Of Great Events...

So the world is going to hell in a handbasket and we just all sit around and wait for it to happen. Sure less people at eating out and auto dealerships are seeing the worst quarters in years. But the line at Starbucks is still long, the Apple store was crowded last weekend and I have yet to see one major group, one rallying point, one standout jump up and saw NOW IS THE TIME!!!!

NOW IS THE TIME to take back this country!

NOW IS THE TIME to bring our troops home from places like Japan and Germany and England

NOW IS THE TIME to shake up Washington, Obama/McCain does not matter, they are the same!

NOW IS THE TIME to volunteer and get out there with an organization and make a difference

NOW IS THE TIME to take back our schools and explain Columbus wasn't a mass murderer (yes that was taught to my son), the Civil War was just as much about State's Rights and the impact that had on our country, this nation was founded on RELIGIOUS FREEDOM not FREEDOM FROM RELIGION, that partisan bullshit is just that bullshit, every American wants the same thing: happiness...

Unfortunately NOW IS THE TIME to do nothing as this will pass and it will all be the same. We had a chance in 2001 to change the course of this great nation and wake from the slumber like our parents/grandparents did after December 7th, 1941 but it is less than a decade later and we are back to those old habits.

I dream of a time when we can hold our heads high as Americans again, instead of watching our own turn on us.

I dream of a time when we are free of foreign influence for oil and products and customer service and that we trade because we want to NOT because we are desperate

I dream of a time when I do not worry that my son will live in a country that USED to be America

But I guess that is all it is, a dream.

Sad Day

Tonight marks the last game at Yankee Stadium.  I spent many games there in my youth with my grandfather, parents, and friends.  I got to bring my son there last season and we visited Monument Park, got to pay my respects to my hero Thurman Munson and then watched Andy Pettitte's return to Pinstripes.  I showed him that hollowed ground and he was awed.

My Yankees were the Yankees starting in the 70's and have been since!  While this season will mark the first time in my son's life that the Yankees are not in the playoffs, it was still a fantastic season to see how important this stadium and this team has been to baseball since darn near the beginning!

An old friend is leaving us tonight and I for one will miss her!

Stupid, Stupid, Stupid...

My Ipod has been broken for a year and the people at Apple wanted $80 to fix a broken headphone jack.  I was using the Radio Remote for some time but now that has a broken wire so I said stuff it apple and picked up an OEM replacement headphone jack on ebay for $8.  Put it in last night no problems and it worked perfectly.  While testing I notices some stuff got in between the case and screen I opened it a little to blow it out and when closing I heard a little snap...

Yes I cracked the screen and now the ipod is worthless!  How stupid of me, what an idiot!!!  I could get a replacement screen on ebay as well but they are so fragile I am not sure...not a happy camper last night at all!

Doing My Duty...

What an incredible month!  First off, I finally took the big plunge and took Wood Badge.  What is Wood Badge you ask.  Well it is the ultimate in Adult Training for Scout Leaders.  It is such an incredible program that many Fortune 500 companies audit the program and use it as corporate training for their management.  Several of my fellows had their fee paid for by their company, alas I was not one of them.

So Wood Badge is split into two 3-day weekends.  The first one is pretty much class time at a scout camp.  We go through the entire Scout program as if we were a boy, starting with Cub Scouts and having a Den Mom (or Dad) and holding Den Meetings and Skill times etc.  In between all that is some fantastic staff presentations on Group Forming stages, Leadership styles, understanding and applying certain styles to certain group dynamics, etc.  Really in depth stuff.  We are then put into Critter Patrols (mine is Eagle) and you operate as a Patrol for the rest of the course.  I met what I can honestly consider some friends for life in my patrol.  We break for 3 weeks (we have to meet at least once for a project, we met twice and held many email conferences) then meet again for a backpacking campout weekend. 

So I start with the first weekend then end up going camping again the every next weekend with my Troop to our Junior Leader Training where I help teach and cook for 20 Scouts.  I get back from that one Sunday afternoon and go back to work.  Three days later I am called and picked for Jury Duty.  I got to sit on a Assault with a deadly weapon case for two days (we found him not guilty) and then worked the following weekend.  After that was done I went back to Wood Badge for the final weekend in which we cooked for ourselves on backpacking stoves and had a nice campfire the final night...

that all being said I have spent the past 3 out of 4 weekends in the woods, sat on a jury for two days and then helped my station convert it's newscasts to High Def...

Today I am sick and stayed home and did nothing ALL DAY, I even took a nap in the afternoon!!!!!

I Remember...

No pictures or stories, I remembered yesterday in silence and prayer. I thought of my union brothers atop the Towers manning their post until it came down. The responders and office workers all just going about normal lives, the families and commuters flying to a destination.

I thought of the evil that designed and carried this out and what I would do if face to face with them.

In the end I thought of my family and how it has affected us. The world my son is now in and the world my wife and I have to raise him in and reflect on how it was before that fateful day...