Blog resurrection??

Going to make an effort to resurrect my blog… see if I can come up with enough to say to post something at least once a week. Stay tuned to see if i succeed.

Republican… Democrat… Why can’t we get along?

So I was cutting my lawn the other day and had a thought that I wanted to put out there to see what other people thought.  We have an election coming up that will determine what the next Congress is going to be.  I keep hearing that the American people are all upset over the fighting between the Democrats and Republicans.  It seems like when one gets in power it has to slam the other out of spite.  And of course when this is your mentality, then nothing gets accomplished because there is no debate and no compromise.  Well, what if this next election we decided, as the people of this country, to make these politicians listen to us and say enough is enough!?  Vote every seat in the Congress to the Libertarian party.  Isn’t this the perfect time for the Libertarians to come up and say “We are not Republican or Democrat, we are different”! Can you see how the Republicans and Democrats both would get a wake-up call?  I know some of you probably would worry about what the Libertarians would do when they are in power, but if you think about it, they would know that the people of this country are tired of the Congress not listening to them, which would encourage them to do as “We” say or else be voted out.

Now, I am not registered as a Libertarian, I am registered as a Republican, but I consider myself a Conservative.  This is just an idea I had and I thought it had a leg or two to stand on, so I thought it needed more investigation and conversation.  Tell me what you think.

Has instant messaging died?

I had a thought the other day.  I finally got an app on my iPhone that lets me connect to my Instant Messaging accounts and get push notifications while the app is closed.  However, all my friends don’t seem use Instant Messaging anymore. Seems like everyone is using either SMS or Twitter. So, is Instant Messaging dead?  Does anyone use it anymore?  Can it make a comeback with these new Instant Messaging apps on the iPhone and save everyone SMS message charges?  What do you think?

The scariest day of my life…

Yesterday (May 24, 2009) I had an experience that I hope to never have again.  My 3 year old daughter was missing.  I was in the dining room working with my camera and laptop and Sarah was in the living room playing in an old lawnmower box converted to a playhouse.  My wife had gone to the store earlier and my son (7 years old) was playing in the playroom which is right next to the dining room.  Anyway, I heard her banging around in the box for a while… and then I noticed that she had not made any noise for about 5 minutes or so.  So, as most parents know, when they get quite, that is when to worry.  So I got up and went to look to see what she was doing.  She was not in the box.  I called out for her.  No answer.  I looked at the front door and saw that the storm door was slightly cracked open.  I start looking around the house now and I am a little worried.  I am calling her name and looking in the closets, under the bed, anyplace I can think of that she might be.  I can’t find her anywhere.  My son is helping me look and is starting to get upset.  We go outside and he runs one way around the house, I run the other… no luck.  I am really freaking out now but I am trying to stay calm for my son because he is crying by now.  I call my wife and ask her  where she is at.  She is about a minute away from the house.  When she arrives I tell her to make a loop around the block.  She comes back with nothing.  At this point I call 911.  Cops come from everywhere… and quickly.  I get in the car and start going around the neighborhood looking and asking everyone I see outside if they have seen her.  While I am gone my wife and the cops both search the house again.  When I get back around to the house I see cops dredging our pool and the neighbors pool (since they are so green you can’t see the bottom).  By this time there is about 14 cop cars on my street with a chopper overhead and at least 50 neighbors out looking and calling her name.  I am standing there in my front yard feeling so helpless because I don’t know what to do next.  This is a horrifying feeling.   So I am standing there  and I hear one of the cops saying they found her.  I ask him where… they said inside our house… in our bedroom.  INSIDE OUR HOUSE?? I run inside and run to our bedroom to find an officer pulling my daughter out of our closet.  She had fallen asleep in our laundry basket in our closet!  I don’t know how we missed her… I check the closet, my wife had checked the closet, 2 other officers had even checked it!  I pulled her into my arms and just couldn’t let go.  Once I came out of the house with her you could see the relief on everyone’s faces.  I think I will be getting waves from neighbors as they drive by the house for a while.  The neighborhood really stepped up and helped a lot… I was pleasantly surprised.   I don’t know how long the whole ordeal took, but it seemed like forever.  Words fail me to explain all the feelings that I experienced through the whole ordeal, but I have never prayed so much and so hard in all my life.  Me and the wife are seriously considering looking into some sort of sub-dermal GPS tracking solution to make sure this never happens again.  It may sound like overkill, but I am not so sure anymore.  Anyone ever expereinced something like this?  I hope not.

Thank you to all the Osceola County Sherrifs officers that came so quickly and to all my neighbors that helped my find my little girl.  And most of all… thank you God.

Guns, God, Politicans, and Tragedy

Got this in an email today and felt it needed to be posted:

Guess our national leaders didn’t expect this, hmm? On Thursday, Darrell Scott, the father of Rachel Scott, a victim of the   Columbine   High School shootings in   Littleton,   Colorado, was invited to address the House Judiciary Committee’s subcommittee. What he said to our national leaders during this special session of Congress was painfully truthful.

They were not prepared for what he was to say, nor was it received well. It needs to be heard by every parent, every teacher, every politician, every sociologist, every psychologist, and every  so-called expert! These courageous words spoken by Darrell Scott are powerful, penetrating, and deeply personal. There is no doubt that God sent this man as a voice crying in the wilderness. The following is a portion of the transcript:

” Since the dawn of creation there has been both good &   evil in the hearts of men and women. We all contain the seeds of kindness or the seeds of violence. The  death of my wonderful daughter, Rachel Joy Scott, and the deaths of that heroic teacher, and the other eleven children who died must not be in vain. Their blood cries out f or answers.

“The first recorded act of violence was when Cain slew his brother Abel out in the field. The villain was not the club he used.. Neither was it the NCA, the National Club Association.. The true killer was Cain, and the reason for the murder could only be found in Cain’s heart.

“In the days that followed the Columbine tragedy, I was amazed at how quickly fingers began to be pointed at groups such as the NRA. I am not a member of the NRA. I am not a hunter. I do not even own a gun. I am not here to represent or defend the NRA – because I don’t believe that they are responsible for my daughter’s death. Therefore I do not believe that they need to be defended.  If I believed they had anything to do with Rachel’s murder I would be their strongest opponent.

I am here today to declare that Columbine was not just a tragedy — it was a spiritual event that should be forcing us to look at where the real blame lies! Much of the blame lies here in this room. Much of the blame lies behind the pointing fingers of the accusers themselves. I wrote a poem just four nights ago that expresses my feelings best.

Your laws ignore our deepest needs,
Your words are empty air.
You’ve stripped away our heritage,
You’ve outlawed simple prayer.
Now gunshots fill our classrooms,
And precious children die.
You seek for answers everywhere,
And ask the  question “Why?”
You regulate restrictive laws,
Through legislative creed.
And yet you fail to understand,
That God is what we need!

“   Men and women are three-part beings. We all consist of body, mind, and spirit. When we refuse to acknowledge a third part of our make-up, we create a void that allows evil, prejudice, and hatred to rush in and wreak havoc. Spiritual presences were present within our educational
systems for most of our nation’s history. Many of our major colleges began as theological seminaries. This is a historical fact. What has happened to us as a nation? We have refused to honor God, and in so doing, we open the doors to hatred and violence. And when something as terrible as Columbine’s tragedy occurs — politicians immediately look for a scapegoat such as the NRA. They immediately seek to pass more restrictive laws that contribute to erode away our  personal and private liberties. We do not need more restrictive laws.. Eric and Dylan would not have been stopped by metal detectors. No amount of gun laws can stop someone who spends months planning this type of massacre. The real villain lies within our own hearts.

“As my son Craig lay under that table in the school library and saw his two friends murdered before his very eyes, he did not hesitate to pray in school. I defy any law or politician to deny him that right! I challenge every young person in   America   , and around the world, to realize that on April 20, 1999, at Columbine   High School   prayer was brought back to our schools. Do not let the many prayers offered by those students be in vain. Dare to move into the new millennium with a sacred disregard for legislation that violates your God-given right to communicate with Him. To those of you who would point your finger at the NRA — I give to you a sincere challenge. Dare to examine your
own heart before casting the first stone!

My daughter’s death will not be in vain! The young people of this country will not allow that to happen!”

Do what the media did not – - let the nation hear this man’s speech.. Please send this out to everyone you can.   God Bless

Beware Florida residents going to Universal Studios, Orlando!

So, me and my family decided to go to Universal Studios, Orlando this weekend and got quite the surprise.  We went to the ticket window and asked for tickets… only to find out that to get the “Florida Resident” discount you must purchase the tickets online!   I am quite confused… why in the world would it matter to Universal if I buy my tickets online or at the ticket window?  I am a Florida Resident no matter which way I want to buy my tickets… and if I am actually at the ticket booth, they could ask to see our ID to confirm the fact that we are Florida residents.  So, make sure if you are expecting to use the “Florida Resident” discount that you buy your tickets online before you get there.

Wounded Veterans arriving at Orlando International Airport

Got an email telling me about a group of wounded veterans comning to Orlando for a conference.  People are trying to arrange a welcome for them.  I believe we should do as much as we can for our veterans, so I am posting the email with the information here so I can twitter about it.  If you are in the Orlando area and can make it to the Airport on Sunday you would be doing a very good thing.

Subject: Wounded warriors need welcome at OIA

Please read and share with your family and friends:

A group of 146 wounded warriors and their families are arriving at OIA (Orlando International Airport) this Sunday, 7 December to attend the 5th annual Road to Recovery conference.  Veterans groups, service organizations, church volunteers and anyone who cares is invited to give them a “Heroes Welcome” as they arrive at the airport.  Many did not receive this previous welcome as they went directly to hospitals for immediate care.  A large group of 65-70 wounded will arrive on a dedicated flight sponsored by American Airlines from San Antonio at approx. 2:55 pm. Others will arrive throughout the day on other airlines (more information on that can be made available to you if you wish.)  Be waiting in the airport main terminal to greet these families for their conference and mini-vacation away from medical care. (Caution for some: the wounded will include severe burns, amputations, and head injuries.)

The conference for these wounded and their families is sponsored and paid for by the Coalition to Salute America’s Heroes.  As their website states, to date (since being started in 2004) they have paid out over $22 million dollars in direct financial aid, as well as various programs and outings for wounded troops and their families (such as this conference.)  They help severely wounded soldiers from Iraq and Afghanistan with injuries that rate them at 30% or better and/or PTSD. Also attending this conference will be celebrity entertainers such as Gary Sinise (Lt. Dan from the movie “Forrest Gump” and “CSI NY” actor) and the Lieutenant Dan Band.

The conference provides counseling for each family member, discussions about VA benefits, entrepreneurship, sexuality, resumes, employment opportunities and a job fair with over 25 different employers such as General Motors and Northrop Grumman.  Of course there is also the ability to kick back and relax with  family and others who have gone through or are going through the same thing they are.  They are also given tickets to the Disney parks and to attend “Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas”!  The family’s expenses are covered.

Imagine a couple being able to have an actual “date night” – something some have not had since leaving for duty and being injured.

Become a part of a happy memory by welcoming them at the airport THIS coming Sunday!

Information provided by Cpl Donny Daughenbaugh (USMC) ret., National
Spokesman / Director of Event Management for Coalition to Salute
Americas Heroes

• a non-profit organization providing assistance to wounded and

disabled Veterans
from the war on terror.

http://www.saluteheroes.org/

Google Chrome… the new browser.

Today Google just released a new web browser to compete with Firefox and IE.  It’s called “Chrome” and it looks really promising.  I just downloaded it and so far it works flawlessly and is really fast.  

Download it at: http://www.google.com/chrome.

For more information check out this neat “comic book” explanation of the new browser at: http://www.google.com/googlebooks/chrome/index.html

First post from my iPhone 3G

So, I stood in line for 9 hours on the night of the launch of the 3G iPhone and I am now the proud owner of one. I was happy to see today that they finally have a WordPress app for the iPhone. So this is my first post from my iPhone. Hopefully since I will have my phone with me more often than my laptop, I will post more often to this blog. Check back to see if this turns out to be true.

My new Vette…

IMG_0232

Originally uploaded by jedijeff1138

I should have posted about this a little while ago…. just have not thought about it. on 5/19/2008 I picked up my first Corvette, a 2002 Coupe with 42000 miles. It’s Black with Black interior and polished aluminum wheels. I am SOOOO happy! I promised myself when I was 16 years old that I would have a Corvette before I was 40 years old… well, at 35 years old I guess I can cross that life goal off.

I had a muffler that had a broken baffle in it, so I just had installed a used set of Stock Corvette Z06 Titanium mufflers. I didn’t mind getting them used since they are titanium… it’s not like they will rust. It sounds pretty good, but I do wish it was louder, but I can’t afford the $1000 for the aftermarket ones that I want. At least not yet anyway.

So, now I am starting to get into the Corvette culture, and hopefully I will be part of an Corvette Club soon. I am going to a meeting of the Central Florida Corvette Club this Thursday ( 6/19/08 ) and hopefully it is the club I will want to join.

More pictures can be found on my Flickr page…