confusing time. I have seen it in today's school too. That notion that you can be cool to one group of students and a source of mockery to another. It's hard. Nothing about high school is easy no matter what era you are in.

I guess the bottom line I'm getting at is that you can't really compare who has it harder. Each generation has something it can say was hard for them. No one really has it any easier or harder than the other. I'm not saying people can't have hard time in high school, I'm just stating that you can't compare the generations. My experiences in high school may have been harder or easier than yours, but I can't compare the experience to someone I coach today or taught, it's not the same thing.

Oh, and by the way, I was the Nerd. I was the Lost. I was the Confused. I was the Jock. I wore many hats in high school. I was just looking to be accepted. I found it in many places, didn't have success in others. I don't regret my high school memories. I do wish that I didn't try so hard to make people like me. I found out, being myself, was good enough. The people I wanted as friends, I don't even talk to today. Not their fault, not even close. My fault. I never put myself out there enough to leave an impression. If I had to change something, it would be that. Lord knows how strong my relationships with people would be, if I learned early on, to stop trying so hard to get people to like me, and just be myself.

High school should a fun time to get to know others as well as yourself. There will be struggles, come on, it's high school, of course you'll struggle. But, in the end, after all the finals, classes, sporting events, class elections, plays, clubs, friends, enemies, frenemies, after all of it, I think you'll find that it was truly one of the best times of your life, and the time where your identity for the man or woman you are today, was formed.

Until next time
P
Laguna Hills High School: Class of 1995
GO HAWKS!

Good Grief

While I do love this time of the year, and this week, love the weather, there is something that I do hate... elections.

I love the idea of voting, changing things for the better, giving people a chance to be a leader, or to lead, enacting this little thing called democracy, all of it. What I can't stand are the adds and all the lame commercials that are airing on our local TV stations right now.

Every time I see it, I think of Charlie Brown. I think of him being the only person who knows what's right but is surrounded by people who just don't get it, and with that, I say, Good Grief! I know it's the popular thing to do, but when mudslinging become the sole method for campaigning? Isn't it better to promote yourself rather than put down the competition? Promote yourself. Tell me why I should give you my vote. Don't tell me why not to vote for the other guy. I want to know you, I want to know why I should care about your views and opinions.

Whitman and Brown have killed politics for me. I used to love watching the debates, getting involved, caring about the issues, but with these two, oh my gosh it's about everything but they issues. It's about who can say the most crap about the other first. It's about making their opponent look weak; but to me, they are the ones who look weak. They look petty.

This is what it sounds like to me.... "I don't have a solution to the problem of (INSERT ISSUE HERE) but if you elect my opponent, you will see a raise in taxes, a mismanagement of funds, and a weaker California." No where in that statement does it say anything about why I should give them my vote. They just don't want me to vote for the opponent.

Give me a reason. Give me something. Give me some hope and promise for the future. I want to look forward to election day, not wish it would just pass me by. I want to know your plan. I want to know you: what you stand for, why you stand for it, what you care for, why this is important to you, how you're going to balance the budget, put teachers in the classroom, make schools the palaces they should be, whatever. Tell my why my vote matters. Don't waste my time giving me the resume of someone else. I want to care. Give me something to care about.

I want to believe that American politicians can be about the issues and presenting the best version of themselves to the voters. I want to believe that people who run for office have the best interest of their constituents at heart. I can't say that about our governors or senators.

I don't want to say, Good grief anymore. I want to say, YAY! or something positive. Please, there are just two weeks left, give me something to believe in. No more negative adds, boost yourself, don't tear down your opponent, it makes you look weaker and your position with the voters is weakened.

Until next time
P

Do over

Wouldn't life be easier with a rewind button? What about a delete key? I would even take a do over key? I wear a size 11 shoe and I am amazed at how easily I can fit it into my mouth. I think even the best of us sometimes can make a mistake that we could have avoided easily, but did anyway, not really taking into consideration how it might effect others.

I am that person. No need to go into specifics, but let me just say that I need a do over. I need to rewind my life and stop myself before I knowingly did something I wish I could take back.

I am better than that, I think we all are. I think we all know what to do an not to do, we just lose focus for a moment and that's all it takes. A moment is all one needs to do something that requires a do over. In sports it's a missed shot, in business it's doing a report, in life, it's a missed opportunity.

Unfortunately we don't get a do over, we don't get to rewind. We only get to move forward. None of us can undue the past, rewrite history, or change what we've done, all we can do is move forward and repair the damage done. That's what I intend to do, move forward and make amends.

I encourage you, in whatever area of your life that needs a do over, try not to focus on undoing it, but rather focus on how you can make sure it doesn't happen again. I am not perfect, far from it. I try to be a good man, a good person. Not to brag, but 90% of the time, that's what I do. Then there's that other 10% where I act out of frustration, depression, anger, remorse, or general lack of satisfaction. Those are things I must deal with, not the fault or problem of anyone else.

I am here to make amends, make changes, move forward. Take it upon yourself to do the same. We're not perfect, we make mistakes, we're flawed. But, it doesn't excuse our actions. Don't let yourselves get caught up in your frustrations. Take the time to understand them before you ask if you can have a do over.

Be happy by doing the right thing, not the thing that will make you feel better but hurt someone else. None of that is necessary.

Trust me.

Until next time
P

Hole

The following is a story I heard on an episode of the TV series the West Wing. It is a piece of dialogue used to illustrate a point about why one of the characters wasn’t fired from his job, and why he was forced into seeking help from a psychologist about a trauma he is suffering from. Neither one of the characters in the scene is the psychologist; the younger one is the man going through post traumatic stress disorder. Every time I see it or hear it, I get emotional. I love it, and live it out. I hope you do too.

A guys’ walking down the street and falls into a hole. The walls are so steep he can’t get out. A doctor walks by and the guy in the hole shouts, “I’m stuck can you help me?” The doctor writes out a prescription throws it down the hole and moves on. Then, a priest walks by and the man shouts, “Father, I’m stuck can you help me?” The priest writes out a prayer, throws it down the hole and moves on. Then a friend walks by and the man in hole shouts, “Hey Joe, it’s me, I’m stuck down here, can you help me out?” The friend then jumps in the hole. Our guy says, “Are you stupid, now we’re both stuck down here!” The friend says, “Yeah, but I’ve been down here before and I know the way out.”

I love this little story. I love the meaning, the implications, the lessons, and the sacrifice. What do we know? A man falls in a hole, two men who could help, help, but not in the way the man in the hole needs. He’s looking for a way out of the hole, and the Doctor and priest think they need to put their skills to use and do what they do best, write prescriptions and say prayers. Sure, they mean well, but it’s not what the man is asking for. He wants to get out, and these men don’t offer that kind of help. We don’t know if they know the man, but it would seem that they don’t, because of their lack of insight into what the man is asking for and the fact that the third man to walk by is introduced as a friend.

He’s someone that knows our guy stuck in the hole. He refers to him by name and the author introduces him to us as friend unlike the previous two who are given titles of career not relationship to the man.

The friend who jumps in the hole is offering something to the man that the other two would not, a hand. By jumping in the hole with our guy he is saying that his well being is more important to him that his own. He is willing to sacrifice himself so that his friend can get out. We also know that this man, the friend, has been in this hole before, this situation, and he knows the best way to get out. His way of helping is to put himself in the same situation as his friend and use his experience to help him out of his problem.

So, what’s the meaning?

It takes a friend, a true friend, someone who knows you, to help you through the rough spots in your life. Asking for help from a stranger may not yield that result you’re looking for. They may help you, but not in the way you’re hoping for. The friend, knows what he’s going through, knows how best to help him and is willing to put his friend in trouble ahead of himself. A doctor and a priest, while capable of pulling the man out, or going to get help, don’t do it. They think that he is asking for professional help, not personal help. The friend understands what he needs and gives it to him. However, rather than pulling him out of the hole with a rope or arm, or something else, he jumps in and SHOWS him how to get out himself. He leads him to the way out. The hole could be a metaphor for anything. We know he’s in trouble, but it could be any kind of trouble. It could be financial, physical, marital, mental, work related, or whatever. The friend who jumped in was familiar with the trouble having been in it before and knew the best way to overcome it. He knew the way out.

It’s hard to ask for help, and it’s hard to know what exactly you need to do to give help. Sure you can physically help someone out of a tough place, or you can show them how to help themselves. What is important is that you, the friend, are willing to put your friend ahead of yourself.

Be helpful, but also, listen to what your friend is asking you to do. Be attentive and be willing to sacrifice if necessary. That is the true measure of a friend. It’s the way I try to be, and it’s the way I hope you will be. You may have been there before and know the way out. Don’t be afraid to show it. Your friends are counting on it.

Until next time
P

Favorite

The smell of the air, the feel of the night, the aroma of the day, the look of the decorations, the sounds from the house, the spookiness of the night, the endless possibilities. Halloween is my favorite time of the year.

I have loved Halloween since I was a kid, but in my older years, the season means so much more to me. It is my favorite non-religious and patriotic day of the year. There are so many great things about it, I don't care how old I get this holiday time will always be my favorite.

There is something about the Fall season and particularly October that I just love. Normally I don't really notice the air, the feel of the air, or the look of the season, but there is something about October that stands out. Might be the leaves on the ground or the fact that we are going on Daylight savings time, but I just love this time of the year.

Near my moms house, there is a house the loves Halloween more than I do, going all out for the decorations, the smoke machines, the music, all of it. I love it. I love walking the streets watching the houses get into the night and be proud of their homes and their decorations.

I love the idea that this is the night when getting dressed up and pretending to be someone else is all right, no matter what your age is. I just wish it was still alright to go trick-or-treating when you are past the age of 11. That's when my parents said it wasn't appropriate. This is the night when you get to be someone else and live someone else's life. You get to be whomever you want to be and you get forget for just one night, what the real world has to offer.

You get to forget about the bills, the job, the mortgage, the car bill, all of it. You get to reinvent yourself, for one night. I think that's cool. I think it ok, that no matter how old you get, there's that one night where you get to be a kid at heart all over again. You get to go to parties and live it up. I wish this night happened more than once a year. Yes, I love Halloween, I love it all.

From the great TV specials and shows where the characters get dressed up to the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown, TV lets you know that Halloween is still appreciated. I love the spookiness of the night, the ghosts and goblins, the ghouls, and any other g-word that goes along with the night.

Yes, I even loved the first Halloween movie. The rest of them, all nine of them, are horrible. Should have just left it with the original and nothing else. Gosh the rest of the were just plain trash. You just can't beat the original scare movie.

I want people to appreciate this time of the year more and embrace it. This is supposed to be fun. This is supposed to be a wonderful time for kids and adults. Embrace the time of the year, go outside and smell the air, feel the sun on your face and look at the scenery. Tell me this isn't the best time of the year. Go ahead, tell me.

Until next time
P

Parenthood.

It's refreshing to have a show that is not centered around cops, a courtroom, or the ER. Finally, we have something that many of us can relate to. NBC hasn't really had a lot to brag about as far as dramas over the years. Not since they canned Studio 60 has there been a show the family can gather around and appreciate. Parenthood on Tuesday night is that one.

I have been a huge fan of Peter Krause since he first appeared as Casey McCall on Sports Night. He has finally landed another great show since that one was cancelled. He stars as Adam Braverman, the oldest of four kids now all grown with families of their own. He has a family of his own, a wife, a teenage daughter, and a young son with a form of Autism called Azbergers syndrome. He works for a shoe company in marketing and advertising, and has his struggles, yet it would appear that every single member of his family comes to him at some if not multiple points in the episode to complain about something or get advice about something else.

It seems that there is no time for him to catch a moment to himself or to enjoy his life. You really feel for him and hope that things turn around for him. Many times I have found myself wondering if this is the episode that things turn around for him. It's time for someone to be there for Adam.

Also returning to television is Lauren Graham, best known as Lorelei Gilmore on the hit show the Gilmore Girls. She is Sarah Braverman, single mother to two children this time around, a teenage boy and girl. She struggles finding a job and keeping it, as well as being a good mother to her kids who miss their father and wish things in their lives weren't so cruddy all the time. Sarah is hard working and loves her family. She also is someone we can relate to, a parent trying everything she can to make her family happy. She is selfless and giving and her scenes are filled with tears and laughter.

Surprisingly the scene stealer of the show as far as I'm concerned is Dax Sheppard as Crosby Braverman. He is a music producer, lives on a houseboat, and just recently discovered that he is a father to a 6 year old son named Jabbar. He never knew he existed until the mother, a fling from long ago, returned in the pilot episode to inform Crosby that he is a father. Crosby is fun guy who doesn't run towards responsibility but when he learned he was a father, he is changing his ways and watching him learn what to do and not to do as a new father is fun and memorable. I was worried that I wouldn't like him, but he has turned out to be the most likable person on the show.

What I love about this show is the dedication to family that is at the heart of the show. Each week no matter what goes wrong, no matter what fights they find themselves in, no matter what struggles they go through, nothing beats your family. Blood is blood and the bond that unites is the strongest bond in the world. You want to be a Braverman, and you want to feel the love that they feel for each other. I love that. I love the feeling that nothing beats family.

It's encouraging that somewhere out there, TV executives wanted to make a show that didn't revolve around the big three, court, cop, doctor. They saw how shows like 7th Heaven, Brothers and Sisters, Gilmore Girls, and others could still find a heart with viewers. They have done it with this show. I encourage you to give it a try, I really think you will like it.

Until Next Time
P

What's the message?

For those of you that have tuned in to the new show, The Defenders on CBS, you have seen something fresh, new, and pretty entertaining. However, I think something is wrong with the message being sent.

This is not a spoiler alert. In it's first two shows, the lawyers, Jim Belushi and Jerry O'Connell, play Vegas Defense attorneys who for all intents and purposes have morals, and have their clients best interests at heart. They are fair, and want to see justice served. However, in the two shows that have aired thus far, their clients are guilty of killing of someone. They are guilty or what they are being charged for, but, they did not intend to kill someone.

One was out of self defense gone wrong, and the other was simply not paying attention. Belushi does a great job of selling the facts that the deaths while tragic, were accidental and not out of malice or ignorance. He sells the client as remorsful, which they are, and he sells the crime as an event that never should have happened, but at the same time is not really a crime at all but really just an accident.

I like the show, but I'm confused, what's the message? Are they saying that it's ok to kill someone so long as it was not your intent to kill them? That you shouldn't go to jail for that? Self defense or not, the truth is people are dead, and your client is the cause for it. Someone should pay the price for that.

I hope to see a case for the Defenders where their clients are not guilty of what they are being charged with and the team is working to get them off, not prevent guilty people from serving jail time.

Watch the show, and see for yourself. Maybe I'm being a little too sensitive with this, but I just feel that the message should be something more positive, even in Vegas. Do the crime, do the time. Intent or not.

Until next time
P

And the third choice is?

I am getting so sick and tired of the negative ad campaigns for governor. Neither one will tell you why we should vote for them, but have no problem telling the voters why we shouldn't for the other. Stop with the negative ad-buys already. No one is buying it. No one cares! My question is who is the third choice? I don't think we're going to be in safe hands with either candidate. Whitman doesn't appear to know what she's doing, and Jerry Brown just can't be trusted. I thought California was supposed to be this land of great minds and brilliant solutions, when did it become a circus?

Every time I turn on the TV, there is an ad from one of these saying how badly the other person would do as governor. I can't honestly say that these two people will get my vote. I am not prepared to let one of these two people run my state. I can say my state, because I have lived here all my life. Like so many other Californians, we are proud of our state, we love our state. We have it all. Is it any wonder why we are the most populated state in the Union?

We have mountains, rivers, beaches, Disneyland, Sea World, Universal Studios, Los Angeles, Orange County, Hollywood, San Diego, and idiots who want to be taken seriously as leader. Come one there has to be a leader among us. There has to be someone who can make something of the mess the bureaucrats have made of our fair state.

Do I have to do everything around here? :) I am taking this opportunity to announce my candidacy for office of Governor of California. I am asking my friends and readers to write my name on the ballots in November. This has to stop. The insanity must come to an end.

This is what I stand for: stronger police force, money going into our schools not going out, raising school standards to give students a chance to succeed in this world, restructuring of our DMV so that people don't stand outside for hours on end. Increasing aid on the border, and raising taxes on incomes over a million dollars so that we can pay for this. I will also encourage our courts to be much harsher on celebrities who break the law. No more tolerance. No more favors. No more probations. Do the crime, you do the time.

Think about it. I won't let you down.

Until next time
P

America's Team?

I can understand it if you are a fan, but the term should carry more weight than it does. I would think that there are other teams out there that would find this term insulting. Oh, and have you seen them lately? Certainly this moniker should go to someone that can actually play and win. Sorry, that remark was mean, and I'm pretty sure someone is going to hurt me for that one. My apologies. But I'm not wrong, I really do think we need to revisit this one soon.

I'm referring to this idea that the Dallas Cowboys should get the term, America's Team. I know where it came from, I've seen the video. I understand why it was said, they had the most TV coverage at the time it was released. They had the most recognizable players in the NFL at the time. Certainly the 1990s would help that nickname hold up. I also understand that no other team in the NFL has more haters and lovers than does the Cowboys. And they are not just found in Texas, but everywhere in the country. I get it. I just don't agree with it.

Now this isn't about me putting over my favorite team in the hopes that they will be viewed with such lofty admiration. I'm not that petty, and wouldn't waste peoples time with it. I simply don't think that this title of importance, this amazing honor should fall to this team anymore. I don't think of the Cowboys when I think of football. I don't. That's what this term should mean, the team you associate with America or the team you would talk about to a foreigner who is new to America and wants to know about American Football. So who is that team? Right now, in this era of football, who is that team that you would talk about fondly and say, this is who you need to watch? I think it's up to the individual. I think it depends on who you're talking to. Some will say, New England, others... Indianapolis, others, Green Bay, what about the Raiders? Certainly all of these teams can lay claim to that moniker as well. It's all in the eyes of the beholder which is where I land the plane on this one.

This term, America's Team is something that should be up to the individual to decide, not some panel of experts that think because someone said in the 1970s that it should hold true today. I don't think so. It's my opinion and I'm entitled to it. I don't want to take away from their great history, don't want to take anything away from the most amazing stadium I've ever seen, don't want to upset the millions of fans that love their Cowboys; but I just don't agree with the term. I don't. I think that it should be a term that people on their own feel for their favorite team. I don't want to go somewhere in the world have people ask me where I'm from, and then like some comedic moment from some 1980s movie about a guy getting lost in a country that he doesn't know has someone come up to him and during the conversation the local learns where he's from and declares the Dallas Cowboys, America's Team. That was a mouthful. Sorry about that.

I just want to put this to a vote. I think we need to revisit this term and honestly take a look at the era we are in and honestly, very honestly, think about this. Are they still deserving of this term, and if not, who is?

Please don't hate me... I didn't intend to hurt feelings, or destroy your illusions that your Cowboys are infallible. I speak my mind, and this was something I wanted to speak about.

Until next time
P

Make it a good one

Next Friday, I think, will mark the end of an era.... it will be the beginning of the end. It will be the 10th start of something that has proven to be amazing and super all the same. I am speaking of the season premier of the final season of Smallville.

For those of you not privy to this amazingness... Smallville was the telling of Superman before he became Superman. It is the tale of young Clark Kent learning who he is, where he came from and trying to build his super powers. Over the course of nine seasons he has learned to shoot fire from his eyes, see through things that aren't encased in lead, run at extremely fast speeds, use his amazing lung capacity to knock down steel walls, and he one time, learned to fly.

It has become, at least to me, one of the great shows that has aired on tv this decade. The stories are fun, exciting, and very well told both thematically and visually. Just watch the season premier of season 5 where his fortress of solitude is built. STUNNING.

What is also fun to watch is number of cameos from people who were in the motion pictures or past TV shows that were about Superman. This was highlighted in the season two episode entitled ROSETTA, where Clark learns of his Kryptonian roots courtesy of Mr. Christopher Reeve. It was amazing. It was one of the episode from any show that made you proud and made you just a little weepy. Several others have made appearances on the show with the exception of Gene Hackman. What is he waiting for?

I have loved watching the show and hated it at the same time. As a Superman fanatic like myself, you have been waiting and waiting for him to put on the cape and become Superman. The series has done a great job of hiding that fact from him while telling the fans that they know what he will become even if Clark does not. You get mad at him for not embracing his destiny and for thinking that his father, Jor-el, has evil intentions for him.

Tom Welling has done a magnificent job in my mind of taking the humanity of Superman and Clark Kent and making it something we can all aspire to have. He has more screen time as the man of steel than any other actor combined to ever play the role. He has the chiseled looks, the hair, the smile, and the sensitivity of the role to make a wonderful Superman.

When the creators were putting the show together they has two rules, No flight, No tights. They were determined not to show the audience Superman, but rather Clark Kent. They wanted us to discover along with him who he was and what he will do despite the fact that we know he will become the best of the best... SUPERMAN. It has been frustrating and captivating at the same time. You keep coming back in the hopes that this season will become the season that Clark Kent embraces his destiny and understands what his future will hold.

I am looking forward to this last season. I am hopeful that it will go out on a high note. It has become part of my life. Much the way, that MASH, Brady Bunch, and Dallas were part of my mothers life, this is part of mine.

It is time that Clark Kent become Superman. The fans deserve to see the suit, the cape, and the shield. We deserve to see him take flight. We have devoted nine seasons to watching him grow and whine and grow some more, we need the payoff. I am excited, yet sad. This show has made Superman cooler, like that was possible, and has reached a new generation who didn't get to see Reeve prove to us that a man could fly.

To the producers I ask this of you... Make it a good one. Make this the season by which all other are measured. Make this the season that you will be remembered for. It is time. Who knows, maybe this will be the kick in the butt people need to make a second movie. I need more Superman... Superman Returns was a great start, you just need to follow it up.

Until next time
P

Infamy

I still remember where I was nine years ago. I still remember waking up and turning on the news and seeing flight 175 crash into the South Tower. I sat back and watched as the world changed. As a historian, I have seen President Roosevelt's speech to congress after the attack on Pearl Harbor and his declaration as "December 7th, 1941 as a date which will live in Infamy"... so too will September 11th, 2001.

Here we are, nine years later and things are better and worse. America is not naive anymore and the world has become a stronger place because of it. Well, I guess that last statement depends on your point of view and your opinion. I for one feel that as a result of our losing naivete that we have paved the way to making our planet stronger.

We remember this day for the horror that was unleashed, we remember the sadness that came without warning, and we remember the destruction that was brought forth. However, we also remember the courage of fire and police officers who ran into burning buildings to save strangers. We remember a plane full of passengers that fought back and prevented their plane from reaching its target and destroying another federal building. We remember the heroism of the many and we remember the sacrifice of the men and women since that day that have died to keep our country safe.

It is indeed a date that will live in infamy. The world changed forever that day. There is no going back to the way things were before 9/11/01. We must move forward and we must not look back and wonder where our lives would be if this did not happen.

My heart goes out to the ones who are without family today because of this moment in human history that we wish we could erase. My prayers are with them and it is my hope that they can find peace in this lifetime. I am proud of our men and women in uniform whether they are soldiers, airmen, marines, police, firefighter, whatever; thank you for your service to this nation. Thank you for your dedication to defeating terror. Thank you for your commitment to this country and to its citizenry. We owe you so much more than that, but I am truly thankful.

On this day, we have so much to reflect upon and we see where the city of New York in the aftermath. There is the construction of a new tower, the Freedom Tower, there is hope in the form of a city united again, and there is concern with the talks of building a mosque so close to the site of destruction and chaos. I've already said my peace on this matter, you can read it yourself. This isn't about that. It is my hope and prayer that cooler heads will prevail and that intelligence will win out in the end over pride and ego.

We remember the sacrifice. We remember the brave. We remember the lost. Please, take a moment and have a moment of silence today to honor our brave so that they are not forgotten.

Until next time
P

It's Over.

Today, American military presence in Iraq has come to an end. Obama said in a nationwide address from the Oval Office that the American involvement in Iraq has run its course and is over, militarily speaking.

This is a day to rejoice. It's a day that we have long been hoping for in America. No one wants to be involved in a war and no one wants to be involved in a war for eight years. We all knew that there would come a day when this was coming to an end and the nation of Iraq would have to fend for itself. This is a good thing. It really is.

My concern is that when we pull out, someone will be right there to pick up the pieces and resume right where they left off, conducting and supporting terrorism. The worst thing that could happen is that we pulled out too soon. How soon is too soon though? Isn't 8 years long enough to remove a dictator, build a government, and take down a regime, and take down violence.

I also, hate the fact that this happened under the watch of Obama. He is going to say that he did this all by himself, say that he ended the war in Iraq and was responsible for bringing our troops home. Great. I am glad they are returning. They have done a remarkable job and deserve to come home and be reunited with their families and loved ones. Of course I want that. I just hope that we aren't leaving before the job is finished.

The worst thing that could happen is that we pull the troops and a month from now, the government is taken over by extremists and then we have to go back in and stabilize the region again. I'm glad it's over. I'm hopeful for the future, and glad that we can focus on ourselves again. It's selfish to think about yourself, but have you seen our nation lately? We have serious problems and we need serious people to solve them.

I just don't see a serious man in Obama. I don't. I don't care for him, he didn't win my vote, and he won't get my vote in 2012. I don't like him, and I don't trust him. He's two-faced, shifty and won't give you serious answer that doesn't make himself sound like a man who doesn't want to lose his job. Rather than be a politician, he should be a leader. He should be someone that his people look up to, not one where its citizens count the days til someone else assumes power.

I'm glad it's over, but there's that fear that it's too early. Is the world ready for a free Iraq to determine its own fate? I think so. I think we are all going to be pleasantly happy and surprised. Job well done, men and women, you honored your nation, your families, and yourselves. Be proud, we are.

Mr. Obama, don't gloat, it's unbecoming.... Be a leader... Honor the men and women who made the tough choices before you, and the men and women who gave their lives for freedom.

Until next time
P

Really? There's no other place?

I am fairly tolerant person. I don't hate people. I don't think that just because you believe in something different than I do that you shouldn't be allowed to believe in it, but this is just wrong. I just can't believe that there's no where else to build this.

If you're like me, and you've been watching the news lately, you've seen this story about a muslim mosque that people want to build near Ground Zero in New York. Now, this isn't a tirade about Islam, I don't want this message to be misconstrued that I am attacking Muslims... I am not... I just find it hard to believe that there is no other place to build this mosque than to put it just a stones throw away from The Trade Center.

Really? There's no other place? I find that hard to believe. It's almost as if someone out there just wants to create a story and create tension. You want to build a mosque, who the heck am I to stop you. Religious freedom is a protected right in this country. What I find a little insulting is that this seems to be the only place in New York where a mosque could be built.

I didn't lose a loved one in 9/11, but I can't possible imagine that this is going over well with the ones that did. I don't lump all Muslims with terrorism. I don't think that every Muslim is part of a jihad intent on ruining America. I don't believe all Muslims are evil. I do however think that this is in poor taste and is just asking for violence to be done to it when you talk about building a place that has this kind of stigma attached to it.

People are not all like minded... they see someone that belongs to a certain ethnicity or religious code, they think you all are the same person. This isn't right, it's not fair. I am not saying you shouldn't build a place where you go to worship how you see fit, I just think that this is such a touchy subject with people, it's just asking for trouble.

It's been almost ten years, and to me this feels like we are trying to rehash something that has taken us a long time to get over. And we are nowhere close to getting over this, I'm just saying, things have improved, and I would like to see them stay that way. I would love to live in a world where intolerance is a thing of the past and that this is going to have no problems attached to it, but I live in reality and in this reality people aren't going to see the positive of an Islamic Mosque so close to where a group of people claiming to be following religion perpetrated the grossest moment in American history.

I just don't believe that this is the only place where you can build this place of worship and devotion. It's not going to go well. And we, Americans are going to be made to look ignorant and foolish and destroy all the good work we have done since 9/11 to rebuild and move forward. Just please, think about this. Think about what it's going to do to the people who live there, who will worship there, and the city that is still finding normalcy.

Intolerance is an ugly vice that must be squashed, I just don't believe we are ready to squash it yet.

Until next time
P

Better with Company

Who do you spend time with? Is spending time with people the light of your day? do you find yourself happier being with the people in your life that challenge you?

I was watching one of the best movies I've ever seen today, Up in the Air, starring George Clooney. For those of you who have never seen this movie, not to worry, I'm not going to spoil it for you, but I wanted to relay the message that struck home with me.

George plays Ryan Bingham, a man who works for a company that is hired by other companies to go in and fire their employees. He lives for the travel, trying to accomplish an almost unthinkable number... 10 million miles. His home, a one bedroom apartment with very little furniture and very little that says a lot about him, the man. The movie follows his travels from one place to another, with his new partner, played by Anna Kendrick, from Twilight. She is full of life, promise, and challenges him to think about his own life and how empty it is.

One of the things that is shown throughout the movie is him giving motivational talks about the things in your life that bring you down, and how having attachments is nothing more than a heavy backpack keeping you from living your life. he doesn't want anyone, doesn't need anyone, and believes this is the way everyone should live their life.

At one point in the movie, his little sister is getting married and the groom gets cold feet on the day of the wedding. It is left to Ryan to try and convince the groom that he needs to get over it and get married. This is not what Ryan does. He goes in and tries very hard to sound assuring but it comes off as fake and he knows it. Then, it starts to make sense to him and he says a line that to me is the heart of the movie..."Life's better with company."

How true is that statement? Aren't we all better when we're around the ones that make us better people? Aren't we better when the walls around us aren't the only things around us? We are who we spend our time with whether it is our family, co-workers, friends or acquaintances.

I know that when I am with my wife, I smile a whole lot more than I do when she is not around. I know that when I am alone, I don't feel like I'm my whole self. Life is better with company. Who needs to be isolated and alone? Who needs to shut themselves off from the world? Aren't you better when people are around? The reason we are better is because life seems better. The things that make us sad don't really seem to matter anymore do they? You're not thinking about the job you don't have, the car you don't own, the house you don't live in, the vacation you didn't get to go on, or the marriage you don't have.. yet.

Life is better with company and you know what, company doesn't have to mean a set number of people. It could be one, two, three of whatever number that makes you feel good about yourself.

Without something inspire you, what is the point?

I know what my wife means to me, my friends, my family... I know how they all lift me up during my down times... but I also know how my faith in God lifts me too. Life is better with company. No matter how you find it, no matter how many people it takes, find the company that makes life better and never let go of it.

Until next time
P

From the Heart

I am sitting in a hotel room as I write this. My wife has begun training for her new job and while she is in training, she is being put up in a hotel for the next two months. I wanted to spend as much time with her as possible while she began her training so for this week, I have come with her. So, here I am, in this hotel while she is stuck in a classroom learning.

What am I to do? Well this hotel is pretty great... free breakfast in the morning, and not just the typical continental breakfast, a full cooked to order breakfast... very nice. A restaurant, pool, gym, you name it. It is very hot outside so, I have resigned myself to at least on this day, staying in the hotel and staying cool.

My wife is such a tecky geek, she has wired both of our computers to hook up to the tv in our room and use them as dvd players. That is the one thing I wish this place had. However, we make the most of what we have... wow did that sound as cheesy as I think it did?

So I am watching some tv shows on dvd and laying back to enjoy some time in this free room with free AC... hahaha. As I'm watching, I'm noticing something. Sometimes, there comes a moment in either a really good movie or an amazing tv show that draws you in and speaks from the heart. Whether it is a really good peice of dialogue, an emotionally charged scene that can or cannot contain words, or a song.

That is what I've been noticing lately as I've been watching these dvds. A couple of nights ago, my wife and I were watching a show on dvd where one of the female leads was losing her mom to cancer. Now, I've seen this episode a few times, so I know what's going to happen and when it's going to happen, but it never fails... the scene appears, the music is playing, and the next thing you know, I'm wiping a tear from my cheek. I don't know why, don't know how, but I get moved by things like this. I don't care how it makes me look to others, I get emotionally connected.

A few months ago, one of the greatest tv series of all time ended... I am referring to LOST. A bunch of us got together to watch this series end, and by the time the finale was over, there I was, emotional and crying. I had gotten to a point where I cared what happened to these people and cared about what unfolded in their lives. There was my wife, to be there, making fun of me. I love her. She makes fun of the fact that I get as she would put it "too involved" and that I need to remember it's just a show, and that what happened didn't really happen.

Duh! I know all this, I just like to get lost no pun intended in these shows. Sometimes, I think we need to get lost in the the unrealistic, the pretend, and make believe. We all need to suspend disbelief even if for just an hour and let others speak to your heart. Emotions are a good thing... there meant to be felt... to be displayed. Take time to feel something, in the moment, that is where you will find your heart and it is there that you will find that your love is truly displayed. I'll be honest, if I didn't find myself involved in these shows or movies, I might not have had the courage or the words to tell my wife that I loved her... Sure I felt it, I knew it, and I believed it, but having never been really good at speaking from the heart; seeing others do it, made me feel like I could do it too.

You never what you're capable of unless you allow yourself to believe that your heart is stronger than you give it credit for. Feel something now, find it somewhere, live it out now.

Nuff said... for now

Until next time
P

It's just not right

Some things in life just aren't fair.... they just aren't fair. I have been a serious golfer for about 16 years. I have trained, practiced, played, and taken lessons. I have worked very hard to improve my game. There's that one thing that eluded me this whole time, a hole in one. I've come close... oh, I've come close... inches, but I just can't seem to feel that emotion of knowing that with one swing of the club you were able to achieve greatness on the course. Sure, I've holed out from 170 yards on a par 4, I've made birdie, I've saved par, I've chipped in from the rough and the bunker, but no, no hole in one for me.

I'm getting to my point, I just wanted to set up my anger for the years of practice I've had and still have no hole in one.

Yesterday, August 18th, 2010. I was playing at San Juan Hills in San Juan Capistrano with a friend. We were playing behind a group of four. On the back nine, hole number 14. One of the members of this foursome, who had only been playing for a few months was on the tee. The hole, par 3, 117 yards away. The club in his hand, a 7 iron. We are on an elevated tee, hitting down onto the green. There is a lake to the left, and the hill to the right. He hits a shot that is barely off the ground, sailing harder than it should be towards a hill side bunker where someone has left the rake sitting on the hill. The ball hits the rake on the fly, hard. It then travels back toward the green where it hits the flag stick and drops in the hole. A HOLE IN ONE! Are you kidding me? This is just not right. The luckiest miss hit I've ever seen. And I've had some lucky miss hits.

The man rejoiced and his own playing partners celebrated his accomplishment but at the same time couldn't understand how or why this man was able to get such a lucky shot. I simply stood in shock and awe.

You'd think my story ends there, but NO, there's more.

The 18th hole, 145 yard par 3. The same man who just four hole earlier had been the recipient of his first hole in one shot, stood on the tee again, this time, with a 6 iron. He takes his swing and the ball gets maybe, maybe, a foot off the ground. It is hit hard and makes it way towards the green where it rolls up, makes the turn, heads towards the hole and drops in for his SECOND HOLE IN ONE OF THE DAY! I mean are you freaking kidding me? Are you seriously telling me that this man who has one of the worst swings I've ever seen, get two hole in one shots in one day? How is this fair? How is this just?

This is just not right! I am upset. I am hurt. But at the same time, I am determined. I am ready to play. I am ready to take my game back onto the course and try to get that thing... that feeling.. that one amazing shot. I will have my hole in one before I die... I will.

This may seem trivial to a lot of you, and I agree it is. But, I love the game, and when you play, this is what you're trying to do all the time, so yeah, I want it. I want it bad. It's my time. It's my turn.

Until Next Time
P

It's Ok.

Who said that everyone has to think the same way? Who says that we all must have the same thoughts about the same things and view things in the same way? News flash, we have brains, we have personalities, and we have opinions. It's OK to think differently than the other guy. It's OK to have an opinion.

I've been noticing a lot lately that when I have conversations with people, or when I see people post something on their FACEBOOK that they believe in, it sometimes gets met with mockery, or the phrase, "I disagree with you." Sometimes it is followed up with some rational thinking behind the disagreement, other times it is followed up by put downs and insults just because the way they think isn't the same as the herd.

Look at the title of my blog, the thoughts and OPINIONS of Preston. I am entitled to think the things I want, and say the things I want to say. You don't have to agree with me. You don't even have to like the things I say. Point is, this is what I feel and I am sticking to it.

It's hard today to go against the current. There are so many things out there that people are speaking out against like the economy, our leaders, our votes, crime, war, social injustice, you name it.

I saw a news report last week just after Prop 8 was overturned. On the show were two ladies who were showing their support for the overturn and proclaiming a victory. I have no problem with that. They are entitled to express their opinion. What gets me is that when they interviewed a lawyer who was taking up the Prop 8 side in the appeal and he stated why he was taking on the case and that it wasn't right that one judge could overturn a majority vote, the women attacked him for thinking the way he did and called him intolerant. He was making it clear that he wasn't attacking the issue of the bill, but the fact that it was easily overturned by one person. The women didn't want to see his side, didn't care. They simply wanted to tell him that he was wrong and he should be ashamed of himself for thinking the way he did. To me, these ladies were the ones being intolerant. They didn't want to hear what he had to say, because it didn't go along with that they believe. So be it. Move on!

I'll be honest... I voted yes on prop 8. I am a Christian and I don't condone or agree with this lifestyle choice. And I'm done preaching. I don't think though that marriage is something that should be decided by the courts or government. There are many thing that government should and should not be in the business of and marriage is one of them. Now, I know, my opinion on this matter doesn't meet with everyone else on the planet, and I am perfectly OK with that. It's not a big deal to me that everyone agree with me.

Having the ability to think for ourselves is a great gift. It's a great freedom to be able to have a thought and argue it rationally with those who disagree with you. What irks me is when the argument becomes a bigger deal than the issue. So I disagree with you, is the world coming to an end because of it? I doubt it. You may not agree with your own political party. Fine. Say what you think. You may not agree that a movie is worth seeing (avatar), don't see it. Don't cave in to the pressures of the world just because you don't agree. It's OK to have your own opinions. It's OK to have a thought different than the world.

Here's what's not OK.... attacking people for their way of thinking. Ridiculing others because they think differently. Forming an opinion without getting all the facts first... That is where we dig our graves. Sometimes we form a decision without knowing the circumstance, the situation, or have all the details. Before you form an opinion, get the facts straight... that will make your argument stand up should and when you get attacked for it.

You may not agree with me, fine... I accept that... you don't like it, try to convince me otherwise. I will tell you this though... you will never ever ever ever get me to admit that the man sitting in the white house is and was the best man for the job and should get my vote... My opinion on this is so.... Worst President Ever. And that includes Ulysses Grant, Gerald Ford, Chester A. Arthur, and William H. Taft, who was pretty bad.

That is my opinion and I am sticking to it.

Until next time
P

"It's Been a Long Year"

Who among us hasn't made a mistake in our lives we wish we could take back? Who among us hasn't done something that still haunts us to this day? I think it's fair to say that we are all guilty. We are all flawed. The only difference between us and others might be our status; where we rank in society. Now, before I go on, I want to make it clear that I do not support, admire, or respect his life's choices. I don't particularly care for the way he treated his wife and family, and I don't think he's going to forgive himself anytime soon, but as for the rest of us, could we please get off Tiger Woods' back?

Tiger screwed up, yes he did. He is going to have to live with that for the rest of his life. What I am tired of is hearing about how he has retreated into becoming one of the worst players on the tour right now. Yes, he had a terrible week at Bridgestone last weekend. But come on, certainly there has to be something else to talk about! His private life is in shambles and here we are trashing the one thing he has left... his game. If I were on tour, I would be pretty mad that no one is talking about how well I'm doing. It's all about Tiger and his problems.

If you saw his interview after last weekends tourney, you heard him answer a question with the statement, "It's been a long year." How true is that for him? It has indeed been a long year. From the media spitting all over him, his friends abandoning him, (which some of which was his fault) to his high profile divorce. (Which is also his fault).

I think we, the media, the fans, the so-called experts of the game and life in general, need to relax and realize it's not going to be the same Tiger out there each week until he learns to forgive himself and have fun again. He has his demons he must wrestle with, he has his own insecurities to get over; so it might not be out of line for the rest of us to cut him just a little slack.

He messed up, yes he did, but who are we to judge him? Who are we to criticize him? Let the man have his private life and repair his heart, his professional life will be corrected after the first is taken care of.

I respect the man's game. Always have. He will bounce back. But, like he said, it's been a long year for him and his game isn't his top priority. And it shouldn't be! How could anyone be expected to be the most dominant player in the world when you have this hanging over your head. Yes, he caused all of this, he created all of this, his wife is not to blame. All of it, and I mean all of it, falls on Tiger and Tiger alone. But let the man fix it himself, I'm quite certain that he doesn't need all the "professional" and "personal" advice from people who don't know him.

Let's leave him alone and let him fix himself. I'm really quite certain that there are more important things to talk about. Our economy does still suck, oil was leaking in the gulf, we have a lazy president, california votes no longer mean anything, and people are out of work. Plus, if you're a golfer, Tiger isn't the only one out there... let's focus on the positive people and so much on the negative. It's been a long year, and this is only making it longer.

Until Next Time
P

Boy Meets World

Today I was reminded that the world doesn't have to be so serious all the time. Sometimes there are some good things that come from the world we live in. I was at home watching TV and a show I haven't seen in a long time came on.... Boy Meets World.

For those of you who remember TGIF on ABC.... it was part of the Friday night line-up that included such shows as Perfect Strangers, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Full House, and the very short lived made for television version of the movie, Look who's Talking.

Boy Meets World followed the lives of three young kids going through the struggles of elementary, jr high, high school, and later on, College. Corey Matthews played by Ben Savage, little brother of Fred Savage, was the star of the show. He was goofy, funny, hopelessly in love with maybe the most interesting girl on TV in some time that had the coolest name that TV had in some time... Topanga Lawrence. In the beginning of the show, she was this little hippy girl that was in touch with the universe that had hair longer that most freeways. Together, we watched them grow up, fall in love, get married, and have a life together.

Other than watching these two and their friend, Shawn Hunter, you tuned in to watch the best teacher ever. I wanted this man as a teacher, and it was from watching him, that I decided to mold my teaching style after... Mr. George Feeny. Played wonderfully by actor William Daniels. Daniels also known for being the voice of KITT on Knight Rider, was the teacher everyone wanted. He was caring and loving, always there when you needed him and taught the kids more than school facts, he taught them about life. He was there teacher from elementary school all the way up to and including college.

This show was so fun and so innocent, this is how the world is when you're young and you want to believe everything will be all right. Sometimes, even when you're old and the world has been spitting on you, this show helps you understand that there are times when things aren't always so bad.

Boy Meets World was the highlight of my Friday Night... you went to bed knowing that things were good. You've had a tough week at school, but there was Boy Meets World to end the week, start the weekend, and you felt good. You felt reinvigorated though you didn't know what that word meant or that this is what you were feeling.

Thank you for making this show so good. Thank you for making it so relevant, and thanks for making my Friday night so fun. Now, I get to see these guys all the time. Fun times all over again.

Until Next Time
P

What about what's Morally Right?

This week has seen the best and worst of Americans brought out. From the American voice silenced by the few, to... you know what, I can't think of anything that was good this week that Americans can really be proud of. I want to, I just can't. This may be my most controversial piece yet, but it has to be said.

I am tired of being politically correct. I am sick and tired of the term "PC" being used to avoid the issue. I am tired of pretending that things don't bother me, that people don't bother me. I am tired of hiding behind a term that has lost its importance on me. Forget being PC how about being morally right? How about doing things that you know to be right but may not be the popular thing to do?

When did the majority become less important than the minority? When did it become OK in America to reject what the masses want in favor of sticking up for someone that shouldn't have had a voice to begin with... illegals?

America is in shambles people! A terrible economy that is laying off people every day, a housing market that is costing people money all the time, and the latest, a political system that is robbing the voters of it's voice. We have been the morals police for the world since 1776 when we adopted a little document called the Declaration of Independence. Now, we have stopped doing what is moral and are doing what will get us reelected or money in our pockets. Or worse yet, our name in the paper and our 15 minutes of fame.

Morality has become a lost art. It has become the thing that we don't talk about anymore for the fear that we might offend someone. You know what, offending people is going to happen when you live in a free society. You're not going to please 100% of the people 100% of the time. People are going to get offended, and yet here we are hiding behind this stupid thing called politically correct.

We need politicians who will fix the problems that this country has not add to them. Lately, everything we hear coming from our elected or appointed leaders has been in admonition of something that the states or the people want. Do your job people! Listen to voices of the people that put you in office. Stop lining your wallet with money from people you know you shouldn't listen to and start being morally right.

Living in a free country means sometimes people are going to get offended. The sooner we start understanding that concept the quicker things will turn around. You what happens to a free society where the voice of the people is ignored? It's no longer a free society... it's becomes when it looks like it, smells like it, tastes like, you call it what it is... FASCISM.

The mighty and powerful get more mighty and more powerful while the little people get ignored and pushed to the side. Let's stop hiding from the truth, and stop being NICE.... be morally right.... then you can be nice.

It's time to make our once great nation great again. Leader of America, judges, politicians, governors, and yes even you, Mr. Obama, stop ignoring the people you govern over. Stop being a politician for two minutes and be a leader. I think you will see a difference in the way you act, and are perceived.

Until next time
P

What's the Point?

Today, the American voice was silenced. A judge in San Francisco overturned the results of Prop 8 which was voted on last year to make marriage between same sexes illegal.

This is not about the bill itself. I voted one way, I have my opinions, my objection is not about the bill but rather is about how the will of the people is being ignored.

What's the point of voting for something, if it can be overturned because someone doesn't like the outcome? What's the point when one person who has his or her own personal or political agenda at stake can take something that over 50 percent of its citizens wanted can be taken away.

My outrage is directed toward the action taken, not at the bill. Again, I am not attacking gay rights here, I am attacking the system. This is why the world hates us. This is why there is dissension among us. This is why people can't get along. It's because the voice of the people is no longer important.

This is the second time this has happened and towards this very bill. It amazes me but at the same time doesn't surprise me that this got reversed again. Why was this even put to the people of California if some judge can say it's unconstitutional and overturn it? What was the point of making this a major issue if it could just be turned around by one person?

This is simply going to begin a trend of one mans agenda against the will of the voters. Now, every law that gets voted on and passed but is met with opposition will be fought over and one person with an egotistical agenda can take away the American voice and make his voice more powerful than that of the citizenry.

I am appalled at our court system and our political machine that is simply ignoring the will of the people. It started with our President and congress ignoring our desire to not have health care forced on us, to taking something we voted on and wanted and take it away.

If this was what was going to happen then why did we vote? What was the point of having a voice if it could be silenced by one person? There aren't many days when I am ashamed to be an American, but today is one of them.

Shame on you. Shame on us.

Until next time
P

37th

We can argue all we want about his legacy of failure, lies, and deception. He resigned his office in disgrace, he left his party in the lurch, and his pardon was suspect as well. What people tend to forget is the good that he did while in office. I am referring to President Richard Nixon, the 37th President of the United States.

Yes, Watergate and his resignation are the things we remember the most. We see the crime and the cover up, we see how the Republican Party was viewed as the CIA of the political system, spying on others, secretly bombing Cambodia and Laos, and we saw a man hide behind the labels, Executive Privilege, and National Security. There was so much more that we don't recognize. We don't always see the good when the bad was so much more memorable.

He did so much more than Watergate. He was responsible for changing the voting age nationwide to 18. He wanted to see more and more of our youth take an active part in the world and knew that making them wait to 21 when the world could change. Knowing that the Vietnam War was such a big issue concerning American, and American youth, he wanted to give them their voice.

Staying with the Vietnam War, he also ended the draft making it illegal for the U.S. to draft men and women into military service. His view was the military strength was good enough and that conscription or the draft was no longer necessary. He helped make it a worth while choice for men and women to enter the military by providing them with greater pay and greater benefits. The Gates Commission has helped make our military the strongest in the world by training the best and brightest and most capable, rather than taking men off the street and throwing them into battle for no reason.

He created the EPA, Environmental Protection Agency to help make our planet better by encouraging recycling our natural resources and protecting the air by passing the Clean Air Act. He is responsible for our Nuclear Powers Plants cleaning pollution and not making it unlivable around these places.

He took politics to a new level and is responsible for creating the modern day Republican party where issues are the focal point and not the person delivering the issue. In the past, it was more about the man and then it was the issue. The American voice was wrapped up in the presentation making the face more important than the office he was running for. Nixon turned that around making the issue more important than the person running for office.

However, it seems rather ironic that he took this stand when he was digging up dirt on Democrats and changing people impressions of them so that Republicans came out looking better.

Nixon was also responsible for opening China to trade with the west. China, a communist nation, was not recognized by America as a nation that it wanted to do business with. Nixon knew that in order for growth to take place, economically on a global scale, things needed to change, the world needed to change. He began negotiations with China during the Vietnam War that resulted in a free and open exchange of ideas with China that also resulted in a trade agreement between the two nations.

Say what you will about the man, and there's a lot to say that is negative. History books tend to look upon the negative aspects of his presidency. I don't think that this is good. We need to see the whole picture. We need to see the man for the good he did, not just the bad. Here, I have presented just a small scale version of what he did that was good for America. I encourage you to look up the rest.

Maybe, just maybe, the man who is currently President has some good in him as well, I just don't see it... yet. I will keep looking, but I will be honest, I am not holding my breath.

Until next time
P

One Nation

I am not a very politically minded person. I don't base my decisions upon what my party believes. I go on my gut and align myself with those areas that I firmly believe will be the better outcome for myself, my family, and the country. I am a republican, have been all my life. Was there one defining moment that made me this way? Not really, more of a series of events persuaded me to believe what I do and think the way I think.

I don't hate the democratic party. I don't by into the whole stigma that if you're a democrat you don't believe in God. I don't think that all democrats are evil and that their way of thinking is evil. Truth be told, my wife is a democrat. It really hasn't effected our marriage because of this fact. In fact, I do share some of the ideas and values that the democratic party favors such as gun control, role of the federal government, and foreign policy. Where we disagree is abortion, marriage, and states rights.

There are things about the republican platform I believe and others that make me sick. I am not an elitist. I don't believe I am better than anyone who thinks differently than I do. That does appear to be the present thoughts of the GOP. I don't think that Democrats are the way of the devil. I don't agree with them on a lot of issues, but I don't believe that they would run us into the ground. I do share the Republican views on marriage and abortion, that marriage is a respected institution that must be upheld, and I don't believe that abortion should be something that you can just do. In fact, I am against it all together.

What ticks me off the most about the world of politics is how many in politics think the rest of us are stupid. Explain it to me, I'll catch on, so will the rest of us. Stop trying to sound like you're out for our best interests, and actually be out for our best interests. I'm talking to you: members of congress and the man that is called our president. I think the biggest reason I am not a democrat is because of Barack Obama. He has single-handedly taken what the framers of this great nation had in mind for the presidency and turned it into his own personal totalitarian regime. Remember people, this is my opinion. You are all perfectly within your right to support him and like him, just as I am perfectly within my right to disapprove and go against everything he stands for.

I have never seen a more ego-centric man sit in the white house leading this nation like him. He clearly has no connection to the pulse of America and doesn't care what the will of the people is. He says he hears it, but then goes against it altogether, as was the case of his wonderfully designed and appreciated health care ultimatum, er I mean bill.

The Republicans didn't do much better the last time out with McCain and Palin. I wasn't wild about either of them being the leaders of our country either. He didn't seem to have a grasp on the pulse of America either and she didn't seem to a grasp on reality.

I am waiting for this great nation to be one nation again, where politics isn't a curse word and people who are elected to high office treat that office with respect and dignity. I would love for Americans to feel that their leaders hear them and act according to their wishes and desires.

It seems to me, and maybe it's just me, but I hope it's not, that the political parties are simply choosing what they seem to be the lesser of two evils. That mediocrity and average will be enough for the hard working people of America. I want my country back. I want my leaders to stand up and do their job. Remember what is law and enforce it, not tear down and go against what one state does because it won't. Support your states! Great work Arizona, you have my support and I don't live there.

Remember, all of this is my opinion, it is not intended to raise arguments or to anger people. I did attack both parties and lift both parties. I am just tired of this trend where we have come to expect less and less from each other and our leaders and I for one would like to see that trend come to an end. Give me one nation that favors the will of its citizens over that of the desires of the law breakers and maybe I'll sing a different tune.

This is your opportunity Mr. Obama to do something great for the country, not your ego. A lesson I learned from President Nixon, "Greatness comes not when things are good, but greatness comes when you've taken some knocks, some defeats, some disappointments, when sadness comes, because only when you've been in the deepest valley can you ever know, how magnificent it is, to be on the highest mountain."

Until next time
P

I don't want to.

Ok, so this won't be a very popular post from me but I don't care. This is how I feel and I won't change my mind. I haven't seen nor will I see, Avatar. I have no reason other than I don't want to. It didn't look that good to me. I wasn't blown away by the previews and I didn't feel that it was worth my time.

I have no judgments for those who have seen it love it or own it. I simply do not share in your opinion and I don't want to see it.

I write this not to gain favor or support for my decision, but I am also getting tired of explaining myself. I don't want to, and that is the only reason I need for not seeing it.

Enjoy the movie, have a blast. I for one will not be one of them. There are movies I have seen that I am sure you won't see. I accept your decision. Please accept mine.

I don't see myself changing my mind anytime soon and that is going to have to be good enough for all of you. I love you, I thank you for your constant attack on my ability to make decisions for myself, but on this, I must stand firm. I will not see this movie, because I do not want to.

Nuff Said.

Until next time
P

Happiest Indeed

I sit here, knowing that in a little over a week, my Disneyland pass will need to be renewed. I am happy to renew my pass. Very happy. Having lived in the O.C. for pretty much all of my life, Disneyland has become something of a routine for me. It would be like people in New York City no longer being able to see the Statue of Liberty in the harbor. That is what having Disneyland in my life has meant to me. I don't know what I would do without it. I really don't.

There are so many things that appeal to me about this place it would take three posts to accurately describe my feelings. So I will give my top five things that I love about going there and taking part in being at the happiest place on earth.

Before I get to what I love, I will discuss what I don't love that way I end on a positive note. There are only three things I don't like: Price of food. Come on, let's be a little fair about this. The Parking lot.... ugh, getting in an out is somewhat a nightmare, but where is that a not a problem? And lastly, how crowded Indiana Jones can get. Come on, the ride isn't that good.

Now, onto what I love.
1. The Haunted Mansion. I tell you no matter how many times I have been on it, and I have been on it many times in my lifetime, it never gets old or loses it's appeal. I love standing in line for that ride, especially at night. The lights, the music, all of it make the ride worth waiting for. I am not a fan of the Nightmare before Christmas, in fact, it is the only movie that I have ever walked out of, but when it is the theme for the ride, I enjoy it. I like it. The ride as a whole, may be my favorite and I enjoy every second that I am there.

2. Space Mountain. Who doesn't love the thrill of this ride? In the dark, fast speeds, hard turns, unsuspecting drops, this may be the best roller coaster I have ever been on. Thank the Good Lord for fast pass because it allows you go and do other things and then come back so that you only have to endure about fifteen minutes worth of waiting. Life is pretty good when you come off this ride and you truly do wish that you could do it all over again.

3. The natural ambiance. This is just a pleasant place to be. It's clean, the people there are usually friendly and the workers there make the day fun and worth it. Every ride has something unique to offer whether you're in line at Star Tours, The Tower of Terror, or Soaring over California learning about the history of aviation, you always have a good time while you are waiting to go on a ride. Even if you're not in line and you're walking between lands or going up main street, there's a good chance you will see a character posing for pictures or you will see something else that simply dazzles you.

4. Toy Story Mania. Any ride where you get to be involved is a good one. I love Buzz Lightyear and look forward to that every time, but Toy Story Mania is something different. I don't know how to describe it, but even though you know you're shooting at a screen, you feel as though you're really in the setting for which the game is taking place. The wind effects or sprays give the ride that something special so that when you're off it, you feel like that was a time well spent, and like so many others, you can't wait to do it again.

5. Pirates of the Caribbean. This ride or attraction has some of the best animatronics or robotic effects that I have ever seen, and it's an old ride, so this technology has really lived up to its hype and has delivered. The ride is smooth, fun, and even though you get annoyed with the song after the fifth loop, you still enjoy the experience. You feel part of the new movie experience they have done to the ride adding Jack Sparrow, Barbosa, and Davey Jones. Going through the town after the battle at sea, you really see the attention to detail the ride creators were going for.

That happiest place indeed. There are so many wonderful things about this place, that for those out there who have yet to feel what I have described, your time is coming. Savor it. Live it up. Make a memory.

I did. I proposed to my wife there. Right in front of the castle. It's a magical place and no matter what your age is, when you walk through that turn style and you enter the magic kingdom, you will feel like you've entered the place you were always meant to live in... once you're there, happiness will feel like an eternity. Don't believe me? See for yourself.

Until next time
P

Enough Already

When will someone make the perfect phone already? I am getting just a little tired of all the adds from the different companies talking about how they are the ones with the best coverage, least dropped calls, 3G, 4G, enough already.

I miss the days when you just made a phone call on your phone and that was it. You didn't need anything else. Then someone came up with text messaging, which I admit is a rather cool feature, no complaints here, however I do have an issue that I will come back to later; but when your phone is capable to repositioning a global satellite, (which none can, it's a tirade about technology) it's time to just come up with one phone and let that be the end of it.

Every year, there is this huge ad campaign to inform the consumers that the newest and most powerful Iphone is now out and people line up for days to be the first to get it. Why? I don't understand it. It's a phone. Now, my wife has an Iphone. Did she wait a long long long long time for it in line? No. She went in one day, and it took about 10 minutes.

I still don't understand the allure to it. I don't get why these things are so amazingly powerful to the consumer that they must go out and have it. Bare in mind, there is nothing currently wrong with their phone, they just must have the newest version of the phone they already own. Be happy with the things you own, not unhappy with what you don't.

I said I would come back to text messaging and my one complaint about it.... while you can state you cannot illustrate. I don't mean drawing a picture literally, I mean that you cannot paint a picture of your meaning. All you see are the words and people are using the least amount possible, so you lose the intention and the meaning. You can't hear inflection so one might think you're either being rude, or being mean, or some other thing that hurts you. If you have something to say to someone, and it needs more than what your text capabilities can do, make the call. Have the conversation. I have been both a victim and an accomplice in this area. It sucks. I don't like it, and so if I have something to say, I say verbally. That way you know what I mean, and how I mean it. I say this laughing because here I am basically texting my feelings via the world wide web.

Make one phone that the world can use so that we stop spending money we don't have on things we don't need. Also, you have something important to say, say it, don't text it. Enough already with the vast new things we don't need and the quickness with which we try to say things but lose out on intention.

That will about do it for todays, tirade.
Thanks for listening

Until next time
P