Cross-combobulated!

Cross-combobulated! I've managed to get all of my Web 2.0 apps confused. I need to figure out where Jott, Twitter, facebook, blogger, HelloTxt, and Plurk are all going, posting, and cross linking...

" I get up every mor

" I get up every morning determined to both change the world and to have one hell of a good time. Sometimes, this makes planning the day difficult." -- E.B. White

I'm noticing that no

I'm noticing that not all of my updates from HelloTxt don't seem to make it to the 'net. What's up with that?

Another great Worldw

Another great Worldwide Marriage Encounter Community evening tonight.

Feeling pretty torqu

Feeling pretty torqued off today - the trials and tribulations of living with a teenager... Lord help me, please.

Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky calls free speech "Despicable' and "Shameful"

I read with interest Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky's press release on the tax day "Tea Parties".  The tagline on her press release was, "Schakowsky Calls Parties "Despicable' and "Shameful"".

I myself don't see how the tea parties were going to create change but they did create some publicity.  I did see them as events of Constitionally protected free speech. It seems that the exercise of this free speech, however, offends Rep. Schakowsky. It would appear that any disagreement with President Obama's policies are promoted by right-wing republicans and corporate interests and that paying income taxes are a significant, honorable moment of American history.

I disagree with most of President Obummer's policies.  He is leading us into socialism and away from what made this country great.  I didn't support President Bush either.  We have been on the wrong track for a while but we're picking up speed in the wrong direction.

Pacific Ocean Fishin

Pacific Ocean Fishing Trip Planned I'm making plans to go fishing on Saturday, May 2, at 5:30 PM for four hours with Dana Wharf Sportfishing. Wanna join us? Go here http://htxt.it/kPmI to buy tickets on line. Let me know if you're going so that I can look for you.

Testing a text msg from my cell phone

Testing a text msg from my cell phone to HelloTxt. Cool.

Just saw this on facebook

Just saw this on facebook:

_ took the Which math equation are you? quiz and the result is Gaussian Distribution

f(x) = 1/(SQRT(2π)*σ)*e^(-(x-μ)^2/(2σ^2))

You are very normal. You are always positive, and although you have a mean, you usually aren't.

Cool...

Just finished publis

Just finished publishing the update scout directory. Off to finish my UCI class homework.

Time for Trout fishing?

Time for Trout fishing? Mile Square Park Lake in Orange and Alondra Park Lake, Arroyo Seco Creek, Belvedere Lake, Castaic Lake, Cerritos Lake, Downey Lake, Echo Park Lake, El Dorado Park Lake, Hollenbeck Park Lake, Jackson Lake, Kenneth Hahn Lake, La Mirada Lake, Legg Lakes, Lincoln Park Lake and Pyramid Lake in Los Angeles are getting stocked this week.

Easter Sunday

It's Easter Sunday and I'm back to bloggin' again.  40 days in the digital desert - whew!  It was tough not complaining about all of the stuff I saw and not writing down all the stupid things that popped into my head.  But, Lent is over and I'm rarin' to go.  I'll be firin' up all of my fingers and on-line posting brain cells to get going and share some nifty new stuff with you.

The Lord is risen, Hallelujah!  

Ash Wednesday

It's Ash Wednesday, time to begin Lenten sacrifices.  I am considering several sacrifices but I've decided that fasting from and abstaining from social networking web sites is a good start.  I'll resume blogging after Easter Sunday.  May your Lenten Sacrifices be fruitful in your spiritual life.  God Bless you.

What are you doing for Lent?

Lent is a time of doing Pennance and sacrificing to move towards the Spiritual realm away from the worldly realm.  What are you doing for Pennance and sacrifice?  Things that I am considering:

• Give up fast food
• Give up snacking between meals
• Give up dessert
• Give up candy
• Give up social networking web sites
• Partaking of the Sacrament of Recocilliation more often

I have less than 36 hours to decide...

Lunch tomorrow is at an all-you-can-eat chinese buffet.

Mike

What are you doing for Mardis Gras?

Mardis Gras is french for "Fat Tuesday" meaning the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday.  Ash Wednesday is this Wednesday and is the start of Lent.  On Ash Wednesday we are reminded of the mortality of our earthly bodies - our bodies will eventually return to the earth from whence they came.  Our Souls are another matter.  At the end of our earthly existence we are moving to a new home for eternity, Heaven (possibly by way of Purgatory) or Hell.  And so Ash Wednesday begins a season of preparation for celebrating Easter - the Resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ.  We spend this time of Lent doing Pennance for our sins.  Most of us execute that Pennance by fasting from a worldly pleasure.  As a kid it was always candy.  As an adult it has been coffee, snacks, dessert, candy, fast food, beer, and other things.  I think that it is human nature that if we know that we are going to fast from something for 7 1/2 weeks we want to indulge in it one last time.  That indulgence is the celbration of Mardis Gras.

Mardis Gras is not a time to commit sins of the flesh.  It is a time to partake and enjoy one last time (and for most of us it seems, to excess) our pleasure that we will be fasting and abstaining from for the next 7 1/2 weeks.

So, what are your plans for Mardis Gras?

The sky is falling

OK, maybe the sky isn't falling but it sure is getting crowded up there and more dangerous.  The WSJ posted an article about a collision between a commercial commsat and a defunct Russian military bird.  It's just a wee bit bothersome and I hope that our military is doing more to protect our own birds.

My Father-In-Law, Dan

I'm sitting here continuing to reflect on the day, the weekend, and the week.  I was doing this all the way home on the plane from Dallas and I'm not done yet.  I suspect I may lie awake in bed for a while tonight continuing to think, ponder, and pray.

Let me bring you up to speed.  On Tuesday I got a phone call from my Mother-in-Law, Linda (aka Nana).  Dan was struggling and having some problems.  Talking to the doctor she pushed for an answer and was told that the doctor was guessing that Dan only had 2 to 4 weeks to live given his current rate of decline.  A. and I had some discussions and the decision was made that we would all fly down to visit - G. and I for the weekend, A. for the duration - however long that was.  We all went down on Friday with G. and I coming back today.

Dan is on some serious pain killers and spends a lot of time sleeping.  He has periods of great lucidity and periods where he doesn't want to communicate.  His mornings are much better than evenings.  We watched the Steelers/Ravens game together yesterday.  He was happy that the Steelers were going to the Superbowl and disappointed that his beloved Cowboys were out.  He's rooting for the Steelers in two weeks.

Today I went shopping out at Costco.  I enjoyed a hot dog for him.  Over the years of visiting him he always made sure that I understood it was right and proper to enjoy a hot dog on the weekend.  I've been trying to have a hot dog out every weekend for a few years and every time I do I think of him.  I guess that this is a habit that I will pass on to others with stories about Dan.

I had to say goodbye to him this afternoon to get to the airport to come home.  It was a very hard goodbye for me realizing that it was, in all likely hood, my last time to see him alive.  I am already missing the father of my bride.  I can see that it is his time and it was remarkable seeing how death comes to us.  His appetite is getting weak.  He is still drinking lots of water but the nurse says that will be stopping as well.  He is in bed and won't be getting up again as he continues to get weaker and needs others to take care of his needs.  I recommend Tuesdays with Morrie for a better description of what is happening to Dan.

So for a short time I've loaned my wife back to her father so that she can help nurse him and take care of him.  I miss her as well but, God Willing, I will get her back soon after she has had the opportunity to say her goodbyes.

I love you Dan.  God speed.  Please put in a good word with the Lord for me when you get there.  You will missed, but not forgotten.  May God Bless you.

FOCA Novena

I received this e-mail and wanted to pass it along to all of you.  I am participating in this Novena.

If you are opposed to abortion then there is bad news on the horizon.  For those of you who do not know, the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA) is set to be signed if congress passes it on January 21-22 of 2009.  FOCA would essentially remove all restrictions on abortion, including moral objections by health care providers.

The Plan:

To say a novena, 9 days of prayer, along with fasting starting on January 11th. For Catholics, the prayer of choice will be the Rosary with intentions to stop the FOCA.  For non Catholics I encourage you to pray your strongest prayers with the same intentions, also for nine consecutive days.  The hope is that this will branch and blossom as to become a global effort with maximum impact.  We have very little time so we all must act fast.  Just do three things:

1. Pass this letter to 5 or more people
   
2. Do it in three days or less
   
3. Start the novena on January 11th and pray for nine consecutive days.
   

(please also fast for at least two days during the novena)

Remember that with God all things are possible and the power of prayer is undeniable.  The time is now to do something to save the unborn!

May God bless you all!!

"We cannot fight credibly against other social and moral evils, including poverty and violence, while we tolerate mass killings by abortion."

- Mother Teresa of Calcutta

Government Plans to Overhaul Healthcare

The New York Times is reporting that Tom Daschle is preparing to have the government overhaul the US Healthcare system.  Tom is saying that the deepening recession is going to create more uninsured and that many uninsured people face financial bankruptcy when they get sick.  I agree with Tom that these are serious issues.  Very serious.  But I'm more scared of Tom and his plans.

Everytime the government says that they want to help me and make my life better they make my life worse.  They "reformed" campaign finances and the political ads got worse and I was told it was illegal for me to exercise my right to free speech.  I smell universal health care in the wind.  Those with no insurance will get some.  We will all have long waits.  And the US taxpayer will be paying for everyone's health care.  We need change.  Let's put doctors back in charge of their patients, reduce malpractive lawsuits, and get the government OUT of healthcare.

Poll: When will you take down your Christmas decorations?

The poll, "When will you take down your Christmas decorations?" is now closed.  There was only one registerd vote (mine) and the results are:

They're already down:  0%

New Year's Day:  0%

The first weekend of the new year:  0%

After Epiphany:  100% (yea me!)

I will leave them up for next year:  0%

Though Curtis did sneak a vote in via the comments for a split between the first weekend of the new year and after Epiphany.  Thanks Curtis.

Have a great day and may God Bless you!