I hope you all had an amazing Christmas (or holiday season for my non-Christian readers). I wanted to let you all know that I am shutting down for the rest of 2008. I am celebrating "Second" Christmas with my family this weekend, so I will be unable to get anything new out before we ring in the new year.
I hope you all have a happy, healthy and safe New Years celebration. See you all in 2008!!!
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Friday, December 21, 2007
It's The Most Wonderful Time of the Year
Christmas has finally arrived. Everyone is walking around the office handing out gifts and I feel like a retard because I did not get anyone anything. In my defense, I call last Christmas as my first witness; no one gave me anything. Maybe I should have followed the example of my buddy Nosh (thanks for the card!), who cooked and iced out (that's edible bling) enough cookies to feed a small nation. This was an amateur mistake on my part and will never happen again. My team is getting ready to head out for a holiday lunch (read: getting drunk), so I am getting you this weeks link dump a couple of hours early. Besides, I figure most you are headed out early (if you're even in the office at all) and are probably dying for some way to pass the time. So here are some things from the past week you should know about:
- I am now 100% convinced that Congress does not do any actual work. Seriously though, the Rockies did not even win anything.
- When you were 7 years old, did ever ski "fast and recklessly"?
- Student asks math teacher for extra credit assignment; math teacher follows the porno movie playbook. I am sure you know how this one ends.
- Purdue University: training great minds like Orville Redenbacher, Neil Armstrong and this girl since 1869.
- Berkshire Hathaway share fell 4.6% on Monday, closing at $136,000 per share. I totally sympathize with what the shareholders must be going through right now.
- Come this time of year, you really should not disappoint your parents.
- Nerds of the world rejoice . . . I am doing so secretly to maintain my image.
- I cannot say I was totally shocked when Jamie Lynn Spears announced she was pregnant (and provided my with a great new Guitar Hero band name: "Jamie Lynn's Baby"), but shouldn't something be done about the fact that a 16-year-old girl got knocked up by a 19-year-old boy? Or have just finally realized that a celebrities are whores?
- Holiday time is when the most wonderful culinary wishes can come true.
Holiday Greetings from GT, TBD©’s In-House Counsel
Please accept, with no obligation, implied or implicit, my best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low-stress, non-addictive, gender-neutral celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular persuasion and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all. I also wish you a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2008, but not without due respect for calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make America great. Not to imply that America is necessarily greater than any other country nor the only America in the Western Hemisphere. Also, this wish is made without regard to the race, creed, color, age, physical ability, religious faith or sexual preference of the wishee.
By accepting these greetings, you are accepting the aforementioned terms as stated. This greeting is not subject to clarification or withdrawal. It is freely transferable with no alteration to the original greeting. It implies no promise by the wisher to actually implement any of the wishes for herself/himself/others, and is void where prohibited by law and is revocable at the sole discretion of the wisher. This wish is warranted to perform as expected within the usual application of good tidings for a period of one year or until the issuance of subsequent holiday greetings, whichever comes first, and warranty is limited to replacement of this wish or issuance of a new wish at the sole discretion of the wisher.
By accepting these greetings, you are accepting the aforementioned terms as stated. This greeting is not subject to clarification or withdrawal. It is freely transferable with no alteration to the original greeting. It implies no promise by the wisher to actually implement any of the wishes for herself/himself/others, and is void where prohibited by law and is revocable at the sole discretion of the wisher. This wish is warranted to perform as expected within the usual application of good tidings for a period of one year or until the issuance of subsequent holiday greetings, whichever comes first, and warranty is limited to replacement of this wish or issuance of a new wish at the sole discretion of the wisher.
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Something New, Something Blue, . . .
. . . but never something borrowed. With the help of the list of things needed to get married (as I will be, come next August), I am proud to announce the arrival of a new post (trumpets, trumpets, trumpets . . . fanfare, fanfare, fanfare . . . fireworks . . . thank you, you're all too kind). As usual, these words are all my own, never borrowed. Unfortunately, I have been forced to face a cruel reality, one that makes me blue (read: sad . . . see how I did that?). I share this reality with you now.
Do you remember way back when the producers of Saved By The Bell decided to make a second senior year of high school? I do, and at first I was excited. I did not know how I was going to cope with the loss of my good friends Zack, Albert Clifford, and Samuel; they were practically family. And what about getting the latest gossip from Lisa, or daydreaming about the head cheerleader/homecoming queen/swim team member/cheating Kelly, or getting annoyed with the neurotic Jessie (especially when she goes and gets hooked on caffeine pills . . . "I'm so excited, I'm so excited, I'm so . . . scared!")? So, needless to say, I was relieved to hear that senior year part two was going to happen.
Sure, some changes needed to be made. The same class coming back for a second round would have seemed a little odd. So Jessie decided it was best for her to go pursue her dreams of being a big-screen actress (if you can call taking your clothes for all your roles being an actress). Kelly also decided it was best that she go and sleep with every single male living in Beverly Hills, 90210 (no comment from Zack's people on how he's responding). Then there was the new girl in town, the "biker chick' Tori, who spent half the time being a bad-ass and half the time trying to discover her feminine side. Now, interesting enough, although the Tori episodes were filmed after the first senior year episodes, they aired simultaneously on NBC, alternating weeks. All that being said, the second senior year was a disappointment. Although the episode that features The Five Aces still ranks as one of my favorites, the second senior year left me feeling blue.
But the second senior year of Saved By The Bell is not the only thing that has left me feeling blue. This is the second year of Dean Lombardi's rebuilding plan for the Los Angeles Kings, and it seems to be worse than the first. If you take a moment to peruse the Pacific Division standings over in the right-hand column, you will see the Kings there at the bottom. The team is currently in the middle of not their first or second, but third five-game losing streak of the season and we are not even to the half way point. If I posted the standings for the entire National Hockey League, you would see the Kings at the very bottom; they are the only team that has not reached the thirty-point mark. As usual, the Kings are being let down by their defense and goaltending; they have given up the most goals (119) in the league. The team only has five players with a plus/minus rating of even or better, but only one of those five has played more than twenty games.
But like the episode featuring The Five Aces, the Kings second season under Dean Lombardi is not all bad. Their top line of Anze Kopitar, Dustin Brown, and Michael Cammalleri (who My Better Half thinks is rather good looking) all putting up some great numbers having scored 15, 16, and 14 goals respectively. All three are proving that are the future of the Kings and are all possible NHL superstars (Kopitar, only in his second season, is already, arguably, there). The Kings also gave 19-year-old goalie Jonathan Bernier a few games to get his feet wet before sending him back to Juniors (they were forced to do so based on some crazy NHL rule). Although he only won one of his four starts, Bernier looked sharp in all but one of the games he played. All signs point to him being the Kings goaltender of the future, and a good one at that. The Kings have also played in two memorable games this season. The staged a dramatic comeback on November 10th, beating Dallas 6-5 in overtime after trailing 4-0 midway through the third period. Then, on December 6th, they beat the Buffalo Sabres 8-2; at one point the Kings had seven goals to the Sabres' eight shots. Needless to say, it was a fun game to watch.
Through thirty-five games last season, the Kings were 12-18-5; this year, they are 12-21-2. Although all signs point to the Kings regressing this season, I am not ready to give up on them just yet (yes Dad, I'm always the optimist). There are still forty-seven games left in the season. That is plenty of time for the Kings to turn things around and at least show some signs of improvement. Do I think they will make the playoffs? No, not really; but I still believe they can have a better record than the 27-41-14 record they posted last season. Although we will not be seeing Bernier anymore this season, hopefully LaBarbara can fully recover from the rib injury he suffered a few weeks. The Kings have shown they can score, in bunches when necessary, but it is time for the defense and goaltending to keep the puck out of their net. If they can shore up the defense, the Kings are capable of making a nice run.
A lot of fans have already written off this season and, while I am not one of them, I do not blame them. But some are also going as far as saying there is no end in sight to the Kings' ineptitude. I would not be willing to go that far because you never know what will happen between now and season. Besides, if this season does not get any better, the Kings will be calling Steven Stamkos' name as the number one overall pick in the 2008 Entry Draft.
And remember, Saved By The Bell: The College Years turned out way better than anyone expected.
Do you remember way back when the producers of Saved By The Bell decided to make a second senior year of high school? I do, and at first I was excited. I did not know how I was going to cope with the loss of my good friends Zack, Albert Clifford, and Samuel; they were practically family. And what about getting the latest gossip from Lisa, or daydreaming about the head cheerleader/homecoming queen/swim team member/cheating Kelly, or getting annoyed with the neurotic Jessie (especially when she goes and gets hooked on caffeine pills . . . "I'm so excited, I'm so excited, I'm so . . . scared!")? So, needless to say, I was relieved to hear that senior year part two was going to happen.
Sure, some changes needed to be made. The same class coming back for a second round would have seemed a little odd. So Jessie decided it was best for her to go pursue her dreams of being a big-screen actress (if you can call taking your clothes for all your roles being an actress). Kelly also decided it was best that she go and sleep with every single male living in Beverly Hills, 90210 (no comment from Zack's people on how he's responding). Then there was the new girl in town, the "biker chick' Tori, who spent half the time being a bad-ass and half the time trying to discover her feminine side. Now, interesting enough, although the Tori episodes were filmed after the first senior year episodes, they aired simultaneously on NBC, alternating weeks. All that being said, the second senior year was a disappointment. Although the episode that features The Five Aces still ranks as one of my favorites, the second senior year left me feeling blue.
But the second senior year of Saved By The Bell is not the only thing that has left me feeling blue. This is the second year of Dean Lombardi's rebuilding plan for the Los Angeles Kings, and it seems to be worse than the first. If you take a moment to peruse the Pacific Division standings over in the right-hand column, you will see the Kings there at the bottom. The team is currently in the middle of not their first or second, but third five-game losing streak of the season and we are not even to the half way point. If I posted the standings for the entire National Hockey League, you would see the Kings at the very bottom; they are the only team that has not reached the thirty-point mark. As usual, the Kings are being let down by their defense and goaltending; they have given up the most goals (119) in the league. The team only has five players with a plus/minus rating of even or better, but only one of those five has played more than twenty games.
But like the episode featuring The Five Aces, the Kings second season under Dean Lombardi is not all bad. Their top line of Anze Kopitar, Dustin Brown, and Michael Cammalleri (who My Better Half thinks is rather good looking) all putting up some great numbers having scored 15, 16, and 14 goals respectively. All three are proving that are the future of the Kings and are all possible NHL superstars (Kopitar, only in his second season, is already, arguably, there). The Kings also gave 19-year-old goalie Jonathan Bernier a few games to get his feet wet before sending him back to Juniors (they were forced to do so based on some crazy NHL rule). Although he only won one of his four starts, Bernier looked sharp in all but one of the games he played. All signs point to him being the Kings goaltender of the future, and a good one at that. The Kings have also played in two memorable games this season. The staged a dramatic comeback on November 10th, beating Dallas 6-5 in overtime after trailing 4-0 midway through the third period. Then, on December 6th, they beat the Buffalo Sabres 8-2; at one point the Kings had seven goals to the Sabres' eight shots. Needless to say, it was a fun game to watch.
Through thirty-five games last season, the Kings were 12-18-5; this year, they are 12-21-2. Although all signs point to the Kings regressing this season, I am not ready to give up on them just yet (yes Dad, I'm always the optimist). There are still forty-seven games left in the season. That is plenty of time for the Kings to turn things around and at least show some signs of improvement. Do I think they will make the playoffs? No, not really; but I still believe they can have a better record than the 27-41-14 record they posted last season. Although we will not be seeing Bernier anymore this season, hopefully LaBarbara can fully recover from the rib injury he suffered a few weeks. The Kings have shown they can score, in bunches when necessary, but it is time for the defense and goaltending to keep the puck out of their net. If they can shore up the defense, the Kings are capable of making a nice run.
A lot of fans have already written off this season and, while I am not one of them, I do not blame them. But some are also going as far as saying there is no end in sight to the Kings' ineptitude. I would not be willing to go that far because you never know what will happen between now and season. Besides, if this season does not get any better, the Kings will be calling Steven Stamkos' name as the number one overall pick in the 2008 Entry Draft.
And remember, Saved By The Bell: The College Years turned out way better than anyone expected.
Friday, December 14, 2007
Calling In Sick Today
I am calling in sick to work today so that I can go watch the second round of the Target World Challenge hosted by Tiger Woods at Lake Sherwood Country Club. My managing partner is a big golf fan so he is more jealous than annoyed that I called in sick (I asked permission). Having already billed 40+ hours this week did not hurt my cause either. But I did not want to leave you, my avid readers, hanging without a way to get through your Friday, so here are some stories to hopefully keep you entertained:
- Having perfected her ability to flip-flop on the issues, Katherine Heigl announces she will be seeking office in the 2008 election.
- It is good to know that stupid criminals do not take the holiday season off.
- Explain to me again why paying the writers a few extra bucks for shows that appear on the Internet is not worth it?
- Angelina Jolie loves all children not birthed by her.
- Child welfare is investigating multiple abuse claims after TomKat take Suri to two Spice Girls concerts in three nights.
- Hey coach, I am not exactly sure how this will improve team moral, but I am sure you have your reasons.
- No gays in the military . . . unless, of course, we are running low on troops.
- Mr. Pibb + Red Vines = Crazy Delicious
- It's easy to do, just follow these steps . . .
Friday, December 07, 2007
This Is Harder Than It Looks...
Like learning to ride a bike, or taking the California Bar, or sharing an "intimate" moment with your lady friend for the first time, maintaining a Weblog (or "blog" for short) is harder than it looks. I understand how people can make it a full time job . . . though I still do not understand how they are able to make a decent living off of it. I do my best to find the time to keep you all entertained, and it is hard. I apologize for not having anything new for you this week, but this holiday season is kicking my behind. There I was watching the Kings beat up on the Buffalo Sabres last night (at one point in the game, midway through the second period, the Kings had 7 goals and the Sabres had 8 shots), and all I could think about was work, getting presents for people, the Victoria's Secret fashion show (average at best; though I did learn that Marisa Miller's nickname is "The Bombshell" . . . see banner picture above for visual proof or just go here), and writing a new post for you all to enjoy. It will come, I promise, but I cannot say when unfortunately. For now, I hope you enjoy the brief break from reality that I can provide you every Friday afternoon. Here are some things you might have missed:
- Stephen A. Smith says bloggers are unqualified to disseminate information. Anyone who has watched ESPN within the last three years says Stephen A. Smith is unqualified to think and speak at the same time. I would like to take this opportunity to introduce "Screamin'" A. Smith to the 1st Amendment, you know, the reason he has a job and all.
- Hillary is melting down faster than the Baltimore Ravens in the 4th quarter. Blame it on the officials Hillary.
- I demand a recount.
- I guess we should be glad that Congress is even planning to work at all in 2008.
- The Writers' Strike is still going on? I did not even notice that all the shows I watch have stopped running new episodes. I am glad it will not have any affect on next years schedule.
- Milli Vanilli may have told you to blame it on the rain, but when that fails you might as well blame it on . . . the Spice Girls?
- Protecting "the twins" since 1907.
- Dodgers are looking to sign her to a 5-year, $65 million contract.
Today we have a triple feature for your viewing pleasure, all public service announcements to prepare you for the new year:
- Parents, do NOT let your children play in youth soccer leagues. They are getting entirely too dangerous.
- Apparently mine fields are a bigger problem then I realized. (YouTube account required . . . do yourself a favor and get one).
- Some familiar faces would like to remind you to go green.
Have a great weekend everyone!
Friday, November 30, 2007
I Think My Clock Stopped Moving...
It is just one of those days here in the City of Angels. It is dark, cold, and rainy . . . but it is also Friday! Thank goodness. I know I have not been able to provide you with any original material lately and I apologize. Every time I think I am going to have time to write something up, life or work gets in the way (of course, by life I mean sports and by work I mean planning my honeymoon). I have two posts in various states of readiness and I hope to have them both up sometime next week. But I have been getting a lot of positive feedback from my avid readers about the weekly link dumps, so this letter to my client is going to have to wait (okay, I'm actually on my lunch break, but I'd put aside a letter for you guys). I hope you all have fun weekends lined up, I know things can get pretty crazy around the holidays. Me? It is rivalry week so you know where to find me. But I am sure you all need a little entertainment to help get you to the weekend; here you go:
- The Catholic Church seeks to make The Golden Compass the highest grossing film of the holiday season.
- Congratulations to South Dakota . . . so sorry to the Mormons.
- I am not sure is Jessie Spano knows this, but nudity is not allowed on television.
- In Australia, "chimney climbing skills" and a "gentle nature with children" gets you a prize. In America? Probably three to nine.
- Sabotage, pepper spray and a bomb threat . . . I am not talking about season 7 of 24 silly; it is the Miss Universe pageant.
- Man becomes one with nature (warning: kinda freaky).
- Who would have thought that children ages 2 to 12 could be so right?
- There go the mannequins, objectifying and assaulting the dignity of women again.
In honor of UCLA's four-point upset of USC last year, I bring you not one, not two, not three, but FOUR video clips for your viewing pleasure:
- I love the books and all, but really? REALLY?
- Nothing like a good, old-fashioned "Poon" fight with play-by-play.
- Think ACC official Ron Cherry is the first person to call this penalty? Think again.
Have a great weekend everyone!
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
A Three Day Week Can Only Mean One Thing...
A link dump on a Wednesday!!! If you are like me, you are probably thinking to yourself: "Why didn't my office just give us Wednesday off as well? It is not like anyone is doing any actual work." Well, that is because it is a slippery slope. If they give you Wednesday off, then Tuesday will be a lost day and so on. The solution? Just give us the whole week off. So, now I am stuck in my office getting fired up for the first meaningful Thanksgiving day game the Detroit Lions have played in eight years (kickoff is at 12:30 pm etz). For those of you not as excited about the Lions/Packers game, here are some newsworthy items you may have missed during this shortened week to help you pass the time:
- Nick Saban describes Alabama's loss to a stripper as a "catastrophic event" . . . you know, like 9/11 or Pearl Harbor.
- Stay classy New York Jets fans.
- This Thanksgiving, I would like to give thanks to all of those stupid criminals out there who keep me entertained.
- It is too bad the Packers do not play New England this year. I am in second in my FFL league and the guy in first has Brady.
- Ah, the United States Government . . . you never cease to amaze me.
- And England wonders how we defeated them in the Revolutionary War.
Although I have been shorted two days worth of entertaining news articles, I will never short my readers on funny video clips to get them through the day.
- First it was the 12-man beer bong, and now it is the gas-powered blender. People of Wisconsin, I take back everything bad I have ever said about you.
- Chuck Norris' tears cure cancer. Too bad he has never cried . . . EVER!
I hope you and your families have a safe start to the holiday season. Have a happy and healthy Thanksgiving everyone!
Friday, November 16, 2007
Here's To Friday . . . And Long Lunches
Well, Friday has finally arrived. Although I have been sick for most of the week, I am in high spirits. I have overcome my illness thanks to two events: (1) I just had a "long" lunch (lawyer speak for had a few drinks), and (2) My Better Half's organization held their annual fundraiser (read: I spent the night rubbing shoulders and sharing drinks with celebrities). I had the opportunity to meet Jimmy Jean-Louis, and I would like to share with you how our conversation went:
BAP: Mr. Jean-Louis, it is such a pleasure to meet you.
JJL: Please, call me Jimmy.
BAP: Okay, Jimmy. I think it's really great that you support an organization like this.
JJL: Well, we can't take take the HIV/AIDS pandemic lightly. The least we can do is contribute some time and energy to help educate people and start fighting the problem.
BAP: I totally agree. Listen, I have a favor to ask and I know you can help me out. There's this girl I used to date and, well, she's crazy and I would kind of like to forget I ever had anything to do with her. You can take care of that for me right? Just erase my memory?
JJL: [Laughing] Well, I only play a character who can erase people's memories. I can't actually do that.
BAP: Oh, right. [wink] We shouldn't really broadcast that secret to too many people.
JJL: Haha. Well, it was nice meeting you.
BAP: So, we'll meet out back in about 15 and you can take care of that for me?
JJL: Security.
Okay, so I did not actually have the courage to go introduce myself, but you get the idea. I hope you all have fun plans for the weekend and, to help get you there, here are some things you might have missed:
BAP: Mr. Jean-Louis, it is such a pleasure to meet you.
JJL: Please, call me Jimmy.
BAP: Okay, Jimmy. I think it's really great that you support an organization like this.
JJL: Well, we can't take take the HIV/AIDS pandemic lightly. The least we can do is contribute some time and energy to help educate people and start fighting the problem.
BAP: I totally agree. Listen, I have a favor to ask and I know you can help me out. There's this girl I used to date and, well, she's crazy and I would kind of like to forget I ever had anything to do with her. You can take care of that for me right? Just erase my memory?
JJL: [Laughing] Well, I only play a character who can erase people's memories. I can't actually do that.
BAP: Oh, right. [wink] We shouldn't really broadcast that secret to too many people.
JJL: Haha. Well, it was nice meeting you.
BAP: So, we'll meet out back in about 15 and you can take care of that for me?
JJL: Security.
Okay, so I did not actually have the courage to go introduce myself, but you get the idea. I hope you all have fun plans for the weekend and, to help get you there, here are some things you might have missed:
- 2007 is a bad year for you when: (1) you are drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs; (b) naked pictures of you appear on the Internet; or (iii) all of the above.
- When Lance and Ashley's relationship falls apart, they will probably look back and say this is when things got weird.
- As it turns out, the best way to shorten the Oscars is a writers strike.
- Wohhhhhhhh, we're half way there-re. Woh-OH, livin' on a prayer-er.
- An interesting twist on the criminal justice system brought to you by Saudi Arabia.
- I've got your right to bear arms right here.
- Here is a nice way to spend that extra $350 million I know you have lying around.
- There must be something in the Gulf water.
And in for your double feature, I present two sports related clips:
- The Clippers have finally found themselves an outside shooter.
- And, Boom Goes the Dynamite.
Have a great weekend everyone!
[Update: I'm so sorry that most of you did not get to see this post on Friday afternoon. Apparently "save" is different "publish". I'm a retard.]
Monday, November 12, 2007
We Must Protect This House!
I have always found Under Armor's marketing campaigns rather humorous and relatively unimpressive. I mean, I have not been swayed to go out and buy their products (and can someone please tell me what is up with their new "Click, Clack" campaign . . . what does that even mean?). And while I wish this post could be dedicated to mocking Under Armor's original slogan (the now infamous . . . that's when you're more than famous, you're INfamous . . . "We must protect his house" . . . taken a little too seriously by the Kansas City Chiefs' mascot earlier this season), it is not. In fact, it is about something completely different; this entire introduction was just so I could link to the Kansas City video because I really enjoy it.
Now, to the real point of this post. I hate to do it, and I had told myself I would not do it, but I have to take a moment and get a little political. Do not worry, I am not going to try and tell you who you should vote for or which party is better and why; I would never do that. That decision belongs to you, and you alone. What I would like to do, however, is take a moment to discuss two problems that both parties should be talking about on a daily basis (and neither includes the word Iraq): (1) the sad state of American households, and (2) the war on drugs.
I usually get excited when I have a story to support my post, but not for this one. As you may or may not know, the two eldest sons of Philadelphia Eagles head coach Andy Reid were recently sentenced to up to twenty-three months in prison for several drug and firearm related crimes. During the sentencing hearing, Judge Steven O'Neill described the Reid's home as "a drug emporium" and found "there isn't any structure there." This, of course, prompted sportswriters, sportscasters, and radio personalities (including my main man Dan Patrick...welcome back DP, it's been a great month of morning radio) to ask whether Coach Reid should take a leave-of-absence from the Eagles organization to be his family during this time. This, of course, brings me to my first point: the sad state of American households.
This nation is in need of a massive priority shift. On a daily basis we read about young celebrities doing stupid things, kids killing each other, kids doing drugs, and the like. And when something bad happens, the parents are out there pointing fingers at everything and everyone else. Blame it on the music, blame it on the television, blah, blah, blah. Blame it anything you want, expect my child and except me. No one ever wants to blame the household in which these kids are raised because then we have to face the real problem.
The current state of our nation, driven by money and power has developed a growing class of people who prioritize their life as follows: (1) money, (2) work, (3) money, (4) conspicuous consumption, (5) money, (6) popularity, and (7) family. I would even go so far as saying we are lucky when family falls within the top ten. And no family wants to deal with their own problems, believing it can just be solved with money. Let's send the kid therapy, a private school, or, my personal favorite, let's sue someone.
My Dad will be the first to admit that he worked hard and he worked a lot. He has flown around the world on business trips at least ten times that I can think of, and has accumulated so many frequent flyer miles on American Airlines that he has a guaranteed seat on any flight he needs (read: he can kick someone off a flight to have their seat . . . which he has never done and will never do). Working hard paid off for my Dad, and he became very successful. You have to be pretty financially secure to retire early in this day-and-age, and he was able to do so, and is loving life. But while he was working 12-hour days and traveling weeks at time, one thing remained the same: his family came first. He did not miss holidays or birthdays, we had a family vacation every year, and he was the coach of most of our youth sports teams. He also would tell you he could not have done it without his teammate/partner, my Mom, who ruled our house with an iron fist (and a wooden spoon . . . don't even get me started about how people don't think it's right for people to discipline their with a little whack on the bottom). And when my Brother and Sister and I got in trouble, we had to face the consequences. Mom and Dad were not there trying to blame someone else. They have always their children in all of our endeavours, and while they might have tried to assist us in making the right decision, it was our decision to make, and ours to deal with in the end . . . but never alone.
We should have seen this coming from a mile away. Back in the early 1990s, a friend of mine, Zach, was having some trouble in high school; he was close to failing out. All he wanted to do was to go on the class ski trip, so that he could spend a weekend away with his cheerleader-girlfriend Kelly. But the principal would not let him go unless his parents came in for a meeting first. Well, Zach's dad, you see, worked a lot and was never around, and Zach did not want to disappoint him, so he got an actor/waiter to impersonate his dad so he could go. In the end, his dad found out but Zach was still having a hard time communicating with his dad. How did Zach finally get through to his dad? If you answered super-large 80s cell phone, you are correct. And though their reconciliation was touching, their story showed the tragic path down which this nation was headed.
And that brings me to point two . . . which I will discuss next week (ohhhhh . . . dramatic cliffhanger).
Now, to the real point of this post. I hate to do it, and I had told myself I would not do it, but I have to take a moment and get a little political. Do not worry, I am not going to try and tell you who you should vote for or which party is better and why; I would never do that. That decision belongs to you, and you alone. What I would like to do, however, is take a moment to discuss two problems that both parties should be talking about on a daily basis (and neither includes the word Iraq): (1) the sad state of American households, and (2) the war on drugs.
I usually get excited when I have a story to support my post, but not for this one. As you may or may not know, the two eldest sons of Philadelphia Eagles head coach Andy Reid were recently sentenced to up to twenty-three months in prison for several drug and firearm related crimes. During the sentencing hearing, Judge Steven O'Neill described the Reid's home as "a drug emporium" and found "there isn't any structure there." This, of course, prompted sportswriters, sportscasters, and radio personalities (including my main man Dan Patrick...welcome back DP, it's been a great month of morning radio) to ask whether Coach Reid should take a leave-of-absence from the Eagles organization to be his family during this time. This, of course, brings me to my first point: the sad state of American households.
This nation is in need of a massive priority shift. On a daily basis we read about young celebrities doing stupid things, kids killing each other, kids doing drugs, and the like. And when something bad happens, the parents are out there pointing fingers at everything and everyone else. Blame it on the music, blame it on the television, blah, blah, blah. Blame it anything you want, expect my child and except me. No one ever wants to blame the household in which these kids are raised because then we have to face the real problem.
The current state of our nation, driven by money and power has developed a growing class of people who prioritize their life as follows: (1) money, (2) work, (3) money, (4) conspicuous consumption, (5) money, (6) popularity, and (7) family. I would even go so far as saying we are lucky when family falls within the top ten. And no family wants to deal with their own problems, believing it can just be solved with money. Let's send the kid therapy, a private school, or, my personal favorite, let's sue someone.
My Dad will be the first to admit that he worked hard and he worked a lot. He has flown around the world on business trips at least ten times that I can think of, and has accumulated so many frequent flyer miles on American Airlines that he has a guaranteed seat on any flight he needs (read: he can kick someone off a flight to have their seat . . . which he has never done and will never do). Working hard paid off for my Dad, and he became very successful. You have to be pretty financially secure to retire early in this day-and-age, and he was able to do so, and is loving life. But while he was working 12-hour days and traveling weeks at time, one thing remained the same: his family came first. He did not miss holidays or birthdays, we had a family vacation every year, and he was the coach of most of our youth sports teams. He also would tell you he could not have done it without his teammate/partner, my Mom, who ruled our house with an iron fist (and a wooden spoon . . . don't even get me started about how people don't think it's right for people to discipline their with a little whack on the bottom). And when my Brother and Sister and I got in trouble, we had to face the consequences. Mom and Dad were not there trying to blame someone else. They have always their children in all of our endeavours, and while they might have tried to assist us in making the right decision, it was our decision to make, and ours to deal with in the end . . . but never alone.
We should have seen this coming from a mile away. Back in the early 1990s, a friend of mine, Zach, was having some trouble in high school; he was close to failing out. All he wanted to do was to go on the class ski trip, so that he could spend a weekend away with his cheerleader-girlfriend Kelly. But the principal would not let him go unless his parents came in for a meeting first. Well, Zach's dad, you see, worked a lot and was never around, and Zach did not want to disappoint him, so he got an actor/waiter to impersonate his dad so he could go. In the end, his dad found out but Zach was still having a hard time communicating with his dad. How did Zach finally get through to his dad? If you answered super-large 80s cell phone, you are correct. And though their reconciliation was touching, their story showed the tragic path down which this nation was headed.
And that brings me to point two . . . which I will discuss next week (ohhhhh . . . dramatic cliffhanger).
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