So I had to punishing my oldest son for doing wrong. I'm not sure what is currently driving him to find one way or another to misbehave. It could be he is still feeling jealous of our second son or maybe he is trying to get as much attention as possible before my wife gives birth within the next few weeks. Eitherway, I'm just trying to make it through without too much trouble.
This past weekend, Joseph got into some trouble and as a result, he lost his Game Boy and his TV from his room. And is not allowed to play any games on the computer. He's still allowed to go outside and play with friends, he is still allowed to do most everything else nine year-old boys do. But he is not allowed to play any sort of video game...be it Game Boy, TV games or games on the computer.
So last night, my wife realizes that our son is up and not asleep as he should be. She goes into his room and he is playing Game Boy. And the thing is, his Game Boy has been taken away so he borrowed a friends Game Boy. He got it from him at school.
So my punishment? My wife took the Game Boy from him and I told him this morning that he he has to give it back to his friend but he can't do that until his friend's parents call me. So our son must go to school, tell his friend that he can't have his game back until his parents call. I'm not sure if that's a bad punishment or not, but it seems to be something that may get him thinking.
And just think...I have two more boys to go through this with...
AJ
September 21, 2005
September 20, 2005
Do you ever pray?
While I don't consider what I do as praying...I think of it as more as meditating. I try to spend at least a half hour in the morning and half an hour in the afternoon meditating. Taking my time working things out and looking toward the future or into the past to see if I can find a better way to do things.
When I have some serious things to consider or I'm looking for answers, meditation seems to help. Most recently I have been meditating on my immediate future and my long term goals in life and how they correlate. And I have found responses coming from all around me. One thing I've always done is look for the answers to my questions from other people. Not by asking them questions but to listening to what they say and how they say it and how those words reflect on my situation. Some might call that answers from God. I don't know, but I am very aware of hearing those responses from people when I'm working through something.
My wife and I have spend countless hours over the past few days discussing what she wants and what I want and what's best for our kids. While nothing is for certain, we are thinking about calling an end to our business and selling off our inventory. Probable not all the inventory but the larger items...the ones that cost the most in insurance and focusing more on games and other items that either need very little insurance or items you could probable get away with having no insurance.
While I will always have the dream and a long term goal of owning a business, the inflatable business, while it has been decent to us, does not look like the business to own in the long run due to high insurance costs and with the weather effecting the business the way it does. We lost or didn't make several thousand dollars we could have this year due to the weather. And just imagine if next year has even more rainy weekends.
And with all that being said, other changes could be in the mix as well.
AJ
When I have some serious things to consider or I'm looking for answers, meditation seems to help. Most recently I have been meditating on my immediate future and my long term goals in life and how they correlate. And I have found responses coming from all around me. One thing I've always done is look for the answers to my questions from other people. Not by asking them questions but to listening to what they say and how they say it and how those words reflect on my situation. Some might call that answers from God. I don't know, but I am very aware of hearing those responses from people when I'm working through something.
My wife and I have spend countless hours over the past few days discussing what she wants and what I want and what's best for our kids. While nothing is for certain, we are thinking about calling an end to our business and selling off our inventory. Probable not all the inventory but the larger items...the ones that cost the most in insurance and focusing more on games and other items that either need very little insurance or items you could probable get away with having no insurance.
While I will always have the dream and a long term goal of owning a business, the inflatable business, while it has been decent to us, does not look like the business to own in the long run due to high insurance costs and with the weather effecting the business the way it does. We lost or didn't make several thousand dollars we could have this year due to the weather. And just imagine if next year has even more rainy weekends.
And with all that being said, other changes could be in the mix as well.
AJ
September 19, 2005
Fair & Balanced?
I guess it depends on your point of view. People are suckers for advertising. That's why Budweiser is the number one beer and more people drink Coke than Pepsi. But when people are so swayed by a news organization's claim of being fair and balanced, I have to wonder.
I have been a news junkie for years. I can't seem to get enough coverage of what's happening in the world around me. I have to watch CNN, Fox News, Headline News, The Weather Channel and I also seem to find myself reading news online most every night and sometimes during the day. If I'm in the car at the top of the hour I find myself tuning in WGHC...not because I prefer CBS radio news over ABC...but because CBS radio news is six minutes in length where ABC radio news is only four minutes.
But what gets me is when I talk to people about national events, the stories that we all seemed to want to watch, people seem to go into some sort of pitch for Fox News...they all say..."Fox news is fair and more balanced!" They say it like they really believe it.
As a news junkie and one who has followed news for years, and as someone who really understands that way reporters report and the way they go about getting stories, no one can really report news for a long time and not let their personal feeling color a story. Some reporters are better than others at being objectionable (is that really a word?) but no news organization is perfect and no news organization is truly in the middle of the road.
Fair and Balanced is Fox News' way of trying to sell their news to you. And congratulations...you bought into the ad campaign. Now it's time to load up on all the Bud and Coke you can get and watch your balanced news shows.
AJ
I have been a news junkie for years. I can't seem to get enough coverage of what's happening in the world around me. I have to watch CNN, Fox News, Headline News, The Weather Channel and I also seem to find myself reading news online most every night and sometimes during the day. If I'm in the car at the top of the hour I find myself tuning in WGHC...not because I prefer CBS radio news over ABC...but because CBS radio news is six minutes in length where ABC radio news is only four minutes.
But what gets me is when I talk to people about national events, the stories that we all seemed to want to watch, people seem to go into some sort of pitch for Fox News...they all say..."Fox news is fair and more balanced!" They say it like they really believe it.
As a news junkie and one who has followed news for years, and as someone who really understands that way reporters report and the way they go about getting stories, no one can really report news for a long time and not let their personal feeling color a story. Some reporters are better than others at being objectionable (is that really a word?) but no news organization is perfect and no news organization is truly in the middle of the road.
Fair and Balanced is Fox News' way of trying to sell their news to you. And congratulations...you bought into the ad campaign. Now it's time to load up on all the Bud and Coke you can get and watch your balanced news shows.
AJ
September 15, 2005
He's walking...
Kallsen has final went from crawling to walking. And that has caused us (me & my wife) to change the way we do things in the house.
We traveled to Greenville last week to purchase temporary half walls to keep him from getting hurt or into trouble. He has decided that he likes to climb into the fireplace and throw rocks, and he has decided that the kitchen is a good place to hang out because that's where the food is. Kallsen will start to cry if someone else has food and they aren't sharing with him.
The other morning, Sara Beth got up and fed Kallsen two packages of oatmeal and then made her breakfast. Kallsen helped her eat her cereal and then when I ate my breakfast of pop tarts, Kallsen at one and I ate the other. Then Joseph came into the kitchen and started making his breakfast and Kallsen decided there was yet more food to eat and went to get some from his older brother. Joseph doesn't like to share his food and that got Kallsen crying. It amazes us that amount that Kallsen can pack away. While Kallsen is big for his age, he is not a fat baby by any means. I guess his always on the go burns a lot of the calories he takes in.
I'm wondering what it will be like when this new baby comes...Will Kallsen be able to handle the attention the new baby will take away from him and will Kallsen be able to control himself with this new baby's feeding schedule?
AJ
We traveled to Greenville last week to purchase temporary half walls to keep him from getting hurt or into trouble. He has decided that he likes to climb into the fireplace and throw rocks, and he has decided that the kitchen is a good place to hang out because that's where the food is. Kallsen will start to cry if someone else has food and they aren't sharing with him.
The other morning, Sara Beth got up and fed Kallsen two packages of oatmeal and then made her breakfast. Kallsen helped her eat her cereal and then when I ate my breakfast of pop tarts, Kallsen at one and I ate the other. Then Joseph came into the kitchen and started making his breakfast and Kallsen decided there was yet more food to eat and went to get some from his older brother. Joseph doesn't like to share his food and that got Kallsen crying. It amazes us that amount that Kallsen can pack away. While Kallsen is big for his age, he is not a fat baby by any means. I guess his always on the go burns a lot of the calories he takes in.
I'm wondering what it will be like when this new baby comes...Will Kallsen be able to handle the attention the new baby will take away from him and will Kallsen be able to control himself with this new baby's feeding schedule?
AJ
September 02, 2005
Hard to imagine...
As many Americans, I have been spending lots of time watching, reading and listening to stories of the stranded people in New Orleans. And reading and listening to stories about the people who have lost everything when Katrina came barreling thought the gulf coast states. And it amazes me that the greatest country on the planet cannot do more to help their own people when something like this happens.
While I know the congress is giving more money to FEMA and lots of groups like the American Red Cross and others are raising money to help those in need. But it’s been four days since the storm hit, three days since we all knew New Orleans was slowly losing the battle against Mother Nature and still there are people trapped.
Anarchy is something the punk generation of the late 70’s and the 80’s seemed to always be asking for and wanting for. Well if they still want to experience anarchy, New Orleans is probable the place where anarchy has the best chance of occuring.
If you were trapped in a major metropolitan area, with no way out, no law enforcement and there was a lack of food, clothing and water, what would you do? While it’s hard not to condemn looting; when you're looting food, water and medical supplies to survive, I can understand why. But to be taking big screen TVs and other large items, what in the hell are you going to do with those items in a flooded city? No food, no water, and no clean cloths; hey, I think I’ll go out and loot me a TV!
One thing that has disgusted me is the amount of people that have been posting on online forums saying the people in New Orleans and the other areas hit by Katrina had it coming…”they live on the gulf coast, where they know hurricanes hit…their city sat below sea level…what did they expect to happen?” That’s a piss poor way to look at things. People are affected by the weather no matter where they live.
If you’re in the Northeast or the Midwest you’re always at the mercy of winter storms and the blizzard to end all blizzards. Winter storms that could knock out power and gas for weeks…and people could freeze to death. In the Carolinas, Florida and in Georgia you’re always at risk of a hurricane. In California there is always a chance of a major earthquake. In the middle of the country is tornado alley. It doesn’t matter where you live; there is always a chance that something can happen that is beyond the control of man. Let’s not choose to not help those in need because of where they live. That’s just ridiculous. And when something happens to you and your community and you’re in need, whom do you think will be the ones helping you with their donations?
AJ
While I know the congress is giving more money to FEMA and lots of groups like the American Red Cross and others are raising money to help those in need. But it’s been four days since the storm hit, three days since we all knew New Orleans was slowly losing the battle against Mother Nature and still there are people trapped.
Anarchy is something the punk generation of the late 70’s and the 80’s seemed to always be asking for and wanting for. Well if they still want to experience anarchy, New Orleans is probable the place where anarchy has the best chance of occuring.
If you were trapped in a major metropolitan area, with no way out, no law enforcement and there was a lack of food, clothing and water, what would you do? While it’s hard not to condemn looting; when you're looting food, water and medical supplies to survive, I can understand why. But to be taking big screen TVs and other large items, what in the hell are you going to do with those items in a flooded city? No food, no water, and no clean cloths; hey, I think I’ll go out and loot me a TV!
One thing that has disgusted me is the amount of people that have been posting on online forums saying the people in New Orleans and the other areas hit by Katrina had it coming…”they live on the gulf coast, where they know hurricanes hit…their city sat below sea level…what did they expect to happen?” That’s a piss poor way to look at things. People are affected by the weather no matter where they live.
If you’re in the Northeast or the Midwest you’re always at the mercy of winter storms and the blizzard to end all blizzards. Winter storms that could knock out power and gas for weeks…and people could freeze to death. In the Carolinas, Florida and in Georgia you’re always at risk of a hurricane. In California there is always a chance of a major earthquake. In the middle of the country is tornado alley. It doesn’t matter where you live; there is always a chance that something can happen that is beyond the control of man. Let’s not choose to not help those in need because of where they live. That’s just ridiculous. And when something happens to you and your community and you’re in need, whom do you think will be the ones helping you with their donations?
AJ
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