Road Trip!

I've only been thinking about it, not really going on one, though I wish I could. I'm 29-years old and I'm thinking I want to go on a road trip that allows me to discover myself and see who I really am. Nah, just kidding about that crap, but really, I do want to go on a road trip. It would be fun and see something I haven't seen, all the while being on a trip with my close friends.  From Oklahoma City, does anyone have any suggestions for a three-day road trip? 

I wouldn't want to go on a road trip like it's portrayed in movies and shows where drugs and women are a norm, and one mishap after leading to the backwoods where one encounters hillbillies that are cannibalistic.  I want to go on a road trip for the experience and the fun of it. Though I'm married something like this wouldn't affect the marriage.

So, now that's off my chest, who's with me?

Public Figures and Tweeting

Maybe I'm beating this into the ground, but do people not consider the consequences of their Tweets?  These tweets are made public; it's not something that's kept private in the comfort of your own home.  Everyone who wants to will see it.  I'm referring to Jaz Reynold's asinine tweet about the shooting on the University of Texas campus on Monday.  How insensitive do you have to be to make a tweet like that.  Does he not know how scary a situation like that can be and what kind of a toll that can leave someone emotionally for life?  Even a fierce rivalry like OU/Texas loses its luster when someone has to tweet a tweet about suicide.  It's something to be taken seriously, Jaz. Grow up and watch what you say.  You're a role model, whether you start or not.

I hope Texas is fired up about that comment.  I truly hope you hang your head in shame, because quite honestly, you shouldn't be on the team.  

No Ordinary Family: A Small Review

I saw the series premier of "No Ordinary Family" this evening and it was interesting.  Think of it like The Incredibles meets real life.  The superpowers are different to an extent, but the show is fun nonetheless.  I think the superpower aspect of it I think works as a mere distraction to the fact the family is having problems.  The family is an "ordinary" family with "ordinary" problems. The superpowers, though, acts as a rabbits foot, in the literary world.  This refers to an object that helps move the story along. It doesn't matter what it is, but it gives the characters a reason to be there and to advance in their tenures.  I think if the show was marketed a different way, i.e. without the superpower aspect of it, it would still be just as effective of a show.  The show isn't about the powers being used for good (though it's developing that way), but it's about a family trying to put themselves together.  It's a good show and this was just a small review, but I had to at least give you, the reader, a glimpse into what to expect. 

Untiitled Post

It has become commonplace to have Facebook on cell phones, but when does it become acceptable to check it on your phone in church, boot camp, in the middle of an interview, or even when you're talking to a friend.  You can enjoy Facebook when all these (and more) are over, can't you?  If not, then the idea of Facebook is taking on a life of its own. The other question then becomes is Facebook changing the way we look at what's acceptable in society?  It almost certainly changes the way people plan their day. It affects the way people set up their business.  There are a number of scenarios that one can think of.

Yes! I will write a part 2 and possibly a part 3 on this.  I'm ambitious, and I'm going to tackle a lot of common norms in today's society, many of it involving teens and cell phone use. 

Warning: If you think you'll be offended by the post, just don't read it. I don't know when it will take place, but it will.

Politics In the Workplace

I'm not talking about talking about politics in the workplace, I'm talking about the way people manage emulating the way you lean politically. For instance I'm a Conservative (but leaning Libertarian). I manage the four guys in my office by giving them space to work, not overseeing every single aspect of their work throughout the day. I merely give them instruction and they take it from there. Of course I would supervise and ensure that the daily goings-on are handled.  Anything that goes wrong lies with me and I'm okay with that.  Supervision can be done effectively.  The way I look at it, if I oversee every individual person the office with an eagle eye, my day would be spent doing only that. That doesn't become very effective in the thing we call time management.  I'm developing this idea so stay tuned for another (or two) blog post about this subject.

I've Never Been Prouder

My wife had a State Fair performance this morning in which she both performed and directed.  It showed a few things to me that made me think through a few things.  She is a trooper. Despite doing a lot of things going on in her life and her willingness to take on a ministry of sorts that takes on a lot of her time she still shined brightly.  She was doing a great service to God and she made me proud to be her husband. I know.  It's a mushy post, but she's been through a lot and she showed me a lot of courage.  I'm glad that she's my wife. I married well and thinking about what she does on a daily basis (a selfless attitude) I have to reevaluate some of things I take for granted.  I love her.  And I'm happy to have her in my life.

State Fair Ideology

I'm not a scholar on everything State Fair, but I've often wondered what is it all about?  It seems to me that it's really nothing more than just a bunch of exhibits come together with the occasional freak show.  Maybe I'm just naive to the details of it, but even from my days in the Texas, one of the biggest State Fairs in the world, I still didn't quite understand the appeal. It's fun to go. There's a lot of food and other things, but it's not something that I move heaven and earth to go to. Some people do, but I've never interviewed them to find out why.  Who knows. I don't care. I just needed something to put in here.

My Ode to Stuff

I looked into the mirror
Stop
Eating an ice cream cone
Melting
Dressing in the morning
Painful
Dizzying
Working toward a future
Determined

The above was a crappy attempt at a poem.  I don't really care. I don't write poetry. In fact I write violent literature and it's not for the faint of heart.  Sometimes I write in different genres, but not that often. The above poem I was kind of being pretentious and at the same time boring. 

Really, though, what makes good poetry? I took a class on this topic in college, but we never really came across any conclusions. It is what it is, but that's not good enough.

O well.  Not much to say today. I'm tired and I don't care.

People These Days

It's amazing knowing that there are people who suffer from such psychosis that they can't admit they're wrong, even a little bit.  In fact, it's a little distressing, but then again, it's not surprising.  We do live in this sinful world and as a product of that, we are sinful creatures.  It's not fun for us to deal with, but there are people of all walks of life that look at life a different way.  We know this; some people acknowledge it while some don't.  Some view things the way they aren't and are prideful enough to not admit it and in the process hurting other people mentally and physically. 

Honestly it's a sad affair.  People need to understand their faults and their issues before real progress can be made.  However, because of the world we live in, it simply won't happen.

I'm Not Here to Offend People

Really I'm not.  It's not my goal and if that's how people take it, so be it.  I'm only writing what I feel is on my mind. It isn't always serious, though some of my posts have been. What interests me is the fact that there are people who insist I'm doing a dangerous thing and I could "potentially" hurt people's feelings.  I'm a writer.  I'm not going to satisfy everyone.  You have to have tough skin and if you don't you don't need to be doing it as a profession.  If you think my material is offensive -- or even boring then don't read it.


Those who know me know I don't knowingly offend people.  It's not in my nature.  My response to those people who think I'm doing a danger to people by being offensive is get over it.  If you read the news at all, there is more offensive material in that (and biased, too). Give me a break and suck it up.

The Annoyance of Facebook

I understand the fun that can be had with Facebook. In fact, I'm an avid surfer and I play on it for work purposes.  But what annoys me is the fact that people use Facebook more as a sounding board than anything else. Whether it's an academic who posts articles that geared toward their profession or people who just post something in an effort to offend people, there's always a motive.  Facebook is fun, I'll admit, but what medium should Facebook really be used.  I enjoy reading academic's conversations about an article posted from a news source that no one has ever heard of and just harp on the minute details in the article.  Then it gets into a blown conversation where the OP (original poster) is just waiting on pins and needles to respond.  What bothers me more is when you tag another person to purposefully bring in someone into your conversation on that article.  To me that's rude. If you want to hear their thoughts, then send them a message, or talk to them in private.  Leave your pretentions at the door, please.  Yes, I do have a reason for this pre post.  I am developing an article on narcissism and the Facebook world.  It's going to be four parts.  This post is only focusing on the first part.  There's a direction I'm going with this.  Wayne Lin signing out.

Headaches

I've had headaches so large before that it's knocked me out, literally.  The one I'm sporting now comes pretty stinking close, but I'm hiding it from my wife in fear that she's going to baby me.  As such, this post is going to be extremely short, probably barely reaching the 100-word limit.  I was at Youth Group tonight when it started. It might be compounded by the fact that there were a ton of kids, adults, and everything in between.  I love the kids to death, but I almost lost it this evening.  It even hurts my head to type because the little pecking sounds sound like jackhammers.

Good night, people.

The OU Game Today

OU fans shouldn't fret about the game.  Why? Because they played a team that doesn't give up and always keeps playing.  Air Force can play with any team in the country and perhaps one should look at their devotion and dedication not to the game, but what they're going to do after they graduate. None of them will see a professional field until after their 4-year commitment as an officer.  They way they played today, though they lost, should give us hope that their overal team effort is going to serve us well over a course of time.  They don't have one "star" per se on any side of the ball and that showed this evening.  It's fun watching them play because you know even if their down they're going to keep playing and playing hard until the clock hits zero.  It wouldn't matter if they were 0-12, they're going to push it until the end. 

It wasn't the typical blowout OU fans are used to, but c'mon.  You played a team with a lot more going for them than a pro career. Military academies don't get the top-notch recruits.  They get dedicated, non-selfish people that are going to do something a lot of people don't have the motivation or the courage to do. 

Survival Shows

It first started with Survivor Man, a lone guy who's out in some remote place all by himself.  Then came Man vs. Wild, followed by a show with a hippie and an ex-Marine.  Now, you have a show with a man and his wife.  How many stinkin' survival shows are there and how long can you really stretch the premise? There's really only so much drinking your own urine, eating bugs and making fires that you can do. Quite frankly it does get old after awhile, yet so intriguing because it's almost like a train wreck. It's hard to peel your eyes away because you think you're going to get something new and exciting but you just run into the same thing.

Perhaps I should make up my own survival show.  It's not hard to make a fire and eat a bunch of weird stuff. 

I'm curious as to how far the premise is going to go.

Rudy: The Best Sports Movie of All Time

I had the opportunity to watch Rudy again and I have to say I never get tired of that movie.  It ranks as the best sports movie ever made (by my standards). I don't care if I live in Sooner country and there's a lot of animosity toward Notre Dame.  The movie stands on its own and I get chills every time the crowd at the end of movie starts chanting "Rudy, Rudy, Rudy, Rudy..."  Of course the chant starts off slowly with just a few people then the whole stadium gets into it and the infamous music goes on and then he makes the last tackle of the game. I almost cry and sometimes do when I see that scene.  How can people not like the underdog?   I cried in Rocky, too, when he faced Apollo Creed the second time.  The music might have had something to do with it, but that doesn't negate the message of the movie.

I'm not going to go into a diatribe on how that's a reflection of my life.  Not only is that lame, it's not true.  I just genuinely like sports movies with a fantastic ending that sends shivers down your spine.   

Is the Internet Dying Out

I think the answer to that is yes.  It's an interesting thing when you start to see the trends in technology.  The Internet, as popular as it was grew practically over night. Then, in a flash of brilliance it started to create websites and social media and programs to make our lives a lot "better".  There is a new phenomena today called apps. These apps do take on a life of its own; it really does and it affects everything we do whether we think about it or not. If you're listening to Pandora while you're cooking dinner you're using an app. If you're playing X-Box 360 you're using an app.  Checking the weather on your iPod or sports scores, you're using an app.

The world of apps is taking over. Make no mistake about it, the Internet has seen its brightest days. With the invention of apps and other mobile devices, no one needs to have the Internet anymore. It makes it interesting in the long scheme of themes. Mobile apps don't need to be powered by Google or other search engines. What makes it even more interesting to think about is what technology will replace apps. That's far off, but being the industry of technology, in particular Internet technology, you have to look at the future.

With the Internet gone, what else would we have? After apps are gone, what will we have?  Furthermore, how will it dictate our lives? Again, there will be a second part to this story.  I just don't know when yet. 

Interesting Thought

Could this country survive without a two-party system or without a government?  This thought has plagued me for a long time, because I'm often left wondering what would happen if we weren't governed, or governed to its max.  What would society look like and furthermore, would society degenerate to the likes of some countries without governments.  I'm not an anarchist, nor do I claim to be. I can't imagine a country without a government, but maybe it could work. 

Or maybe it couldn't.

I'm a Conservative, but leaning toward Libertarianism (not liberalism--there's a huge difference), but I'm thinking the complete absence of government would force us to death and destruction.  This blog is going to take a lot more thought on my end, and I'm going to follow up on this topic. 

Disclaimer: I know that posing the question of living without a two-party system or living without a government are two completely different things, but both ideas will be explored.

If It's One Thing That Makes Me Mad

I had the opportunity to attend an OU game last weekend. While it was fun and exciting, I had a particular issue with the pre-game.  The Star Spangled Banner is sung and the last words of the song are, "And the home of the Sooners."  Seemingly it's a harmless use of a word -- or is it? To me, it's not a harmless use of the word.  It's disrespectful to those who so valliantly fought for our country long ago, and today -- and tomorrow.  It's tradition and it's school spirit, blah, blah, blah.  I get that.  But if the 80 + thousand people there who really knew what a Sooner is in the first place or realize the implications of the line in speaking, then would I would be writing this blog in the first place?  I'll take a lot of heat for this blog.  I knew I would and some people have even warned me against doing it.  But it is what it is.

Our soldiers and sailors fight every single day.  They are doing something that probably 60,000 or so of the fans sitting in that stadium won't do, can't do, or even dream about trying to do.  Ironically, I heard on the Sports Animal on my way home from work this afternoon, a caller who addressed the same sentiment.  He said, in more words than I can put here, that the true heroes aren't the 22 guys who fight it out on the field each day.  Their fight ends in roughly three hours on game days. The real heroes are the men and women who are taking their nights and days away defending us.  Their game doesn't end in three hours.  It's until the job is done and that can take anywhere from three hours to thirty years. The caller was a Marine whose unit was ambushed in Afghanistan.  He, along with a team member were thrown from a Humvee; his team decimated.  Facing death in the face, a private jumped on top of him and took a bullet from the enemy.  He has to live each day knowing that he can live today because of an unselfish act of bravery. Said caller said won't ever go to another OU game again until that last line changes. 

I don't blame him. I wouldn't either. 

Yes! Pro Football Season is Here

I made a post about my excitement for college football, but I'm ultra excited about the Cowboys starting their season against some lesser competition. I like college ball better, but I'll root through and through for the Cowboys.  They have a great chance to make the Super Bowl this season and the road starts in Washington. I've been a loyal Cowboys fan since I understood what football was.  It would be a great way to end my quest for satisfaction with a Super Bowl, a World Series, a BCS National Championship, and an NBA Championship all in one full calendar season.  I don't see it happening, but you never know.

For the most part I do get stressed out watching my teams play so I don't watch them nearly as much as I should, but that's all part of fandom, I guess.  Hopefully tomorrow I'll have a more thoughtful post.

Let Us Never Forget

We all know what happened on this day nine years ago.  It's no secret and that one event thrust us into military, political, economic, and social action.  It was the debate of the ages, but despite the nay sayers or the apologetics of the situation, let us not forget about the incident.  Let us not forget about the people who lost their lives and the family members who have to deal with that every day, even more so on its anniversary.  To say the least, this is a stressful day, even for those who weren't "involved".  In the long scheme of things, though, we all are, and forever will be. 

It's appropriate to remember the heroes and the fallen.  Without it, their memories would be lost by our indecency to forget.  I was in the military the day it happened.  It was confusing because I didn't know how to react to it. Was it training, or was it the real deal.  I remember vividly--like it was yesterday.  Every year after I made it a point to remember: remember the fallen, remember my reaction, remember the heroes, remember my friends and family. 

On this day, I ask you one thing.

Remember.

A Blast to the Past

In my boredom on a Friday night, I decided to flip channels thoroughly until I could find something that was suitable to my mood.  Didn't feel like watching Diners, Drive-in and Dives, so I forged ahead and kept clicking the "Channel Up" button.  Then, a familiar intro came on.  It was the voice of Zordon from the original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers.  I was stuck -- and yes I watched the whole episode.  It was episode where the Green Ranger gets introduced, but he's a high school punk with a crush on the Pink Ranger (they didn't know their identities yet).  It's finally revealed at the end of the episode and now I have to wait until next week to see the showdown.  I'm a nerd, I know.  But I'm okay with that. 

I can't for the life of me remember why I thought that show was so cool to begin with.  O well. It was a nice trip down memory lane, but there's a good possibility I won't revisit that long road to the past.

People These Days

I went to an Asian restaurant to eat dinner to gather some thoughts about marketing and social media.  It gave me some time to think and reflect on how buyers think and why they think the way they do.  Then, the waitress asked me what I wanted to drink. I told her, "Water."  She then responded with, "Are you Vietnamese?" I responded with, "No, I'm afraid not." 

It was funny because she kept pushing me telling me I was Vietnamese. Just because I eat at a Vietnamese restaurant doesn't make me Vietnamese.  Of course I was in shock, but I found it comical.  I think I know what I am. I'm a half-German, half-French, half-Swedish, half-Australian female. I thought it was obvious.

A Magazine Idea

It was a pretty uneventful evening, one that didn't really have me thinking through anything.  It was a lazy day, but considering how much I've been working and how much I've been thinking, it's okay to take a day off.  However, there is something that I'm going to throw out there for you, no matter who's reading this, to let me know your thoughts. Part of this was discussed in yesterday's blog, but I'm thinking of doing a website myself; only this is going to be an online magazine.  That's right.  An online magazine that talks about the latest and greatest things of today. It will include sports, politics, entertainment, art, things.  For now, I plan on it just being in the Oklahoma City area, but I need your help.  What should be in the magazine?  How should it be designed? To what crowd should it be devoted to? 

Of course I won't be doing this when I'm on my normal 9-5.  It will happen outside of work and it will be updated every week.  I hope to sell ad space, use Adsense, and other means to bring in revenue to help bring in writers, but this is where I need your help.  If you're interested in writing for me, or interested in helping me decide what this magazine should look like and how it can be different from other magazines let me know. I'm open for suggestions.

Upsetting Trend--Follow up from Yesterday

As I wrote yesterday I was disappointed in the fact I was let go because someone charged a cheaper rate.  As I thought about it more, I think the culprits to blame for companies paying minuscule wages to writers is because of the ease of being a writer.  You don't need to have an advanced degree to be a writer. A guy with a GED can be a writer.  I chalk it to up to the fact that with technology today it's so easy to make websites and work off of adsense.  People assume that makes them qualified to be a writer.  Sure, it works sometimes, but in the end, they're really hurting the people who truly work toward writing as a career.  A friend once told me he designed and created an online magazine in one day and asked for writers to "build their freelance portfolio" with articles to be published on the site.  While my friend was making adsense money, he was essentially screwing his writers. He didn't ask for the writers to know AP style or MLA style formats.  It didn't matter. Good marketing can make a site look legit, sans the proper writing style.

Is this a problem? Yes, it's a big problem because there are genuine writers who write correctly to writers who don't know the difference between AP style or MLA style.  It's maddening knowing that "writers" can be anyone.  ANYONE.  Not everyone can be an engineer, and not everyone can be a doctor, etc.  But the one field that I tried so hard to get into, anyone can be.  I think I got the short end of the stick on this one.

I have more to say, but I'm going to take a few days off because it urgs me thinking about it. Maybe I'll have a much happier post tomorrow.  

Business is Business

I got a disturbing email from one of the freelance companies I worked for that said they didn't need my services anymore.  Trying to get a response as to why that happened, I got the answer, "We're going with someone who will work cheaper."  Writing How-to articles aren't bad, but I charged a reasonable rate, and produced high quality, one that was highly praised by the clients.  While it doesn't urg me to be let go (after all it is a freelance job) it does bother me when the person I was "fired" for is selling himself cheap.  Writers shouldn't shortchange their selves. I thought I charged a low price for what I did, but going any lower than that is, pardon my French, whoring yourself out.   Writers should never work for free or cheap. It's a craft that warrants meticulous detail and creative ingenuity.  It's one of the hardest crafts because you do have to learn the hundreds of grammatical rules in our lexicon today. 

I understand that as a business it's important to save a buck, but when you have millions of dollars of expendable income then it shouldn't be a problem.  With them, it is, apparently.  I'm going to read some of the articles this other person writes.  I'm a little upset, not because I'm losing a little extra income, but I'm a little upset that companies like this are essentially exploiting writers. 

Labor Day

I know what the day is all about, but I find it funny that many of the working class personnel get that day off.  You would think that a day called Labor Day would force people to work, but we're not in Communist Russia or Communist China.  I know it's a linguistic play with "Labor Day," but it's still funny and rather ironic that many have the day off on "Labor Day".  I'm not complaining and I'll certainly take the day off. It's rather nice in fact. I have a day planned of doing nothing and resting. Now, what I really don't understand is how some people have Columbus Day off.  That "holiday" has always bothered me because there has always been debate about whether his contributions were really his contributions.  But who cares, we get a day off, right?  Well, no.  It should be commemorated with something that really counts where historical accounts of the people involved is confirmed and not put in any negative clout. I will follow up on this like three of my other blog topics, but you'll just have to keep looking for it.  Hahhh...

Norman Needs It

I'm referring to the city, not the friend.  Norman is a "small" city in its own right, but it does have the University right in the middle.  Let's put it this way: you can definitely tell when the students go home for the summer.  Not sure what it is but Norman is a city that needs the football team. I'm more and more convinced that the city functions on the common bond of football and in essence brings together the people in Norman that they probably wouldn't get in other means.  I'm going to develop this idea and write a more cohesive blog on it, but I'm only writing this from an observation standpoint from being at the game this evening. The next blog about this will be cutthroat sociological analysis about the matter.

Norman is a great town, don't get me wrong. It's quaint to certain people's standards, but it's a city that's built by the university (more to explained later).  A common interest in football seems to bring the best (and the worst) in people. People fellowship more and they certainly become different when they wear the crimson and cream.  My next blog about this topic is sure to offend people, but I'm okay with that. I couldn't care less.

A Great Date

It's been a long time since my wife and I had a date where we could spend some time together without being interrupted by someone we know.  We went to Half Price Books and it was fun because we're both English graduates, have our own quarks and like the smell of books.  Don't judge me. 

It was nice to get out for a change. The book store is probably the most lame date anyone can think to take someone, but I couldn't pass up a chance. I didn't want to sit around the house and twirl my fingers on a lovely Friday evening. 

Maybe next week we'll upgrade a little and go to the clothing store.  Next time, we might even have dinner. I'm getting a little crazy here. This is certainly going to the extreme.

College Football

I promise I won't make the majority of posts about sports, but that time of the year is upon us and I was watching the first two games on ESPN, which made my blood boil with excitement.  There's something about the season that makes me excited. For starters there's the weather that's associated with the season.  Then, there's the BCS debate that rages, and I can annoy all Sooner fans about how they're going to choke it away in the end.  This football season feels different. Don't know what it is, but it feels great. There is a lot to enjoy about football season even if you don't like football. Can't really think of what that would be, but that possibility's still out there.

A Real Challenge

I knew going into my position as Social Media Marketing Specialist that it wasn't going to be easy. The problem I'm seeing is that the results are coming fast enough--for me at least. I'm a results-driven individual. I want to see results fast and I know it takes time.  It's like a new adventure; it really is.There's nothing easy about the job. People often think if you set up a Facebook page, you're going to be successful. However, what they don't consider is this: there are other social media programs, you need to find fans and followers, and you have to market the marketing device.  There's a lot going on and a whole lot of options in social media it's hard to know where to start, but results are coming in slowly. 

I sometimes feel that it's going to bloom overnight, but I haven't quite gotten there yet. I'm on a quest for knowledge and to figure things out.  Social media is big so I want to make sure I get ALL the nuances of it down to run successful campaigns.

Nary Here, Nary There

I might be self conscious about my age, but I have to say even though I'm 29 I feel really old.  Maybe it's because I don't work out nearly as much as I used to, but I feel fine--for a while, then I feel like crap. I'm sluggish, and I don't like waking up as much as I used to.  A friend of mine suggested I take fish oil early and often, but I don't know why that's going to help. Maybe I just need to suck it up and start working out and eating healthier like I used to. 29's not that big of a deal, I know. But the problem is I'm reading more and more stories about people dying or suffering from heart attacks and other heart diseases.  It's scary but there isn't much I can do about that.

29 is supposed to be the new 19, but I can tell you that's not right. O well. I'll suck it up and move on with life as I usually do. If I start complaining more and more about my age, feel free to tell me to shut up.

Sports

Not a fancy title, but I've often thought about what my life would be if I wasn't so much of a fan of sports.  Baseball, football, basketball--makes no difference. I would like to think I would be a little smarter, but probably not.  For now, I'll continue to be an in-depth sports nut with nothing to lose.  It's strange because as I'm watching the Rangers game, I'm thinking of some deep thoughts.  So, maybe I shouldn't think about what life would be like if I wasn't into sports.  I'd hate to think how much time I would devote to other things if I wasn't watching sports all the time. 

I often think about the same thing in regards to video games. I don't have a video game system, but if you combine sports watching and countless hours playing video games--we don't want to think about it. Anyway, I'm going to smoke some cigars now. 

A Book Idea

I've had numerous book ideas in the past, and tinkered with the idea of actually writing one. There have been many drafts and outlines and they've all landed in the shredder.  There is, though, one book idea that I like so much, I've given more than three minutes of thought at one time.  Should be a good one and it's a book unlike any other book today.  Yeah right, you say. That's okay, because that last sentence was only a marketing technique.  I will be posting a brief glimpse of the book here in the coming weeks.  It's a great way to get some exposure for my book, but really it's all about trying to get some comments and suggestions on my book.  Once I get full swing into my book, like this blog, I will write a little bit everyday.  This is a task unlike any other, much like this blog, that I will follow through.  It will happen.  Stay tuned for the book sample. It will probably be titled as something like "Book Sample". You'll know it when it happens.

Spoke too Soon

As soon as I give them praise, they let me down. The Rangers were outplayed and couldn't buy a hit off Dallas Braden. Not to take anything away from Braden; he's a good pitcher, but the Rangers couldn't muster anything in the way of offense. That's okay, because they still lead the division by 8.5 games.  With slightly over a month left, the Rangers have the toughest schedule of anyone in the West.  I know because I did a winning percentage average on all teams in the West and the Rangers will face opponents with a .578 winning percentage.  I'm nervous, but I couldn't care less if they won the division by one game. I'd still be pretty satisfied about that.

Anyway, I think I'm bad luck for the Rangers. Any game I've seen, they've lost. Hopefully it doesn't set a trend. I'm getting nervous, really I am. But we'll see what happens next.

The Rangers' Success

It's been 11 years since the Rangers last went to the playoffs and they are looking quite excellent with a little over 30 games to go. With a win over the division rivals the Texas Rangers extended their lead in the division by 9.5 games.  It's been a while since I've been this excited about their success, even though I've been a loyal fan forever.  This season feels different.  They have a lot of things going for them: pitching, timely hitting, and they're not relying on the home run.  They're bringing the idea of small ball back and it's enjoyable to see them at the top of the standings each morning. 

The last three times they've been to the playoffs they lost to the Yankees, but this does feel a lot different. The Yankees aren't the dominating team they were back in the late 90's.  They still buy their roster, but they have some holes. It think they can compete with them at all levels this season (assuming both teams make the playoffs).  It's exciting to be rewarded for a lifetime of patience.  It's time. 

Politics and Other Things

This one will be shorter; not quite an essay, not quite a fourth grade paper.  But one thing that I don't understand is when people don't get involved in politics.  It doesn't perturb me as much as when someone texts when they're having a conversation with you, but it does bug me on the level of our duty in life.  No one, not one, is immune from the political system.  When I hear people not give a rip about politics it sends a message that either they don't care about it, or they lost confidence of those in office.  Either way, it's still going to effect you and those around you.  We all have the means to do something. Even if you're not familiar with both parties, study up on them.  We have numerous resources to do so.  On the flip side of that, don't just listen to what one camp says and take that for gospel truth. Use your mind and understand how policies, ideologies, etc. effect your life. 

Inaction is action unto itself.  I said it.  I've been trying to get that off my tongue for a long time. Inaction, in my opinion, leads to dissent and downfall.  I don't care what side of the line you're on.  Get involved and see for yourself. You will do this country more good by being active than you will if you sit at your home and don't care. 

What Did I Eat Last Night?

I had this odd dream last night that I was choking some kid and threw his lifeless body like a baseball into the ocean. Then when I turned around a clown was chasing me in a different scenario.  I found myself in the woods finding civilization. Things like that just don't happen.  It's odd because I have a mortal fear of clowns.  There's really no reason to have a dream like this, other than I must be repressing some kind of feeling or emotion. But where does the choking a kid and throwing him easily into the ocean come into play? 

Beats me, but I can't say I have these dreams too often.  It's every once in a while these odd and random dreams come into play.  Who knows, but I could just be at at the point of exhaustion that leads to my wicked odd dreams.  Whatever the case may be, I just need to get over it and move on.

This blog post is strange, but I don't really care.  Good night, everybody.

By the way, tomorrow's blog is going to be something special. 

No Real Title

Yes, it's late, but I was picking up a friend from the airport.  However, this post does have some kind of substance to it.  I am in the midst of thinking about grad school, and how much it's going to cost, where I want to go to school, what I want to study, going part time, etc.  There's a lot to think about in the coming days. I don't have all the answers and right now I'm focused on getting a successful social media campaign done for work. That's my big priority at the moment.  I want to go to grad school, but I swore on the day I graduated college: "NO MORE SCHOOL!" Now I find myself wanting to further my education.  Honestly, who does that?

I'm pretty devoted to work so any thoughts of school might have to wait.  Anyone feel free to give me advice.  I'm kind of lost at the moment on the topic. Grad school is a huge commitment and so is work.  I can do both, for sure.  I don't know.  I'm confused. Primarily I'm confused because I'm exhausted. Maybe I'll go to bed and think it over before I make any decisions.

Good night.

Language: A Follow Up Part One

It took a while, but I think I'm ready to follow up on the issue of language, particularly Internet speak and how it relates to our current vocabulary.  Ebonics, Goth speak, Punk speak, and various "other" types of language made its way into our society in the 80's and early 90's. For the most part it's stuck--even in the way people write.  My wife can contest to this a lot more than I can, but I see the problem is there.  Perhaps the idea of language as being "soft" and easily adaptable comes into play, but surely that can't be the only answer.  There must be a reason why Internet lingo is so sexy to be this easily adaptable. 

This idea isn't something new. It's as old as time.  Languages adapt and have gone through several dozen morphs over the course of years. From umlats to emoticons, it's what we understand and know--it's also something we've adapted easily and quickly but there is no governing body to tell us how we're allowed to talk or do things. Using "like" as a filler is annoying in and of itself, but using "OMG" takes annoyance to another level.  That goes for writing or talking. 

I've mentioned before that linguists really can't do anything about it because language does have a mind of its own. Is it that parenting is taken on new lows or is it the bombardment of usage of such language in media?  I'm going somewhere with this, really.  But it's going to be in segments. 

Do We Love Each Other Enough

Conversation on the patio with a cigar and cold drink leads to some deep discussions.  The topic tonight was whether church members love each other enough.  The topic is valid enough and leads to many deep discussions, discussions that should be a focal point in each congregant.  We should love each other and others, but at what point is that love extended to the "others".  Seriously. 

In high school we had cliques.  The jocks hung around one another, the band nerds had their ilk, and the drill teams nary wandered outside their group.  This is one damaging aspect to churches--the cliques.  It's but one to talk to people you're comfortable with, but we must remember that we aren't called to be in the holy huddle with people we are the most comfortable with. I think that many churches fall into this easily.  Some of us call it the holy huddle, theological snobbery, etc.  What terminology it really is I don't know.  It should be addressed either way, regardless of denomination.  Helping our brothers doesn't mean leaving them feeling unwanted or unwelcomed.

I can go on all day, but again, I'm freaking exhausted.

I Hate the Airport

It's a pretty self-explanatory title.  It pretty much says it all, so there isn't much of an explanation here other than to say that the airport sucks.  There must be something about Saturdays that brings out the worst in employees, people, airplanes, animals, roads, cars, things, and food.  It was a relaxing morning, but once the airport came on the horizon, things went south.  If only I had a cigar--that's a hint in case certain people read this post in time.

My flight's been delayed for 30 minutes and there's a foul smell of poop or something oddly similar.  I'm still on vacation so I'm going to try to not let it bug me until Monday, but I can't help but to point out the bad things. It was oh so peaceful in mountains.  Why can't it be like that now?  Oh well. I'm just a complainer.  And I'm okay with that.  For now I'm logging off. The only good airport experience is that I'm getting the free wi-fi to write today's blog.

Impressive.  

One More Go

You would think that if you're on the downhill of your vacation that you'd have at least a time to wind down and relax, but not so fast!  One more hike we'll go on, and it will be an easy one.  Easy one, at least to the book. It's not a 17-mile round trip festival of mazes and hypothermia; rather it's a brisk 1.2 mile trip one way. You still have to go one way on hills and rocks, which is murder on the feet.  I think I'm ready. My flight from Denver leaves at 5:00 Denver time and I'll arrive at 7:30 OKC time, which gives us some time to make another hike but after a week of pain and swollen feet, I don't really want to do it.  However, I've decided to make a conscious decision to traverse one more mountain and get myself back in shape.  What will this mean for me after I'm done will be the question.  I'm already tired, beat up, my feet are the size of balloons--but I did have a cigar.

Anyway you look at it, I'm ready to do it physically.  My vacation has been nothing short of fun (and kind of scary) but I'm ready to be at home, believe it or not.

Tomorrow's blog will be late, as these last few have been.  I have a topic already, but it will take me all day tomorrow to flesh it out.  You'll just to have to see what it is.

Almost Over

Only one more full day in Colorado and I have to say I'm quite relieved. As much fun as it is to get away from work and reality for a while, it's just nice to go back to it.  I actually want to get back to work.  I want to sleep in a bed that's my own, and I want to go back to the blistering 100 + degree heat.  Sounds crazy, but I'm really ready for it.

It was tons of fun but it has to end at some point.  I'm always afraid that I'm missing something at home and something isn't going to go right in my absence. Maybe that's a huge flaw of mine, but it always seem that way. It's my flaw, but that's a problem I'm dealing with.

No matter, but I want to clear the air that I did have fun.  It's just time for me to get back to reality.  I didn't really do anything exciting today.  Just hung around and rested my weary bones. That, in and of itself, is an awesome day.

I slice of Americana in the condo

I was reacquainted with one of my most favorite movies of all time: Ferris Bueller's Day Off.  I forgot how much of a random and funny movie it was, considering it was done in the 80's.  It was by far one of my favorite John Hughes-directed movies and it's hard to fathom that Matthew Broderick was in the film.  There are so many quotable moments in the film and best of all it was probably the first movie of its kind. If you've seen it you know what I mean. 

There's nothing better than watching Ferris Bueller's Day Off with good company and Mystery Science Theater 300-type comments to accompany it.  Of course it's topped off with a nice glass of wine.  What strange adventures await me tomorrow? Horseback riding, tubing, mini golf, Starbucks?  Who knows, but for now I'm just going to cherish the moment with one of the greatest movies of all time.

Much Ado About Nothing--Literally

Pretty boring day today.  And that's okay because I need a boring day. I woke up with my body completely sore from the hike the night before and I loafed around town thinking I could work out some of the soreness.  It didn't work and I think I made it worse. Just can't seem to get a break. It doesn't matter. Soon I'll be eating a nice steak dinner with mushroom sauce with a glass of red wine. Life can't get any better than that. 

As for what's in store for tomorrow, it's going to be a slow day again.  This week is a time of relaxation and if it means to do nothing then that's good enough for me.  Really, as anyone is on vacation you'd be foolish to work but people do it for some odd reason.  That was me three years ago.  I've learned to separate work and vacation time and it's made me better on the inside.

Anyway, there really was nothing in this blog. It was an exhausting day and my legs are still recovering.  Stay tuned for something that might be interesting.

The Journey of 13,193-feet Starts with One Step

It happened.  I traversed a large mountain on two bottles of water and a camelback.  There are some things in this blog that are made up and some that aren't, but it's your job to figure it out. Anyway, the consolation prize was a natural hot spring, which really was the size of a small hot tub. Either way, it was still refreshing.  The trick, though, was walking back.  My right thigh and knee cramped repeatedly and I was down to only 12 ounces of water with 8.5 miles to go.  To make matters worse there were massive thunderstorms, coupled with hail and strong winds.  All hope seemed lost, but I persevered.  On the way down, my leg felt as though it was stabbed, but the cold from the rain and the night overtaking us made it worse. 

As my party marched on I was overtaken by a band of eagles. As I fended them off I knew I was in real trouble, because a bear came out of nowhere to take me on.  I poked him in the eyes and kicked him so hard I ripped into his body, spilling all his intestines. 

I finished the march, dehydrated, patience tested, character strengthened.  For a few moments on the mountain (Mount Conundrum) I was about to call it quits, but I dug deep and said to the mountain, "You will not take me today!"  And thus, it didn't, and I beat it. Nature threw all it had at me, but I fought back.  No cramp, pain, or soreness prevented me from finishing my task. 

The Air Up Here

My lovely wife and I decided to run a mile to get adjusted to the air, but we struggled so mightily, we gave up after a quarter mile. It's uncharacteristic of me to do so--for her, too for the matter, but we couldn't help it.  It felt like we were running inside a bubble.  We walked around town to get a better feel of the air, and that was unbearable, but got a lot better.  For the most part, we're well adjusted but it's still going to take some time to be fully acclimated to the climate.  I'd be remiss to not mention we will be tackling one of the largest peaks in Colorado, in Aspen. The consolation is a natural hot spring at the end.  I'm going to struggle, most undeniably, but what doesn't kill you makes you stronger.  What kills you kills you but I fully expect to make it back alive. 

If I don't have a blog tomorrow, then you know my fate.  No, I'm not going to fake you out by not posting anything on purpose.  I fully expect to have a lot of fun. It's an 8-mile trek and the final destination is 13,201 feet. 

I'm stoked. 

Colorado and Stuff

We made it to Colorado and I can already feel the major difference in the weather.  105 in Oklahoma; 75 in Denver.  Life is tough. I like everything about Breckendridge--except the hippie liberals but outside of that it's great. When we were driving through the mountains and the waterfalls, I couldn't help but to think about and marvel at God's glory.  His creation is something that should be taken seriously, and in two days we will be hiking on it.  It's a great way to essentially become one with nature, and at the same time experience God's creation in a different way. 

Anyhow, I will follow up soon on the evolution of language and Internet speak (from a blog post on Thursday). It is currently being worked through and researched so it will be a well thought out treatise on language--hopefully.

The Expendables

Granted this movie is a Sylvester Stallone-directed movie so it's going to have cliche macho one-liners and lots of blood and killing.  The movie The Expendables didn't differ too much from the typical action-oriented movie.  The plot was slow to develop, but 45-minutes, and cameos from action superstars of the past the movie's plot was finally revealed.  Then it was just blowing crap up and shooting holes into people.  Rambo was reported to have almost 300 kills in it, but The Expendables probably came close. 

I'm no movie critic and this is the closest I'm going to come, but I will say that if you're looking for a movie with deep philiosophical thought and intense plot scenes, you're not going to like it.  If you're looking for a movie with gruesome kill shots and a boost of testosterone, then this is the perfect movie. 

Not to spoil anything about the plot (like there was any in the first place) but Stallone did manage to break away from typical action movie cliche.  That's all I have to say about that.

Comments of Language

A friend and I talked about language, and discussed how it's morphed over the last few years. One of the topics touched on was the use of Internet speak. When is it acceptable and when does it become a hindrance on someone's learning?  The problem I see, as a person with an English degree, is that the Internet lingo is being used all too often.  It's being used in papers and in casual conversation.  That's not so much the problem as it is when it's perfectly acceptable in public debate, conversation, discussion, etc...

Sadly, I feel that it will be used so much to the point, linguists will have no choice but to accept it--which leads to another point: can we go back to conversation without this lingo?  Probably not, I say. It's taken on a life of its own, but unfortunately I'm not doing this blog post any justice because I'm pooped.  I'm going to expand on this idea in depth probably this weekend.  Believe me, it will be more profound.

The Buzz About Twitter

I never really saw the appeal to it, other than people being overly narcissistic about their daily lives.  Who cares if you're in the bathroom doing whatever it is you're doing.  From a business stand point I know where it makes sense, but on a personal level, what gives?  Yes, I'm going to sign up for a personal Twitter account. I really don't know why other than to say it should be fun--maybe.

Much like this blog, I really don't have a set agenda with my tweets.  What can I say that's interesting in 140 characters or less?  Further, won't people get tired of what I'm saying? I have things to plug, like maybe this blog, but really outside of it, aren't I just being narcissistic? 

That's twice I've used narcissistic in the same post. I deserve a pat on the back.

I Miss Guns

A friend "drug" me along to look for guns this afternoon, and I forgot how fun it was to hold a life-taking device in your hands.  I'm no gun-toting NRA-loving person, but I can get that way pretty quickly.  Next on my agenda: get a concealed to carry.  Then get (maybe) the Taurus 9 MM Mini.  It felt great and I can remember shooting with it the last time I went.  It was deadly accurate and felt great as each bullet made its way out the barrel. My friend might very well regret asking me to come along. 

I got back in the spirit of guns when for years I rejected the idea only because I would spend copious amounts of money on buying more guns and going to the range.  Perhaps at some point this year I will get a gun once I save up enough to comfortably do so.  I know there are a lot of people who are opposed of carrying one, but I encourage those who are apprehensive to try one--safely.  Yeah, I've heard a million times that guns make society less safe, but what are they basing that fact on?  I disagree. We do, after all, have the right to bear arms. No, not the arms of a bear, as some poorly educated people I once knew thought. 

A gun can protect you and it is a device, put in the right hands, that can save you.  If you're in your home and a burglar comes in are you going to gently talk him down? No.  A thief has the right to die if he threatens you.  At that moment, throw peace out the window. He's not there to talk. 

Anyway, I'm getting off my tirade only to say I miss having a gun around.  My friend inspired me to look in-depth into other guns. I think I shall do so immediately.

What is it about Fantasy Football

I'm not sure what it is, but there's just something about Fantasy Football that appeals to me. The idea is simple. All it is, is your "fantasy" team of players that you draft or someone drafts for you.  Every point you get is determined by settings beforehand.  Most commonly every ten yards gained is one point for running backs and wide receivers. Every touchdown is six points and field goals count as three, in most cases.  Sounds simple and boring, and that's what I thought at first. 

Now four years later I'm still playing it.  It's fun and best of all, it's really competitive. Most days I don't even pay attention to the game. I just pay attention to my individual players.  The guy who created fantasy football really knew what he was doing.  That ingenious idea has made him millions of dollars. It was estimated in 2009 that there was approximately 40 million dollars spent getting into leagues.  Yeah, 40 million dollars! Intense.

I will continue to play, but I still have my loyalties to the Cowboys...just not when they stop one of my players on my fantasy team.   

Football Season Approacheth

It's about time!  I've waited many, many long months for the ultimate day to arrive once again.  Football season starts tonight with the preseason game between the Bengals and the Cowboys. Sure, it's only preseason, but it's still pretty awesome watching a bunch of guys hit each other. What's better than that?  This week will kick off the awesomeness that is football.

To me college football is a lot better than pro, but I'll take anything at this point. It makes no difference to me as long as pigskin is involved and I get to watch it.  This is premature, but my preseason prediction for Super Bowl is the Cowboys against the Bengals; it will end where it all started. (There is something really poetic about that line.)

For college, my prediction is the Texas Longhorns against LSU.  It should be a fun season, but I just can't wait.  Five and a half more hours until kickoff and I'm preparing now!

Blogging Update After Week One

Week one is almost over on my daily blogging and I have to say it's been a blast. Since the blogging, I've watched less TV and done more writing--writing in general, not only on my blog.  Keeping myself accountable to something has kept me more focused.  

I'll have to admit, I'm pretty stoked about writing a daily blog, but really, there is no rhyme or reason on any one of my posts. What it's not going to be is some lame diary that talks about my feelings all the time. Who knows. I might have a social critique or a political discussion.  Some days I'll write about sports or some days I might post excerpts to the book I'm writing. 

When I started this a week ago, I didn't really have a clear direction on anything.  Today, it's a little more clear, but still random.  Stay tuned, the next post might be cool--or it might not.  We'll just have to see.

Life in Perspective

This evening I attended a wake for my wife's friend's father. It was emotional and powerful, yet at the same time I felt myself reeling.  Generally I don't have a strong set of emotions when it comes to things like these, but I was truly moved, not so much at the service or the prayers, though they're important.  What moved me was the notion of life.  Life is a fragile thing and God knew what he was doing when he created humanity.  There's a lot of emotion wrapped up in life from happiness to sadness, but the end result is that we are fallible beings, full of evil, born in sin but to ultimately serve one purpose--to glorify Him.  To Him be all the glory, no matter how sinful or evil we really are.  Did anyone ever think that a group of evil beings put together in one room can glorify Him? Well it did, and it was incredible.

One wake showed me that humanity is full of inconsistencies and that no one knows the time of fate.  But even through a terrible experience, much good can come from it--even from evil people like us. 

Eating as a Profession

I've always wondered what it would be like in the spotlight on New Years Day at the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Championship.  It's a great honor to be up there, and you're competing against some of the world's best eaters.  Oh, what glory that is!  What does it mean to be an eating champion?  Beats me.  I was teased unmercilessly as a kid for being overweight.  Anyhow, that Kobayashi guy looks like an athlete and the Chesnut guy looks like he's been a couch potato his whole life. I fit somewhere in between, so who's to say I can't handle the job of shoving hot dogs down my throat.

I can eat with the best of them. Some days my stomach sees no end to the food I shove in there.  The 72-ounce steak challenge in Amarillo--no problem. I've eaten 5+ pounds of food in one sitting before.  Hot wing challenge in Pittsburgh--no sweat.  It's really mind over matter.

There's no way my wife is going to let me be a pro eater, but the possibility is wide open.  For now, I'll stick with Internet Marketing and Social Media Marketing. I'm not giving up hope on my raw (pun intended) ability.  My wife makes me eat vegetables and fruit and crap like that. (I'll admit, sometimes it's not bad.)

Anyway, I can only dream the unthinkable, but perhaps one day you'll see me on the podium at the Nathan's Hot Dog Championship. Maybe you'll see me come out on top of the 72-ounce sirloin, or maybe beat the catfish record at Catfish and Steak Barn.  All I'm saying is Adam Richman's got nothing on me.  I'll go head-to-head with him any day--and maybe even partner with him.

Thus ends my thoughts about being a professional eater.

Blogging about Blogging

There has been much debate about what blogging really is.  Is blogging an article, or blogging more of a diary? Is it a mix of both?  If people do it, should they not know what it is to properly represent it? Perhaps I'm over thinking this like I do for just about nothing.

It's interesting if one thinks about it.  Or maybe not.  Blogging, no matter which way you slice it or dice it, serves one purpose: information. That's a cop out answer from me, but in reality that's what it is. Any form of literature is informative.  So, why label it specifically a blog?  It's short for weblog, but that's a diary-ish-thing. 

I have no idea what I'm saying only to say I'm freaking tired.  I made my mark and made something out of absolutely nothing.  Good night. Tomorrow will be a different day.

Life Without A/C

I now know what life in the 1800's and before was like. The past day and half have been pretty hot and dealing with it has been an adventure. What I realized was that I've been spoiled with modern conveniences.  Television, A/C and a number of things I've been dependent on and often take for granted. 

Anyway, I think I've found out how to fix the problem, but we'll find out soon.  Life without A/C is pretty unbearable, but I've lost some weight because of it.  I'm happy for that, but I wish I could have done it in a different way.  I called around for quotes to come out and have yet to find someone come out for less than $100 for a service call.

Thank God for the Internet, because I was able to diagnose the problem and figure out a solution--maybe.  If it's right has yet to be seen. If my posts become angrier and angrier as time goes on, then you know it didn't work.  For now, I'm going to finish up A/C work and move on.

Pray that I don't kill myself in the process--or my wife for that matter.  This is a boring post with not a whole lot to offer, but I have to get back to my A/C unit. Duty calls.

I said duty. 

Musings about Bacon and Sharks

Lunch break is awesome, but so were the sandwiches I made on Grandy's rolls.  These rolls are nothing more than buttery goodness filled with yeasty perfection.  When you add bacon to it, you have a winner. I'm simply amazed at how bacon heightens any type of food.  Add cheese and a slice of lettuce and you have yourself and awesome lunch.  That's not the point of this blog, though.  Something occurred to me on the way into work this morning.

Why is Shark Week so awesome?! Is it that we can watch a full week of television devoted to sharks dismembering people and animals, or has it become a deliciously sinful delight to watch sharks attack? My morbid curiosity think about random things like this everyday but I digress.

Shark Week is cool, don't get me wrong, but what really is the point of Shark Week?  We're not raising awareness of anything are we? And if we are, shouldn't we be doing it every month anyway? For the people who live in landlocked places like I do, it simply doesn't matter unless a shark finds itself in the might, might Oklahoma River. Just last night I watched two shows about sharks biting surfers and how they survived to tell the tale, but is this what this week is supposed to be all about?  If so, it's pretty lame. Who knows, but I have to make a confession that it is pretty cool watching footage of dismembered carcasses caused by these sharks.

With that, I go back to work.

Day One Marks a New Journey

Day one of this long arduous journey and I almost ran into some problems.  The Internet was down momentarily, but it's back up and running allowing me enough time to put something together. 

A friend once commented to me that I'm crazy for doing what I'm doing, and that it's a time-wasting effort where I could be doing something more effective in life. I kindly disagreed, but it left me a stinger.  I was simply tired of being lazy when I'm not at work.  TV can only fix your boredom for a while so I decided to make a change now. That's not to say TV is the devil and it's sinful to watch TV.  

As a writer, I relish the challenge to write any time I get.  This is one of the reasons that I have to do this.  To develop my craft, I have to do it.  Makes sense, right?  An artist never created a masterpiece by watching Food Network all day. 

Anyway, that's beside the point. On to the meat and potatoes of this day. Yes, it is a sports-related post for the day but they won't all be like that.  I woke up with the Texas Rangers 8 1/2 games ahead of the Oakland A's in the AL West.  I can't remember when they had this amount of a lead at this point in the season.  Anyone who knows baseball knows the Rangers are notorious for choking away the second half of the season, but they're still in first place, winning their last 7 out of 10 games. With two months to go, they are looking great and made some awesome trades to help bolster their team.  This very well could be the year that they do it--at least make the playoffs.   

Cliff Lee, Bengie Molina, and Jorge Cantu have all been to the playoffs at some point in their career and they are already contributing to the success of the team.  One can only wonder if they can go all the way.  I know futility.  I've been a Rangers fan for life and I'd like nothing more than to see a WS title. Only two months to go, the chances look great.  It now feels great to be a Rangers fan, when before it was only good.

This is it for now. I'll be back tomorrow. With what topic, I don't know.  You'll just have to keep reading to find out.

Why I'm Doing a Daily Blog

People have been asking me why I'm creating a blog that I have to update everyday. The answer to that isn't easy to answer so I'll do the best I can.  I'm doing this not as a way to be narcissistic or self-indulging. Anyone who knows me knows my life isn't that exciting. I'm doing this because it is an act of self-discipline. This is an avenue for me to become a better writer, but most importantly, a better person. I want to set a goal for myself and achieve that goal.  I've set many goals in my life and haven't reached many.  Like sticking to a diet is an act of self-discipline, so too is keeping up with a blog daily.  I am hoping this blog creates for me a different lifestyle, something I can be proud of come August 1, 2011. 

If I know I can keep up with a blog on daily basis, I know I can do anything from losing weight to raising a child to helping my company become a multimillion dollar business.  Quite frankly, I'm tired of watching TV and not activating my brain. There's not much on that I can really enjoy and if there's something I want to watch, I'll check it out online (unless it's a sports-related event).

There's a lot of power in rhetoric and I appreciate the craft and the skill that is necessary.  I probably won't change lives, but that's not the goal.  I'm going to let the chips fall where they may. My goal isn't to offend anybody, nor is it to be a shock writer.  I don't have any particular subject to write on. It is what it is. 

So, in two days my blog will go full-time.  I'm ready for this. I want to do this--I need to do this--I have to do this.  I may get one reader or I may get a million.  Either way, this is one crazy act by one crazy guy that just does what he does best--be awesome.