"We must never forget that while striving to leave a better planet to our kids, it is just as important that we strive to leave better kids to our planet.”
― Steve Maraboli,

the past weekend we had an opportunity to visit with Kristen, Michael and their family. Jessica and I (and the twins) had a great time chillin' by the pool and by the ocean (well.. marshes) in Murrells Inlet. Just simply taking the time to talk in person while the kids played inthe background (or played with their ipads) and
watched Teen Beach Movie for the 2nd or 3rd time. It's great to take the time to chat and not feel rushed to get everything in for a change....

This summer I_Man, Ryles and I have been going to the gym, or walking or whatever.... every morning. It's part of an initiative that I have undertaken to make sure they dont end up a level 2 Diabetic like me. I have also attempted to eliminate things like sugary drinks like Coke and
Sprite and promote an overall healthier outlook on nutrition.. Have you ever seen the comparison picture of how much sugar is in a simple can of Coke or Sprite? Google it... andwhile you are at it, try googling the word "askew".... i think you will be amused....  I think the next thing i need to do is figure out somethingfor Ryles to do this Fall... I know she wants to do Archery or gymnastics again... just gotta figure out how to work it in and not over schedule....

“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.” ~ Dr. Seuss

Hard to believe... seriously.. at least it is for me... that we have reached the point where our kids will actually be doing band. I always kinda thought they would. But I also never wanted them to do it simply because we did it. So when they wanted to learn to play instruments and they seemed honestly interested in continuing I always pondered if the time would come when soccer or some other thing might be more appealing to them. So lets see if they make it to the high school band from here. I suspect I-Man is a lock. Ryles will have to grow more into her instrument...

I havent written much here the past few months. It isnt that I dont have anything to say. As I have alluded to before, I often go days without talking to anyone (except my wife and kids, who I enjoy speaking with, dont get me wrong) about anything substantial. An occasional Facebook post with a random picture of who/what/where we are... Facebook does make it so much easier.

I have been at times admonished for being Anti-Obama. Well... I am certainly willing to assert that my misgivings about the President have been proven correct so far... but I have also been alarmed and admittedly scared off by the seeming sinister repercussions of people who dare speak against "The most transparent Presidency"... while I am just some schmuck the random South Carolina, we are seeing more and more that I should expect the IRS, FBI or someone more sinister to show up at my door any moment now in another show of ... well... let;s just use Obama's own words.... "I will also hold myself as president to a new standard of openness .... Let me say it as simply as I can: Transparency and the rule of law will be the touchstones of this presidency." Um... yeah...

at any rate, I have decided to start posting on at least every other day and let the government or (gulp) my friends decide for themselves if the can read with an open mind....

I'm not a PETA guy... I aint sweatin' whether or not some dog, cat or squirrel is having to sleep outside tonight over the fortunes of some unfortunate person who is having to sleep under a bridge somewhere... But i always get annoyed by the running of the bulls thingy... and I ALWAYS say "You GO, my Fellow Taurean Bull" (well,he may or may not be Taurean, but... well.. lets not let that fact get in the way....) because it is NEVER mentioned in the romantic waxing on the nightly news about this event what happens to the bulls at the end of this event.. and is always mentioned in online news reports as almost an afterthought.  So I say that every person the Bulls take out is good for them considering they are in the last moments of their lives....

OK... so the Zimmerman trial is over. dude was found not guilty by a jury. Gotta admit that that kinda ticks me off. People wanna say that it was strictly about the law and race was not a part of it. Technically that should be true. But....

...If some random white guy wearing a "South will rise again" with confederate flag tshirt, with scruffy long hair, ratty jeans and a dirty trucker hat with Esso patch on it was walking down our street late in the evening after we have had some things stolen in the neighborhood.... and I call the police and tell them i see some suspicious acting teenager... and they tell me to sit tight... and i decide to pursue him... and the dude, stops and turns on me when i decide to follow him... and we get into an argument.... and he's a crackhead, tobacco chewing Jujitsu expert who has me down for the count and is beating the fool out of me... and I decide to takeout my pistol and shot him in the heart...not in my house, or even in my yard, but down the street.... guess where i would be sitting right now. There would be no Stand your Ground no matter how much I would shout George Zimmerman did it... i would be in jail, and I would be on a fast track to AT LEAST manslaughter, and more than likely...murder.

no matter how much people reading this... (and 99 percent of you are white) wanna say that the law was upheld, and blah blah blah... you all know that the reason so many people are upset about this becasue we all know that if it was a young hoodlum white kid, or heaven forbid, a blond white woman, i would be so far under the jail right now they might as well have me hanging from a tree in my backyard...