The only way I can win at the work pool is if UCLA goes all the way.....which is a pretty fair possibility.....even then, I can only get second place or a tie for second.
Still..........Go Uclans......................
*************************************
I came across a page of stuff I wrote back in Jan. of '99. Don't recall if it was all from my head, but it looks like it.
Here it be..............
**There will always be someone richer and poorer than you. That much is certain. So just accept where you are, with the hope that God's will leads you to what you will need.
**Life never stays constant. Always, it will change. You will never be disappointed.
**However, love can be the only constant. Through it all, love stays. Through good and bad, true love stays.
**Having faith doesn't mean that things will not go wrong, and you will not sometimes fall down.
But having faith gives you the strength to get up. Again. And again.
**What is essential is invisible to the eye. Still, keep looking for that essence.
**When things go well, enjoy them. Don't worry that it can't last. Truly, it can't.
So don't spoil it by worry. When things go poorly, endure them. Don't worry that it will never end. Truly, it will. Time has proven that all things come to pass. Good and Evil.
**When you think you can't, then don't think. Just do. Reason cannot answer every ill. Go to God, who is above reason, and gives answers to your heart.
Tuesday, March 28, 2006
Friday, March 24, 2006
HOOPS UPDATE
My bracket is still looking pretty good. Worst case, I can lose 26 games total. Chances are, I'll do better than that...UCLA and Texas gave me quite a scare last night.
We got to go out to lunch today, bought some light fixtures and paint to fix up the crib, went downtown to see THE NEW BUSCH STADIUM.
It is going to be very different. I still loved the architecture of the old stadium. In its heyday, it was state of the art, with the continuous arched roof to match the Arch down on the riverfront.
The new ballyard will be more open, and hopefully more fan friendly. It would be like a furnace on some nights at the old place, and at a day game, you just couldn't sit in the sun.....
Casey Stengel, at the first All-Star game played there, was asked what he thought about the new stadium.
"Well, it holds the heat well", he said, in his own inimitable style.
The new park will feature open areas in the outfield, with more straight up seating. So we shall see.
Of course, the only way I'll go is if someone gives me a free ticket. Prices were increased again. Can you imagine that......
And ticket brokers have bought up a ton of ducats, to sell at premium prices. Sounds like a legalized form of scalping, if you ask me.
Opening day is April 10....
Go Redbirds!!
We got to go out to lunch today, bought some light fixtures and paint to fix up the crib, went downtown to see THE NEW BUSCH STADIUM.
It is going to be very different. I still loved the architecture of the old stadium. In its heyday, it was state of the art, with the continuous arched roof to match the Arch down on the riverfront.
The new ballyard will be more open, and hopefully more fan friendly. It would be like a furnace on some nights at the old place, and at a day game, you just couldn't sit in the sun.....
Casey Stengel, at the first All-Star game played there, was asked what he thought about the new stadium.
"Well, it holds the heat well", he said, in his own inimitable style.
The new park will feature open areas in the outfield, with more straight up seating. So we shall see.
Of course, the only way I'll go is if someone gives me a free ticket. Prices were increased again. Can you imagine that......
And ticket brokers have bought up a ton of ducats, to sell at premium prices. Sounds like a legalized form of scalping, if you ask me.
Opening day is April 10....
Go Redbirds!!
Monday, March 20, 2006
SPRING BREAK MADNESS
Well, today I start spring break. Sunday we had a great party for my daughters little Petey's first birthday, and everyone had a nice time. He is a sweetheart.
The wife and I had lots of plans for this week....lunches, maybe some painting and spucing up the homestead, try some golf, go downtown.....alas, she comes down with an infection, sick all night, ER all day....poor darlin' was so sick.
Doing well now, thank God.
So much for plans.
*********
As luck would have it, tomorrow we may get the first significant snowy morning on a day when I already have the day off. It doesn't count as a snow day if its in spring break.
Waste of good bad weather.
*********
How are your March Madness brackets coming along? With all the upsets and Cinderella teams, most peoples are probably pretty messed up. I won't know how I'm doing until we get back to school next week. I won the pool last year....pure luck, I know....still, hope is in the air, just like that desperation three-pointer at the buzzer.
Just read the book "Hoop Dreams" about two Chicago kids from the Cabrini neighborhood who make it out of poverty to college hoop success going very different routes....makes me look at the kids on the court in a deeper way, wondering how they got to where they are, what their personal stories are...how much struggle they have in their lives.....how many will go on to future hoop success....
Very few will make the big paydays of the NBA, but some go on to play in Europe or other pro leagues. Still, for most, their college career is all they have.
Hope they get that degree.
By the way.......I got UCLA winning it all.
The wife and I had lots of plans for this week....lunches, maybe some painting and spucing up the homestead, try some golf, go downtown.....alas, she comes down with an infection, sick all night, ER all day....poor darlin' was so sick.
Doing well now, thank God.
So much for plans.
*********
As luck would have it, tomorrow we may get the first significant snowy morning on a day when I already have the day off. It doesn't count as a snow day if its in spring break.
Waste of good bad weather.
*********
How are your March Madness brackets coming along? With all the upsets and Cinderella teams, most peoples are probably pretty messed up. I won't know how I'm doing until we get back to school next week. I won the pool last year....pure luck, I know....still, hope is in the air, just like that desperation three-pointer at the buzzer.
Just read the book "Hoop Dreams" about two Chicago kids from the Cabrini neighborhood who make it out of poverty to college hoop success going very different routes....makes me look at the kids on the court in a deeper way, wondering how they got to where they are, what their personal stories are...how much struggle they have in their lives.....how many will go on to future hoop success....
Very few will make the big paydays of the NBA, but some go on to play in Europe or other pro leagues. Still, for most, their college career is all they have.
Hope they get that degree.
By the way.......I got UCLA winning it all.
Tuesday, March 14, 2006
READERS CORNER
Here is the latest column from the Suburban Journals of St. Louis. More on this theme in days to come.
(How is your Lent coming along?)
**********************************************
March, 2006
When we come to the point in our lives when we are called “middle aged,” so many factors come into play. In the past, I’ve touched on some of these, such as being in the “sandwich generation”, seeing kids growing up, some still at home, and elderly parents in a state of decline. The stressors of this time in our lives can be very real.
So on a serious note, I wanted to mention something about mid-life crisis.
It can be something more than wanting a new car, changing jobs, or trying to run to the mailbox without getting winded. For women, menopause is a real physical phenomenon, carrying along with it many emotional side effects. It has been well-documented, fairly well-treated, and is becoming better understood as more and more women are entering that phase of life.
A less-well documented and treated issue is the condition of male menopause.
Men from the ages of 40 to 60 can find themselves coming into life situations that may take a toll on them, even if they are not knowing it or acknowledging it.
Coming to the middle of life knowing that they may not be rich like they thought they would be by now, having a failed or less than fulfilling marriage, coming to the end of their working lives, facing retirement years and wondering if they will have enough money to make it for the next 20 years or so. The loss of youthful vigor, so closely connected to “maleness”. Troubles with children. Will I be healthy enough to enjoy my “golden years”, and not be Grampa Crabby at family gatherings?
These are only a few of the many things that can affect a man as he heads into mid-life.
Recent studies show that about 40% of all men in the 40 to 60 age range fall into some level of depression. The problem with this is that many men deny this, under the need to “be strong, fight through it, it’s just a phase.” Hey, Dr. Phil says we need to just “get over it”.
This needs to change.
Unfortunately, when we say “mental health”, we are conditioned in our society to think “crazy”. This can put road blocks in the way of people who would otherwise seek help. Why is it okay to take of one’s own physical health with diets and workout plans, golf and jogging, but when it comes to the health of the emotions, which so much controls the physical, it has to be done quietly, or not at all?
We see anxiety and depression in children, in teens, in young adults, in senior citizens. Why is it any surprise that it exists in middle-agers as well? Sure we may have more money than ever, be finally seeing our kids growing up to be great adults, have met some levels of success in our chosen careers. But sometimes life’s crazy twists can hit us in a different way, knock us for a loop, when we least expect it.
So it should be no less right to take the steps to improve your emotional well-being than to drop 15 pounds if you’re overweight. No less okay to talk to a professional counselor to help you over life’s humps than to workout 4 days a week for 30 minutes to improve your cholesterol and blood pressure.
Sometimes it takes more than putting a smile on your face, or crossing over to the sunny side of the street. More than prayer and acceptance and forgiveness, all good elements in the plan for emotional healing, but not the whole thing.
Sometimes it takes pro to help you get through it all.
So, seek help where it may be found. Use your employee assistance program, see a clergyman, contact family services available through religious and public agencies.
Don’t be afraid to get the help you need. For the sake of your loved ones. For your own sake.
Hard as it may be to take this step, it may be the most important one you take in your
(How is your Lent coming along?)
**********************************************
March, 2006
When we come to the point in our lives when we are called “middle aged,” so many factors come into play. In the past, I’ve touched on some of these, such as being in the “sandwich generation”, seeing kids growing up, some still at home, and elderly parents in a state of decline. The stressors of this time in our lives can be very real.
So on a serious note, I wanted to mention something about mid-life crisis.
It can be something more than wanting a new car, changing jobs, or trying to run to the mailbox without getting winded. For women, menopause is a real physical phenomenon, carrying along with it many emotional side effects. It has been well-documented, fairly well-treated, and is becoming better understood as more and more women are entering that phase of life.
A less-well documented and treated issue is the condition of male menopause.
Men from the ages of 40 to 60 can find themselves coming into life situations that may take a toll on them, even if they are not knowing it or acknowledging it.
Coming to the middle of life knowing that they may not be rich like they thought they would be by now, having a failed or less than fulfilling marriage, coming to the end of their working lives, facing retirement years and wondering if they will have enough money to make it for the next 20 years or so. The loss of youthful vigor, so closely connected to “maleness”. Troubles with children. Will I be healthy enough to enjoy my “golden years”, and not be Grampa Crabby at family gatherings?
These are only a few of the many things that can affect a man as he heads into mid-life.
Recent studies show that about 40% of all men in the 40 to 60 age range fall into some level of depression. The problem with this is that many men deny this, under the need to “be strong, fight through it, it’s just a phase.” Hey, Dr. Phil says we need to just “get over it”.
This needs to change.
Unfortunately, when we say “mental health”, we are conditioned in our society to think “crazy”. This can put road blocks in the way of people who would otherwise seek help. Why is it okay to take of one’s own physical health with diets and workout plans, golf and jogging, but when it comes to the health of the emotions, which so much controls the physical, it has to be done quietly, or not at all?
We see anxiety and depression in children, in teens, in young adults, in senior citizens. Why is it any surprise that it exists in middle-agers as well? Sure we may have more money than ever, be finally seeing our kids growing up to be great adults, have met some levels of success in our chosen careers. But sometimes life’s crazy twists can hit us in a different way, knock us for a loop, when we least expect it.
So it should be no less right to take the steps to improve your emotional well-being than to drop 15 pounds if you’re overweight. No less okay to talk to a professional counselor to help you over life’s humps than to workout 4 days a week for 30 minutes to improve your cholesterol and blood pressure.
Sometimes it takes more than putting a smile on your face, or crossing over to the sunny side of the street. More than prayer and acceptance and forgiveness, all good elements in the plan for emotional healing, but not the whole thing.
Sometimes it takes pro to help you get through it all.
So, seek help where it may be found. Use your employee assistance program, see a clergyman, contact family services available through religious and public agencies.
Don’t be afraid to get the help you need. For the sake of your loved ones. For your own sake.
Hard as it may be to take this step, it may be the most important one you take in your
Monday, March 13, 2006
WHEW!!!!!!
We just were missed by the massive weather system that came through the midwest this weekend.....thanks be to God for sparing us....but may He also give strength and courage to those who lost loved ones, property and their livelihoods. It is amazing what water, wind and hail can do to change lives.
Just another example of...you never know.
Just another example of...you never know.
Saturday, March 04, 2006
THE MANY FORMS OF LOVE.....
You may know a precocious little one......... one of your own, a friends, a grandchild. Here is a short piece about one whom I have the privelege of knowing.
**************************
CLARA’S COOKIES
Little Clara loved the park. It was just down the block from her new house, a bungalow on the north side. It wasn’t a very big park, but it had swings and birdies, and that was what Clara liked. Plus, the train that brought her daddy home from work every day came right by the park. So Clara and her mommy would wait there for the big train to roll by. Then she and mommy would walk home with her daddy.
Clara was little, but she was very smart. One day when she and her daddy walked to the park, Clara didn’t want to swing. She didn’t want to watch the birdies. And she didn’t want to wait for the train. She wanted to keep walking. Her daddy was not sure just where his daughter wanted to go. He was with her today because her mommy had just had a new baby, a brother named Peter. So daddy was staying home to help out, and to take Clara to the park.
Well, Clara had her mind made up that they were going to keep walking. So daddy held her tiny hand (she was almost two years old, but she was very petite) and they continued to walk. They went to the end of the path in the park. Then they went on to the sidewalk. Then, to daddy’s surprise, they continued up the small hill and over the train tracks!
Daddy was smiling, wondering where in the world his little child in her pink coat and pink hat with the tassels and ear flaps was taking him.
Down the short hill and into the downtown area, past the newspaper stand and turning onto the main street they went.
Clara stopped, and daddy looked down. Her shoe needed to be tied. So he tied her shoe, and then they continued to walk along the downtown sidewalk.
Clara was looking into the windows of the shops as they passed them.
Finally, she stopped outside one of the shops. It was the bakery that she and her parents had taken her to before.
So this is where she wanted to go, thought an amazed daddy!
Inside the shop, as daddy bought coffee and some donuts, the gentle lady behind the counter gave Clara three cookies for free.
And just like that, Clara reached up for her daddy’s hand. Holding the precious bag of cookies, they made their way back home. Past the newspaper stand, up the small hill, over the train tracks, and through the park her little legs went with a purpose. Daddy realized then and there that here was a person who made up her mind and did something about it.
A lot like her mommy, he mused.
When they came home, and she had taken off her pink coat and pink hat with the tassels on it, Clara took her bag of cookies to her mommy.
She carefully opened the bag. Reaching in, Clara handed one to her mommy.
Then, to the surprise of both her parents, she offered the next cookie to her new baby brother, nestled in her mommy’s arms.
Petey, being only a week old, couldn’t enjoy the generous gift of his big sister. But as sure as it is that this story will be told to him many times over, that is how sure we are that love comes in many forms.
Sometimes it's just the simple sharing of a cookie.
**************************
CLARA’S COOKIES
Little Clara loved the park. It was just down the block from her new house, a bungalow on the north side. It wasn’t a very big park, but it had swings and birdies, and that was what Clara liked. Plus, the train that brought her daddy home from work every day came right by the park. So Clara and her mommy would wait there for the big train to roll by. Then she and mommy would walk home with her daddy.
Clara was little, but she was very smart. One day when she and her daddy walked to the park, Clara didn’t want to swing. She didn’t want to watch the birdies. And she didn’t want to wait for the train. She wanted to keep walking. Her daddy was not sure just where his daughter wanted to go. He was with her today because her mommy had just had a new baby, a brother named Peter. So daddy was staying home to help out, and to take Clara to the park.
Well, Clara had her mind made up that they were going to keep walking. So daddy held her tiny hand (she was almost two years old, but she was very petite) and they continued to walk. They went to the end of the path in the park. Then they went on to the sidewalk. Then, to daddy’s surprise, they continued up the small hill and over the train tracks!
Daddy was smiling, wondering where in the world his little child in her pink coat and pink hat with the tassels and ear flaps was taking him.
Down the short hill and into the downtown area, past the newspaper stand and turning onto the main street they went.
Clara stopped, and daddy looked down. Her shoe needed to be tied. So he tied her shoe, and then they continued to walk along the downtown sidewalk.
Clara was looking into the windows of the shops as they passed them.
Finally, she stopped outside one of the shops. It was the bakery that she and her parents had taken her to before.
So this is where she wanted to go, thought an amazed daddy!
Inside the shop, as daddy bought coffee and some donuts, the gentle lady behind the counter gave Clara three cookies for free.
And just like that, Clara reached up for her daddy’s hand. Holding the precious bag of cookies, they made their way back home. Past the newspaper stand, up the small hill, over the train tracks, and through the park her little legs went with a purpose. Daddy realized then and there that here was a person who made up her mind and did something about it.
A lot like her mommy, he mused.
When they came home, and she had taken off her pink coat and pink hat with the tassels on it, Clara took her bag of cookies to her mommy.
She carefully opened the bag. Reaching in, Clara handed one to her mommy.
Then, to the surprise of both her parents, she offered the next cookie to her new baby brother, nestled in her mommy’s arms.
Petey, being only a week old, couldn’t enjoy the generous gift of his big sister. But as sure as it is that this story will be told to him many times over, that is how sure we are that love comes in many forms.
Sometimes it's just the simple sharing of a cookie.
Tuesday, February 28, 2006
PHAT TOOS DAY.....
Thought I'd put something up that fits with the last day of Black History Month. Tomorrow also starts the season of Lent. Somehow, these words seem to fit like a span to bridge the two. Hope yours is going to be one of dreams contemplated and prayer for a more peaceful world, internal as well as external.
(from the Fall of 2004)
With all due respect to Dr. Martin Luther King, whom I admire as one of the most influential people of the 20th century, I would like to present my own set of dreams for consideration. I in no way claim the position he held as a purveyor of peace and justice. I am simply a citizen of the U.S.A. But I feel, as he must have, seriously unrepresented by the major political parties of our country. During every campaign, I see again and again that I can’t call myself Republican or Democrat, liberal or conservative. There is certainly something in each party that I like, but there is also enough about each that I cannot tolerate. And I am fairly sure that there are a lot of us out here who feel this way.
So it is with this in mind that I say...........
I have a dream. That unborn life will once again become the foremost right, by virtue of the eventual overturning of that misguided and ill-fated decision, Roe vs. Wade. The abomination of abortion has been like an open sore on the soul and psyche of our nation for far too long. No people can claim to be operating “under God”, and have this practice seen as legal. We have a stain on our collective soul for this dark period in our history. I am not so naive to think that abortions will end completely, but I can dream that they will. And I can’t help but dream that with this change would come a healing, and a new focus. Not to mention the blessing of God returning to our country.
I have a dream. That people who are truly in need, like single mothers with young children, developmentally and emotionally disabled people, and poor and elderly citizens will get the support, care and assistance they require, simply by virtue of their need. Every day we see this program being cut and that budget being slashed when it comes to taking care of the people who can least take care of themselves. We have always been a government of the people. All the people. And not just those who contribute to the GNP.
I have a dream. That as our domestic economic policy continues to offer incentives to business, it also continues to recognize the rights of people to organize and bargain. Having been on both sides of this labor fence, I know that the job of management is to get the most out of the work force at the least cost, and that the role of the union is to protect the rights of the worker for a fair wage and safe conditions. I have always hated the switch from the term “personnel” to “human resources.” Somehow it put the working man and woman on the same plane as a box of nails. The dignity of the worker has been diminished. It seems that recent years have seen a decline in the influence of the union. History has shown that without an advocate, workers lose. A strong union presence is essential to an equitable free enterprise system. There is no reason this cannot always be a win-win proposition.
I have still another dream. That we will continue to be the greatest power in the free world, but still remember that we can’t always save that world. World terror has changed the face and focus of our lives forever. We cannot afford to be isolationist in an ever-shrinking world. But neither can we always solve everyone’s problems. It is true we have always been the guys who cared. Sent money, food, medical supplies, troops. But this hasn’t always worked out the way we wanted. Take a look at Africa. Or Korea. Or Vietnam. And as much as the recent historic elections in Iraq have made any right-thinking American stand in awe at the courage of the Iraqi people, the jury is still out on that venture. There is the feeling that, even if sometimes we really do need to save the world, maybe somebody else needs to step up once in a while, too. Freedom does not come cheap, I know, but why is it always our guys who pay the greatest price?
Speaking of dreams, what has become of Dr. King’s? In the 40 or so years since his famous speech, can it be said that progress has been made? I’d have to give this a qualified “yes”. More and more, people are being judged by the content of their character rather than the color of their skin. My kids have gone to school with and played with kids of other races. A lot of blood, sweat and tons of tears have brought about the laws that have helped this to come about, but I believe hearts are changing as well. In our own St. Louis region, we have growing, diverse cultures. Our people are not free of prejudice, but it is a “work in progress.” That in itself is partial fulfillment of King’s dream, voiced decades ago.
It has been said to never let go of your dreams. Langston Hughes wrote that a dream deferred can dry up “like a raisin in the sun.” So I’d like to thank Dr. King for his dreaming, and for his call to “let freedom ring” in this great country of ours.
I just hope that someday I can hear that ring come from a national party that represents my dreams, rather than perrenially get stuck picking and choosing from the menu offered by the two biggest players at the table.
Now that would be a dream fulfilled.
(from the Fall of 2004)
With all due respect to Dr. Martin Luther King, whom I admire as one of the most influential people of the 20th century, I would like to present my own set of dreams for consideration. I in no way claim the position he held as a purveyor of peace and justice. I am simply a citizen of the U.S.A. But I feel, as he must have, seriously unrepresented by the major political parties of our country. During every campaign, I see again and again that I can’t call myself Republican or Democrat, liberal or conservative. There is certainly something in each party that I like, but there is also enough about each that I cannot tolerate. And I am fairly sure that there are a lot of us out here who feel this way.
So it is with this in mind that I say...........
I have a dream. That unborn life will once again become the foremost right, by virtue of the eventual overturning of that misguided and ill-fated decision, Roe vs. Wade. The abomination of abortion has been like an open sore on the soul and psyche of our nation for far too long. No people can claim to be operating “under God”, and have this practice seen as legal. We have a stain on our collective soul for this dark period in our history. I am not so naive to think that abortions will end completely, but I can dream that they will. And I can’t help but dream that with this change would come a healing, and a new focus. Not to mention the blessing of God returning to our country.
I have a dream. That people who are truly in need, like single mothers with young children, developmentally and emotionally disabled people, and poor and elderly citizens will get the support, care and assistance they require, simply by virtue of their need. Every day we see this program being cut and that budget being slashed when it comes to taking care of the people who can least take care of themselves. We have always been a government of the people. All the people. And not just those who contribute to the GNP.
I have a dream. That as our domestic economic policy continues to offer incentives to business, it also continues to recognize the rights of people to organize and bargain. Having been on both sides of this labor fence, I know that the job of management is to get the most out of the work force at the least cost, and that the role of the union is to protect the rights of the worker for a fair wage and safe conditions. I have always hated the switch from the term “personnel” to “human resources.” Somehow it put the working man and woman on the same plane as a box of nails. The dignity of the worker has been diminished. It seems that recent years have seen a decline in the influence of the union. History has shown that without an advocate, workers lose. A strong union presence is essential to an equitable free enterprise system. There is no reason this cannot always be a win-win proposition.
I have still another dream. That we will continue to be the greatest power in the free world, but still remember that we can’t always save that world. World terror has changed the face and focus of our lives forever. We cannot afford to be isolationist in an ever-shrinking world. But neither can we always solve everyone’s problems. It is true we have always been the guys who cared. Sent money, food, medical supplies, troops. But this hasn’t always worked out the way we wanted. Take a look at Africa. Or Korea. Or Vietnam. And as much as the recent historic elections in Iraq have made any right-thinking American stand in awe at the courage of the Iraqi people, the jury is still out on that venture. There is the feeling that, even if sometimes we really do need to save the world, maybe somebody else needs to step up once in a while, too. Freedom does not come cheap, I know, but why is it always our guys who pay the greatest price?
Speaking of dreams, what has become of Dr. King’s? In the 40 or so years since his famous speech, can it be said that progress has been made? I’d have to give this a qualified “yes”. More and more, people are being judged by the content of their character rather than the color of their skin. My kids have gone to school with and played with kids of other races. A lot of blood, sweat and tons of tears have brought about the laws that have helped this to come about, but I believe hearts are changing as well. In our own St. Louis region, we have growing, diverse cultures. Our people are not free of prejudice, but it is a “work in progress.” That in itself is partial fulfillment of King’s dream, voiced decades ago.
It has been said to never let go of your dreams. Langston Hughes wrote that a dream deferred can dry up “like a raisin in the sun.” So I’d like to thank Dr. King for his dreaming, and for his call to “let freedom ring” in this great country of ours.
I just hope that someday I can hear that ring come from a national party that represents my dreams, rather than perrenially get stuck picking and choosing from the menu offered by the two biggest players at the table.
Now that would be a dream fulfilled.
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