A few days ago, I was informed our daughter, Tina, is pregnant with her third child. She had just gotten home from an ambo-test to check on the baby and find out the sex. IT'S A BOY!!! Or, it will be in mid-July. Both are doing fine.
I will have to admit, I was a little surprised to hear this news because I was under the impression, two was it for John and Tina...but, I guess I was wrong.
Seven grandchildren...I am really starting to feel old. Two boys and two girls in Arizona and two boys and one girl in Florida. The cousin's table is going to be packed, if we ever all get together. That would great to see them all together. What happy chaos.
Oh, by the way, Nancy and I booked a tour to China in mid-April for two weeks. No biggie...just thought I'd mention it. Seven? WOW!
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Monday, January 24, 2011
Super Bowl teams decided
Sunday afternoons are MY time, to get my blood pressure up while I yell and exhale for every missed catch and great interception which results in a touchdown. Yeah, I am a Sunday football Dad. I love it. And the owners know all about guys like me. That is why there are more games and a stretched season.
Football has evolved SO much since it first was televised. Passing basketball and baseball in popularity and attendance, football owners have almost priced the seats out of the budget of the average people and become a corporate sport. Basketball and baseball are learning to do the same.
When football started to be publicly viewed, it was not on TV, there was no beer served, usually played in public facilities like a fairgrounds or parks. The game was not frequently viewed by females and little padding was worn by the players. What a difference from today.
On February 6th in Dallas Texas, the Pittsburgh Steelers and Green Bay Packers will determine who emerges the World Champions... after four hours of discussing the game strategies, one hour of Puppy Bowl, two hours of interviews and more strategy discussion, two and a half hours of actual playing football and two more hours of post game discussion. Not to mention the multi-billion dollar commercials, which next to the actual game, are the best part. They are even previewing those too. That pretty much sucks-up all of the daylight here in Arizona, or anywhere else too.
But, back to the teams. Neither team had a WINNING season. Who were those teams? Oh yeah...New England and Atlanta...remember them? The two MOST WINNING teams are NOT in the Super Bowl! Does that sound right? But the owners do that are a reason. To stretch the season by having more games... play-off games, so the leaders could possibly get knocked off and a 3rd or 6th seated team could go to the Super Bowl. They know people love to root for the underdogs, and will pay to see them play, or buy a jersey to show their support. I am not condemning commerce, but the rules the owners control all of us addicts. If a team is the top dog all year long, they should get the privilege of play the the Lombardi trophy. Don't you? It's just not right! But what is REALLY no right is the price you pay for a sports ticket. A Super Bowl ticket is in the thousands, plus airfare, hotel and transportation. What factory worker can afford that...thus the TV production of the game and the money made on endorsements.
Well there you go... you have just wasted your last five minutes reading some guy rant and rave over commercialism. I honestly am not against it, just the greed of it which hurts the average family of "being there".
I did go to a Super Bowl once. Super Bowl XXX in Tempe, AZ. I was a driver for some Coors execs. They rented an entire Mexican Restaurant across the street from the stadium. Me and other drivers sat there eating from the free buffet with our feet up, watching the whole game on a big screen TV inside the warm, snug restaurant. The execs sat on hard stadium seats in an usually cold,windy desert day. I walked away with $$$ in my pocket and a full belly. They came back to restaurant to find the food was cold and so were they. Maybe watching the game at home is a better deal. It's free...for now.
Football has evolved SO much since it first was televised. Passing basketball and baseball in popularity and attendance, football owners have almost priced the seats out of the budget of the average people and become a corporate sport. Basketball and baseball are learning to do the same.
When football started to be publicly viewed, it was not on TV, there was no beer served, usually played in public facilities like a fairgrounds or parks. The game was not frequently viewed by females and little padding was worn by the players. What a difference from today.
On February 6th in Dallas Texas, the Pittsburgh Steelers and Green Bay Packers will determine who emerges the World Champions... after four hours of discussing the game strategies, one hour of Puppy Bowl, two hours of interviews and more strategy discussion, two and a half hours of actual playing football and two more hours of post game discussion. Not to mention the multi-billion dollar commercials, which next to the actual game, are the best part. They are even previewing those too. That pretty much sucks-up all of the daylight here in Arizona, or anywhere else too.
But, back to the teams. Neither team had a WINNING season. Who were those teams? Oh yeah...New England and Atlanta...remember them? The two MOST WINNING teams are NOT in the Super Bowl! Does that sound right? But the owners do that are a reason. To stretch the season by having more games... play-off games, so the leaders could possibly get knocked off and a 3rd or 6th seated team could go to the Super Bowl. They know people love to root for the underdogs, and will pay to see them play, or buy a jersey to show their support. I am not condemning commerce, but the rules the owners control all of us addicts. If a team is the top dog all year long, they should get the privilege of play the the Lombardi trophy. Don't you? It's just not right! But what is REALLY no right is the price you pay for a sports ticket. A Super Bowl ticket is in the thousands, plus airfare, hotel and transportation. What factory worker can afford that...thus the TV production of the game and the money made on endorsements.
Well there you go... you have just wasted your last five minutes reading some guy rant and rave over commercialism. I honestly am not against it, just the greed of it which hurts the average family of "being there".
I did go to a Super Bowl once. Super Bowl XXX in Tempe, AZ. I was a driver for some Coors execs. They rented an entire Mexican Restaurant across the street from the stadium. Me and other drivers sat there eating from the free buffet with our feet up, watching the whole game on a big screen TV inside the warm, snug restaurant. The execs sat on hard stadium seats in an usually cold,windy desert day. I walked away with $$$ in my pocket and a full belly. They came back to restaurant to find the food was cold and so were they. Maybe watching the game at home is a better deal. It's free...for now.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Hate Politics
This last week, we ALL (as Americans) suffered from the shooting of Representative Gifford and many other innocent people around her. It is not the standard, any more, to merely debate a disagreement on politics. The believers of the "shock political jockeys" feel they must resort to violence. To shoot someone just because you don't agree is animalistic and inhuman.
Hate politics has gained popularity in the past years due to shock aspect and ability to get ratings on radio and TV. AM talk radio is doing a great job of getting people pumped up to the point of blood boiling arguments between friends and relatives. People believe these radio and TV jockeys without checking to see if their rhetoric is true or not. They automatically believe, if it does not come from their party, or opposite from their view, it must be wrong. WHO SAYS YOU ARE ALWAYS RIGHT?
The jerks that rant about how bad things are in the USA, or how bad people in official offices are performing their jobs are just exercising their First Amendment rights, right? That is fine, but just get the facts right and be prepared to present your facts for debate WITHOUT stating people should be crucified or shot. There are some mental lacking folks roaming the streets that may take you literal. And I hate to admit, the State of Arizona maybe the start of some of those hate feelings. Maybe it's the border situation, or the wild west attitude, or the open gun laws, or ... who knows.
Here's my rebuttal to the Nye-Sayers... if you don't like things here, go somewhere else. If you don't like the politics here, try Russia or Africa or China. Maybe they will listen to your line of s---! Otherwise, shut-up and work to make it better. Get involved without cocking your gun or ranting and bad-mouthing everything (without verifying your facts) from politicians to pizza.Try a little love instead of hate.
Hate politics has gained popularity in the past years due to shock aspect and ability to get ratings on radio and TV. AM talk radio is doing a great job of getting people pumped up to the point of blood boiling arguments between friends and relatives. People believe these radio and TV jockeys without checking to see if their rhetoric is true or not. They automatically believe, if it does not come from their party, or opposite from their view, it must be wrong. WHO SAYS YOU ARE ALWAYS RIGHT?
The jerks that rant about how bad things are in the USA, or how bad people in official offices are performing their jobs are just exercising their First Amendment rights, right? That is fine, but just get the facts right and be prepared to present your facts for debate WITHOUT stating people should be crucified or shot. There are some mental lacking folks roaming the streets that may take you literal. And I hate to admit, the State of Arizona maybe the start of some of those hate feelings. Maybe it's the border situation, or the wild west attitude, or the open gun laws, or ... who knows.
Here's my rebuttal to the Nye-Sayers... if you don't like things here, go somewhere else. If you don't like the politics here, try Russia or Africa or China. Maybe they will listen to your line of s---! Otherwise, shut-up and work to make it better. Get involved without cocking your gun or ranting and bad-mouthing everything (without verifying your facts) from politicians to pizza.Try a little love instead of hate.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Big Bend & Las Cruces
On December 28th, Nancy and I left for the southeast and an area we never explored before.One night lay-over in Las Cruces, New Mexico and the next day we arrived in Big Bend National Park. More than 250 square miles and one of the newer parks in the national park system. Awesome rock formations and expansive deserts bordered by the Rio Grande River on the south, and Mexico. The river cuts through a 1500 foot wall of rock into the park and then cut out of the park at the other side, more than 50 miles away. This give way for two glorious canyons to hike and explore. Not to speak of the echos. Mexican Nationals from a small village across the river, ride horses across the low flowing river to, hopefully, sell you small trink-its or painted walking sticks for the trails. They are friendly and very courteous.
After four days there (and several miles of hiking under our belts), we left for Las Cruces again. The site of the signing of the Gadsden Purchase plus the oldest adobe and brick buildings in New Mexico. The old town with GREAT Mexican food and quint shops. Next day we drove to Alamogordo where the first atomic bomb was developed. The International Space Hall of Fame was awesome. On the way back to Las Cruces, we visited White Sands National Monument and did a quick drive through. It not sand after all...it's gypsum and it really sticks to your car.
In exactly one week, we covered 2000 miles and got a quick but educational glimpse of the old Mexican southwest. Given the proper opportunity, I'd go back to Las Cruces for an extended stay.
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