The Love Of A Brother

Yesterday, my five year old daughter lost her first tooth. Having two older brothers she knew all about the tooth fairy and that she could get a little bit of money if she stuck her tooth under her pillow. She took her tooth and stuck it in a ziploc bag and then stuck it under her pillow.

I got the kids up for school, and like usual, they were a little groggy, but I woke them up and told them it was time for school. So while the kids were getting ready for school I decided to make breakfast. I was making eggs with sausage and potatoes and such, when my 13 year old came out to see what I was doing. I had asked him to go check on his sister and brother and make sure that they were getting up for school. He left and then came back a few minutes later. After I was done cooking breakfast, I went and checked on the other two once again.

My daughter was awake and she hadn't forgot about her tooth at all. She immediately looked under her pillow and found a dollar. Not much, but to a five year old, a dollar is like a million bucks. She was so excited. I was thinking in my head that I was grateful that my wife had remembered to put a dollar under her pillow because I had forgotten all about her tooth. Typical guy thing to forget about that type of stuff.

I went back into the kitchen and started making breakfast burrito's with the food that I had cooked. A few minutes later, my 13 year old came up to me and said, "Here dad". He laid something on the counter, but there was a pot in the way and I couldn't see it. I looked around the pot and still didn't see it. I asked him what it was and he picked it up and said, "It's Harley's tooth". I looked at him and said, "How in the world did you end up with her tooth?" Then he told me that when he went into her room to wake her up he looked under her pillow and noticed that my wife and I had both forgotten to replace the tooth with some money. So he told me that he got some of his own money and replaced the tooth with it. When I heard that he had done this, I immediately got all choked up and began to tear up. I gave him the biggest hug ever and thanked him.

It just amazes me how much our children take care of their brothers and sisters and even bail out their parents when their parents forget. We all forget at sometimes, and it's the best feeling in the world to know that we have children looking out for us! God bless the children of this world.

Will there ever be another Michael Phelps?

History has been made.  Michael Phelps has gotten 8 Gold Metals in the 2008 Summer Olympics.  Something that no other person in Olympics History has ever done before. 

But here is the real question, will this ever happen again?  Is there anybody out there that can match the feat of 8 Gold Metals in a single Olympics?  I have been hearing that what Michael Phelps has done may never happen again.  I have also heard that it WILL NEVER happen again.  But how can they be so sure?  Even though it has been 36 years since Mark Spitz received 7 Gold Metals in a single Olympics, it was finally surpassed by Michael Phelps.  Many thought that Mark Spitz's record could not be broken.  Obviously that is not the case.  So can another swimmer match the accomplishment of Michael Phelps?  Sure.  I mean, why not?

On May 6th, 1954, Roger Bannister did what the "experts" said could not be done.  Bannister ran a mile in under 4 minutes.  For years the "experts" said that this could not be done.  Many had tried and many had come only seconds short, but none had succeeded in breaking the 4 minute mile.  Because no one was able to do it, people just assumed that it was impossible. 

Even more incredible than that was that just 46 days after Bannister broke the 4 minute mile, another man by the name of John Landy, of Australia, broke Bannisters record.

On August 7, at the 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Vancouver, B.C., Bannister competed against Landy for the first time in a race billed as "The Miracle Mile". They were the only two men in the world to have broken the 4-minute barrier, with Landy still holding the world record. Landy led for most of the race, building a lead of 10 yards in the third lap (of four), but was overtaken on the last bend, and Bannister won in 3 min 58.8 s, with Landy 0.8 s behind in 3 min 59.6 s. Bannister and Landy have both pointed out that the crucial moment of the race was that at the moment when Bannister decided to try to pass Landy, Landy looked over his left shoulder to gauge Bannister's position and Bannister burst past him on the right, never relinquishing the lead.

As more and more people knew it was possible to break the 4 minute mile, more and more people trained to break it and break the records of Landy and Bannister.  Within 10 years after Bannister broke the 4 minute mile, 336 other people had broken the 4 minute mile as well.  If you look at today's runners, more and more of them are breaking the 4 minute mile as well.  Most runners who run a mile in the Olympics as fast as they can are able to break the 4 minute mile.  The difference is not dramatic between runners, but the fastest person to ever run the mile was Hicham El Guerrouj of Morocco in 1999 at a time of 3:43.13.

My point is simple.  People can match what Michael Phelps has done with a pure determination to do so.  All it takes is a little bit of effort.  Michael Phelps had the determination to get 8 Gold Metals in a single Olympics and surpass Mark Spitz and he did.  If there is another swimmer out there with as much determination or even more determination than Michael Phelps, then the impossible becomes possible.

It's Wednesday April 23, 2008 and the first thing that I want to talk about is these 6 girls in Indiana who cops are calling the copycats girls. These are 6 girls that decided to copy the 6 girls in Florida by pretending to be cool with another girl and then beating the crap out of her. Like the 6 girls in Florida, these girls also videotaped the beating of the one girl, the only difference is that these girls actually were able to get their video onto You Tube before getting busted by police. My question is why in the world did these girls decide to do this? I mean, didn't they see that the Florida girls got busted for doing such a thing? You didn't even hear of the Florida girls until after they got busted. Who in their right mind says, "I want to be just like the girls in Florida and get 5 of my best friends and beat the crap out of some other girl just to get my 15 minutes of fame"?

So there is this video of a guy on You Tube and he's calling himself "The Trashman". He claims to have had sex with over 1500 women and given them AIDS on purpose. He has this list of names that he reads off that he claims are names of the women that he has slept with. Several of the girls are like 16 and 17 years old so he claims. So this guy is admitting that he has given women AIDS on purpose and slept with underage girls. Doesn't this guy realize that police can trace back to the exact computer that this video on You Tube was uploaded from?

So what's going on this week on You Tube? Is it like dumb criminals week? Everybody that has done a retarted crime decides to admit it by posting it on You Tube?

Now this story is really sad, and I don't mean to poke fun at it, but it just sounds a bit off. This guy in Minnesota takes his 9 year old son out hunting with him, and while there out there his father shoots his son right in the chest. The boy dies from the wound, but when police arrive, he claims that he shot his son because he thought that his son was a turkey. First of all, I can understand a person taking their son out hunting with them, but who lets their son walk off in the middle of the woods by themself when they get there? Did he not notice that his son wasn't there or did he just let him wonder off. Then when he shoots his son, he shoots him right in the chest. You mean to tell me that he couldn't tell that wasn't a turkey. The difference between a nine year old boy and a turkey is outstanding.

Have you heard about this new cup of coffee that Delonghi? It's called the Cafe Raro and it's an amazing $100 a cup or $290 per pound. However you might be just a little bit turned off when you find out how they get the coffee beans to make the Cafe Raro. The makers of the Cafe Raro let a Japanese cat known as a Civet eat the coffee beans and then wait until the cat passes them out the other end. Then the beans are taken out, cleaned, packaged up, and shipped off. Now I bet that makes for one great tasting cup of Cappuccino. Or should we say, "cat poo ccino"?

Finally I just want to say one more thing about the Susan Crane incident that happened at the University of Maine. I have been hearing a lot of people say that Susan Crane had a right to do what she did. That's not true. According to the US Code, Title 18, Part 1, Chapter 33, Section 700 she does not have the right to do what she did. Nobody has a right to do what they want to to the American Flag. Look it up yourself if you don't believe me. Messing with the American Flag can cost you a year in jail, it can cause you to be fined, or both. So please stop saying that Susan Crane had a right to deface the American flag, because she didn't.

Meanest Mom On The Planet

Jane Hambleton has dubbed herself the "Meanest mom on the planet." However, I'm not so sure that I wouldn't have done the same thing as she did to her son if I was in her situation.

Her son, who is 19, was found to have alcohol in his car. So what did the mother do as punishment? She sold his car, but not in the most conventional way. Sure she put an add in the local paper advertising the sale of the car, but here is exactly how it read:

"OLDS 1999 Intrigue. Totally uncool parents who obviously don't love teenage son, selling his car. Only driven for three weeks before snoopy mom who needs to get a life found booze under front seat. $3,700/offer. Call meanest mom on the planet."

When Mrs. Hambleton bought the car for her son around Thanksgiving, she says that she set two ground rules for her son. 1.) No Booze and 2.) Always keep your doors locked. Obviously the son never heard the first rule.

"The ad cost a fortune, but you know what? I'm telling people what happened here," Hambleton says. "It's overwhelming the number of calls I've gotten from people saying 'Thank you, it's nice to see a responsible parent.' So far there are no calls from anyone saying, 'You're really strict. You're real overboard, lady."

The only critic is her son, who Hambleton says is "very, very unhappy" with the ad and claims the alcohol was left by a passenger. So why didn't he just throw it out. He knew his moms rules. Well, maybe he really didn't hear the first rule about no booze. Whatever the case, I'm sure that he is going to be bitter for a long time. I say tough cookies. You should have known better.

There's no doubt in my mind that I would probably do the same thing to my own son if he had alcohol in his car as well. I have already told myself that if any of my kids even get as much as a speeding ticket, they'll never drive again until they are out of my house. I may not sell their car for that type of infraction, but who knows.

Who Is It Hurting

The debate over the words "Under God" is thriving. One of the most famous people leading this debate is a man named Michael Newdow. Newdow is an avid atheist and wants the words "Under God" removed from the Pledge and on all US Currency.

My question is, "Is it really that big of an issue? Is it really that big of deal?" Is there more important things in this world that he can be focusing? I mean really, when is the last time that we actually looked at those words on the bills anyway. Honestly? We all know that the words "In God We Trust" are on every dollar bill and coin made by the US Mint, but without looking, do you actually know where those words are located? I bet that Mr. Newdow can't name half of the text printed on the dollar bills printed in the US.

Mr. Newdow is a very smart man. He's not only a doctor, but a lawyer as well. If Mr. Newdow spent as much time and effort on current issues as he did on trying to remove a couple of words from the Pledge and US Currency, this world might be a better place for all of us. I mean, why not talk about or do things that will have a lasting impact?

This country was based on religion. Religion is everywhere you go in Washington DC. It's on every building such as the Washington Monument. It's all over the Capital Building. If you have ever been to Washington DC, then you know what I am talking about. I have no doubt that our Forefathers are rolling over in their graves right now just in complete disbelief in how this country has turned out to be.

We should all thank Newdow for giving us a reason to hope that one day, in the not-too-distant future, we will return to the America of September 10, 2001. To return to those days when we had nothing better to do than bicker over really critical issues like which politician is the most patriotic, or who has the biggest flag on the block. Thanks to Newdow's lawsuit charging the Pledge of Allegiance is unconstitutional (due to that "under God" phrase), we've become reacquainted with that comforting place where flag-waving carries no sorrowful undertones, only simple pride or defiance.

Candy Or Not Candy

If you haven't heard about this, narcotics police in Philadelphia are having a tough time figuring out if people are trying to get high or just freshen their breath. Police claim Hershey's Ice Breakers Pacs look too much like the heat-sealed bags of illegal drugs such as heroin or crack. Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector William Blackburn said he has been a narcotics officer for most of his career and mistook the candy pouches for the real thing.

The Hershey Company, makers of the Ice Breakers Candy, defended the product, saying in part, it is clearly labeled with product identification. Sure, in part. Now I saw pictures of the drugs and the candy side by side and I couldn't tell a difference. So I am guessing that the "in part" labeling is that of the actual package that the breath strips come in.I'm just wondering why Hershey is being so defensive against their candy. If I were the CEO of Hershey, I would help out the Law of the Land by making the candy a little bit more convincing that it is candy. Is it really that big of deal to change the actual candy or make the actual strip say Hershey or Ice Breakers on it? What is the cost to help get drugs off the street?

Where The Law Fails

Have you heard the story about Megan Meier from St. Charles County in Missouri? Megan was a 13 year old girl that committed suicide last year after being dumped by "Josh," a boy created under the direction of Lori Drew. Drew is the mother of one of Megan's former friends. Apparently Drew thought that Megan was talking about her daughter so she, with the help of some other kids, made up an on-line profile on myspace. Drew wanted to know what Megan was saying about her daughter online.

So they create this made up character and named him "Josh". They started talking to Megan to find out what she would say about Drew's daughter. Soon after, "Josh" started talking down to Megan. Bulletins were being posted about her, saying things like, "Megan Meier is a slut. Megan Meier is fat." Eventually, the harassing got to be to much and Megan hung herself.

The kicker is that nothing can be done about it. Law enforcement officials have said the case does not fit into any law. St. Charles County Prosecutor Jack Banas said statements from the neighbor and two teens who participated in the fictitious account couldn't meet criminal standards for the state's statutes on harassment, stalking or endangering the welfare of a child.

"There's no dispute that Mrs. Drew was aware of the creation of this MySpace," Banas said. "It was done by a young person that was in the employ of her — an 18-year-old girl along with her younger daughter — and the sole purpose by all parties that were involved in this was has been to find out what Megan was saying about this 13-year-old daughter of Mrs. Drew."

Megan's mother, Tina Meier, said last month she didn't think anyone involved intended for her daughter to kill herself.

"But when adults are involved and continue to screw with a 13-year-old, with or without mental problems, it is absolutely vile," Tina Meier said in a statement.

So the Police are saying that there is no law, but Banas is saying that there is a law, but the case doesn't fit the current law's profile. So my question is does there really have to be a law to punish those that are harassing another person? Can't one just be made up on the spot? We all know that what they have done to Megan was wrong. There's no doubt about it. But to let these people go scott free is just wrong. Shouldn't they have some sort of punishment? Does there really have to be a law in place when we know that these people harassed this young girl over and over again on some made up person that never existed? Was it not just the intention of Mrs. Drew to find out if Megan was talking about her daughter, but also to degrade and defile this young girl? What was said about Megan by Mrs. Drew and her co-conspirators is wrong and we all know it. Just because there is no law in place shouldn't mean that they can get away with what they have done. Why are laws only created after a crime has been committed? We all know what they were doing was wrong. A law has now been put in place about cyber-bullying and harassment, but only after Megan's case has been under investigation. So Mrs. Drew has a free ticket out of this one.

To me this is completely bull. Mrs. Drew should be punished. Just because there was no specific law or the current law isn't vague enough, doesn't mean that she should be set free automatically.

So, what say you? Am I wrong?