20111020-Re-boot

Morning All:

Well it has been 45 days since I last posted and there is no way I can even start to describe those events. So I am not even going to try. I have 1/2 an hour to post this morning as Parker is vesting and neb'ing. This is always fun.

This morning I awoke the boy "wrong". Not sure what exactly that means but he is yet another foul mode as he sits on the couch, playing on his computer (mindcraft), and watching fairly odd parents. While the treatment is a pain, it does allow him to do 30 minutes of playing.

On to other notes. Marietta is behind on her homework again, so Susan and I pitched in and helped. When did it become our responsiblity? When did the work load become 2 to 3 hours a night? I truly believe it is a time management issue on her behalf as we have the time, but she likes to be lazy and not plan for up coming work and schedule. What is the right approach here, do we help or let her fail. I am still not sure which way to go here. I know I got no help as a child, but I was isolated until I was a Junior in H.S. due to distance, and Susan was at St. Stephens or 10 hours a day so we had time to do our homework, while living in town and with all the volleyball obligations we see the loss of that study time.

Oh well that is just a observation.

In Austin it has finally gotten cooler. It is 47 this a.m. That is a miracle in it's own right, after 80+ days of 100+ temps we have enjoyed the weather. Hopefully we will get some rain soon!!!! I hope, I hope, I hope.

In volleyball Marietta's team has only lost in district play to Westlake. It is a sad world as they are better than the Westlake team, but unfortunately the coach seems incapable of developing her talent, much less building the team. I have watched a 10 girl squad, that should be undefeated in district play, fail whenever they are playing a tough team. We saw this when they played New Bransful's and again when they play Westlake. This experience has taught me how important coaching remains. It has also taught me there are 4 major coaching categories. Positive Male, Positive Female, Negative Male, and Negative Female. This coach is the Negative Female type. I wonder if she realizes the damage she is doing? She said to me that she is sarcastic, unfortunately to the girls she is a teacher and coach, who they respect by habit. I wonder if that was a mistake on my part. I have worked to instill a sense of respect in my kids when dealing with Police, Firemen, Educators, Coaches and most adults. Was this a mis-step? When they encounter a poor example of one of these how do I explain the difference?

On my final note, I love Warren Buffett's note on how to fix Congress.

"Warren Buffett, in a recent interview with CNBC, offers one of the best

quotes about the debt ceiling:

“I could end the deficit in 5 minutes,” he told CNBC. “You just pass a law
that says that anytime there is a deficit of more than 3% of GDP, all
sitting members of Congress are ineligible for re-election

The 26th amendment (granting the right to vote for 18 year-olds) took only
3 months &8 days to be ratified! Why? Simple! The people demanded it. That
was in 1971…before computers, e-mail, cell phones, etc.

Of the 27 amendments to the Constitution, seven (7) took 1 year or less
to become the law of the land…all because of public pressure.

Warren Buffet is asking each addressee to forward this email to a minimum
of twenty people on their address list; in turn ask each of those to do
likewise.

In three days, most people in The United States of America will have the
message. This is one idea that really should be passed around.

Congressional Reform Act of 2011
1. No Tenure / No Pension.
A Congressman collects a salary while in office and receives no pay when
they are out of office.

2. Congress (past, present &future) participates in Social Security.
All funds in the Congressional retirement fund move to the Social Security
system immediately. All future funds flow into the Social Security system,
and Congress participates with the American people. It may not be used for
any other purpose.

3. Congress can purchase their own retirement plan, just as all Americans
do.

4. Congress will no longer vote themselves a pay raise. Congressional pay
will rise by the lower of CPI or 3%.

5. Congress loses their current health care system and participates in the
same health care system as the American people.

6. Congress must equally abide by all laws they impose on the American
people.

7. All contracts with past and present Congressmen are void effective
1/1/12. The American people did not make this contract with Congressmen.
Congressmen made all these contracts for themselves. Serving in Congress
is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen
legislators, so ours should serve their term(s), then go home and back to
work.

If each person contacts a minimum of twenty people then it will only take
three days for most people (in the U.S.) to receive the message. Maybe it
is time.

THIS IS HOW YOU FIX CONGRESS!!!!!

If you agree with the above, pass it on. If not, just delete."

Funny stuff eh?

Well that is my life so far!