What Historic General Are You????

Julius Caesar You scored 59 Wisdom, 69 Tactics, 54 Guts, and 54 Ruthlessness!

Roman military and political leader. He was instrumental in the transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire. His conquest of Gallia Comata extended the Roman world all the way to the Atlantic Ocean, introducing Roman influence into what has become modern France, an accomplishment of which direct consequences are visible to this day. In 55 BC Caesar launched the first Roman invasion of Britain. Caesar fought and won a civil war which left him undisputed master of the Roman world, and began extensive reforms of Roman society and government. He was proclaimed dictator for life, and heavily centralized the already faltering government of the weak Republic. Caesar's friend Marcus Brutus conspired with others to assassinate Caesar in hopes of saving the Republic. The dramatic assassination on the Ides of March was the catalyst for a second set of civil wars, which marked the end of the Roman Republic and the beginning of the Roman Empire under Caesar's grand-nephew and adopted son Octavian, later known as Caesar Augustus. Caesar's military campaigns are known in detail from his own written Commentaries (Commentarii), and many details of his life are recorded by later historians such as Suetonius, Plutarch, and Cassius Dio.

My test tracked 4 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender: You scored higher than 30% on Unorthodox You scored higher than 43% on Tactics You scored higher than 48% on Guts You scored higher than 75% on Ruthlessness

Link: The Which Historic General Are You Test written by dasnyds on Ok Cupid, home of the 32-Type Dating Test

I am not ignoring you.....

it is always this time of year when the wife and boy are on vacation and I usually have to work nights to cover others at the station that I find no time to get on the PC and blog. So here I am at work trying to catch up and send out a shout that I am still here. I hope that you and yours have a great New Year and if I do not return till next week, enjoy!!!

Thoughts and Prayers

Coach Dungy made a statement while leaving the funeral service for his 18 year old son, who died last week just days before Christmas.  The following is his statement, verbatim...if half of us were to have one quarter of his faith, this world would be a much better place.

 

I just want to first of all start out by saying thank you for the love and prayers and support that we've received from the people of Tampa, from the people of Indianapolis, from people all over the country.

They've been very, very great and gracious to us in a time of grief for our family. We loved our son very much and he loved us and we miss him terribly but we also understand that we have some tremendous promises from God and God promises to be with us and he's with us in the great times and he's with us in the tough times. Our family will stand strong. The strength that we have in the Lord will allow us to get through this just as we get through times of victory.

Our grief is great but from our family we just say thank you to everyone. We appreciate everybody that's touched his life and everybody that's been part of him growing up. James was a good young man with a compassionate heart and we were glad to have him for 18 years. We're also glad that he accepted Christ as his savior so that God has him now for the rest of eternity.

 

Keep him and his family in your thoughts and prayers.

The Recap

Christmas was great this year. It started Friday night when I collapsed at home from lack of sleep. I had been awake about 40 hours when I finally fell asleep on the couch Friday night. I awoke bright and early Saturday and we began the end of Christmas prep. We finished wrapping the gifts and straightened the house for company the next day. Then off to my parents for dinner and Church and Santa after Mass. Joining us were my sister and son and my brother and my other brother with wife and daughter. We ate prime rib and crabs and pasta and lobsters and Christmas goodies. We drank and were merry and went to an early mass (7:30). Side Note: we got to church and they were setting up seats in the halls and entrance ways when we found a crying room, with 3 kids and 11 seats it fit us perfectly and the babies did not bother anyone. After mass it was high tail it home and see what Santa left under the tree. Santa (and family) were extremely generous and we all left with something nice and the kids made out like bandits. Then for us after awhile it was home to bed, where our Santa made his visit after the boy went to sleep.

Christmas Day dawned with warm temps and plenty of gifts. Once again the boy made out very well (we also had the wife's side of the family gifts to open) and was very appreciative. The wife got some nice gadgets and a ring and I got my Ipod and a few DVDs and games. With the gifts open and the house clean we turned on the oven and opened the doors and one by one the family came over to talk and eat and relax. We watched the History of Christmas on Food Network, some football and a few movies for the kids before settling down again to a nice winter's nap.

In the end it just showed that the gifts are nice and everyone has something on their list but spending the time with family is what this season is all about.

Merry Christmas to you all!!

Merry Christmas!!

We have many traditions in our home and the wife loves this time of year. Our home is always decorated and each year we pick up something else to set up. This Snoopy set was bought years ago and is something we treasure. Not only is the wife a huge Snoopy fan but when this came out (Hallmark) we have to travel all over Upstate New York to complete this set. It has now become an important part of our Christmas and I often have visions of grandchildren coming over and helping Grandpa set up the Snoopy......

Silly isn't it!!

Kick In The Gut

With the Lock In I did not comment on yesterday's big story here in Indy so
here it is:

In my line of work you get to meet many people and tons of celebrities. Some are nicer than expected (Richard Karn, Deb Norville), some are not (Names Removed for Legal Reasons) and some become friends (Rupert). But there is also those that are so genuine that you are just glad that you had a chance to work with them. One of those is Tony Dungy, for those of you not into football he is the Head Coach of the Indianapolis Colts. As loyal readers know I love the Colts, more for their class then their record and that class starts at the top with Coach Dungy. A man of faith and family and football, this was someone to look up to. Yesterday he suffered the worse loss a man could, the death of a child. His oldest son was found dead in his Florida apartment where he was attending college classes. When I heard this on the way to work I was physically ill, I do not know him personally and have only worked with him once or twice and he would not know me from Adam but I was saddened as if I suffered the loss with him and I am not the only one. Most of my co-workers feel the same way and that is a testament to the man and his ways. Please keep a thought or say a prayerfor the Coach and his family especially at this time of year.

God Bless

Message from Sleepy Town

Just got into work. Stop.
Went to Scout Lock In last night and have been up since 6:40am Thursday morning. Stop
I have now been up 28 hours and just started an 8 hour shift. Stop
Boss took early vacation so I actually have to work. Stop
This might count as 2 posts as I have been seeing double for the past 3 hours. Stop
Zzzzzzzzz. Stop

Winter Concert

We went to my boy's Winter Concert last night. He plays percussion and had a solo and did very well. All the kids did and we had a very enjoyable evening. The funny part was that after all my bitching these past couple of days this was all in all a Christmas Concert. There were 15 songs played and 13 of them were traditional Christmas songs. One had the Drydel (sp?) song in it and the last was called African Coral Bells but was a Christmas song with a traditional African beat, very entertaining. I would tell you were he goes to school but I don't want the ACLU and their jack-booted thugs kicking in the doors and suing the school for using the word Christmas in their program and letting the kids were Santa hats.

On the tooth update my dentist is on vacation till next week, so it will be awhile till I can get it fixed. So I chew on the right side of my mouth and do not eat anything too tough. Weird, I have not had a cavity in 15 years and this is one I know I got before High School (I am very careful with my teeth). For the record it was a Bic pen cap I used to pry what I thought was popcorn out from between my teeth, and the cap did not break and the filling came out in one piece...ouch.

Stepping off the soap box

OK, so I read the comment from Mary and I realize that I myself have been saying Happy Holidays for years. And that I am comfortable in my faith and my celebrations and would not force my views on others. I think my main problem is that certain people and organizations are trying to take Christ out of Christmas and that Catholics no matter what branch or devotion are being singled out because it is the religion of choice of the 'religious right'. It seems the only time the church and state argument comes up is at Christmas time. I am just angry at being singled out and tired of the media, the ACLU, the Democrats and other organizations dropping the hate on Jesus.

Ouches...

1. I had something stuck in my teeth and tried to pry it out using various things, toothbrush, floss, toothpick and then finally a pen cap...and out popped a 15 year old filing. I had to pry like a mother to pop it out. There is no more pressure but the tooth is sensitive and sore as hell, real true pain. To the dentist I go...

2. We had a warm spell, rain and then a nice drop in temps, which cause black ice (ice that cannot be seen) and as I took the garbage out on Thursday I took quite the spill landing on the ass and twisting the knee. Been limping and sore ever since.

3. The wife had her Christmas Party last night and we hosted it. I was bartending and we had about 15 guests. It was a good night, everyone had fun and I drank TOO much...Pounding headache this morning when I woke up...

4. Which leads to Four...the Colts lost today and are now 13-1...what a nice classy run these boys had. We went to the game and those of us who stayed stood up with less than a minute left when the 'A' crew came out on the field for the last series. Class and Style and now we gear up for the Super Bowl...oh and that pounding headache stayed with me the whole time 60,000 fans cheered the entire game...

Angry Young Man

Who thought that so much anger, energy and soul can fly out of a piano, thank you Billy Joel...(got Itunes on Party Shuffle and AYM came up)...

Have you ever sat and thought and listened to the news, radio or read a paper and wonder when the inmates took over the asylum??? I mean really it seems that common sense has flown out the door and people are fearful of speaking up for what is right!! That is why I am enjoying this battle against Happy Holidays, the Holiday Tree, Tookie Williams and prayer.

Let us take a look:
This is the Christmas season, that big green thing with decorations on it and a big star or angel on the top is a CHRISTMAS TREE, not a holiday tree, or a giving tree or a season tree, it is a Christmas Tree. You do not call a Menorah a candlestick and the Koran is not just another book so knock it the hell off!!!

Tookie Williams is a convicted murderer and worse responsible for founding one of the worst gangs in history. Not only is he responsible for the deaths of those 4 people he killed in cold blood but also for the over 10,000 killed in gang violence in California since the Crips and Bloods came into being. Celebs need to research before they back a cause. Plus where was Sean Penn and Jamie Foxx, etc speaking out for the 4 innocents, the 4 victims, the 4 that no longer have a voice because of this man. Good riddance.

The Indians Civil liberties Union showed it's real colors this month as it took the State Legislature to court and got the words Jesus Christ removed from any prayer said in the House. They have finally gone over the edge and have attacked a person's Freedom of Speech. They have gone too far for too long and now it is time to strike back, now is the time to stand up and say no more, now is the time to rise up and take back this great country of ours before it is too late. The kicker of it all is that a prayer has been said at the start of each House session in Indiana for 188 years and last year a Pastor sang a gospel him that had the words Jesus Christ in to and the ICLU went crazy. These idiots have made their own noose, slipped their necks into it and I am more than willing to help drop the floor out from under them. I do not care what religion you are and the House has included many different faiths in their opening prayer, the ICLU have gone too far and we will fight back. 2006 will be a year of change for the better, I hope. No more PC, no more ACLU kow-towing, time for the American working family to stand up and be recognized and represented!!!

Snow, Idiots, and Booze

Wow, what a weekend and end of week, sorry I've been gone but I've been very busy. Let us start with Thursday. Here in Indy we got 7 inches of snow starting at 2pm and hitting hard during rush hour. We do not get the snow we got in upstate New York and that is one of the things I actually miss!!! Call me crazy but I love snow and after that first big snow everyone remembers how to drive, the sidewalks get cleaned fast and we have actual plows that go down side streets and everything. Here in Indy it is a rare occurrence to get this much snow in one hit and the people have no idea how to handle it. These people freak when it rains hard so you can imagine what the roads were like for a few inches of the white stuff. On a normal night, even with heavy traffic it only takes me about 30 minutes to get home. Thursday it took over 2.5 hours!!! Yes 2.5 hours and there were no accidents, no cars on the side of the road, no slipping and sliding, no out of control automobiles, just idiots who have no idea how to drive, PERIOD!!!!! It was very frustrating to say the least, to be bumper to bumper for no reason!!!!

Saturday was a different story, we went to the mall and I survived. We had an awesome spot, the first parking spot outside the entrance and there was not a lot of waiting in line in the different stores. We got some shopping done and some great ideas for the rest. Saturday night came and we went to my company Christmas Party. It was a very good time, we got to dress up (me in my suit for the 2nd time this month and the wife in a very nice dress) and mingle with co-workers and spouses. One husband knows my wife as they work for the same company and exchange e-mails weekly but since the wife uses her maiden name at my work the connection was never made (in a smaller world this same guy has an office in the same building as my father, who also works for the same bank). With some good food and an open bar it was a great party, we were one of the last to leave and I actually got on the dance floor for a song or two. Safe to say I will be there again next year.

Sunday I woke with a slight hangover and watched the Colts go 13-0 and stayed awake long enough to see my favorite Danni win Survivor!!!! Everything else is a blurr.

During all this was the fact that the boy stayed home alone on Friday (a Snow Day) and Saturday night while we partied!!! He asked for more responsibility and on Friday we told him he could stay home during the snow day (with Grandma a phone call away) if he cleaned, shoveled and let us know when he was leaving the house and checked in from time to time. Which he did, he called the wife or I on a regular basis and let us know when he moved from one house to another. There were about 4 kids in the neighborhood who roamed, having snowball fights, building forts and asking mom's for hot cocoa. So when Saturday came and we were only to be gone for 3 hours we let him watch a movie and play games (no friends) at home if he wanted (or go to his aunt's). He choose home and we found him asleep on the couch with Nickelodeon on the TV. He's a pretty good kid!!

Police Update: We have had 2 officers shot in the past 2 weeks. One (a roommate of a friend) lost his right eye when a criminal shot him in the face during a pursuit. Last week we had 2 shot on the same day. Both will make full recoveries (one a leg shot and the other in the shoulder). Both are home and safe for the Holidays. Keep a thought for all three and all the men and women on the streets this and everyday!!!!!

Sad Day

Driving to work a cop passed me lights blazing, then another, then another followed by 15, yes 15 cops going so fast my car shock on the side of the road. I called the station to report it and was told we had an officer shot and I was near it. As I continue towards work an ambulance pulls in front of me and hauls ass into town, I follow and call the station again telling them the ambulance is on the way in and is heading towards a city hospital (last time we followed an ambulance with the chopper we followed the wrong one). I followed it until I got to work and ran in and directed several Special Reports. Glad to say that the officer will make a full recovery. Sad to say that this was the SECOND Police shooting that day. Earlier in the day an officer was shot in the shoulder while at a domestic dispute. He too will make a dull recovery.

Yesterday was Pearl Harbor Day and it felt like I was one of a few who actually remembered, my station covered it on page 20 of the news and I do not remember seeing it on any morning show. But today I wake up and all I hear is that it is the anniversary of the death of John Lennon. Several thousand Americans are killed or wounded in a sneak attack that draws a nation into war hardly gets noticed, but some English guy who made music is shot in NYC and it is top story on the national news. That's just wrong.

Scouting

WE had our December Court of Honor last night. For those not in the know a Court of Honor is where the Troop and our families gather to present awards and rank and special recognition to the Scouts and sometimes Adult Leaders. Last night was a small one as it covers mostly the months when the boys go back to school and we are a little light so they can concentrate on schoolwork. However last night I was honored twice. The first was a certificate from the Scoutmaster as One Who Goes Above and Beyond. It was very nice of them, but I do it because I enjoy Scouting and really like this Troop. The second honor was presenting a Gold Palm to one of the Eagle Scouts. Palms are awards given to active Eagle Scouts. It is a little something to say thanks for sticking around and giving back to the Troop. I gave a nice introduction speech and made a mom or two cry, which while wasn't my intent meant that I did hit the right spots in the speech and got my point across. Mainly that with all that goes on in a young man's life the fact that he returns to the Troop and gives back after he received his Eagle says a lot about the fiber of that young man.

It was a very nice night and one that I hope he will remember as time goes by.

Nothing To Say

Am I bored? Am I done blogging? Am I just tired or suffering from writers block? I am not sure, but it seems lately I have nothing to say here. Maybe it is just the upcoming Christmas Season and I am just too busy to think. I do have all my gifts bought (in my head) and now I just have to goout and find them.

I have a great American novel in me, I am sure of it. I actually have several, a series and a short story collection. Neither of which will ever see the light of day as they are locked into my mind and I can never seem to get them out!! Maybe that will be goal 2 for next year, flesh out some
ideas and get them out of my head and onto paper (or virtual paper in MS Word). Goal 1 is of course to use the camera more and take better pictures to display. That one should be fun!!!!

Work calls and lunch is over...

Till Next Time.

Baby It's Cold Outside

It is freezing here in Indy, down in the teens as a high and even lower (tweens) overnight. Our decorations outside got a nice layer of ice and some lights blew. I have to fix them but it is too cold to go out there and work in the yard.

Got the cards ready to print and ran a test run yesterday, we are good to go!!!

The house has a certain Christmas charm now and is very clean. We are at that stage now where if we just pick up what we did today the house is immaculate! Awesome. We also got some shopping done yesterday. I have tons to get for the wife and we are still searching a little for the boy. We are going to do a lot of shopping over the internet and the wife already has a head start on that one.

Sweeps is over at work and things are getting back to normal. Today starts the new producer shift. We have had 2 producers leave us in the past year and we still have not had replacements hired yet. They shuffled around some people and we get a new 5 producer today but the 6 producer is a round robin of whoever is available to do the news and it shows. Hopefully they will get in gear and hire someone or promote someone so we don't change news styles everyday.

Luncheon And More

So the luncheon was a success. I wore the suit and got tons of compliments at work. I liked the way it fit since it is a 2 year old suit and it felt a little loose. Lucky me.

The luncheon itself was great, I sat with my boss and boss' boss and several CEO's and upper management people (one is spending Christmas in Aspen the other will join his family already in their winter home on the West Coast). But it was a good time with good food and our Governor is a very good speaker. We also raised $460,880.00 for Scouting in Indiana. YIPPEEEE!!!!!

Got back to work in time and finished off the day in the suit ( I could get used to that). Then made my way home to a nice quiet evening.

Way tired this week so we slept in a little today, I woke at 5am then went back to bed and woke back up at 10:00am...holy shit I have not slept that long in YEARS!!!! The boy did not move till Noon, but we cleaned and decorated and did laundry and have yet to take showers and leave the house. I know, lazy bums. But being 7:30 I doubt we will make it out. Tomorrow is another story, errands aplenty.

So enjoy the day, I am sure I will have tired feet from all the walking the wife has scheduled for tomorrow!!

The Countdown Begins

It is the 2nd day of December and the big countdown to Christmas begins in our household. The biggest fear for me is shopping. With my schedule and 'outside activities' most of my shopping time is on the weekend, now I hate malls and associated big box shopping to begin with but toss in several thousand people with the same idea on a Saturday or Sunday and I am ready to kill about 2 minutes after entering a store. I have a lot of hope of online shopping this year but that means preplanning and most of my shopping is traditionally done in the 2-3 days leading up to Christmas Day (I have been known to buy last minute stuff on Christmas Eve). So the online experience is forcing me to step up the game and get some stuff done this weekend. Wish me luck on that front.

Today I am actually wearing a suit to work. I have been invited to a luncheon with the Governor. Today is the kickoff of the Friends of Scouting program were many business and individuals donate money to Scouting. My work is involved in it and my big boss has a table at this luncheon and invited me to it. They came to me and asked if I wanted to attend but I told them I had to direct the Noon Show on Friday. They said why don't you ask your boss of they can cover you, I said why don't YOU ask my boss if they can cover me, since you pull more weight. So in they went and now I am going....yippee!!! My first real grown up luncheon and with the Governor no less...wish me luck on this one too. Thanks