Olivia
Yesterday at 5:01 PM, Oliva, my grandaughter, was born. She is a beautiful baby. Mother is recovering. Her parents will take great care of her. I'm really happy for the two of them to be blessed with a healthy baby girl.
Friday, December 28, 2007
Monday, December 17, 2007
$53 TRILLION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Gap Seen in US Benefits
Join the Ron Paul REVOLUTION before it's too late!!!
Gap Seen in US Benefits
Join the Ron Paul REVOLUTION before it's too late!!!
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Ron Paul
The more I read about Ron Paul, the more I like him. I know there will probably come a day when something bad will come out and I think I'm prepared for it. You see, I know he is just a man and being a man means that he will have faults. The question will be, "will those faults change how I feel about what he represents?". I think the answer is that it won't.
I believe in less government and I'm against the current foreign policy of intervention. Everything else doesn't really matter.
My biggest concern is if Ron Paul gains traction against the establishment, and I think he will, then both parties will turn their guns on him. In 1996, the Republican party tried to beat Ron Paul with a Democrat turned "Republican," so there is precedent for this.
Also, I'm afraid that what happened to Ross Perot will happen to Ron Paul. I could see 3 months before the national election that they finally do something in secret to get to Dr. Paul. Something that he can't fight due to the personal nature and the cost to his family. I can see this happening and it upsets me.
I believe in an America where people are free to express their views, build support and get elected by the people. Maybe that is foolish. The cynic in me believes that those who try and change the status quo will be bullied and threatened and thus, nothing will ever change. I guess that is voter apathy.
2008 could be the greatest year this country has seen since WW II if Ron Paul manages to win it all.
The more I read about Ron Paul, the more I like him. I know there will probably come a day when something bad will come out and I think I'm prepared for it. You see, I know he is just a man and being a man means that he will have faults. The question will be, "will those faults change how I feel about what he represents?". I think the answer is that it won't.
I believe in less government and I'm against the current foreign policy of intervention. Everything else doesn't really matter.
My biggest concern is if Ron Paul gains traction against the establishment, and I think he will, then both parties will turn their guns on him. In 1996, the Republican party tried to beat Ron Paul with a Democrat turned "Republican," so there is precedent for this.
Also, I'm afraid that what happened to Ross Perot will happen to Ron Paul. I could see 3 months before the national election that they finally do something in secret to get to Dr. Paul. Something that he can't fight due to the personal nature and the cost to his family. I can see this happening and it upsets me.
I believe in an America where people are free to express their views, build support and get elected by the people. Maybe that is foolish. The cynic in me believes that those who try and change the status quo will be bullied and threatened and thus, nothing will ever change. I guess that is voter apathy.
2008 could be the greatest year this country has seen since WW II if Ron Paul manages to win it all.
Saturday, December 01, 2007
Monday, November 19, 2007
My Review of SoundShield® 250 Compact Noise Canceling Headphones
Originally submitted at Brookstone
Introducing our most compact noise reduction headphones!
Whether in busy airports, on noisy trains, or in the comfort of your own home, you can experience premium sound with our SoundShield 250 noise reduction headphones! Patented two-tier noise-cancellation system reduces ambient noise ...
Worked Great Until They Broke
By Big-D from Plano, TX on 11/19/2007
Pros: Rich Sound, Comfortable
Cons: Flimsy Construction
Best Uses: Portable Devices
Describe Yourself: Frequent Traveler
Primary use of this product: Personal
I bought these last year when I was making frequent trips between Dallas and Atlanta. I had used them about 5 or 6 times, then one time, the right side plastic hinge just broke. The whole swivel mechanism just crumbled and that was it. I tried to use them for a couple of times after that, and even tried taping the right ear piece, but without success.
(legalese)
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
No Email Fridays
For a better understanding, check out the links on the page linked above.
I'm against this idea. The only people that like this are people who do not know how to managed their email with rules.
For a better understanding, check out the links on the page linked above.
I'm against this idea. The only people that like this are people who do not know how to managed their email with rules.
VOTE FOR ROGER STAUBACH
...as the greatest Dallas Cowboys player of all time.
Go to the KDFW poll.
Registration is free. You can vote every hour. Please vote often. Roger is way behind and he needs our help. Help Captain Comeback do it one more time.
Nothing against the other great players. I just think that Roger along with all of players and the great Tom Landry and Tex Schram, made the Cowboys into America's Team. Without Roger's elusive skills and leadership, I don't think the Cowboys would have been bestowed with that moniker.
Thanks!
...as the greatest Dallas Cowboys player of all time.
Go to the KDFW poll.
Registration is free. You can vote every hour. Please vote often. Roger is way behind and he needs our help. Help Captain Comeback do it one more time.
Nothing against the other great players. I just think that Roger along with all of players and the great Tom Landry and Tex Schram, made the Cowboys into America's Team. Without Roger's elusive skills and leadership, I don't think the Cowboys would have been bestowed with that moniker.
Thanks!
Sunday, September 02, 2007
Pit Bulls
When will people realize that pit bulls are not safe. Today, there's a story about another victim of a pit bull. A pit bull killed a 6 year old boy after no provocation.
This happens far too often to be unusual for this breed. Something is not right in this type of dog and no one should own one, IMHO. I don't think there should be a law, but I think people should think twice before obtaining such an animal when there are children in their house.
There are many other great breeds out there that are peaceful. For instance, I own a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. Ryker is my second Cav and they make wonderful house pets. They are small for a Spaniel, but can get to about 20 lbs. or so for the males. Cavs are very sweet and would not harm anyone.
Just my two cents.
When will people realize that pit bulls are not safe. Today, there's a story about another victim of a pit bull. A pit bull killed a 6 year old boy after no provocation.
This happens far too often to be unusual for this breed. Something is not right in this type of dog and no one should own one, IMHO. I don't think there should be a law, but I think people should think twice before obtaining such an animal when there are children in their house.
There are many other great breeds out there that are peaceful. For instance, I own a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. Ryker is my second Cav and they make wonderful house pets. They are small for a Spaniel, but can get to about 20 lbs. or so for the males. Cavs are very sweet and would not harm anyone.
Just my two cents.
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
RHEL!
This week I'm learning all about Red Hat Enterprise Linux. Actually it is more about Linux than anything specific about Red Hat. The instructor is doing it on Fedora. I wish they had VMware on these machines so we could install it from scratch.
A lot of this stuff I already know.
This is the place that's doing the training:
Real Solutions Training
This week I'm learning all about Red Hat Enterprise Linux. Actually it is more about Linux than anything specific about Red Hat. The instructor is doing it on Fedora. I wish they had VMware on these machines so we could install it from scratch.
A lot of this stuff I already know.
This is the place that's doing the training:
Real Solutions Training
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
The Dirtpile
With my father's passing, my old friends have resurfaced. When I was a kid, my playmate was a pretty girl from across the street whose name was Lauri Gravitt. From about 5 years old until 11 or so, we would play in the dirt on the edge of my parents yard next to a vacant lot.
You see, I'm sure many kids played in a sandbox, but not us. We played in the dirt, which we called the dirtpile since my Dad would order a load of topsoil to spread on the yard. Lauri and I would "help" Dad by slowly tearing down that dirtpile for our purposes. I saw the pile as a mountain that we would climb or use it to tunnel through. I don't think we were ever very successful with the tunneling. We weren't engineers, so we didn't shore up the sides or build a ceiling. The tunnels never held up.
The reason my Dad brought in topsoil was that the soil was very poor. The soil was made up of Caliche. Before the topsoil was brought in, I would play in the dirt which was a mixture of Cliche and red sandy clay soil. Using my imagination, I built a little town where I played with my Tonka toy trucks.
This was my job as a child. I would wake up early in the morning and go out to the dirtpile, which as Lauri pointed out to me now, was more of a ditch than a pile, and play. I played all day until it got dark. I didn't mind being out in the sun and there were no trees.
Well, I guess those were the days. No cares, no worries.
With my father's passing, my old friends have resurfaced. When I was a kid, my playmate was a pretty girl from across the street whose name was Lauri Gravitt. From about 5 years old until 11 or so, we would play in the dirt on the edge of my parents yard next to a vacant lot.
You see, I'm sure many kids played in a sandbox, but not us. We played in the dirt, which we called the dirtpile since my Dad would order a load of topsoil to spread on the yard. Lauri and I would "help" Dad by slowly tearing down that dirtpile for our purposes. I saw the pile as a mountain that we would climb or use it to tunnel through. I don't think we were ever very successful with the tunneling. We weren't engineers, so we didn't shore up the sides or build a ceiling. The tunnels never held up.
The reason my Dad brought in topsoil was that the soil was very poor. The soil was made up of Caliche. Before the topsoil was brought in, I would play in the dirt which was a mixture of Cliche and red sandy clay soil. Using my imagination, I built a little town where I played with my Tonka toy trucks.
This was my job as a child. I would wake up early in the morning and go out to the dirtpile, which as Lauri pointed out to me now, was more of a ditch than a pile, and play. I played all day until it got dark. I didn't mind being out in the sun and there were no trees.
Well, I guess those were the days. No cares, no worries.
Monday, August 20, 2007
My Father's Death and Funeral
My father passed away on August 16th. Today we buried him at Elm Creek Community Cemetery which is about 8 to 10 miles outside of Seguin in the country. I am relieved that my Dad's suffering has ended, but I am sad. Even though he was 70 years old, he never really seemed that old. To me, he was always in his late 40s or early 50s. I wish that cancer had not killed him. I wish that he had lived till he was a 120.
The funeral was officiated by Jeremy Roy, the hospital chaplain at Guadalupe Valley Regional Hospital. My Dad knew his father. Jeremy's father was also my drafting teacher in high school. Jeremy did an excellent job with the service and Nicole Bennet sang beautifully.
The older I get, the younger that 70 appears to be.
The outpouring of support from family, friends and neighbors has been tremendous. I don't think we realized how many people really loved my Dad. Goodbye Dad.
Obituary/Memorial for my father.
My father passed away on August 16th. Today we buried him at Elm Creek Community Cemetery which is about 8 to 10 miles outside of Seguin in the country. I am relieved that my Dad's suffering has ended, but I am sad. Even though he was 70 years old, he never really seemed that old. To me, he was always in his late 40s or early 50s. I wish that cancer had not killed him. I wish that he had lived till he was a 120.
The funeral was officiated by Jeremy Roy, the hospital chaplain at Guadalupe Valley Regional Hospital. My Dad knew his father. Jeremy's father was also my drafting teacher in high school. Jeremy did an excellent job with the service and Nicole Bennet sang beautifully.
The older I get, the younger that 70 appears to be.
The outpouring of support from family, friends and neighbors has been tremendous. I don't think we realized how many people really loved my Dad. Goodbye Dad.
Obituary/Memorial for my father.
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Death
The doctor and hospice nurse say Dad will pass away within 24 hours. Considering how much pain and distress his body has suffered, I wish it would come sooner rather than later. He has fought the good fight, but now he needs to go home to rest with Jesus where he will have peace for all eternity.
I'm sad for my family and especially for my Mom, but since there is no cure for prostate cancer and he's in the final stages, I wish his death would come quickly.
Somewhat ironic is that Merv Griffin has died today of prostate cancer.
The doctor and hospice nurse say Dad will pass away within 24 hours. Considering how much pain and distress his body has suffered, I wish it would come sooner rather than later. He has fought the good fight, but now he needs to go home to rest with Jesus where he will have peace for all eternity.
I'm sad for my family and especially for my Mom, but since there is no cure for prostate cancer and he's in the final stages, I wish his death would come quickly.
Somewhat ironic is that Merv Griffin has died today of prostate cancer.
Friday, August 10, 2007
Healthcare & the Future
My Dad went to the hospital by ambulance on Monday. Now it is all about easing his pain as the cancer consumes him. It has spread from his prostate to his liver and bones. He is in a lot of pain and can no longer communicate with us. This is a very difficult time for me and my family.
My mother, sister and I take turns staying with him through the days and nights. Right now I have just spent the night with him and I'm posting this from his bedside while he sleeps.
The nurses have been good, although it is easy to see they are understaffed. I've seen this when my wife was in the hospital. I'm sure it is a difficult job and they are probably criticized more than praised. Caring for a stranger is an act of God's grace in my opinion.
In the future, I can foresee that robots will become caregivers. I'm sure we will see this in Japan first. I predict that this will happen within 5 to 10 years. The robots will do simple tasks that are not life and death matters. Over time, more responsibility will be given to them. At some point, they will have a bot that will look like a human, but perform with the efficiency of a machine. The bot will have a gentle, but firm touch and the care will be consistent from patient to patient. Definitely for lower risk patients, this will become the standard of care. I wouldn't be surprised if at some point, almost every bed will have its own bot. Will this be good or bad? I think the answer will be both. Sometimes the bot will provide better care than a human nurse could provide, but at other times, the bot will be unable to approximate the emotional feedback provided by a good, kind hearted, caring human nurse.
I also see that caregiving bots will be in the home to help with chronically ill patients. I expect that DME companies will rent such bots instead of people buying a bot. The rich, however, will probably purchase their own caregiving bots, just as one would buy a car.
For single people, having a bot that takes care of them will really improve the quality of their life. This is especially important for people that are widowed after the lost of their spouse.
What do you think?
My Dad went to the hospital by ambulance on Monday. Now it is all about easing his pain as the cancer consumes him. It has spread from his prostate to his liver and bones. He is in a lot of pain and can no longer communicate with us. This is a very difficult time for me and my family.
My mother, sister and I take turns staying with him through the days and nights. Right now I have just spent the night with him and I'm posting this from his bedside while he sleeps.
The nurses have been good, although it is easy to see they are understaffed. I've seen this when my wife was in the hospital. I'm sure it is a difficult job and they are probably criticized more than praised. Caring for a stranger is an act of God's grace in my opinion.
In the future, I can foresee that robots will become caregivers. I'm sure we will see this in Japan first. I predict that this will happen within 5 to 10 years. The robots will do simple tasks that are not life and death matters. Over time, more responsibility will be given to them. At some point, they will have a bot that will look like a human, but perform with the efficiency of a machine. The bot will have a gentle, but firm touch and the care will be consistent from patient to patient. Definitely for lower risk patients, this will become the standard of care. I wouldn't be surprised if at some point, almost every bed will have its own bot. Will this be good or bad? I think the answer will be both. Sometimes the bot will provide better care than a human nurse could provide, but at other times, the bot will be unable to approximate the emotional feedback provided by a good, kind hearted, caring human nurse.
I also see that caregiving bots will be in the home to help with chronically ill patients. I expect that DME companies will rent such bots instead of people buying a bot. The rich, however, will probably purchase their own caregiving bots, just as one would buy a car.
For single people, having a bot that takes care of them will really improve the quality of their life. This is especially important for people that are widowed after the lost of their spouse.
What do you think?
Sunday, August 05, 2007
Happy 70th Birthday, Dad!
Today my Dad is 70 years old. Unfortunately, he's not in the best of health. This morning at about 6:30, he was sitting on the edge of the bed and fell hard onto the floor. Not a nice way to start your birthday. He scraped his knee and banged his head. God it sucks to get old. He is stubbornly independent and he won't ask for help. I was here in the next room when I heard him fall. Now I'm staying in the same room with him to make sure he doesn't try to move without some help.
Today my Dad is 70 years old. Unfortunately, he's not in the best of health. This morning at about 6:30, he was sitting on the edge of the bed and fell hard onto the floor. Not a nice way to start your birthday. He scraped his knee and banged his head. God it sucks to get old. He is stubbornly independent and he won't ask for help. I was here in the next room when I heard him fall. Now I'm staying in the same room with him to make sure he doesn't try to move without some help.
Monday, July 30, 2007
Prostate Cancer
My father is dying of prostate cancer. He turns 70 on August 5th. He was diagnosed about 6 years ago and chose not to have prostate surgery. I think he realizes now that it was a mistake not to do the surgery.
A warning to any man who is diagnosed -- in my opinion, getting the surgery is the lesser of two evils. If you take the course of inaction known as "Watchful Waiting", then you will suffer a slow, agonizing, painful decline to inevitable death. I don't know if doctors make this clear as they tend not to advocate one way or another since none of the choices are ideal, and they'd rather not be held accountable if the advice turns out to be bad.
Really, only you, the paitent, can make the decision. If I'm ever diagnosed with prostate cancer, I will not wait. I will get the surgery rather than wait for fate.
You just don't know how bad this disease can get until you see it happen to someone you love and care about.
My father is dying of prostate cancer. He turns 70 on August 5th. He was diagnosed about 6 years ago and chose not to have prostate surgery. I think he realizes now that it was a mistake not to do the surgery.
A warning to any man who is diagnosed -- in my opinion, getting the surgery is the lesser of two evils. If you take the course of inaction known as "Watchful Waiting", then you will suffer a slow, agonizing, painful decline to inevitable death. I don't know if doctors make this clear as they tend not to advocate one way or another since none of the choices are ideal, and they'd rather not be held accountable if the advice turns out to be bad.
Really, only you, the paitent, can make the decision. If I'm ever diagnosed with prostate cancer, I will not wait. I will get the surgery rather than wait for fate.
You just don't know how bad this disease can get until you see it happen to someone you love and care about.
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Setting Your Thermostat
Cooling - Cost of keeping room temperatures above and below 78 degrees F
80 degrees - 15% less
79 degrees - 8% less
78 degrees - Typical Setting
77 degrees - 8% more
76 degrees - 16% more
75 degrees - 24% more
74 degrees - 32% more
73 degrees - 40% more
72 degrees - 48% more
Heating - Cost of keeping room temperatures above and below 70 degrees F
75 degrees - 29% more
74 degrees - 23% more
73 degrees - 17% more
72 degrees - 11% more
71 degrees - 6% more
70 degrees - Typical Setting
69 degrees - 6% less
68 degrees - 11% less
67 degrees - 17% less
66 degrees - 22% less
65 degrees - 26% less
* Please note: Percentages of change are approximate and are for air conditioning and heating costs only, not total energy bill.
Source: TXU Energy pamphlet
Cooling - Cost of keeping room temperatures above and below 78 degrees F
80 degrees - 15% less
79 degrees - 8% less
78 degrees - Typical Setting
77 degrees - 8% more
76 degrees - 16% more
75 degrees - 24% more
74 degrees - 32% more
73 degrees - 40% more
72 degrees - 48% more
Heating - Cost of keeping room temperatures above and below 70 degrees F
75 degrees - 29% more
74 degrees - 23% more
73 degrees - 17% more
72 degrees - 11% more
71 degrees - 6% more
70 degrees - Typical Setting
69 degrees - 6% less
68 degrees - 11% less
67 degrees - 17% less
66 degrees - 22% less
65 degrees - 26% less
* Please note: Percentages of change are approximate and are for air conditioning and heating costs only, not total energy bill.
Source: TXU Energy pamphlet
Saturday, July 21, 2007
My Space
Why would anyone want to use My Space? It sucks! It is ugly. It isn't refined. It is garish. Now don't get me wrong. I'm blogging about the style, not the people. I have no problem with people posting on the web, but of all the places to do it, why do it on My Space. Instead, this tool, Blogger, is the way to go. It is so powerful. I haven't been a consistent blogger, but yesterday while I was pulling an all-nighter at work, I rediscovered how cool this tool is.
Why would anyone want to use My Space? It sucks! It is ugly. It isn't refined. It is garish. Now don't get me wrong. I'm blogging about the style, not the people. I have no problem with people posting on the web, but of all the places to do it, why do it on My Space. Instead, this tool, Blogger, is the way to go. It is so powerful. I haven't been a consistent blogger, but yesterday while I was pulling an all-nighter at work, I rediscovered how cool this tool is.
Should anyone ever do a blog? If it is done well, it can be quite revealing. Is one's ego that great that they blog? I guess this is ego driven, although maybe it is just one trying to leave something for the world to know they were here. We live for such a short time and then we're gone. It is the eternal question of why am I here? Is blogging the answer? (just kidding -- I'm not serious about that last sentence.)
Thursday, January 11, 2007
Well, the Mexico trip was the hottest vacation ever. I never sweated so much. Puerto Vallarta was nice. We had good accomodations, but the humidity was unbelievable. This was the low season so it wasn't crowded, but I'd rather go back when it is cooler. Food was good. Some of the best meals we've ever had in Mexico.
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