I can relate folks. 

http://cnn.site.printthis.clickability.com/pt/cpt?action=cpt&title=Murder+conviction+tossed%3B+man+freed+after+9+years+in+jail+-+CNN.com&expire=-1&urlID=26007195&fb=Y&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnn.com%2F2008%2FCRIME%2F01%2F22%2Fmasters.case%2Findex.html%3Firef%3Dnewssearch&partnerID=211911

Do you ever play games like poker or chess?  Do you ever find yourself in competition with a good friend that eventually you learn how they play the game?

I don't consider myself overly competitive.  Some days I want to win, some days I could care less about an outcome.  But when I do participate in a game, I do believe that the best plan of action is not only a good offense as a defense, but to simply never let your opponent know where you are coming from.  

When I was a young boy I held magic shows in my back yard.  It was fun.  I announced them at school and sent out invitations. I earned money from it!  It was funny as I recall it. I even have some photos of me in my back yard from the 7th grade when I did it.  I'm going back a ways, but recall what my mentor taught me.  Never let them see where the action is. Your audience must see what you want them to see.  While they are looking at A, you are doing B.

Next time you are in a sporting activity, think about this.  It's not all about deception either.  Like I said, a good offense is A. so they don't know it accomplishes B. 

I don't want to say any more.  I don't want to tip my hand.  LOL

This has been my creed the past year.  I'm in a custody case where so much fallout has taken place.  From legal fees that force me to choose some months what gets paid to what doesn't to simply living in a home that stings you with $700.00 utilitie bills in the winter months. 

How do you deal with such a big problem?  Just like eating an elephant.  You take it one bite at a time. 

The day I got my utility bill, I was very upset.  After all, I'm not a dual income family anymore.  And although I've been attacked in court motions with fraudulent editoral stating I'm "unemployed" which makes me laugh my ass off, I somehow make ends meet.  I pay my mortgage even if it gets behind one month, I pay my bills and I get caught up.  Ultimately the key is just raising the income.  I've done that.  When you have kids, you stick a nickle in it. 

So here is my advice to all you folks out there with problems of your own.  Because I know I'm not special.  Don't lose focus.  Put blinders and ignore the garbage.  If you need an emotional pause to let it out, do it.  If you are like me with kids... don't let them see you sweat.  But most of all, just take it one step at a time.  Take one bite at time and it adds up.  When I had to cut corners, I found that every corner I cut, added up.  I may ultimately fail, I may succeed in getting by financially, but frankly you'll play hell convincing me that there is a ultimate dead end, or no hope.  Or and end game.  If life destroys everything you have... you still find yourself someplace that you start ...   more »

It was the summer of 1998.   I was a newlywed. My first son Declan was less than two years of age.  My new wife still did not speak very good English, it was broken and fun to listen to.    We laughed together at how she would say Bur-GUR King or Dankin donuts.  If I cooked tacos. she would say, Taco's schmackos.   We were able to laugh out ourselves.  I rented a home next to my parents when we first got married.   My phone bill to her homeland was $1,600.00.  It was our first big test as a couple.  She reminded me, "everything in moderation" while also telling me that if I ever got on her nerves she would buy a large quantity of buttons, all the same... and put them in a jar.  She would secretly put a button in my pocket every day and as I'd find the button and toss it in the trash it would mysteriously show back up the next day in my next pair of pants.   I loved this girl.  She was a pistol.  One day my cat NEO (well before the movie the matrix came out) knocked over some roses I bought her.  She spoke to the cat in a sly voice... One of is will go NEO and it won't be me.  I remember the next words and we made an inside joke of them for years... She said... "We will see NEO". 

It was a summer day and I had kittens born.  We went into the yard and took photos of her in a school-girl outfit and her youthful exuberance.   There was love in her heart.   It came out of her and flowed through me.  Life was wide open and we had somehow not a care in our heart despite the obstacles that lay before us.  It was a good day. It was as summer day that she ...   more »