http://www.marthastewart.com/portal/site/mslo/menuitem.fc77a0dbc44dd1611e3bf410b5900aa0/?vgnextoid=8eecb276b490f010VgnVCM1000003d370a0aRCRD&autonomy_kw=breaded%20baked%20chicken&rsc=ns2006_r7#

So why isn’t it low carb?  I made baked potatoes too. LOL  Along with cut corn and biscuits, my boys loved it.  I always know when great, Dalton gets down from his seat, comes over to me and gives me a big hug right during the meal and says, “I love you dad.”  Now the first couple times he did this I was impressed. Now I’m simply amazed.  But I assure you, I know when I’ve made a great meal by his standards!  And frankly, I have to agree with him.  Some nights the food is seasoned just right or the balance of what is mixed is just zesty enough...  I wonder if he’ll be a cook.

Of course not to be outdone, Declan will then follow up with, “He’s right dad, this is great.”  Or “He’s right dad, you did great tonight.”   more...

You know with so much going on with the intense legal attacks I've suffered this year and financial havoc it's caused, I've had to try and stay strong and above the cruelty that's been put upon me which has in turn affected my family and my children specifically.

During this time I've been trying to do my part.  From all I've learned and known for years from my church that I must forgive those that persecute me falsely, to simply moving on with my life. 

Many of you that live in Delaware and are close to me know all too well that I've handled a lot of injustice with dignity and grace.   While there have been times it's been tough, I've learned as this year has passed by that ignoring the cruelty and muting the heartbreak does actually work and has made me stronger as this year has passed.  In the worst of times I've found outlets to keep me distracted from the lies made about me and the cruelty I've been a further victim of.   Many of you are reading this going?  What?  Oh... believe me... Oprah would have a field day with my life if I opened it all up here.  But I don't and won't.  Not just because of my children, but because I have more pride than that.

So let me get to what I wanted to get to.  You see, one man can't do it alone.  I've found during this year of my life who my real friends are.  That is something I never really thought I'd have to question and I haven't, yet I have in fact learned what real friendship is made of.  

So right now I want to thank so many of you for helping me.   There are people I've had to ...   more »

I've often admired that statement.    I never really thought it always necessary, at least not until recently in life.   Due diligence can be found in other terms like cover your ass, and even read into the idiom "Speak softly but carry a big stick."

You see, as a man that has been falsely accused of things by someone I cared for, I have to say I get the idea behind due diligence and how speak softly but carry a big stick has similar meaning. To most of us the latter means, "try to get along, but be prepared to use force to make sure the people you are directing do as you say." 

But for me, I've learned it means this.  "Be nice, but cover your ass."  It also means, "Do the right thing, but make sure you have protection against those that you trust the most".  Be kind and decent folks but don't leave yourself open to being used.

I've written articles about men (or women) being vulnerable when in love, and anyone that has been married knows you are most vulnerable when married.  Your trust is then completely wide open.  I could write an entire book on this subject but I'll stay off it now.

As a man whom is victim of betrayal, it changed me.  While I am happily dating, the word love seems almost alien to me. I don't think it an impossible word, but the change in me is stark and striking from how I was when married.  

Where am I headed with this?

Well, when you find out you were in the company of pure evil, you realize you need to take a cold hard look in the mirror and learn how to never be taken advantage of again.   How does one do that?  This ...   more »

Had some tests today.  Life is good.  Kids are meeting up with me soon.  Never be afraid of the truth folks.

I think your cell single is weak where you are now.  Call me asap. I have to run out now to take my son to the hospital.

I do!  I just read a quote by Michele Obama and I couldn't agree more. She brings into questions Hillary Clinton's husband and former President Bill Clinton.  Michelle says: "'One of the most important things that we need to know about the next President of the United States is, is he somebody that shares our values? Is he somebody that respects family? Is a good and decent person? So our view was that, if you can't run your own house, you certainly can't run the White House."

Michelle is most likely going to be counter attacked for saying this by the Clinton's as this was not by Hillary's doing etc... and that Hillary was the victim and this could blow up on the Obama's but that is beside the point for me.

The point I agree with is that values matter.  Some people talk about them, some live them.  And sadly like in the case of Bill Clinton, no one really cared.  And no one will care here.  The values of a loving family that respects each other are far lost and I don't see very many people in power setting a good example let alone caring.   With lawyers and such leading the way to demphasize the importance of fidelity, the fabric of our values and what we value as families are being torn apart.  Michelle makes a great point but no one will hear it other than to deflect it as an attack on innocent Hillary.  She didn't cheat, Bill did.  How is it Hillary's fault?  And so it goes, another important point and discussion will be lost on blame shifting in politics.   Personally as a Republican, I'm leaning towards the Obama camp.  I may even still vote Republican but so far I like many of the positions the ...   more »

Ever hope to win the lottery?  Hope things change your life etc... 

There is a saying I've learned, "out of blue comes green"  I've lived my whole life staying positive.   And my favorite book in the Bible is the story of Job.

It's a rainy August day today.  It's been raining days now.   Rain can either be something that makes you feel sad, or you can rejoice in what it brings later.  For me, I'll just laugh as I stomp and splash in the gutter. 

Nothing can replace the feeling and closeness of a family member in a time of crisis.  The only thing that comes close is winning the lottery. 

I have serious news which looks to change my life and those around me permanantly.   I can't discuss it as of now.  It will clearly put an end to what is happening.  I look forward to this.

Dear readers, I just learned this morning when I checked my statistics on my blog that a number of people read a personal diary entry.  This was a mistake in posting that article public and I wanted you all to know that.

Without explaining too much when I write articles I have to set attributes, most of which are configured in advance like a master template of how anything I write is posted.  Diary entries are special and I have to mark them as such and turn off some of the preset attributes that force all articles to the main page.   I missed out on doing that when I posted. 

You may ask how I didn't catch it earlier.  Because I have a "reader" account with admin rights I see everything I write from my personal PC when logged in.  I assumed the article wasn't public as I would any other time logged in as the admin. 

The truth is this has happened on a couple occassions in the past.  In addition there was one person that despite swearing they wanted nothing to do with me visits my blog for what appears legal reasons.   They at one time were a trusted close person in my life.  I'll leave their name out of this.  They had a level of reader access to most everything in my blog too.  I fear that some of my personal writings which are nothing exciting but speak of personal feelings may be misrepresented as "public" postings at some point.  

The bottom line is I want you all to know my Saturday posting "Friday let me down again...tonight" was not meant to be public.  If nothing else you can see my heart is not filled with malice.  I do feel a bit messed with and I know that ...   more »

Last night a group of us sat down to watch Unaccompanied Minors on DVD.   For adults this story started off with some hope but quickly lost its appeal.   The kids did sit through the whole movie and it was truly kid safe.  For children ages 4 to 10, it kept their attention and was fun.  My four year old had some laugh out loud moments too. 

Now for the review on a grown up level.  If you are looking for something to rent for the kids, this will be safe and friendly rental.  But for us grown-ups, be aware that this movie is about 20 minutes longer than your patience.  

While I love Lewis Black (went to see him in concert a couple years ago) as a comedian, he has yet to really show his stuff on film.  He does a great job as a likeable and unlikable protagonist to a group of children caught in an airport during a snowstorm ...without any adult supervision.   It was a bit of a downer as the kids explained how they got there and their lives were not so great because of divorced parents, but more and more it seems this is the norm in our society.  So it only made sense that a rag tag group of unlikely friends would think of each other as family by the end of the film.   The plot was essentially one young man is separated from his sister whom is at a lodge right next to the airport on Christmas Eve and he wants to get her a doll from Santa before the night is out so her belief in the holiday is not destroyed.   While trying to escape the Passenger Relations Manager Oliver Porter played by Lewis Black they all learn about each other and eventually get the best of their adversary.  

Wilmer Valderrama of That 70's Show gets to play ...   more »

For anyone that wishes to support me in my fight for custody of my child in my current custody case, please call me at 302.838.2626. 

My trial is in mid September and I need rock solid evidence supporting my position as being the sole custodial parent.  

I have no time to play around with accusations.  If you want to help, you need to step up.  

NOTE: That I have found keeping my blog is a liability in that someone has falsified articles and submitted them to others.  If you submit to me information in help of my case anonymously it cannot do much for me in a court of law. 

How to Love

Love is a myth, built on a dream, broken by desire and bound to every man’s heart.

                                                                                                -Lars Hindsley

I’ll break this down in two sections, finding love, and being in love. 

How to love is hard.  Love is a hard word.  To begin, you can’t love anyone until you learn to love yourself.  Not a narcissistic love, but a feeling of contentment with yourself.  You must know who you are so you know what your value to someone else is. I’m not saying you should relish being alone, but can you be good at it?  Again, loving yourself is not a self-centered love of ones-self.  It is about knowing what you want out of life, where you are going, how you will get there and whatever journey you may be on you are comfortable with it. 

YOUR LOVE WILL FIND YOU

To love, you should be worth something to someone.  And perhaps the best you are is just an every day man or woman that simply wants no more than to be a housewife or working man.  But remember this, you will draw a like person depending on the world around you.   If you want to marry an actress, you don’t stand much of a chance working on the corner dime store.  You may need to face up that the love you search for is a love you have not set yourself up for.  I’ll speak of this more soon but lets stay with the point of drawing like minded people.  There is saying I learned of when I sang in a band years ago, “Your audience will find you.”  That meant that we needed ...   more »

Have the Phillies been any closer than 2 games from first place all year?

The Phillies came from behind tonight in the 8th inning in a 2-0 ball game to score three runs and hold on with Bret Myers striking out the sides in the 9th inning for a for a 3-2 win.  Life is good. 

Now that's news!  Today the headline read: "Giuliana Vows to Stop Illegal Immigrants"  but I've heard that before. 

As a registered Republican, my vote is way up in the air right now.  I could vote Democrat or Republican, my vote won't hinge on one issue but a big one to me is our borders.  I'm so sick of hearing how we can't just close off our borders to the world.  Yes we can!  Times are-a-changin'!  Have you heard that before?

Rudy Giuliani is a great shoot from the hip guy and I do recall him actually getting things done in New York when he cared for that state but I am so tired of hearing words from just about every candidate that they will do something only to forget what they spoke about later.  At least in today's news Giuliani gave an outline of his plan.  He proposes a tamperproof ID card (relative statement) that includes fingerprinting for everyone entering the country and a central database to track when they leave.  Wow, that is a lot of terrabytes of data and heck!  A lot of terrabytes of RAM!  A central database sounds great.  Now who is going to design develop and implement it?  Ah... this will never happen. 

Giuliani is even on record as insisting all immigrants who become citzens learn English.  This country is way too touchy feely for that to happen.  But a guy can dream can't he?

OK, mark Giulani off your list as probable next President. He has too high of hopes for this place. LOL

What if?

How many of us have asked this question? How many of us have so desperately wanted to step back in time and turn another corner.   What if...

It can haunt you if you are living a life you wish had gone differently.   But if you are like me, your “What if” always ends in, “then ---- wouldn’t be in my life” or “I wouldn’t be with ----”.   So you accept the bad with the good. 

What if...  What if goes well beyond what if my team didn’t win the big game.  It’s so much more.  What if you had not read that book?  Or what if you had not been influenced by what others had to say?  What if I had not taken that job?  What if I had decided to follow my heart instead of my head?  What if, usually always comes down to this though...

This goes out to all I know that seek solace.  Solace is ephemeral, it’s rest for a tired heart, it’s a pause in the grind of life, solace is a safe haven, a sideline where you see the action all around you and you know you are going back.  

I wrote Seek No Solace years ago about not searching for solace as it happens upon you serendipitously.  Someone once told me, “everything in moderation” and I’ve lived by those words... solace is something you can’t live for, or make happen.   Solace is your friend indeed but it’s not your lifeline to living.  Solace is a reprieve from a bad situation like resting in the shade on a hot sunny summer day.  You have to get out there in live to make a better life.  Solace is ephemeral, make life happen instead. 

This song below is by A-ha.  They are not the A-ha of the 80’s that most people peg them for.  Listen to Solace and you’ll be better for it.  One of my favorite words is solace.  For them to pay a tribute of sorts to this word put a smile on my face the first time I heard it.   I have good memories of this song.  From days driving up the street to my home where my family waited, to skating in central park listening to it as I cut up and down hills.  I’d hear the verse, “No one got ahead ...standing in line...” and I’d look all around me at the countless people thinking how so many of us refuse to see the beauty in life.  I would wonder how many of these people where “standing in line”.   To hear the song takes me back to moments like that, gliding under the shade of the central park trees framed by the skyline of buildings.  Suddenly I felt my moment of solace too.  Some songs don't have meaning until they fit your life.  Listen to this one and you decide.

A-ha has an interesting perspective on Solace. I like it.  It’s about finding solace, a different view than my own. They begin with a woman that has...    more »

I wrote Seek No Solace in a time of determination and pain.  I was a youth of 27.  I was humbled by raw power of Wuthering  Heights and when Heathcliff speaks to Linton offering him "Solace" I was reminded of how powerful a single word can be.  It reminds me that we are all not as strong as we hope to be and that we all share a common desire to find someone that cares enough to help us through our own hardships.  We all have our own demons to deal with.  Mine was finding a friend I could turn to at the end of every day.   Perhaps not as hard as others may have it; for instance drugs.  I've never done drugs so I never had that problem but I've seen others hope for some solace when their own demons attack them.  But in the end we all hope for solace in some way against our own hardship.  

I wrote Seek No Solace in admiration of the word and in part in appreciation for a personal logo I wore on my shirt for a time.  My band adopted it as it's logo.  This seems to set a harsh tone to my song, but again we all have our own battles and demons.   Yet, the song Seek No Solace is a song of hope.  It a song that provides an answer. It was an answer I found.  It was an answer I wanted to share with others that may have experienced the same problem in love.  The answer is the title.  The answer was something I learned to live, and its all about loving yourself enough so others can love you back.  Like most all songs I've written, Seek No Solace is about believing in yourself.  I once told someone, "Fake it till you ...   more »

How many of us can sit through a movie for children and be glad we did?  Stardust achieves this because in short is a fairy tale for grown-ups.   Like most great fantasy stories that are not remakes or Hollywood adaptations from classic novels, Stardust is brought to the big screen via the world of graphic novels, a.k.a. comic books.  Written by Neil Gaiman (DC Comics, The Sandman), Stardust is not quite a period piece, where the village of “Wall” (England) shares a walled border with a magical Kingdom of Stormhold.   Note that Neil Gaiman is far from just a hero to adult comic book readers, he has penned American God’s making him a serious novelist as well.  Some even say that J.K. Rowling stole great ideas for her Harry Potter books from Neil’s work.   True or not, the point I’m making is that for those of you that don’t understand the value of comic books (graphic novels), you are missing out on some of the best stories and writers.

There are adult concepts that very young children won’t grasp, and although I needed to lean over and explain some things to my four year old, the characters, visuals and action were balanced enough as to keep him happy in his seat.  But as I mentioned, this is an adult fairy tale, which if you think about it ...consider Grimm’s fairy tales; they had some grim situations and outcomes that can make a mom or dad squirm when read to a child.  This story is PG but as acceptable as any of Grimm’s fairy tales.

Unlike most fantasy fairy tales, this one quickly departs from prince rescues princess concept immediately despite there being a ...   more »

Used to listen to this when I was a mere boy of 12 years young.  Always imagined myself somewhere far away rescuing the girl and riding off in the sunset.

One Summer Dream