I'd like to rant today about "doing the right thing".  For instance when a company offends you with a bad product or bad customer service, do you still buy their product?  No.  Do you e-mail the whole world about it?  Most of us don't.  I don't.   How about when someone on TV or in music has different values than yourself?   For instance, I used to record "The View" on my digital recorder (TiVo).  When Rosie O'Donnell joined the show, I stopped watching it.  I stopped recording it.  Why, doesn't matter  ...(Patriotic view points). :)  And did I announce it to the world?  No.  When she leaves the show, I'll record it again.     Are these things exactly about "doing the right thing"? Sorta, bear with me...

Let's get right on target then.  There is the lost money thing.  Ever find money and you returned it (or tried to).  Did you get credit for it?  Most likely, very little. Did you want credit for it?  It came down to you being a good person on the inside and YOU have to live with you.  You shouldn't need credit for doing the right thing. 

Cheating on a boyfriend/girlfriend?  Hey, this one really simple.  Why would anyone do this?  In the end, you have to live with yourself.  You want to do the right thing here not for your significant other.  You want to do this for YOU.  Because you have to carry that with you the rest of your life.  Your own self-respect is what is at stake here.  That goes for finding the money too...  But you get the idea.  Doing the right thing isn't glamorous.  It is what makes you, you.  It is what makes you worthwhile.

Doing the right thing is what makes you worth being worthwhile to someone else. It breeds ...   more »

This should give my lady readers a laugh today. I'm in my office on a Sunday morning working... watching "The Holiday" a movie I swore I'd rather not watch.  The weather is great but the day got kinda screwed up.  The little league game I was supposed to umpire was changed, paintball isn't running today and I just missed church because of a customer phone call that would not end, and thank goodness my son wants to have a catch and play kickball with the kids in an hour.   Yeah, just one of those days where things just seem slightly off and you must miss the train by 5 seconds.

I'm just now seeing the part where Kate Winslett's character is going ape shit over seeing the home she is staying in.  It 's amazing.  I have to admit, that scene is really a pick me up. 

OK, here is something to share with you that may seem cool.  Last night I woke up from a dream that was amazing.  In my dream I could fly.  I seem to for years have been developing the ability to craft my dreams.  I love being able to fly in my dreams so in this one I seemed to have been a character or person that has been flying for some time.  I'm at an office in a garage, but its a nice office.  It's huge like a flight hanger.  There is one guy and four girls, I'm trying to figure out which one is single. LOL They are all talking nicely to me as I try to explain to them I need my money or I won't turn their website back on.  LMAO.  No on there is a decision maker. OK.  But we all talk. 

Break... Cameron Diaz's character is ...   more »

You know, in an effort to give everyone something to read about I figured this little article may satisfy your Lars writing craving for the day.  Remember, I'm not some crazy kinda fool, I'm just like you.

Remember earlier this week I was flicked the bird for being considerate and letting a fellow driver pass me?  We'll today was another funny one.

For the past year or so my youngest son has enjoyed an unusual pastime.  Cracking paintballs.  They say it is the little things in life. :)  We'll I let him stand at the end of the drive and throw 10 or 20 paintballs into the street and watch them crack open.  I usually give him my extras from my paintball hopper after playing. 

Well, he does his thing today laughing and playing with dad cracking a few paintballs.  Some don't crack and roll across the street.  We live in a cul' de sac so it rolled a bit.

Now you'd think that good Karma would be in play here because I get a call from a friend whom was in an auto accident today (nothing serious thankfully) and asked me to pick up her kids along with my own from school.  I pull in the garage and the kids tell me a man is at the door. 

It's a neighbor.  Mind you not one that I usually talk to a lot.  In fact he's the only one I don't talk to a lot.  But we get along.  He's holding in his hand three paintballs.  LOL I know what's coming.

He starts to explain to me that they rolled into his yard and doesn't like it.  I say to him "No problem it won't happen again."  He then adds, "This is not the first time." and he wants me to agree that ...   more »

I write articles meant to provoke converstaion and get things out in the open.  This article is more of a reflection and not meant to provoke. Please don't read it as such. 

OK, I'm not going to get people upset I promise.  Heck, if anyone should be upset it is me, but I'm not.  I'm just a bit confused.  Yesterday I picked up my children at my parents home and had to drive to good ole' Costco.  I'm driving up Old Baltimore Pike when I see someone is tailgating me.  Apparently I'm driving too slowly for them.  This bothered me I’ll admit.  I don't like it when people do that.  But there is no way to stop them unless you slam on the breaks and then you risk both of you being in an accident.  You get the idea.  And in fact, years ago in my twenties I remember once or twice tapping the breaks and holding them to cause the tailgater to back off in a panic.  I assure, I didn't do that on this occasion ...and I had my two children in the car so don't second guess me here.

So what happened?  I actually decided to let this person by.  Old Baltimore Pike has two wide shoulders now and I just pulled over to let them through.  No sooner did I pull over did the driver give me the long "beep" of the horn like I was an idiot (for whatever reason) and as she drove by with her child in the back seat in a baby seat, she puts her window down and gives me the finger, yelling something I couldn't hear.  I beeped back and put my hands up to show her "what did I do?"

I looked back at my kids and the both had ...   more »

Today I learned that even though I keep my blog for my own enjoyment and figure maybe two people in the whole world read it, me and the one person reading this article now (LOL), the fact is more people read this blog than I was ever aware.  I can track people by IP, after they visit etc... but frankly I don't bother.  I just write and enjoy myself. 

So today I'm here to tell you that if I've hurt anybody with anything I've written, I sure never meant to.  Sometimes you write things that are your own private thoughts and you should keep them that way.  However, I've always heard a good writer takes chances and writes about popular and controversial subject matter to stimulate others the think, change and discuss important matters.

I learned today that want is important to me can be just as important to others.  I have to say I'm a bit humbled and realize that above all things, I really don't ever want to hurt someone.  It's just not my style. 

So to anyone that I may have offended, recently or in the past, I apologize.  I'll be more careful what comes out of my mouth on paper as life rolls on. :)

If you live in America, you know that recently Virginia Tech was assaulted terribly.  For the past two days I can't turn on my TV without seeing wall to wall coverage, talking about the same things over and over.  The only real good news I saw come so far is that the school is sending kids home for a week to be with family.  This is what makes the most sense.  This is where the healing will really begin.

Most of these kids will have family to go home to, and I can tell you as a parent when you see these things you have this uncontrollable urge to hug your children.  To be near them and your appreciation for them being a part of your life is sky high.  I remember September 11th 2001. I remember wanting to get to my son as fast as I could so I could kiss him.  I felt similarly the day of Virginia Tech's rampage.  

Despite reports now exposing the young man that did this was truly disturbed; it doesn't bring back the innocent people that were merely living their lives.  There is a special place in my heart for people that are lost to death when they did nothing to earn it.   And of course that is a lot of people.  I recall once, about 6 years ago, I think it was the summer before 911, I was watching ABC Evening News and saw a father and son caught in a cross fire between Israeli and Palestinian fighters on a long city street.  It may have been the single most horrifying thing I ever witnessed.  I cried quietly on my couch, thinking of my own son and myself.   I thought sadly for the father, and then for his son.  ...   more »

Not all endings are happy.  When it happens to you, this point can be painful.  Recently I lost something dear to me, it could have been someone, but you get the point. You invest so much of your life into something or someone and when things don’t work out, when it ends sadly you are left alone to deal with an emotional wave.  Sometimes you need someone to comfort you, and in this world you may find that you don’t have the strength to deal with it on your own. 

For me personally I’m confused.  I don’t know why someone would want to hurt me like they have.  To take away something or someone that means so much to you, to serve someone else’s selfish needs seems inhuman. 

I’ve often questioned humanity and the people I’ve come in contact with in life.  To wives running over husbands and shooting them, to women that drown their children I’ve often asked myself, why?  Sadly for me I find the answer is one that frustrates me.  Selfishness.  I see that always leads to someone having their happiness stolen from them, and ultimately if justice is done, the selfish party ends up with much less than they had before they decided to act on their selfish desire.

The unhappy ending, how many of us can claim to be on track to a happy ending?  Is your life where you want it to be?  Are your best laid plans coming to pass?  For all your plotting and scheming do you know you will be happy in the end?   Even if you get what you are after, will that mean you will be happy?

The other day ...   more »

OK, to those of you sending me private posts and e-mails asking me about dating.  I'm not going to discuss it.  As far as anyone is concerned I'm no attached, tangled or interested.  I'm just a noble, decent, and cultured man that is having a lot of fun and spending dignified evenings or afternoons out when I'm not with my ...   more »

I was just on my way back to the office in my car when I heard a blast from my past.  Shalamar, Second Time Around.  It was a disco tune back in the 80's and I remember circling the roller rink when I was 14 years old, listening to this song one hell of a lot.    And as much as ...   more »

I have been to many opening day games for the Phillies and I have some photos of games were I'm in a sleeping bag trying to stay warm in 20 degree weather.  It is just flat out hard to be a Phillie fan.    The Vet was like a big tin can and I hated that stadium.   Sure it has memories ...   more »