On the Eve of this Super Bowl Sunday

A couple of videos to share:

Media Day interviews with NFL stars Larry Fitzgerald, and Kurt Warner of the Cardinals, Troy Polamalu, and Mewelde Moore of the Steelers. Players talk a little about how their faith affects them.


Arizona Cardinal's quarterback Kurt Warner shares a little about his faith, and why he'd rather take the opportunity of this game to share the Gospel, than win a championship.

Six Years Ago Today...

...The light of my life was born - My daughter.


Baby's first portrait.


Grandad's youngest grandchild.



"What IS this stuff?"


And she grew...


And grew...



And grew...


Like an amazing little rosebud...


That transforms into a beautiful rose
with a little time, and lots of love.

Happy birthday, my beautiful daughter!

Lie to Me

I watched a new show on FOX last night, starring Tim Roth. (Actually, I only saw PART of it, as I fell asleep before it was half over. Hey, I was up at 4am, so that's expected.)


I had seen the previews of the show "Lie to Me" before and thought it would be an interesting premise. It's about a man who can pick up cues from a subject to be able to detect if that person is lying, or not. He can read even the most subtle nonverbal cues that indicate truth or deception. A so-called "human lie detector."

I must admit, this show is very intriguing to me. I am fascinated that the art of lying can be dissected so methodically. When a person lies, the cues are so universal - everyone (with the exception of the very most practiced liars) exhibits tell-tale signals that give their deception away. We just have to learn how to pick up on those cues.

I had first-hand experience with a very practiced liar, some time ago. A former car salesman. (Now, I am not saying that all car salesmen lie. There's probably an honest one or two out there, somewhere.)

I had even written with him in mind once before on this blog. This man has everyone in town believing certain things. Things that I now know for a fact NOT to be true. I won't go into detail, but some of these lies are pretty grandiose. And one in particular is just heartbreaking. Now, when I got suspicious about some of the things he told me, I did a little digging around and uncovered the truth - even more truth than I had bargained for. When I confronted him, his nonverbal cues were there. I can still recall how he looked. He sat straight up in his seat, to my left, his eyes were wide, and he did not blink. He would not turn his face towards me completely, but his non-expressive eyes did not break contact with mine. With a controlled tone of voice, he kept his answers paced and short. Very rehearsed, I could tell.

Most of us can learn to become a human lie-detector with the right instruction. However, when people who we generally like (or love) lie to us, sometimes we unconsciously don't truly want to know the truth. Think about it. Your teenager, your husband, your father, your subordinate at work. Has anyone close to you ever given you the feeling that they were being deceitful? How did you feel about confronting them? Were you apprehensive? Anxious to know? Hoped for the best? Wanted to give them the benefit of the doubt?

If you are in the wrong frame of mind, a confrontation is useless. You must decide if the real truth is "the truth" you want.

What I Wish He'd Said...

Wordless Wednesday

15 Superbowl Commercials We'll Not Forget

School Budget Cuts Harm Our Kids, Our Future

My daughter is in her fifth month of Kindergarten. She is learning to use a computer, read sentences, and do addition and subtraction - things I never learned in Kindergarten. She amazes me by reading words and phrases while we are reading together, watching TV, or reading signs out in public.

The reading I did in Kindergarten was not much more than M-A-T, C-A-T, S-A-T, and H-A-T. Math and reading sentences were learned in the first grade. Of course, we did not have full-day kindergarten in 1975.

Full-day Kindergarten is something that has been benefiting Arizona's kids since 2006. It gives kids the jump start they need, and provides them with a solid foundation for learning. It is a wise investment for the future of our children, as well as our country.

However, full-day Kindergarten is being threatened by state budget cuts. State lawmakers are looking to cut $300 million from Arizona schools and full-day kindergarten is on the chopping block. Full-day Kindergarten costs on average $100 million a year.
Some of the rumored cutbacks (besides returning to the old half-day kindergarten schedule) include reducing the textbook budget to zero within a couple of years, eliminating math and science initiatives, cutting allocations for gifted education, and reducing teacher salaries. The budget cuts, if they become reality, will wipe out thousands of jobs, end all-day kindergarten, cut the number of school days from 180 to 175, lead to huge class sizes and even four-day school weeks. Arizona currently ranks 49th among the 50 states in educational funding, and would lose more than $1,000 per child under the proposed budget cuts, educators said.

Education administrators are angered by the proposed budget cuts. Gary Nine, Ed.D., superintendent of the Florence Unified School District is planning a rally at the Capitol Sunday afternoon to protest the cuts. Nine has written a heated essay, condemning the budget proposals.
"I sent it out to my board first and our principals and our teachers and to superintendents around the state," Nine said. "The reaction has been very positive, kind of unbelievably so."
In Nine's essay, Nine writes that "maybe it's time for a reverse Boston tea party in Arizona."

"On Sunday from 1-3 p.m., my wife and I are going to have a picnic at the Capitol plaza and afterwards will politely leave a request to the Legislature to show respect for the children and the average citizens of Arizona. It probably won't be as much fun as we had watching the Cardinals this past Sunday, but if you'd like to join us there's no telling what might happen."

Come on Arizona State Legislature! Let's not loose sight that these kids are our future!

“Investing wisely in education yields real results for workers, business and society in general.” - Economic Policy Institute President Lawrence Mishel.

Wordless Wednesday

Congratulations, Arizona Cardinals!

Ken Whisenhunt holds up the George S. Halas trophy.

Arizona Cardinals Defeat the Philadelphia Eagles, 32-25

“It’s amazing,” a tearful Adrian Wilson of the Arizona Cardinals said in a post-game interview. “We worked so hard and have been through so much.”

100 Skills Every Man Should Know

Check this out, guys. Someone has created another "To do" list for you. (Or a "Learn to do" list, rather.)

Among the things on this list are:

1. Build a fire in the wilderness
2. Shoot straight
3. Use a sewing machine
4. Tackle steep drops on a mountain bike
5. Escape a rip current
6. Iron a shirt
7. Home brew beer
8. Remove bloodstains from fabric
9. Change a diaper
10. Escape a sinking car
    

Of course, there are complete instructions. (But then again, who reads instructions anyway, right?)

Sweet Thing

As an artist, I love, love, love Kieth Urban! I have been waiting with baited breath for the new video for his hit single "Sweet Thing" (which is said to be written about his lovely bride, Nicole).

Well, the wait is finally over. Check it out:

Sweet Thing

I've Been Eating This?

Image via Wikipedia

Holy canoli!

Olive Garden recently released it's nutritional information to the public.

Now, I LOVE Olive Garden. My life would not be complete without an Olive Garden meal every blue moon. And I already knew that eating at Olive Garden was not exactly a low-fat dining experience, but I had no idea just how much fat my favorite meal was loaded with. (Keep in mind, the average person's daily allowance is no more than 35 total grams of fat.)

Per serving:

Garden-Fresh Salad w/ (house) dressing - 27 total fat grams
Breadstick (one) - 2.5 total fat grams
Calamari w/ Marinara Sauce - 56.5 total fat grams
Chicken Marsala - 37 total fat grams
Tiramsu - 35 total fat grams

If I ate everything in one sitting:

158 total fat grams

If I split everything with another person:

79 total fat grams

From now on, I will be selecting my choices from the Garden Fare menu. :-)

New Study Finds Housing Stimulus Essential to Economic Recovery

(Posted with permission from the The Fix Housing First Coalition.)

Washington, D.C. January 13, 2009 – Without substantial demand stimulus for the housing sector, the stimulus package currently being considered by Congress will only have a limited effect and would fail to reverse the loss of trillions of dollars in homeowner equity, according to a study released today by the Fix Housing First Coalition. The study, conducted by California-based expert services consulting firm LECG LLC, shows that when housing stimulus is combined with a general economic recovery program like that under discussion by the new Administration and Congress, increased economic activity grows strongly across all sectors of the economy.

Using a well regarded economic model, researchers studied the impact of a short- term program espoused by the Fix Housing First Coalition that would combine a significant tax credit for all homebuyers from $10,000 to $22,000 with a time-restricted mortgage rate write down to 2.99%. The economic analysis demonstrated that adding these housing stimulus provisions to the anticipated economic recovery bill would over a four year period:

• Increase GDP by 1 percent annually;
• Create 940,000 new jobs annually;
• Increase average homeowner equity by $25,000 by 2012;
• Increase aggregate homeowner equity by more than $2 trillion by 2012; and
• Generate revenues at the federal and state level that will exceed the cost of the program.

"A strong direct stimulus to housing demand is essential to turn the economy around in a timely and dependable fashion,” noted Dwight M. Jaffee, Professor of Finance and Real Estate, Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley who contributed to the study. “"Every key economic indicator - GDP, employment, consumer confidence and housing market activity- rebounds significantly faster if housing is included in the stimulus package."

The lack of demand for housing has created a self-perpetuating downward spiral that shows no signs of abating. Potential homebuyers are fearful of entering the market out of concern that the house they buy today will be worth less in six months. When there are no buyers, prices continue to fall, thus confirming buyers’ worst fears. It is a classic market failure that is pulling down the entire economy.

National Association of Home Builders economist David Crowe added, “Three million home building-related jobs across the country have been lost as a result of the slowdown in housing production, which represents $145 billion in lost wages and $4.9 billion in lost purchases. Deterioration in these jobs has now spilled over into virtually all sectors of the U.S. job market.”

“The collapse in home equity has devastated homeowners across the country and placed many of them and their community and condominium associations in very tenuous financial positions,” said Thomas M. Skiba, CEO of Community Associations Institute. “Reviving the housing market in a way that restores that equity has to be a critical element in any economic recovery plan.”

While the new study demonstrates the effectiveness of the Fix Housing First Coalition proposal, it also found that the program is consistent with the criteria established for a fiscal stimulus program. It is short term. It is effective. And it generates economic activity that will actually reduce the deficit over the long term.

For additional information or to speak with a researcher or a spokesperson for the Fix Housing First Coalition, please contact Juliet Johnson at 202-828-8820 or juliet.johnson@fleishman.com.

The Fix Housing First Coalition is a diverse group of housing stakeholders – including homeowner and community groups, home builders and manufacturers – dedicated to addressing the root cause of our economic troubles. The coalition is advocating for a short-term incentive for qualified home buyers that would stop the fall in home values, restore consumer confidence, create jobs and lift our entire economy. For more information, visit www.fixhousingfirst.com.

Wordless Wednesday

Who'd a Thunk it?

Ken Whisenhunt, I salute you.

Just one win away from the Super Bowl. The SUPER BOWL. Is this a dream? Is this really happening?

So many Cardinals skeptics stopped dead in their tracks last week with the victory over the Falcons. Not many of them thought it would come this far. But it has, and it just may go all the way.

Arizona wants it. Really BAD.



Larry Fitzgerald showed us that last night. Six balls for 151 yards before halftime. Eight passes for 166 yards.



Hopefully, Anquan Boldin will be back on the field next week, but we can do this either way.

Depending on what happens today, a win for the Eagles or Giants, will determine just how we get to the Super Bowl. Today's pick is the Giants, and that would mean that the Cardinals go back east again. But if the Eagles win today, we get our next game in our own back yard. And nothing tastes sweeter than victory on our home field.

Something About Those Unemployment Numbers

The nation's unemployment rate is growing, and the numbers aren't pretty. Any smart person who is still employed knows to count their blessings, whether or not they actually like their job. Hold on for dear life, for it's better to have a job you detest, than no job at all.

The unemployment rate is indeed alarming, but it's not what we ought to be watching for an accurate indication. It only counts those who are looking for work. It tends to peak after a recession is over, as the economy starts to improve, and those who had thrown in the towel on finding jobs decide to give it another go around.

While headlines smack us in the face with "Worst year for jobs since '45", the pace of job losses is actually only slightly worse than that of the very worst part of the 1981-1982 recession.

Here's why:

The Curious Capitalist - TIME.com » Blog Archive Some things you should know about those unemployment numbers «

The Top Google Search Item at 8:00am this Morning...

... was John 3:16.

Is America really this biblically illiterate?

Biblical Literacy Reaches New Low | Out of Ur | Conversations for Ministry Leaders

What is Happening in Gaza??

Just ask an average American walking down the street, 'What should be done about the latest events happening in Gaza?' They will most likely shrug their shoulders, say they don't know, and leave it at that. Some people might not even know the difference between Hamas and Hezbollah, or have any clue as to what each has to do with the Isreali-Palestinian conflict.

The REAL question is, when will it all end?

There are countless news reports covering the casualties, damage and chaos. Are we in the West watching? Are we paying attention? Or are we preoccupied with our corporate bail-outs, ballooning unemployment rate, our deepening recession, and lack-luster holiday retail sales?

If so, we need to stop and pay attention. Children are being killed in their own homes, while riding in cars with their parents, while playing in the streets, walking to a grocery store, at schools, and even at U.N. shelters. They are finding terrified, starving children huddled on mattresses, beside the bodies of their dead mothers.

So far, as many as 257 children have been killed and 1,080 wounded — about a third of the total casualties since Dec. 27, according to U.N. figures released yesterday, and Hamas officials said the Palestinian death toll in Israel's 13-day-old offensive had risen to 765. Israeli death toll is at 14.

"All this must stop. Both Israel and Hamas must halt their acts of violence and take all necessary measures to avoid civilian casualties. A ceasefire must be declared immediately. They must also curb their inflammatory rhetoric. Only then can dialogue start." (Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon)

Something' gotta give. Something must be done, before it's completely out of hand.

IMHO, This is Crazy!

"Barring a reprieve, regulations set to take effect next month could force thousands of clothing retailers and thrift stores to throw away trunkloads of children's clothing.

"The law, aimed at keeping lead-filled merchandise away from children, mandates that all products sold for those age 12 and younger -- including clothing -- be tested for lead and phthalates, which are chemicals used to make plastics more pliable. Those that haven't been tested will be considered hazardous, regardless of whether they actually contain lead.

"The new regulations take effect Feb. 10 under the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, which was passed by Congress last year in response to widespread recalls of products that posed a threat to children, including toys made with lead or lead-based paint.

"Supporters say the measure is sorely needed. One health advocacy group said it found high levels of lead in dozens of products purchased around the country, including children's jewelry, backpacks and ponchos.

"Lead can also be found in buttons or charms on clothing and on appliques that have been added to fabric, said Charles Margulis, communications director for the Center for Environmental Health in Oakland. A child in Minnesota died a few years ago after swallowing a lead charm on his sneaker, he said."

What?! New safety regulations? C'mon, you've got to be kidding me. I shop at thrift and consignment stores all the time. These kind of stores are a life-saver to a single-mom! I've purchased numerous maternity clothes, baby clothes, baby toys, and clothes for myself over the years, and we have NEVER had a problem with anything we purchased.

To think that these items just will just be rounded up and thrown into a landfill is just plain ludicrous, if you ask me.

New safety rules for children's clothes have stores in a fit - Los Angeles Times

P.S. If you feel as strongly as I and many others do, please write/call your state representatives.

Also, there are two petitions that you can sign:
Here and here.

Wordless Wednesday

See if You Can Guess...

...who said this:

"Rarely is the question asked, is our children learning?"

and this:

"There's an old saying in Tennessee — I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee — that says, fool me once, shame on — shame on you. Fool me — you can't get fooled again."

and this:

"Too many good docs are getting out of business. Too many OB/GYNs aren't able to practice their love with women all across this country."

(I'll give you a hint.)

See more "Bushisms" here.

25 Thought-Provoking Questions for 2009

Image by purpleslog via Flickr

1. Is insider trading a victimless offense?
2. Should hormones/performance enhancing drugs be allowed in sports?
3. Is suicide ever acceptable/justified?
4. Is Affirmative Action fair?
5. Should felons be allowed to vote?
6. Will upping the minimum wage hurt or help the economy?
7. Should employers monitor employees email and internet usage?
8. Is drinking milk healthy for humans?
9. Is spanking harmful to children?
10. Do men have an advantage over women in society?
11. Should there be a federal law against prostitution?
12. Should medical marijuana be legal?
13. Should all mothers be offered paid maternity leave, regardless of position?
14. What should be done about the Palestinian-Israeli conflict?
15. Should the words 'under God' be in the US Pledge of Allegiance?
16. Should the internet be monitored by the government?
17. Should Catholic priests be permitted to marry?
18. Is the death penalty immoral?
19. Which is best; courage, wisdom or wealth?
20. Gun control; bad or good?
21. Which is best; home-schooling, private schools or public schools?
22. Is nepotism wrong?
23. Should the Confederate flag be banned?
24. Are arranged (not to be confused with forced marriages) marriages wrong?
25. Should married people have close friends of the opposite sex?

My First Award!

I am so sorry it's taken me SO very long to share this - My first blog award! Yay!


Thanks bunches to Lizzie @ Infectious Chatter

100 Things

Image via Wikipedia

This isn't your usual 100 Things About Me meme. It's much easier! I got this idea from Lizzie of Infectious Chatter. (She has a really great blog by the way, you should check it out!)

RULES: There are 100 statements. Make bold the ones you have done. Grab it and play for yourself!!

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity.
7. Been to Disney World
8. Climbed a mountain.
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Ridden in a limousine
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept in an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitchhiked
23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo's David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Ridden bareback on a horse
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Been picked on by a bully
65. Fell in love at first sight
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten caviar.
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chicken pox
89. Saved someone's life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a lawsuit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Read an entire book in one day

Care to give it a try?

Holiday Memories

I know. I have been neglecting this blog for the past couple of weeks. The holidays threw me into a tailspin, and my mood has been just a tad melancholy lately, to top it off.

I did have a pleasant Christmas, as well as a quiet and easy New Year's day. I got to spend time with my siblings, all but one, as a matter of fact. My father and stepmother, and most of my nieces and nephews made it as well. Even my niece from Connecticut made it out, just before the monstrous storm hit New England, stranding people at the airport. She was lucky! So were we, to have her join us.

My daughter seemed to enjoy her Christmas. She had fun playing with her little cousins and opening her presents. For a mom who was slightly worried about how she was going to pull it all off in time for Christmas, I did alright. In fact, Santa might have spoiled her a wee bit. I can't help but think about the little children who don't have any presents under their tree. Or a Christmas tree, for that matter. I think we will need to round up some old toys that she no longer plays with, and take a trip to the Salvation Army drop off.





After Christmas, we headed to Southern California, where I grew up, and visited my oldest and dearest friends. My little girl hadn't seen them in over two years, and she didn't recall our last visit, back in '06, when we took a trip to Disneyland, Sea World and Knott's Berry Farm. And she didn't recall the beach, so I decided that we needed to make a stop there. It's free, and what's more fun to watch a child play tag with the waves?



Is it just me, or do the holidays seem to grow more challenging as we get older? Maybe it's because my mother is no longer here to take charge of Christmas. Maybe it's because I have moved further away from my family. Or maybe it's because I have a child who depends on me to make the holidays bright. I'm not sure. But I need to keep in mind that I am building memories for someone else now. Memories that will (hopefully) last long after I am gone. And I want those to be good memories.