Piece of 80's: Good-bye Mike

Okay, I'm not going to talk about Michael Jackson's death beyond the tragedy that left three kids without a father.

Instead, as many of you readers know, I did much of my youthful growing in the 80's and as such, have this affinity towards all things 80's.

Michael Jackson played a huge part of that. His music and dance moves were popular and emulated, then mocked and ridiculed, but it was always present. I even remember buying my last Michael Jackson song ("You Are Not Alone" cassette single, it was that long ago...) and listening to it on the drive home along I-45.

He did have an affect on me. For all the controversy that surrounds Michael in the last fifteen years, I choose instead to remember the 80's Michael, big nose and all.

I cribbed this from Guitar Collecting, a lovely website about guitars. This was on YouTube, but I think you get the gist: a nice song played by a great young guitarist.

Cheers to you Michael Jackson, circa 1982.

Writer's Block

Anyone who's done any writing knows the feeling. That overused cliche when you're in high school and you are looking for that reason to sit around and not write? Well, here I am. Perhaps I've just got too much stimulus and can't focus on any one thing for longer than a few minutes,but that's just where it is.

So for being a loyal fan and still checking in, I present you with....

Random Facts!

1. Michael Jackson died. So did Farrah Fawcett. So did Billy Mays. So did someone's Grandma, Granpa, cousin, uncle, aunt, sister, etc. People die. It's tragic, but let's remember the context.
2. I took my son to the putting green yesterday and we even hit a few balls. First time since April. Nice without pressure.
3. Houston Astros is still my favorite MLB team. Regarless of thier current standing.
4. Steve and Bobby Forrest are nice guys.
5. Breakfast tacos with your brother and sister-in-law is so underrated.
6. Lunch with your sister and brother-in-law is also underrated.
7. Washing dishes is so overrated.
8. I don't have an excuse to go watch Transformer: Revenge of the Fallen yet...
9. Potty training is...well...potty training.
10. There will be fireworks at Sea World.

Hopefully, more in a day or two. Something a bit better...

Cheers.

Simply the Best

Cue the intro, boys...

Today is Father's Day, at least here in the States it is. For that, we tend to grill our choice of cuts outside, drink a few and shoot out texts/emails/etc. to our father figures.

I'm sure that amidst all the celebrations, there are some happy ones and probably some not quite so happy ones. For whatever reason, I hope that everyone has a day as awesome as mine; better yet, have one even more awesome.

Sometimes, we are forced to take things a bit slower. That happened today to me, at least. And for that, I am thankful. I thank all the powers that be for throwing in my face all the wonders that exist in my life, all the little things that make being here now worth the effort. As the day was winding down, we loaded up the SUV and prepared to depart. Somehow, the light just caught my wife's hair and she as looking towards me. For a brief moment that time decided to put in super slow-mo, the music began to play in the background, the planets aligned and the stars reigned supreme, the velvet ropes parted and I was allowed a glimpse of how wonderful life truly is. It is too easy to get sucked into the depths of negativity (not that the occasional bitching isn't healthy).

So where ever you may be, whatever might be going on in your life, make sure to simply take a moment (two if you really want to live!) and give thanks that you are here, send a wish out to your loved ones, and let Tina express herself in the best way possible.

Final Quote: "Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated." - Confucius

By Any Means Necessary...

Malcom X had the right words, but perhaps he and I are seeing things differently.

I just got done reading an interesting article about a home run in softball called back for a truly heinous reason. Of course, anyone who reads Rick Reilly knows his tone and I really enjoy his articles. But I digress.

At what point do we does winning come at the cost of setting aside our values? When does being right mean more than doing right? Ahh, the confusions of life...

Why this and why now?, you may be asking. Reading the article and having a couple of things happen in a day can do strange things to a person. No, nothing that life altering mind you, but simply the opportunity to really reflect and think about the decisions that a person makes.

I doubt anyone truly enjoys being wrong, nor does anyone truly love the joys of losing. Sometimes that as mundane as an argument with your poker buddy. Sometimes its as large as altering the outcome of a major game. Whatever the seeming scope and breadth of the situation, either have both a correct and a right outcome, which may be the same or not. In the case of the called back homer, the Busch-League call was correct (to a certain extent, but read the article for that) but wrong.

So if you get into an argument like I did today, don't be a jerk about it. Sure, you may be right, but what are you going to win? Sometimes it's just better to accept the situation and shrug, smile, and say okay. Of course, my other mom Deby would just smile her smile and know that she was right.

So Malcom wasn't referring quite to the same as me, but let's imagine if everyone to this train of thought to being good people.

And Renee would simply say "I told you so."

Friday Fun: BeFunky.com

Life is way to short to just work and sleep, and the occaision romp in the proverbial hay, so...

If you are looking for a creative way to waste a bit of time, check out BeFunky. Simple, easy to use interface, and easily saved to various sources. You can even upload from existing photo web accounts (think Picassa, photobucket, or Flikr; these are just a few).

You can even upload your finished product onto your social networking site.

Fun fun fun!

Final Quote: Look at the picture above, it's worth at least 1000.

Teacher's Summer: Day 13

Ah, the joys of summer. For all of you hard working folks that don't have summers off, I get to join you on certain days.

As I missed my usual Wednesday entry, I thought about what I did the last few days. See, I was not stuck, but attended this really cool workshop in San Antonio about teaching strategies for struggling readers (this works just as well for regular readers). Obviously I learned so much that I wanted to share, so here we go...

If I didn't scare you off, thanks for staying. The point is that even though most teachers have the summer off, we still have work to do. Obviously this is done in a different capacity. I'll be attending almost two weeks' worth of training through the summer (three down!). I'll be working on various lesson plans, trying to incorporate the trainings and what I've learned.

And I'll be enjoying my summer as best as possible. What else have I done?

I've been playing guitar. Those of you long time readers (yeah Kris and Nelson!) know that I've been playing close to eight months now, and barre chords are coming along nicely. Starting to incorporate more picking (really depending on tablature right now) into the whole chord work. Dylan's bass playing is really coming along. He jests about giving lessons to some neighborhood kids, but he's just teaching them some basic stuff. Dyl does know how to play along to four or five songs, all the while singing. Life is a musical wonderland!

That's about it. I've started my short story and with it, I've kept my focus and written my minimal most days (I am on pace as I wrote more on certain days, but sometimes I'm away from the computer). Hopefully, I can get some valuable feedback from a few folks next month (Kris and Ice Pick, I'm thinking about you guys...).

That's about it for now. Want to say something? Go ahead, I'm too tired to complain. I still got to work out and I am going to watch this movie, The Shooter. Hopefully it's pretty decent.

Final Quote: "Ain't no cure for the summertime blues." - Eddie Cochran

Wedding Quarters

"Do you?"

"Do you?"

"I now prounounce you..."

I'm sure that you can predict the rest of that sentence. It was an interesting weekend for me, that's for sure. While I did get to see a movie (see Kris's post about that here), it's more about the entire reason for my trip that I write.

A wedding. The joining of two people who deign to be together until the very end. For all that, it's funny how things work out.

I really won't bore with you details. This is more about me and a few select people remembering the time that we shared. If you feel lost, you may want to skip the rest. If you want to smile at the possiblities and still be lost, then keep on reading.

Top 8 Memorable Moments from the 6-15-09 Wedding:

Honorable Mention: Continously hearing farting noises (mouth generated)

8. Instructions on making scrambled eggs

7. Being corrected on how to speak to the drive-thru teller

6. Holding and comparing play swords that are sharp enough to cut your head off

5. Lenghty conversation about writing

4. Terminator Salvation with a good friend

3. Enchiladas con salsa verde

2. One dollar bill = 3 quarters

1. Marriage Union

What did you expect? Anyway, I didn't say the entire list was going to be super good stuff. I like to keep it real.

Final Quote: "An ideal wife is any woman that has an ideal husband." - Booth Tarkington

Writing Quickie

Here's an idea. If you continue to read this, then you are *cough* obligated *cough* to complete the exercise.

This weekend, after talking to my buddy Kris about a few things, I figured maybe we could get something a bit more interactive. Finish the sentence. However, whichever. Finish it.

EDIT: If you get a chance, vote on the poll. As always, comments are welcome.

While I was hoping to win the $20 million dollars, I only won $1,000; I now plan to _______ .

Final Quote: "If you want to feel rich, just count the things you have that money can't buy." - Proverb

Playing the Shill: AndreaMosaic

Okay, I'll do my part in the name of freeware.

Anyone who knows my knows that I love video and photography. I've never had fancy equipment until I bought my camcorder this year.

I digress.

It hit me today and I did a quick search and came across a how-to of sorts for photomosaics. This how-to suggested a few, and I clicked on the first one: AndreaMosaic.

Basically, I'm still learning the software, but anyone on my facebook saw my photo I posted. It's quite easy to get going, but probably takes a bit of practice to really master the finer points.

It's apparently named after an Andrea, but I don't know yet who she is. She simply asks that end users give her the props. There is a more bells & whistles version, the Professional, but I went with the basic.

To Andrea, thanks for what is thus far a great product. My son loves his picture (so does Mommy!).

Again, if you are considering doing something with that huge collection of digital prints on the hard drive, this is a great idea and a possible gift for Dad in the next few weeks.

Cheers!

Final Quote: "Photography is the beauty of life, captured. " - Tara Chisholm

Get It While It's Hot!

A great many of you readers are writers, and do so with great success.

Unfortunately for me, I've not quite had the success I'd hope to have when I was finishing college. I never really dreamt of going into a full fledged writing career. Sure, sports writer would be pretty cool, but I don't think I'd like my life dictated by a deep playoff run. Fiction has always held a grasp on me, but finding my voice and style has taken some time.

As I write this, I'm really hit with a decent idea that I think I can run with. I doubt that I'll do anything public with it until it's finished (and been proofed by at least three trusted individuals; you know who you are).

Why this post? Well, as I was telling my friend last week of some ideas that came and went, he simply pointed out: You got to strike when the fire is hot.

He was right. So, in essence, this is me putting my goal on paper. I will attempt to complete this short story by...oh crap. Do I really have to put a date up? Let's just say that I'll work on it everyday for the next four weeks. Goal is to write at least 100 words daily, if not more.

Wish me luck.

Final Quote: So often is the virgin sheet of paper more real than what one has to say, and so often one regrets having marred it. ~Harold Acton, Memoirs of an Aesthete, 1948

Higher Standard Follow Up: No Crying in Baseball

One of my dear friends asked the question after reading my last post: What do you think about youth sports that don't declare a winner, where everyone win?

After strong consideration, I think that's not quite realistic. Part of the fun that comes with sports is competition. Compeititon is described, among other things, as "a contest between rivals". This, in essence, states that there will be one winner and one loser. Loser is so derogatory here; it simply states that you were not the victorious one.

Why is this better? Kids don't like defeat as much as adults. Losing hurts. You try your best but that weird kid playing left wasn't paying attention and the other team scored two runs as a result. Not your fault right? Team sports should teach teamwork (and all that entails, such as comeradie) that often is difficult to reproduce in other places. Sports can take you through a plethora of emotions. Happy ones that come from making a good play and helping to win the game. Sad ones that come from striking out to losing a close battle.

Is there a place for scoreless games? Sure, let's save that for the beginning leagues. The 5- and 6-year olds that are just starting out. It's more about learning the game there. As the kids grow, so should the expectations. The score won't kill a kid. And hopefully the parent is supportive in this endeavor.

Victory isn't always achieved by having the highest score. The high score only shows a few things, but often times, the most important score won't show up until years later.

Final Quote: "I used to care more about the score than I do now." - Darrell Royal

A Higher Standard

So my son's team played in the season ending tournament, and did quite well. While it didn't matter that we finished second, what did matter was the behavior of a few adults.

Anyone who has attended a Little League game (or pretty much any other youth sports activity) will witness kids playing and competing. You'll see young stars play a level above many of their team mates, and you will also see a great many beginners make mistakes. That's all part of youth sports. What grinds at me is the adults that ruin the party.

When is it ever appropriate to use profanity around 7 or 8 year olds? It it okay to throw your hat when a play goes awry? How about yelling (not loudly coaching mind you...) at a player? Here's one: the team isn't quite performing as well as they should, so you call the boys for a practice one weekend and force them to wear pink shorts, or hats or shirts for the duration of the practice. Don't feel like the rules are working in your favor? Go chew out some of the volunteers and criticize their volunteered time and efforts.

Obviously, I've got my opinions. Notice, I never pointed out parents. Because they, along with coaches, are equally invovled and should maintain that high standard. The youth that particiapte, along with the newly involved that you get each season, see these antics (because they stand out a lot more than the positive encouragement that is everpresent) and get the idea that it's acceptable.

It's not folks. I'm sure that some may say that wearing a bit of pink won't kill you, but I fail to see the point in boys wearing pink as a punishment. Yelling [insert sarcasm] always makes someone want to work harder.

But what do I know right? I've only got experience volunteering with YMCA, Special Olympics, Spurs League, and Little League, combined with years as a high school coach. I'm not going to say that my way is the ONLY right way, but there are definitely wrong ways out there.

Go ahead and make a comment. I promise only positive encouragement.

Final Quote: "All keep an open mind and a compassionate heart." - Phil Jackson

Interesting Question #4: What are your summer plans?

Ahh, the hot blazing sun kisses us with a warmth that burns my skin. Unyeilding humidity in South Texas that laughs when you say It'll be cooler this afternoon. And the lack of work duties for a few months.

Such is the life of a teacher. Fortunate for me. Now I'm sure that many of you aren't teachers and probably have to work through summers. I've been there, done that (I hate the prospect of ever working retail EVER again). And as I've been busy this past week, I've got to get caught up with this here blog, so here's this week's question:

What are your plans this summer?

Short and sweet. I'm not gonna give you verbatim every single smidgen of detail. Quite frankly, if you are still reading, then I'm doing good. Instead, I'll just list off a few items for interesting reading's sake and hopefully, you can reciprocate.

1. Sea World - Bought season passse, so we WILL get our money's worth, or die trying.
2. Guitar Lessons - The boy earned his guitar. The boy will learn songs.
3. Astros - Working on scoring tickets, this is a definite maybe.
4. NASA - Day camp later this summer.
5. ATX & H-Town - Family and Friends.
6. FPS - Training in Austin that ends up being a fun trip.

Enough about me. What are your plans? Share and share alike.

As usual, comments are always appreciated.

Final Quote: "School's out for the summer!" - Alice Cooper