My Treasure

What a weekend! I have been blessed beyond words with the most precious looking and beautiful little girl. I have a daughter! Are you kidding me? I've heard it said as a line someone uses to hit on girls, and I've heard it this way as well, and that's how I mean it, but God was showing off when he made her. How on earth does he take a man like me, an amazing woman like my wife and the three of us create this treasure. That's what she is, my treasure. She my heart.

I have learned something this weekend too. To all my friends and family and relatives who have been blessed with motherhood, I salute you. It is not easy, but the gift is so rewarding. I have no idea how much pain you endure during, and how much it hurts after, but after seeing my wife be brave through her pain, and loving on her daughter while hurting, I am deeply amazed and impressed by women. You have more than my respect you have my appreciation for what you willingly choose to do.

To my daughter, Jordan Makayla, I say this:

I love you so much. I am honored and blessed by you. And even at only a day old, you made me smile, you made me laugh, and you impressed me with your smile, and perkiness. I know that I will make mistakes. I won't always say the right thing. I won't always do the right thing. However, I will love you with all my heart and protect you as you are my treasure, and heart. It is my hope and prayer for you that you live life to the fullest, that you love life with all you have, and that you never take anything or moment for granted. This is the best day of my life so far, and yours has just begun. I look forward to the moments that we get to share the memories we get to make together, as a family. May God bless your life, abundantly and much more than I could ever imagine.

Until next time
P

Spooky

So, it's that time of the year again. Halloween time is upon us, and the joys and fun of spookiest time of the year are just around the corner. I love it. People make way too big of a deal about the negatives of Halloween. It's only that way if you don't teach your kids to stay away from the negatives. This is a great time where kids can be kids and adults can relive their childhood memories.

I am looking forward to teaching my child about this day, about the coolness of this day and being responsible about appreciating the spookiness of this day. I want him or her to love getting dressed up, joining dad in trying to scare the heck out of mommy, and going on their first trick-or-treating adventure.

You can have fun and be responsible at the same time. You don't need to go over board with the spooky, but the right amount can be fun, and helpful. Helpful? Yes, helpful. We can give ourselves a break this time of the year. A break from the monotony of our lives or the responsibilities that befall us and let loose. We can experience what it's like to be carefree and have fun.

Do you remember what it's like to have real fun? I'm talking about the kind of fun that happens only on Halloween. My kid better love this day as much as I do. I mean it. They better.

Take the opportunity this year to experience the spooky. In a mature way. In a safe way. But take a moment and let your spooky come out. You'll thank yourself the next day.

Until Next Time
P

Dynasty

Hey everyone, sorry it's been a while since I've posted anything, but to be honest I haven't had that much to write about these days. There's just so much that one could complain about, and I didn't want to be one of those people that only write to complain about something they have zero chance in changing. This one's about good times, about good people, and great memories for me.

As has been stated numerous times, I love basketball. It's my favorite sport, it's what I ended up coaching, and it's what I watch, when I can.

These days, the idea that professional basketball could happen for the following season is looking less likely by the day. With the pros signing deals to play in Europe, it's looking like owners and players aren't seeing eye to eye and the fans are going to be the ones that suffer because of the nonsense. Does anyone remember when the NBA was fun, and there were teams that were good because they had the best players, and the idea of money wasn't what made them good, but it was the way the played on the court? I do, it's called the nineties.

This is when the greatest dynasty (my opinion) in professional basketball was dominating the game. Of course I am referring to the Chicago Bulls. It's been a long time since the Bulls were dominant, and for those of us who were privileged to see them, we saw greatness. We saw hope. We saw, Michael Jordan.

For years, the comparisons have been made between Jordan and Kobe, Jordan and Lebron, Lebron and Kobe. I'm sorry, but Michael is a class that stands alone. The man went to the NBA Finals six times, won the title six times, and won MVP of the Finals six times. There is no comparison. From the position of leader, Michael Jordan is far and away better than both of those two men combined. Talent alone, dictates that, but character too. I'm not referring to Michael nowadays where he has let his life spin out of control, but when he was a players, and when he was the standard for excellence.

As good as he was, he was one man, and didn't win the title by himself. He was surrounded by a group of players that no one else wanted, and when they beat the Lakers (YAY!) in 1991, for their first title, little did they know that this was the beginning of what I feel was the greatest dynasty of the modern era. From 1991-1993, the Bulls were hands down, the best team in Basketball. They beat the Lakers, Blazers, and Suns for their first 3-peat and did it with style, class, and more highlights than any of todays teams. The Bulls were a team. Yes they had the greatest player on the planet, but they weren't Michael Jordan and the four guys who pass to him, they were the World Champion Chicago Bulls.

Michael retired in 1993 to play baseball. (Very bad move) but he returned in 1995 the next 3-peat that came for the Bulls was more impressive than the first one. In the 95-96 season they went 72-10, a record for wins that still stands to this day. They lost three games in the post season and won by twenty points in the championship game against the Seattle Sonics. (Or what you might know today as the Oklahoma Thunder) Then, the following year they went 69-13 and beat a very good Utah Jazz team in six games to win the title. Michael even scored 38 points in game five with food poisoning. Are you kidding me? In the clincher, he didn't even score the winning basket. It was a little guy named Steve Kerr, (great name) who hit the shot with four seconds remaining to lift the Bulls over the Jazz. The next season, they went 62-20, and beat the Jazz again in six games to win their third title in a row and sixth overall for the decade. In game 3 they set the record for the biggest margin of victory, beating the Jazz 96-54.

I mean, they are the greatest dynasty the sporting world has ever seen since the Celtics of the 1960s when they won nine in a row. The Bulls passed the ball, played defense, believed in one another, and Phil Jackson, took five men, and seven that no other team wanted and turned them into the greatest show on earth. For three years no matter where they played, it was a sell out crowd. They were cheered wherever they went, and when they won, they won with class. When they lost, they lost with class too.

Was Michael Jordan hard to play with? Probably. The man set impossible standards to measure up to. Was it rewarding to play with Michael Jordan? Do I really need to answer that? If you played with him in that decade, you won a title. It doesn't get any better than that.

Who knows what might have happened to that team had the owners decided not to resign Jordan, Jackson, Scottie Pippen, and Dennis Rodman? The Bulls could have become the first time since the Celtics to win four or maybe even five in a row. They were that good and had that much potential.

They reminded me why I loved the game, why I had passion for it, and inspired me to be the best coach I could. I miss those days. I like the game, but I can't say that the league today is better than it was back then. The Players are not the same caliber, at least not all of them, and the style of play isn't the same. I am grateful I grew up in the era of Michael Jordan and the Bulls, and wish so badly that people who are seeing what's going on today could see the game back then for what it was, pure, great, and fun to watch.

Hopefully it can get there again someday, and that we can be treated to a man with the passion and talent of Michael Jordan. Maybe someday.

Until next time
P

Coward

So, I have to write about this and laugh. I received an email a few moments ago; someone read one of my blogs, and criticized me for having an OPINION, and writing out said opinion. This person left no name, just cried, and told me that have no right to complain about things I don't know anything about.

Maybe... and that's why I stick to the things I do know about, and can give an opinion on. Look at the title of my blog, it's my thoughts and OPINIONS. I have no problem with people disagreeing with me, that's fine, you're entitled to do that, but what gets me is that they left their name off it.

If you got a problem, tell me who you are, don't write an anonymous response to me and tell me that I don't know what I'm talking about. That makes you a coward. You obviously disagreed with me, and I could care less that you disagreed with me, but I don't need this anonymous B.S.

I spoke my mind, about something I have passion for, and yes, I stand by every word I said, and regardless of whether you agree, I wrote based on what I saw, and what I thought. Allow me to do that, and I will allow you to argue with me. Healthy debate is fun, and good.

Cowardly attacks on my thoughts and views on things? That's not acceptable. Put your name on it, or Don't talk to me. Now, you've wasted enough of my time.

Until Next time
Preston

Move on

I am not going to jump on the Lebron James hate wagon. I don't think adding another critic to his life is necessary. Here we are, not even 12 hours removed from the closure of the 2011 NBA Finals and I've seen critic after critic come on TV and offer their two cents and opinions about how he played, what this loss means, and the effort he put forth in this series.

Yes, some of it is required when you talk about the biggest stage of professional basketball, I get that, but going on and on about how this is yet another let down of his career, is taking it a little too far. People keep making comparisons between him and Michael Jordan. OK, well, Jordan didn't win titles either until the Bulls put the right people around him. He came into the league in 1984, and didn't win until 1991. Lebron will get his time, it's a mathematical certainty. But, what gets me is how people jump all over him because he hasn't done it yet. Newsflash, he's 25, not 40. He's not over the hill, he's in his prime.

He's getting better, improving his game. Let his personal life be his personal life. Why do we need to comment on things that have nothing to do with us? What makes people think that we are entitled to way in on other peoples decisions with their own lives? Especially when we don't even know them! The man wanted to leave, and take his talents elsewhere as he put it last summer. He had every right to do that. He honored his committments to Cleveland, and he decided it was time to move on. I think we need to do the same. I don't live in Ohio so I don't care, but it amazes me how much people do.

People need to move on to the issues of their own lives and stop trying to recapture what is lost and never going to happen again. The man lost, he's beating himself up enough, there's no need to add to it. Talk about his game, talk about his shot selection, his passing, defense, rebounding, and other things related to the GAME, but leave the personal stuff alone. It's not our business. Also, if you're not a basketball player, coach, trainer, or other related job in the field of basketball, stop trying to make yourself sound like you know what's going on. That is why I am entitled to talk about this, I'm a coach, i've got credentials. (Which by the way, is a joke. Don't read anything more into that.) Some of the people I've heard, are ridiculous, and don't know what they're talking about. But it's entertaining and all part of the circus.

Lebron, I thought you gave it your best, you just came up short. Now, I was rooting against you, but not because I wanted to see you lose, but I just wanted to see Dallas win. No hatred involved, just wanted to see Dallas win. I've told my friends, you can win it next year, this year is Dirks.

I just find it hillarious how much involvement regular people have in the lives of professional athletes. Like we have a say in how they live, or where they work. It's not our lives people, move on, and live your own life.

It's time to get off the "I HATE LEBRON JAMES" train, just because he plays for another team. If you're going to hate him because you're loyal to the team that he's playing against, nothing else. It makes you petty otherwise.

Congratulations to the Mavericks. They deserved it. Lebron, Wade, Bosh, your time will come. And I look forward to seeing it happen.

Until next time
P

Fatherhood

So, I’m going to be a father. Yeah, I know, it’s a huge deal. It’s something that I’ve thought of, dreamed about, and wanted for a very long time. When my own father passed away in 1992, I was left wondering what my life would be like concluding my teenage years without a father around. I did all right, made the right choices, and am a good man. Or so I would like to think. I do often wonder what kind of man I would be right now if my father was still around.

I have also wondered the type of father I will be when my time finally came. I don’t have to wait much longer. My son or daughter is due in December and Karen and I are scared, excited, relieved, petrified, and everything else in between. I know I’ve prayed and wondered about this, but the time is rapidly arriving and the joy and panic are becoming one emotion and I don’t know which one is winning. If I had to guess I would say that the panic is the weaker of the two, but it’s there.

So here is my message to my unborn child. It is universal and can be applied whether boy or girl….

Hello:

I wanted to let you know how great a blessing you have been to my life. From the time your mom told me that she was pregnant with you, to the time you entered the world, you were always at the front of my mind. You were loved before you ever existed and your future was always discussed by your mother and I. I may not have always done the right thing, said the right thing, or behaved in the most appropriate of ways, but just know that with you, I did the best job I could. I wanted you to have the best in life, to know right from wrong, and to reach for the stars as best you could. There’s a cliché in our society that the only thing a child had to do to make their parents happy was to come home at the end of the day. A touching sentiment, and very true, but I want to expand upon it. It matters not to me how successful you are, what type of job you obtain, what friends you have, so long as the life you lead is a good one. I want you to achieve goals, I want you to want amazing things for yourself, and I want you to believe that there is nothing in life that you cannot have. If you do these things, in addition to coming home at the end of the day, then, you will have made me happy. At the time of my writing this, your mother was my greatest love on this earth. She is passionate and brave, strong and loving, and perhaps the most organized cleaner the world has ever seen. Of course you know this, you’ve met her. As time went on, and we met the struggles of raising you and showing you the beauty of this world, my love for her grew even more. She put up with a lot from me, and I did my best to show her every day of our lives together that she was my treasure. This is what I hope for you when it comes time, many many many many many many years from now, like when you can rent a car, which in this country is 25, and you find yourself in love. One of the things your mom loved about me was that I was cheesy. I loved being romantic on dates, at home, and everywhere else. I need you to do the same. Don’t be afraid to show love, don’t be afraid to receive love, and never run away from the opportunities that love presents to you. To my son, if she is a good woman, with strong values as you do, and she makes your heart skip a beat every time she walks into a room, tell her. Show her that she matters a great deal to you. To my daughter, if a young man enters your life that treats you like the queen you are, never takes advantage of your goodness, and doesn’t mind having your mother along on your dates, then you have my blessing, and you can see this man. Know this though, as your father, no one is good enough for you. I apologize now if I embarrassed you in front of a boy you liked, but it’s my job to protect you and try to shield you from as much pain as possible. I can’t protect you forever, so I had to do the best with the time that was given to me. I love you, always have, and always will. You will forever be known as the best Christmas present, I ever received. Thank you for having the heart of a servant, for being selfless in selfish times, for being the type of child that a parent can’t stop bragging about, and for making my life even better than it was before you arrived. Make your life extraordinary and never let a moment to be great pass you by.

So that’s what I want to say to my child, and how much I desired to have them in my life. Will I be a good dad, well time will tell on that one, but I believe that if I care enough, if I understand that I will make mistakes but never repeat them, if I love them unconditionally all the days of their lives, then I believe I will make a great father.

Yes, I’m scared and I’m elated at the opportunities that fatherhood will bring to my life, but I think, no, I know I’m ready for this. I want this, and by the grace of God, and love of the woman who helps me get through the days, I say bring it on. Nothing could be as scary or bad as not going through it at all.

Until next time
P
a.k.a.- Dad

The End of the Beginning

It has come down to one night, one final episode, one last look at his beginnings. Tonight marks the end of Smallville. Thank you, for making my loyalty mean something. That is what I want to say after seeing tonight's finale. So far, things have been great in this last season. The enemy of the season, Darkseid, hasn't really been the enemy Clark's used to seeing. He hasn't really made much of an appearance. No the real enemy of this season has been man himself. Men who have made made the mistake of thinking that people, like Clark, doing things for the good of humanity are nothing more than curse to society and must be dealt with.

I think what this shows us is that really, there is no greater enemy to the Man of Steel than man himself. We are selfish, arrogant, corrupted, and want more for our own well being than we do for the well being of others. This is not what the future Superman has been about. He's actually been the one who selflessly gives of himself and his abilities to protect the world and protect the innocent from evil.

What tonight symbolizes is the end of the beginning. The last nine years have been a great prequel to the Superman movies showing us what Clark Kent was like growing up in Smallville and trying to learn who he was and what his destiny would become. It's been nice knowing all along where he would end up, but it was great watching the journey, and that's what this was all about, a journey.

Knowing the destination is one thing, but knowing how to get there is a completely different thing. Clark Kent's journey was one we all knew where he would end up, but seeing how got there was fun. Sometimes, yes, it was annoying and hard to sit through, but tonight, we get the payoff, we are rewarded for going along with him on this journey.

it has been fun, hard at times, and frustrating, but the creators, actors, and writers have made this a fun show to watch, and a great show to lose yourself in. End of the beginning is just a few hours away. The one great lesson we can learn from this show, is that we all must write our own destiny.

Until next time
P

Classy

Now was that any way to end a marvelous career? Was that any way for a Champion to behave? You know you're going to lose, is there any reason to take away from your legacy as well? I am of course speaking about the horrendous yet wonderful game between the Dallas Mavericks and the L.A. Lakers this past Sunday.

Now, before we go on, I have to confess something, I don't like, nay, I hate the Lakers. I loathe them and just about everyone on that team, with the exception of Pau Gasol. I was happy to see them lose, happy that it happened on the road so that everyone could rightfully boo them. There was nothing good about the game if you were an L.A. fan, and everything right if you were hoping to see them get swept.

However, what you didn't want to see was the reigning champions behaving like little kids on the playground who were mad that their team lost the kickball game at lunch. You expect professionals to be classy in both winning and losing. That was not the case on Sunday. First, cheap shot by Odom on Dirk, nothing major here, just a cheap shot that didn't need to happen. Then came the jerk of the year moment when Andrew Bynum elbowed J.J. Barea in the ribs while Barea was attempting a layup. The two actions happened in about 45 seconds from each other, and both resulted in ejections for the two Laker stars.

Odom went quietly and without incident, but Bynum felt it necessary to remove his jersey and leave the court half naked. Why? Why was that necessary? No one wanted to see that, and all it did was make you look like a little child upset that he was going home a loser.

In Game 2 of the series, Ron Artest took a similar cheap shot to Barea which resulted in his ejection and suspension from Game 3. Now for those of you who don't know who J.J. Barea is let me tell you. He is a backup point guard for the Dallas team and hails from Puerto Rico. He stands about 5 foot 6 and weighs about 160 pounds when fully dressed in a suit of armor.

He's good, but he's not the kind of player that should have caused this much frustration to the Lakers. Their actions towards him weren't because of anything dirty or cheap Barea was doing but rather because they were mad they couldn't stop him. So that's how you deal with a situation that becomes difficult for you to handle like a man, you behave like a child? Wow, that's class, real class.

I am so glad this happened. Happy that Barea is all right and is able to continue the post season, but also happy that this happened to the team I despised. I mean you Magic Johnson, Mr. Los Angeles Laker himself, talking bad about the Lakers at half time. He was disgusted by their lack of heart and their inability to play to their potential in a must win game. I have been telling people that the Lakers are a joke for years, and this Sunday they validated my point.

All they do is whine and complain and show what little class they truly have. Good riddance to them and to their attempt at another championship this post-season. I m happy, more than you can know, that this is over and I don't have to watch them make a mockery of the game I love anymore.

I feel bad for Phil Jackson, who ended a stellar career as player and coach. His legacy will not be tarnished because of this one game, but will be remembered for the championships, the winning seasons, and the class that he had in the league. This game was bad, and it wasn't his fault, he didn't go out there and not play well, his team did. He called timeouts, he got in faces, he did what you're supposed to do, his players didn't.

I am a fan who appreciates class in the players and the organization. Sunday, The Lakers proved they have none. They are not who said they were, and the world now sees that.

Go away, and never come back, you all have no class.

Until next time
P

Safe

It's baseball season, and I am excited. The boys of summer are starting up and I already have my tickets to see the Braves vs the Angels in May. The Braves hardly ever play at Anaheim, and this year I'm going, and I'm going twice. But, before I go, I have to take into consideration a few things. Can I wear my Braves gear without the fear of being attacked for expressing my like for the visiting team? If the events of this past week have any bearing on that decision, I don't know.

If you've been watching the news this week, you've probably heard about the vicious attack at Dodgers stadium. A fan was beaten and put in a coma by two drunkards who have yet to be arrested. The organization has agreed to let LAPD have a known presence at their games next week, and my thought is, DUH!

It took your security, ten minutes to respond to the attack, and the attackers got away! I'm not a fan of going to Dodger stadium in the first place and this is one of the reasons why. There is some feeling of entitlement that people who live in L.A. have when it comes to their sports teams. If you wear a team supporting someone other than that team, you are met with hostility and sometimes violence. Even if you are from that city where that team is from, there is some code that prohibits you from wearing a jersey that is not blue and has the name Dodgers written on it. Be proud of your team and their history, but for crying out loud, you're not on the team, what gives you the right to determine what people can or cannot wear? I am all for being proud of your team, being a fan, but when that feeling expresses itself in a negative way, things have got to change.

There is an obsession that must be dealt with. It's no longer safe to express opinion. I feel that even I, will get some form of backlash from readers who think I'm simply attacking the Dodgers with this post when I'm attacking extremism. They are simply the example I'm using. Bryan Stow was simply a fan of the game, came to cheer on his favorite team, and he was greeted with hostility and his assailants got away.

Going to a sporting event should be a family friendly environment, and you should be able to stand up and cheer whomever you want, regardless if it's the home team or not. Home town pride is one thing, but when that pride is taken to the extreme and it is not longer safe to express an opinion, you have to look at priorities in this country. Be proud of your city, be proud of your teams, but stop thinking that it gives you the right to act out against someone who is not there cheering on your team.

The good news, Bryan Stow is stable and his vitals are looking good. The bad, unless measures are taken to enhance safety at these games, things like this will happen again.

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa called this incident a cut on the face of L.A. and I have to agree. This act doesn't give the city a good name, and it hurts ticket sales for the team. Who wants to go to a place where you can't feel safe? Who wants to go and cheer on a team that you don't like? You have to hide your feelings because you don't want to be killed.

Another issue that might need to be resolved is the removal of alcohol from the stadiums as the men who attacked Bryan Stow were drunk. If alcohol is going to be served and there's no accountability, problems will continue.

I am disgusted at this act, disgusted at the fans, the organization, the city, the security at the stadium, society. This isn't what America's about. At least not my America.

Until next time
P

Platform

So, I turned 35 last week and I have been having some mixed emotions about it. I don't know what to think, good or bad. However, I've learned one amazing good that has come from reaching this age... I am now qualified to be President of the United States. How cool is that? I have met the final qualification as mandated by the U.S. Constitution. That is some mighty great news.

So I have been thinking about what I would do should I run, and while I jokingly stated what I would do if I ran for President, I have taken the last few days to think about my platform, the things I would stand for. Below is the list of things I would like to accomplish, and things that mean something to me. Take a moment, look and see if you think I would make a darn good President.


1.Education: I want schools to be cathedrals. I want there to be more teachers, not fewer, more schools, not fewer. I want schools to have the finest technology, the best classrooms, the most qualified teachers, and the safest atmosphere. Where do I get the money to accomplish all this? From the increase taxes in exports to foreign countries I invoke, as well as the money states use from making 70% of all freeways, toll roads. Let’s start putting that money to use in the states.

2.Taxes: Yes, I will increase taxes, but only on incomes over 2 million dollars. Large corporations will have a tax increase on them as well, to offset the tax cut I give to middle and lower income families. There will be a tax cut for small business owners who are in their first five years of establishing a business. Small business owners with more than one business type or style will only be given two years. I will also be increasing taxes on TV and productions studios for the ridiculous prices they charge for commercials that air during their programs. Talent and producers as well as directors salaries will be based on current performance and not history. I will also tax heavily tabloids for inaccurate accounts of private citizens and their families. Pornography will also be heavily taxed and money made by industries will be used towards schools and other state programs.

3.Oil: I want to rely more on what we have right here at home and use our own reserves to help with the high price of gas in this country. I am putting together a commission to find ways to manufacture oil rather than use the high methane oil that is currently in use. I will also put a cap on gasoline prices so that companies aren’t getting rich at the payers expense by regulating the price of gas across the board.

4.Spending: Listen, we need to cut needless spending in this country. We need to stop bailing out companies that make unwise and foolish decisions. The bank is closed as far as that is concerned. Needless road construction, building remodels, saving foreign nations from their own mistakes, all of these are finished on my watch. It’s time America put Americans first.

5.Military: I’m done waging war for several years without a clear objective or exit strategy. We need to go in heavy from the outset and make clear that we are there to win and if you’re going to help, then get out of the way, because pain is coming. It’s time to let those who would wield fear and terror as common everyday occurrences that your time is over and it will no longer be tolerated. This isn’t going to end with the American flag waving over Baghdad or in Mecca, but it will mean that leaders will have to start enforcing a stricter code of conduct otherwise the U.N. sanctioned American lead forces will do what is necessary and do your job for you at the cost being you lose your job.

6.Jobs: Can I give everyone who wants a job a job? No. I’m sorry. I cannot. What I can do is create areas where one can get a job with my schools initiative, new ways of creating gas, new cars that will run on this new gas, National Parks rangers and maintenance crews that will have housing provided for them and their families, Needful road construction and maintenance, as well as jobs in the federal government to help out currently over worked employees.

7.Role of the Federal Government: I don’t want to be involved in every aspect of your life. It’s not my place to say what you can or cannot do. A lot of responsibility will be given to our local leaders and state leaders. States must become more involved and stop asking the federal government for aid. We will only become involved if and when the need arises or when we feel the states are letting good decisions go and allowing bad ones to be made.

8.Courts: I am putting an end to pointless lawsuits and ones that take up the courts time and cost the taxpayers’ money. I am eliminating those as well any and all suits that aren’t about theft, legitimate damage, or life threatening injury. The court system will also be overhauled where there will be three judges hearing appeals over issues that have been voted on by the citizens. Appeals will no longer be allowed because you don’t like the outcome, but rather because you have true grounds to have an appeal. I am taking away judge’s power to place his/her own personal agenda on the bench. It’s going to be about the law, not personal issues.

9.The President: Whatever decisions I make, I will tell you what I’m thinking before I make them. I will not make the man more important than the office. There will not be any grandstanding or time wasted watching me predict Oscar results, March Madness winners, Super Bowl winners, or any other unimportant event. You will not pay for my needless vacations or fancy dinners. My job will be based on the performance, and if you feel that I didn’t do a good enough job, I will not seek a second term in office.

10.The Border: Effective immediately, day worker visas are no longer. You will not be entitled to Social Security benefits if you haven’t been here for more than five years working. I am enforcing border patrol and anyone caught crossing illegally will sent back and jailed for their actions. I will not allow them to be jailed here at our citizen’s expense. You will be treated like an enemy of the state and sent back to your country of origin. I will also work with foreign nations to help them make their economy grow so that their citizens don’t feel the need to flee here. I will also direct states to regulate laws as they see fit so long as it doesn’t violate the laws of U.S. Citizens. It shouldn’t be an issue to be able to produce citizenship papers, unless you have something to hide. We are no longer in the business of healing the world, or housing the world.

11.Health Care: No, I am giving everyone health care, nor am I making it a crime to not have it, but I am making it affordable. Small business owners will be given tax breaks for giving its workers medical and dental coverage. You will still pay for your coverage out of your monthly or bimonthly pay checks. We will remove the words preexisting conditions from all health care forms and co pays will no longer be forced onto policy holders. Children will be covered until the age of 18 under parent’s policy. Hospitals will be compensated with tax breaks for lowering their prices on surgeries or medicine. Patients going in for routine treatments will not have to be billed for just seeing a doctor for issues that are under one hundred dollars. Hospitals will be built into safe well constructed buildings with the finest in equipment and staffed with the most qualified nurses and doctors.


This is what I stand for, and this is how I will run the country.

PJ KERR
Time America put Americans First.


So, that's it. The issues, and way to try and solve them.

Until next time
P

Heart

I have bone to pick with the powers that be behind some of the moves made yesterday in the NBA. It has been very hard for me to remain true to my team, the Houston Rockets these past few years. No it is not because of the losses, or the no Championships since 1995; no my pain extends beyond that. Yesterday the Rockets traded away Shane Battier and Aaron Brooks.

Let me start with Brooks. This is the man who kept the team together and gave them a real chance of beating the Lakers in the playoffs a few years ago and took them to a game 7. Yes, he's been hurt this year, but that is no reason to trade him away when he's in his prime and can still get you to where you need to go.

The real problem is Shane Battier. He does so much more than score, he's a tremendous defender, great passer, and is one of the smartest players in the game. The man went to Duke for crying out loud and won a national championship. He is one of the most underrated players in the league and he deserved better.

Can I address the real issue which is management and coaching? This is where my struggles to remain loyal have come into play. Rudy Tomjonovich, the Coach during their back to back championship runs, is the man I want back at the helm. I know he's battling cancer and is enjoying retirement, but the legacy he left behind of a team who played with heart has been replaced by men who don't know what they have and can't get the best of what they have.

Jeff Van Gundy was just the beginning. He had very little to no success getting the Knicks to a championship. Yes, he got them to the Finals in 1999, in a strike shortened season, but they lost the Spurs and rookie Tim Duncan. When he took over the coaching responsibilities, the team lost focus, respect, admiration, and a lot of games. He resigned rather than being fired for lack of productivity.

Then there is current coach Rick Adelman. I have no respect for this man as a coach. I'm sorry. I find him to be a whiner and a complainer, I find that his players don't really respect him, and I don't believe he knows the best way to get the best from the people who play for him. Look at the 1992 Portland Trailblazers who lost to the Bulls in six games. They were up 14 in the fourth qtr of Game 6 and the Bulls came back and won their second consecutive title. If you watch the game as much as I have, you will see a guy who blamed officials, blamed players, but no one blamed him for having the wrong guys on the floor at the wrong time. Then there was the 2001 Western Conference Finals where he allowed the Lakers to beat the Kings and go on to win 3 championships. The man doesn't know how to succeed. His teams don't play with heart. That is what is needed, and that is what he allowed the Rockets to trade away.

The organization is the next bone I want to pick. They make bad decisions for even worse reasons. They allowed one of the greatest big men to ever play the game, Hakeem Olajuwon, to leave the organization after 17 seasons with the team to go to Toronto where he was rarely used, and eventually retired. He retired as a Raptor, not a Rocket like he should have been.

The man had heart, and his team played with heart. The organization used to have heart and it's hard to remain loyal. When people ask me who I like, or who is my favorite team, I was proud to shout, the Houston Rockets... I still say it, but I don't say it like I used to. I don't shout it, but rather I say it with regret.

Stop making lame decisions! Recapture your heart, and being in the talent and the leadership that will keep your fans loyal and reward them for their devotion. You owe us that.

Until next time
P

Wasted

A few weeks ago I had a day off. I had a day where I literally had nothing to do; Monday was non-school, non-basketball day for me. It was a wonderful day off from the chaos that has been my life these last few weeks with games almost every other day and subbing almost four days a week since January. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love the work, love the sport, and love the rewards, but when I got a day off, I took advantage of it. Not in the way that you might think though, some of you may call this a wasted day, but others, well, you might admire what I did. Just before the Christmas break, I injured my back which resulted in me going to a chiropractor and getting fixed three times a week. I am on orders not to engage in anything to strenuous so as not to undue the work being done. I bring this up so that you understand why I did what I did.

My wife and I have a Nintendo Wii, and on this amazing device is our Netflix. SHE got me hooked on this by the way, so if there is anyone to blame it is her. 

I was flipping through the vast array of old movies and tv shows to watch when I came across a show I had never heard of before, and is no longer on. The show was called Hidden Palms. Written by Kevin Williamson, the writer of Dawson’s Creek, the Scream movies, and other teenage TV dramas. I read the description for the pilot and thought, what the heck, I’ll give the first episode a try.

By the end of the day, I had watched 8 episodes, the entire first season, and well, the entire series of the show, which lasted only 8 shows. To say it was addicting is putting it mildly. Here is the premise:

Johnny Miller, a studious and level headed high school junior, witnesses his father’s suicide and spirals downward into a world of drugs and alcohol. He goes to rehab and 6 months later, the show begins… His mother, remarries the father’s business partner and moves to Palm Springs in the summer in a lavish and almost perfect community where luxury and wealth run rampant. There, Johnny meets next door neighbor and community jerk, Cliff Wyatt. The kid who gets whatever he wants, whenever he wants. Across the street is Liza, the pretty quiet girl who spends her days in the garage conducting experiments in hopes that one day she will work in pharmaceuticals. Then there’s Gretta Matthews, the hottie with secrets. She’s also independent being that her mother passed away from leukemia when she was nine and her father is a high priced attorney who is never around. Johnny learns that the house his family has moved into has a secret. The teenage boy who lived in the room, Eddie, committed suicide, in the very room that Johnny sleeps in every night. WOW, like Johnny needs this over his head. Over the course of the show, Johnny learns that Eddie was best friends with Cliff, dated Gretta and was secret bff to Liza. Secrets become uncovered with each show and we learn that it wasn’t suicide but murder. Johnny tries to find out who killed Eddie and why.

I don’t want to give anything about plot away, but let me tell you, riveting. I wanted to see a season 2. I wanted to know what happened next. I wanted to see the next phase of this show.

Now, yes, it has its flaws, has its problems. Parents are drunk and arguing all the time, kids have not boundaries and no morals, and don’t even get me started with the dress code. This is Palm Springs, in the SUMMER. I’ve been there during this time, and at no point in time would anyone be caught outside in black shorts or pants, a black t-shirt, and a HOODIE…. A HOODIE! Come on. You would spend the entire time in an air conditioned home and rarely go for a swim because you would get sunburn quickly. Not here, they golf, the wear lots of clothes, they bundle up when they go to sleep, it’s ridiculous. However, the stories grab you, and they keep you coming back.

I regret nothing about watching this show. Yes, you might think it was a wasted day, but I didn’t. My wife thinks otherwise, and she and I joke about it, but I am glad I did it. Now, I am back at work, back at school, and I am a happy man. I highly recommend that if you have a day like I did, take advantage of it. There is nothing wrong with relaxation. You may call it wasted, but I call it fun. I think life needs to have more fun in it. Don’t you?

Until next time
P

Shameless

OK, I don't want to do this, but I feel that I have to. I have this platform to express my thoughts and opinions and I need to express something that, well, might appear shameless. A year ago, I published my first novel, Better Days. I am currently in the process of writing the sequel, which doesn't have a title yet, but I do have ideas. I self published, and the book is available online through my publisher, xlibris.com, my own website, prestonkerr.com, or through barnes and noble and borders. It is also on Amazon.

BUY MY BOOK people! :) Just kidding. But seriously, buy my book. I personally think that I written a pretty good book, and I am proud of it.

Here's the jist. What makes you happy in this life? Your job? Friends? Things? Car? Family? What happens to you when those things are taken from you? The joy of your life is lessened because you found joy in is no longer there. Therefore, your life is less happy and you feel less fulfilled.

In my book, I explore that feeling through my main character Brady McEwing. I know great name, right? Brady is a good guy. He does things for the right reasons, and his friends love him for his selfless ways. However, the role of being there has created a feeling in him that joy is wrapped up in being needed.

Slowly the friends come to rely on him less and less, which makes his joy less and less and reveals what happens when you place joy in the things that can be taken away at any given moment.

Now, being happy with your friends and people the mean something to you are important, I don't take anything away from that. But, when it's you SOLE source of joy, that's where things get bad.

So where are you supposed to find this joy? Well, read the book and find out! I am not going to spoil the whole thing for you.

My story centers around Brady McEwing and his friends, Jordan Miller, Sean Cunningham, Nelson Matthews, and and Amanda McCoy. I start you off at their high school graduation, take you through college, and early adulthood. Each chapter is a new year. Highlighting the events of the year and showing how Brady is slowly turning into a joyless person who's lost and in desperate need of guidance.

Yes, I know, this is a shameless way to promote my own book, but like I said, I have this forum available to me, and I will use it in anyway that I see fit.

Please, go buy my book. It's good. I promise. Just ask my wife, she read it.

Until next time.
P

Resolve

Welcome to 2011, a new decade. I’m excited. I’m looking forward to a new year, a new opportunity, a new season of life. It’s a time for new beginnings, new events, and new chances. However, what it is not time for, is resolutions.

I am against making New Year’s resolutions. Always have been, always will be. I don’t see the need to make this declaration of change at the start of the New Year. To me, if you’re set on making changes in your life, like losing weight, getting a job, having children, or writing a book, why did you have to wait till the New Year to do it? Why couldn’t you do it last year?

Then there are the other things that people decide will be different in this coming year like, “I’ll be nicer to people,” or “I’ll stop procrastinating.” I don’t get it. I don’t understand how the power of the year changing makes it all right to make serious changes in your life? Why did you wait? Why couldn’t you just make these changes when you first thought of them?

That brings up the other question, why didn’t you think of them before? What made New Year’s Eve so powerful that you couldn’t think of these important things in the previous year? I get that you want to make changes, and I applaud that. I am too am in the process of making changes in my life. The only difference was I didn’t wait till the clock stuck midnight on January 1st to enact those changes.

I believe that if it’s important, then you shouldn’t wait for a date on the calendar, you should do it right away. You should make the impact that you desire immediately. I resolve that I will not make any declaration this year to be done in the future. If I need to do something, and or make changes, the moment I think of it, is the moment I will start doing it.

I don’t want to offend people who take the time to make their resolutions. If it’s something you’ve done for years and look forward to, go for it. Maybe you need to dedicate yourself to a fresh idea and give yourself a time table so that you can build up your courage to make this change in your life. That makes sense to me. But, I want you to know that you already have the courage. You’re admitting that you want to change something or make things better, or bottom line, become a better person. You don’t need the change of a calendar to make this change. Do it now, do it when you realize it. Resolve to be a better person now, and not to wait until 2012. No need for it. You can do it.

Until next time
P

Chad

I received word today that a dear friend of mine passed away last week. Unless you were part of Laguna Hills High School in the late 90s, you may not know the man Chad Underkoffler, but he was a great friend and a great man.

I was working there at the time as an assistant varsity basketball coach and was the head coach for the Sophomore team when I met Chad. He was the basketball programs team manager and his love and passion then was being around the guys. They loved him right back and appreciated his work and his fun spirit.

I fondly remember sitting with him during games and his laughter and joking ways making light of some intense situations. He was funny, he was kind hearted, and he always had something positive to say. I lost contact with him after I left the school but learned that he got married and had a daughter. I was so very happy and proud for him. He deserved that kind of happiness. He deserved to be loved on after all the love he gave to others.

During practice he was like another coach, always telling guys what they need to work on, and would get guys the ball, or water, or whatever. He saw his role not as a lackey, which he was not, but more of a person who could help, and that he did. He ran the scoreboard during games for me, he filmed games, he did the book, he did it all. He did it all with a smile. He was just happy to be part of something at the school that was great.

I can remember bus trips with him and the guys talking and laughing with him, sharing stories, whatever, they respected him. I felt like I had a friend to talk to in Chad. Run ideas by him, and generally, just talk. He was a great listener, and a very insightful person.

My thoughts and prayers go out to his family. He was a great man, father, husband, and friend. The world is a sadder place without his laughter and smile and to brighten our days.

Rest in peace, Chad. Take care my friend. God bless you and your family.

Until next time
P