Archive for June, 2006
Site Update
0Well, I went ahead and updated the site, yet again. I can’t seem to pick whether I want the posts to be in a separate Blog section or just right on the main page of the site.
For readability sake, I decided to just have the Blog on the main page. That’s pretty much what this site is about anyway – the Blog. The other stuff, like code, etc. will come eventually.
If I decided to change it again, someone slap me quick!
Flag Burning Ammendment
0Today I read that a proposed Constitutional Ammendment preventing burning and/or desecration of the American flag failed to make it through the Senate by 1 vote.
Now, I don’t know how I feel on if there should be a law or not, but if you are a citizen of this great country, why on Earth would you want to burn the flag? If a flag is a symbol of the, “republic for which it stands,” does that mean you want to destroy the United States? I would certainly hope not. And I doubt most people that burn the flag really want serious harm to come to our country, but come on people, show at least a little respect for our country. I know you have your freedom of speech, and I respect that, but I would think this would be a no-brainer issue.
It reminds me of another pet peeve of mine – people talking and/or doing other things during the National Anthem. I really cannot stand that. Danielle has learned this over the course of the last couple of years.
I guess you would say I’m a super patriot or something like that, but I always think back to what it must have been like for the men and women that experienced that song first hand, or those who are experiencing that song now. It bothers me that people can’t take their hat off for about a minute and at least stand their quietly if nothing else, but that’s just me, right?
Big Ben
1Yesterday Ben Roethlisberger was involved in a pretty nasty crash while riding his motorcycle without a helmet. A lot of people in the sports media have been giving him a hard time for not wearing a helmet. Well here is my take on that.
1.) Should he have worn a helmet? Probably, but under PA law he doesn’t have to. It’s much safer obviously, but it’s not required. Since there was no clause against it in his contract, he’s safe there too. It would be wise to wear a helmet at all times. That’s my position.
2.) As I mentioned, it’s not against the law in PA to not wear a helmet while riding. You can debated whether or not that is a good law, but the fact remains it’s the law. Instead of griping on Ben about being stupid for not wearing a helmet, how about griping about all the other players in the league that break countless drug laws, laws against physical abuse, etc. etc. Cut the guy some slack here.
3.) What about the woman who HIT Ben while she was driving. Why not throw some heat her way? I feel bad for her, since it does seem she truly feels bad about the whole situation, but like it or not, she was in the wrong. Apparently she made a turn and smacked right into him. Had she not, this wouldn’t even be a story at all.
One reporter said that Ben was a bad role model because he would encourage kids to not wear helmets. If I was a parent, and that was the worst thing a sports star could encourage my kid to do, I could deal with that. Go after the guys who are the real problems, who never get punished well enough for all the different rules they break.
Did Ben make a mistake? Probably. It would be safer to ride with a helmet, he could have been injured far worse, etc. etc. But cut the guy a break and focus on the real problems in sports and society in general for that matter, and you just might start to see a difference.
Weekend Fun
0This past weekend we traveled to Ithaca to visit Katie and her family. After we arrived Friday night we went to a Japanese restaurant and ate at the Hibachi table. That was a pretty cool experience. The chef was really talented, and he did some cool tricks, like taking an onion apart, stacking the rings vertically, pouring some flammable liquid in and making an onion volcano. The food was great, and the whole experience was really enjoyable.
Saturday started out with us attending the Dairy Days parade in the rain. The weather in Ithaca definitely had a mind of its own for the weekend. The parade reminded me of any parade you would see in Mansfield or any small town I would imagine.
After the fun in the rain, we went back to Katie’s house and caught some World Cup matches. Now, I know that soccer isn’t that popular in the US, but you should really give it a try sometime. It takes incredible talent and fitness to perform at that level for 90 minutes. We caught the end of the England match and watched almost all of the Sweden-Trinidad and Tobago match.
Once the soccer was over the weather decided to cooperate, and it was time for the main attraction – target shooting with Katie’s father – a major in the Army Reserves. What a blast! We shot 2 WWII era 8mm Mousers, one made by the Czechs and one actually made by the Nazis, complete with Nazi markings, which was a little strange. We also at the M1 Garande and the AR15, which I’m told is the civilian equivalent of the M16. Let me just say that I am not a great shot, but it was a lot of fun. I shot pretty well with the AR15 actually. It’s always fun to shoot with someone who wants to teach you and show you how to shoot better. 3 and a half hours later, it was time to head home.
Katie’s mom made a great speedie meal Saturday night, and then we headed to the mall where Josh’s brother Caleb bought his new Motorola RAZR.
Sunday morning was comprised of breakfast and the ride home.
All in all it was a great weekend, again spent with great friends, and we even ended it well by going out to see Cars last night, which was really a good film, much better than I thought it would be. If you haven’t seen it yet and are looking for just a nice, family, escapist movie, Cars is definitely for you.