My Millie

The other day I was driving Millie to school. She told me that her friend, a really nice little boy, had asked her to marry him. I quickly said that she was too little to be married. Then this happened.

"I know. But I told him yes. It will be when I am older."

Millie turns 5 on Thursday. She is years away from marriage, obviously, but this conversation filled me with panic, dread, and a heartbreaking love for this amazing little girl. I mean, look at this picture:

I can't imagine my little girl ever leaving us, but that time will eventually come.

When I saw this video today, edited from shots taken by a father over his daughter's first 12 years, it reminded me of yesterday's conversation, and how quickly these kids grow up.

Lotte Time Lapse: Birth to 12 years in 2 min. 45. from Frans Hofmeester on Vimeo.

Five years with Millie have flown by. I will do a better job of enjoying all the rest, and try not to lock her in her room the next time she accepts a marriage proposal.

Awesome Video Saturday CXCIII

This is a pretty amusing ESPN ad:

Excuses

Peggy Noonan wrote this a few weeks ago and I like her critique.

If you jumped into a time machine to the day after the election, in November, 2012, and saw a headline saying “Obama Loses,” do you imagine that would be followed by widespread sadness, pain and a rending of garments? You do not. Even his own supporters will not be that sad. It’s hard to imagine people running around in 2014 saying, “If only Obama were president!” Including Mr. Obama, who is said by all who know him to be deeply competitive, but who doesn’t seem to like his job that much. As a former president he’d be quiet, detached, aloof. He’d make speeches and write a memoir laced with a certain high-toned bitterness. It was the Republicans’ fault. They didn’t want to work with him.
He will likely not see even then that an American president has to make the other side work with him. You think Tip O’Neill liked Ronald Reagan? You think he wanted to give him the gift of compromise? He was a mean, tough partisan who went to work every day to defeat Ronald Reagan. But forced by facts and numbers to deal, he dealt. So did Reagan.

I'm willing to accept and address the numerous flaws of congressional Republicans, but I'm tired of the complaint that the president has failed because Republicans haven't played nice. That's politics. Bill Clinton, like Reagan, knew how to make it work. The president does not.

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Ikealand

I can't really say that I hate Ikea. I want to say that I do, because every time that I go there, buy something, and then return home to assemble it the phrase "I hate Ikea" is sure to exit my mouth.
But in the end, when calm and serenity prevail, I realize that Ikea is a necessary evil. It is cost-effective, to a point, especially if you can overlook the time it takes to put that stuff together.
This is an interesting house, composed exclusively of products made by Ikea.

Scout for Life

I attended a fundraising dinner tonight for our local Boy Scout district. I participated in Scouts for much of my youth, age 11 to 17 or so. I did not achieve the Eagle rank, which I regret, but I still consider my scouting experience to be very valuable.

I know many people who disagree with scouting and it's exclusion of certain lifestyles. It is a private organization, and I think it has an important role. I'm grateful for my scouting memories, and the important things I learned. I look forward to Joseph and Isaac getting involved when they are old enough.

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Ominous Android

This is fantastic viral marketing for the new Alien-related film, Prometheus.

SCIENCE!

This is an interesting article from the WSJ. It explains how a census of Emperor Penguins was conducted using satellites. Through the study, scientists determined that there are many, many more of that penguin species than originally supposed.

It's a great example of how technology is making species health easier to track. It is also a great example of the limitations on our ability to observe the world around us. We often hear about the number of undiscovered species that are out there, or the populations of various common and endangered species. We must remember that much of this is (educated) speculation, and should be treated as such.

I am a great believer in science, and a realist with regard to its limitations.

Health Law in Peril

Based on the opinion expressed in this article, and an interview I listened to on NPR, it seems that the individual mandate included in the President's health care law is in real danger.

This is shocking to many of the law's supporters, who seem to have overlooked that a well-intentioned law could run contrary to the Constitution by extending Federal power beyond it's legal limit. Even if the law fulfils what they see as a moral obligation of government, this does not make it constitutional.

Of course, by the time the Court issues its opinion in the fall, they could uphold the mandate and all this become moot.

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Two-year old kid dancing. Nothing else need be said.

Round-up

Here are a few things that I found interesting today-

• A large Political Action Committee (Super PAC) is now raising money to pay back its founder and primary backer, and perhaps others. Love or hate the Super PAC, at least we live in an era where intense media scrutiny works to provide greater transparency. Needless to say, it is not a cause to which I will be contributing.


• I just used the phrase "needless to say." This is a phrase that is always accompanied by the speaker saying whatever the speaker once thought needed no saying. This phrase belongs in the "with all due respect" (I don't respect you) english language dustbin.


• Newt Gingrich may name a running-mate well in advance of the Republican National Convention. This is funny because by that time Newt may only be in the running for head of his local homeowner's association. The fact that said running mate may be Texas governor Richard Perry means that they'd better "save a pretzel for the gas jets."


• If you are predominantly a mouth-breather, you can now put that hot air to work thanks to a Brazilian entrepreneur. He's invented a device that will let you do a little Darth Vader act, powering little turbines to charge your mobile devices.


• The apparent murder of 16 Afghans by a U.S. serviceman is a terrible, terrible tragedy. It seems clear that the situation there is worse than we are being told, and the return on our very costly investment is smaller and smaller.

Ballin'

So BYU is in the tourney, but in a play-in game against Iona. I'm not terribly surprised. One bracket I saw had us as high as a twelve seed, which seemed generous given our very uneven play this year.

I guess you look for some kind of motivation in a thing like this, and perhaps a feeling of being underestimated will work to our advantage. Time to play like you want it.

If you are interested in doing a bracket, I set up my annual group on ESPN.com. The password is "spotd"

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In light of the upcoming March Madness, here is one funny story from one of the most storied rivalries in the game-

Regulation Disorientation

This article was published in The Economist a few weeks ago. It is a very solid critique of our current, governmental regulatory regime. Bottom line? It's a mess.

I find it ironic that The Economist this, having acted as very outspoken proponents of President Obama, his health care plan, and initiatives like Cap and Trade. A little buyer's remorse?

I have long held that the regulatory morass is a major reason behind the sluggishness of our economic recovery. Even if the economy improves by the November election, it will have less to do with the president's policies and more to do with the innovation endemic in our economic engine.

In fairness, the bad regulation is nothing new, and not unique to either party, but the buck stops at the top.

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Sometimes hilarious, sometimes painful- Golfcart Fail Compilation:

Obama & Vacation

I disagree with the President in many ways, on many things.

I don't care if he and his family go on vacation.

I am concerned about the expense to taxpayers, as I would be about any public official, but the Obama's have resources. They have the flexibility. They want their girls to travel? Fine by me. In the interest of encouraging economic activity, I welcome it.

I don't think he is a good president, but his failures are not due to his vacation choices. This is a sideshow issue, and not worthy of significant focus.

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A speech to end all speeches!



Take that President Obama! In case you hadn't seen it, that video is a few years old.

I think he took his oratorial style from this great episode of The Office:

Pot Calling Kettle

The other day I responded to a Facebook post written by an old High School contact. My response was unexpected, and I failed to follow a few rules of common courtesy that might have prevented any hard feelings, so overall the exchange was unsatisfying.

The reason I commented was that a quote from a Democratic Party leader implied that the DNC & Obama's choice to spurn PAC and Super-PAC money in the upcoming General Election was indicative of the righteousness of their party, candidate, and ideology.

I disagreed, and said as much. It was not well-received.

What are we to make of this news? From CNN's Political Ticker blog:

Obama campaign to support super PAC fundraising

Obviously, it puts the lie to Obama's holier-than-thou approach to super-PAC's in the past.
I wouldn't have had a problem with this strategy had he, and his surrogates, not staked out a philosophical basis for refusing to participate in this way.

Limited RAM

I was rocking my youngest son while feeding him his bedtime bottle. Somehow it made me think of something I have become very good at (maintaining my improved physical fitness) and all of the things I am not nearly as good at (list too long to write).

It made me wonder about our capacity to improve. Is it limited? What limits it? Can we become excellent at many things? Or are most of us limited to one or maybe two?

Think about great performers who excel in professions but fail in personal pursuits. Personally, I think we can be excellent in many things, but it can be exceedingly difficult.

Here's to trying.

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I'm going to have to link to this rather than embed it, as I am away from home. This is video of Conan and his show's new Newt Gingrich impersonator. It's a winner.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWqoaeBnlU4&feature=youtube_gdata_player

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This moved me.

Hello from ant1mat3rie on Vimeo.

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I like this cover of Coldplay's "Paradise"

Romney the Raider II

Powerline has a nice examination of one of Bain's success stories, which Gingrich and Perry have attempted to portray as a failure.

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Romney the Raider

As this article explains, Mitt Romney has been under fire for his time as as head of a private equity firm.

His rivals are attacking him for firing people. This is hilarious, given how this is exactly what Republicans are expecting the next President to do. Do they think cutting government spending will all come from more efficient cost controls? It is not possible. Federal workers will be affected. The next president will need the stomach for it.

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College Football...Adieu

So with Alabama's resounding victory tonight another college football season comes to a close. My teams were disappointing, the hometown team was disappointing, the championship rematch was disappointing to anyone not from Alabamy. In just under 8 full months it will all begin again. And I'll be counting the days. - Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Creating, not Consuming

A friend of mine posted a resolution on Twitter that I thought was excellent. He has decided to spend more time creating and less time consuming and connecting. I like that sentiment, so I am going to try to do a little more creating here, on the blog, than I did last year.

Traditionally I post a lot of videos, link to articles that I like, which I will continue to do, but I also want to spend more time on original thought. We'll see how I do.

Violence in Syria

There are reports of continuing conflict in Syria, this time involving the deaths of hundreds of people. If reports are correct this continues a shameful episode in the rule of Syria's Assad. Our silence on the subject is shameful.

This picture says a lot about the situation there. I don't believe it is photoshopped. I also don't think it reflects the sentiments of all anti-Assad Syrians. I'm not advocating military intervention in Syria, but I would like to see us take a more active role in pressuring the Syrian government on behalf of protestors.

Germs on a Plane

The Wall Street Journal has a frightening article on germs in airplanes and airports. It left me feeling like air travelers have almost no chance of avoiding illness.

One of their suggestions? Move seats if you are sitting by a sickly passenger. Have any of you flown on a plane lately with much extra space? Most of my travel on planes is 4+ hours long. It seems like those flights tend to be more full, so keeping my (less than 3 ounce) container of Purell seems like the way to go.

Early Giving

Here is the first theatrical trailer for The Dark Knight Rises. Merry Christmas-

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I thought 2009's G.I. Joe was a pretty lousy movie. This trailer, for the upcoming sequel, looks pretty great.



Do they really kill Duke?

Rick Perry "Dumb"

Rick Perry's latest campaign ad, "Strong," is a perfect example of why we should all be happy that he has little-to-no chance of winning the Republican nomination:



It seems a bit desperate, playing to some of the basest fears, implying that our military, full of openly-serving gays, is related to the erosion of religious freedom in schools.

If someone is willing to take up arms in defense of their country, their sexuality is not a concern of mine, unless it becomes a detriment to their work. This is true of heterosexuals as well.

I thought this was a pretty hilarious skewering of Perry's poor analogy, from Lucas Kavner in the Huffington Post.

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Since the only thing I seem to have the will to post these days are videos, here is one that made me smile. I like it because the guy seems to be having fun and bothering no one. I don't mind these kinds of wacky displays, and they generally cheer people up.

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It's been almost a month since my last post! This video is great.

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You're welcome.

A few favorites

Favorite image from today-
Isaac begging for a peach, doing a little dance of desperation at Lacy's feet.

Favorite statement-
Joseph saying that his name should be "Joseph Constrictor" because he is such a great hugger.

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Faith

The prominence of Mitt Romney, and to a lesser extent Jon Huntsman, has prompted tremendous media attention toward my church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

I have always been an active Mormon, participating in meetings and activities. I served a two-year mission, attended church-owned BYU, msrried my wife in one of the Church's temples and serve actively in my local congregation. My experience is not uncommon, but reflects certain choices.

Not everyone makes those choices, but that does not make their faith, or their heritage based on that faith, any less valid than my own.

Brandon Flowers, lead singer of The Killers, grew up in the Church. He has not been as devout, or followed as orthodox a path as I have, but as he explains in this video, his faith guides his choices and he still has a belief in what he was taught as a boy and young man.



As someone who has experienced the traditional pattern, I appreciate his words and experience. We are a diverse faith, more so every day, and I am proud to belong.

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This looks fun-

Time to Say Goodbye

After 11 years with my beloved Honda Accord, it was time to say goodbye. On Monday I visited the local BMW dealership to take a second drive in a used BMW 335i. I intended to have them appraise the Honda, not to buy the car that very day, but as I pulled back into the lot one of the salesmen asked me for the keys so that he could take another prospect out for a drive.

After eyeing this car for several weeks, seeing the price drop $2k, I wasn't about to let it slip away, so after a short bit of haggling and the always-longer-than-expected business, I drove off with a new car.

It's been a fantastic choice. I spent 9 hours driving on Wednesday to see some clients and I was always glad to get back behind the wheel. The car is fast, has precise handling, and great seats.

Unfortunately I picked up a large screw in one of the tires this morning. The car has run-flat tires, which cannot be patched, and are expensive to replace. Fortunately I purchased a road hazard warranty, and am now waiting in the service area of the dealership. Unfortunately, the Wendy Williams Show is playing on the television. Ugh. Fortunately, I have my iPad.

Here is the old girl and the new girl.

I don't miss the old one.


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Death of an Icon

As you already know, Steve Jobs has died. I thought this New York Times obituary was excellent.

He was an incredible innovator.

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Conference Time

We've spent much of the last two days viewing the General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This post explains why the Church holds these semiannual meetings.

It is something we look forward to, as it provides a periodic opportunity to receive wise counsel from Church leaders and to reflect on our own lives.

You can find more information, transcripts, and videos at LDS.org.

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This made me laugh... a lot.

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Most of you may have seen this, but it's a great video.

A War on Beef

I am fond of calling myself a meatacheesatarian. I like meat and I like cheese, so it is an apt description. Lately I've been mostly a leanmeatcottagecheesatarian, but it still works.

While at the HiddenOakChick-fil-aSpiritNight, Joseph noticed that Chick-fil-a now has an iPad app. Joseph is adept at convincing me to add apps that appeal to him, and I thought, why not add this one? I love their delicious chicken and waffle fries. I like that they close on Sundays. The cow thing is a good gimmick. I agreed to download it and we decided to check it out at bedtime.

Included in the app are several comics featuring superhero cows. We received a few of these last year when they were part of the kid's meal. In my recollection they were pretty innocuous, so we read Gristle Missile first. I didn't realize how strong their message was. Mr. Cathy, the CEO and son of the founder want us to believe that the moral of the story is to have initiative. The true, hidden meaning is that eating beef is evil.

I had to answer uncomfortable questions tonight:

"Daddy, why is he taking the hamburgers?"
"Why doesn't he want people to eat meat?"
"Is he going to break into our house and steal our beef?"

The last question actually hasn't come up- yet. Do you see where I'm going? In Decibell, the evil mastermind is the proprietor of a "beef buffet," whose aim is to hypnotize the city into eating only his food.

Just as with celebrities with pet causes, I'm looking at you Bob Barker, I don't want to be told what to think. I want to be ENTERTAINED. I want to have a culinary experience at Chick-fil-a, not be preached an exclusionary, anti-hamburger message.

Just make me my chicken. I'll do the rest.

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TV Review: The Sing-Off

After the blessed miracle of getting all the kids in bed before 8PM, Lacy and I settled down to watch a little television. We settled on the NBC show, The Sing-Off.

The show started, and there were a lot of people on the stage, in fancy clothes, hair-dos and happy faces. They sounded pretty good too. Then something started to happen... I remembered that I generally don't care for a capella groups.

It's not that I don't respect the talent required, or enjoy the occasional performance. I think it stems from this period when I was at BYU and a capella groups seemed to spring from everywhere, unbidden. It's the cutesy, themey, look-at-me aspect that annoys me.

Fortunately, Lacy decided that the over-long intros of the judges was boring, and I agreed. 5 minutes in and we were done. I hope you have enjoyed my review.

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Austin

For the purposes of this post, the game which took place in Provo last night did not occur. I prefer my happy memories.

We recently returned from Austin, TX, where we watched BYU play Texas in a close game, and I thought a travelogue was in order. We were fortunate to have our friends Matt and Amber Nielsen with us. They have been great friends for a long time, and Matt and I go back to freshman year at BYU over 14 years ago.

Austin is a great town. As soon as we arrived, we went to see the Texas State Museum. Did you know that Texas was once it's own country? If you didn't, you would after about 1 minute in that museum. and if you missed that mention of it, you would have an opportunity to hear it again every 10 steps or so. Texans do not do small. It was a very nice museum, with some very nice artifacts.

We were hungry at that point and headed to a restaurant that I found on Urbanspoon- Curra's Grill. We had an outstanding meal with excellent service. Each of us ordered enchiladas, choosing from something like 15 different sauces. I chose a Mole sauce that was fantastic. We had great tamales and guacamole. We were very full.

After that we watched the bats feed underneath the Congress Bridge near downtown. It was interesting, but anticlimactic given how highly it ranks as a tourist attraction. There were a lot of bats.

We had breakfast the next morning at The Magnolia Cafe. Delicious. Seemed a favorite hangout of many of Austin's quirkier citizens. We met some very friendly Longhorn fans.

We enjoyed visiting some off the quirky shops in the SoCo (South Congress) area, especially a candy shop, the name of which I don't remember. I learned that there are many, many, many used boots for sale in Austin.

We then toured the state Capitol, which was more interesting than the museum. Did you know Texas was once it's own country?





We had a decent lunch before the game at Darrell K. Royal Stadium. It is a giant stadium, and we were at the very top. Here we are, with a fortunate backrest.



The fans were great, very welcoming, and despite the sad outcome for BYU it was a great trip. I hope to return.

We were fortunate to have my sister and brother-in-law welcome our three kids into their family of 6 for the weekend. We were grateful to know that the were in such good hands.

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A born storyteller:



Arcing, sparking, blowing up.

01 to 11

I love The Boston Globe's online Big Picture series. They pick a theme, in this case photos of Ground Zero from 9/11/01 to 9/11/11, and tell the story in pictures. Often these are breathtaking and moving, and the edition I've linked to above is no exception.

Legooooooo!

This a great video about a guy who loves Legos, and has made a career of it.

More than Football

Coming off an exciting day of college football, I have enjoyed this article about the men who were playing for Army and Navy on Sept. 11, 2001.

They would take their fight to real battlefields soon after, and their stories and reflections are worth reviewing as we contemplate the legacy of that day.

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Four Pinnochios

That is the verdict on a claim that President Obama made the other day, in a speech on jobs and the economy.

According to The Washington Post "Fact Checker," Obama's claim that he helped engineer the "biggest middle-class tax cut in history" is untrue. They come down especially hard on him given their belief that this was a willful twisting of the truth.

Be prepared for more of that in this evening's speech.

Moon Junk

It looks like we made a mess on the moon. Or at least left some of our junk behind.

The cool thing is that now you can see it, for yourself, through the eyes (lens) of the Lunar Observer.

Click the link for more.

Unforgettable

These images, taken by James Nachtwey and featured on TIME's website, are a haunting reminder of what happened on September 11, 2001.

It is hard to believe that ten years have passed.

There's Good in the World

My friend Irene posted a fantastic story on her blog. Check it out.

Backsliding?

I watched the Miami Hurricanes lose a close game tonight. On Facebook, a friend commented that the Canes are my drug, that I should quit, but I can't. There is some truth to this, at least in terms of my relationship with college football in general.

I had a turning point during a 2003 game, Miami vs Virginia Tech. Complete annihilation by a hated rival left me convinced That I was too affected by the outcomes of these games. I've made a concerted effort since that time to divorce myself from the emotions of the game, with some success. It is interesting that the emotional relapses are that much more jarring as a result. The contrast is mor extreme.

A few games come to mind, including BYU's 2009 loss to FSU and last year's loss to Utah. Tough losses, but fortunately not as bad as that 2003 game against VT, or the 2001 BYU loss to Hawaii, or worst of all, Fiesta Bowl 2002.

So yeah, I'm still hooked, but I'm functioning. For now.

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Nothing to Show

That might not be fair actually. After nearly three years in office, President Obama did authorize the mission that ended Osama Bin Laden's life. Other than that? Meh.

He continues to use his credibility and capital unwisely. The latest example is his upcoming jobs speech. Michael Barone looks at the kerfuffle over its scheduling. To me it is another example of the president's leadership failings.

Believe it or not, I wanted the president to succeed. He has had some significant challenges. More often than not, he has made the wrong choice. This is especially evident in his economic stewardship. We are paying the price for that.

Huntsman

This is a very interesting article about John Huntsman.  I have to admit that I have been dismissive of his candidacy. This article challenged my assumptions about him. Whether he has a chance will depend almost entirely on the New Hampshire primary. I think I'll reserve my judgement until that point, but he's caught my interest.

More to the Story

I'm convinced that there is more to the situation at the University of Miami than meets the eye. I do think that significant violations occurred, which will result in probation and scholarship reductions among other things. But I think that some of his accusations will eventually show themselves to be false.

For some columns taking this more cautious side of the story, read Jason Whitlock. He's used his Twitter account to challenge Charles Robinson, the author of the Yahoo! Sports story, to an appearance on his podcast. Robinson has not accepted, which is his right, but I think it weakens the credibility of the story. Either way, this will be a long, difficult season for Miami.

Back?

I haven't been blogging much lately. It's been due to a variety of things, including a lack of time in the evening AND a lack of inclination when free time rolls around. It's not that I haven't had things that I wanted to write about. Just that nothing has filled me with urgency. But now that the college football season is upon us, and the presidential primaries are not far away, the fire is igniting. Still, the tentative nature of this post's title reveals the truth that life will trump the blog at some point, again.

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Miami Malaise

I'm sure that I've written about how the University of Miami football program had changed it's ways. It seemed that since the days of Butch Davis, compliance with NCAA regs was much improved.

Dupe that I was, I believed it.

My first impulse, on reading reports like this one, was that this Shapiro was a lying twerp out for vengeance. After reading more, and seeing some of the reports corroborated, Occam's razor would indicate that there is significant and disturbing truth to the allegations.

I took some pleasure in the recent troubles at Ohio State and USC. They seem penny ante compared to what seemed to be happening at the U.

It looks like that magic 2001 season was not a part of Shapiro's reign of improper activities. I suppose I have that memory to comfort me until all this is behind us, whenever happens. And of course, I have my chief love and alma mater, BYU.

This is a shameful story. For now, I'm done.

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On Quality

This post was prompted by an especially good package of cottage cheese. I imagine some of you have noticed variations in quality between different iterations of your favorite products. I have a specific preference for Breakstone's Cottage Cheese. Sometimes the cottage cheese is drier, if that makes sense, and sometimes there is more moisture in the package. I like it drier, and it tends to happen 1 time in 3 or 4.

The same is true of Frosted Mini Wheats. Sometimes the cereal seems fresher, crisper from the time the package is opened. There doesn't seem to be any pattern to when the best boxes will be there.

What's the reason for this? Is there one? Deep thoughts for a Sunday night.

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A Ragnar Relay is a team race that is very long, usually around 190 miles. Some people I know (and don't know) ran the race dressed as characters from Lord of the Rings. It looks like they had some fun.

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Lucasfilm (George Lucas' company) is behind a film looking at the story of the Tuskeegee Airmen. I was very enthused by the trailer.

Bet on Beck

John Beck is one of my all-time favorite BYU quarterbacks. His last-second win over Utah in his final season will forever be a treasured memory.

He is fighting for the starting quarterback slot on the Washington Redskins. From an effort standpoint, he would win it. But there is more involved. Washington is a tough market, with a difficult owner and little patience. We'll see what happens. If he gets a chance, he will have better tools at his disposal than he did during his abysmal season playing for the Dolphins.

Pyongyang Holiday

Ever been to North Korea? No? Few outsiders have. The Atlantic has some fascinating pictures from inside North Korea, and it shows an interesting and paradoxical place.

Tripping in Cali

We had a great trip to California to visit Lacy's family. For excellent photos, I suggest that you visit my sister Lillie's blog. She is a great photographer, and in this post, and several others, she shows a little bit of what we enjoyed.

I ate at Cafe Rio twice (excellent), In-n-Out once (excellent), Cheesecake Factory (excellent). Not very creative options, but still... excellent. The weather was great, as was the company. The ocean was cold. There were dolphins and snakes and children. All wild.

We toured the Reagan Library, quickly- at the kid's pace. It was impressive, a fitting tribute to the man. We ate superb, butter-filled pancakes in Du-Par's in Oxnard. I'd seen the place mentioned in books by Michael Connelly, a favorite author of mine, and wanted to give it a try. We ordered too much food.

We wanted to try a local burger place called The Habit (in Santa Barbara), but long lines and little seating made it a no-go for increasingly rambunctious Isaac. It was a great trip.

Here is a great photo of my beautiful Lacy, and of our family, taken by Lillie.

Justice Lost

Whether or not you thought the Casey Anthony verdict was a miscarriage of justice, this story from Mexico easily tops it.

A young man BEHEADED four people on orders from a Mexican drug cartel and got 3 years. THREE YEARS. And the creep was on his way to San Diego when he was apprehended. Read more of the news brief here.

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Giving Back

Jonathan Vilma is one of my all-time favorite Hurricanes. He was and is an extremely intelligent player, and he is making a significant contribution to his Alma Mater.

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Olympic Future

I've been on vacation for a while, but I hope to resume more regular posting.

The 2012 London Olympics are next summer. These are some fantastic photographs of some of the venues.

In the same vein, this is an interesting article about some of the names that you cared about three years ago, and will probably care about again.

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Slipping this one in at the last minute- I am and have been firmly in the "Michael Jordan will not be surpassed" camp. Watch this video, and tell me what you think.

On Judgement

I, like many of you, have been fascinated by the outcome of the Casey Anthony trial. I didn't have the visceral reaction of many, and I'm not consumed with an overwhelming conviction that a miscarriage of justice has occurred.

If anything, the outcome of the case reassures my faith in the justice system. It seems that the jurors were very uncomfortable with the choice that they had to make. They simply felt that the evidence was not sufficient to support a guilty verdict.

I served on a jury for a case that was very simple. The deliberations were quick, and no one really doubted the choice to be made. Despite this fact, we all were impressed by the responsibility placed upon us to decide correctly according the the law and the facts as they were presented to us.

I agree completely with this op-Ed from today's WSJ, written by well-known attorney Alan Dershowitz. It is worth reading.

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Happy Independence Day

I am grateful for this great country. I had a fantastic day with my family, culminating in a great dinner with some new friends and our own mini firework show.

I wanted to share this delicious recipe for tacos de carne asada. the part I was most impressed with was the mojo or marinade. I grilled both flank steak and skirt steak on my trusty Weber One-Touch. I continue to be a charcoal user, and that grill is almost foolproof.

What's more American than tacos, right?

We are exceptionally blessed, and I'm grateful for 235 years of America.

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Transforming

Lacy and I went to see Transformers: Dark of the Moon last night and I found it to be extremely enjoyable. It is loud, visually noisy, often logically inconsistent and I think I was smiling the entire time.

This is one of those films that dramatically divides critic and common moviegoer. The lack of "quality" films is often lamented, as all of the money, hype and attention goes to support these kinds of blockbusters. In patronizing Transformers I become part of that problem, but as I Tweeted yesterday, it is the fun part.

The special effects were superb, with an extraordinary melding of real and virtual. As someone who has enjoyed FX-driven films since I was a very young boy, Transformers is high art. And this one was better than the 2nd film, by a wide margin, although in reviewing my blog I wrote very favorable of the first two.

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What the Frack?

Have you ever heard of fracking? It isn't a euphemism for something unmentionable on a family blog like mine. It is the name for a process used to release natural gas from once-thought-unprofitable deposits.

While at a meeting a few weeks ago, I heard an industry expert explain how a significant investment in improving the nation's natural gas infrastructure could significantly reduce our reliance on petroleum. This would have a tremendous impact on our economic and national security.

The method is not without its detractors, but as this WSJ editorial explains, the potential benefits appear to justify them.

The question for the rest of us is whether we are serious about domestic energy production. All forms of energy have risks and environmental costs, not least wind (noise and dead birds and bats) and solar (vast expanses of land). Yet renewables are nowhere close to supplying enough energy, even with large subsidies, to maintain America's standard of living. The shale gas and oil boom is the result of U.S. business innovation and risk-taking. If we let the fear of undocumented pollution kill this boom, we will deserve our fate as a second-class industrial power.

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Love Letter

This man's post reads like a love letter...to the A10 Thunderbolt.

It is a remarkable airplane, and although I've admired it for a long time, I didn't know anything about it's history or the specifics of its giant Gatling gun.

It's a quick read, and worth the time if you have the slightest interest in military aviation.

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Awesome Video Saturday CLXIX

I have been a lazy blogger lately. The AweVidSats have been the only thing I've been doing. I couldn't resist this video of an 8 month old baby hearing his mom for the first time with the use of a Cochlear Implant.



It is a beautiful moment.

Awesome Video Saturday CLXVIII

Two videos, one of a weird guy who walks into an interview, and the other demonstrating how creepy infomercials really are-

Awesome Video Saturday CLXVII

11:30 PM 6/11/2011- I'm not sure if this was some kind of sneaky marketing or something bogus. Either way, the videos are gone. I will try to find them later.

I am a sucker for all-things-Batman. The Dark Knight easily ranks as one of my all-time favorite movies. As a result, I am enormously excited about The Dark Knight Rises, due in theaters next year.

The following two videos are purportedly part of a viral marketing campaign for the movies, and both include a crowd chanting something. We'll see if and how they link up. Do I really have to wait another year?

Awesome Video Saturday CLXVI

I think this is one of the greatest videos that I've seen in a long time.

El Segundo Partido

Tonight the Heat have a chance to put Dallas into a difficult hole if they can win game 2. Here are some good reads about the series and the Heat themselves:

• Dan Le Batard has a great story about the members of the Miami Heat who are actually from Miami. I particularly like Udonis Haslem's story.
• Jason Whitlock is done rooting against LeBron James. It's not too late to get religion Tom Proctor!
• The WSJ's Jason Gay looks at Dwyane Wade, who is the kind of player and teammate who could draw, not just LBJ and Bosh, but Haslem and others to the Heat.

19-18 Heat with 3 minutes to go in the 1st. Go Heat!

Finalize Pt. 2

I may need to revise that last post... That was a gritty win for the Heat. I think Dallas will win at least two in the series, but the killer instinct in the 4 quarter only belongs to Miami right now.

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Finalize

I think the Heat-Mavs series will go 7 games, though if Miami plays much like they have to start the 2nd half of the game, I will be proven wrong.

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Unfit Parents

As a parent, I've learned that it is important to respect other parents right to raise their children as they deem appropriate. Of course, abuse or neglect should never be tolerated, but outside of that parents should get some benefit of the doubt.

Unless of course, are like these idiots, who have chosen to raise their children free of gender identity.

As the friend who shared the article this on Facebook said, I feel sorry for the children.

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Poco Loco

The New York Times looks at some of the people that have bought into the Camping Rapture Prediction. It originates with a prediction by Harold Camping that the rapture will take place on Saturday, May 21st (TOMORROW!!!). Camping has been wrong before (obviously).

I hope they interview them on Sunday.

Dennis Rodman - All-time MVP?

The WSJ's Daily Fix blog has an interesting post about the value and superlative rebounding ability of Dennis Rodman. They point to an analysis of Rodman's career which concludes that Rodman may have been better at his best thing (rebounding) than any other player has been at their best thing.

It's an interesting analysis.

The End of a Media Titan

Dick Ebersol has resigned as the head of NBC Sports. He has been an extremely influential sports media figure for decades.

SI's Joe Posnanski has some thoughts from a recent interview with Ebersol, and gives his own opinion of the Ebersol era.

The Power of Self-Reliance

These are some incredible photos, published on the Daily Mail (UK) website. Homeowners in Mississippi and elsewhere have created their own dams and levees to protect their homes from ongoing flooding.

It demonstrates the importance of making your own contingency plans whereever possible. Everyone should have water, gasoline, and some kind of food stored for emergencies.

Drudgery

The New York Times has a good piece on the the staying power of Matt Drudge and The Drudge Report.

I have been checking Drudge daily for almost 11 years. On many occasions it has been my first source for major breaking news, and I imagine that won't change anytime soon.

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Inconsistency

This is sharp commentary on the arrest of IMF chief Dominique Strauss Kahn.

This will be a fascinating case to watch.

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Forethought

This is an interesting article about the vision of a Japanese mayor, who overcame opposition to construct a high floodgate to protect this town from a tsunami.

He did so decades before the March earthquake and tsunami, to the great benefit of his people.

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Roundball

I'm enjoying this close game between the Heat and the Bulls. It is hard to get a sense for who will win this series.

I enjoyed this story from Bill Simmons with his opinion on Phil Jackson's retirement. There are some good insights there.

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Awesome Video Saturday CLXV

A compilation of terrible video game voice acting...with visual interpretation. Amusing.

For the Moms

Social media certainly has it's negative elements, including, but not limited to, oversharing of personal information. Fortunately there are days like today, Mother's Day, where the public forums are filled with heartfelt and sincere expressions of love and admiration. I have been touched many times today by what has been written about mothers and motherhood.

Motherhood is a godly responsibility. It involves selflessness and devotion, and I believe women are uniquely able to provide those qualities. My own mother has been an exemplar of such things, and I was fortunate enough to marry a woman cut from the same cloth. This is no surprise given how wonderful her mother is. I am grateful for these mothers who have blessed and continue to bless my life.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

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ROI

This Op-Ed by Allysia Finley provides two insights, neither of which is surprising, but still worth reading.

1. Many people are paying far too much for their college education, relative to the return on that investment.

2. Most of the fiscal woes of State and local governments can be traced to the very generous compensation given to public sector employees. This is not sustainable unless taxes are increased or other expenses reduced.

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Up, Down, Left, Left, Right...

This column by Eric Snider is an instant classic. I dare you not to laugh...I DARE YOU!

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Fakespiration

Shortly after the celebrations of Bin Laden's death were shown, many people lamented the glorifying of his violent end. They found moral backing in a quote from Martin Luther King, Jr., that was not actually written or spoken by him.

It is a fascinating look at how misinformation can spread on the Internet very, very quickly. The sentiment behind the quote is a good one, and I don't blame anyone who feels that way.

By the way, I continue to be very happy that Bin Laden is dead. I am glad that he didn't just die peacefully, but that some rough men took him out the hard way. It was just. If I ever become a mass-murdering, bigoted, and evil man I give each of you license to throw a party when I earn my just reward. In today's New York Post, the section on Bin Laden carried the subtitle "Rot in Hell" on each page.

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Dark Side

As I have some time on this flight I am going to prepare a few posts, like this one, for publishing when I land and reconnect to the web.

In nearly every industry I can imagine, there are other industries that have sprung up to support them. I am sitting in front of two young men who work as professional pollsters for political campaigns. Firms like the ones that they work for can generate high fees and have become an integral part of the electoral process. My own career is supported by technical and legal subindustries specific to my field. Intercollegiate sports is no different.

Pete Thamel of the New York Times wrote an excellent article about the shady elements that surround the collegiate recruiting. Read it and see if you agree that folks like Caldwell don't belong in any high schooler's living room.

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Death to Evil

I have an early flight scheduled for tomorrow, and JUST as I was getting ready to go to bed, I check my Twitter feed and see the reports that Osama Bin Laden is dead.

This would be a just use of deadly force if there ever was one, and I'm thrilled that he will not have the benefit of using our judicial system to his end.

This is an important step in a long struggle, but it's not the end.


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