This is my year of R’s

Renewal…Refocus…Restart…Revive

Starting this weekend I will be redesigning my blog, not so much in feature and layout, but in intention and in commitment.

The last year I have been lax, and that will need to stop.  Too much is going on in the world to lay down and let the events wash past me.

I will also be adding a sub blog for my photo blogging and a sub blog for music/guitar related posts.  More on those later.

I am beginning the upgrade tomorrow, and should be back online in a few days.  Until then, here is my New Years post, a few days late.  In it, I look at the last ten years, a decade that has been critical in my life in many ways.  I cannot think of any time in my life where so much has happened in such a small span of time.

I hope the next decade is just as important.

LSU

I am on the road this weekend to a reunion in the SF Bay Area.

I will try to blog along the way. 

My daughter is getting concerned about the Employee Free Choice (lack of choice) Act, so I plan to dig into that next week.

Also on my radar in local news the Hutchinson lawsuit, some Vigilantism gone right (or maybe wrong) and sharing the roads with stupid people.

On the national front, the global warming tax, the taxes and the taxes to pay for all the taxes.  Plus the great grassroots jobs Global Warming creates.

Talk to you soon.

LSU

Reprinting with permission an article from the Ayn Rand institute

The Significance of Ayn Rand’s Novel Atlas Shrugged
From The Ayn Rand Institute

“I refuse to apologize for my ability — I refuse to apologize for my success — I refuse to apologize for my money.”

The U.S. economy is in shambles, with every nightly newscast bringing word of new government interventions. Americans are alarmed and desperate for answers: How did we get here? How will we recover? That might sound like a description of today’s world, but in fact it’s also a sketch of the world Ayn Rand created in her classic novel Atlas Shrugged.
 
The tea parties testify to the outrage that many Americans feel toward Washington’s explosive growth in the past few decades — especially under Presidents Bush and Obama. Atlas Shrugged not only gives voice to this outrage, it provides both a profound explanation of the cause of today’s crisis — and a positive, radical solution to it.
 
Why is it that every problem seems to call for increased government intervention at the expense of freedom? Why is it that businessmen inevitably take the blame for any crisis? Why are the most competent, most successful Americans smeared as greedy and selfish? To these questions and many others, Atlas Shrugged gives answers unlike anything you’ve ever heard.    

One of the challenges to being separated is setting up two households where there was previously one.  Such is my life.

We did marginally good with what we had, and so far only a minimal amount of purchases and such to complete the picture.

As a lot of my free time is cleaning out stuff, moving stuff, dividing stuff and occasionally selling stuff, my blogging will continue to limited for a week or so.

But that won’t stop me from a few posts, including this round up of interesting links I found. 

First up, a pair of miracles.  The first brings echoes of Harry Potter:

 Baby survives Baghdad bomb in slain mother’s lap

A baby miraculously survived a Baghdad car bombing cradled in his mother’s lap as she was burned alive in a blast that claimed the lives of eight people on Tuesday, witnesses said.

Harry, of course was attacked by he who must not be named.  I have no such problem naming the bastards who nearly killed this child, and did slay its mother.

In a battle against nature as opposed to man, our second miracle:

Once again, I have computer issues making blogging a bit problematic.  I should have it resolved in a day or so.

Till then, Happy Easter and a blessed Resurrection Day.

LSU

With more allegations of cheating coming to light, it does make you wonder.

I personally have no opinion, but I can see why the questions and the taint will linger:

New Claim of Taping Emerges Against Patriots

The Patriots’ pattern of illicitly videotaping the signals of opposing N.F.L. coaches began in Coach Bill Belichick’s first preseason with the team in 2000, a former Patriots player said. The information was put to use in that year’s regular-season opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Belichick’s debut as New England’s coach.

The secret taping of signals, which is against league rules, continued at least through three championship seasons to the 2007 season opener against the Jets, when the Patriots were caught and subsequently sanctioned by the league.

…

According to several executives in the league, the season opener against the Jets was not the first time the Patriots had been spotted taping another team’s defensive coaches at Giants Stadium. In the final preseason game of 2006, the Patriots were caught taping a Giants defensive assistant giving signals, the executives said.

Ok that’s unfair, but frankly, the Patriots did not play to their usual greatness. That coupled with a New York team that refused to admit they were the underdog made this just about the best damn game, ever.

I love underdogs.  I love when the talking heads are wrong.

Congrats to the Patriots for a hell of a season and Congrats to the Giants for one hell of a game.

 Trackposted to Rosemary’s Thoughts, A Blog For All, guerrilla radio, 123beta, Right Truth, Big Dog’s Weblog, Cao’s Blog, The Pet Haven, Conservative Cat, Adeline and Hazel, third world county, Faultline USA, Nuke Gingrich, Woman Honor Thyself, The Crazy Rants of Samantha Burns, The World According to Carl, Pirate’s Cove, Blue Star Chronicles, Celebrity Smack, The Pink Flamingo, Wolf Pangloss, CORSARI D’ITALIA, A Newt One, Dumb Ox Daily News, Right Voices, and The Yankee Sailor, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.

I really thought New York was gonna pwn them, but they came back hard.

Congrats to the New England Patirots for their historic perfect 16-0 season.

 Now, let’s see how they do in the playoffs…

Sorry about the absence.  I could make some profound excuses and try to look good, but the honest truth is, I was tired and I needed a break.

One thing I am learning is when my body says slow down, take a break and relax, I listen.  I’ve been working pretty hard in the day job, trying to keep up with the daily stresses of an active family, practicing guitar when I can and trying to slip in some video games here and there.

And sometimes all that takes more hours then you have so you start losing sleep.

But there is also a mental weariness that crashes down on sometimes.

While it may not be apparent to many, blogging is work.  Hours researching, reading and composing to make that final result readable, memorable and most important to me, sensible.

Add to that the occasional feeling of over load as there are so many things going on to write about.  You just get tired.

I don’t know what to say, aside from Oh My God.

More than seven killed, dozens injured in bridge collapse

At the height of rush hour, a major Twin Cities traffic artery collapsed, sending at least 50 cars, and tons of steel and concrete crashing into the Mississippi River.

The Interstate 35W Bridge that MnDot has been working on all summer is now in the river.

At least seven people were killed and dozens more injured. Water patrol crews from around the metro searched the river for more victims, but called off their search around 10 p.m. saying it was simply too dark to continue.

My hearfelt prayers and wishes to the families and friends of those lost in this horrible event.