What do you learn?

Friday was a lovely day for the Bledsoe kids. I had promised the kids that if it snowed, schools were canceled and the roads weren't that bad, we would go to Stephens Lake Park and sled down the big hill. As we arrived, we noticed a sign explaining sledding safety (yeah right) and that there were no other cars or people...anywhere. So we took it upon ourselves to sled down almost every lane of the hill. At the park, there are 3 good hills: a long, safe fairly innocuous hill, a very steep yet safe, somewhat bumpy hill and a roller-coaster hill with jumps and a - chance to run into trees - hill. Guess which one I liked. When Columbia parks and Rec took over Stephens lake they made an area where there are circular "rings" at different levels on the hill side. Each flat ring area becomes a jump when you go fast enough down the hill and with my mass we go fast enough. The kids teamed up on their sled so they would have enough momentum to get air. It was a hoot.


While we were there a photographer from the Columbia Tribune came strolling down the hill. He wanted to take pictures of us for the paper and we happily obliged. He was out there for about 20 minutes while we went down and marched back up the hill. He was the only other person we saw out that day. As luck would have it, I had to go to work in the afternoon. My boss and I had a communication breakdown. Later that afternoon, these pictures were posted on the Trib's web site and the people at work saw them. Suddenly, I was famous. When the cleaning crew came in at 5:30, one of the worker's asked if it was me in the paper. Yes, yes it was.

So what did I learn? We had intended to go sledding in the afternoon. We decided not to wait. Who knows what could have happened in a few hours to interfere with the plan. (as it turned out, lots) There is always time to have fun. Take advantage of it when you can. That is what I learned from my kids that day. They can be so Zen-eriffic for me.

Habeas Corpus

It really troubles me that we have passed laws limiting the use of Habeas Corpus. This right has been around in some form or another since the 12th century. It keeps states from infringing on the rights of individuals by requiring the state to justify its authority to detain individuals. Sure, you can go look it up.

What troubles me even more is that most people just don't care. The military commissions act was passed in 2006. How long will this law be in place? When we win?

There is a coworker of mine who said, "I don't care, I don't have anything to hide.". I think this misses the point entirely. First of all, the government does not have the authority detain anyone they want. The Bill of Rights, specifically the writ of habeas corpus guards against that. Do you think it was correct of us to detain Japanese-Americans in WWII? What if the government labeled you an enemy combatant? I think I am going to write my congressmen and ask them to repeal the law.

Thanks!

Too many people have lost the ability to say: "you're welcome". I am sure you have heard it before.

Radio announcer: Thanks for talking with us today.
Guest: Thank you.

You - getting the receipt for your groceries: Thanks!
Cashier: Thank you.

Hunh? When did this start? My grandmas taught me to be polite, but when did saying "thank you" to someone who just thanked you replace "You're welcome"? I don't get it.

So I am going to change my responses from now one. I am going to start saying: You're welcome. Let's see how people react.

Should I stay or should I go?

Yesterday I was asked to be the coach for my daughter's basketball team for one of their upcoming games. I think it is on the 1st of March. I said I would check on it since one of my friends needs help moving into her new home and I promised to help her. But my first reaction to the invitation to coach was to say "No" regardless of a scheduling conflict.


Let me explain. The basketball team my daughter is on is called Upwards Basketball; the team's name is the Gators. The games are played at a local church's gymnasium. The games are played there not because there is no other place, they are played there because Upwards is a religiously affiliated league. During practice and halftimes of the games, there is a brief sermon. I have a problem being the coach because I am an atheist. Yes, I attend the games. Yes, I sometimes help with the practices - I don't like parents who think the practices are a one hour baby-sitting service... I go because I think it is more important to be around my daughter than it is to shun religious beliefs. Besides, I am trying to raise her in an ethical way so she can make up her own mind later on. So, will I be the coach in two weeks? If I am not helping my friend move, then yes...

Valentine's Day

I love made up Holiday's! Corporate America needs some more cash, so what holiday can we have to get people to spend more money? How about celebrating some martyrs? Sounds fun. Maybe we could link in Chaucer and make it romantic, too! Sah-freaking-wheat, dude.

- off soapbox now -

My wife and I are lucky enough to have pleasant family members nearby and we now have a tradition of celebrating Valentine's day with my brother and his wife each year. This year we went to C.C.'s City broiler and it was fantastic. It is one of the pricier places in town, but for special occasions, they make you feel great. The room is not too crowded, the wait staff is wonderful and food is...well...outstanding! I had the Steak Sinatra medium rare together with a nice Claret and a side of steamed Broccoli. Click on the link above and see why I picked the Sinatra. :)

I rate places like this on a scale of answering the following questions:

1) could I make it at home? "No" rates higher
2) how expensive would it be?
3) how long would it take me to prepare the meal?
4) would the kids eat it? "No" rates higher, again. sorry kids.

If you get the chance to go, I highly recommend it. We had a fabulous time.

Cookie Monster. COOOKIES!

It's girl scout cookie time! Every year our house is invaded with the cookies that my daughter's troop sells. AND every year - so far - Cayley is the top seller. She didn't reach her goal of over 500 boxes of cookies, but she came close: 483. Comparitively speaking, I have no idea where that falls in the Heart of Missouri Girl Scouts rankings, but I imagine it is in the top 20. At least I like to think so. She makes me proud.
Unlike some parents, I require Cayley to go around and sell those cookies herself. I feel just a little uncomfortable soliciting my coworkers and friends for more cookies. Having said that, if you didn't get your cookies this year, never fear, we have ordered a few extra boxes! Just let me know. This year I ordered my usual dozen boxes. Ann and I compete - imagine that - over who buys the most cookies. I think Ann won this time. I have 2 boxes of cookies left from last year so I thought 12 was too much, but I am trying to support Cayley and the troop.

How much is enough?

Many times during my work week, I am asked if there is documentation to do what I do. I sometimes say yes and sometimes say no. In either case, I am left wondering what documentation is adequate and what is not.

Let's suppose that you are trying to show or teach someone how to create a web page. Do you have to explain to them the http protocol and why it was instituted as a way of sharing files from continent to continent? Or how the computer works as you type on the keyboard? In any document, there is an assumption to the knowledge of the reader. Is this any more true in technical documents as opposed to news articles? What do I have to know about the failed coup attempt broadcast on NPR this morning to have a cognitive understanding of the situation?

Anyway, I feel like documentation is like talking to a wall. You never know if someone else will understand it until the time that they need it.

Giving up

We finally have done it. I called today to cancel our DirecTV service. Ann and I decided that we should get away from watching television and more into spending time together. The kids and I like to play games like dominoes and cards. I anticipate that the trend will continue.

It seems strange that most people I talk to wonder what we are going to do when the tv stops putting out programming. I can tell you what we are going to do.

1. Spend less money. If you add up all of the fees for our Directv, it was around $900 per year. Now that is money gone. G-O-N-E I say. Let's suppose instead that we take the money and invest it into our kids EdJones account making a paltry 6%. How much money will the kids have in 13 years? I leave it to you, dear reader to figure it out.
2. Spend more time together. Let's pretend that you only watch 4 shows/week and an occasional show every other night. How much time do you spend mesmerized in front of the TV? I say: Lots! and I am tired of it. I have things I want to read and I want my children to experience the joy of reading. Hopefully, Ann and I can set a good example.

I think these two gains are enough to warrant the expulsion of paid programming. However, we all still have access to FREE tv. Yes, we will probably start watching the free channels occasionally. I hope that our resolve to items 1 and 2 above keep the tv off most of the time.

Maybe Cayley will take up an interest in Bridge. I would love to teach her the game. :)

lots of friends

I love the fact that I have found several new blogs out there from friends of mine. I like having discussions with people about various topics including, but not limited to, programming. Great minds are hard to find and when you are allowed to interact with these people, you should take the opportunity to do so. I am always thrilled to hear these people yammering about. I find the discussions delicious. Sometimes I find that listening is even more fun. Free exchanging ideas, even when you disagree with them, is scintillating.


Happy blogging!

It's Party time!

I am a huge football fan. Forgive me soccer fans, I still shorten "American football" to merely "football". Until I have another conscience raising, that is what I will call it.

Anyway, we always have a big shindig here for superbowl and this year will be no different. There are about 20-25 people coming over. One of the difficulties is getting enough chairs for everyone to place their fannies. In years past we have accommodated everyone by having stadium seating and getting more than one tv displaying the game. This year we have new furniture so we won't have stadium seating and I didn't want to go through the trouble of setting up the extra tv. I guess the 42 incher will have to be enough. :)

As far as food goes, I have prepared some river Rat chili. Yes, it is a little spicy, but should be ok for the people who attend. I need to try it today and make sure it is alright. Everyone else is going to bring a side dish. There is going to be fruit, veggies, bacon wrapped shrimp, pizza rolls and super meaty cheese dip. It should be a culinary delight!

As with every superbowl party there are a few people who don't really watch the game. Sometimes this is a surprise. I remember a few years back when two of my best friends stayed in the kitchen - they could still see the game from their location - and drank all of my tequila. When I speak of tequila, I don't speak lightly. It is one of my favorite drinks: not mixed, diluted or otherwise ritualized to some shooter's dream. No, I like my tequila straight. I like to sip it. One shot of tequila should last you about 15 minutes. My favorites include Patron, Don Julio, Herradura, Tres Generaciones. Depending on the time of year I prefer silver to gold. But I digress. In order to get the most involvment of those at the party I like to make a list people can bet on if they wish. Here is the list I have come up with so far.
Firsts:
Who will win the coin toss?
Who will get the first First Down?
Which team will score first?
Will it be by Touchdown or Fieldgoal?
Will it be by Pass, Run or Kick?
Who will have the first 20 yard reception?
Which team’s running back will have 100 yards?
Which quarterback will throw for more than 300 yards?
Which team will have the first penalty?
Which head coach will be caught on camera swearing?
What will the first commercial DURING the game be about?
Qantifiy:
What is the total score after the first half?
What is the total score at the end?
How long will the final 2 minutes take?

This probably isn't the final list since my friend will probably have a few additions. Hey! It is still only 8:30 am, so we have lots of time.

What does one tenth of one cent mean to you?

A friend of mine always pointed out that the gas stations advertise that it costs $2.899/gallon, but if you actually put one gallon in your vehicle you get charged $2.90. I am going to try it the next time I fill up my motorcycle.

I wonder if we have grown so accustomed to that .9 cent at the end, that we don't notice it. What if a gas station started advertising 2.90/gallon? Would people stop going there and go across the street to the station with 2.899/gallon? Or do we even care? If people looked at the difference in price as one tenth of one cent would they feel like they are getting a bargain?

Would the oil companies make more money if they just ceded the fact that they are charging the rounded price for the product or not?

Can we really add a picture? Yes, we can!

We have some silly Christmas pictures (yes, I know it is February) so here it is. Yes, I am looking cross-eyed on purpose. Ann was taking the picture and did not notice "the look" at the time.

My daughter is bugging me to go on netFlix and load up the kid queue with movies so I have to keep this post short.

I am off to see the Tigers take on the Kansas State wildcats. Let's see if the Tigers can hold off a top 25 team with only 7 players. It should be fun!

First post

This is our first post and my daughter saw the title for the first time and laughed. I guess I picked a winner.

In the true computer programmer way: "HelloWorld!"

:)
more posts to follow...