weekend is in sight...

QUOTE OF THE DAY
Keep your words soft and tender because tomorrow you may have to eat them.
- Unknown

Todays uplifting moment to ponder...heh, heh...

I like to listen to music...and I always listen to all aspects of songs, from thee bass line to how the melody is put together, to the lyrics... Someone once toldme something about music being the greatest of the arts. I still thinks thats true... today, sitting here in the office, I am listening to my somewhat large mp3 collection and a song comes up that ALWAYS reminds me of the Fraternity. Funny how certain songs can remind you of people or places or things... It's a song by Celine Dion called "thats the way it is". But it always reminds me of the fraternity and the struggles brothers go through to deal with band, school, friends..and putting it all together. Kinda reminds me of lessons that we are supposed to learn in our rituals...

I can read your mind
And I know your story
I see what you're going through, yeah
It's an uphill climb
And I'm feeling sorry
But I know it will come to you, yeah

Don't surrender
'cause you can win
In this thing called love

When you want it the most
There's no easy way out
When you're ready to go
And your heart's left in doubt
Don't give up on your faith
Love comes to those who believe it
And that's the way it is

When you question me
For a simple answer
I don't know what to say, no
But it's plain to see
If you stick together
You're gonna find the way, yeah

So don't surrender
'Cause you can win
In this thing called love

When you want it the most
There's no easy way out
When you're ready to go
And your heart's left in doubt
Don't give up on your faith
Love comes to those who believe it
And that's the way it is
That's the way it is

When life is empty
With no tomorrow
And loneliness starts to call
Baby don't worry
Forget your sorrow
'Cause love's gonna conquer it all... all

When you want it the most
There's no easy way out
When you're ready to go
And your heart's left in doubt
Don't give up on your faith
Love comes to those who believe it

(And that's the way it is
When you want it the most
There's no easy way out
When you're ready to go
And your hearts left to doubt)

Don't give up on your faith
Love comes to those who believe it
And that's the way it is
That's the way it is
That's the way it is
Don't give up on your faith
Love comes to those who believe it
And that's the way it is

all i have to say is that the brothers should take these times to heart. As I say to them every year, this will all be over before you know it. and all the bickering will seem so damn silly. And you will be sitting at a job somewhere wishing you could just have the carefree time to worry about who is saying what about you, because you will see that the time you actually had to spend with your brothers and friends was way too short, and perhaps...way too wasted.

what in Hell?....

what kinda world is this?...I mean, why the hell do those yahoos in Iraq think it is fair to stand in a mosque and lob grenades at our troops, yet when the troops shoot back, complain that we are shooting at mosque? what the hell? I feel like the Britsh must have felt back in the 1700,s when the patriots were hiding behind trees shooting while the Redcoats were marching in straight lines across the fields... but the American Patriots werent building churches and hiding inside them either....

...and then, I see Nelly on BET... has a vido out call "Tip Drill"...I could not believe what I saw...ON BET!!! this was pretty much soft core porn. Now, when I saw the title pop up, I KNEW that this was going to be interesting, but..come on, now...Nelly???...you know better.... i mean, im all for you getting paid and all that...but, Nelly...come on, now....

...went out to my car this morning and it wouldnt start....acted like it was out of gas.... well, IT WAS. I thought for sure I had enough to get back out to the Texaco in the morning. Evidently, the chalkboard, er, Jetta had other ideas... had to call Jessica and get her to come home during her planning period. Dropped a gallon in and the Jet fired right up... kinda pissed, since I miscalculated so badly.

...still tryin to get the Gamecube back online...it hasnt recovered from the beverage Ian dropped on it a while back. Going to take it apart today...

...and now, John Kerry flip floppin all over the place. this fool is going to go from Front runner to Garry Hart so quick if he is not careful....

...Braves, coming along...Lakers, just winning, baby...

Ian is having a problem...

Ian is looking for some perfume for his mother. He tells me that he has looked for the perfume that she wants, and that he is stunned at how expensive this stuff is. Ian tells me that he looked on Ebay and still couldnt find a suitable stash of perfume for his mother. I told Ian to keep lookin...the Richs charge card is the last resort option, buddy....

Africana?

for some odd reason that I cant even remember, I started thinking about if I wanted to have some sort of African art in my new office that I move into in June. Now, i know that most of you who know me have probably never known me to start opining about the Dark continent and its ramifications... but I DO try to keep up with stuff, because it IS a part of who I am, even if it isnt a major part of my overall persona (again, those who know me well understand). I think I will put up one of those masks like you see at Pier 1. I already have a print of Jackie Robinson and a print of Martin Luther king. I would like to find the print of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King shaking hands on the Capitol steps in their one meeting...that would be cool....

...Oh, i suddenly remembered... last night, I came across Tavis Smiley on ...not BET...but ETV. I KNOW some of you know who the esteemed Tavis Smiley is. Just mentioning the name invokes that sound bite type of memory of him speaking in the distictive voice. He is on ETV now at about the same time as he used to be on "BET Tonight, with Tavis Smiley" (again, invokes that soind memory, doesnt it?)...the other night, he interviewed Dule Hill....

But the whole issue is one that I must deal with in regards to the twins. It is obvious that they will be probably further intwined in the "white" world than even I was. But there will be no denying that they are not "white". I can only hope that I can do for them what my parents did for me and present the information about my race, heritage, etc.... and let them pick their own friends and path. But I also know that I have the ability to steer them down certain roads...dont you think getting them into Band at an early age will place them into a certain type of culture, as opposed to Athletics? That is probably what happened to me.... But then again, my twins are coming into a world far more integrated than what I came into. I was in the First integrated class to go from 1st through Highschool in South Carolina.

... oh, and this little stuff about re-instating the draft? Uh, while Jessica has always stated that she would be against the twins being in the military. I have alwasy thought that if you are good enough to earn a commision to West Point or Annapolis, you are doing pretty damn good. But...the draft is another whole ball game. While I doubt anyone reading this that I know has to personally worry about picking sand from your boots a year from now, your kids might very well have to do that IF they bring this draft back into line. Being selected to go to West point is one thing. Being selected to go to Fort Bragg is another...

hmmmm....

Quote for today
Ideals are like stars: you will not succeed in touching them with your hands, but like the seafaring man on the ocean desert of waters, you choose them as your guides, and following them, you reach your destiny." -- Carl Schurz

Ramblins

...While I was putting diesel in the Jet a while ago, i noticed where Ian had decided to use my car as a drawing board with his playground chalk. Not too bad...just a straight line, that I got most of removed with a little hard rubbing... have to keep a closer eye on him now....

... The temps go up, and you see the summertime fashion trends come out here at Furman. Girls are wearing skimpy tops with the cheerleader style skirts, or... white blouse, gray skirt with tall black boots, or...jeans that are about ten inches too long, but the legs are turned up. Guys are, well, still sporting either Abercrombie or Hollister. If you are a guy and you aint wearing that, you are obviously a dweeb, or something like that....

...Only one month till I get to go to the Nascar race...

...Does anyone want to babysit the twins when Jessica and I go to the race in May? Money would be paid, as well as access to the well stocked fridge, etc. It would probably take two people to deal with them.... yep, no takers...thats what I thought...

..for some reason, I seem to have developed allergies to all this pollen. Never have had problems before...guess its just another sign of me getting older.

...i took my laptop and went snooping for wireless access point on campus that are illegal. Jesus Christ, there are more illegal access points than there are legal points. Kinda funny. Then I went driving down the road. I was stunned at how many access points I could pick up on the way home. At least fifty. And the majority of those were not encrypted or anything. Just asking for trouble..just askin...

gotta go, ..oe of my students just turned over a TV cart and blew up the TV.

Today will be busy...

QUOTE OF THE DAY
Too many people are looking for the right person, instead of being the right person.
- Unknown

thought for now....

"For to be free is not merely to cast off one's chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others." -- Nelson Mandela

My sports viewing goals for the next 3 years

I was thinking about some things I wanted to do sometime since my kids are now getting a little older and it isnt as much a burden on anyone to leave them behind for a day or 2. Mostly, this is a personal list. I doubt Jessica would want to do any of these things, outside of just wanting to go along to experience the towns or travel... but it is mostly sports related...

1) go see a foorball game between two HBCU's. i think it would be fun to go see a game between sombody like Hampton and Howard... NOT one of the hyped classics, but a normal game in one of those rickety stadiums where the bands blast away at each other the entire time, and really...no one cares who wins the football game.

2) Go see a Nascar race at Talledega, Bristol, or Rockingham ( before it goes away )

3) Go see a Red Sox game at Fenway

4) go to either a Michigan football game, or a Ohio State football game. get into town Friday midday, take in the college spirit, tailgate Saturday and go to the game....

5) See the Lakers... perhaps when they come to Atlanta or Charlotte next year. Perhaps they will still have Kobe, perhaps not. But the Diesel will still be there... all hail the Diesel.

not much else right now.. I need to get these done before the T Ball leagues and dance recitals start taking up the weekends... then after that will come soccer leagues and piano recitals...then come either the marching band/ drum corps contests, or the traveling softball teams and AAU baseball...or... perhaps Quarter midgets for Ian on his way to Nascar.

oh, and another thing...

Jessica tells me the other day that Kristen replied to her email the other day, asking for some updated pictures of the twins.... wait a second, my mind is thinking..... Kristen REPLIED to an email JESSICA sent? are these the same two women who barely spoke to each other while here at Clemson? What thy Hey?... seems as though Jessic sent Kristen an email about congratulating her on her pregnancy, etc... and Kristen responded back. Of course, no email sent to me... no,no, no..cant do that...I sometimes wonder how it is that 3 of my closest female friends from college (Lynn, Kristen, Brandy) all seem to call and email Jessica (who did nothing but make snide comments about them at that time) and NEVER call or email me... I am thinking that something is wrong in my approach suddenly...perhaps a review of some game tapes from the college years era will show some aspect of the mechanics in my delivery that I have gotten away from. I think my release point has gotten off and my throws are sailing..or something.

by the way...that is mid June for the mountain thing...

[Petey Pablo:]
Let's take some calls from the request line.
Caller number one.....

[Caller:]
Ay,..man...whats up.
This Dominique from shay lil' shack bar.

[Petey Pablo:]
Whats up Dominique.

[Caller:]
I wanna hear that song from Lil Jon and Petey Pablo.

[Petey Pablo:]
Aight, I got that coming right up for you.
Now shoutout the radio station that gave you what you
wanted.

[Caller:]
Double-u Boom Boom B baby!

Life goes on...

I found out today that ANOTHER Frat alumni, and his wife, an alumnus herself, are expecting a child later this year. This will make 4 brothers who i served exstensively with in the Fraternity will have had children in this calender year. It is weird to think that we all used to bitch and argue about stuff in meetings, etc... I bet those meetings and all that wasted time are not even in the radar these days with those brothers. But then again, what do I know... experience means nothing if you are a current active brother. Silly old man...go away. Dont bother us with your drivel....

Lakers won their division... Looking good right now... Braves off to a 4-4 start... could be better, could be worse.

My summer plans... Late May, Nascar All star race. Early June, InfoComm in Atlanta Week after, possible mountain trip Early July, go visit Kristen in New Jersey, perhaps see Erik too.take in the Yankees Oldtimers game. late July, Falcons are in camp here at Furman

Joke for today

What, Exactly, Are Cats?

1. Cats do what they want, when they want.
2. They rarely listen to you.
3. They're totally unpredictable.
4. They whine when they're not happy.
5. When you want to play they want to be left alone.
6. When you want to be alone, they want to play.
7. They expect you to cater to their every whim.
8. They're moody.
9. They leave their hair everywhere.
10. They drive you nuts.

Conclusion: Cats are small women in fur coats.

Weekend, D.S.T., Easter and the end of the world...

Lets see... since I last posted on Wednesday, this is what has been going on...

...answered a ton of emails concerning voting concerns in the FRAT. I estimate that I spent at least 3 hours alone on Friday answering emails. And that was while I was supposed to be working....

... Daylight savings time screws me up. I mean, yesterday, its 7:45pm and I am sitting there thinking...oh..its about 4:00 in the afternoon. The kids were napping and Ian didnt even wake up until almost 8pm. He goes to bed normally at 8:00pm. I mean, i used to think it was cool and all when I was in college, when my schedule was probably somewhat skewed anyway. Now... It seems logical that I eat dinner when it is getting dark. I put the kids in bath and bed when it is getting dark...Idont know...I will get over it i guess...

..Easter was yesterday. Went to my church... dressed up Rylee and Ian in some Easter outfits. Nothing spectacular...nice basic dress for Rylee, buttondown shirt, wool pants for the boy. Made my mother happy..she always likes to show off the grandkids, etc...

...was watching a show last night on the History Channel where they were talking about the year 2012 and the end of the Mayan calender and the supposed end of the world. Jessica got somewhat upset about that, as she is want to do at times. But she did get me to thinking... and I remeinded her of the very thing I always try to tell her, and others as well. WE WASTE TOO MUCH TIME SWEATING THE SMALL STUFF!! ...by this, I mean, why do we waste time arguing over details that really dont matter? For example, the FRAT has wasted a week of its time arguing about some obscure line in Roberts Rules, nitpicking over whether or not they are following rules that they have never had reason to follow before, but now suddenly seem to need to follow. Arguing over the merits of education majors and if they should/should not be MEP trainers? WHAT THE HELL? never has been an issue before. We have had all types of people be VP, INCLUDING education majors. NEVER has been an issue. NEVER. i dont get it... being an education major should NOT be a reason to discount someone. If they want to incoprotate something taught to them in the MEP process, I dont see anything wrong with that. And dont give me that crap about it being maternal or something...Anyway, I sat and watched an implosion about that. its silly, and more time has been wasted...Friends have wasted a week not talking to each other, a week they WILL NOT ever get back. 5 years from now, will nitpicking procedures or arguing moot points like this been even remotley important. NO...HELL NO... it wont even be close. But the time lost will be remembered. And I KNOW, people will regret this lost time.

...but then again, what do I know? what I do know is this... I am 37, almost 38 years old. I am NOT goig to waste time arguing about silly stuff. I have lived probably half my life, and I plan to finish out raising my children and living with my wife in some semblence of happiness. Arguing with my friends is a waste of time, because you only get so much of that time to use. Why spend it arguing with each other?

Finally, someone answers my question....

...about why I should consider John Kerry for President. My friend, Erik "Hootie" Brown responed to the question with somewhat reasonable, thought out answers about his opions on Kerry, Bush and politics in general. He then directed me to a website which gives me the Kerry platform in a somewhat clear manner. THATS what I am talking about. His email reminded me why he is way too far away from here...or is it the other way around? Sometimes, I just feel blah, and he certainly would be a great guy to have around to bounce thoughts off of. While I definitely love Jessica and the twins, I sometimes feel isolated. I wish I had someone I consider a peer to talk to at times... the FRAT is wonderful, but the current actives are not my peers...they are my brothers, and we share a bond in that regards, but you are not going to see me sitting around drinking a beer talking about the Lakers, or women (serious talk), or the state of affairs of the New York Knicks basketball franchise. Sadly, the only time I ever voice anything remotely like that might be in this forum, or in an email conversation with Dr. Hosler, or Erik Brown. Other than that, its pretty much dealing with work, dealing with occasional issues with the FRAT, or playing/teaching with the kids and being with Jessica.

...i guess I have started into a woe is Jerome sort of ramble... better be careful with that, because I really am blessed. And I am fortunate to have a well paying job, with plenty of benefits. Its just that sometimes I wish I could go out and hang out with someone...instead I am usually just sitting at home with the kids. Nothing wrong with that. I actually like it . But I would like the option at times to go get a cup of tea and shoot the bull sometimes. Guess thats what happens when you grow up...

Hmmm....

QUOTE OF THE DAY
Tact is the art of making a point without making an enemy.
- Howard W. Newton

Was i right?

...after reading an email sent out by a brother, I actually had a doubt in my mind that I made the right decision regarding a candidates eligibility, the votes cast, abstentions, etc. So, i went ahead and called Chris Haughee. No email for this one. A direct phone call. Told him the entire story, from who was running, to what their status was, to what was said in the meetings regarding the candidates, the the vote totals..everything. I told him all this and asked him what the ruling should be. He told me that I was 100 percent correct. That a conditional brother is NOT eligible for office. That a chapter should not be pulling shenanigans to "wait" on someone to arrive in the Fall, especially when qualified candidates stand ready to serve. that my interpretaion of Roberts Rules and the abstains and illegal votes was correct. I think that if the National Parlimentarian of the past few National Conventions, a trial lawyer of over 25 years, SED governor for over 15 years and someone who has counted votes for officers countless times says that I am dead on right, I feel secure that I made the right and fair decision.

Runnin for office, leadership and formal

...Well, Formal for Kappa Beta was this past weekend. While I wasnt exactly thrilled with the location of the hotel, sometimes those things can jump up and bite you. But the Evening itself was wonderful, and well executed. The hotel was nice to the group and the dinner was tasty. I think the dance went well, and I learned a few things about using my computer for music... a shield cable is a must to eliminate LCD panel interference... I think Hamilton did an outstanding job getting the hotel, room rates, meals and all that stuff the social chair has to pull off for that gig...

...Kappa Beta installed a Candidate class. I see a LOT of potential with these guys...

Last night was elections for the Frat. And for a change, EVERYONE was very qualified to hold the office they were running for. I always hate the elections because you see the dissapointment in peoples faces, and this time, i feel that all the people running could hold office. I can see Hamilton as a Service chair. I can see Missy as a Social chair. I can see Tripp as a fundraiser.. Mishelle as A PR person. I can all these people in positions

...i hope that people realize that you do NOT have to have a leadership "position" to be a leader. Yo u can still bring business before the chapter, you can still voice your opinion, and you can still do service....

...later

ah, music....

...its really difficult to come up with songs sometimes. I have downloaded almost seven hours worth of music for this formal. I will probably only 3 hours max...11/2 hours for dinner... 1/12 to 2 max for dancing, unless they all get the party hop going on until getting kicked out.... It is difficult for me not to basically put in songs that I like. i just hope that I have stuff that THEY like. I am also a little worried about the lyrics of some of the songs...While I dont mind them, I worry that some might be offended by the lyrics...especially since the popular songs of today on the radio are NOT the actual songs... and frankly, if you are a woman, and not in the frame of mind to take the lyrics with a grain of salt, they can be downright offensive...

Coolest song

The coolest song I downloaded yesterday for the Formall was "Humpty Hop", by Lil' Okra, Low Fat Chesse, and ODR...

you gotta look this song up.

Quote of the Day
"It has always been the prerogative of children and half-wits to point out that the emperor has no clothes. But the half-wit remains a half-wit, and the emperor remains an emperor."
- Neil Gaiman, Sandman