My Life: Bad News My PC Is Dead :(

Really bad news this weekend. The computer that I built on 9/11 2001 is dead. I put the thing together as I watched the coverage of the terrorist attacks on 911. My wife Norma was in PA visiting with her Mom. I was home alone and found myself at home around noon because my company sent all our people home early that day. We were in a 70 story building downtown and it was generally thought tall buildings could be a target that day.

I came home and worked up in my office and put together the machine. Over the past few years I have added parts here and there.

Friday night I turned the machine on and it gave me a ton of hard drive errors. I figured it was a bad hard drive. But, after trying to reformat and re-install windows on EITHER of my hard drives all I got was a machine that kept shutting off. So it could very well be a processor problem as well. Or mother board. I am really not wanting to rip the machine apart and troubleshoot piece by piece. I may very well be better served by just getting a new one.

I am going to take my time and think things through and read a few reviews.

What I use the machine for is:

*transferring video from TiVo to the PC, then cutting the video and burning to dvd (mostly for my classes if there is something good on the history channel to show that relates to what I am teaching)

*holds all my music. I have about 50 gigs of music on a hard drive that I have downloaded and ripped from cd.

*holds all Aidan's pictures. We have a ton, as any reader of this blog would realize.

I used to play games on the PC, but that isn't something I am interested in doing anymore. I play on Xbox 360 and that's it now. It's too hard to keep up with the race in upgrading video cards. And too expensive.

So it looks like I could be in the market for a new computer. I haven't actually bought a PC in a long, long time. My laptop is an HP and I have enjoyed it quite a bit. But, it doesn't have dual hard drives that you need to work with cutting up video well. It's a wonderful wide screen laptop, but not perfect for my needs with creating video.

Anyone buy a machine recently that does the kinds of things I am looking to do? I would love some input. I know there are Pentium D machines now and AMD 64 machines. Not sure which kind I would want.

Any advice would be awesome and appreciated! :)

UPDATE:Well, I didn't wait long. Purchased a Dell. It's pretty much what I needed and for under $1,000 including taxes. Free 19" flat screen monitor. It's a decent machine that will do what I need it to do. I should get it next week. When I do I'll post pictures and a review of it.

Technorati Tags: Tech, PC, Computers

My Life: Why a fun day was so sad

The NFL Draft is something I have always had a strong interest in following. I remember being in the 5th grade and asking to go to the bathroom while I sat on the stall I listened to the draft on a portable radio. This was back in the days when the draft was during the week and during regular school and working hours. It wasn't televised! Can you believe it?

During 7th grade I would run up between classes to ask my math teacher who the Steelers got. I will never forget finding out we got Rod Woodson. I was so pumped!

These were days that I always shared with my Dad. I was pretty sad today because he wasn't there to call, email, and instant message each time the Steelers or Texans picked someone. It was made a lot easier by my friend John coming over and spending the day with me. But, still after John left and the Steelers traded up in the first round to get Santonio Holmes from Ohio State, my first thoughts were - "I have to call my Dad!" I was thinking, he may not realize the Steelers are on the clock. (shaking my head)

It's a strange sensation when someone you love so much is gone. It is almost like the amputee that still feels sensations in their leg that is no longer there. Most of the time though is spent thinking about how terrible it is and how robbed I feel that he is gone. But, every once in a while there is that feeling in your mind that he is still here. Then reality sets in and it is pretty hard to deal.

All I can wish is that my son has that same connection with me. I hope we sit together and watch the draft when he is older and he roots for the Texans. And I hope I can be like my Dad and say, "Wow, that guy is great! We are going to the Super Bowl this year buddy!" :) Those are tough shoes to fill. He was the ultimate homer and the best fan a team could have. A pretty great Dad, too!

My Life: Congrats to Mike and Cass on their new arrival!

Tonight our family got a little bigger. Aida Toshiko Stapleton was born.

Norma's brother Mike and sister-in-law Cass are new parents. Way to go guys! Awesome news.

Sports: Texans 3rd Round? Double our OLine Pleasure!

With the very first two picks of the 3rd round, the Texans took back to back offensive linemen. One of them I had targeted (along with Wintson Justice, T, from USC that went in the second round to Phi) was Eric Winston, T, Miami. He is a former tight end and has pretty good feet and athleticism. I think he has great potential to step in and start at right tackle next fall. He is a big body and a superb pass blocker, which is exactly what the Texans and David Carr need.

He does have a knee injury in his past which slowed his development from TE to OT. But, he played all 12 games last year and should be 100% full strength in that knee by the fall. Our right tackle play for the Texans has been awful and this is a big upgrade. Right now Wiegert is penciled in for RT, but I could see them moving him back to guard where he is more suited if Winston turns out to be solid there. Not bad for a 3rd round pick. If he could be a starter, that's a steal.

Actually taken just before Winston was a guard from the University of Pittsburgh, Charles Spencer. He looks to be a little bit of a project and rough on pass blocking. But, the guys is a massive run blocker. He blows off the line of scrimmage with 352 pounds on a 6'5" frame. Impressive for a guard. Man, this league is massive in size up front. Amazing. Can you even imagine how much this dude eats a day? I wouldn't like to see that food bill.

He is quality depth at least and possibly someone that could step in and challenge for playing time. The thing that impressed me about both of these linemen is that they are noted as being "coachable" and quality teammates in college. High quality character guys. With all four picks so far that's been the stamp on each of them. Great people.

You can say what you want about our pick at the top of the draft, but our owner will not stand for any kind of attitude or behavior issues. The stuff going on with Reggie Bush off the field with his house and parents could not have helped that with owner Bob McNair. He wants to build this team right with only the very best people. If he thought there could even be a possibility that Bush was lying about his involvement (which some are saying he is) I would think McNair would pass on him.

I do believe though that Reggie Bush's problems off the field will disappear soon. Just look back to the off the court problems that LeBron James had before coming to the NBA. Hummer loans and lots of attitude. He's a great player. That stuff seems to work itself out. I believe it will for Bush, too. For the Texans the combo of need at pass rush and Bush being a RB that won't last as long as a DE made a difference. Coach Kubiak has shown at Denver that he can take 4th round running backs and make them into all-pros. Hopefully that happens for Dominick Davis here in Houston.

The two third round picks today on the offensive line should also help that come to fruition. We beefed up the lines on the first day of the draft and that makes me very happy. For all the pissed off Texans fans out there, realize this: You win football games by blocking and tackling. All the Reggie Bush's in the world can't find the endzone if they have to dodge 11 players. And Bush would never have the ball in his hands if our defense couldn't make a stop.

Technorati Tags: Eric Winston, Charles Spencer, NFL Draft, Houston Texans, Reggie Bush, Lebron James

Sports: Texans 2nd Round? DeMeco Ryans, LB, ALA

I was disappointed that the Texans didn't take an offensive lineman in the second round. Linebacker was not a place where I thought they would go. But, DeMeco Ryan slipped out of the first round and some had him going anywhere from 20 to 31. So that is something that probably jumped out at the Texans staff.


Ryans was the heart of the Bama defense last year. Alabama had a great D. #35 was all over the field. I remember watching him vs. LSU and seeing him getting up after lots of tackles. He is supposed to be a super intelligent person and a high character guy. Seems like that means a LOT to the Texans. DeMeco did a lot of charity work for the children of Katrina after the Hurricane.

He should play weak side linebacker for the Texans and hopefully contribute right away as the #1 overall pick Williams will do. Maybe this defense will start to bang on people in 2006? Some 3 and outs would sure be nice.



Technorati Tags: NFL Draft, Houston Texans, DeMeco Ryans, Mario Williams, Sports

Sports: And the Houston Texans Select....

M A R I O
W I L L I A M S
D E
N C S T A T E

{wow}

This was a surprise, everyone here in Houston expected to be getting the dynamic Reggie Bush. That didn't happen. I found out last night. I couldn't believe it.

But, the more I think about it, the more I like it. I want to give Mario a chance. I also know how bad our defense is. And people counter with, yeah but the Texans offense was just as bad. BUT, in 2004 our offense was very productive. There is talent there. We already have a good back in Dom Davis. I am sure we could have found carries and catches for Bush, but our defense is moving to a 4-3 and that defense must have good ends.



Super Mario projects to be the type of defensive end in the Bruce Smith and Reggie White mold. If that is the case, they probably will not regret this pick. If that is the case this defense is going to start putting pressure on the opposing QBs. (Remember we play twice a year against Indy and Payton Manning. And now twice a year vs. Vince Young as well!).

I am going to try to stay positive about it. Everyone else in Houston can cry and moan and complain that we didn't get Vince Young or Reggie Bush. Houstonians are also going to be crying that Bush is playing in New Orleans and it's close by. And Vince Young is going to be in Tennessee and we play them twice a year. There will be a ton of #10 Titan jerseys in town now.

I played defense in college. I love defense. And I will try very hard to embrace and love Mario Williams. I like his style. I like how he is intense and seems to have a passion for the game and for getting after quarterbacks. That's something I can relate to.



Technorati Tags: NFL Draft, Football, Mario Williams, Reggie Bush, Vince Young

Aidan: Pictures from cupcake eating... @ 18 Months

This was fun. Aidan is now a year and a 1/2. Amazing. Time is flying.

Click on the pictures to see full sized.

Aidan: Video of 18 Month B'day Celebration

Today was Aidan's 18 month b'day. He is now 1 year and 1/2 years old. Awesome. Thinking back to him attacking his cake in October as a 1 year-old, it was so cool to see him so grown up today. He was much more 'mature' and knew what he was doing this time. Methodically scooping the icing with his fingers... "Mmmmm." He even ate most of the cake in the cupcake as well.

Such a big boy.



Icing on Vimeo



Cake on Vimeo



Mmmmm Cake! on Vimeo



Happy Birthday (well 1/2 b'day!) on Vimeo

Technorati Tags: Vimeo, Video, Baby, Birthday

Sports: Astros - Best Record in Baseball

My Astros just keep on winning. They are just playing great so far. Tremendous starting pitching. Who needs the Rocket? The Astros are ranked #1 in starting pitching in MLB.

But, you won't hear much about it in the national media. Believe me, this team and this town is used to it. And I don't really care about it anymore. For me, it's my team. I am proud of what they are doing and what they have accomplished. I am going to sit back and enjoy these wins.

The past two seasons have been the best in the history of the club. And this year they have started out with a record month. Can 2006 be even better than their National League Championship 2005? Well, the only thing they could do better would be to win it all. So that's cool with me.

I am enjoying the ride.

Technorati Tags: Houston Astros, MLB, Baseball

CNN.com - Experts: Global warming behind 2005 hurricanes - Apr 25, 2006

Hurricanes are scary. To think we are bringing them on ourselves is frightening.


CNN.com - Experts: Global warming behind 2005 hurricanes - Apr 25, 2006: "'The hurricanes we are seeing are indeed a direct result of climate change and it's no longer something we'll see in the future, it's happening now,' said Greg Holland, a division director at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado."

I wish we could 'globally cool' off things. This summer could be a long one.

Technorati Tags: Hurricanes, Hurricane Rita, Hurricane Katrina, Global Warming, Climate

My Life: Zoo Trip 2006

We finally had a chance to get to the zoo. We went on Monday afternoon. It was a day off in our district for teacher inservice. But, Norma and I were able to 'comp' out by getting all of our hours in for the year. It was a great day to go. A little warm, but very enjoyable because of a breeze.

We took the tour of the zoo in about an hour and a 1/2. Not bad considering how warm it was and the baby is only just under 18 months. Aidan did so well. Really enjoyed seeing the animals and all the kids that were there. He loves to people watch.

The last time we tried to go to the Houston Zoo we picked the worst day to go of the year. We didn't realize it but it was the day the giraffe was about to give birth. Plus it was during Spring Break for most Houston schools. We waited in traffic for over an hour and then couldn't get in because it was packed. Terrible experience on maybe the most beautiful day of the year weather wise.



The baby girafee was really cool. She is a beauty. So little, but yet so big... if you know what I mean? Kinda like our own little guy! Aidan really enjoyed the little African rat looking animals because he could sit in his stroller and see them through the glass. I can't remember what you call them. But, I think they were in Lion King The Movie.

The newest member of the Houston Zoo:


He also loved running up and down the wooden deck at the tiger exhibit. Couldn't see the tiger, he was asleep back behind some trees and bushes, but Aidan didn't care. He loved hearing his little feet pitter-patter against the wood. It was hell getting him back into the stroller, but he would have run up and down the wooden ramp all day long I fear.

We also sat and listened to a story in the children's zoo area. Aidan was getting tired and just sat and stared forward at the woman reading the story.



He did dance a little at the beginning when they were playing the music, but otherwise he just zoned out (pictured above). When we got to the car at the end of the trip Aidan fell asleep before we even got the car out on the freeway. Dude was beat tired.

Overall a very fun day. It is something I will remember for a long time. I will try very hard to forget my dentist appointment later that afternoon. That drill is killer. But, I am sure having my old filling replaced will be a good thing long term. The short term hour of torture was tough though.

So many great pictures from our trip to the zoo. I am sure we will do it again next fall when the weather cools down again. And I am sure we'll do it again many times over the next few years.



Technorati Tags: Houston Zoo, Girafee

Sports: NFL Draft Gets Interesting at the Top

Was Reggie Bush's family living in a home paid for by a buisness man that wanted to represent him and his endorsements? That's the question of the hour. I just finished listening to Liz Mullen of the SportsBusiness Journal as she was on with Dan Patrick on ESPN RADIO. She reports that sworn testimony from two hearings regarding a parole violation indicates that New Era Sports & Entertainment had an agreement of some sort with Bush.

This is pretty damaging if true. It would mean that Bush had dealings with an "agent" (even one that wanted to represent marketing for him) before his eligiblity was up at USC. That would ultimately mean he was ineligible and he would forfeit the Heisman Trophy and USC would forfeit all of their wins in which Bush played.

Pretty crazy!
Could this influence the Houston Texans to not select him? The longer this story continues and the more that it shows it 'has legs', the worse it is for Bush. He denied having done any wrong doing on ESPN last night. See the video here: Bush says family has done 'absolutely nothing wrong'. His agent said that Reggie knew nothing about this. Does that matter? If his family took benefits, would it still make him ineligible?

Wow, crazy stuff. The Texans have reportedly been burning up the phone lines on this one to find out the real deal before they sign him to a contract. That can happen at any time now before or after the draft or until they decide not to draft him. The rumors were that a deal was probably going to come down on Friday afternoon. The two sides were still hammering out details.

Could the deal be more difficult to broker now that this house story has seen the light of day? Could the Texas bargain harder for a lower contract? Bush has reportedly said he wants 24 million. The Texans may come back and low ball him. This could get really interesting.

It is a total shame that this has happened. If it is true it is definitely terrible. If it is not true, it is a shame because most people won't ever believe him. This kind of story seems to stick with you, regardless of your guilt. But, Texans fans will surely forget all about it if Bush turns out to be the next Marshall Faulk. Only time will tell on any of this.

Technorati Tags: NFL Draft, Houston Texans, Reggie Bush, NFL, USC Trojans, Heisman Trophy

Happy Earth Day 2006

As we all complain about the rising costs of gas and scratch our heads trying to figure a way out of the net of big oil companies, I'd like to wish everyone a

Happy Earth Day 2006!

It is my hope that as those gas prices rise, people's resistance to hybrid cars and energy conservation rises as well.

For today I leave you with a link to our beautiful planet. May she live long and somehow survive man's attempt to destroy her. The pictures are stunning.

Pretty Planet


Technorati Tags: Earth Day, Gas Prices, Oil Companies, Conservation, Energy

Sports: Astros 3, Pirates 2

It was a good game last night. Wandy Rodriguez was very good again, going 3-0. Morgan Ensberg hit his 6th homer in 6 games (Astros record). And Brad Lidge got the save in the ninth to complete the win for my 'Stros. So why was I so sad?

It was difficult watching the Astros vs. the Pirates. My Dad was a huge Pittsburgh fan. He loved the Steelers and Pirates. Every season he would bombard me with emails about how Pittsburgh was going to win it all that year. Of course, the Pirates would suck. But, last year the Pirates won the season series vs. the Astros. So my Dad had bragging rights.

The emailed conversations and the instant messages from my Dad are a big missing hole in my life. Logging in and seeing a message from him always made my day. Now, it seems like I get little to no email.

After Lidge got strike three to end the game last night, I pointed up to the sky and said, "Gotcha Dad!" I am sure he was shaking his head and saying, "We'll still win the series... there are a couple more games and they'll bounce back. The Pirates were just trying to make the Astros overconfident. You know the old saying, "The more you lose the closer you are to winning!" That was my Dad, always putting a happy face on things.

And that's why I choose to try and think good thoughts about him. Getting down and depressed really doesn't help anything. What it does is just take away minutes, hours, and days from my life. And if I have learned anything with my Dad's life it is that you shouldn't waste any time. He certainly did not.

Technorati Tags: Baseball, MLB, Houston Astros, Pittsburgh Pirates, Brad Lidge, Morgan Ensberg

Video: Pearl Jam "Man of the Hour"

The song makes me think of my Dad and his funeral. I get really quiet when I listen to it... and it makes me kind of dizzy. Crazy, but it's true.

Watch Pearl Jam Man of the Hour Video (need RealPlayer)

I really miss him.

::lyrics::
Tidal waves don’t beg forgiveness
'CRASHED' and on their way
Father he enjoyed collisions; others walked away
A snowflake falls in may.
And the doors are open now as the bells are ringing out
Cause the man of the hour is taking his final bow
Goodbye for now.

Nature has its own religion; gospel from the land
Father ruled by long division, young men they pretend
Old men comprehend.

And the 'SKY BREAKS' at dawn; shedding light upon this town
They’ll all come ‘round
Cause the man of the hour is taking his final bow
Goodbye for now.

And the road
The old man paved
The broken seams along the way
The rusted signs, left just for me
He was guiding me, love, his own way
Now the man of the hour is taking his final bow
As the curtain comes down
I feel that this is just goodbye for now.

Technorati Tags: Pearl Jam, Man of the Hour, Music, Rock

Music: Pandora - neat website

Pandora - Find New Music, Listen to Custom Internet Radio Stations

This is really interesting. You go to the website. Type in a favorite musical artist. Then the software picks out music that matches that genre and artist and tries to share with you music you might like.

It all works through streaming Internet "Stations" created for you.

Very easy, Very interesting.

Technorati Tags: Pandora, Music

Terry Fox: He is someone you need to meet

If you have never heard the story of Terry Fox, you are missing out. Today during my 3rd period class (the only class I had today due to our testing this week) I showed a video clip from ESPN that I had recorded last year at this time. It featured Terry Fox.

Terry was diagnosed with cancer in his right leg. It was amputated. While in the hospital he was overcome by the people in the cancer wing and just had to do something to help. What he did was amazing.

Terry decided he would run from the eastern most point of Canada to his home in British Columbia, Vancouver. Terry was Canadian, which I don't think excuses any American for not know who this amazing hero was.

Terry decided he would run 26 miles EACH DAY. He would run with a support van behind him and along the way he hoped to raise money. At first $10 million. Then $1 for every Canadian. But, he did much more. From the CBC Website:

Twenty-five years ago, on April 12th, a young man with a big dream dipped his artificial leg in the Atlantic Ocean. The moment marked the beginning of Terry Fox's Marathon of Hope. It also marked the beginning of a journey that has touched millions of people around the world, who continue to live Terry's dream of finding a cure for cancer.

To date, more than $360 million has been raised worldwide for cancer research in Terry's name through the annual Terry Fox Run, held across Canada and around the world.

And Terry's heroic efforts and personal integrity continue to inspire people everywhere.

Terry only reached Thunder Bay, Ontario. His cancer returned and less than a year later he died from the very disease he was trying to beat with the run. He is the kind of man that makes you proud to be a human being.

I wish more Americans would know about this wonderful Canadian and wonderful life.
Wikipedia: Terry Fox

Learn more about Terry Fox here: The Terry Fox Foundation

CBC: Terry Fox's Marathon of Hope Video Clips

Technorati Tags: Terry Fox, Marathon of Hope, Running

My Life: The advantages of working with your wife

My wife and I have a pretty great life. We really do. When you consider how we started out together as students studying to become educators and now we are realizing that dream together, it is pretty neat.

But, to fully appreciate it we have had to go through a lot in our careers. Namely my time as a technologist and my servitude in corporate America for 6 years. There was a brief time when things were not working out for my wife and I. It was all because we grew so far apart in our careers and our lives were so busy in pursuit of them that we were forgetting about each other.

Now that I am back and teaching again I am really, really happy with my choice to return to the challenges of teaching. It has been almost 2 full years since I came back. Driving in to work with your wife and teaching in the same school as her is not something every couple could do. We do it pretty well and we love every minute of it. There is no other way we would want it.

We are giving the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills tests this week. Otherwise known as TAKS. It's Tuesday through Friday of testing from 7:30 to around 12:30. The days are pretty long. But, today sophomores are not testing and do not have to be at school until 12:30. So I basically have had all morning to work in my room. iTunes on and playing through some songs while I planned out the last 6 weeks of school.

At around 11:00 I took my wife over a nice cup of Starbucks to her room. It was one of those moments where you say, "Hey I like working with her." It is awesome to be able to pop in and surprise her with a Grande-NonFat-Decaf-Mocha. The smile on her face is worth the extra couple of minutes spent driving down the road to pick one up. And the smile also tells me that the 10's of thousands of dollars I passed up in corporate America per year are not worth it. The same can be said of the many, many smiles I get from my students. And the emails from parents that say things like this:

It is a huge challenge to connect with a 16 year old, and you have
certainly done that. Her success is not because she is smarter than
everyone else, she is just willing to do the work. Most teachers assign
meaningless busy work, and she respects how your projects have
substance. Thanks again. Have a great day!

It sure is nice to start the day with an email like that waiting for you. And it's just another reason I am pretty lucky guy.

TV: ALIAS soon to be Lost and Gone Forever

I read a pretty good blog on the TV show Lost called "Lost... and gone forever." This week the author has unleashed a blog entry on the show Alias. Lost and Alias share the same creator/producer JJ Abrams. I was into Alias big time a few years ago and saw that JJ was going to do a new show called Lost. It immediately got my interest. When Alias went downhill so fast it seemed to be going in the opposite direction from TV's hit show Lost.

Tonight JJ brings back Alias and will kill the show off after a few episodes this spring. I am not sure if I am going to watch it, record it and maybe watch it, or just say "forget it already!" The show has been terrible this year season (it was on for a brief while in the fall). But, I could watch the final episodes just to wrap up what has been a great time watching this series overall.

Who knows, but if you are at all interested in watching tonight it would be a great idea to read the post I am referring to and linking to. He does a great job of recapping the show from start to finish. As someone who has seen every episode, I even needed it to remember some of the storyline:
Lost... and Gone Forever: ALIAS... and why you should care.

PS - JJ has also canned Mission Impossible III and I will probably only want to go see it because of him. The guy does an amazing job on the small screen. I can only imagine how cool it will be in the theatre.

Technorati Tags: Lost, Alias, JJ Abrams, Mission Impossible III, TV, Jennifer Garner

My Life: Congrats to Aimee & Bill

I spoke with my sister Aimee last night and she explained that she is now engaged. This is very good news. In a year that hasn't had much good news, we will take it! Very exciting.

Bill is a great guy and I can really not think of anyone else in the world that I would be happier to have as a brother-in-law.

They are a great couple and I am sure there wedding is going to be wonderful.

CONGRATS AIMEE & BILL

Politics: I love Olbermann -- Awarded Coulter, Limbaugh, and O'Reilly "Worst Person" honors

Media Matters - Olbermann awarded Coulter, Limbaugh, and O'Reilly "Worst Person" honors

Freaking Olbermann cracks me up. And he does so with the truth and with facts... even better. Click the link above for the video clip... worth the download just to see Ann Coulter with a pirate's patch on her eye.

Technorati Tags: Olbermann, O'Reilly, Coulter, Limbaugh, Worst Person in the World

Politics: Katrina Kids Sing to Laura Bush

Today at the White House, our President continued a great American tradition of the Easter Egg Roll. Then he and his staff crapped all over it with this slice of paranoia political propoganda:

Think Progress » ‘Katrina Kids’ Sing to Laura Bush: ‘Congress, Bush and FEMA…Have Come to Rebuild Us’

“Our country’s stood beside us
People have sent us aid.
Katrina could not stop us, our hopes will never fade.
Congress, Bush and FEMA
People across our land
Together have come to rebuild us and we join them hand-in-hand!”

You have got to be kidding me. C'mon White House. Wake up. This is horrible. Enough backslapping already. "Brownie & Bush: YOU DID NOT do a hellofa job!" When is reality going to return to the Executive Branch?

The reality:


Technorati Tags: Politics, Bush, Easter, Katrina, FEMA

Sports: Aidan's First Rockets Game

Tonight we went to Toyota Center in Downtown Houston to watch the Houston Rockets take on the Memphis Grizzlies. It was Aidan's first Rockets game. We had planned to take a lot of pictures, like we did last year at his first Astros game. But, as we went through security they said, "You can't take that camera inside. It's a professional camera." I said, "What?" Dude said, "The lens is 4 inches long, it qualifies as a professional camera."

Hardly. My camera qualifies as a camera with a four inch lens on it. Silliness. The thing is like 8 years old. So, I had to run back to the car - 6 blocks. And I ran as fast as I could. I wanted to get back to see the introductions and I didn't like Norma and the baby having to stand outside the arena waiting for me. Needless to say I was pretty ticked by the entire deal.

Aidan was pretty wide eyed during the player introductions. They did a neat job of showing a rocket liftoff from the video screens. Real nice job. The Rockets and Grizz wore throwback jerseys tonight so that was cool, too.

Probably the best part though was Clutch the Bear. The Rockets mascot was really great. And he always is. During the second period they showed the Rockets President and CEO on the video board with his son. They said it was his son's birthday. He comes Clutch running up the steps with a big old cake. Of course, Clutch slips and smacks the cake right into the CEO's face. It was pretty funny. The announcer said, "Ladies and Gentlemen, we'll be holding tryouts for a new mascot in the morning." The CEO got up and hugged him, so I think all ended well. The fans loved it.

They also showed Clutch's stunts. They showed that silly bear jumping out of airplanes, water skiiing, jumping off a diving board into a pool, and all the usual stunts that he does: sitting out on the balcony of the arena for days. He does that when the Rockets are about to clinch a playoff spot. This year, there isn't anything to sit out for. But, Clutch is going to anyway. He'll be out from 8am to 9pm for the world's longest t'shirt throw. He'll be throwing down t'shirts to anyone that comes by to get them.

It's just too bad that the Rockets were without Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady. Both are injured and out for the year. We did see Yao's Dad walking into the skybox area. I yelled, "Hey Mr. Ming!" I gave him a thumbs up and he smiled and waved. He's a tall dude for a Chinese guy, but nowhere near as big his son.

We left a little before half time. Aidan was getting pretty tired. He actually didn't stay in his seat very long. Momma had him out on the concourse running everywhere. He had a good time out there flirting with women and getting in trouble.

I really look forward to bringing him down when he is older and knows more about what is going on. There were a few kids sitting behind us tonight that were cracking me up. They kept saying, "Get the ball Yao!" And "C'mon Tracy!" Of course, neither of them were even in the building. But, that's who they know... our two best players. Years from now they will remember seeing Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady at the game! Aren't kids great?

Next for us is to get some seats for an Astros game. We will probably get some for a Saturday night game because the start is 6:05pm. That'll be a good time for him. With bedtime at 8pm, we can stretch it to maybe 9 and let him see the game. Tickets are a LOT cheaper, too. Tonight's face value of the tickets was $55 bucks. Isn't that crazy? The seats were great, but I would NEVER have paid that much myself. One of my students gave us the seats because they couldn't make it tonight.

It really was fun to see his face when he looked around the arena. I would have loved to hear what he was thinking. That is going to be fun when the talking begins, soon!

Technorati Tags: Basketball, NBA, Houston Rockets, Memphis Grizzlies

Aidan: Easter Egg Hunter 2006

This morning was the annual Mills Branch Village Easter Egg Hunt. It's Aidan's second trip down to the park to find eggs. Boy has he gotten bigger in one year!

Last year was fun (see picture to left)... but this year the little guy was mobile. He was able to run around and pick up eggs on his own.

He nabbed nine of them. Not bad for being so distracted by: 1. kids 2. swings 3. a hill to run up 4. the easter bunny ... and the list goes on. Aidan was probably more distracted by all the commotion than anything. But, he still had a fun time.









I'll post some more pictures later. We are heading to the Rockets game tonight and we should get a few pictures from that as well. Happy Easter Eve everyone.

Aidan: Even the happiest baby in the world cries

This morning before heading to the neighborhood park for the Easter Egg hunt, Aidan was a little unhappy. He just didn't want to get dressed. If he would have known what fun he'd be having in just a few minutes, he wouldn't have minded one bit.



Poor Momma... she does a great job, but it isn't always easy.



Poor little guy... it's not easy being between a little baby and a little boy.

Education: TAKS Testing Week

In the spirit of TAKS (Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills Mandated Tests) that will occur next week, I will post this question:

If the school year is 180 days long, how many days of instruction are lost due to test taking? (Note: this calculation does not include the number of days lost due to: reviewing for tests, prepping for tests, or pulling students out for tutoring for specific tests.)

A) 40 days

B) 46 days

C) 52 days

D) Too many days!

I got it from this site: Improve Our Schools Now. Check out the link to find the answer. Amazing. I know we have to assess learning... but, this is ridiculous.

Technology: Google Calendar

Anyone out there trying Google Calendar yet? I have been eagerly looking forward to this. I have been a Gmail user for a long time and love it. For the past couple of months I have been using 30 Boxes, but haven't been hugely impressed with it. It does the job, but not a lot of options.

I'll be trying it out over the next couple of weeks and I'll let you know what I think.

Any thoughts from readers out there?

Technorati Tags: Google, Gmail, Google Calendar

My Life: Thursday Night Thoughts

It feels like Friday night. It really does. No work tomorrow. It will indeed be a ... GOOD Friday. :)

Tonight we are watching the Astros try to go for the split of a doubleheader with the SF Giants. They dropped the first game and have the second game well in hand with a 4-0 lead in the 7th.

It seemed like baseball had disapeared because the Stros were rained out for the past two days after an off day. Three days without baseball was wierd. It was like the All-Star break or something. I missed it.

I really like this Astros team this year. Lance Berkman is simply on fire. I hate that Jeff Bagwell is basically gone, but it has meant that Lance could settle into the every day firstbaseman role. This is helping with his knee and he looks great at the plate. He crushed a dinger to deep center tonight that was simply plastered. Looks like another All-Star season for #17.

It will be a fun weekend of baseball. We head to the desert to play Arizona tomorrow night. No rainouts there - thanks to their roof. :)

It is really wierd to get used to the two new Astros radio guys. No Milo Hamilton on the road broadcasts this year. It's strange, but also a fresh new sound. Milo has been doing games forever, he still does the home games. I like Milo, but he is getting up there in age and the two young guys are pretty sharp.

Roy O is simply awesome tonight... as he usually is. The last outing was just an oddity. This will be his first win in SF. Dude has won 20 games the last two years. No other pitcher in baseball can say that... yet he gets no publicity. Sad. Still, I'll happily root for my underdog Stros any day of the week.

Technorati Tags: MLB, Houston Astros, Baseball, San Francisco Giants, Jeff Bagwell, Lance Berkman

My Life: School

I have found another reason to be glad I am moving on to a new school next year. It's lunch.

This week our refigerator in the teacher's lounge has been broken. ALL WEEK. So that means I am eating my lunch in the morning before it spoils or gets cold each day. Really silly that they can't get someone up here to fix it.

Just another reason to be glad I was picked to go to the new school.

UPDATE ON AIDAN: He is feeling much better. He had a high fever for all of Saturday, Sunday and Monday and some time yesterday. The doctor said he wasn't having many symptoms otherwise, but it was probably the beginning of a sinus infection. So he gave him an antibiotic to take and said he should stay home until the fever lets up. Today he's back at day care and I hope he is having a good day. I am a bit anxious to see him and find out if he's feeling alright.

It has been a rough week with a sick baby. About the only thing that makes him happy is to sit on his Mom's lap on the couch and watch Spongebob. That cartoon is his favorite by far. He could watch it for hours, of course we don't let him. It is fascinating to see him watch it. You know he doesn't get any of the jokes. But, if you say "Hey there's Spongebob!" Aidan will point at the tv and even say, "SpBoobe" sometimes.

It used to be that I watched every pitch of every Astros game, especially early in the season. But, I am happy tuning into a little Spongebob if it helps my little guy feel better. It actually is pretty funny.

Time to finish my warm turkey sandwhich.

Politics: Nuke Iran?

C'mon, this is not going to happen. At this point it would take Iran 3 years to create enough uranium to do anything with it. Of course, eveyone in the free world agrees that Iraq with nuclear programs is not good and not safe. Bush doesn't have the political capital to attack Iran. And certainly not in an election year (at least for Congress).

So everyone that is having a panic attack on the subject should probably calm down. Just like when we were discussing attacking and invading a country that hadn't attacked us first (Iraq)... look what happened there! Cooler heads prevailed, right? (doh!)

So, yeah... with Bush in control... maybe we should be worried.

Technorati Tags: Iran, Nuclear, Bush, Iraq, Politics

Aidan: Video of our little guy

This video is from February 2005. Aidan was just four months old. Amazing how much bigger he has gotten since then.


View this clip on Vimeo

When you compare it to a photo taken today of our little guy, well... it is amazing how time flies. He is getting so much bigger.



Aidan has been sick with a fever all weekend. We got him out of the house for about 20 minutes today, but he was still feverish tonight when he went to bed. Poor little guy. He isn't really having cold/flu symptoms. Just high fever. 102 degrees at times. We've just been trying to make him feel comfortable and cool. Norma is going to take tomorrow off work and stay home with him. Unfortunately her grades are due and she has a few to put into her gradebook still. So she'll have to take the baby in with her very early in the morning and plug those grades in and then come home.

I would stay home, but I have work I have to get done as well before grades are due at the end of the day. Just a bad time for him to get sick. I am hoping the fever lifts tonight and that Norma and Aidan can spend a nice day together without having him sick. It is hard to tell. Normally he's broken through a fever like this in about 48 hours. We are going to be right at that point tomorrow.

When he is sick like this all he wants is his Momma. Kinda makes me feel bad. But, I know that no one can make you feel better than Momma. I have just been trying to cheer him up when he's crying. That's all I can do. And try to get everything done around the house that Norma isn't able to do with a sick baby on her lap.

Poor little guy. Hope he is better tomorrow.

My Life: The Eagles Have Landed

It is official. At lunch today I walked down to the office and checked my mailbox. There it was... the letter. As I ripped it open I knew that this would basically tell me where I would spend the next 30 years of my life. The new high school is opening next fall and our current high school will be splitting the kids in 1/2 and the letter would tell me whether I would be a part of the new high school faculty or staying at my current assignment.

As I read the letter I was excited... the words Atascocita High School were in the first sentence and I was relieved. Then I realized what it said: "This letter is coming to you in response to your interest in being considered for a transfer of assignment to Atascocita High School for the new school year." It said nothing about where I would be going... I quickly scanned the rest to see... and there it was, "Your assignment for the 2006-2007 school year will be Atascocita High School."

I wasn't as excited as I thought I would be though... I didn't know whether Norma had gotten the same letter or not. I hurried back to my classroom and gave her a call... no answer. I emailed her and waited for reply. A minute later my phone rang and she confirmed that she was also going.



Now I was excited. Norma and I will be trading in our Wildcat Purple for Eagle Red. It is going to be a wonderful experience opening up a new school. Most of the students I have now in my honors classes will be going to AHS. My last class of the day was pretty excited to hear the news that I would be going.

It was a great piece of news during a pretty rough week emotionally for me. My students have been doing projects on Africa. You can see the assignment here: Africa Project

The topics are things like: Starvation in the African Horn, Genocide in Sudan, The Rwandan Crisis, Aids, etc. They are pretty depressing to see over and over again for four straight days. The kids have done an incredible job with the projects. They did them on Powerpoint and I will be putting them up on my classroom website for all to see next week. But, still it is emotionally draining to discuss these topics when they really get you in the gut.

At the end of my classes today we had a few minutes left so I showed a video clip of Anderson Cooper (from CNN) on Oprah's show. It was an episode from this winter where Cooper showed a story he did on the starving children of Niger. It is such a terrible story and I cry nearly every time I see it. The only times I don't cry is when I either distract myself or bite my tongue or something. But, I try not to let the kids see it. I want to keep my composure so that I can deliver the main point of the lesson - we need to end poverty in our lifetime.

Teaching such weighty topics is hard work. It is the reason why many teachers choose to avoid Africa altogether. But, for me it is simple. I left the corporate world to have an impact on my community and on this planet. I do not come to school each day just waiting for 3:00 pm to arrive and go home. I am busy trying to make a difference. I told my kids today, "If just one of my students over a 30 year period becomes a millionaire CEO of a large company and can use their vast fortunes for good... well, it is all worth it." It is so hard to tell where your impact stops when you are educating.

If I didn't tackle tough topics like these, I would be wasting my time. The kids are impacted by it and I look forward to reading their reflective essays on the project next week.

My Life: AHS Decision Tomorrow

Tomorrow at the end of the school day the district administration will be delivering word about our teaching assignments for next year. We have been waiting on these for a LONG, LONG time. Finally we'll find out. Norma and I are pretty confident based on raw numbers that we'll be heading to the new high school next fall. But, you never know.

I have been down these roads with employment many time. Waiting on a new position, transfer, or simply a new job. You go through the 'jumping through hoops' and hear 'good things' and then it doesn't work out. Those are heartbreaking situations when your hopes are up. We have tried not to think too much about it, but it is our future and we'll be spending the next 30 years at this school.... whichever we'll be at. So it is a pretty big day tomorrow.

The new high school is really coming along. You can check out the video for it here: Atascocita High School: April Video

We have our fingers crossed. The school looks beautiful. And we are really jazzed up about some of the new programs and changes they will be using. I have a good feeling... we'll see.

Politics: Bush takes a real person's question/comments

This is pretty amazing video footage [cnn video]. You don't see this very often. I am guessing it's an effort for the President to try and raise his approval rating by taking on real quesitons? Interesting. I give the President credit. He let the man talk. But, he sure didn't say much that made sense. Notice the applause at the end from a very pro-Bush crowd. I guess they let one or two dissenters in? Makes it look good.

Read the article here

Bush defends domestic spying program
Man tells president he should be ashamed of policies
"I feel like despite your rhetoric, that compassion and common sense have been left far behind during your administration," Taylor said, standing in a balcony seat and looking down at Bush on stage. "And I would hope from time to time that you have the humility and grace to be ashamed of yourself."

"You said would I apologize for that?" Bush told him. "The answer is absolutely not."

The challenge to the president came near the end of a lengthy appearance before the World Affairs Council of Charlotte, where he took questions from the audience. Despite a couple tough questions, the president got plenty of easy ones. One woman requested a picture with him and another asked about how young people can get involved to help. One questioner simply told the president people are praying for him and another said he has a friend from Iraq who is grateful that he has made the country safer.

Outside, Bush's motorcade came within site of at least a couple hundred protesters outside the hall. They chanted, "Do your job!" and held signs with phrases such as "Liar" and "Worst President Ever."

Meanwhile in the legal world of dirty politics: Court documents: Libby testified that Bush OK'd intelligence leak But, you won't read that on the front pages of any newspapers in America tomorrow, will you? This liberal media drives me crazy (insert sarcasm here)!

Also, it looks like the Senate is about to pass legislation on immigration. Senate 'breakthrough' on immigration
Bipartisan compromise also draws criticism from both sides

Part of the deal includes:
*payment of a $2,000 fines and any back taxes, clearing a background check and learning English.
*Illegal immigrants in the country for between two and five years could obtain a temporary work visa after reporting to a border point of entry.
*Officials said it could take as long as 13 to 14 years for some illegal immigrants to gain citizenship.
*Illegal immigrants in the United States for less than two years would be required to leave the country and apply for re-entry alongside anyone else seeking to emigrate.

My thoughts? Any illegal immigrant that is living in the shadows, scraping together money to send back to Mexico, and does not have any legal working records are still not a part of this program. Are they really going to pay fines & back taxes? C'mon? Plus, how is our government to know who has been here 2, 5, or whatever years? Holes galore in this bill.

Plus, conservative Republicans HATE IT. Which kind of makes me smile, listening to all of them on the radio today. They are boiling over. Isn't this an election year? :)

Technorati Tags: Bush, Politics, Libby, Intelligence
Immigration

Aidan: New Car

Tonight we took a trip to Toys R Us to look around, get out of the heat (it was 90+ today) and get the baby out of the house. Norma has been looking for a used Lil'Tykes truck for a long time. She wanted to buy one off one of our local yardsales websites, but it didn't work out.

So we saw this police car and decided to pull the trigger on it. Aidan loves the little cars at his sitter's house. He gets so upset when we say, "It's time to go!" If he is out playing, he'll pretty much throw a fit because he wants to stay and ride in the cars.

Now he can ride around at home. The thing has a cb in it that you can plug batteries into. He's going to have a ball with that. But, the thing he loves is the side door that opens. He gets in, presses some buttons, gets out. Then the process starts all over again.



I'm going to post some more pictures of him tonight in my Buzznet Gallery tomorrow. I had major insomnia last night. I bet I only got about 3 hours of sleep. I don't really know why... possibly because of my dentist trip. He told me that I am grinding my teeth pretty bad. I had no idea. He showed me the proof and I agree that it is definitely happening. I can guarantee that it is not when I am aware of it, so I think it's happening at night. So I think that was one of the things that kept me awake... worrying about falling asleep and grinding my teeth. So tonight I bought a mouth guard grinder. Talk about sexy. Hey, if it protects my teeth, then it's thumbs up on the mouth guard.

I also think that sitting in the dentist chair yesterday just made me think about my Dad the entire time. Sitting with my mouth open for an hour for xrays, cleaning and checkup just made me think... "If my Dad only would have gone to the dentist regularly... he could be here today." The bacteria that may have entered his blood stream over a number of years through cavities in his teeth could have caused his valve in his heart to go bad. It just makes me upset.

All I can say is that I learned my lesson. I go back to the dentist on April 24th to have an old filling removed. But, I had no cavities. That surprised me! So good news there. Maybe that good news will swirl through my head tonight and help me fall asleep?

Or maybe I'll try to dream of my big boy riding in his new police car?

Chron.com | Oswalt gets Astros off to roaring start

The Astros begin 1-0 with a 1-0 win. This team got it done down the stretch last year in close one-run games. There is nothing different in 2006. They just find a way to win.


Chron.com | Oswalt gets Astros off to roaring start

Craig Biggio took off as soon as he noticed the wild pitch bounce off the catcher and trickle far enough for him to sprint home with the winning run Monday night, giving longtime Astros fans a reminder of the hustle Biggio has embodied while leading the most successful period in franchise history.

The Astros opened their 45th season by paying homage to all their postseason teams — from Nolan Ryan's 1980 National League West champions to the 2005 NL champions — before a sellout crowd of 43,666 at Minute Maid Park.

Tears were shed and ovations rendered, especially when injured icon Jeff Bagwell drew a standing ovation of nearly two minutes and another of 30 seconds.

The Bagwell ovation was really something. I had missed it during the pregame on TV, we were eating and cleaning up after dinner. But, when they talked about it and showed the replay later I really got emotional. He has been such a huge part of this team and the best class act you can imagine. He really deserved that. If I was there I would have been balling my eyes out. Must have been neat to see the fans erupt like that.

My Astros should have a really fun season. Most of the prognosticators are predicting that they will not make the playoffs. Yet this team has made the playoffs in 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2004 & 2005. Last year's National League Championship Season doesn't seem to have bought them any respect.

But that's just the way we like it in Houston. These are our guys. Down to earth, hard working, and scrap out wins. Just like Monday night's opening game 1-0 victory. Whatever it takes.

Technorati Tags: Baseball, MLB, Houston Astros, Florida Marlins, Opening Day 2006, Jeff Bagwell, Craig Biggio

My Life: Heading to the dentist... ugh

Is there anything worse than going to the dentist? Boy I really hate it. But, after what happened with my Dad I have told myself that I will go a couple of times a year regularly. He had some teeth decay that may have led to the problems he had with his heart. When you have bacteria entering your body through your teeth it can cause problems. One of those problems is with valves in your heart.

As much as I hate it, going to the dentist is now a regular routine for me.

So... I guess I have to!

My guess... 3 cavities. I always have terrible teeth. Always have. Hoping the damage isn't bad. But, I haven't gone since Aidan was born. So that is almost 2 years. I am so bad. When the baby routine starts rolling it's hard to build time to go to the dentist and take care of yourself. You get to be so concerned with the baby and a lot less with yourself.

But, it is time I started taking care of myself a little better.

Kiefer Sutherland to appear on ABC's Lost

Kiefer Sutherland to appear on ABC's Lost

Just in case you missed the "news of the weekend"!

APRIL 1--Hollywood Wow! reported today that Fox and ABC have joined forces for a novel form of synergization. The networks will feature Jack Bauer, the character played by Kiefer Sutherland in the Fox action series 24, in the ABC supernatural series Lost.

The storyline is being kept under wraps, but sources say it involves Bauer crash-landing on the island in a WWII biplane after he is fired by CTU. Bauer and Lost character Sayid, an ex-Iraqi army interrogator, compete to see who is the best at devolving into paranoia under the guise of protecting the security of the island. The climax is said to feature the two engaging in a torture contest.

Or just in case you missed MY POST on Saturday. :)

Kinda sad how many people fall for this stuff.

Technorati Tags: 24, Keifer Sutherland, Jack Bauer, Lost, April Fools

Video Games: Heavyweight Champion of the World

This afternoon I won the Heavyweight Championship of the World on Fight Night 3 Xbox 360.

Woo hoo!

I have been working in career mode for weeks and finally have won the belt. My record? 32-8.

:)

Technorati Tags: Fight Night Round 3, EA Sports, Xbox 360, Video Games

Blogging: Using Technorati Tags Helps

I use Technorati Tags on this site and have been for a while. If you don't know what they are, basically they are used by a site called Technorati.com to help bloggers find information on certain topics. You "tag" your topics. According to the Technorati site: Think of a tag as a simple category name. People can categorize their posts, photos, and links with any tag that makes sense. If you want to learn more you can visit: How to Use Technorati for some help. I have been linked from their help section where I wrote an entry on How to Use Tags.

I have recently been checking out my stats through my counter service: Site Meter and it occurred to me that my traffic has been steadily increasing since I started using Technorati Tags. As you can see from the graphic below, things started picking up in January when I started using them:

I find them highly effective for certain topics. My top tags so far are shown here. No surprise which are the biggest tags: Bush, Baby Pictures, Snapshots, TV, 24, and Family. I don't tag my "My Life" posts. Those are just for me... don't really need a tag do they? But, if someone wants to read more about sports, politics, or tv they can find me and read my opinions through Technorati. It's a neat service.

Has anyone else seen good results with it?
Technorati Tags: Using Technorati, Technorati Tags, Tags, Blogging

Blogging: Fixing Permalink Title in Blogger

I have been a little frustrated with a few things in the Blogger World. It's a great service, don't get me wrong. But, so much of it is cutomizable it takes a while to get everything setup perfectly. The template I am using (like most) did not have permalinks in the title of each blog entry. That frustrated me as I was used to it from Modblog and also used to most blogs using that function.

I found code and fixed it tonight. All I did was insert this code into the template.

Then saved and republished my template and voila. It worked. Whew. Nice learning opportunity tonight.

Source: Simple SEO
Technorati Tags: Permalink Title in Blogger, Blogger tips, Blogger Tricks

Aidan: New Haircut

Norma and I worked Aidan over last Sunday to give him his best haircut yet. It really does look pretty good. It isn't easy to cut a 17-month old's hair. We did it in the living room with Nick on the tv tuned to his favorite cartoons. It didn't go very well until I got down on my knees and cut his hair at his eye level. When I was hovering over him it bothered Aidan a lot.

Clipper, Clipper, Clipper. I am getting better at it. This was the 2nd time. I hope next time we have it down to a science.

Tags: baby pictures, family, snapshots

Sports: Texans Trade David Car... set to draft Vince Young #1

The Houston Texans today traded former first round pick David Carr to the Green Bay Packers for their first round draft pick this year. This frees up the Texans to draft hometown hero Vince Young with the top pick in the draft. The draft is set for later this month.

Amazing story. I am stunned. I can hardly believe this is true. First the Packers decide that they are going to turn to Carr instead of the close-to-retirement Favre. And now all of the UT fans of Houston will be rejoicing to see their homeboy Vince being drafted by their home pro team. I am sure it is a dream come true for a lot of Houston fans.

For me, I would never have approved this. But, now that it has happened I am getting excited about seeing #10 running around for my Texans!

[april fools! i got my wife with this just a few minutes ago. she was pissed to hear that the texans would trade carr. she loves him. and she doesn't like UT and vince young. so it was a pretty good joke!]

Tags: Vince Young, David Carr, Houston Texans, Green Bay Packers, NFL, NFL Draft, April Fools