Kraken Kronicles

Letter Du Jour...

2010-02-09T11:14:00.002-05:00

Two Highway Patrol Officers were conducting speeding enforcement on I-15, just north of Oceanside , San Diego , California.

One of the officers was using a hand held radar device to check speeding vehicles approaching the crest of a hill. The officers were suddenly surprised when the radar gun began reading 300 miles per hour and climbing.

The officer attempted to reset the radar gun, but it would not reset and then it suddenly turned off.

Just then a deafening roar over the treetops revealed that the radar had in fact locked on to a USMC F/A-18 Hornet which was engaged in a low flying exercise near this, it's home base location.

Back at the California Highway Patrol Headquarters the Patrol Captain fired off a complaint to the US Marine Corps . Base Commander for shutting down his equipment.

The reply came back in true USMC style:

Thank you for your letter.

You may be interested to know that the tactical computer in the Hornet had detected the presence of, and subsequently locked on to, your hostile radar equipment and automatically sent a jamming signal back to it, which is why it shut down.

Furthermore, an Air-to-Ground missile aboard the fully armed aircraft had also automatically locked on to your equipment location. Fortunately, the Marine Pilot flying the Hornet recognized the situation for what it was, quickly responded to the missile system alert status and was able to override the automated defense system before the missile was launched to destroy the hostile radar position.

The pilot suggests you cover your mouths when cussing at them, since the video systems on these jets are very high tech. Sergeant Johnson, the officer holding the radar gun, should get his dentist to check his left rear molar. It appears the filling is loose. Also, the snap is broken on his holster.

Semper Fi

Sighting Du Jour....

2010-01-26T08:09:00.000-05:00

ELLIE LIGHT

WAS

HERE

Dilbert Does Global Warming...

2009-12-09T15:49:00.002-05:00

Picture Du Jour...

2009-11-23T23:35:00.000-05:00

Picture Du Jour...

2009-11-04T16:54:00.002-05:00

Poem Du Jour....

2009-09-29T23:18:00.003-04:00

Just A Common Soldier
(A Soldier Died Today)

by A. Lawrence Vaincourt

He was getting old and paunchy and his hair was falling fast,
And he sat around the Legion, telling stories of the past
Of a war that he had fought in and the deeds that he had done,
In his exploits with his buddies; they were heroes, every one.
And tho' sometimes, to his neighbors, his tales became a joke,
All his Legion buddies listened, for they knew whereof he spoke.
But we'll hear his tales no longer for old Bill has passed away,
And the world's a little poorer, for a soldier died today.
He will not be mourned by many, just his children and his wife,
For he lived an ordinary and quite uneventful life.
Held a job and raised a family, quietly going his own way,
And the world won't note his passing, though a soldier died today.
When politicians leave this earth, their bodies lie in state,
While thousands note their passing and proclaim that they were great.
Papers tell their whole life stories, from the time that they were young,
But the passing of a soldier goes unnoticed and unsung.
Is the greatest contribution to the welfare of our land
A guy who breaks his promises and cons his fellow man?
Or the ordinary fellow who, in times of war and strife,
Goes off to serve his Country and offers up his life?
A politician's stipend and the style in which he lives
Are sometimes disproportionate to the service that he gives.
While the ordinary soldier, who offered up his all,
Is paid off with a medal and perhaps, a pension small.
It's so easy to forget them for it was so long ago,
That the old Bills of our Country went to battle, but we know
It was not the politicians, with their compromise and ploys,
Who won for us the freedom that our Country now enjoys.
Should you find yourself in danger, with your enemies at hand,
Would you want a politician with his ever-shifting stand?
Or would you prefer a soldier, who has sworn to defend
His home, his kin and Country and would fight until the end?
He was just a common soldier and his ranks are growing thin,
But his presence should remind us we may need his like again.
For when countries are in conflict, then we find the soldier's part
Is to clean up all the troubles that the politicians start.
If we cannot do him honor while he's here to hear the praise,
Then at least let's give him homage at the ending of his days.
Perhaps just a simple headline in a paper that would say,
Our Country is in mourning, for a soldier died today.

Picture is worth many many words....

2009-09-12T00:09:00.002-04:00

Cap and Trade Folly

2009-06-24T09:40:00.003-04:00

This is a post from Powerline about the cap-and-trade energy tax. I thought I would share as it gets to the nuts and bolts of the issue. Alot of money out of our wallets for no sound or justifiable reason. Contact your rep today!!! I already did.
-----
In his press conference today, President Obama talked about the cap-and-trade energy tax that the Democrats are trying to ram through Congress. Obama's nose grew a couple of inches as he uttered this howler: At a time of great fiscal challenges, this legislation is paid for by the polluters who currently emit the dangerous carbon emissions that contaminate the water we drink and pollute the air we breathe.

The idea that the energy tax will come to rest with "polluters"--that is to say, power companies, manufacturers, agribusinesses, and so on--is absurd. The cost will be passed on to consumers, as Obama himself admitted during a moment of candor during the campaign, when he said that electricity costs would "skyrocket" under his cap-and-trade proposal.

Obama isn't dumb enough to believe that the many billions of dollars in costs that his proposal will impose on energy companies, etc., will somehow disappear thereafter. But he thinks you are.

Meanwhile, others are putting out information, rather than disinformation, on the disaster that is Waxman-Markey. Like the National Mining Association, which produced this map showing, state by state, how many millions of dollars in costs will be imposed on each state annually under the bill's allowance allocation formula. Click to enlarge:

Here in Minnesota, we can look forward to an additional $100 million+ in costs to be paid for annually by taxpayers and energy consumers. Go here to learn much more. Waxman-Markey would be a very stupid bill even if it were true that 1) the earth is getting warmer, 2) human activity is mostly responsible for climate changes, and 3) a warmer earth would be a bad thing. Given that all three of these premises are false--we cannot, in fact, control the weather--Waxman-Markey is a suicidal monument to human folly.

It is becoming more and morer obvious that the Obama administratoin's operative political theory is that the American people are incredibly dumb.

Quote Du Jour....

2009-05-12T22:13:00.001-04:00

Sometimes you are encouraged about our country's future when you see something like this. Specifically, there is an annual contest at Texas A&M University calling for the most appropriate definition of a contemporary term.

This year's term was "Political Correctness."

The winner wrote:

"Political correctness is a doctrine, fostered by a delusional, illogical minority, and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a turd by the clean end."

R. J. Wiedemann LtCol. USMC Ret

Random pics

2009-05-12T17:18:00.007-04:00

I have been way too busy to post much on this blog in the past few months. Here are some random pics, by me and some others.

Men's room in Germany.

Minnesota History Museum, you can see the State Capitol through the window.....

More MN history

Saint Anthony Falls in Minneapolis. Taken from an old flour mill.

Picture Du Jour...

2009-04-21T21:58:00.001-04:00

Not a problem!!!!

Unfortunately, they probably already had children and thus passed on the various 'idiot' genes.

MN Tea Party

2009-04-16T08:56:00.005-04:00

A couple of pictures from the Tea Party at the Capitol yesterday....

At the Tea Party in Greenville, SC, one group was selling "Obama Burgers" - if you wanted one, you pay for it and then they cut it in half and gve the rest to the guy behind you for free!!!

Picture Du Jour...

2009-02-26T10:52:00.003-05:00

This is a pretty special photo.

The Moon - the darker shaded area is the sunlight reflected off of the Earth.

To the right of the Moon are Mercury, Jupiter, and Mars.

Taken in Australia-

Click on the photo for the larger version.

How Much Does The Stimulus Weigh?

2009-02-18T12:32:00.004-05:00

Each bill of United States Currency weighs one gram.

Let’s say we had a pile of one dollar bills….787 billion of them- same as the Stimulus Package.

How much would that cash weigh?

86,759 TONS

That’s more than an Iowa class battleship!!!

Or put another way, according to Senator Lamar Alexander, if you spent a million dollars a week, starting the day Jesus Christ was born, you would still have money left over.

And you could spend it on a new calculator because the old one just died of shock.

Picture Du Jour....

2009-02-14T11:20:00.005-05:00

This is a real photo from a Border's bookstore in Dallas. In the children's section. Never to early to start the indoctrination.....

Brief Focus on Art

2009-02-09T14:57:00.008-05:00

Let's take an interlude from the Porkopulous Disaster since it is so depressing and do a little art appreciation......

One of my favorite artists is John Singer Sargent (1856-1925)

He was born in Florence, to American parents and traveled extensively throughout Europe. His parents never settled back in America, not stepping foot in the States himself until right before his 21st birthday to retain his citizenship. He was schooled as a French artist, heavily influenced by the Impressionist movement, the Spanish Master Velazquez, the Dutch Master Frans Hals, and his teacher Carolus-Duran .

Portait of Miss Eliza Wedgewood, 1905

To describe Sargent is to say that he painted. It was his life and yet he had a deep appreciation for music and all art forms and went out of his way to promote other artists -- for this selflessness he was greatly loved. Extremely bright, extremely gifted, an intense hard worker, he was the last great generalist. It is hard to put a label on him for he could master so many different painting styles. He was an Impressionist, a Classical Portraitist, a Landscape Artist, a Water Colorist, a Muralist of public art, and even started sculpting at the last of his life. He was all of these things and yet he was none of them in total.

Madame X (1884). Considered by Sargent to be one of his best. Created such a scandal, he left Paris and moved to London. When Madame X was shown at the Salon of 1884 it became instantly a salacious painting and a scandal in French society as a result of its sexual suggestiveness of her pose and the pail pasty color of her skin.

He is often passed by, not studied, or dismissed because he was never a radical artist or trend-setter. He always worked within the wide, rich textured pallet of known and established styles. Yet his brilliance was in fusing these elements together and for this he has never fully gotten credit.

His output was prodigious. Working dawn til dusk in some cases -- even on vacations, and sometimes seven days a week. Between 1877 (when his work really started taking off) and 1925, he did over 900 oils and more than 2,000 watercolors along with countless charcoal sketch-portraits and endless pencil drawings.

Street in Venice (1882)

He painted two United States presidents, the aristocracy of Europe, the new and emerging tycoons and barons of business -- Rockefeller, Sears, Vanderbilt; and he painted gypsies, tramps, and street children with the same gusto and passion. He hiked through the Rocky Mountains with a canvas tent under pouring rain to paint the beauty of waterfalls, and painted near the front lines during World War I to capture the horrors of war. He painted the back alleys of Venice, sleeping gondoliers, fishing boats and the dusty side streets of Spain. He painted opulent interiors and vacant Moorish Ruins. He painted the artists of his time -- performers, poets, dancers, musicians, and writers -- Robert Louis Stevenson, and Henry James. He painted the great generals of the Great War, and the Bedouin nomads in their camps. He painted grand allegorical murals, and his friends as they slept.

By the River (1885) (Femme en Barque)

Quote Du Jour...

2009-02-06T10:35:00.002-05:00

"The American people will never knowingly adopt socialism. But, under the name of 'liberalism,' they will adopt every fragment of the socialist program, until one day America will be a socialist nation, without knowing how it happened."

- Norman Thomas, U.S. Socialist Party presidential candidate 1940, 1944 and 1948

In the name of 'stimulus', that day is fast approching. Now, here comes the 'fairness doctrine' at the same time. I wonder if the 'fairness doctrine' will apply to NPR and the Obama news networks....

As Promised - The Pics, Edited

2008-12-21T21:03:00.004-05:00

Just Because....

2008-12-05T16:47:00.001-05:00

Shamelessly Stolen from my new favorite PSA:
http://www.rachellucas.com

Story Du Jour...

2008-11-25T18:07:00.007-05:00

This is a very moving story written by a French soldier from Afghanistan. He is stationed with an American Army company. Even with our differences, we share the same fundamental values and that is what really counts. It is worth spending the time reading the whole thing.

“We have shared our daily life with two US units for quite a while - they are the first and fourth companies of a prestigious infantry battalion whose name I will withhold for the sake of military secrecy. To the common man it is a unit just like any other. But we live with them and got to know them, and we henceforth know that we have the honor to live with one of the most renowned units of the US Army - one that the movies brought to the public as series showing “ordinary soldiers thrust into extraordinary events”. Who are they, those soldiers from abroad, how is their daily life, and what support do they bring to the men of our OMLT every day ? Few of them belong to the Easy Company, the one the TV series focuses on. This one nowadays is named Echo Company, and it has become the support company.

They have a terribly strong American accent - from our point of view the language they speak is not even English. How many times did I have to write down what I wanted to say rather than waste precious minutes trying various pronunciations of a seemingly common word? Whatever state they are from, no two accents are alike and they even admit that in some crisis situations they have difficulties understanding each other.

Heavily built, fed at the earliest age with Gatorade, proteins and creatine - they are all heads and shoulders taller than us and their muscles remind us of Rambo. Our frames are amusingly skinny to them - we are wimps, even the strongest of us - and because of that they often mistake us for Afghans.

Here we discover America as it is often depicted : their values are taken to their paroxysm, often amplified by lack of privacy and the loneliness of this outpost in the middle of that Afghan valley.

Honor, motherland - everything here reminds of that : the American flag floating in the wind above the outpost, just like the one on the post parcels. Even if recruits often originate from the hearth of American cities and gang territory, no one here has any goal other than to hold high and proud the star spangled banner. Each man knows he can count on the support of a whole people who provides them through the mail all that an American could miss in such a remote front-line location : books, chewing gums, razorblades, Gatorade, toothpaste etc. in such way that every man is aware of how much the American people backs him in his difficult mission. And that is a first shock to our preconceptions : the American soldier is no individualist. The team, the group, the combat team are the focus of all his attention.

And they are impressive warriors ! We have not come across bad ones, as strange at it may seem to you when you know how critical French people can be. Even if some of them are a bit on the heavy side, all of them provide us everyday with lessons in infantry know-how. Beyond the wearing of a combat kit that never seem to discomfort them (helmet strap, helmet, combat goggles, rifles etc.) the long hours of watch at the outpost never seem to annoy them in the slightest. On the one square meter wooden tower above the perimeter wall they stand the five consecutive hours in full battle rattle and night vision goggles on top, their sight unmoving in the directions of likely danger. No distractions, no pauses, they are like statues nights and days.

At night, all movements are performed in the dark - only a handful of subdued red lights indicate the occasional presence of a soldier on the move. Same with the vehicles whose lights are covered - everything happens in pitch dark even filling the fuel tanks with the Japy pump.

And combat ? If you have seen Rambo you have seen it all - always coming to the rescue when one of our teams gets in trouble, and always in the shortest delay. That is one of their tricks : they switch from T-shirt and sandals to combat ready in three minutes. Arriving in contact with the ennemy, the way they fight is simple and disconcerting : they just charge ! They disembark and assault in stride, they bomb first and ask questions later - which cuts any pussyfooting short.

We seldom hear any harsh word, and from 5 AM onwards the camp chores are performed in beautiful order and always with excellent spirit. A passing American helicopter stops near a stranded vehicle just to check that everything is alright; an American combat team will rush to support ours before even knowing how dangerous the mission is - from what we have been given to witness, the American soldier is a beautiful and worthy heir to those who liberated France and Europe.

To those who bestow us with the honor of sharing their combat outposts and who everyday give proof of their military excellence, to those who pay the daily tribute of America’s army’s deployment on Afghan soil, to those we owned this article, ourselves hoping that we will always remain worthy of them and to always continue hearing them say that we are all the same band of brothers”.

Here is his Website.

Quote Du Jour...

2008-10-30T01:42:00.003-04:00

Connor (age 9):

After the last strike - "Holy S%&*T Dad, the Phillies won the World Series!!!"

Me: CONNOR!!!!

Connor: "Wow Dad, the Phillies won the World Series!!! Isn't that Great???"

Me (when able to speak again): "Holy S#!%T, I think I just peed my pants!!!"

October Birthdays

2008-10-24T12:42:00.009-04:00

Can you smell it in the air??? Yes, cakes are in the oven and Birthday season has again arrived in the Schmidt house. The clammering for presents, the drooling over potential booty, the sugar highs and lows, the wails of those not worthy of having October Birthdays.....

We had some of the neighbor kids over for a mystery game. It was a lot of fun and laughs were abundant, especially when one of the kids characters got engaged!! The kids did great and had a blast.

The Birthday Girl thanking her fans. She declined autograph requests claiming it would mess up her new manicure. Her adoring fans were crushed, but supportive. Especially when she said she did not really know Bill A., he was just some guy in the neighborhood....

Lighting the cake was a challenge as the DROOL from the Birthday twins kept dripping on the cake and putting out the candles.

Emily seems to be handling the high dose infusion of sucrose very well. Nicholas, on the other hand, looks like his head is about to explode. Guess we better get his pancreas checked out.

Oh wait, now I know why he was upset. He found out our new policy to to re-distribute stuff, and is not very happy at having to share his birthday haul with those whose birthdays are not in October. Oh well, Nicholas, mediocrity is the 'New Deal' is what I hear...

After the party, Phillies fans having a blast!!!! Mary looks very prepared for that pop-up, doesn't she??? In another month, it will probably be snowballs!!!

Have a great day everyone!

Erratum

Connor complained that I did not put a picture of him on this post (see comment #2). To remedy this slight, and in order to be fair and equitable to all children, regadless of birthday status, here is a picture of Connor. Whining does work sometimes...

This is a picture from an arts festival we went to last summer by the city library. The kids made the artwork by cutting and sticking this black plastic to cardboard, then it was lavished with ink. A piece of paper was placed on top, then a steam roller was driven over it. Very impressive!!!

Quote Du Jour...

2008-10-11T00:54:00.003-04:00

The quote of the month is by Jay Leno:

'With hurricanes, tornados, fires out of control, mud slides, flooding, severe thunderstorms tearing up the country from one end to another, and with the threat of bird flu and terrorist attacks, are we sure this is a good time to take God out of the Pledge of Allegiance?'

The October 12, 1892 Columbus Day celebration of the 400th Anniversary of the discovery of America was planned for years in advance, and anticipated much as modern Americans look forward to and plan for the advent of a new century. The United States had recovered from most of the effects of its Civil War that began 30 years earlier, and people from around the world were flocking to the "Land of Opportunity". The previous year almost a half million immigrants had entered the United States through the Barge Office in Battery Park, New York and on New Years day of 1892 the new Federal Bureau of Receiving's station at Ellis Island had opened.

Two men interested in both education and planned Columbus Day celebrations around our Nation's 44 states were Francis Bellamy and James Upham. To this day it is still unknown which of the two men actually authored the words that were to become the Pledge of Allegiance. It was published anonymously and not copyrighted. James Upham was an employee of the Boston publishing firm that produced "The Youth's Companion" in which it first appeared. Francis Bellamy was an educator who served as chairman of the National committee of educators and civic leaders who were planning the Columbus Day activities. What we do know for certain is that the words first appeared in the September 8, 1892 issue of "The Youth's Companion", and a month later more than 12 million school children recited the words for the first time in schools across the nation. Our Pledge of Allegiance was born, but like anything new, it took many years to "reach maturity", and underwent several changes along the way. That first Pledge of Allegiance read:

I pledge allegiance to my Flag, and to the Republic for which it stands:one Nation indivisible, With Liberty and Justice for all.
October 11, 1892

After the Columbus Day celebration the Pledge to the Flag became a popular daily routine in America's public schools, but gained little attention elsewhere for almost 25 years. Finally, on Flag Day - June 14, 1923, the Pledge received major attention from adults who had gathered for the first National Flag Conference in Washington, D.C. Here their Conference agenda took note of the wording in the Pledge. There was concern that, with the number of immigrants now living in the United States, there might be some confusion when the words "My Flag" were recited. To correct this the pledge was altered to read:

I pledge allegiance to my the Flag of the United States, and to the Republic for which it stands: one Nation indivisible, With Liberty and Justice for all.
June 14, 1923

The following year the wording was changed again to read:

I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands: one Nation indivisible, With Liberty and Justice for all.
June 14, 1924

The Pledge of Allegiance continued to be recited daily by children in schools across America, and gained heightened popularity among adults during the patriotic fervor created by World War II. It still was an "unofficial" pledge until June 22, 1942 when the United States Congress included the Pledge to the Flag in the United States Flag Code (Title 36). This was the first Official sanction given to the words that had been recited each day by children for almost fifty years. One year after receiving this official sanction, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that school children could not be forced to recite the Pledge as part of their daily routine. In 1945 the Pledge to the Flag received its official title as:

The Pledge of Allegiance

The last change in the Pledge of Allegiance occurred on June 14 (Flag Day), 1954 when President Dwight D. Eisenhower approved adding the words "under God". As he authorized this change he said:

"In this way we are reaffirming the transcendence of religious faith in America's heritage and future; in this way we shall constantly strengthen those spiritual weapons which forever will be our country's most powerful resource in peace and war."

This was the last change made to the Pledge of Allegiance. The 23 words what had been initially penned for a Columbus Day celebration now comprised a Thirty-one profession of loyalty and devotion to not only a flag, but to a way of life....the American ideal.

Those words now read:

I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands: one Nation under God, indivisible, With Liberty and Justice for all.
June 14, 1954

Oh, and big Happy Birthday to the Kraken!!!!!!!!!

Hope you have some tasty snacks line up in your cave of misery!!!!!!

Children

2008-08-11T16:05:00.003-04:00

The Tooth Fairy made a visit to Mary last night. She left 4 quarters, a whole Dollar!!!

Nicholas observed that he actually got two dollars for a tooth once.

THEREFORE (according to Nicholas), "the tooth fairy must pay according to the weight of the tooth, since my tooth was a lot bigger than Mary's."

So, I said, "the tooth fairy works by the ounce?"

Capitalism in FairyLand!!! I'm a believer now!!!

I'm also wondering how Nicholas will attempt to make the next tooth he loses 'much heavier' when he puts it under his pillow.

Eagles

2008-07-15T23:00:00.007-04:00

We went to the National Eagle Center in Wabasha a few weeks ago. VERY IMPRESSIVE.

Here is the website: http://www.nationaleaglecenter.org/index.htm

Woops!!! How'd that one get in there????

Picture Du Jour...

2008-07-15T22:59:00.000-04:00

Humor Du Jour...

2008-07-13T21:44:00.003-04:00

For my Female Friends....

Friendship and Compassion

2008-07-13T20:14:00.004-04:00

Friendship and Compassion

"When we honestly ask ourselves which persons in our lives mean the most to us, we often find that it is those who, instead of giving advice, solutions, or cures, have chosen rather to share our pain and touch our wounds with a warm and tender hand. The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief and bereavement, who can tolerate not knowing, not curing, not healing and face with us the reality of our powerlessness, that is a friend who cares."

-- From Out of Solitude by Henri Nouwen

Fishing!

2008-07-01T22:30:00.006-04:00

In June, we met a friend at a small fishing resort in Wisconsin. It was a lot of fun, if only for a couple of days. The weather was great. We fished, and boated, and had some good meals. I'm ready to go back now!!!

Here is Connor, the award winning fisherman! Amazing he can hold that monster up!!!

Note the shocked look on Mary's face as she contemplates that HUGE fish!! I think she took a couple of steps back.

Here we are boating on the lake. Michele and Connor are in Kayaks and I am in a canoe with Emily, Nicholas, and Mary.

Here is the crew posing for an 'about to head home' picture. BooHoo.....

Easter ACTION!!!

2008-06-17T12:20:00.010-04:00

The traditional Easter Family Picture followed by the Schmidt Kid Action Sequence!!!!!

Typical family photo above. Yeah, yeah, isn't that nice....

Kids below, looking so angelic, but ready to spring into action:

Momentary pause, while I retreat to a safe distance....

Emily and Connor are donning thier capes and Nicholas is getting more velocity:

There they go!!!!

That was pretty good.

WOAH!!!! I guess they weren't done yet!!!!!

No more pics as they all flew into me and the camera went flying. Then Mary jumped on top of the pile just to make it official and all.....

Hope you all had a good Easter and spring. Ours was 'Hoppy'.

Family Pics - WINTER

2008-06-17T12:09:00.006-04:00

We finally developed some of our film. Yes, I still use a camera with real film. Call me old-fasioned.

Here we are hiking up near Grand Marias on the North Shore:

It was beautifull hiking under those very tall and straight trees. Lots of deer tracks around too.

The sign says:

-10 Deg F

Jan 19 2000

Brrrrrrrrrr

Of course the kids still played outside in the snow for a couple of hours.....

Happy Birthday Army and Happy Flag Day TOO!!!

2008-06-14T15:52:00.006-04:00

The Army celebrates its 233rd birthday today.

To all who have served under your banner and our Country’s, blessings to you and yours and thank you for a job well done.

May all have a respectful and honorable Flag Day today.

Fly the United States Flag proudly!

Proud To Be Catholic

2008-06-05T02:26:00.003-04:00

"Think of how God loves you!He calls you his own children,And that is what you are."
—Rite of Christian Initiation1 John 3:1

Be Proud of Being Catholic (Excerpts of an article written by Sam Miller, prominent Cleveland Jewish businessman - NOT Catholic).

Why would newspapers carry on a vendetta on one of the most important institutions that we have today in the United States, namely the Catholic Church?

Do you know - the Catholic Church educates 2.6 million students everyday at the cost to your Church of 10 billion dollars, and a savings on the other hand to the American taxpayer of 18 billion dollars. Your graduates go on to graduate studies at the rate of 92%, all at a cost to you. To the rest of the Americans it's free. The Church has 230 colleges and universities in the U.S. with an enrollment of 700,00 0 students.

The Catholic Church has a non-profit hospital system of 637 hospitals, which account for hospital treatment of 1 out of every 5 people - not just Catholics - in the United States today.

But the press is vindictive and trying to totally denigrate in every way the Catholic Church in this country. They have blamed the disease of pedophilia on the Catholic Church, which is as irresponsible as blaming adultery on the institution of marriage. Let me give you some figures that you as Catholics should know and remember. For example, 12% of the 300 Protestant clergy surveyed admitted to sexual intercourse with a parishioner; 38% acknowledged other inappropriate sexual contact in a study by the United Methodist Church, 41.8 % of clergywomen reported unwanted sexual behavior; 17% of laywomen have been sexually harassed. Meanwhile, 1.7% of the Catholic clergy has been found guilty of pedophilia. 10% of the Protestant ministers have been found guilty of pedophilia. This is not a Catholic Problem. A study of American priests showed that most are happy in the priesthood and find it even better than they had expected, and that most, if given the choice, would choose to be priests again in face of all this obnoxious PR the church has been receiving.

The Catholic Church is bleeding from self-inflicted wounds. The agony that Catholics have felt and suffered is not necessarily the fault of the Church. You have been hurt by a small number of wayward priests that have probably been totally weeded out by now.

Walk with your shoulders high and you head higher. Be a proud member of the most important non-governmental agency in the United States. Then remember what Jeremiah said: 'Stand by the roads, and look and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is and walk in it, and find rest for your souls'.

Be proud to speak up for your faith with pride and reverence and learn what your Church does for all other religions.

Be proud that you're a Catholic.

Memorial Day

2008-05-27T22:01:00.003-04:00

We had a picnic in our backyard last night, with our neighbors Corey and Christel and their two kids. In the picture are our four and Jillian and Evan. A fun time was had by all!!!

Humor Du Jour...

2008-05-26T11:45:00.000-04:00

Raiders of the Lost Ark

2008-05-24T00:47:00.003-04:00

GOD: Moses, you will take these 10 Holy Commandments down to the Israelites, so that my laws may be obeyed.

MOSES: Thank you, my Lord.

GOD: You will then seal my Commandments in a sacred ark, where they will be protected.

MOSES: But what if someone should try and open it?

GOD: Then I shall melt their faces.

MOSES: I'm... I'm sorry, my Lord. What was that?

GOD: Scary ghosts shall pop out, and I shall melt their faces. Just melt them right off, my son.

MOSES: I see.

Smartypants

2008-05-04T09:04:00.002-04:00

We all think of Nicholas as a very bright child (see the numbers going on forever post below). Well, we were in the store yesterday and wandering through the bakery section. Nicholas was looking at the goodies on the shelves and said, very excitedly, "Look Dad, there's a kid that looks just like me!!!" Of course he was looking right into a mirror! Future rocket scientist!

He handled it pretty well though. When I pointed out it was a mirror, and asked him if he knew, he nodded his head with a big sheepish grin on his face.

Connor and I came close to peeing our pants, we were laughing so hard...

Bridge Memorial

2008-04-29T22:11:00.004-04:00

Earlier this month we took a trip to the State Capitol when the Kraken and his Lady were visiting. Emily and I were admiring the Memorial to the bridge collapse. The photographer who took this picture is the main photographer assigned to the Capitol and other State Government areas for events, etc. We took the Capitol tour and it was very well done and quite impressive. They even take you up to the roof on the outside of the dome!

Here is a link to the weekly news release where the picture appeared:

http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/sessionweekly/

Go to the archive listing on the left, Volume 25, Issue 9. Click on the pdf version and go to page 11.

Here is a picture of the Capitol. I didn't know it was for sale though. Must be the mortage crisis rearing its head in MN. The utility bills are probably way out of control so I'll pass.

From the KRAKEN

2008-04-29T21:52:00.001-04:00

Where have you been?

2008-04-26T02:52:00.002-04:00

Hard to believe I haven't posted anything since the beginning of March!
We have been very busy. I have a few things to post and will try to get to them this weekend.

It is late and everyone is asleep. I am listenting to the 45MPH winds blowing outside, hoping a tree doesn't fall on the house....

Quote Du Jour...

2008-03-03T07:26:00.002-05:00

Dad, do numbers go on forever?

-- Nicholas, age six.

Family Reunion 07 Selected Pics

2008-02-26T11:56:00.010-05:00

A few pics from the 07 get-together at Judie's request. This is the only one I could find of Jim and family:

Jim, Judie, and Family.

Jerry, Alice, and growing family.

Bobby, Mary, and small portion of the Colorado contingent.

The Crowley Siblings minus Mary, Fran, and Pat.

Cousins!!!! What a good looking bunch! (all except that Delaney with the back sweater on, what's up with that hair anyway????)

The NE Dugans- and Mary's playmates.

Queen of the Universe

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I shrunk these for the web - if you want the full size, email me and I'll send them to you.

Phrase Du Jour...

2008-02-19T21:13:00.004-05:00

I was having a conversation with a friend today about gender roles/politics/history, and then came across this quote on Kim du Toit's website:

What feminism hath wrought is simple: if men are to treat women as equals, then they will treat them like men—or at best, they will not treat them like women.

He wrote a very interesting piece on the recent problem of men not wanting to get married.
Click-click

Would You Wear These?

2008-02-16T13:12:00.001-05:00

Hobbit Shoes!!! Just missing the hairy toes....

The Plan To Destroy America

2008-02-10T09:02:00.000-05:00

If this doesn't raise your hackles, your not an American!

I have a plan to destroy America
by Richard D. Lamm (Three-term Governor of Colorado)

I have a secret plan to destroy America. If you believe, as many do, that America is too smug, too white bread, too self-satisfied, too rich, let’s destroy America. It is not that hard to do. History shows that nations are more fragile than their citizens think. No nation in history has survived the ravages of time. Arnold Toynbee observed that all great civilizations rise and they all fall, and that “an autopsy of history would show that all great nations commit suicide.” Here is my plan:

1. We must first make America a bilingual-bicultural country. History shows, in my opinion, that no nation can survive the tension, conflict and antagonism of two competing languages and cultures. It is a blessing for an individual to be bilingual; it is a curse for a society to be bilingual. One scholar, Seymour Martin Lipset, put it this way: “The histories of bilingual and bicultural societies that do not assimilate are histories of turmoil, tension and tragedy. Canada, Belgium, Malaysia, Lebanon all face crises of national existence in which minorities press for autonomy, if not independence. Pakistan and Cyprus have divided. Nigeria suppressed an ethnic rebellion. France faces difficulties with its Basques, Bretons and Corsicans.”

2. I would then invent “multiculturalism” and encourage immigrants to maintain their own culture. I would make it an article of belief that all cultures are equal: that there are no cultural differences that are important. I would declare it an article of faith that the black and Hispanic dropout rate is only due to prejudice and discrimination by the majority. Every other explanation is out-of-bounds.

3. We can make the United States a “Hispanic Quebec” without much effort. The key is to celebrate diversity rather than unity. As Benjamin Schwarz said in the Atlantic Monthly recently, “The apparent success of our own multiethnic and multicultural experiment might have been achieved, not by tolerance, but by hegemony. Without the dominance that once dictated ethnocentrically, and what it meant to be an American, we are left with only tolerance and pluralism to hold us together.” I would encourage all immigrants to keep their own language and culture. I would replace the melting pot metaphor with a salad bowl metaphor. It is important to insure that we have various cultural sub-groups living in America reinforcing their differences, rather than Americans emphasizing their similarities.

4. Having done all this, I would make our fastest-growing demographic group the least educated. I would add a second underclass, unassimilated, undereducated and antagonistic to our population. I would have this second underclass have a 50 percent dropout rate from school.

5. I would then get the big foundations and big business to give these efforts lots of money. I would invest in ethnic identity, and I would establish the cult of victimology. I would get all minorities to think their lack of success was all the fault of the majority. I would start a grievance industry blaming all minority failure on the majority population.

6. I would establish dual citizenship and promote divided loyalties. I would “celebrate diversity.” “Diversity” is a wonderfully seductive word. It stresses differences rather than commonalities. Diverse people worldwide are mostly engaged in hating each other–that is, when they are not killing each other. A “diverse,” peaceful or stable society is against most historical precedent. People undervalue the unity it takes to keep a nation together, and we can take advantage of this myopia.

Look at the ancient Greeks. Dorf’s “World History” tells us: “The Greeks believed that they belonged to the same race; they possessed a common language and literature; and they worshiped the same gods. All Greece took part in the Olympic Games in honor of Zeus, and all Greeks venerated the shrine of Apollo at Delphi. A common enemy, Persia, threatened their liberty. Yet, all of these bonds together were not strong enough to overcome two factors … (local patriotism and geographical conditions that nurtured political divisions …)” If we can put the emphasis on the “pluribus,” instead of the “unum,” we can balkanize America as surely as Kosovo.

7. Then I would place all these subjects off-limits–make it taboo to talk about. I would find a word similar to “heretic” in the 16th century that stopped discussion and paralyzed thinking. Words like “racist”, “xenophobe” halt argument and conversation. Having made America a bilingual-bicultural country, having established multiculturalism, having the large foundations fund the doctrine of “victimology,” I would next make it impossible to enforce our immigration laws. I would develop a mantra –”because immigration has been good for America, it must always be good.” I would make every individual immigrant sympatric and ignore the cumulative impact.

8. Lastly, I would censor Victor Davis Hanson’s book “Mexifornia” –this book is dangerous; it exposes my plan to destroy America. So please, please–if you feel that America deserves to be destroyed–please, please–don’t buy this book! This guy is on to my plan.

“The smart way to keep people passive and obedient is to strictly limit the spectrum of acceptable opinion, but allow very lively debate within that spectrum.” –Noam Chomsky, American linguist and U.S. media and foreign policy critic.

America is a great Country, no doubt about that. HOWEVER, we are not a society filled with an enlightened people who have achieved self-actualization. In many ways, we are the same as many other peoples now and in the past. To think differently is ignorant and self-destructive. To think we are above the lessons of history, recent and more distant, is societal suicide.

Where Did the White Man Go Wrong???

2008-02-08T21:57:00.001-05:00

Indian Chief 'Two Eagles' was asked by a white government official:

"You have observed the white man for 90 years. You've seen his wars and his technological advances. You've seen his progress, and the damage he's done."

The Chief nodded in agreement.

The official continued: "Considering all these events, in your opinion, where did the white man go wrong?"

The Chief stared at the government official for over a minute and then calmly replied.

"When white man find land, Indians running it, no taxes, no debt, plenty buffalo, plenty beaver, clean water Women did all the work, Medicine man free. Indian man spend all day hunting and fishing; all night having sex."

Then the chief leaned back and smiled

"Only white man dumb enough to think he could improve system like that."

Berkeley Backlash is Building

2008-02-07T23:36:00.000-05:00

I don't usually post politically oriented material here, but being a veteran I do follow the news regarding the services pretty closely. This situation in Berkeley is amazing and would make a good read, if it wasn't unfortunately true! Michele Malkin has been following the story very closely, and Senator Jim DeMint is doing what he can to let these wackos know the difference between political activism and, as the SanFansicso Chronicle editorial board puts it:

Berkeley’s leaders have taken the worthy notion of political protest and shoved it over the cliff. While playing up arguments of free speech and organized protest, the council has loaded the deck with insulting language that denigrates the military and embarrasses the anti-war cause.

So what is the Senator's plan? Hit them where it really hurts: in the wallet. Here is his recent post regarding this issue:

Over $2 million was secretly tucked away for Berkeley earmarks in the 2008 Omnibus Appropriations bill, projects that were never voted on or debated. I do not believe a city that has turned its back on our country’s finest deserves $2 million worth of pork-barrel projects. So, I will introduce legislation to revoke the funding. Included in the $2 million worth of pork are some particularly wasteful projects. One earmark provides gourmet organic lunches to schools in the Berkeley School District. While our Marines are making due with MREs of Sloppy Joe and Chili with Beans, the organization Chez Panisse is getting federal tax dollars to design meals that promote “environmental harmony.” Chez Panisse’s menu features “Comté cheese soufflé with mâche salad,” “Meyer lemon éclairs with huckleberry coulis” and “Chicory salad with creamy anchovy vinaigrette and olive toast.”

Are we to understand that the city that has been home to many of the country’s most rich and famous cannot afford to pay for its own designer school lunches?

Another $975,000 earmark is for the Matsui Center for Politics and Public Service at U.C. Berkeley, which may include cataloging the papers of Congressman Robert Matsui. Is it really necessary to tax the paychecks of Marines so we can earmark nearly $1 million for a school that is already sitting on a $3.5 billion endowment?

Let me be clear, my bill does does not cut off all federal funds to the city of Berkeley, though I am sure most Americans would feel that is justified. My bill merely rescinds wasteful earmarks. Berkeley is free to compete with other towns and cities across America for merit-based federal grants.

Actions have consequences. When the Berkeley City Council decided to insult the Marines in a time of war, it was a $2 million decision. Especially in a time of war, we cannot just allow cities to play insulting games at our troops’ expense while continuing to shower them with congressional favors.

There is also a petition to let the Berkely city council and Mayor know of the Country's outrage regarding their actions against the Marines.

Shame on the Mayor and City Coucil of Berkely for allowing our Service Men and Women to be treated this way!!!

Sign the petition here: http://www.moveamericaforward.org/index.php/MAF/Petition/Berkeley2008/

Quotes Du Jour...

2008-02-07T07:41:00.000-05:00

New study shows Earth's 'fever' contagious;

Mars asks planets to kick 'Greenhouse Mary' out of solar system

--------------------
Tasered victim at John Kerry's speech to receive Purple Heart
--------------------
San Andreas Fault in California preemptively renamed George Bush's Fault

Is it cold, or is it just me???

2008-01-24T22:33:00.000-05:00

Global Warming??? WHAT Global Warming???

This morning, when I dropped off the kids at school, it was -24Deg F in the school parking lot. Yes, that's right, -24 DEG F!!! I sat there, in the nice warm car, for a few seconds staring at the digital thermometer thinking that this thing must be broken. But no!!! When unloading the kids, the cold was intense - it actually hurt your eyes. By Noon today it was up to 10 Deg F below zero. Not too bad if you stood in the sun....behind a double paned window....with the thermostat set to 70 deg.

It is a balmy -5 Deg F outside right now, and supposed to warm up to the low 20's ABOVE zero by Saturday. Just think, that is a 40 Degree increase in temperature in a just a few days. Maybe there is global warming after all?

Here is a pic of the kids this past Thanksgiving outside of Grand Marais:

We now have a good foot of snow on the ground, with no sign of a meltdown in the near future.

Stay warm everyone!!!

Here's To Your Health!!!

2008-01-19T13:08:00.001-05:00

Can it be true??? A recent article reports that German researchers just announced that drinking beer promotes good health. How could this lovely dream be possible? They say that, “preliminary studies indicate xanthohumol, a compound found in hops, inhibits a family of enzymes which trigger cancer, as well as help the body detoxify carcinogens.” While I can’t pronounce “xanthohumol” even after a number of drinks, I’m happy to hear about this latest news on how healthy consuming a few cold ones is.

My current favorite is Sleeman's Original Dark 50 Ale:

Brewed from specialty barley malts, English aroma hops and deep well water. Smooth in taste. The hopping is generous but not bitter and has a unique flavour that has become a trademark for Sleeman.

Sleeman's also has an excellent Porter:

Fine Porter is the first of the John Sleeman Presents series. Taken right from page 68 of the family recipe book, it pays homage to the original Porters of Great Britain, and was brewed by George Sleeman back in the 1800’s. Fine Porter is a great opportunity to sample an historic beer of yesterday. 5.5% alc./vol.

Tasting Notes: Fine Porter is one of the more flavourful styles of ale. It has a rather bold, malty taste and a deep, rich colour.

Okay, now I'm REALLY thirsty!!!! Time for my healthy beer!!!

Citizen Ben

2008-01-09T22:12:00.000-05:00

Benjamin Franklin's birthday is fast approaching: He was born on January 17 in 1706. He did much in his 84 years.

What A guy

Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790)
Born 1706, January 17

In a resent story, I mentioned the fact that Ben Franklin left some money to the city of Philadelphia; actually he left a great deal of money. One of the things that were funded is the 3 times life statue or him sitting in the Franklin Institute. I think if our present City Fathers had got there hands on his money, the public would not see a cent.

Ben would be 302 years old this year, so let’s celebrate with some little known Franklin facts:

Franklin started writing under the name of Silence Dogood when he was 16, later he used the name of Anthony Afterwit, as “poor Richard” Saunders. In his almanac he predicted that a rival almanac maker would die at a certain hour and minute during the year. He didn’t.

Franklin’s greatest hoax was the “Speech of Polly Barker” He wrote that Polly was being persecuted for giving birth to her 5th illegitimate child. In her speech to the court, Polly cited God’s command to increase and multiply and claimed that she had enthusiastically obeyed His word. She concluded that the authorities should have a statue erected in her memory. Foreign papers, magazines and history books picked up Franklin’s tale. John E. Hall of Philadelphia also published it as fact in the American Law Journal of 1813. The last time the story was printed as truth was in 1945, in a book called “A Social History of the American family. The Polly Barker speech was written when Franklin was 40. This has been referred to as his “salty year”. He had just written his “Advice to a Young Man on the Choice of a Mistress”, in which he gives eight reasons for having affairs with older woman instead of younger ones.

Colonial gossip had it that Franklin was not asked to draft the Declaration of Independence for fear he might hide a joke in it.

While in England, he wrote a newspaper report that the whales in America leaped up Niagara Falls in pursuit of cod.

In his Pennsylvania Gazette of Nov 24 1738, he reported that a woman gave birth to octuplets, seven boys and one girl, all living. He also wrote about a witch trial in Mount Holly NJ, which was also fictitious. When he was 76, he was still making up tales by propagandizing against England with a story that Indians scalped 1,062 Americans under orders from King George III.

The husband of Deborah Rogers owed debts he could not pay, facing legal action; he left Philadelphia and never came back. Deborah became the wife of Ben Franklin in what is believed to have been a common law arrangement, as there was no record of their marriage.

Franklin was one of the best swimmers in the colony, and praised swimming as “a normalizer and reducer of fatty tissue”

In the late afternoon a Franklin tree shades his grave located at 5th and Arch Street.

Jack Schmidt 2/9/2001
Updated 1/8/2008

Information found in the column “A Rambler in Philadelphia” published in the Philadelphia Bulletin in the late 1960’s.

For more information about this great America hero see:
http://www.pbs.org/benfranklin/

Christmas Memories

2008-01-09T22:06:00.000-05:00

I'm thinking about what to write about this year, but after my Mom, Anastasia went away, my few moments of happiness were overshadowed by her absence however here are some of my memories:

I still think of that magical time leading up to Christmas, the anticipation, the lights, music and the dreams of the many toys I wanted and hoped to find under the tree. The trolley trips to Market Street to enjoy the Christmas displays in the windows of Gimbles and Lits’ Department stores, and the lights decorating Market Street.

The last year we lived as a family on Emily Street, Dad and I went out late at 10pm Christmas Eve to get a tree and to find the best deal. As there was snow on the ground, he pulled me on a sled. As I remember, we traveled many blocks and stopped at many tree stands before getting a tree for fifty cents, Dad tied it to the sled, put me on top and headed home. The tree needed some work and Dad drilled some holes and moved some branches to make the "front" appear full. As was our custom Mom, Dad and I trimmed the tree that Christmas eve. Boy was I excited. I think Mom and Dad gave me a small glass of wine (probably hot chocolate) to get me in bed.

The Christmas tree was lit by small colored lights on a series wire, that is, if one light failed, the whole string would not light. And they did fail quite often. Mom, Dad and later, me would use a new bulb and replace each bulb on the string until the bad bulb was located. Each year, Dad cut a small piece off the bottom of the tree trunk and drilled a hole for a candle in the side and planed the other side flat so it wouldn’t roll. In three years we had three candle holders, two large and a small one for me. Dad decorated them with some pine cuttings. Every Christmas Eve we burned red candles and saveed the candles for the next Christmas Eve. Most of the houses had a few branches of pine cut from their Christmas trees that were trimmed with the previous years’ red bow that they hung on the front door; few folks had either the means or the desire to purchase a wreath.

Uncle Con and Dad spent many hours in the cellar making toys for me, and Mom had to keep me busy and out of the cellar, I just couldn't contain myself, wanting to know what my Dad and Uncle were doing as I was always with them when they were making something. Well they made me a scale model of an army Jeep about ten inches long, which I could only look at and not play with. On Easter, the following year, my Jeep was displayed in the front window with eggs made up to look like Roosevelt and Truman and McArthur sitting in it and a gallows with eggs looking like Hitler and Tojo hanging from ropes. Politically correct we weren't, ah the good old days.

That Christmas I found a cap gun under the tree, a real cowboy cap gun. Roy Rodgers was my current hero and I spent Christmas day shooting at my playmates and them shooting back with their new guns. Nothing like hiding behind snow piles and having a battle on Christmas Day! Being “shot”, and sliding down a snow pile pretending we were dead. Mom and Dad and my playmates parents were tolerant of us kids as the country was still at war. I think we went to Grandmom’s house for dinner and I got some more toys. I still remember Grandmom’s Rice Pudding and could eat the entire casserole myself if they would have let me.

Usually Dad had his 1938 Chevrolet coupe parked on the street and he only drove it on weekends and when there was no snow. He would drain the water out of the radiator so it wouldn’t freeze. (Anti-freeze cost money and we didn’t have much). I think he removed the six volt Battery on very cold days. On the weekends that Dad did drive Mom and me in the car, Dad heated a kettle of water on our three burner stove and poured the warm water into the radiator and let it run for a while. Mom brought blankets, as the car had no heater and no radio either. Even though the seat was narrow, Dad, Mom and I just fit and kept warm under her blankets and by just being with each other. I can still feel the warmth of those moments and what a wonderful memory for me of my family.

Link Du Jour...

2007-12-03T22:36:00.000-05:00

Go here to see the complete list of all things caused by Global Warming:

A complete list of things caused by global warming

Be calm, breathe, but don't break a sweat as you might contribute to Global Warming and get arrested by Al Gore.

Picture Du Jour...

2007-11-30T22:28:00.001-05:00

I have not been very attentive to the present school of bottom-feeders trying for the nomination, mainly due to political burnout. I think this picture represents my views of national politicians as a whole. They are quite a disgusting lot, overall.

Product Safety

2007-11-26T23:55:00.000-05:00

As we prepare for the upcoming celebration of stuff, I wanted to share something with you. The ongoing issues concerning recalls and safety concerns about products manufactured in China are quite troubling. We have had to return several items the kids got at birthday parties and even products the Boy Scouts use due to safety issues. All of these products were made in China.

Thus, we have decided to avoid products manufactured in China to the best of our ability. We check the place of manufacture on a product before we buy it, and if it is made in China, we do not make the purchase. Even better, we actively look for products made in the USA that meet our purchasing needs.

With the upcoming Holiday season, I'm sure many are thinking of what to get for children this Christmas. I have requested that if you purchase a gift for our kids, make sure it is not made in China. Buy something made in the USA, with union and safety controls on production!

I'm quite serious here - if we receive anything that is made in China, it will be returned unused and unopened.

It is very troubling that the pursuit of higher profits has resulted in not only the pursuit of the cheapest labor on the planet, but also the lackadaisical corporate attitude towards quality and product safety.

Many of you know that I worked for Armstrong as an electrical engineer for about a year in the mid-1990's. One of the projects I worked on was the setting up of a flooring manufacturing plant in China. Part of my work in this area included certifications/safety (such as adhering to the UL label requirements). In the USA, there are many guidelines for plant safety and product safety that a company has to follow. When I worked on this project, the only guidelines we needed to follow were self-imposed. In other words, we could make our own rules, cut corners if we wanted to, and not worry about it. However, Armstrong is a good company, and we followed the same guidelines as if the plant were opening in the USA. Food for thought as you take for granted the policies and concerns of the corporate world whose products are going to be under many brightly lit Christmas trees in about a month.....

Picture Du Jour...

2007-10-30T18:22:00.001-04:00

Firewood

2007-10-15T04:28:00.000-04:00

Last weekend, we went to Pat and Doug's and had a firewood cutting party. It was a lot of fun. They own quite a bit of 'untamed' wilderness that was ripe for the picking of choice firewood.

Working the splitter. The kids did a great job, except when they wandered away to go exploring.

Our Driver, in her dreams....

This is definately my favorite picture. Nicholas finds a frog and Mary is checking it out wondering if it is a prince in disquise. She suggested Nicholas try kissing it first just to be sure.

The whole gang!

Humor Du Jour...

2007-09-28T06:31:00.000-04:00

Working people frequently ask retired people what they do to make their days interesting.

Well, for example, the other day I went down town and into a shop. I was only there for about 5 minutes and when I came out there was a cop writing out a parking ticket.

I said to him, "Come on, man, how about giving a retired person a break?"

He ignored me and continued writing the ticket. I called him a "Nazi."

He glared at me and wrote another ticket for having worn tires. So I called him a "doughnut eating Gestapo."

He finished the second ticket and put it on the windshield with the first. Then he wrote a third ticket.

This went on for about 20 minutes.

The more I abused him the more tickets he wrote.

Personally, I didn't care. I came downtown on the bus, and the car that he was putting the tickets on had a bumper sticker that said "Hillary in '08."

LIVESTRONG

2007-09-11T23:22:00.000-04:00

Joe and his team did very well in the Philly LIVESTRONG race and fundraiser. They raised a total of $6,480!!! WAY TO GO and thanks to all those who donated and supported the team.

Here is Joe crossing the finish line. That is Jim Crowley not far behind.

Here is the team posing for a photo after the race.

A note from JOE:

Friends,
First I want to take the time to thank all of you for your donations and support as my team and I trained for the Philly 2007 LiveSTRONG Challenge! I am just simply astonished by the amount of people who rose up and donated- Some of you I've never met.

Maybe even more humbling is the number of my donors who actually THANKED me for putting this team together and riding for the cause. I am very honored to be part of the LAF ARMY, and pledge to keep fighting until, as Lance says, "America is smoke free, and cancer is eliminated on the cellular level."

The 2007 Philly Challenge was a very emotional and inspirational cumulative series of events. So much happened: All the speeches at dinner and the post event party, All the sweat on the streets, All the tears of joy on the cheeks, All the smiles as we met new friends, and laughed with old friends and, of course, the sweet memories of the fallen. "The Already Balders" all finished the 40 mile ride, with me coming in last of our group at about 4 hours. It was perhaps the single hardest thing I ever did physically, second only to actually fighting the disease. I am very proud of my team, they really rallied and pushed me to finish, and I'm proud of all of you for your support and confidence in me. "The Already Balders" came away a very energized group of 8 guys, (we are not all bald) and I proudly tell you that we vow to double the team size and quadruple the goal for 2008!

Our team goal was $5,500.00, and thanks to YOU we sailed right past that number and topped out at an astonishing $ 6,480.00!! That is a huge number for a first time team! We want to grow on that energy, and we want you to consider joining us next year, maybe the 10 or 40 mile bike ride, or the 5K run/walk.

Thanks to all your donations, I qualified for the award ceremony dinner with Lance Saturday night. There I was able to meet a young Testicular Cancer patient who has been on various chemo treatments for over a year now, and is fighting with everything he's got. He and I have spoken several times over the past year, and he was actually infused on Saturday morning with an experimental chemo up at Sloan-Kettering, then he and his brother took the train to the dinner. He was so excited when he met with Lance, there was not a dry eye around. He is only 21 years old.

I can tell you that on the ride the hills were tough, which they were, and there should have been AC inside the gym, and I rode a mountain bike instead of a road bike... but none of that compares to this kid's challenge, and riding for him got me through the final stages. Thank you Danny, for giving me strength.

A fun thing happened for our team, we created custom bicycle jerseys for the ride. We had the team logo on the front, and each riders nickname on the back. (The team name and logo has a story behind it, I'll save that for another email). The LAF announced a jersey contest, so we entered my jersey, and out of 280 teams we were finalists, and came in second at the award ceremony! I feel we made a huge impact for a first time team, and I couldn't be happier.

Nerd Test

2007-09-11T00:08:00.000-04:00

I was bored of working, all the kids are sleeping, and Michele is snoring on the couch. What to do....TAKE THE NERD TEST!!!!!

I was getting worried that I wouldn't be able to finish it before the rerun of "Spock's Brain" started on TV. That would have been very bad.....

FLOOD!!!!!

2007-08-29T09:17:00.001-04:00

Well, most of you know we had quite an adventure with the record rain. Hard to believe it was only about a week ago. It was Saturday night and we had about 10 inches of rain in a very short time. I went downstairs and noticed that my feet were getting wet as I walked around. Hmmm.... not quite right! We had about two inches or so in the lower level. We moved everything upstairs that night. Michele and a good friend Sarah (thank you Sarah!!!) moved stuff while I ripped up carpet and matting and shopvacced the water out. It was still pouring in though, so the water kept rising. I had the ladies put on life-jackets just in case. I got the kids up and had them man the pumps. We finally went to bed around 6:30am. the downstairs was empty except for two large pieces of furniture, which I put up on blocks of wood. Quite a mess.

Anytime I became pissy, I would just turn on the news and see people who lost EVERYTHING and had to be evacuated by boat. God Bless them all.

Anyway, the next day I ripped out all the wet drywall and insulation. Cleaned and trashed quite a bit of stuff. I replaced the insulation this past weekend and will start on the drywall this weekend. Ahh, the joys of living in a houseboat. Here is one picture:

Traveling

2007-08-29T09:10:00.000-04:00

Here are a few pictures of our recent jaunts, before the flood....

The kids pretending to be a all well-behaved. I let them stay like that for a half-hour, telling them they could hear each other's thoughts if they stayed that way. Michele and I took a nap.

Sitting on the hearth at Joan's cabin. We had a great time!!!!

Checking out the Choo-Choo Train at Two-Harbors, MN. Nicholas REALLY wanted a ride!!!

Hanging out with Grandpa at the top of Mill City in Minneapolis.

Buy American!!!

2007-08-15T20:23:00.000-04:00

Buy American:
Toys Made in the USA Friday, August 03, 2007

In light of the recall of nearly 1 million Chinese-produced toys tainted with lead paint, below is a list of toys made in the USA:

• Battleship
• Bicycle Playing Cards
• Boggle Jr.
• Candyland
• Chutes and Ladders
• Clue
• Connect Four
• Crayola Crayons
• Life
• Louisville Slugger
• Monopoly
• Mouse Trap
• Operation
• Parcheesi
• Play-Doh
• Pop-O-Matic Trouble
• Radio Flyer Discovery Wagon
• Scrabble
• Sorry
• Stratego
• Tri-ominos
• Trivial Pursuit
• Yahtzee
• Melissa and Doug U.S.A. Floor Puzzle (Most puzzles are made in the USA!)

* Note: Not all packages of Crayola Crayons and Play-Doh are made in the USA -- please check the label.

Also, anything you buy from the American Plastic Toy Company is made in America.

You can also find American-made toys on these Web sites:
• www.ShopForAmerica.com
• www.ZebulonUSA.com
• www.usmadetoys.com
• www.unclegoosetoys.com
• www.holgatetoy.com
• www.maplelandmark.com

Finally, for more information on how to buy American,
visit: www.howtobuyamerican.com

It's About Time!!!

2007-08-14T10:40:00.000-04:00

"Pull ’em up or pay up’ is new law in Mansfield"

MANSFIELD —

“Pull ‘em up or pay up.” That’s Police Chief Don English’s interpretation of a new law that takes effect in Mansfield on Sept. 15. Anyone caught wearing sagging pants who exposes his or her underwear will be subject to a fine of up to $150 plus court costs, or face up to 15 days in jail. Mansfield aldermen voted unanimously at today’s 4:30 p.m. meeting to enact the new law. The law makes it illegal to found in a “state of nudity, or partial nudity, or in any indecent exposure of his or her person or undergarments, or be guilty of any indecent or lewd behavior.”

City attorney Richard Z. Johnson Jr. said he used a similar law in Delcambre as a guideline in creating Mansfield’s ordinance. Several municipalities and parish governments in Louisiana have enacted similar laws in recent months.

How long before the ACLU tried to pull this one down, so to speak???

Dinner At Grandpa's

2007-08-12T16:26:00.001-04:00

Hanna specs out the pool area.

Everyone smile please!

Ernie just got his driver's permit.

MMMMHMMMMMM

Smiles.

My favorite picture of the night.

I think Hanna's tickle defense is down. ORANGE ALERT!

Only the finest in Cookie Monster attire.

This picture speaks for itself.

A good one of Maureen.

A Delaney in Schmidt territory.

Quote Du Jour...

2007-08-11T14:23:00.000-04:00

Sometimes when I reflect on all the beer I drink, I feel ashamed. Then I look into the glass and think about the workers in the brewery and all of their hopes and dreams. If I didn't drink this beer, they might be out of work and their dreams would be shattered. I think, "It is better to drink this beer and let their dreams come true than be selfish and worry about my liver."

Babe Ruth

Humor Du Jour...

2007-07-18T23:26:00.001-04:00

The Bullet We BARELY Dodged

2007-07-04T08:31:00.000-04:00

Replay video | Share video | Watch more videos

CNN clip of Lou Dobbs itemizing the Amnesty Bill's particulars.
Make sure you are sitting down when you watch this, and there is nothing breakable within reach!!!
I am amazed at our 'leaders' and their lack of just basic common sense. Who elected these people????

Words of Wisdom

2007-06-22T00:59:00.000-04:00

A lecturer, when explaining stress management to an audience, raised a glass of water and asked, how heavy is this glass of water?

Answers called out ranging from 8oz to 20oz.

The lecturer replied, “The absolute weight doesn’t matter. It depends on how long you try to hold it. If I hold it for a minute, that’s not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I’ll have an ache in my right arm. If I hold it for a day, you’ll have to call an ambulance.”

“In each case, it’s the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes.”

He continued, “And that’s the way it is with stress management. If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won’t be able to carry on.”

“As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again. When we’re refreshed, we can carry on with the burden.”

“So, before you return home tonight, put the burden of work/life down. Don’t carry it home. You can pick it up tomorrow.”

“Whatever burdens you’re carrying now, let them down for a moment if you can. Relax, pick them up later after you have rested. Life is short. Enjoy!”

Quote Du Jour

2007-06-08T07:51:00.000-04:00

"Gratitude is the fairest blossom which springs from the soul."

- Henry Ward Beecher

Who was Hendry Ward Beecher?

Henry Ward Beecher, the eighth son of the Rev. Lyman Beecher, was born in Litchfield, Connecticut, on 24th June, 1813. The brother of Harriet Beecher Stowe, he was educated at the Lane Theological Seminary before becoming a Presbyterian minister in Lawrenceburg (1837-39) and Indianapolis (1839-47). His pamphlet, Seven Lectures to Young Men, was published in 1844.

Beecher moved to Plymouth Church, Brooklyn in 1847. By this time he had developed a national reputation for his oratorical skills, and drew crowds of 2,500 regularly every Sunday. He strongly opposed slavery and favoured temperance and woman's suffrage.

Beecher condemned the passing of the Kansas-Nebraska bill from his pulpit and helped to raise funds to supply weapons to those willing to oppose slavery in these territories. These rifles became known as Beecher's Bibles. John Brown and five of his sons, were some of the volunteers who headed for Kansas.

He supported the Free Soil Party in 1852 but switched to the Republican Party in 1860. During the Civil War Beecher's church raised and equipped a volunteer regiment. However, after the war, he advocated reconciliation.

Beecher edited The Independent (1861-63) and the Christian Union (1870-78) and published several books including the Summer in the Soul (1858), Life of Jesus Christ (1871), Yale Lectures on Preaching (1872) and Evolution and Religion (1885). Henry Ward Beecher died of a cerebral hemorrhage on 8th March, 1887.

Photo Du Jour

2007-06-02T14:38:00.000-04:00

Erin is graduating from High School this month. Congratulations!!!

Here is a picture of her from her prom. All those Brains, and Beautiful as well!!! Is Carnagie Mellon ready for Erin???

Easter!!!

2007-05-06T22:28:00.000-04:00

Here are some pictures from this past Easter. Enjoy!

What a nice looking bunch!

Hey, whose the oddball in the middle?

One more pose kids. You're doing great (I think their faces are frozen. Anyone know a good TMJ specialist?)

Alright, we're done you can relax now!

Wow! Quick Michele, get some Easter Candy to revive them!!!

Danny and other Heroes

2007-05-06T22:21:00.000-04:00

When we moved in last August, we had help from Danny. He was great, helping to paint, move stuff, entertain the kids, clean. He even agreed to bathe every day! Way to go Danny!!!

WE also enlisted the help of Spiderman, whose services were not in high demand back then. He agreed to hold open the doors so the wind wouldn't blow them shut. He was quite up to the task. He asked about simply using a web to hold the door open, but Michele didn't want all that webby sticky stuff all over the house. He was bummed, but handled it like a true superhero should. Pouted for days and drank all my beer.

Sledding Fun

2007-05-06T22:18:00.000-04:00

We had about 12 inches of snow (or more, I don't quite remember) and all the neighborhood kids were sledding down our front yard, over the snow-plow hump and into the street. It was a blast for everyone! This was obviously a couple of months ago. Finally getting some film developed.

Congratulations to MaryEllen, now please don't kick our butts!!!

2007-04-30T20:51:00.000-04:00

MaryEllen is now in advanced training for accounting or disbursing, or something like that. She is enjoying being finished Basic Training. She looks great in her uniform! She qualified as a Marksman, by the way. So don't piss her off...

Here she is with her VERY PROUD DAD!!! Congratulations Dad! Two kids in the military, who would have thought?

Quote Du Jour...

2007-04-22T17:16:00.000-04:00

Great Quote Du Jour from Michelle Malkin:

Musician/celebutante Sheryl Crow proposes a one square of toilet paper-per-sitting quota to offset deforestation.

That's going to be a tough rule to enforce--what with eco-Hollyweirdos so, you know, full of crap.

My kids came running in, wondering why I was laughing hysterically!

LIVESTRONG CHALLENGE

2007-04-10T22:59:00.000-04:00

Joe is leading a fundraising team for the August 25th LIVESTRONG CHALLENGE in Philadelphia.

Click here to go to his team page.

Please consider a donation to support his team.
He is making progress towards his goal, but needs your help!!!

Some words from Joe's LIVESTRONG page:

It hasn't even been a year for me, but I'm feeling stronger every day- strong enough to ride 40 miles to raise funds to help kill the demon. But I won't be able do it without your support. Your donations will give me the strength to make it to the finish line, and beyond. Together we will kill the demon. It is a team effort!

See this post for Joe during his Chemotherapy treatments.

Pissing People off Department

2007-03-11T18:26:00.000-04:00

Did you ever watch a movie and check out the credits? Did you ever notice that some names you can’t pronounce? Since all show biz people change their names, why don’t they use a name that’s easy to pronounce? After all, their audience is made up, for the most part, of people that need a laugh track while watching a sit-com to know how to respond.

Also speaking of movies, have you noticed the FBI warning that precedes the movie that states, “should not be duplicated under penalty of law”. Why doesn’t that warning apply to the producers of these films who get their ideas from such notables as Shakespeare, Robert Lewis Stevenson, Jane Austin, and the Grimm Brothers or for that matter, Jesus Christ? And not to mention, the remaking of such old classics as, Pride and Prejudice, Postman Always Rings Twice, Titanic, and everyone’s favorites Batman and Superman.

This year on February 2nd, 2007, the groundhog got politically correct, that is, he didn’t see his shadow; therefore, we will not have six more weeks of winter.
The West Pennsylvania Theater caved to the global warming nuts. Well, five weeks later, the average evening temperature this week is 20 degrees, we had a snow/ice storm last week and the ice on my pond will hold a car. Hell, there’s still snow in the wooded areas.

Since we have Driving Education in our high schools, why don’t we have a course on: “How to use a shopping cart”? For example, they should teach how to park the dam thing along the side of the aisle so people can get by. This inconsiderate moronic affliction seems to affect, for the most part, the female of the species. This same species will push the cart with their completed order right down the middle of the driving area of the parking lot, maybe they’re afraid some someone will jump out from between the parked cars and steal their soup.

I have also noticed a number are too lazy to put their empty carts in the area provided for them. I think, after at least three violations, these inconsiderate people should loose their shopping cart privilege and carry their stuff in their oversized “hand bag”.

I was in a Dollar Store some time ago to pick up some paper material. About six ladies were clustered around the greeting card display with, of course, their empty carts blocking the area pretty much completely.
One lady remarked to me:” It’s pretty crowded in here”. I responded to her, “Are you sure those 3 greeting cards are going to fit in your cart?”

What happened to the 3-R's???

2007-03-04T16:00:00.000-05:00

From The Anchoress (a great blog I read several times a week):

If my kids were little and just beginning in elementary school, I would seriously consider home-schooling for a variety of reasons - mostly because now that I’ve seen how quickly it all went, I want more time with them! But I’d have considered it sooner had this been what they were taught.

“…the students had been building an elaborate “Legotown,” but it was accidentally demolished. The teachers decided its destruction was an opportunity to explore “the inequities of private ownership.” According to the teachers, “Our intention was to promote a contrasting set of values: collectivity, collaboration, resource-sharing, and full democratic participation.”

The children were allegedly incorporating into Legotown “their assumptions about ownership and the social power it conveys.” These assumptions “mirrored those of a class-based, capitalist society — a society that we teachers believe to be unjust and oppressive.”

They claimed as their role shaping the children’s “social and political understandings of ownership and economic equity … from a perspective of social justice.”

So they first explored with the children the issue of ownership. Not all of the students shared the teachers’ anathema to private property ownership. “If I buy it, I own it,” one child is quoted saying. The teachers then explored with the students concepts of fairness, equity, power, and other issues over a period of several months.

At the end of that time, Legos returned to the classroom after the children agreed to several guiding principles framed by the teachers, including that “All structures are public structures” and “All structures will be standard sizes.” The teachers quote the children:

“A house is good because it is a community house.”

“We should have equal houses. They should be standard sizes.”

“It’s important to have the same amount of power as other people over your building.”

Betsy Newmark writes:
How Orwellian is that lesson? It sounds like something out of Animal Farm but now it’s being taught to children as what is optimal rather than to be condemned.
These teachers are so ignorant that they don’t realize that the rights to private property are not only the essence of our democratic system as well as the best guarantee for a thriving economy. Who would want to invest and improve anything in an economy if they didn’t have guarantees that they would be able to reap the profits from their invested time and money?

This is pretty scary to me. It is funny though that many of these types of stories are coming from the west coast. Maybe CA, OR, and WA should form their own country and we can provide military protection from the Chinese/Mexican/Canadians for a nominal annual fee.

Romper Room

2007-02-25T19:04:00.000-05:00

We had a bunch of the neighborhood kids sledding in our front yard today. We had about a foot of snow and it is still snowing outside right now....

Anyway, after a few hours of sledding, we had a hot chocolate party. Here are our four snowbunnies and a few of their friends after a good warm cup of hot chocolate.

The 'Proper' picture:

Pictured:
On the floor: Connor, Timmy, Nicholas
Sitting on the couch: Maddie, Emily, Mary, Margaret, Gracie, Natalie

The 'Act Normal' picture:

Unfortunately, I took the outside pictures with the 35mm camera. I'll post those when I get the film developed-

Schlauss Schoenburg

2007-02-25T18:49:00.000-05:00

This is a Castle Hotel in Oberwesel, Germany. Oberwesel is a small town on the Rhine north of Mainz. We stayed in the suite pictured below for a couple of nights after the Danish wedding. It was Wunderbar!!!

The Delaney's are thinking of staying here while taking Erin to the various Debutant Balls she is attending this summer. Have fun and good luck Erin!!! Hans, Fritz, Klaus, and Fredrich are all looking forward to meeting you.

Are we heading, eyes open, to a materialist Hell on Earth?

2007-02-18T16:10:00.000-05:00

This is title of an article by Paul Johnson I recently came across. It is a great article focused on the ongoing deterioration of societal values and moral decay we are experiencing in this great country of our. Here is the opening paragraph:

The world we live in is characterised by unchecked and unpunished, widening and deepening evil, manifesting itself in countless ways but in particular by what I call the Seven Deadly Sins of the 21st century. These are: violence and brutality, not just of a physical kind but expressed towards all the finer feelings of virtue, religion, temperance and gentleness, which are mocked and spat upon; grotesque lusts of the flesh, expressed in the endless cult of the body, not just for sexual reasons but for vanity, with luxury dieting, cosmetic surgery and fortunes spent on clothes locked in perpetual struggle with gluttony, pandered to by ‘celebrity chefs’, organic shops and other hypocritical engines of gobbling; lying, now raised by the media, politicians and intellectuals not only to an art but to a science; cowardice, which makes people, especially our rulers, do what they know is wrong for fear of punishment by powerful lobbies; pandering to the lowest instincts of the coarse and uneducated, for financial and political reasons; the systematic punishment of those who show courage and the love of truth; and, finally, the exaltation of blind materialism by new forms of militant atheism which are dehumanising us all.

Here is his ordered listing of The Seven Deadly Sins of the 21st Century

Violence and Brutality

Lusts of the Flesh

Gluttony

Lying

Cowardice

Punishing the honest and courageous

Materialism

Powerful stuff, but I would perhaps change this listing and the order of importance.

When thinking about the constant attacks on the values of a Family and the struggle to teach and impress upon our children the moral and spiritual foundation on which to build a life with purpose and the wisdom to make good choices.

Here is the listing from my perspective as a Father and Husband. While all of these are real issues and present a constant challenge, the order I present here is based mainly on my own experiences in working with my kids.

Materialism -- This is a problem that seems to be getting worse and worse in our culture. The need for more STUFF. I know of people who actually had TWO Christmas trees this year. The constant buying of things and filling the house with this or that. The CLUTTER. It clutters the soul and the mind. The biggest problem is the targeting of kids with the seeds of desire to get things…..must have this! Must have that! This is a constant battle with children; fighting the culture of materialism and always being ready for the next challenge (fancy toys, cell phones, computer games…..).

Violence and Brutality and I would add Lack of Respect -- How do we turn off the constant influx of violence and especially brutal, rude, and unkind behavior that our kids are exposed to EVERY DAY??? True, it is part of life. We have always had violence and brutality in our cultures. The problem is that in many areas it is now OKAY to behave this way!!!. How did this happen? It is never okay to be brutal, rude, or unkind. We must teach our kids to recognize this type of behavior, however subtle, in others and especially in themselves that they may change it and affect change in others. A real challenge, but something we MUST do if we are to raise loving, caring kids who will nurture love and respect in their own children.

Punishing the honest and courageous -- To many young people and children today, there is something absent in our lives as we struggle and grow in our personal character and professional development. Most don’t talk about this missing piece and many don’t even notice. What I am referring to here is the presence and effect of a role model or some might even say a ‘hero’ as an influential force that fosters a strong desire to grow in character and vision. In generations past, heroes were celebrated and younger folks would strive to adopt and emulate the accomplishments, characteristics, and qualities of their heroes. People like Charles Lindbergh, Helen Keller, FDR and Eleanor Roosevelt, Martin Luther King, Jr., Jane Adams, and Neil Armstrong stood as heroes and role models to their generations. Unfortunately, today’s ‘heroes’ are singled out solely on success and sensationalism rather than the qualities that set them apart from the average person. Those who stand firm on their beliefs are often punished by the media or blackballed by politicians and the general culture of materialism. I am not referring to the Al Gore’s or Rep Kucinich’s. While these men certainly stick to their message, they are also ‘darlings’ and ‘revered’ by their well-established support base. And according to what I’ve read, they don’t really practice what they preach. Lead by example! So where are our modern day heroes for young men and women? Heroes for the average person from which to learn how to live a life based on good morals and sound judgment?

Lying -- This is a no-brainer. Do you want me to trust you? Then don’t lie to me. Pretty straightforward, don’t you think? We’ve already crossed this bridge several times with the two older kids.

Lusts of the Flesh -- I was speaking an Egyptian friend the other day about cultural differences, and one stereotype other cultures have of Americans is being immoral in terms of lust and sexual fidelity. They think the women (and girls) who walk around in short-shorts and with bellys showing don’t own any clothes besides the underwear they have on in public! I will not repeat here what he said of the men (and boys) who lust after these visions of fantasy-come-to-life. My friend had to laugh, but it was sad to us both. What is to blame for this sexualizing of our every waking moment? More importantly, how do we teach our children that the lifestyle glamorizes immoral behavior?

Cowardice -- Don’t be afraid to stand your ground. Don’t be a follower, especially when you know the person you might follow is making a poor choice. This has come up with the older kids as they struggle between ‘gong along with the crowd’ and standing their ground when interacting with school peers. Unfortunately, todays media (news, entertainment, advertising) is all about keeping up with those who have, being ‘cool’ and part of the ‘in’ crowd.

Gluttony -- Not so much a problem here. We are particularly careful about the types of food (no fast food!) and the amount of ‘junk’ our kids are allowed to ingest. I drive by several fast food restaurants after work each day and I am amazed at how BUSY they are.

This qote says:

"Our real journey in life is interior: it is a matter of growth, deepening, and of an ever greater surrender to the creative action of love and grace in our hearts."

And I hope thinking this way will help give the wisdom to teach and the confidence to challenge our children so they may lead lives of grace and love.

Any comments, views, or suggestions are certainly welcome here!

Humor Du Jour...

2007-02-11T22:56:00.000-05:00

A drunk man who smelled like beer sat down on a subway seat next to a priest. The man's tie was stained, his face was plastered with red lipstick, and a half empty bottle of gin was sticking out of his torn coat pocket. He opened his newspaper and began reading.

After a few minutes the man turned to the priest and asked, "Say, Father, what causes arthritis?"
The priest replied,
"My Son, it's caused by loose living, being with cheap, wicked women, too much alcohol, contempt for your fellow man, sleeping around with prostitutes and lack of bath."

The drunk muttered in response, "Well, I'll be," then returned to his paper.

The priest, thinking about what he had said, nudged the man and apologized.
"I'm very sorry. I didn't mean to come on so strong. How long have you had arthritis?"

The drunk answered, "I don't have it, Father. I was just reading here that the Pope does."

Quote Du Jour...

2007-02-09T22:17:00.000-05:00

The Kraken says:

Do Not Meddle in the LifeStyle of the Kraken For You Are Crunchy and Taste Good With Ketchup!!!

Quote Du Jour...

2007-02-08T07:29:00.000-05:00

From Zorba the Greek:

"Zorba, have you ever been married?"

"Am I not a man? Of course I've been married.
Wife, house, kids, everything....................the Full Catastrophe!!!"

Obviously, Zorba appreciated the richness of his life.

Standing TALL (by Connor J. Schmidt)

2007-02-05T20:50:00.000-05:00

Connor is now getting Boy's Life and the latest issue had an article on Robert Pershing Wadlow (1918-1940). Robert was born with an overactive pituitary that produced way too much growth hormone (nowdays we have medicine for this problem). Connor was fascinated with this really big man and wanted to post it on the website. Here are some pics and a little about his history.

Connor: I think he is really tall. In this picture he is 7ft 4in and only 13 years old!

Connor says: He's only 18 years old in this picture, but is 8ft 4in tall!!! His head is almost touching the ceiling!!! That is his younger bother. He had two sisters and one brother who were all normal height.

Here is his statue located in Alton, Ill. He grew to be 8ft 11.1in by the time he was done growing. He traveled with his Dad as a spokesman for a shoe company. His Dad had the passenger seat removed in the car and Robert sat in the back and stretched out his legs up to the dashboard.

Photos and facts courtesy of Alton Museum of History.

Putting it Down in Pittsburgh

2007-02-05T16:08:00.000-05:00

With the new semester fully underway here in U of P (the one on the left hand side of Pennsylvania) I thought i'd drop a line to the Kraken Kronicles and say hello to the Schmidts.

This plan back fired on me as my obsessive compulsiveness took over and I started to play around with the blog's code, so all the words lined up. I also made it so only the most recent three posts are shown (for the benefit of our dial-up users). After the nerd fest, I remembered that my Dad wanted me to post a picture of Erin from one of her marching band competitions.

I believe she's the one with the silly hat. Still waiting on a bit of confirmation on that one.

In other news: Hey look Erin, you're on the internet! :)

Congratulations to Joe!!!

2007-01-30T23:15:00.000-05:00

Joe had a CT scan and got a clean bill of health. Of course, all his internal organs were gone as well after the wonderful chemo. Just less potential problems in the future Joe! Who needs a liver or spleen? They just take up space.

Anyway, congrats to Joe and Majbritt (and Hannah and Thomas for having such a strong Dad and wonderful Mom!). Here are a few cancer jokes for you. You and Majbritt have certainly handled this crazy ride with grace and humor. Looking forward to a healthy year!

A testicular cancer patient asks his urologist whether the orchiectomy will be painful. The doctor replies "only when you get my bill".

Every start chewing a stick of gum after forgetting to remove the tinfoil? Platinum-based chemotherapy is sort of like that, except that there's no gum in the tinfoil.

I wonder if platinum-based chemotherapy yields a high enough concentration to set off airport metal detectors. If so, it won't help to explain that chemotherapy is a derivative of chemical weapons.

Genie of the Lamp
Jacob was walking home, when suddenly he stumbled on a magic lamp. He rubbed the lamp, and out came a Muslim genie. The genie told Jacob he could make three wishes, but that he would give twice the same thing to his worst enemy.

Jacob immediately thought about his annoying neighbor. Then he asked the genie for a big mountain of gold. Poof--there was a big mountain of gold on his backyard. He looked at the other side of the street, and his neighbor had two big mountains of gold.

Then he asked the genie for the ten most beautiful women the genie could think of. Poof - there were in front of him ten statuesque supermodels. He looked at the other side of the street, and his neighbor had twenty superstars from Hollywood.

Now Jacob had plenty of money and beautiful women.

So he asked the genie: Does it hurt to take out one testicle?

Picture Du Jour...

2007-01-29T01:12:00.000-05:00

The text reads:

Air Force Chief Master Sgt. John Gebhart, of the 332nd Expeditionary Medical Group at Balad, Iraq, cradles a young girl as they both sleep in the hospital. The Girl’s entire family was executed by insurgents; the killers shot her in the head as well. The girl received treatment at the U.S. Military hospital in Balad, but cries and moans often. According to nurses at the facility, Gebhardt is the only one who can calm down the girl, so he has spent the last several nights holding her while they both sleep.

Why isn’t this all over the news?????

Quote Du Jour...

2007-01-18T16:32:00.000-05:00

What is new in your view of life?

Picture Du Jour...

2007-01-04T08:08:00.000-05:00

A great comment I saw along with this picture:

She's not going to be a very good climber with those tiny little hands. And what's up with the green fur???

Merry Christmas!!!

2006-12-26T15:16:00.000-05:00

Hey Everyone,
As usual, the Christmas cards we bought are still in the box sitting in the closet. They have joined the two boxes from last year.

So, here are our Christmas Card pictures to you!!!

Merry Christmas to all!!!

Above is a picture of the kids right after Christmas Eve Mass. I think they were singing Happy Birthday to Jesus....

Songs over! Blow out those Advent Candles!!!!

Here is the Children's Choir. Emily is giving her pretty smile (second row, first girl in red dress) and Connor is..well..being Connor.

Now for the BIG DAY!!!!

Here are the little Cherubs enjoying the spoils of Christmas.

Here we are sitting down to a wonderful Christmas Dinner. First in our new house.
Cheers!!! Nice photo Mom!!!
I know Connor looks a little tipsy, but he is only drinking sparkling juice.

Nicholas and Emily

Mary and Connor

Have a Joyous Holiday Seaon everyone!!!
Be Healthy, Happy, and Have a Great New Year!!!

(2006 is almost over Downingtown Schmidts!!!)

Our Strange Children

2006-12-18T22:43:00.000-05:00

When we were down south for Thanksgiving, the kids got a kick out of this camera built into Judy's laptop. Here are some of the more 'stimulating' results for your viewing pleasure.

Connor, playing with the artsy type stuff. Rather mild, but he thought it was pretty cool. That's me trying to look all Wharholian behind him. Not really working, is it???

Here is Emily Pin Head showing off that rather pronounced forehead of hers.

Here is Nicholas, looking rather satisfied as he KNOWS he has the biggest brain bucket in the family, and is obviously not afraid to show it off.....

Then there is Mary....Bet you didn't know that kids skulls stay flexible until they are five or so. You can squeeze the top of their head and everything just slides down to the bottom! (Just kidding Anna, don't try this with Joe's kids).

The scary thing is, when she does this she looks like kind of like Bill Clinton....don't do that again Mary!!! You'll scare the Kraken!!!!

Christmas Concert Program Cover

2006-12-16T14:28:00.000-05:00

Connor is very proud his sketch was chosen to be one of the program covers for the Christmas Concert this past Thursday. They selected two students from each grade. (about 50 kids in each grade)

It says, "Snow Sleet Slush Hail" from his favorite song they sang titled "It Comes Out Snow" which goes a little like this....

"Snow! Snow! Sleet! Sleet! Slush! Slush! Hail! Hail! Snow Sleet Slush Hail Snow Sleet Slush Hail Snow Sleet Slush Hail You take a little H 2 O, make the temp'rature real low. A little bit of dust is a snow-flake must. From the cloud, it comes out snow. No! Yo! Snow? From the cloud it comes out snow. Slush Hail Snow Sleet Slush Hail Now just let me be precise; that cloud is chockfull of ice..... Hideeho! Ev'rybody is makin' snow. We're swingin' to and fro, down from our ice caps to our frozen toes. Oh, now we know, how to make a snowflake grow. Ev'rybody look out below. Here comes the snow. Here comes the snow. Here comes the Snow Sleet Slush Hail Now we're makin' snow! Yeah!"

Winter Wonderland

2006-12-10T21:21:00.000-05:00

This pic is from about three weeks ago. The first snowy day of the season. The kids are on the freshly shoveled pile of snow at the end of our driveway. They had a blast, of course.

That's Mary (age 3), Nicholas (age 4), Emily (age 9 or 17, depending on her mood), and Connor (age 7). In front is Jillian, our next door neighbor's daughter. It was a balmy 45 degrees today and almost all of the snow is gone. The kids are hoping for more by Christmas!

QoD Award

The Question of the Day award for today goes to Nicholas. I was working on one of the kitchen cabinet doors while he watched (as usual). Out of the blue, Nicholas asks me:

"Dad, it would be pretty funny if all the screws in the whole world just fell out of what they were holding together, wouldn't it?"

I suppose it would be pretty funny Nicholas.

Just imagine!

Pictures From Pitt

2006-12-08T12:23:00.000-05:00

The semester is almost over, I'm at work and I'm bored. Here are some pictures from the past few months. More to come (maybe).

We've seen spectular Pittsburgh sporting events.

I got a new hat.

Dynamic Technology Solutions is still running strong.

We've attended a few parties (and met some really awesome people).

And I spent a great deal of time here, studying.

Humor Du Jour...

2006-12-06T07:59:00.000-05:00

I think Waldo's other name should be 'Money.' Where does it go??? Why does it leave so quickly? Money used to stick around much longer. I feel so used and neglected in our relationship anymore.

On Pets

2006-12-02T13:35:00.000-05:00

Kraken Writes:

As the years pass I notice many people feel the desire to own an animal. Now, I can sort of understand this need, when the children are in their formative years, the PET is just another toy.

However, as some of these folks reach later life, the need to have a barn yard animal living in their house is beyond my comprehension. Mind you, an animal that is fed and cared for without any intention of eating it, or of getting meat, eggs or milk from it boggles my mind. Of course I can accept hunting dogs, watch dogs and sheep dogs, which, I might add, do not dwell in the house.

I have a certain amount of pity for these superficial folks, who, apparently, have never cultivated love of family and/or attained the respect of friends. I suppose these folks really don’t like themselves or even enjoy being alone. They alter their attention between their pampered beast and the remote.

Can they not sit and ponder a beautiful painting, hatched from an artist’s mind and transferred to canvas with great skill? Can they not saver a well-written story from an author who is at the top of his/her craft? Can they not marvel at the arrangement of notes that produce a pleasing and uplifting sound? Can they not create something with their hands that will justify their very existence?

Alas, I think not. More is the waste and the pity.

In any food market, you will find an entire section devoted to worthless barnyard animals, living in homes. These fortunate chemically and genetically* altered beasts eat and live better than 80% of the world’s people. The contribution of these people to society is nothing more than economic, that is, nothing of lasting value.

That’s my opinion!

KRAKEN
12/1/2006
*Too bad this methodology can’t be applied to the more savage members of our society.

Christmas 1944

2006-11-27T22:31:00.000-05:00

Philadelphia, 1944

Well, the time had come to move out of the big house on the avenue. Uncle Con actually got married to Aunt Betty and moved into a third floor apartment near 2nd and Snyder Avenue. Grandmom Schmidt and Aunt Laura moved into a small house on Garrett Street between 3rd and Moyamensing Avenue. Mom, Dad and I moved into a small house on Emily Street between 2nd and Moyamensing Avenue. Uncle Con and Grandmom lived about five blocks from each other and I lived in between them near the middle.

Aunt Margaret Dillon, my Mom’s sister lived near Grandmom, with her husband Uncle Howard and their two daughters, Margie and Jeanie. Aunt Helen Stinger, my Mom’s oldest sister also lived near Grandmom, with her husband Uncle Howard and their two children Billy and Helen. Grandmom Murphy my Mom’s and Aunt Helen’s and Aunt Margaret’s step Mom and her son, Edward, Mom’s youngest brother lived on Greenwich Street about a block away. These stories I’ll tell later.

My new house was two stories with a living room, dining room and kitchen with a very small room on top added. This new house was about 100 years old. A bathroom (tub and toilet, no sink) was added at some point making one of the two bedrooms kind of small. Running water was added at this time. The original small fireplaces were bricked over and a huge, to my eyes, coal fired hot air heater added to the former root cellar. As I remember, the house needed lots of work to make it nice for my Mom. Dad and Uncle Con worked about two months to make two cabinets for the kitchen and paint and paper all the rooms, it took that long as they were working during the day.

We rented a horse and wagon to haul the few family possessions and finally settled in, and I remember my Mom beaming in her very own kitchen. The cabinets were red and white; the used wringer washer could be pushed into a small shed. The brand new cloths dryer was strung between hooks mounted on the fence around the back yard. We had an icebox and dad cut a hole in the wall into the yard and put a hose through to drain the water from the melting ice so Mom didn’t have to lift the pan and empty it. An old iron three burner gas stove and used furniture completed the kitchen. Mom and Dad rented this little piece of their blue heaven for $25 a month. These were three happy loving people living in their first house.

There was an Ice Man who came through the street in a horse and wagon and you had a card in the front window indicating the size of the block of ice “5, 10, 20 or 25 cents”. The milk man also had a horse and wagon.

Many vendors and hucksters used push carts selling fruit and vegetables. I even remember a fellow who pushed a grinding wheel and would sharpen your knifes. Some folks had an insulated metal box with a lid that would hang out of window to store milk and the like in the colder weather. The forerunner of today’s cooler.

There were many kids on the street, and in the summer we liked to chase the ice wagon for chips. Sometimes in the summer, a horse drawn merry-go-round would come to our street and all us kids would run into our houses to beg a nickel to ride.

As I remember, the small six horse merry-go-round was hand cranked. I think the fellow timed the ride with a sand glass visible to the Moms. There were very few overweight folks around. The streets had to be cleaned at least once a week as the horses were a bit messy. Dad worked and Mom was a homemaker. I would sometimes wait on the corner for Dad to come home on the trolley.

The war news indicated the war was going good, that is, we were winning.
Mom and Dad had a party once in a while, they rolled back the dining room rug as there was no furniture in the room and had friends and family over and danced to big band music playing on the radio. I was supposed to be in bed, but I sneaked down the steps to watch. I guess I was hard to keep in bed.

The First Christmas in our blue heaven was coming and, of course, I was counting the days. I suspected the origin of the Christmas gifts as I found some toys under the couch. Now, grown up’s really don’t know how to hide things from little kids, they put them in low places, just where little kids live.

Christmas morning I found lots of toys and household gifts under the tree; my
favorite was a US Army colt model 1911, 45 caliber cap pistol. I only knew it was a cap pistol at the time and I wish I still had it.

Mom and Dad were sitting on the couch, holding hands and watching me open presents. They were two very happy people living in their blue heaven and very much in love.

Little did any of us know a storm was brewing.

God bless them both.

Kraken
11/17/2006

Humor Du Jour...

2006-11-22T00:43:00.000-05:00