Our Persisting Memories

Awesome video. They give the fiat a head start, then the ferrari, then Michael Schumacher in the F1 car gives chase.

So I've decided that I'm going to do this every time his new articles come up on the times or top gear website. He's too funny to be hidden away in Britain. I want you to think about this. The latest figures suggest that 18 per cent of fatalities on the roads 2004 were caused by drink driving. And that 34 per cent were caused as a result of excessive speed. This means that 48 per cent were caused by people who were stone-cold sober, and travelling well within both their limits and those of the car. The only conclusion we can draw from this is that the drivers in question were as stupid as a field full of bees, as daft as a brush. Perhaps they couldn't remember in the heat of the moment which pedal did what, or which way the wheel should be turned, or even that killing people is wrong. Read the rest of the article at topgear.com .

Hello All! I have not written for quite some time. It's really because I am either at work, running errands, cleaning the house or doing laundry. And of course taking care of my precious little Sophia. BJ is usually hogging the computer and internet anyway and I am so tired by the end of the day, but I digress. 16537 The past few weeks have brought us a baby who can now roll over back to belly and belly to back (although she seems to prefer her side right now), preteething, holding and sucking of toes, and the progression of the ability to grasp at her toys. She is also trying to find her voice. Some days she will just scream and squeal and babble so much! She is such a loud and talkative baby! Gee, I wonder where she gets that from?! She has enjoyed sucking her fingers and playing with them for some time now and is getting more and more experienced at doing so. It seems she recognizes me, smiles and laughs at me above all else. I sure love it! One other thing that has pro...

I had a little rant at the expense of a rather wide e-mail distribution list that might have indicated that I support illegal immigration. I actually was going to comment on Andrew's blog post regarding illegal immigration but I forgot my blogger id. My personal viewpoint is that illegal immigration is illegal ... seriously. There are legal consequences that are rarely enforced. Were I to have been born in a backwater area of Mexico I would emigrate to the US. I would do so illegally, because even engineers and doctors end up waiting years to get in. Don't kid yourself. If you lived in an area where hard work wouldn't get you ahead, where a short risk could increase your family's income more than 10 fold, you would be the first guy running across the Arizona desert to get here and try to change things. When sent back, you would do it again. I know this because I love America. There is a cultural divide here but it can be overcome with hard work. The cultural,...

Thought I would share this awesome clip. Watch a katana cut some bullets in half.

16822 She wanted me to point out that she was not drunk when this picture was taken. I'm sure the jewish confederated hyper force will be asking for a formal apology. She also stated that she is not an anti-semite. (Click on the picture to see what I'm talking about) 16824 Also, her boyfriend is gainfully employed as an "entertainer." He is paid to perform every weekend in Tijuana. Here's a shot of his act.

The majority of my local friends and family have all had birthdays in August. So happy Birthday to Cindy, Heathe, Rob, Pete C. Brown, Spencer, my dad, Michael and Me. I sort of feel bad that I haven't called everyone and told them happy birthday, since I received about 5 calls or so wishing me a happy birthday. I feel like the prickly pear that everyone reaches out to but no one expects any response from. Yeah yeah, I feel like an ass. I should be on myspace leaving sparkly .gif comments wishing them all a happy birthday. I honestly would have been, but I was in San Antonio consulting with a claims section trying to devise a development strategy to meet their needs. (Tim knows all about it. The problem with being a fast typist is you write more than you should. I sent him a 3-4 page e-mail... sorry Tim). I had a good birthday. I received a Nintendo DS Lite, a magnifying glass, some DS Lite games, a tie, and I got a chance to give Bekah a hug (Bekah was in town visiting). ...

16448 Just a quick note on the life of Sophia. She rolled over for the first time yesterday. Mommy missed it but Granny and Dad (me) were able to witness her success. We also spent part of the day Wednesday taking pictures of our little girl. Here's a pic with a link to the new gallery.

16418 At least Andrew enjoys (or possibly recoils from) my political commentary, but I'd like to switch the pace a little. It's kind of taxing to rant into thin air so I'll reserve it for special events from now on (I'm lying ... I can't shutup). Anyway, let's get to important things in life. It's been a while since we've posted anything about Sophia, but don't let that fool you into thinking that she isn't the highlight of our lives. She's the happiest baby I've ever seen. We thought we had captured a special moment when we took a photo of her smiling around 2 weeks old, but her natural state is smiling. Sure there are moments of hunger, frustration, and fatigue but most of the time just looking at her elicits a toothless little grin, followed up by some squealing and cooing. We try to give her tummy time periodically, and she hates it. She doesn't cry, but rather yells and, I imagine, curses in whatever language babies speak....

I browse various blogs and op-ed style articles but few seem to express exactly what they are feeling. Orson Scott Card has been a huge proponent for the Bush administration and I wanted to mention his latest article on the Israeli-Hezbollah war . Give it a once over, because I'd like to comment on it. Card paints a picture of Middle-east power and a build up to a no-holds barred conflict over Israel and the interests of the Middle East. He compares the Midde-east to pre-WWII germany but he's getting it wrong. He should be comparing it to Japan. The twist being that the current Middle-East chest beaters are willing to fight vicariously and throw civilian casualties to the wind. The majority of Muslims in the middle east deny Israel's right to exist. The extremist groups are willing to fight and sacrifice 10 of their men for every 1 pro-Israel fighter. So now we are stuck watching more Muslims slip towards extremism as they watch their families die. The only way for...

At times, I put myself in difficult situations. I consider myself well versed in current political affairs, and generally try to keep abreast of situations affecting the world. I have an odd aversion to punditry unless it is veiled in humor (daily show, colbert report) and read articles that have liberal slant, only because conservative voices are more incendiary and have a distinct lack of humor. To be honest, most of my news comes from the local NPR station. I listen to NPR about an hour and a half each day. I know, I know they're liberal ... whatever. Yes you can tell which ideas they espouse due to their questioning, but each show on NPR is slightly different so I can't fault them all. It boils down to a philosphy by philosophy basis, where my own personal beliefs certainly don't fit within the current molds of neo-con or liberal. Of particular concern to me are the matters of war and religion. I can't help but sorrow at the death and destruction caused by i...