Smokey, McGruff, and Stephanie

USA Today reported that the group behind Smokey the Bear and McGruff the Crime Dog have developed a new campaign to convince people of the need to go through inspections before boarding airplanes. Evidently, people aren't as compliant as they once were and are especially annoyed at having to remove their shoes. So, they are bringing in "Stephanie the airport screener" as part of their new campaign.

Back in 2001, I flew to Kansas City for a conference about 2 weeks after 9/11 (much to the dismay of Dorene). However, if ever you wanted to pick a safe time to fly, it would have been then. I remember going through the airport check points and no one had any complaints. Heck, I think you could have made people wait 2 hours per person and they wouldn't have minded. Check my luggage? Sure. Check my shoes? No problem. Leaving the plane, everyone was thanking the pilot and just being so polite overall. I was impressed how quickly the TSA was put together and how well everything seemed to work.

It's now been 7 years since 9/11, so it's easy to understand that people would return to getting more annoyed by the prospect of missing their flight than it being hijacked. Will there be another attack? Well, the two attacks on the World Trade Center took place 1 month and 9 months into a new President's administration. Hopefully Joe Biden is incorrect and something will not happen within 6 months of Obama being inaugurated to test him.

Back in My Son's Good Graces

Last spring when I returned home from a table tennis tournament without a trophy, Cameron was very disappointed. He asked if I was done forever playing table tennis. Guess he figured I was washed up if I couldn't bring home a trophy every time (the previous tournament I had brought home two).

So, this past Sunday, I played in the Highland Open tournament in northwest Indiana. Played well enough in one of the events to bring home a 2nd place trophy pictured above. Probably should have finished first, because the kid I lost to I regularly beat at the South Bend club. But he was on his game and I just couldn't get past him.

In fact, it seemed like I was playing kids all day. I skunked a couple of 10 or 11 year olds. I kinda felt like Kramer in the "Seinfeld" episode where he's taking karate lessons and beating up on kids. But then again, I also lost to this pipsqueak of an Asian girl that was rated one point higher than me and took my butt out 3 games to 0. Truth is, I let up. Okay, no I didn't, I was trying to take her out. Which does sound odd, I'm fighting for all I'm worth to beat this young girl that was probably in the 4th or 5th grade (tops).

I'm hoping I gained some rating points. I beat a guy almost 200 points higher than me, but the kid that beat me for the first place trophy was almost 200 points lower than me, so I probably broke even. Will try again next May at the annual tournament at IU South Bend.

Now I Know How Mom Felt

When we lived in Arizona, we went to the Grand Canyon. Mom has always said that going there was way too nerve wracking. You had these huge drops and virtually non-existant railings to keep little ones like me from going over the edge. Watching this video from CNN I think I now know why she felt this way.

$1.99 a Gallon

In North Liberty, the price of gas finally went under $2.00, by just a penny. Never thought I'd see that again. So, whose fault is this? Bush is still President, is he to blame? The oil companies again posted record profits, but prices went down. Are they to blame? I don't think I'll ever understand how gas prices are set. Just a month ago we were in this huge crisis and all the talk was energy independence. Now, everything's honky-dory. I just don't get it (not that I mind paying over $2.00 less than I was not too long ago).

An Acting Legend (?) Retires

Joaquin Phoenix announced he is giving up acting. His last 6 movies have been Reservation Road, We Own the Night, Walk the Line, Ladder 49, The Village, and one of the voices in Brother Bear.

Wow, first we lose Paul Newman, now Mr. Phoenix. I was really hoping for that Ladder 49 sequel.

Post-Election: Over and Out

It's finally over. The world woke up on Wednesday morning and . . . life went on. Funny how that happens. Some random thoughts:

• The result was much as I expected. Fairly large electoral win for Obama, although some of the states were extremely close. The popular vote total was pretty close for a while, then Obama pulled ahead. Won by almost 8 million popular votes, or 53% of the vote. Is that a mandate? I'm never quite sure what that means. Doesn't the winner usually have the mandate? They always talk about how the winner needs to be bi-partisan and reach acrosst the aisle and all that. But, in reality, they don't have to do jack squat for the loser. Hey, to the winner goes the spoils.


• McCain gave a very good concession speech. Coupled with his hilarious SNL performance the previous weekend, this was a John McCain that I think people would have preferred to see much more of. But he did choose to take the high road out and I applaud him for that.


• Note to the McCain staffers: Sarah Palin did not lose this election for you. Remember, it was her coming on board that made the election as close as it was. Picking someone like Lieberman, Romney et al would have completely bombed. You forget that Republicans were not enthused at all about McCain UNTIL he picked Palin. In addition, a Republican simply was not going to win this year.
  
• Obama's victory speech was very much subdued. He talked right away of how they may not get everything done in a year or a first term. It was like "Oh crap, I just won this thing and now we have complete control so anything bad that happens we are solely to blame now and since I promised everything to everybody I'd better dial down those expectations right now so people don't expect too much and therefore I am officially changing my slogan from Yes We Can to Yes We'll Try."
  
• Indiana was unique. Obama barely won the state, but Mitch Daniels easily won re-election, when reports had that race very close. Maybe people finally got over daylight savings time. Or maybe Jill Long-Thompson ran a horrible campaign (as my co-workers indicated).


• How did you like that great promotional video taking place in Grant Park on Tuesday night? Over 150,000 in downtown Chicago with no incidents. Think some people took note? You know, like those from the International Olympic Committee? I bet Chicago just jumped to the top of the list for the 2016 Summer Olympics. The favorites had been Tokyo or Brazil, but I have a feeling we'll have the Olympics. Up here in South Bend, we have an artificial whitewater course, where they might very well hold some events. Now that would be pretty cool.


• If there is justice, Norm Coleman will prevail in Minnesota. I can not stand Al Franken. Once upon a time on SNL he was quite funny ("I'm good enough, I'm smart enough . . .") but those days are long past.


• The city of Sacramento has a new mayor. Who is it? My all-time favorite NBA player. Yes, KEVIN JOHNSON, aka KJ, is the new mayor of California's capitol. If our last baby had been a boy instead of a girl, he was going to be named Kyle Joseph, and we would have called him KJ after, yep, you got it (Dorene liked the name KJ, but not for that reason).


• Joel Hunter, pastor of the megachurch in Florida, prayed with Obama just before his victory speech. On Sunday, he'll deliver a sermon and will mention the election. He gave a preview of his sermon: "If you pray, 'God, put who you want in the White House,' and you believe that God answers our prayers, then it is logical to assume that Barack Obama is God's answer to our prayers." Hunter is an interesting figure who is increasingly at odds with other evangelical leaders (especially after his ill-fated succession of the Christian Coalition).

I think I'm going to take a political fast for a while. All the pundits can keep talking, but I don't think I'll be listening much for a while. My hope is that Barack Obama becomes the greatest president in the history of the U.S. I know there are those that will be hoping to display a "Don't Blame Me, I voted for McCain" bumper sticker at some point. But why hope for failure? I want the best for my family and our country, so even though I didn't vote for him (and my vote was more against one-party rule than anything), here's hoping that this is the beginning of something great.

Hey, things are looking good for the Arizona Cardinals this season . . . .

Casting My Vote . . Still a Republican

It just would have been too easy. Everyone is railing against the Republican Party and jumping ship. Bashing Bush has become a national pastime. I've been a registered Republican for 24 years and seen some high points and low points. Tonight will be a very low point (and by 7:30 p.m. when polls have closed in Indiana, Ohio and Virginia, we'll have a good idea of what happens). The media will probably be "shocked and surprised" by what takes place. It'll be a Republican bloodbath, no doubt about it, but I've been expecting that all along.

But voting for Obama? I just couldn't do it. Yes, I understand his campaign for change and even I felt energized when I attended his rally back in the spring. I absolutely see why his campaign has resonated so much. But he still remains very much a mystery to me, more of a concept than a candidate.

I felt the Republicans needed to use this election to retool, and McCain is helping do just that. Like sports teams you stick with when they are down and out, I couldn't just abandon the party that I've identified with for so long. I've worked locally on a couple elections and will probably do so again in the future. The party will be back again, although it could be a while. But they have a lot of work to do repairing the Bush damage. So, for those Republicans that jumped ship for this election, "Y'all come back and see us sometime."

Election Eve Notes

So, we're almost done with all this. I read an article recently about "post-election blues" for those that read every last bit of election info there is. I'm basically in that category, although I think my life will continue just fine after the election.

Some thoughts before casting my vote tomorrow:

• Before the campaign started, I felt the Republicans needed to sit this one out and retool. In a lot of ways, I think that is what they've done. Yes, there may have been things McCain could have done differently, but he is being rejected for the same reason Hillary was rejected in the primary. He represents old-time Washington and the phenomena that is Obama just couldn't be stopped. Obama's campaign machine has been pretty remarkable. He's been steady the whole time and McCain has had to just launch attacks on the hour. At times I thought his strategy was poor, but being the huge underdog, not sure what else he could do.


• Many are wanting to blame Palin, but I think that is being overstated. Read the recaps of her appearances around the nation. She has rock star status. Maybe the pundits don't like her, but she has energized the party like no one else could have. I do believe she was mishandled at the outset. It will be interesting to see if this is it for her or if she comes back.


• Speaking of Hillary, I imagine no one is kicking themselves more than her. What if she had run in 2004? But no, she only had 2 years experience in the Senate at the time. Surely people wouldn't vote for someone with that little of experience. I still don't think the Clintons can quite believe they lost to this guy.


• A landslide is being predicted, although I'm not sure how that is defined anymore. The days of a Nixon or Reagan thrashing where the opponent only wins one state are long gone. There's always talk of cultural, economic, racial, etc. divisions in the nation. I think one of the biggest divides is simply party affiliation. There's just no way some people will ever cross over and vote the other side.


• Many of my co-workers are Black, and this election means much more to them than you can imagine. I think they are as equally scared of losing as they are of winning. Lose, and all the hopes they had over the past year go the drain. Win, and as Al Sharpton said last night on CNN, "We're in the pilot's seat and have to prove ourselves worthy of being given the seat in the first place." I don't even try to pretend to understand their stake in this election. I've told my colleagues repeatedly that they have nothing to worry about, but to no avail. They still fear some 2000 Florida scenario that snatches defeat from the jaws of victory.

Halloween Night

We don't do the trick or treat thing anymore with the kids. We have a church activity, called "trunk or treat" in which we pass out candy and hot dogs to the community. We probably had close to 200 people come through, as it keeps getting bigger every year. Our kids still got their fair share of candy, so they didn't feel they were missing out on anything.

In South Bend, trick or treat times are 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. I remember growing up when trick or treating didn't even start until 7:00 p.m. or later. You waited until it was dark, that was the point. Now you make sure you are all done before it gets dark. Parents accompany their kids. I remember going out without parents along. In fact, I remember riding my bike around Pixley, California BY MYSELF one year, and it was no big deal. Ain't no way that would be happening today.

Anna and Cameron had a party at their school today, North Liberty Christian School. Anna went as the "wordless book" (Dorene's creativity at work). Her hair was spray painted black and she had different color shirt, skirt and pants. Cameron wanted to go as Jesus carrying the cross. So, we dressed him accordingly, complete with cross, blood, and crown of thorns. Both won prizes for best costume. YESSS! Not that we were striving for that.

The Other Race: Mitch v. Jill

The Indiana governor's race has been largely overshadowed by the presidential election, but it is shaping up to be a very close one. Around IU, Mitch is the devil. Democrats dislike him with a passion. They are still upset about daylight savings time, although to me that's the biggest "GET OVER IT" issue I think I've ever heard. But mainly, his privatization of the toll road and desires to do more of this rankles them quite a bit (and not spending enough on education, tax cuts, and other things).

His opponent, Jill Long-Thompson, is on a losing streak. She lost to Mark Souder several years ago, then lost to Chris Chocola back in 2004. In the primary, she was shunned by the Democratic Party as they put all their money and resources into her challenger, whom she narrowly defeated. So, while I know Democrats want Mitch unseated, they haven't exactly welcomed Long-Thompson with open arms (in addition, she had zero t.v. ads for a 6-week stretch starting in September).

I happen to really like her, although that's because I've had a little bit more personal experience with her. For two of my graduate classes at IU South Bend, she was my professor. One of the classes was Public Finance, which she obviously knew a lot about and could relate much of the inner workings of Congress. She was very sharp and knew her stuff. Although interestingly, teaching wasn't necessarilyi her forte and she stumbled often in teaching the class. But I guess that made her all the more "human" and not as much of a political machine. Besides, she bought us all pizza a couple of times (that will always go over well with college students).

She seemed very much a downhome country girl from Indiana. Yes, kinda Palinesque. Seemed very much an outsider (although she wasn't) but I never felt like I was listening to a politician. I really enjoyed her as a professor and I'll be voting for her. Now, in my final exam in her class I said how much I enjoyed having her as a professor and that I'd vote for her. I guess that could either be interpreted as my thinking she's truly the best candidate or a lame attempt at a good grade.

Opening Night

On Friday night, Anna and a few of her friends went to a party hosted by our pastor's wife. The occasion? The premiere of "High School Musical 3." They went to the movie then back to their hourse for a sleepover. I can't quite imagine what the theatre would have been like packed with teen and pre-teen girls.

For the record, the High School Musical series is actually very good, very wholesome, with some great music. I'm glad to see it doing so well, because I have no qualms about my daughter seeing it. Maybe even Dobson would agree this is okay.

Catching Some Rays

As I usually do at this time of year, I actually watch major league baseball on t.v. For the 162 games that precede the playoffs, I ignore it. Both Chicago teams went down in flames, which left the best storyline to the Tampa Bay Rays, who before this year were the Devil Rays. So maybe getting rid of the devil helped them out.

Their series with the Red Sox was fun to watch. Tampa lost game 1, then thrashed the Sox in the next three games. Then, in game 5, they had a historic meltdown as they lost 8-7 after leading 7-0 with two outs in the 7th inning. They lost game 6 but then were able to win game 7 last night in a what was a very exciting game.

I saw a segment on ESPN about their owners. The primary owner is a 46-year old retired Goldman-Sachs financier. The team president, I believe is in his late 20's or early 30's and also came from Goldman-Sachs. They are definitely from the Mark Cuban school of executive sports management. Tampa Bay has been miserable in its support for the team, even this year as they went from worst to first. But the new owners have done a lot to get the fan base excited, starting with free parking at all games and making themselves very visible. I imagine their investment in the team is paying off big-time.

Now, it's off to the World Series to play the Phillies. I don't imagine this was the marquee match-up Fox was hoping for. Red Sox-Dodgers, Chicago-Chicago, anything but these two. It'll probably be the lowest rated World Series ever.

The Final Debate (final words)

In 2012, they need to just scuttle the debates or change the format. These are not really debates in any sense of the word, just a recitation of each candidate's talking points. That said, I guess last night's was a little better than the last snooze-fest, but overall, nothing spectacular. Some random notes:

• My wife enjoyed it because it helped put her to sleep.
• Bob Schiffer by far is the best moderator. He kept control and just never seemed very impressed by either of them.
• Had McCain left Joe the Plumber alone after the first couple times, it might have resonated a little more. But the constant repeat of that name soon got hilarious. There was just something unintentionally funny of a potential commander in chief of the world's superpower saying "Joe the Plumber" multiple times. No matter what happened in the rest of the debate, I knew that people at work today would be talking about Joe, and they were.
• As expected, Obama played his prevent defense and took absolutely no chances. He didn't need to, but it would be nice to see a little passion in there.
• Typically evasive answers on what programs the candidates would cut. Also, way to be evasive on being nice to each other the rest of the campaign.
• Okay Obama, taxes will be cut for 95% of Americans . . . .I get it already.
• The whole William Ayres thing? I don't know, I just don't see it resonating. I have more problems with Jeremiah Wright. That was a true mentor of Obama's for many years, but McCain left that one alone. I personally think it's fair game.
• I wonder if Soledad O'Brien of CNN is sick of meeting with the undecided voters in Ohio. I'm sure she just wakes up the morning of every debate so excited to do this and how it will advance her professional career. With apologies to my family members in the Buckeye State, JUST PICK SOMEONE ALREADY!
• McCain quickly squeezed in a comment about the Democrats having total control after the election. This is a huge issue to me and one he should have really pushed. I don't think Pelosi, Reid, Frank, Rangel, et al are going to "change" for Obama. Why should they if they are already in control? When Clinton took office in 1993, the Democrats controlled everything and it was a disaster. Same with the Republicans in the early part of this decade. One-party control is never good and the one party always self-destructs.
• Can't believe it took 3 debates before the Supreme Court got mentioned. This is a true legacy the next President will have. At least 1 and maybe up to 3 appointments could be forthcoming in just one 4-year term.
• "Senator Obama, I know George Bush. I served with George Bush. George Bush is a friend of mine. Senator, I'm no George Bush."

The Final Debate

Say want you want about who won, who lost, who had the best lines, etc., but I think it all comes down to this:

Tomorrow, across this great nation of ours, plumbers named Joe are going to be subjected to merciless ribbing from their friends, family, and co-workers.

Allison Diane Dennie

. . .And so here she is, introducing Allison Diane Dennie, born at 1:29 p.m. on October 8. For those that want to know, she weighed 8 pounds and was 20 inches long. Guys NEVER know this stuff, so I made sure I kept it memorized because people do ask, although I'm not really sure why.

Mom and baby "Allie" are doing just fine now, as they came home from the hospital on Saturday. As you can see from the picture above, big sister Anna kinda likes the little tyke, a far cry from the major freak-out episode when she first heard the news of her impending arrival. Cameron likes her too, and keeps volunteering to help with diapers. Whatever, he can do that all he wants.

Above is a picture of Allie at 2 days old with Aunt Dee Dee (real name Diane, which is where Allie's middle name comes from).

Mom and dad were here just a few hours ago. They were going to wait until after their vacation to see her, but couldn't wait that long. They brought along a bunch of sugar cookies, so we're glad they could come up (to see Allie of course).

McCain and Obama's Football Strategy

With less than a month to go before the election, things will get ratcheted up a notch. McCain has already announced he'll be taking things to a different level. Obama will stick to what's been working for the past several months.

McCain has definitely been the aggressor. If you have a football analogy for him, it's been a constant barage of Hail Mary passes and gadget plays designed to throw the opponent off balance. Very unpredictable play-calling and the rule book has basically gotten tossed. From picking Sarah Palin to shutting down his campaign, you just don't know exactly what this guy is going to do next. Plus, his campaign does a lot of trash talking for the opponents to post in their locker room to get them fired up.

For Obama, he has strictly been in a prevent defense for months and will remain so until the election. In other words he is not playing to win, but playing not to lose. Republicans are not scared of losing this election because they've been expecting to do so all along. Democrats are downright terrified to lose, so Obama is being careful not to stumble here at the end. This kind of defense typically works, although it drives fans crazy because the outcome tends to be closer than they think it should be and it keeps the opponent in the game longer than they are comfortable with.

Final score: Obama pulls out the victory as expected. McCain puts on a better show than many were expecting, but was just too overpowered to pull off the upset.

Baby Allie, Due in 3 Days

On Friday, Dorene went to the doctor to determine if she would carry through to term or schedule a C-section. She initially wanted to go for the natural delivery, but over the past week, decided to recant that wish. Not very comfortable, and not getting much sleep led her to tell the doctor, "Let's do this now" (she was serious, she told the doctor she'd go to surgery right then and there).

Well, not so fast. We still had to wait, but now it's set. The birth of our new baby girl will take place on Wednesday, October 8, at 1:00 p.m. Unless, of course, the ultrasound played a trick on us, in which case we'll have to come up quickly with a different name. Or, as Cameron asked in all seriousness, what if it comes out as half girl and half boy? Uh, next question.

Movie Review: Beverly Hills Chihuaha

Fall is the time when the studios roll out their more prestigious pictures. The summer blockbuster season is over, so it's time for the movies that will likely be up for many awards. Tonight, I got a start on an early Oscar contender with this epic and moving story about . . .okay, enough.

Read the title. This is a kids movie. Do I really have to explain what it's about? A pampered mutt from Beverly Hills gets lost in Mexico City, yada, yada, everything ends up fine in the end.

It actually wasn't half bad, in fact, quite a bit better than I was expecting. With the kids movies, you can get something that's fairly good and at least is guaranteed to have good content (Disney), very good (Pixar) or total manure (not any particular studio, but movies like "Underdog" come to mind).

We saw this at the drive-in, and about froze. I think there were about 20 cars total spread out amongst the three screens. It was really cold. Which reminds me. Did you hear about the two blondes that froze to death at the drive-in? They went to see "Closed for Winter."

Sarah Barracuda Comes Back

I wouldn't say Palin won the debate last night, but more importantly, she didn't lose either. In fact, I thought she did quite well. Now, whether that's because of the very low expectations, I don't know (her interview with Katie Couric was a little cringe-worthy at times). But she held her own just fine. For the final weeks, McCain just needs to let her loose. It's not like he's going to win anyway, so quit holding her back. She certainly has the folksy down-home appeal down pat. She kinda reminded me of Marge Gunderson from "Fargo" at times ("you betcha").

As for Biden, he got through just fine. David Gergen said it was Biden's best debate performance ever, and he was probably right. He is actually quite likeable and didn't seem so much on autopilot as Obama tends to be.

Our New Set of Wheels

We currently have two cars. A Buick Riviera with 155,000 miles on it and a Dodge Caravan witih 178,000. Yeah, kinda getting up there in miles. With baby #3 on the way, we were wanting to have a vehicle that could be a little more dependable, especially on longer trips. The other two, while still running okay, we don't know when they might just die on us.

So, we got ourselves a new mini-van. Actually, not brand new, but a used one with only 27,000 miles on it (over 150,000 less miles than our current mini-van). It's got power everything and a great feature in that all the seats fold into the floor, so you don' t have to unlatch seats and haul them into the garage when you need the extra space. Got a really good deal on it and hope to have it a long time.

For now, we're just going to park it and drive it sparingly. Actually, not only are we driving it sparingly right now, we're not driving it at all. I went to get the title done last night and discovered my license is suspended. Oops, forgot to pay that $25.00 seat belt violation from last summer. So yes, I am a fugitive.

We'll still keep the other vehicles. I mean, yes, I could possibly get $1.99 for the Buick, but it is cheap to drive and I'll keep driving it to work until it dies. Currently, it has no air conditioning, the back window stays down permanently, it makes a weird sound, and is leaking gas. But it's paid for and the annual license is about $35.00. Can't beat that.

Turning 44

My birthday was yesterday. No big occasion, just turned 44. Don't feel any different, although I can't say that I was expecting to have a baby daughter shortly after my 44th birthday.

My kids gave me several presents they all handpicked. They led me on a scavenger hunt throughout the house. Anna wrote up clues to lead me to various places (did a pretty good job on them too). I ended up with a couple bottles of Gatorade, and then some of my favorite snacks, many of which I can take to the hospital in a week or so when Dorene goes in. For the record, I got chocolate chip cookes, mini-Charleston Chews, Twizzlers, Bottle Caps, Cadbury chocolate, Reese's, football shaped Little Debbie brownies, and Dots. They did good!

For lunch, I had to cook my own meal. Actually, this was by design. We purchased a side of beef from one of our church members and the steaks are superb. No sense on paying for something like this in a restaurant. So I grilled ribeyes with Daddy Hinkles marinade (the best marinade ever . . . thank you Stu for introducing me to this one).

Later in the evening, our pastor called and we went out to dinner with him and his wife. Went to Chili's, which is one of our favorite restaurants. Our pastor's wife, Cheryl, commented that last year at this time, she was sure we couldn't have expected having a baby now. I said, "No, we were too busy laughing at you for having an unexpected one." (they had their own October surprise with child #8).

Debate #1

I had a fundraising event at my kids' school last night, so I did not watch any but literally the last question of the debate. Stayed up and listened to all the analysis. Shockingly enough, Democrat strategists thought Obama won and Republican strategists thought McCain won. I guess the bottom line is that it was pretty much a draw. Neither did extremely well or really bad.

I'll be more likely to tune in this week for the VP debate and see how Sarah Palin does as they bring her out of hiding (not completely sure of the strategy there).

Note to Saturday Night Live: Not Funny

When Tina Fey did her impersonation of Sarah Palin a week ago, I thought it was great. Very well done. Amy Poehler also does such a great Hillary, always ready to explode.

But this past Saturday night, the opening sketch featured John McCain giving voiceover approval to outrageous rumors about Obama. It wasn't clever, nor was it funny (nor did the audience seem to laugh). Another sketch implied Todd Palin was the father of Trig . . .and Bristol was the mom.

I'm all for good political humor and will laugh at any clever jabs at either side, but this was very mean spirited and seemed bent on destroying Palin. Saturday Night Live has a long history of great political sketches, but this night was not one of them.

Calm Before the Storm

Getting ready to leave work. Our pastor and his wife are going to a retreat this weekend, so we'll be watching their kids at our house for two nights . . . all 8 of them!

9/11 (sort of) Remembered

Yesterday, IU South Bend had a brief ceremony in memory of the events of 9/11. On a campus of over 7,500 students with an additional 1,500 faculty and staff, I expected a fairly large turnout. There were about 25 in attendance. I guess those events are beginning to drift further and further into history.

As I thought more about it, the college students beginning this year were only 10 or 11 when those events happened, so while they may be aware of them, they wouldn't have a "where were you" type experience to share. I imagine the next couple years will be fairly quiet in regard to remembrances then it will get more attention on the 10th year anniversary.

More Baby Talk

Watching Sarah Palin and the news surrounding her newborn baby has been interesting and has opened up a possibility that Dorene and I are certainly aware of, but don't talk about much.

Sarah Palin was 44 when she had baby Trig. The occurance of Downs Syndrome is much more prevalent the older the mom is. Dorene will be 39 this month. So, yes, she is in a category where this could happen. Palin had a test done which clearly tells you if the baby has Downs (as do many). We could have had the same test done, but have chosen not to. It's not like a huge percentage of older moms have Downs babies, but the chances are certainly higher.

Does it cross my mind that we could have a special needs child? Yes, it certainly does. Would it freak me out? Yeah, it probably would for a little bit, can't lie about that. But if every child is a gift from God, then what more can we do but just pray for the safe delivery of baby Allie. Yep, that's all we can do.

Awaiting Baby Allie

On Tuesday night, we took a tour of the childbirth unit at Memorial Hospital so Anna and Cameron could see where mommy would be at when it was time to deliver our new one. Both kids are getting more and more excited about this, even Anna, after her initial meltdown over the news. She even has gotten to the point where she said she might hold the baby. That's progress, believe me.

The official due date is October 12. But Anna and Cameron both came 3 weeks early. So, it could happen very soon. We might want to consider getting the house ready.

Babies and Football

Yesterday, we went our separate ways. Dorene took the kids to the church where they were having a baby shower for Allie. I went with my friend Peter to the Notre Dame game.

For the small size of our church, it was a great turnout for the shower. I think all but one or two of the women in the church were there, so that was nice. Dorene had a wonderful time and we ended up with lots of nice presents, including a new changing table and tons of diapers. Yeah, I said the word diapers, didn't think I'd be using that in my vocabularly ever again. If Dorene goes to term, baby Allie will be here in about 5 weeks. If she goes early like with Anna and Cameron, the baby will be here in about 2 weeks. Oh my, it's really getting close. Perhaps we should start setting up the baby furniture and things like that.

Dorene was at the doctor last week and she is in great health. No need to go on bed rest and the doctor expects her to go full term. That is great news, because Dorene was concerned about having to stay home for the final few weeks. But everything looks good.

I always enjoy going to Notre Dame games. Even with their pathetic season last year, the hype and hoopla surrounding a home gome never goes away. Besides, they were playing San Diego State, who were 21 point underdogs.

But they kept it very close. In fact, they should have one. They were up 13-7 midway into the fourth quarter. They had the ball on the Notre Dame 4. The running back was headed into the end zone but fumbled at what had to be the 1-foot line. Notre Dame recovered and within a few plays had gone all the way down for the go-ahead touchdown. They scored again and ended up winning 21-13. I imagine the San Diego State team had a long flight home, because this was their Super Bowl and they had victory in their grasp and let it get away. Charlie Weiss got away for now. He was getting booed fairly early in the game. The Irish lose this one, and he's in for along season. They played very badly and this was against a team that was supposed to be a sacrificial lamb.

In the NFL, I was pleased to see that the 37-year old quarterback looking for one more glorious season led his team to an opening day victory. I'm talking, of course, about . . . . Kurt Warner and the Arizona Cardinals.

Oh Yeah, McCain Gave a Speech

As I suspected, McCain's speech was a big comedown from Sara Palin's the night before. He didn't do badly, it just wasn't all that exciting of a speech to listen to. Palin easily overshadowed him.

However, parts of the speech were actually quite bold. He really surprised me by saying how the Republican Party let everyone down. He said they "went to change Washington, and Washington changed us." He gave some not so subtle jabs at Bush/Cheney (and I imagine in private he'd like to rip them to shreds and totally separate himself). Where was Cheney by the way? I read that he was somewhere in eastern Europe, far, far away. In fact, overall, you just don't see much of Cheney at all anymore. Not that I'm complaining.

I read a quote from Rush Limbaugh that said that even if the Republicans lose in November (which he completely expects), McCain has done a lot to bring about change in the party and give them a future. I agree. Picking Palin was a good step in the right direction to put a different face on the party. I've always felt they needed to sit this one out and retool.

Well, gotta go. Headed off to the promised land, er, that is, Notre Dame stadium for the season opener against that powerhouse from the west coast . . .San Diego State.

Back to School (thank goodness)

The kids went back to school this week. All the public schools began two weeks ago, but the private school they go to (North Liberty Christian School) doesn't start until after Labor Day.

The extra long break got a little too long. Anna and Cameron were ready to get back into a regular routine, and so were we. Their first week has been great, they love their teachers and are going to have a great year.

Cameron has surprised us with a very competitive spirit when it comes to grades. We figured he'd be our slacker. Turns out, he doesn't just want A's, he wants an A+ all the time, and is very motivated to do so. Anna gets good grades too, but doesn't really care all that much about it. She'll just simply get the good grades and that's that. Cameron, on the other hand, will probably consider himself a failure if he gets a C. Oh boy, here we go.

Sarah Barracuda

I think everyone in the Republican Party breathed a collective sigh of relief this morning after Palin's speech. I thought she did very well and rose to the occasion. She had some pretty good zingers and faced her critics head on. She will be a great campaigner and will draw big crowds. But her next big moment will be one on one against Biden. I'm anticipating that debate more than Obama v. McCain.

Palin seemed drained after the speech. She kinda stood there and wasn't smiling. Probably just an incredible sense of relief after having it over with. She finally lit up when her family came out. How can you not like that family and the picture of the little girl wetting down her hand to fix little Trig's hair? Many politicians try to say it, but Palin truly has a very common background and is an outsider in every sense of the word. Unlike Obama, I can see Palin going bowling and not looking so out of place.

Some quibbles about last night:

• I didn't care for Guilliani. His speech is why I'm glad he isn't president. It seemed a little over the top and overly mean-spirited. If Palin is the pit bull, then Guilliani is the rabid doberman.


• Guilliani's speech also went too long, so they had to cancel the video bio of Palin. I think that would have helped even more introducing her to those that hadn't been reading or watching news reports about her. Although, she certainly let her words do the talking, so maybe this wasn't that big of a deal.


• I cringed a bit when she basically made fun of community organizers. This won't go over well with those that work in the inner city, such as some of my colleagues. I know it was offering a comparison of experience, but community organizers are often low paid or volunteer people helping out those that need assistance the most.

But overall, she did a fabulous job. Seemed very natural on the big stage and she is someone you certainly want to listen to. It'll be impossible for McCain to top her speech, and I wouldn't be surprised if he even makes reference to that in his speech tonight. But in hindsight, a strategically brilliant move to bring her on board.

I still see Obama winning in November, but nonetheless, last night was an important step in the Republicans moving forward from the last 8 years. If Obama's star was born by his speech in 2004, then last night was just the beginning for Palin and we'll be hearing more from her. Which should be later but could be much sooner if the Democrats still figure a way to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. This campaign will be anything but boring for the next two months.

Republican Convention

I haven't watched any of the RNC yet. I guess I didn't really care to hear Bush, Lieberman or Thompson speak. But tonight, this is Sarah Palin's night and I'll definitely watch her speech. The campaign still has a long way to go and it'll be interesting to see if she keeps the election close or totally derails McCain (like some are saying). Tonight will be critical. One thing is for sure, she has made things much more interesting.

What are my female Democratic colleagues saying? One says McCain was brilliant for choosing her. The other says she shouldn't have been nominated with all those kids.

Rock, Paper, Scissors . . .Cameron Style

I watched Anna and Cameron playing "rock, paper, scissors" tonight at the dinner table. Neither were winning as each round ended up a tie. So, on the next round, Cameron changed things a bit. He went, "rock, paper . . .DINOSAUR!"

I think dinosaur pretty much kicks butt in this situation. Game over.

McCain's VP Pick

I had begun to suspect McCain would go with a woman and sure enough, he did. No one knows much about Sarah Palin right now, but they will before long. I watched her speech after McCain introduced her. She is quite likeable and maybe not quite the lightweight I first envisioned. Very interesting woman.

I've heard a few commentators say this is very much a very bold, but very risky move. I think that's quite accurate. McCain is supposed to lose anyway, so maybe it won't make a difference, who knows. But it definitely shakes things up. It definitely draws attention away from Obama's speech last night. But if Quayle had a rough go of it when he was announced, I think Palin is going to really get put through the ringer. Then again, Quayle still became Vice President after Dukakis left the Democratic convention with a big lead. So, who knows. Palin is called the "barracuda" which must be for a reason.

Quite the mirror image. On one side, you have an inexperienced minority candidate for president and an experienced white guy for vice president. On the other side, it's the opposite. This election just got a little more interesting.

What is Up With Wolf?

Wolf Blitzer, dude, you are losing it. I watched CNN's coverage last night, and when Biden was through with his speech, the coverage shifted back to the post-speech commentary. But before saying anything about the speech, Wolf went on and on about the band that was playing and how much he enjoyed them all week. It was really weird. Anderson Cooper made jokes about Wolf and his obsession with the band, but I could tell he was really thinking, "Uh, Wolf, we have a major convention going on here, who cares about the band?"

I thought Biden's speech was rather weak, and the response from the crowd was very lackluster. It seemed at the most he would just get a little applause here and there. Biden's a good guy with a good story, but he just didn't electrify like Hillary the night before. I didn't get to see Bill, but it sounds like he did okay. I'm sure the Obama's now are thinking, "Okay, Bill and Hillary, thank you, now BUH BYE!:

It will be interesting to watch Obama's speech tonight, especially being in a large outdoor stadium as opposed to a smaller indoor arena where it can be much more noisy. I'm sure he'll do a bang-up job.

Hillary's Speech

Well, the commentators are all going gaga over Hillary's speech. I'll admit, she did a good job. What did people expect? That she would come out and say "Up Yours Obama! I should be the nominee!" Sheesh, calm down everyone, it was a convention speech. Of course the crowd would go crazy.

I watched the speech on CNN and their commentators were all saying what a great job she did. Carville said it was a Sandy Koufax fastball (note to Carville, you need to update your references, no one in Obama's target demographic know who Sandy Koufax is). But an interesting thing took place. On the floor, CNN had a lengthy interview with a black female Clinton delegate who wasn't exactly embracing Obama yet. She went on and on how "presidential" Clinton looked, and said while she definitely won't vote for McCain, she may not vote at all.

I've never liked that approach, because I always say, vote for somebody, because you have the right to do so. But when they talk about party unity last night, I'm wondering if the Hillary supporters will indeed move on and give their support to Obama. Or, will they still want to hold out, if for the simple reason that the Obama group will be basically telling them that they need to get over it.

This will still be an interesting election. It's all up to the Democrats what happens. Republicans know the odds are very much stacked against them. But if the Dems botch this one, it will surely have to go down as the most botched election of all time.

So, who will McCain choose as his running mate? Think how it would mix things up if he chose a woman. Would he do that? Probably not, but boy would that sure be an attention getter and an obvious ploy at snatching up the Hillary supporters.

VP Biden

Joe Biden was a good choice for Obama. He has a lot of experience in the Senate and is well respected on both sides. He also has the much needed experience in foreign policy and is a little more moderate. And, of course, he's also very articulate (chuckle chuckle).

Actually, his articulateness (did I just make that up?) has gotten him in trouble before. He'll keep things interesting. Much more exciting than Bayh, who really is quite bland and I didn't think the Democrats wanted a somewhat lightweight Hoosier senator after what they put Quayle through.

Volleyballers Win Gold. . .Lose some Endorsements

I stayed up late to watch our volleyballers take home the Gold against China. The matches were close (21-18 in both games) but I didn't think they were ever in danger of losing. They are just too good. When they had to spike it hard, they did so, but they also did very well with the "dink" shot.

I imagine that Kerri Walsh and Misty May-Treanor could have some endorsements coming their way, although I think there are two groups that they won't be hearing from anytime soon. First of all, they thanked President Bush for his inspiration, so I imagine an appearance at next week's Democratic convention in Denver is out of the question. Secondly, they said the most important thing in their life right now was to have a baby. So, probably no calls coming anytime soon from the feminist groups.

Detached from the Political Scene

I had a very hectic week at work, followed by a busy church weekend with the Pulse Festival. I totally blanked out on remembering the Rick Warren forum that took place Sunday night. From the commentaries I've listened to, Obama did okay, but not great. Certainly no home run as might have been thought. As for McCain, he did much better than people might have expected.

I think the upcoming debates are going to be very, very interesting to watch. Next week is the Democratic show in Denver. That should be interesting too, especially finding out who the VP is. I wonder what thoughts will be running through John Edwards' mind as he now knows his political career is over and yet 4 years ago he was oh so close to being Vice President.

Roasting at the Pulse Fest

This weekend was the annual World Pulse Festival, which has become a HUGE Christian music festival in South Bend, topping out last year at 40,000 and probably had a lot more this year. Also, it was very, very hot. The festival itself was on Saturday, but the night before our church hosted a Pre-Pulse party for some churches from Michigan and for a couple in Ohio. The Ohio churches being those lead by Benjamin and Tom and Paula, so it was nice having them up here again this year.

We fed everyone pizza then had a road rally/scavenger hunt around town (Paula's team was the only one that got lost). This was followed by a concert by a group from northern Michigan called Outshined. The lead singer is the brother-in-law of our pastor's wife. This group is pretty good and everyone seemed to really enjoy it. At some point (I think) everyone actually went to bed. We housed everyone at the church and our youth building.

After breakfast Saturday morning, we headed over to the festival site. I had to work Saturday morning, so I couldn't go right away. By the time I got there, Mandisa was performing (the one from American Idol). She was pretty good, although I'm not crazy about the Gospel style she does, but she's a good performer. A group called C3 had already performed, although no one I talked to was all that crazy about them.

Mandisa was followed by Skillet. I like some of their stuff and they did a good job, I just wasn't overwhelmed. Kutless performed last year and has a similar style, but I liked them much better. The crowd wasn't all that much into it either.

What I was waiting for was the next act, Toby Mac. I'd never seemed him solo, but saw him twice when he was lead singer of DC Talk. That group was one of the best live acts I ever saw. As a solo artist, he didn't disappoint. Backed by the "Diverse City" band, they put on a wonderful show. Full of energy and a wide variety of rap, hip-hop and funk. The crowd was really energized by his performance and I'd love to see him again.

After that was Casting Crowns. Yeah right, like we're going to listen to this group after Toby Mac. We left before they even came on. I'm sure they did just fine.

Olympics off to a Good Start

I have been impressed by the coverage thus far with the Olympics. Everytime I tuned in over the weekend, I saw a lot of actual competition, and not a bunch of filler. NBC is doing really well and I hope they keep it up.

There have already been a few exciting moments.

• The women's sweep of the fencing event, which featured a local Notre Dame student getting the gold medal;
• Last night the mens 4 x 100 swim relay team shutting down (and shutting up) the French team, keeping Michael Phelps 8-gold quest alive;
• The "Redeem Team" taking it to Yao Ming and the Chinese basketball team, which it is said was the most watched sporting event in history;
• The women's gymnastics team qualifying for the team final, even though they were short one gymnast, which left no room for major error.

Then there were the opening ceremonies, which I was both impressed with and somewhat not. They did some spectacular things, but after a while, it started to get a little old. I thought it somewhat humorous when it was said that the Chinese plan to put a man on the moon by 2024. Note to the Chinese: Back in the 1960's, when you were having that little Cultural Revolution and killing millions of your own people, we were going to the moon ourselves. China is a peculiar nation to figure out. Because while they are still communist, they have made incredible strides over the last 20 years and millions have come out of poverty and are having a much better standard of living. Not sure what to make of all that's happening there.

Despite all the technical bravado in lighting the torch, I still found it much more memorable when Janet Evans handed off to Muhammad Ali back in 1996.

Meanwhile, in the Rest of the World

I heard reports mid-morning today about the growing conflict in Georgia, with Russian tanks moving in. Far away on the other side of the world, seemingly no connection for me.

Except, that one of the international students that works for me, named Giorgi, is from there. He was working for me today doing entrance exams for incoming students. I walked over to the testing room to see if he was hearing any news. Sure enough, he was on the computer trying to find something out. The area of conflict, South Ossetia, is not far from his family. He said simply, "This is not good."

Okay, China, Game On!

Alright, time for this repressive regime to show us what they got. I think the high ranking government officials will be glad when it's all over, because a lot of warts are going to be exposed. Although, you do have to give them credit. They said they would allow protests, as long as said protesters formally applied for a "permit" and would agree to a location far removed from the action. Uh huh, real open government here.

I don't think the pictures you see on t.v. of the pollution does it justice. From what I read, it is really, really (really) bad. The government says they have a back-up plan if the pollution gets too bad. Uh, what would that be? Just move everything down to Australia?

I can see one of the hot selling souvenier items being some sort of oxygen mask with the Beijing Olympic logo on it. Hmm, would it be "Made in China?" Look for the late night talk show hosts to be ruthless on this.

A Return to Church Camp

A couple weeks ago, Dorene and the kids went to family camp at the Wesleyan campground in Fairmount, Indiana (James Dean territory). I couldn't go because of a busy week at work. However, I was able to go down on Friday evening and stay until the camp concluded on Sunday. This was my first church camp venture in about 25 years, which was a staple growing up.

My very first camp experience would have been in Pennsylvania, but I remember nothing about it. When we lived in Arizona, I vaguely remember going to some place called Watsonville, and not really enjoying it all that much. Maybe we also went somewhere else? I can't really remember.

But in California, I remember it well. We spent a few years of family camp at a place called Canyon Meadows, which at the time was a brand new campground, complete with 4-hole golf course, huge cloverleaf-shaped pool, and motel room accommodations. I enjoyed this place a lot. The junior camp accommodations were literally covered wagons with bunk beds, they were pretty cool . . .except I never stayed there. I always stayed in the air conditioned comfort with mom and dad (by choice). I remember for two years a husband and wife team led the junior camp. I think the Caruthers or something like that? They were great and they may have visited our home church at Pixley a time or two.

When I got into the 7th grade, I got to go to teen camp, which took place at a camp called Quaker Meadow. Very rustic, very old accommodations, but as a teen, who cares? These were some very fun times at this camp, which was nestled up high in the mountains in California. One year, the speaker for the week was Marvin Price, our former pastor in Arizona. For a couple years, we had this wild and crazy youth pastor from central California named John Calcote, who was a huge hit. Dad, who was always the camp director, always found it humorous to blast "The Chipmunks" from the loudspeaker to wake everyone up in the morning. During these years, I was always the reigning ping-pong champion. We played on old warped tables with balls probably obtained from the dollar store. I could never lower myself to playing in such conditions now, since I reguarly play on $2,000 Butterfly tables.

But as for family camp this year, it was very enjoyable the couple days I was there. The kids absolutely loved it and we'll definitely be going back now. I imagine for the next several years, this will be our family vacation, which is fine with me.

Ping Pong Diplomacy

Sports Illustrated had a recent article on the so-called "ping pong diplomacy" that took place between China and the US in the early 1970's. A chance meeting between a Chinese and American player set the groundwork for relations between the two countries to change dramatically. It's an interesting article.

I asked Dan Seemiller from the South Bend Table Tennis club if he was a part of this, but he indicated he was on the U.S. junior team and this all took place just before his time on the world stage. Although he said he played Glenn Cowan once and beat him (Cowan is the American player featured in the article).

I read that the arena being used at the Beijing Olympics was designed "specifically with table tennis in mind." Kinda shows you that the Chinese take this sport seriously.

Rethinking Future Plans

A couple nights ago as I was tucking him in, Cameron said he knew what he wanted to be when he grew up. He said he wanted to be one of those "war people" that fights battles. He wanted to lead the way and be up front.

Anna told him, "Uh, you will die. Who do you think gets shot first? The person up front...DUH." Cameron thought about this for a minute then said, "Well, I guess I don't know what I want to do when I grow up."

A Movie That Lives Up to the Hype

I went into "The Dark Knight" with fairly high expectations. I really enjoyed "Batman Begins" and how the whole franchise was basically rebooted. Christian Bale made a great Batman and helped put the George Clooney fiasco behind us.

The new one didn't disappoint. In fact, maybe it was even better than I expected. It's long, but it doesn't feel like it as it zips along. There was lots of action, but it didn't override the story, which presents some interesting moral dilemmas and clearly suggests real world parallels. And what a great cast. Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Maggie Gyllenhall, Aaron Eckart, and, of course, Heath Ledger.

His last performance has certainly gotten a lot of the hype, and I gotta hand it to him, he pulled it off. I haven't seen much of Ledger's movies. He was in "A Knight's Tale" and "The Patriot." But neither of those movies would remotely suggest he was up to this role. Sad that a role that would have launched him into the stratosphere of Hollywood turned out to be his last. I wouldn't have guessed it would be very easy to forget Jack Nicholson's take on the Joker in the Michael Keaton version, but Ledger made you do just that, although his performance is a much darker version of the Joker. There's already talk of him winning a supporting actor Oscar posthumously, and I don't see why not.

Sports Story of the Year? I Hope.

Wow, this Dara Torres is amazing. 41 years old and she qualifies for the Olympics two years after having a baby. She qualified by beating out other women half her age. I read that she has been undergoing voluntary drug testing very often, to dispel any rumors that at that age, she must be taking something.

It's a great story, and I hope she medals in Beijing and that she is clean. We don't need another Marion Jones, Floyd Landis, etc. giving multiple denials only to recant when the evidence proves otherwise. This will be one story to watch in what promises to be an exciting Olympics (if one can wade through all the gymnastics coverage and individual profiles of each gymnast and their pets).

It's the Principle

I was running really low on gas this morning. There's a gas station on the edge of town that I've never stopped at before, so I pulled in since the needle was deep into the red zone and touching the "e."

However, upon pulling in, I notice to my horror that I would have to go inside and pay first before pumping the gas. There was no pay at the pump. This is 2008 and there are still gas stations that haven't joined the rest of humanity in this endeavor.

So, I got back in my car and went up the road a little further, not totally convinced how much further I could really go. But I made it and filled up . . . using the comfort of my debit card and not having to go inside and use the long forgotten phrase, "give me $$ on pump 4."

Wesley for VP? Probably not.

I'm thinking that Wesley Clark is no longer on any short list for Obama's VP. His comments on McCain probably did him in. He said that being in that fighter plane and being shot down does not qualify one to be president. Now, actually, that is true. Being a prisoner for 5+ years doesn't qualify you either. Nor does refusing early release so you don't leave any other fellow Americans behind. None of that indeed is an automatic qualifier to be president.

But, do you think Obama wants Clark out there saying that stuff? Nope. I don't think Clark will be welcome campaigning on behalf of Obama anymore. In fact, I'm sure at some point Obama will say, "That is not the Wesley Clark I knew."

A Long Week (but worth it)

This past week, our church hosted Vacation Bible School. We're a church with an average of about 60, so this is a rather large undertaking and basically required everyone to get involved. For the most part, everyone was involved one way or another.

Throughout the week, we had 30 kids, the best part being that 15 of those were unchurched kids from the community. The Bible school itself was a rather traditional program, thrown together by a lot of people not entirely experienced in this area. Each night we had separate sessions for crafts, music, games and Bible stories. The kids had a blast. We ended on Thursday night with a carnival in our parking lot, in which all the parents were also invited. This gave all of us and our pastor a great opportunity to connect with the parents. We even had some people just stop by to see what all was happening (the live pony rides may have had something to do with it).

It was a tiring week, and we are all glad it's done. But we made some great connections in the community. Will we see any of these kids again until next summer? Maybe, maybe not. But once that seed is planted, you never know.

When Hillary Came to South Bend (the rest of the story)

Back in April, during her "Last Gasp Tour" for the presidency, I went to see Hillary Clinton when she came to town. I was able to get up real close and at the end, get her autograph as she was making her way out. There was more to how I was able to get real close, and as Paul Harvey would have said, " . . .and now, the rest of the story."

While I stood in line for Hillary, some of her campaign workers were making their way down the line and asking for volunteers to step out of line and have a chance for a "red ticket." This red ticket would get you on the field and closer to Hillary, instead of just being in the stands (but no, it wouldn't get me in to see Willie Wonka).

But to get a red ticket, you had to stand there with a small group of Hillary supporters and yell out "HILLARY" while the other group yelled out "CLINTON" and back and forth. After watching a group of people do this, I'm thinking, no way, not gonna happen. So, the volunteers continued their way down the line.

Meanwhile, I kept waiting for the gates to open. A bit later, the campaign volunteers came back again asking for more people wanting a chance to get on the field. So this time, I'm thinking, what the heck, when will I ever get this chance again? So, I walk over with a group to get my coveted red ticket.

Here then, is the scenario: Rick Dennie, lifelong Republican, is standing with a group of Democrats yelling out the name of one of the more despised people to ever cross paths with the GOP. Just so I could get a closer look at this person with a last name that drives conservatives crazy.

It's just about now that mom and dad are probably rewriting their will.

College World Series

I hadn't exactly been paying attention to this event, but headlines today caught my eye. The finals are between two bulldogs. Those from the University of Georgia and those from Fresno State University. The Fresno State team has been unranked all year long and beat the #2 team in the nation, North Carolina. The pitcher that sealed the win to get into the series was a transfer student from the College of the Sequoias, located in Visalia, California. When I'm reading this stuff, it's like, hey, I know where that's at!

I may have to check in on these bulldogs and see how they do.

Father's Day

Yesterday was my last Father's Day as a father of 2. Will be adding #3 in the fall. Didn't really do anything all that special. We came home from church and I grilled some sausages and dogs, then just hung out and played with the kids and (real) dogs. For dinner, we pulled out all the stops and had a Tombstone pizza.

Actually, my Father's Day treat came the night before. I said I didn't want to go out and eat on Sunday, but wanted to just spend time with my family doing something else. So, we went to the Tri-Way Drive-in, located in Plymouth, and saw "Kung Fu Panda." For a kids movie, it was actually pretty good. It featured the voices of Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie, and several others. I liked it and the kids certainly did. The place was packed on a Saturday night. There are three screens, although the one playing "You Don't Miss with the Zohan" was pretty sparse. We'll probably have to return to see the new Pixar movie, "Wall E" in a few weeks. The ABBA movie, "Mamma Mia" opens soon. But I'll probably have to go visit Curt to see that, because I don't think anyone else is much of an ABBA fan in my family.

I watched quite a bit of the Lakers-Celtics and was about to go to bed when the Lakers built a pretty good lead with just a few minutes to go. I had switched channels and just before heading to bed turned back, and the Celtics were suddenly just down by 2. The Lakers, after such a collossal choke in the previous game, should have learned how to close out a game. They were lucky to win this one. I would assume the Celtics will finish them off in Boston, but the Lakers could catch fire and stretch it to a game 7, but I just don't see them winning two in Boston.

I'll Miss Russert

This election cycle will definitely be missing something with the sudden death of Tim Russert. He was one of my favorite commentators and who can ever forget his now famous dry erase board with "Florida, Florida, Florida" during the 2000 election. I always looked forward to hearing his analysis. He'll be a hard one to replace.

On Top of the (South Bend) Table Tennis World

Last night, for the first time in my 3 years of playing at the South Bend Table Tennis Club, I finally got to play at the #1 table. I had won the #2 table the previous week, so I had earned the right to move up. There are some really good players at the club, and I had no illusions about actually winning a match against any of them, and I didn't.

However, I did win one game off each of them, which was what I set out to do, although I didn't know if it would happen with them. I just wanted to hang tough with them ("Yo, Adrian, if I can just go the distance . . .").

My USATT rating is 1310, and I won games against those with a rating of 1544, 1627, 1881, 2048, and 2230. The player with the 2230 rating is Dan Seemiller, Jr., the son of the 10-time US national champion. His dad kinda gave him a hard time, "Rick won a game off of YOU?!" It is fun playing against such top-notch players and also fun seeing their reaction when a hack such as myself steals a game from them. In the deciding game, Dan Seemiller, Jr. won quite decisively in a game that was his way of saying, "that last game was a mirage."

Next week, I'll be back down to a lower table and will have to fight my way back up. But it was nice on this one night to be playing against the big guns.

Notes from the Sports World

Stanley Cup - I watched the last two minutes of the finals last night. Detroit won it against the Penguins from Pittsburgh. Okay, I was waiting for the news to come on, that's why I was watching hockey on t.v. Hockey is only enjoyable when seen live, when you can really hear the guys getting crunched against the glass.

Lakers v. Celtics - Certainly brings back memories of the Bird v. Johnson match-ups in the 80's. I remember watching those finals and they were definitely exciting. I'm not sure if this one will live up to the hype. I have a feeling the Lakers could take Boston out in 4. If Kobe gets hot, it's all over, and I'm not sure if Boston will be able to contain him or not.

Belmont Stakes - I only watch horse racing this time of year, in particular when a Triple Crown is at stake. Big Brown is going for it this year. Based on his performance in the Preakness, he should easily win. But then again, so should have several other horses over the years, who easily won the first two races, which is why there hasn't been a Triple Crown winner since 1978. That year was Affirmed v. Alydar, which I followed very closely. Affirmed won the Belmont Stakes literally by a nose. I was a big Alydar fan, so I was disappointed. Actually, I was very disappointed because I didn't see the race live. For some the reason, the local CBS affiliate in California didn't run the race.

Baseball - Cub fans around here are excited once again. They are in first place. So are the White Sox, but they aren't the loyal diehards that Cub fans are. Could this be their year? This will be the 100th anniversary of the last time they won a World Series, so what better time than to break through. I'm sure somewhere Steve Bartman is hoping for redemption. If they do get to the World Series, it would be justice served to have him throw out the first pitch.

Little Sis on the Way

Yesterday, on our anniversary no less, Dorene had an ultrasound to find out the gender of our new baby. Turns out we'll be having a girl. Which is actually what we were both hoping for, although it didn't really matter. Anna called me at work to tell me the news, a far cry from when she totally freaked out when first hearing we were having a baby. She's getting more and more excited about it, just won't necessarily admit it. Cameron has already stated he'll do absolutely anything for the new baby, and he probably will. He'll be a good big brother.

So, now we'll see if we the parents finally begin realizing that, hey, we have a kid on the way. Still hasn't completely sunk in. We haven't run out and bought much of anything, save for a playpen at a garage sale. We're kinda waiting this one out to see what all we need because several people in our church have already given us things, and this kid doesn't need to have 3 outfits a day like we had for Anna when she was born.

Back to our anniversary, yesterday was 13 years, and each one of those years just keeps getting better. We celebrated by going to the new Texas Roadhouse that opened up recently (good stuff). Our pastor watched our kids for us so we could have the night to ourselves. I did get an anniversary present. Anna bought me a box of "Dots" which is one of my favorite candy.

My 25-Year High School Reunion

I just realized this year would be my 25 year class reunion at Tulare Union High School in California. Wow, it's really been that long! If they are having a reunion, I didn't get any notice about it. Although, I kinda figure I wouldn't be going anyway, seeing as it's all the way across the country. Furthermore, I can't say there's anyone I'd be dying to catch up with and see what they are doing these days.

However, that doesn't mean high school was an unenjoyable experience. I actually rather enjoyed my high school and while I was glad to graduate, I didn't leave behind bad memories. I had relatively no friends, but I was an independent spirit anyway and didn't need anyone around me. I associated with many fellow students at school, just not outside of school.

As for the teachers, there were some good ones and some not so good ones. But there were three in particular that when I think back, were actually rather influential:

• Mr. King: I had him for world and U.S. history. I had always enjoyed history but Mr. King made it come alive. He was always good at bringing up relatively obscure facts about historical events that I enjoy. I always remember first hearing from him how Andrew Jackson walked over to a would-be assassin and beat him up with a cane.
  
• Mrs. Walters: I had her for speech and dramatic literature my senior year. Although I was comfortable being on stage, these two classes made it even more so and the next year I'd begin the first of many dramatic productions in college. In this class, I gave a very anti-evolution speech that even the pro-evolution crowd enjoyed.
  
• Mr. Shelburne: I had him for political science my senior year. I'd always been interested in the political process, but Mr. Shelburn really made it interesting. One of our class requirements was to get involved in a local political campaign. I volunteered for the campaign to re-elect Congressman Chip Pashayan. Went to a campaign rally and later that day walked door to door with him. Lots of fun and I've been hooked to the political scene ever since.

But as for that 25th year reunion, I'll just be staying home. Dorene has her 20th reunion coming up, and it's a $40.00 a person affair at a local banquet hall. She's skipping that too.

McClellan Talks

I hear Scott McClellan, the former press secretary, just came out with a book. I always felt that of all the former Bush staff that would be writing their memoirs, he is one that would have a lot of interesting things to say. Evidently, he does, and it's not too complimentary of the Bush administration. There will be a ton of post-Bush material out there in the next year or so, but McClellan's book is one that I will certainly make a point to read.

Indy Returns

Saw the new "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" tonight. Unfortunately, I would call it a rather major disappointment. Maybe that was inevitable, given that it's been almost 20 years from the last one. But this just didn't have the zip or humor of previous installments. The plot was very confusing at times and I wasn't always sure what they were doing and why. The theatre was full and there was very little reaction from the crowd.

The movie was set in 1957, which may also have taken away from the enjoyment, since we were used to seeing Indy battle Nazis. Was just strange seeing him in a more modern setting. Harrison Ford looked good, but the movie overall just didn't grip like the others.

One of the cable networks was replaying all the other Indiana Jones movies recently, and I'd often watch part of them. Boy, those were good. Especially the first one. I have always considered "Raiders of the Lost Ark" as my single most enjoyable movie-going experience. I saw it before it went into general release as a sneak preview. You had to first sit through the 80's masterpiece "Take This Job and Shove it" (huh, never heard of it)? Then, you got to see this new movie, of which I knew nothing more than it was a Lucas/Spielberg collaboration. But wow, what a movie. I don't think I've ever been to a movie that had the crowd so into it. It was great. I went back and saw this in the theatres 4 more times, mainly so I could be there and witness the crowd reaction when Indy shot that master swordsman.

A Late Night at Work

It's 10:15 p.m. and I'm still "working." IU South Bend is a test site for ACT, so I oversee several different tests throughout the year. Tonight, I'm doing the Automotive Service Excellence exam, whcih is kind of funny when you consider my car expertise (hey, I just give the test, I don't grade it). Luckily, no one has ever asked me to clarify a question, because, I mean, what would I tell them? "Uh, yeah, I think in that particular questions they are referring to the actual diameter of the rear axel in relation to the turbine cooling power of the piston rods."

So why do these tests? Well, they pay me pretty good to read instructions, then sit here, make sure no one is cheating, and, well, type in my blog.

We Just Want to Help!

It's mind-boggling what power can do to you. In Myanmar, thousands are dead and thousands more are in desperate need of food and supplies and the military junta is dragging its feet letting aid workers in. Those in power don't want to seem like they don't have control over their people. These kinds of things shouldn't be political, but they are. China could certainly play a role here if they chose to, we'll see what happens. Meanwhile, I read that the military junta did specifically request World Vision to come in and help. I thought that was pretty cool.

Missed Voting Yesterday

I didn't get to vote yesterday, and I believe it's the first time since I cast my first vote (as an absentee) for Ronald Reagan in 1984. I thought the polls closed at 7:00 but it was 6:00. I tried to get back to town in time, but to no avail.

But on the Republican side, there wasn't much to vote on anyway. Mark Souder cruised. Beyond that, wasn't much else. McCain squeaked by, so my vote wasn't needed there. I was glad to see Jill Long-Thompson make it through for governor.

Hillary barely won Indiana but hasn't indicated she'll drop out. It's kind of humorous in a perverse pro-Republican sort of way to see how Democrats are turning on her. Back in January, she was the "it" girl. The presidency was hers for the taking, and how dare anyone criticize her. Now, my fellow co-workers who were praising her name back then are saying how selfish she is for staying in. I mean, they really have turned on her and for years they thought she was the greatest.

Does Hillary realize what she's doing to the party? Her money is pretty much drying up, which should force her to abandon her quest soon. I'm sure that her and Bill just haven't come to terms with the fact their own party is telling them no. Is this a "vast left wing conspiracy" at work? It may be time for her to pack the bags and go back to New York (and hope Obama loses so she can return in 2012 as the "inevitable candidate").

My Consolation Prize

I'm about ready to go to bed. Pretty worn out from a long day of table tennis. Played a total of 9 matches today at the St. Joseph Valley Open, a large annual tournament held at my workplace, IU South Bend.

I didn't win any trophies this time, much to the dismay of Cameron, who came to see me win a trophy. He said I did terrible and as we left, he asked if I was done playing forever (doggone it, he wanted daddy to get that trophy). I told him I played well, was proud of that, you don't always get a trophy, and all that other teachable moment stuff you're supposed to instill in your kids.

I could never quite close the deal today. Three times, I lost to much higher rated players in 5 games. Had I won those, my rating would have really jumped. As it was, it might go up a tad, but not much. My most frustrating loss was to this older guy that I was convinced I would not lose to. I was still convinced I wouldn't lose even as I sat there having lost 3 games to 0. I have no idea what happened there (and a fellow member from the South Bend club, who is very good, also lost to this guy and didn't know how).

Steve had a good day, particularly against a couple of rather poor sports. His rating should jump up. I was late to my match against the old guy because I wanted to see Steve beat one of those poor sports, which he did in 5 games, helped along by a rather amazing return of a smash which the other guy still probably isn't sure how he returned.

Anna had already been thinking ahead. She went to a friend's house but told Dorene to take something to daddy in case he didn't win a trophy. It was a supersize Charms Blow Pop.

It did taste good.

Summer Movies

The brainless summer movie season officially kicks off this weekend with "Iron Man." That one looks like it might be pretty good, although I'm a little leery of comic book movies because there are so many of them now. There's new versions of "Hulk" and "Hellboy" on the way too.

What I'm waiting for is the new "Indiana Jones." The preview looks great. Then the other one I'm most excited about seeing is "The Dark Knight," which takes on a rather poignant tone with Heath Ledger passing away earlier.

Other movies may be hit and miss. There's a version of "Get Smart" with Steve Carrell that could be really funny . . .or really dumb. Of course, the kids will want to see the new Pixar movie, "Wall-E," and no one will want to go with me to see "Mamma Mia," the ABBA musical (they are one of all my all-time favorite groups). A new X Files movies is coming out, although I wonder what appeal that'll have now so long after the series heyday, and how the series kinda fizzled out.

Last year was the summer of Part 3 movies, and most were pretty weak. I haven't heard much of anything else coming out, but definitely I'll be there for Indiana Jones and Batman. Of course, there's also "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2" which has to win the award for the sequel absolutely no one was crying out for.

Cameron Questions the Offering

Once a month, we have what is called "penny march" at church. It's a special offering in which we come forward with coins to place in a big plastic water jug. The money is targeted for a specific purpose every few months (right now, the monies will be used to repair our church van). The offering is designed for the kids, who enjoy coming up and dumping their coins in.

A few weeks ago, Cameron was up there with his friend Lydia. Cameron put his coins in, then watched in horror as Lydia put in a dollar coin. He was like, "Lydia, you can't do that!" He kept peering into the jug and brought the line to a standstill. I know he wanted to get it out but there was no way. He just kept looking in there aghast that she had done such a thing.

The pastor was laughing the whole time as Cameron just couldn't believe one would put a DOLLAR coin in the jug (he had just gotten one from the tooth fairy, so he thought those coins were for more secular purposes).

E-Mail at all Costs

I saw something today I'd never seen. Upon entering the bathroom at work, I saw a cord plugged into the wall. I followed the cord and it led into a stall, where it was plugged into a laptop computer sitting on the floor while the owner, uh, did his business.

Okay, this is finals week at IU South Bend, so maybe it was someone finishing up a paper or cramming for an exam. Maybe they just HAD to read their email, or they were bidding on a Hannah Montana CD on Ebay. Or, perhaps, they were just an idiot.

Hillary Up (real) Close

For the second time in as many weeks, a presidential candidate came to South Bend. I saw Obama in person earlier this month and when Hillary made a return trip on Saturday, I jumped at the chance, figuring this second opportunity to witness history will never again happen in my lifetime. I had my digital camera with me, so these are all my pictures, and you can see I had a good view. The picture above is Hillary making her way to the podium, right in front of me.

The rally took place at our minor league stadium for the Class A Silverhawks. So there was a lot of room and no need for tickets, unlike Obama, which was very difficult to secure a seat for unless you knew someone with a connection. The rally was scheduled to begin at 2:00 p.m. and I think it began at about 2:02 p.m., right on schedule (Obama was 40 minutes late). Pictured on the right are former governor Joe Kernan and Senator Evan Bayh. Hillary was introduced by former congressman John Brademas.

Hillary's speech was quite different than the one Obama gave when I saw him. His was basically a pep rally with little detail (which is by design, he hasn't had to give much detail). Hillary was more specific about what she would do, and with lots of detail. Although, maybe that's been a problem of hers, too much detail. At one point, she's talking about biofuels and NAFTA and China and, I don't know, maybe those things get lost on a lot of the crowds. Some of the applause she got was muted at best. Although, some of this may have to do with the venue. Noise in an open air stadium is quite different than in a compact high school gymnasium where Obama appeared. Her biggest cheers came when she vowed to stick it to the oil companies, make college affordable, and do away with No Child Left Behind (and, of course, bring the troops home).

Overall, a much different atmosphere than the Obama rally. Hillary is just not as good a speaker in this setting. Up close, her age really shows, and the youthful vigor of Obama really does create a striking contrast between the two. There was another contrast that was oh so evident. In scanning the stadium, I could count on both hands the total number of African-Americans in the audience. Hillary has all but totally lost this voting bloc. A far cry from the days when her husband was called "the first black president." Will the two sides unite in time for the general election? Recent history says a party divided will lose in November (see the Democrats in 1968 and 1980, and the Republicans in 1976 and 1992). Could it happen again? I'm just not sure at this point how eager the supporters of the losing candidate will be to join forces with the other.

One thing about Hillary you can't deny, she knows her stuff. But all the experience in the world has been taking a back seat to Obama's "change we can believe in" campaign. She pretty much left Obama alone, until the end. She talked about how his campaign aides were complaining about the last debate and the questions that were asked. She said she was issuing a challenge to a debate with no moderators. My guess is Obama won't go for this. Neither of them did particularly well at the last debate, but Obama particularly showed some cracks in his armor and the last thing he wants is to make people start thinking Hillary's right and he's not ready on "day one" like she says she is.

After she was done, Hillary walked around for a while signing campaign signs and posing for pictures (all of us up close were given a sign). I tried to hand her my sign as she passed by, but to no avail. Then, as I was preparing to take more pictures, my batteries ran out. I changed them and then noticed a break in the line that was waiting for Hillary to come by. I snatched up the spot and the picture to the right is Hillary, seconds before she was standing right in front of me, autographing the campaign sign you see below. I said "Thank you, Senator" and she smiled back and also said "Thank you."

On this day, I wasn't here with my partisan feelings. I wasn't thinking about sniper fire in Bosnia. I was just excited to be a part of history. This is so cool, I love it! So, with apologies to my fellow Republicans who wouldn't cross the street to see a Clinton, it really was an honor for a fleeting moment to be the person that the former First Lady was talking to.

Just One of Those Proud Father Moments

We haven't turned on our air conditioning yet, which makes the upstairs where the kids sleep a little warm. Anna was complaining about it and asked if she could take a fan upstairs. I told her that was fine and that I'd come up later to turn it off so it's not left on all night (Anna was worried about that for some reason).

At about 11:30 p.m., I go upstairs to turn the fan off. Anna did indeed bring it upstairs, but instead of by her, it was next to her little brother's bed keeping him cool.

Skipping Church . . .But For A Cause

I had to miss church this past Sunday because of needing to be at work. Well, actually, I didn't necessarily have to be there, but volunteered to do so. Beginning at noon on Saturday, we had a dance marathon at IU South Bend to benefit the local homeless shelter. This event has been very popular at the Bloomington campus for many years, so it was decided to try it up here.

Advertising was huge, and they even brought in Regis Philbin to kick things off. In talking with our director of student life, I found out that the greatest need for help was during the final couple hours on Sunday morning. No one wanted that shift because it was towards the end when energy would be low, no celebrities would be in attendance, and it was during church hours. I guess you could have a debate over skipping church for this, but aside from the good cause, I was more sympathetic to assisting my fellow colleagues. Many of them I know would've rather been in church, but by the nature of their job, had to be there. They themselves would also be totally exhausted, so the more help, the better.

I haven't heard final dollar amounts, but the event was a success. While I was there Sunday morning, the crowd had really thinned out. A few diehards that had danced the whole 24 hours were still there and an 80's cover band was finishing things out (I hadn't heard Autograph's "Turn up the Radio" for years). They finished off with everyone dancing to what has evidently been a YouTube sensation, "The Evolution of Dance." It's a group dance-along to this guy who goes through a whole bunch of dance moves in about 6 minutes. It seemed kinda fun . . .to those that know how to dance.

So, I don't think I'll burn in hell for helping out with a "dance"event on Sunday. Now, playing ping-pong on Sunday, that could do me in (which does happen in a couple weeks).

Our Weekend Visitors

Friday night, Tom, Paula, Benjamin, Jonathan, and Becky all came up to visit us and spend the night. We had been trying to arrange this for several months and finally we got everyone's schedule to mesh. Curt would have been there but he was away in Memphis for training.

We showed everyone around our new house and the kids were excited to show off their new trampoline. I specifically told Cameron that no matter what Tom, Benjamin and Jonathan told him about what they used to do on their trampoline, to pay them no mind.

For dinner, I brought out pizza from Luigi's, a hole in the wall place in South Bend that has the best pizza in town. We hung out, played games, then had everyone in bed by 9:00 p.m. Okay, not quite, it was closer to 1:00 a.m. before anyone (including our kids) went down. Becky had to go back to work on Saturday, so she drove back at about 10:00 p.m. That was nice she was able to still come up, even for a short time.

In the morning, we did a big breakfast of waffles, bacon, and Jonathan omelettes. Although, by the time everyone actually got up and we ate, it was more of a lunch. In the afternoon, two individuals went shopping at Goodwill, whose names were not Rick, Tom, Benjamin, or Jonathan.

Things kinda wrapped up after Dorene and Paula returned and we bid everyone adieu. It was a fun weekend and we appreciated everyone wanting to come up and hang out with us. We hope to do this again sometime. Next up, we need to get to Stu and Joyce's for some intense volleyball action.

Hillary and Rocky

I thought this was pretty funny. From a recent Weekend Update segment on Saturday Night Live . . .

"Hillary Clinton on Tuesday said she is not a quitter and compared herself to Rocky Balboa, the washed up, over the hill white contender, who, despite a herculean effort, still loses to the charismatic black guy."

Tonight on CNBC . . .

A few nights ago, during Cameron's bedtime prayers, he said, " . . . and I pray that all the stores make a lot of money." I don't know, maybe he's been watching Maria Bartiromo before bedtime, because he evidently is concerned about the economy. I'll have to ask him if he feels we're in a recession or not.

Big Trouble in Little China

This whole Bejing Olympics is suddenly getting interesting. China was going to use this as their big coming out party as a world superpower. Problem is, there are people that seem to think China isn't exactly the most human rights friendly nation in the world. Of course, they are absolutely correct.

China seems to have gotten a free pass for years, but that's not happening now. This torch relay has been a disaster for them. Now, there are already several nations whose leaders will be boycotting the opening ceremony. Bush is being pressured to follow suit. You have to wonder what will happen during the two weeks of the games. Will there be protests taking place, because if so, China can't exactly roll in like Tianamen Square and crush them.

I have been reading a book by author Jung Chang called, "Mao: The Untold Story." Still early on is Mao's life, but my word, I'm not sure this guy has been given the proper monster status reserved for Stalin and Hitler. He's responsible for millions of his own people dying, and all during peacetime in the 50's and 60's. Yet, he's still pretty much revered.

The Olympics are indeed going to put China in the spotlight, but I think they are quickly realizing that they are getting much more than they bargained for. This will be a story to watch in the coming months.