Littlest Lessard - Week 7 Results

If I didn't have a problem with food or more specifically eating, I wouldn't be in this stupid competition. I'd probably be making fun of Michele and Marc for doing it while I dressed in crazy shirts (all hip-like, just like my buddy Bob - whom I make fun of for dressing that way). That being said, I had a difficult week. Besides not being disciplined with food (that damn Wingstop finally opened and is litterally 60 seconds from the house - I had it twice last week), I haven't been feeling well (that time of year in North Texas) so I haven't been working out.

No excuses. This week, I lost the battle of the bulge. But, the war isn't over. I've been relatively disciplined for the last couple of days, and went to the gym today (and worked out hard). So - although Marc has separated himself a little bit, this ain't over! Not by a longshot. And, it will be interesting to see what Marc does next week as his trial gym membership ends on Wednesday.

Marc continues his amazing string of consistency. He hasn't had a bad week yet, and that is just plain amazing...He lost an additional 3.0 pounds (0.9%) for a 7 week total of 55.0 (13.7% lost). He's got a seemingly insurmountable lead, but who knows. Anything can happen. Perhaps they'll open a Wingstop near his house.

Michele had a good week in that she didn't gain. She didn't lose, either, so compared to my week she did pretty good. Remaining at 17.0 pounds lost (7.2%) she is firmly entrenched in third and rooting for Marc all the way.

Then there is me...this weeks big loser (and I don't mean that in a good way). I GAINED 4 pounds this week (-1.5%). That puts me at a total of 32.0 pounds lost (10.3%). Although I am not throwing in the towel, I did vote for Marc to win in this week's poll. We'll see, I still think he's due for a week like mine.

SL

Littlest Lessard - Week 6 Results

The Lessard's have hit the century mark. Can you believe there is 105 pounds less Lessard on the face of the earth? Marc has dropped half of that total, reaching an amazing 50+ pounds lost this week - but it wasn't enough to take the week. In fact, in a stunning turn of events, Marc is in LAST place this week. His slide continues.

Taking top honors for the second week in a row is ME with a loss of 8.0 pounds (2.8%). That pulls my total loss to 36 pounds (11.6%) closing that gap between myself and our overall leader. Apparently Godiva chocolate gnosh doesn't weigh as much as I feared.

Michele takes second place this week with a strong 5 pound (2.2%) loss in a good reversal from last week. Her overall loss is 17 pounds (7.2%). She attributes her loss to frantic typing used by sending e-cards.

Marc is still losing good weight, and dropped another 4.8 pounds (1.4%). He continues to be our overall leader with an amazing 52.0 pounds lost (13.0% overall). Apparently, he is only now eating 40 servings of vegetables. The Agricultural Society of Southern States (ASSeS) is boycotting him.

At this point, the pounds are still dropping and it's anyone's competition.

SL

I am a New Yorker

Thanks for sharing, Aunt Carole. Like there's a chance I forget.

I am a New Yorker

I am a New Yorker

I do not live in the five boroughs or on the Island or upstate I may live hundreds or thousands of miles away Or I may live just over the GW Bridge but I am a New Yorker

I am a New Yorker

Whatever took me out of New York: Business, family or hating the cold did not take New York out of me. My accent may have faded and my pace may have slowed But I am a New Yorker

I am a New Yorker

I was raised on Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and Rockefeller Plaza, The Yankees or the Met's (Giants or Dodgers) Jones Beach, Rye Beach, Rockaway Beach or one of the beaches on the sound I know that "THE END" means Montauk. Because I am a New Yorker

I am a New Yorker

When I go on vacation, I never look up Skyscrapers are something I take for granted The Empire State Building and the Statue of Liberty are part of me Taxis and noise and subways and "get outa heah" don't rattle me Because I am a New Yorker

I am a New Yorker

I was raised on cultural diversity before it was politically correct I eat Greek food and Italian food, Jewish and Middle Eastern food and Chinese food Because they are all American food to me. My relatives got to this country via Ellis Island and chose to stay They were New Yorkers

People who have never been to New York have misunderstood me My friends and family work in the industries, professions and businesses that benefit all Americans My firefighters died trying to save New Yorkers and non-New Yorkers They died trying to save Americans and non-Americans Because they were New Yorkers.

I am a New Yorker I feel the pain of my fellow New Yorkers I mourn the loss of my beautiful city I feel and dread that New York will never be the same But then I remember: I am a New Yorker And New Yorkers have: Tenacity, strength and courage way above the norm Compassion and caring for our fellow citizens Love and pride in our city, in our state, in our country Intelligence, experience and education par excellence Ability, dedication and energy above and beyond Faith--no matter what religion we practice Terrorists hit America in its heart But America's heart still beats strong Demolish the steel in our buildings, but it doesn't touch the steel in our souls Hit us in the pocketbook; but we'll parlay what we have left into a fortune. End innocent lives leaving widows and orphans, but we'll take care of them Because they are New Yorkers Wherever we live, whatever we do, whoever we are. There are New Yorkers in every state and every city of this nation We will not abandon our city. We will not abandon our brothers and sisters. We will not abandon the beauty, creativity and diversity that New York represents Because we are New Yorkers. And we are proud to be New Yorkers

REMEMBER THE WTC Author - Vincent Pasquale, Maspeth, NY

SL

Littlest Lessard - Week 5 Results

Thanks to Michele and Marc for agreeing to allow me to weigh in a day late this week. The hotel I was staying at in California this week did not have a scale, so I wanted to get home to use the scale at the gym.

Too bad for them that they did...

As promised, I've taken my first week. I lost 6.0 lbs this week for a weekly percentage loss of 2.1%. My totals are 28 pounds (9.0%) good enough for second place overall. I had hoped for a double digit week, but that large piece of Tiramasu really did me in. It was worth every delectable bite.

I did reach an important milestone for me though - I've made it to a quarter of my total weight loss goal.

Marc lost another 6.6 pounds (1.8%) for a leading 47.2 total pounds (11.8%).

Michele had a difficult week, gaining 3.0 pounds (-3.0%), but she's still got total weight loss of 12.0 pounds (5.1%)

I hear Marc shaking as he knows I've begun to close the gap and his monster advantage of having all that weight to play with is gone. He'll either crumble and fold this week like a stale chocolate chip cookie, or he'll redouble his efforts and lose 10,000 calories in the gym.

I vote cookie.

SL

YES - Johan!

A scream rung out throughout the house. I would have been concerned yet for the fact that it came from my mouth - AND, it was a good scream.

I saw on the news that the Mets just landed Johan Santana in a blockbuster trade with the Minnesota Twins. Johan Santana is considered one of the best pitchers in baseball, and has two Cy Young awards to prove it. The trade moves the Mets from a team with a great lineup who needed pitching to perhaps the best team in the National league with three 15 game winning pitchers. According to MLB.com, "the Mets joined hands with Santana. Deal done. Season saved. Future brightened. General manager at ease. Brilliant pitcher guaranteed $137.5 million, able to purchase Easy Street and put houses and hotels on it."

This is huge for Mets fans, especially after the last couple of years we've suffered through. Two years ago they were a game away from the World Series. Last year, they suffered the worst collapse in baseball losing a 7-game lead with 17 left to play. Interestingly enough, this trade almost collapsed, as well. They had a 72 hour deadline to get a deal done with Santana, and after the 72 hours had expired, they requested and received a two hour extension. Within 15 minutes of that extension, they had the deal done.

Whew! No second collapse.

SL

Poll to the Right ---->

Who selected other, and what city did you mean? I have to know.

SL

Littlest Lessard - Week 4 Results

I started writing this before I even got everyone's results. Clearly, the difference between living sequestered in a controlled environment like on the "Biggest Loser" and not living sequestered is - LIFE. Real life obviously gets in the way, whether it is stress around work, lack of time, scheduling issues, family pressures or just plain fatigue - things just get in the way.

The GREAT news, and what we should be celebrating, is that all of us are developing great habits. We are all sweating in the gym (I worked out over 17 hours in January), we are all burning calories (Marc burns over 6000 per week) and we are eating better (Michele has eliminated refined sugar completely).

This week, Michele and I have remained unchanged. No loss, no gain. Marc has lost another 7.0 pounds (1.9%) for a total loss of 40.6 lbs (10.1%) - putting him halfway there in four weeks.

So, the problem is, Michele and I aren't dropping any more weight. We are trying to figure out why...we think it is because we are adding muscle and yes, we all know that muscle weighs more than fat. Obviously, Marc is not adding any muscle and is just a lighter version of himself.

If you have any idea what's going on in our bodies, let us know. We are trying to stave off frustration.

SL

Frequent Flyers

I'm still a little hazy as to HOW I got roped into this, but frankly it really doesn't matter. The truth is, I am looking forward to it. The 'it' I am talking about is travel with the kids. Since I am away a lot, not only do I earn a lot of frequent flyer miles, but I miss out on spending time with the kids. Here's my opportunity to use those miles to make up for it.

If you look at this weeks poll question, you'll see that Dylan has a choice to make. I've offered him a ballgame (a weekend, actually) anywhere he wants in the US (lower 48 only). This is somewhat to make up for the fact that he missed our first annual Mets vs. Astros game in Houston last year. He is leaning toward Boston, and that's fine - I've never been to Fenway so it should be fun.

Marissa and I will be going to NY to see our Mets. Since she has found the Mets, she's only interested in them - so we'll fly up for a quick weekend game, see some family and come home.

Justin isn't real keen on going to a ball game (although he is coming with us to Houston, which is great) so we were picking our brains as to where we can go together. Our interests are a little different, so nothing out there would be fun to do with ME! So, we couldn't think of a place until Angie blurted out, "why don't you go to Vegas?" The second best idea she has ever had. So, Justin and I will fly off for a couple of days to Las Vegas this summer.

Cassie will probably come up to NY with me. I'll likely spend a week there where she can hang with AMA and I can work.

That leaves Angie and I. I'm counting on NEXT spring to be our big European getaway, so something small this year is in order. Not sure where yet, though. We were going to go to Branson, Wyoming but we have become a little skittish on the provider, so we are looking at other alternatives - and of course, there's my Alaska get away in August.

Now you know where I'll be on my weekends, once this school thing is over.

SL

5 Weeks In 15 Hours

I completed my first flex schedule weekend of the Spring '08 semester today. As I drove home from school this evening, I realized that I had just completed 5 weeks school in the weekend. I love this flex schedule, and wish I had discovered Richland College before last semester (when I took two economics courses).

I'm taking History 1301, American History on a flex schedule, meaning that I go to school from 6pm - 9pm on Friday, 8am - 4pm on Saturday, and 12pm - 4pm on Sunday for three weeks - and that's it. In 45 hours over three weekends I'll have completed 3.0 credit hours. I'm taking three classes this semester like this (HIST 1301, GOVT 2301 and HIST 1302) in addition to the two regular 14 weeks classes I am taking at UTD. At the end of this semester, I will have nine classes left to get my undergraduate degree.

And knowing that has me really motivated right now.

SL

Birthday Girl

I was looking back through the last couple of January's posts, and can't believe that I haven't posted about Cassie's birthday before.

Time to rectify the situation.

Yesterday we celebrated Cassie's 6th birthday. While I can't believe she is already six, I also can't believe she is only six. She seems so mature and so smart, sometimes it is easy to forget she is just a little kid - right up until the point where cries because she doesn't like the taste of her medicine or because she doesn't feel like cleaning up her room. Then you remember she is more baby than adolescent sometimes.

After school yesterday, we took Cassie to her video shoot. Video shoot?!?! She was asked to take part in a Superbowl party promotional shoot for church (every year the church hosts a Superbowl party), and they always do very funny commercials for the party. This year, a group of young "ladies" will be beating up the church staff in a friendly game of football. I can't wait to see the final product.

After her shoot, Dylan, Marissa, Angie and I took her to Chuck E. Cheese for some food and fun. We all played and collected tickets so she could pick a prize. Marissa and Dylan are GOOD at winning tickets and kindly shared their winnings. She picked some plastic bling and we were done.

Since I had school and the kids had church, we went on our separate ways.

SL

Littlest Lessard - Week 3 Results

Our bodies must be changing, because we all claim to have good workouts and strict adherence to our diet plans, but not large losses this week. The good news is that we're still losing, and we've reached 70 pounds lost between the three of us. In three weeks, the Lessards have lost 7.5% of their former selves.

Leading the way this week, in a shocking upset, is Michele. She lost 3.0 pounds which represents a lost of 1.3%. Unfortunately, she is still pulling up the rear in the competition with 15 lbs lost for a total percentage lost of 6.4%.

Coming in a close second place this week is Marc, with a loss of 4.4 lbs (1.2%). He is the most despondant with this weeks performance and may be close to cutting off body parts for larger losses. He's still in first overall, however, with an amazing three week loss of 33.6 lbs (8.4%). If he wins, we'll need to review his after pic very closely.

Coming in last for the second consecutive week is me, with a 2 lbs loss (0.7%). I am in second overall with 22 lbs lost (7.1%). I am sure that I am not losing pounds because I am adding muscle weight from all my body building. Apparently, most of that muscle gain is in my head.

Stay tuned...there is only 2% points separating first place from last place and this is still anyone's race. It's a marathon, not a sprint, and there is a lot of running left to do.

Who's going to be able to claim the title, "Littlest Lessard"? It is wide open.

SL

Office Space

For the last couple of weekends we've been playing musical bedrooms. Cassie has moved into Dylan's room, Dylan has moved into my office and my office has moved into Cassie's room. Why all the bother? Ultimately, the answer is simple - I need my own space.

When we bought the house (5 years last month), we had an option for a fifth bedroom or an "owner's retreat". Had we chosen bedroom, then a room above the master bath would have just been another room upstairs. But, because we selected the retreat option, we have a hidden room on the second floor that is only accessible through our bedroom on the first floor. The builder has a more vulgar unofficial name for the room, but I have my own name for it - HOME OFFICE. Even though we put Cassie in it, we always knew that it was going to be my own private space. When we bought the house, I didn't even work from home, but now that I do it is more needed than ever.

My office today is a shared space with Justin. I know he's never home, or because he sleeps vampire hours, he's sleeps in Dylan's or Marissa's room, but sharing that room with him is a disaster. He keeps it as messy as you possibly can, and because it is a shared space, I don't have room for all my stuff. Soon that will end.

Cassie has moved into her new room (repainted from dark grey and brick red to a nice pink). The new office is painted a beautiful chocolate brown. Today, the book cases go up, tomorrow the ceiling fan. This coming weekend, I'll move and install the flat panel TV. It will have a working area, a day bed (for naps) and my collectibles that have been boxed since I moved to Texas. That will empty out the large upstairs bedroom for Dylan and Justin to share - and everyone will be happy.

Now, when you come over, we can share some quiet time in my office. Just don't touch my Star Trek stuff.

SL

Littlest Lessard - Buy Out Offer

My blog, my trash talk...

You both know that the fatty in North Texas is going to win this.

Marc, you are like a big, beautiful shining star (as big as one, too - I heard your waist is measured in astronomical units)...unfortunately, like a shining star, you have burned yourself out. 6000 calories in the gym, and only 9.6 lbs lost. Next week, you might have a negative loss.

Michele, you are doing better than anyone ever thought - slow and steady. Unfortunately for you there is more slow than steady, and truth be told, you don't have a prayer. If you remember the story, the tortoise won not because the hare was fast, but because he was stupid. You don't have that advantage this time.

So - because I have 11 days between weigh-ins for week 3, I am opening up my heart to you. In fact, I'll open my heart, and you open your wallets. I'll let you buy out of the competition on the cheap. For this week ONLY (must be decided before next Wednesday), you can buy out for $25. Send me $25, and you are off the hook. Next Wednesday, the offer goes up substantially.

Let me know - it'll be the only chance you have to save some money. Either that, or you'll be buying airline tickets and dinner.

SL

Littlest Lessard - Week 2 Results

The Lessards are still losing it! It being weight! (Although there is some discussion as to some of them losing their minds years ago). The week 2 weigh in is complete, and here are the results.

Marc continues to lead the way, with another 9.6 pounds (2.5%) lost this week. His total 2 week loss is an amazing 29.2 lbs putting him in first with 7.3% lost. He claims almost 6000 calories lost in the gym last week and looking at his weight loss so far, I believe him. But his wife and kids haven't seen him in weeks.

Michele came in second this week with a 4.5 pound loss (2.0%). Her total loss so far is 12.0 lbs (5.1%). She has started with a personal trainer, so not only is she keeping up with the BIG boys, she plans on making some headway. Apparently, her trainer is motivating her with the promise of Twinkies and Burittos.

I came in third this week, losing 5.0 pounds (1.7%) for a two week total loss of 20.0 lbs (6.5%). Because I am on the road, I had to use a weigh in from last Saturday, so if I don't have a very big loss next weigh in, I'll be disappointed. It's too bad that I've turned into such a pre-madonna and can't work out unless the gym has a fruit smoothie bar.

Below are the results. What is amazing to note is that between the three of us, there is over 61 pounds less Lessard now compared to when we started.

SL

Booked Alaska

I'm doing something I've never done before. I'm taking a getaway vacation without Angie or the kids. I've gone away with Angie alone, I've gone away with Cassie alone, and I'm planning trips alone with the kids, but I've never gone anywhere without anyone from the house - except business travel. And that's why I have had no desire to do so - I get too many breaks from the kids and Angie as it is, why would I want to take more without them?

That will end this year, as a colleague (mentor) at work and I are going up to Alaska for fishing and siteseeing in August. We've booked the flights and are now booking the fishing, the siteseeing, hotels, etc.

Angie has taken weekends with her girl friends, but this is new for me. I think she understands that I'm going to need a break come August from all my schooling, and this opportunity was something that I couldn't pass up.

On August 2, we will fly from Dallas to Anchorage. We'll spend the night in Anchorage before driving the several hour drive from Anchorage to Denali and will take a day trip into the park. Because the roads are only accessible by permit, we'll take a tour into the interior of the park.

The next day we'll travel back to the Kenai peninsula and into Seward for a cruise tour of the fjords. Hopefully we'll see some killer whales, humpbacks and maybe even an iceberg being calved.

That night we'll drive from Seward to Homer to finish our trip with two days of Halibut fishing. That's one of the main reasons we are going - to stock up our freezers with hundreds of pounds of halibut meat that goes for $20/lb down here.

I can't wait, and will be counting the days till departure. I'll also have to take the kids somewhere fun to make up for this. Perhaps Disney is in our immediate future.

SL

Littlest Lessard - Week 1 Results

The results are in, and this is going to be a dog fight. The Lessards have lost an amazing total of 42.1 pounds this week - which is a total loss of 4.4% - and an awesome start to the Littlest Lessard competition.

Marc leads the way with 4.9% lost on an amazing week of 19.6 pounds lost. He claims his loss is due to eating 66 servings of fruits and vegetables and hours in the gym. With that much fiber, probably more like hours in the bathroom.

I am nipping at his heals with a 4.8% loss week, on 15.0 pounds. Because of starvation, I am literally nipping at his heals. They need salt.

And Michele ended her week at 3.2% on a very respectable 7.5 pounds lost. Unfortunately, she is likely to find that weight this week.

In all serious - an outstanding week by all the competitors. This is obviously not going to be a runaway, and for that I am thankful. The tenth of a percent I lost by today will motivate me through the week.

Game On!

SL

Littlest Lessard - Teaser

Our week 1 weigh-in occurs tomorrow. We are going to see who is well on their way to becoming the Littlest Lessard, and who isn't.

We are going to see who can walk the walk, and who just stops eating long enough to talk some smack.

In case you want a preview:

One Lessard, maybe two, have lost double digits....

One Lessard, maybe two, have started making excuses....

One Lessard, maybe two, have been VERY quiet....

See who loses what - pounds or face?????

SL

Return To Normalcy

In this case, normalcy is defined as 'school'. The kids returned to school this morning after what seemed like a couple of months long Christmas vacation. Don't get me wrong, the last several weeks have been great. Because I have the opportunity to work from home, I've spent a significant amount of time with the kids and it has been great. The last week has been especially fun with them, but sheesh - they are so out of routine that they seemed a little lost last night and this morning. They all got up fine, but I personally think the break is a little too long.

That being said, I am sorry to see that I start school this week. My breaks are never long enough. When I don't have school, my evenings are typically dedicated to the family. Even if I'm sitting on the couch, Angie says it's still nicer to have me home. My weekends are typically all hers, as I don't have to study. That ends in two days with my first day of class.

This semester may be worse than usual, as I am taking a full time load (5 classes). I usually only take two classes, but I've decided to take the extra three over weekends at the local community college. I have to do it this semester, or I'd have to take them at my school (which is more expensive) because of rules around transferring credits. So, starting on Wednesday, I am taking Organizational Behavior, Production Management, 2 History classes, and a US Government course. After this semester is done, I will only have 9 classes to go, which is less than 2 years.

I try to keep that fact in mind when I'm not sleeping and Angie and I have forgotten each other's name.

SL

Service

The word service is made up of two parts. Serve and Ice. That's appropriate since Angie and I just got back from helping the junior high kids at church with their annual trek to the Dr. Pepper Stars Center for some good fun - broom ball.

Angie is very involved with the middle school ministry at church and it's not surprising considering she has two children of that age. Me, not so much. It's not something I enjoy - I cannot really connect with the kids that age. I don't speak their language and that's a major barrier. They think I'm an old fart, and that is also a major barrier.

However, she asked me if I might think about helping tonight as they were short on drivers. I don't know why I assented, but I did and not only was she very surprised, but very pleased. We both drove to church and were assigned kids. We were taking them to the mall for a couple of hours prior to our broom ball date. We didn't have to chaperon the kids at the mall, so after we all met up their Angie and I got a bite to eat at the California Pizza Kitchen. It was like a date and she was SO pleased that I was serving with her. We met up with the kids at the appointed time and drove over to the ice rink. We played several games, no major injuries incurred, but my knees are toast. I took a couple of good falls on them and they are really bruised.

We had a great time and it was fun playing with the kids. The best surprise of the night - the kids messed around with me and didn't make me feel like the old fart. I guess an old dog can learn new tricks.

SL

Difference A Day (Or Two) Makes

We were finally getting to bed last night. It was about 11:30, and we had a very busy day. It started at 7:00AM, when Angie and I got up to go to the gym. We worked out together to start our day.

It ended at about 11:30 as we completed putting away the groceries after returning home from a late night grocery shopping session at WalMart.

What Angie said to me as we went to bed really hit home. She said, "We had a really good day today. We haven't fought at all and you have been really sweet". She went on to say that she couldn't imagine that one workout had made such a difference, but she thought it had something to do with it.

I told her it might, or more likely, the two days that I've spent in my bible study.

It got me to thinking that perhaps we could all learn a little bit more when we really listen to what is being said. Sure, it's easier when it is something positive, but because I really listened to her comment, and thought about what she was saying, I received some positive feedback about the actions that I'm trying to take in my life.

It's only been a couple of days, but with a reaction like that, it may be easier to stick with it.

SL

Littlest Lessard - Initial Weigh-In

The trash talking has started in earnest, the last meals have been digested, and the goals have been set. Marc, Michele and I have had our initial weigh-ins and here are the results and goal weights.

As you can see, we are all pretty big. It must be genetic. :)

For added motivation, we all agreed to post our before pictures. They are below (I'm the one in the pretty hat).

I will post to the blog by Wednesday evening to update the status and loss results each week.

May the Littlest Lessard please stand up!

SL

2007 - Year In Review

Last year I blogged about some goals that I'd like to accomplish in 2007. To review, click here.

My results are a mixed bag. Some successes, but many failures. All told, I didn't achieve much of what I wanted to.

Last Year's Resolutions:
a,b) Obedience to and Time with God...I didn't do this in any significant way this year. I would have pockets of success, but no long term. This year, I will keep this as a goal. Starting on Jan 1, I will follow a reading plan to get through the bible in one year. I've done it before and got to Job (May, if memory serves), before stopping.

c) Critical nature...I would expect that my nature is as critical as ever. Probably because I've failed in a and b above.

d) Financial stewardship...this is one area of success. Angie and I have stayed on our budget pretty well. We've not missed on tithe to the church, and have increased our giving for the Imagine campaign. Additionally, we are sponsoring 4 children from Katito, Kenya. Our giving has increased every year for the last several, and we have sacrificed to do it. Although this will continue to be a huge focus for us, I'm going to drop it off the list.

e) Health...good and bad. I've quit smoking and as of Jan 4, will not have had a cigarette for eight months. My previous long was nine months, but the difference this time is that I know I don't have it beat. I cannot have even one, ever. I've also gained a ton of more weight. Tomorrow, when I weigh in for our "Littlest Lessard" competition, I won't be surprised to see 325, or so. Angie and I are really motivated to get into shape together, and the friendly competition with my sister and brother should help. It's not about weight loss, it is about being healthy.

Some NEW resolutions:
f) Angie...Angie and I need to focus on each other much more. I resolve to free up more time for her and for us. To be more patient with her. And to always try and be kind with my words and actions.

g) Consistency with the kids...Angie and I have realized that we need to be more consistent with how we act towards the kids (including setting expectations and what happens when those expectations aren't met).

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SOME NUMERICAL THINGS FROM 2007

50 flights on American Airlines covering 53,510 miles. All domestic.

46 nights in ICH group hotels (Crowne Plaza, Staybridge Suites, Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express). 4 of those nights for pleasure.

21 Credit Hours completed (2 A+, 3 A, 1 A- and a B)

1 Rio Grande Turkey, 1 Mourning Dove and one Channel Catfish harvested. I also caught a small striped bass, but he was released.

2 new guns this year. A .357 revolver and a .270 Rifle.

3 days spent alone with Angie (getaway on Long Island in August). We'll need to improve this number.

SL

Where You Won't Find Me in 2008

I've finally had it. I've disliked going for some time now, but because Angie and the kids like to go I would take them on occasion. It was easier when it was for something I wanted to see, for sure. For the last couple of years I would go only to see a huge sci-fi epic, but even that draw won't be enough.

I'm talking about the movies. The only other place (other than a sporting event) where you have the privilege of paying $12.00 for a popcorn that cost 50 cents to produce. But, it's not about price at the movies. It never has been. It's about the people...

I no longer want to go to a theater that invariably has people that couldn't care less about anyone else in the place. Whether it's the couple that bring their baby - and that baby proceeds to cry during the movie. Or, perhaps its the teens that are there for every other reason than to watch the movie. Or the others that just want to have a conversation instead of enjoy the show. And, my biggest peeve, the people that cannot possibly miss a call or text and are using their cell phones the entire time. Those phones give off a lot of light and are very distracting.

The movie studios and the theater operators have been lamenting the state of their business for many years. The claim DVDs, production costs, and piracy as the problems they face. They are totally wrong. The problem is that the theater operators don't police their theaters and the entire experience suffers for it. When in-home entertainment rooms are the rage, why would anyone go to the movies to battle that crap? I know I no longer will.

Before you tell me that I sound like some cantankerous old man, even Angie said she was really distracted when we went to see "I Am Legend" last week. The teens next to us got up at least 10 times during the movie...sometimes returning to their seat so quickly that they could not have possible gone to the bathroom. There was a group of people having their own conversation the entire movie. And worst of all, the teen next to us kept checking her phone every five minutes. I don't know what she does for a living that she couldn't afford to miss something, but I know that I am on the clock 24x7, and I still managed to put my phone on vibrate and not check it the entire time.

I think I am going to take all of the money I save by not going to the movies and invest in a recliner for the living room. With the surround sound and the 54 inch TV, I don't think I'll ever miss the theater again.

Too bad microwave popcorn just doesn't taste as good as the theater stuff.

SL

The Littlest Lessard - Prelude

You already know I am a big fan of the show, "The Biggest Loser". I watch it most seasons, assuming I don't have school on the day of the week that the show is on. Angie and I have talked about going on the couples editions, but we both know that we can't be away long enough to do it. I've wondered what it would be like, especially after this last season where many of the participants have lost 150+ pounds.

Combine my very real need to get into shape with a very strong sibling rivalry that my brother, sister and I share (even though we may not see each other or even talk to each other often), and you may have the motivation needed to finally get it done.

You see, my sister Michele, my brother Marc, and I all are big. So, one of us geniuses came up with the idea that we should have a weight loss competition in the spirit of The Biggest Loser. Here's the deal. Every week, starting on January 2nd, I will update our progress on the blog. The first one of us to lose 20% of our body weight will be the winner - or, the Littlest Lessard.

This is what we are playing for:
1) If I win, Marc and Michele have to fly me to New York and take me out to eat at one of my favorite restaurants - Gasho of Japan in Hauppauge.

2) If either one of them win, I have to fly them both down to Dallas for a dinner at Pappasitos.

That's it. We'll post pics, weight, weight loss, percentage lost, and probably talk a lot of smack in the comments. It won't matter, though. They'll lose.

My overwhelming desire not to lose to either of them will ensure that...because the trip and the dinner be damned, it's all about the bragging rights.

SL

What's On Your List?

As we wake tomorrow, most of us will rip into the presents that await us under the tree. It is a fun and exciting day, one in which witnessing the joy of the children has replaced my own personal wants for presents. However, even among all of the commercialism that is Christmastime, it is imperative we focus on what the season is all about.

Did you know that we exchange presents as a symbol for the ultimate present that God has given us in Jesus Christ? I didn't until tonight. It made me wonder about the entire nativity scene and the amazing God we have. How easy it would be to discuss the coming of a savior in the grandeur and splendor that was due to him. Who could have blamed God for wanting to spoil is child, who left the perfection of heaven to take human for among us? He could have been born in the finest hospital to the best doctors...instead, he was born among the livestock in a manger. Thinking about the entire life and ministry of Jesus, it just begs the question, "why?"

Why would our God, who created all things, place his only Son in squalor, to an unmarried virgin woman who would become the object of doubt by her betrothed and gossip to her town? Why would our God send his Son, His PERFECT SINLESS Son, to Earth to take on our sin and to die like the worst criminal of His time?

The answer is as easy to understand as it is to accept: Because He loves us, and because it is the only way He could bring us to Him. Had He done it any other way, the story would have lost something and perhaps the focus would have been moved away from His grace and love for us to something else. It is just amazing that He loves us so much. One of my favorite songs has the line, "You know the depths of my heart, yet You love me just the same". Meditate on that. God knows the ugliest, most depraved depths of our hearts, and loves us anyway. That is awesome to think about.

Whether you get what was on your Christmas list, or not - remember, we've already been given the greatest gift of all.

Merry Christmas.

Luke 2:1-20
The Birth of Jesus 1In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2(This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3And everyone went to his own town to register.
4So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
The Shepherds and the Angels 8And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ[a] the Lord. 12This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."
13Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 14"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."
15When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."
16So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

SL

Meet Mr. Higgins

Ok - so we don't always make the wisest decisions. Things are going along just fine, so what do we do? We upset the applecart. It looks like Tipsy has accepted Mr. Higgins enough for us to keep him (see "Picture of the Week" at right and Angie's blog). The kids are estatic, Angie is pleased, I'm not so much, and Tipsy seems a little pissed. You can't really blame her, but at the same time it's her fault.

Angie has really wanted a smaller dog that would play with the kids. We'll she's found one. Higgins has a really sweet personality and, at a year old, really loves to play. Tipsy has never played with the kids - she tolerates me and Angie, but you can tell, she isn't a lover of children.

Tipsy and Higgins sniffed and did the doggie greeting out on the porch. No issues. Tipsy is somewhat submissive and so is Higgins. It's been her house, but Higgins has her in the energy department. Tipsy has bared her teeth at Higgins a couple of times - she is defensive about her food and her kennel. She'll nip at Higgins before things are settled, I'm sure, but that just might be the end of the question as to who is in charge.

The truth be told, Higgins is VERY sweet and playful. He has a very nice personality. I'm just not too keen on walking a dog again (we let Tipsy out in our unfenced backyard, she always comes back). Higgins won't, so he needs a walk on a leash. Ultimately, as things get settled, I think he'll work out.

At least until the kids get bored and I get stuck with the responsibility.

SL

It's Called Christmas...

I love this anti-Political Correctness stuff. The only danger is that when we don't care about HOW we give the message, we could be turning off those TO the message - and that would be wrong. We need to deliver it in a way that gives the best chance to be heard.

SL

Integrity of the Bullcrap

If you visit my blog regularly, you know that I am an avid baseball fan. I love the game. I love playing the game, I love watching the game on TV, I love watching the game in person. I've often said that there are few things on earth more pleasant than sitting at the ball park on a warm afternoon, watching a good game, eating a dirty water dog and drinking a $7.00 beer. What I really love about the game are the intricacies that happen thousands of times a game.
What I hate are the people involved with the game. All you have to do is look at Alex Rodriguez opting out of a $25M a year contract to get $27M a year. Now, he has since said that he is embarrassed by his behavior and that he's made a significant mistake - but I don't think he's giving the money back either.

Unless you've been living under a rock, than you are aware that the Mitchell Report was released last week. I've downloaded it, and have read some of it (it's over 400 pages). Additionally, I've listed to the several hours of press conferences from former Senator George Mitchell, the report author; Bud Selig, the Commissioner of baseball; and Donald Fehr, the President of the MLBPA (players union). My reaction, what a bunch of jerks.

The main issue of the report is that the players, baseball, the media, etc. are all complicit in the Steroid/Performance Enhancing Drug problem AND that the problem was widespread. My problem to this is that it doesn't tell us anything we don't know. Baseball has spent an estimated $60M on this report, and this is the result??? What a joke.

Then you have baseball, represented by Bud Selig. His reaction to the report is not personal ownership, but how this report is a step towards maintaining the "integrity of the game". My issue here is that baseball didn't seem to care about the integrity of the game when attendance was down in the 90's and everyone was talking about the ball being "juiced". I remember the conversations we had...more home runs were being hit because expansion diluted the quality of pitching and because manufacturing methods for the balls had changed (the ball was juiced). It seems, in retrospect, that the ball wasn't juiced, the players were. However, the result of this offensive outburst was fans and interest returning to the game that had been decimated by yet another work stoppage and players strike. The highlight of this interest was the Mark McGuire/Sammy Sosa chase of 61 home runs record. What a sham.

Then you have the players themselves (represented by the greasiest human being on the planet, Donald Fehr). His complaint in the report was that the union didn't have an opportunity to review the report prior to release. What he doesn't tell you is that the ONLY player who actually responded to a request for interview for the report was Jason Giambi, and the reason he did it was because he was being threatened with suspension if he didn't. It seems like Fehr was trying to position the players for the next collection bargaining session. What an ass.

Ultimately, I still love the game - I just hate the players even more. Imagine getting paid millions to play a game that I've paid a lot of money to play, myself. They should be thankful for the opportunity. However, it's those millions that help convince someone to cheat. I can almost understand a player cheating (taking Steroids) to make those millions. It's in that context that baseball's history needs to be taking into account. As long as there is winning and losing, there is cheating. Whether a spitball, corked bat, stolen signs, or a hypodermic full of testosterone, people will try to get an advantage.

Bob Costas has recently put it best...he stated that the record book should contain the provision stating that baseball records are very much continuous, but that they still need to be put into historical context; whether due to segregation, day/night games, expansion, or performance enhancement drugs, the game has always been changing and the records of the game need to be reviewed in light of these changes.

I'll keep rooting for the Mets, and keep looking for those players that exhibit true sportsmanship. Fortunately, there are still a few players out there.

SL

Snowstorm

I just got in from tooling around in my Cadillac SRX in the snow. I'd think I was dreaming if it weren't for the fact that my hands are freezing. I'm awake - my car is a rental and I'm working in Utah.

It's snowing in the valley here in Salt Lake City, and it is absolutely beautiful. It started this afternoon and is still going. I drove home in it, but the roads were fine. Something about how people that get a lot of snow know how to live in a lot of snow. Apparently, the valley here has gotten about three feet over the last week. The mountains have received more.

And that's why license plates in Utah have the slogan, "Greatest Snow on Earth". It's a dry powder that has very little moisture. Makes for horrible snowballs, but GREAT skiing. If you haven't skied Utah snow, than you haven't skied.

It's been a perfect day to get me in the holiday spirit because dreaming of a white Christmas in Dallas is just too much to ask.

SL

Blog Bytes

Lots going on and haven't updated in a while, so I'll use the trusty fallback - blog bytes...

1) Travel - I am soon to embark on week 3 of 4 for travel. I spent two weeks ago in Raleigh. Last week I was in silicon valley. This week is Salt Lake City, UT (can you say cold?). Next week I am in Orlando, FL (should be warmer). Work is very busy as we are in the midst of our vendor launch, but things are going very well.

2) Holidays - I have not been in the holiday spirit too much, probably because we have no money for it. We're trying to focus on what's important and church has been a blessing in that area. We had our annual holiday music service this last week, and the focus was on our work in Africa. The church hosted orphans from Worldhelp's International Children's Choir and they performed as part of the service. Really hit home about what Christmas really means.

3) Givedifferent and World Vision - if you are looking to also make a difference, check out GiveDifferent and WorldVision. GiveDifferent is our church's fundraising mechanism. The $60K we raise will go to digging wells and buying goats. WorldVision is a Christian charity that or church is partnered with to sponsor needy children. Our church has sponsored every child in the town of Katito, Kenya (over 500 children). Shameless plug: our small church is sponsoring more children in Africa than any other church in Texas and several other states in the south.

4) Kids - kids are doing well. Now seems to be a slow time, as there are no sports seasons going on. I think basketball starts soon, so the respite will be short-lived. Cassie is busy with scouts and has taken to school like a fish to water. She goes to school all day and then comes home and plays school. She becomes "Mrs. Blue" and is a real taskmaster. Marissa has acclimated to junior high school very well and is getting good grades. Dylan is getting very involved with the youth worship band at church (playing drums). Justin continues to do his thing at Pizza Hut and at community college. He awaits his Assistant Manager promotion.

5) Angie - Angie is doing well, even if she doesn't get to spend enough time with me. She is very busy with the Women's Events (WE) team at church and is busy help plan women's brunches and retreats. She completed her first semester at community college, taking a design class. She is very much thinking about returning to school to get a degree/certificate in Interior Design.

6) School - right now I am between semesters (the reason I am traveling so much). I got four A's this semester (three A's and an A+) and currently hold a 3.78 GPA. I've reconciled that my grades may suffer due to my travels, but that just didn't happen this semester. The fact is that I had four easy classes. The next two semesters won't be so easy, but I can finally start seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. I will complete 5 classes this semester (equivalent to full-time) and should only have a couple of more years left.

SL

Downsizing

Angie and I have made a monumental decision. We are downsizing this year.

No, we aren't selling the house. We've gotten a smaller Christmas tree instead. Many of you understand that this is a monumental decision for me - and one that I wasn't convinced was the right decision - until last night.

For all but the first Christmases in the house, we've had a beautiful 12 foot tree up in the front room. Because we have an open ceiling in that room, the big tree always looked so beautiful. The problem with the big tree is that it is soooo big. I was stored in TWO large Christmas tree boxes and came in 5 parts. The real problem, though, was that it took at least a week for Angie and I to put it up. With 6000 tips to straighten it just took FOREVER. And, because it was so big and unwieldy, it caused considerable stress and the associated conflict when it was time to get it going.

Unfortunately, when it was up - it was beautiful. It had over 2000 lights and it was a really stunning tree that everyone commented on and one in which I took immense pride.

That pride is all gone as I look at our seven and a half footer. The good news - Angie and I put it up in less than two hours. Also, we can decorate it without a ladder. Most importantly, we bonded as we put it up. Both of us remember all the fighting that the other tree caused, and when we didn't fight with this one, we were greatful for it. The bad news - it looks pathetic.

Cassie saw it this morning and she said it looked great. If the other kids feel the same way, I'll have to let go of my pride. Besides, we are giving out big one to the church. At least I'll be able to enjoy it there.

SL

Give Different Dot Org

Can you remember what you got for Christmas last year? I can't. I know it probably had to do with hunting, and probably some DVD's, but I cannot remember what the kids got me, what Angie got me, and what I got from family back in NY.

Come to think of it, I bet the kids couldn't remember, either. I think we got Dylan his drum set, but I could be wrong. We have video of it if I really must know.

Imagine giving a gift that REALLY means something. Imagine remembering what you gave because your gift changed lives - possibly SAVED lives.

Think about giving differently this year. We are. If you get a shirt and a card, you'll know why.

To see a local Dallas newscast about giving differently, click here.

SL

Watch TV and Feel the Burn

For the next four weeks I will be spending a significant amount of time traveling for work. This week has me in Raleigh for the week, and next week I will be in San Jose. The week after that in Salt Lake and the week after in Orlando.

Typically, when I travel I spend a great deal of time in the office, go out to dinner and then work more in the hotel room. Ultimately, even though I am working a great deal I have some free time. I made a decision that when I have free time, I am going to spend some time in the fitness centers in each of the hotels.

I got back from dinner tonight but was not very motivated. My back hurts a bit and I have some work to finish up on. I made up my mind that I was going to work out tomorrow morning, so I booted up the laptop and scanned the channels as Windows loaded.

I ended up finding the beginning of The Biggest Loser on NBC. Angie and I love watching the show (See a previous post about the show) and I am always very motivated by it. Tonight's episode was an even greater motivation. They met with a doctor on the show that explained all of the ancillary benefits to their weight loss. One lost 100 points to his cholesterol. One restored their blood sugar to normal levels. One lost 76 lbs of fat, but she only has lost 65 pounds. How can that be? She's gained 11 lbs of muscle. Another lost three water cooler sized vats of fat. One lowered his BP by 50 points. The stories continue. It has been amazing. I am so moved by their gains (losses), that I'm putting on my socks and sneakers.

As soon as the show is over, I'm going to work out. I want to be one of those success stories.

SL

Duckless in Dallas

Why would anyone in their right mind get up at 1:30 in the morning?

The answer is to ensure that you get a great spot on the Brazos River for some duck hunting. Dylan, his dad, and I went duck hunting this Saturday. I was very much looking forward to it as their spot near the dam on the Brazos has always brought them good success. I hadn't been there before and didn't bag a duck last season, so I was looking forward to getting my first.

The hunting spot is more than 2 hours away, so you gotta get up early in the morning to get there, get to your spot (before anyone else), set up your decoys and wait for sun up.

We got to the river a little past 4:30am, and got to our spot around 5. By the time everything was set we had about an hour's wait until lawful shooting could begin. It was cloudy, cold and drizzling, but really beautiful. As the sun came up, you could see the hills, trees, water, etc. It was just really beautiful, and nothing what I expected. I'm not used to hills in Texas....it is pretty flat, but there were amazing rock formations and forest covered hills where ever I looked. If it weren't raining and cloudy, it would have been perfect.

It would have been perfect even with the rain if the ducks were flying, but we didn't see a one. We sat for several hours as it got colder (37 degrees on a bank clock as we drove home), tried to call some in, but we never did see one.

I can't wait to go back, though. Even if the hunting is lousy, the surroundings were just awesome.

SL

Happy Thanksgiving

A little Thanksgiving fun courtesy of Dorsey Elementary school's kindergarten classes.



SL

Strange Visitor

I don't understand everything that he says. We agree on just about nothing. His point of view is completely foreign to my own. The kids think he's the coolest thing since sliced bread. I love him like a son and brother at the same time.

He's my nephew, Paul, who stopped by and visited with us for a couple of days as he was working in Dallas. Paul is 25 and has had an awesome opportunity traveling the east coast and the south while promoting Rockstar Games' "Table Tennis" for the Nintendo Wii. Basically, he's been going to college campuses and sporting events setting up flat screens and projectors to allow people to try out the game. It's a perfect job for Paul as he is one of the most charming, social and gregarious personalities that I've ever met.

He worked the Stars game, the Mavs game AND the Cowboys game this week, so he's definitely been around. When he wasn't working he was visiting with us. In fact, when he arrived on Friday, Cassie waited up till midnight (she fell asleep about 10 minutes before he arrived, but then stayed up with us until 2:00am). We played Wii, goofed around and ate. On Saturday morning, he wanted to play with the guns so Dylan, Paul and I went to the range and shot the handgun and the rifle. We thought Paul was a natural as we couldn't see his hits on the target. Upon closer inspection we discovered that he was missing it entirely. He improved quickly and was very pleased. He claims that the scope on the rifle is not properly sighted-in. He's wrong. I went off to school, while he visited with Cassie and Angie for a little longer.

Paul came back on Sunday evening. We gave him a home cooked meal (he took the leftovers for the road), visited some more, and I watched as he bounced with Cassie on the trampoline.

He left this morning for Indiana, where he'll return the van and catch a flight back to New York for Thanksgiving. I hope the trip gave him a greater appreciation for this great country and for his uncle in Texas.

It was great to see him - even if I don't understand him.

SL

Little Drummer Boy

This week, a rock star was born. Pa-rum-pum-pum-pummm.

On Wednesday night Dylan played with the worship band at our church's middle school service called the Merge.

He's been practicing the songs for the last several days and he sounded great. The youth pastor had him try out several weeks ago and sent him a couple of songs in MP3 format. He listened to them and practiced them - all by ear. Dylan has never had a formal lesson on the drums, and has picked up how to play from Justin, who seems to be able to play any musical instrument he tries. We bought him a real drum set last year after he destroyed the not quite real drum set the year before.

So, a rock star is born, if he can get his grades up. We told Dylan that we would pay for lessons if he got his grades to all A's and B's. If being on stage and being a big deal with the girls doesn't motivate him to do it - nothing will.

Pa-rum-pum-pum....pummm.

SL

Out of Commission - Again

As I write this entry this morning, I should have been at 45,000 feet over the Atlantic Ocean returning from several days work in Amsterdam. As you can see, I am not. Instead, I am sitting at my desk in my home office with a sore back. As I prepared for the first part of my journey (day trips out the San Jose, CA and then Salt Lake City, UT) I threw out my back - AGAIN. It is amazing how my back goes out - I wasn't doing anything - I just moved from one keyboard on my desk to another. I rotated my body perhaps 60 degrees and WHAM! I felt a twinge on the right side of my lower back. I knew instantly that it wasn't good, even if it didn't hurt too much. I took two Advil and went right to bed.

I had a very early flight the next morning, so I had set my alarm to 3:30AM giving me only about 5 hours of sleep. When the alarm went off I could hardly get out of bed. I was mobile, but barely, and I knew that my domestic travels were done. I went back to bed for a couple of hours and then called travel to cancel my itinerary. I had three and a half days until my flight to London, so I hoped for the best.

I worked not from my home office last week, but from my living room couch. It was the only place I could sit at for long periods, so with a TV tray on my lap and wireless network connectivity to the Internet, I worked as normal. Angie took care of me while I did so.

Saturday came and I thought I could manage the trip, but the plane ride really scared me. Nine hours to London in coach sounds long enough, but add the prospect of back pain, or worse - spasms, and I was terrified. I spoke to my boss and we decided it was best to cancel.

So, I've been up in my office this week but have some to the conclusion that I need to replace my chair with something a little more "quality". I'll reschedule these trips for December and January, so I will have lots to talk about. I have been to Amsterdam many times, but not within the last several years, so it will be a homecoming of sorts.

You know I'll blog about it.

SL

Masked Troop

I overheard Angie talking to the moms of the girls in my troop. She was saying that I am very organized and because of this the troop will always be organized. The funny thing is that I agree with her right up to the point when the girls start to arrive. Then - all bets are off.

Actually, we had a GREAT second Girl Scout troop meeting last night - if I don't say so myself. This was Angie's first as she had an appointment for our meeting two weeks ago and she said that it went really well. I think the girls had fun.

The girls came in and worked on their name plates...we used them for our Kaper chart, which shows which jobs that each girl will do for the meeting. When we completed our pre-activity, we opened our meeting in the friendship circle. We worked on the Girl Scout sign, the quiet sign, the Girl Scout handshake, the Promise, the "Make New Friends" song, and the Pledge of Allegiance.

Once the circle was done, we went back to the table to do our activity. We made Harlequin masks. I had previously cut out the mask shape and eyes, so the girls decorated with feathers, paint, sparkles, jewels, etc. They did a great job with Angie's help (I did some paperwork with the moms while Angie took over). By the way, the idea to do masks was not mine. I talk to Cassie's kindergarten teacher every week and try to get ideas of things to do. During the activity, some of the girls tested on the Girl Scout Promise. Two girls succeeded (including Cassie) and one was very close - I felt so bad that I couldn't give her credit as she left some of it out. Angie was great, though. She complimented the girl and made her feel really good for trying. The girls that memorized the Promise get their Promise Center patch for their uniform.

After we cleaned up, we did snacks. After snacks, we closed our meeting in our friendship circle and I gave the girls their awards (the girls earned their first activity patch for attending their first troop meeting).

We'll have another meeting in two weeks and will be working on our invitations to their pinning ceremony.

SL

Cultural Differences

This morning, Angie and I attended the funeral service for our next door neighbor, Billy Tyler, who passed away after a fight with cancer. His step-daughter is a friend of Marissa's, so we interacted with the family often. I didn't know Billy real well, but knew that he was the hardest worker I have ever known. He was out working in his yard all of the time, even after his diagnosis. You knew he was getting seriously ill when that stopped. He still has the greenest lawn and the most perfect landscaping on the block.

I'd like to think that I don't have racist tendencies and that I judge people based on what they do (mostly - I've blogged in the past about my judgement of those based on appearance, but appearance to me does not include race). We've known Billy and his family since they moved in about three years ago and liked them. It didn't, and doesn't matter, to Angie and I that they are an African-American family. In fact, the only reason I mention that is because I'd like to focus on the cultural differences that I observed at the service - difference that find there source in racial differences.

Billy's service was at the Mt Hebron Missionary Baptist Church in Rowlett. Angie and I were probably 2 of 10 white people there. There were seven pastors officiating the service, some from Billy's hometown in Tennessee and some from Dallas and Rowlett. Billy's direction to them was to have a "normal church service" which apparently includes a sermon, singing and lots of praise for Jesus. Much of it coming in the form of audience feedback as, "Amen", "Hallelujah", and "That's Right!". It was wonderful, if not a little strange for us. People who were speaking would spontaneously break out in song and then spontaneously start talking again. Like the sit/stand and response routine of a Catholic mass, unless you knew what to do and when, you just kind of sat there and took it all in. One thing we noticed is that the singing was awesome. Someone from Billy's family sang an a capella version of Amazing Grace that was...well, amazing. The sermon was like something you would see on TV or in the movies - of a very animated black pastor speaking his mind and explaining scripture.

Angie and I have been pondering the culteral differences, but are also pleased by several of the many things we have in common. One - love of family. Clearly, Billy loved his and they loved him. Second, the love and comfort that God provides for us through Jesus. We may celebrate that differently, but the message is the same.

Rest in peace, Billy.

Billy Lee Tyler
1954 - 2007

SL

Opinion Piece VI

Who Killed Tom Hanks, Mel Gibson, Ted Danson and Alexandra Paul?
(a review of “Who Killed the Electric Car?” by Scott Lessard)

Occam’s Razor states that all things being equal, the simplest solution to a problem is typically the correct one. In my experience, this idea tends to be correct more often than not. This explains why I am not a huge fan of conspiracy theories. To me, most “conspiritists” are paranoid, misguided, or just plain insane. That is not to say that there isn’t something going on behind the scenes every now and again, but I don’t believe the Federal government was behind 9/11, that NASA staged the moon missions, or that the Holy Grail is the surviving bloodline of Jesus Christ and Mary Magdelene. The complexity of these events being conspiracies are just so incredible, the easiest and more logical answer is that these conspiracy theories are all false. The same is with the supposition placed by the makers of “Who Killed the Electric Car?” that the automakers, the oil companies, and government conspired to kill an incredible technological advancement and kept us dependent on foreign oil far beyond what that dependency should be.

In fact, I am more inclined to believe Dan Neil when he states in the movie that, “GM would sell you a car that ran on pig shit if it would sell.” Why? Because GM is a large corporation out to sell cars and make money. That’s the simple fact of our market society – the market has a demand for a product. If there is demand, but not enough product, the price goes up. Producers, seeing the price rise, realize they could make money if they had more product, step up production. This increased supply lowers the price so more people want to buy the product. The cycle repeats until people no longer want the product. This didn’t happen in the case of the electronic car (named the EV1). We have to ask ourselves why…The movie clearly states that this was because GM wouldn’t create enough of them and that they did this because they were in collusion with the oil makers, who are the ones that really had a great deal to lose. To distill it down, it was a conspiracy – that big corporations pressured the government to eliminate stringent requirements that the auto industry sell more alternative vehicles, thus removing the requirement for them to make more vehicles.

My question – and one that the movie does not address – is why would the auto industry do that? Why would they care if they are selling electronic cars or gasoline-powered cars, or both? I can’t imagine any reason for this. They want to make profit and can do so by meeting the needs of the consumer. If the consumer really wanted a car that went only 60 miles between charges they would have bought it. If the consumer really wanted a car with questionable battery technology, they would have bought it. If the customer really wanted to pay more for these problems, they would have bought it. The problem is that GM wants to sell hundreds of thousands of automobiles, not tens of thousands – the consumer demand just wasn’t there. If it had been, at the scope at which the marginal benefit of selling this car was greater than the marginal cost of building it, GM would have built them. This HAS to be the case. General Motors is a public company with many thousands of owners in the form of shareholders. To not take advantage of a new and profitable product would have been career suicide for the board and for its management. However, this never occurred, even with all of the publicity and the celebrity hype surrounding the car. This isn’t to say that GM couldn’t have marketed the car better, or provided better technology into the vehicle – they probably could have. What is evident, however, is that they had one real reason not to put the car into mass production – it wouldn’t have been profitable to a company whose number one responsibility is to grow value for the owners.

I find it interesting that demand wasn’t created by the fact that Ed Begley Jr. had one or that Tom Hanks said he was “saving America” by driving one. Further proof that the EV1 was either not ready for sale or that the American consumer was not ready to purchase.

SL

I'm No Hallow-weenie!

Last night the kids scored some mega-candy. I've been picking at it since. Angie, Cassie (cheerleader) and I (hunter) trick or treated with Cassie's friend Grant (spiderman) yesterday. We went about halfway through the neighborhood up one side and down the other. Unfortunately, we ran out of time (Cassie's bed time is 8:00PM) so we had to quit and inspect her candy. Contrary to popular belief, I do not keep all the pieces that I like.

Dylan (70's cool dude) stayed back to hand out candy until the lure of free sugar got to him and he went out with Marissa (90's cool dude) and some friends. They went around the entire neighborhood and scored a ton of candy. At that point Angie stayed back and handed out tootsie rolls, Sweet Tarts, etc. When the kids got back, I inspected their candy, as well. I ended up throwing out a lot this year - most of it opened or looking like it had been opened.

After Cassie went to bed, we popped in Poltergeist. It was great to see a fun movie from years ago - even if it scared the wits out of Marissa. She slept on the couch last night.

It's cool that our neighborhood makes a big deal about the night for the kids. Several houses are very decorated, and a couple are even like haunted houses. The kids love it and it's good, clean fun. Here are some pictures of that fun...




SL

Opinion Piece V

Below is another mediation essay - one of the three major assignments in my writing course.

Human Genetics Research – Cautious Approach Needed
(Mediation between Francis Fukuyama and Gregory Stock)

… After days and nights of incredible labour and fatigue, I succeeded in discovering the cause of generation and life; nay, more I became myself capable of bestowing animation upon lifeless matter.…I doubted at first whether I should attempt the creation of a being like myself, or one of simpler organization; but my imagination was too much exalted by my first success to permit me to doubt of my ability to give life to an animal as complex and wonderful as man.… No one can conceive the variety of feelings which bore me onwards, like a hurricane, in the first enthusiasm of success.

- M. Shelly, “Frankenstein”

I can imagine a scientist today feeling the same way at his discovery…an enthusiasm at being the first to accomplish a task or discovering a truth about the environment that surrounds us. Add to this possible event that the discovery is within the field of genetics however, and the picture becomes a bit more sinister. It is inevitable that gene therapy, altered genes in foods, human cloning and a myriad of other research areas that fall under genetics conjure up images of Frankenstein’s monster and mad scientists. This is a future that Francis Fukuyama, a professor at John Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, portrays in his essay, “In Defense of Nature, Human and Non-Human”

His argument is compelling and deals with a common sense approach that calls for the strictest of regulation overseeing genetic research. His premise is that the human genome (and the genetic make-up of higher animals) is too complex for effective gene therapies to ever be developed and that altering these genetic structures that are not fully understood could have dire consequences. He continues to argue that when it comes to complex systems, human beings have a long history of suffering negative consequences when we attempt to alter an ecosystem in which our understanding is lacking. He argues,

If there is one thing that the environmental movement has taught us in the past couple of generations, it is that nature is a complex whole. The different parts of an ecosystem are mutually interdependent in ways that we often fail to understand; human efforts to manipulate certain parts of it will produce a host of unintended consequences that will come back to haunt us. (2)

He continues his argument by sharing statistics that there are fewer genes than originally thought and because of this fact, many human capabilities or behaviors must be attributed to gene interactions, not specific genes. (4) It is because of this fact, that we cannot understand the effects of altering a gene. Yes, we may obtain the positive result that we expected by changing a single gene, but it is likely that we will also suffer the unintended and unknown effects of changing that gene, as well. He states, “the victim of a failed experiment…a human child whose parents, seeking to give her greater intelligence, will saddle her with a greater propensity for cancer, of prolonged debility in old age, or some other completely unexpected side effect that may emerge only after the experimenters have passed from the scene.” (5)

Fukuyama then proceeds to argue that it is our very human nature that is at stake. It is our genes that have given us unique abilities and that we cannot begin to understand the make-up of this genetic ecosystem. Furthermore, he argues that because it is our human genetic make-up that makes us uniquely “human” and that this needs to be protected – to protect our very essence. He proposes, “A biotechnology that seeks to manipulate human nature not only risks unforeseen consequences, but can undermine the very basis of equal democratic rights as well.” (7)

Fukuyama finishes his essay by calling on the strictest of governmental oversight over biotechnology. He uses European countries as examples of the types of agencies and regulation that the United States to create. He goes so far as to advocate the creation of international legislation by the United Nations. (9)

On the extreme opposite side of this argument is Gregory Stock, director of the Program on Medicine, Technology, and Society at the University of California at Los Angeles. He argues that biotechnologies will advance regardless of the legislation in place to control and that legislation will likely hinder our progress in “improving the future health and well-being of our descendents.” (1) He continues to argue that genetic manipulation is already occurring in animals and that improved approaches will be safe and have the potential for enormous gains in medicine and ultimately in the human condition. He envisions improvements in avoiding cancer, in anti-aging therapies, and in any improvements that are “best for our children”. (12)

Stock continues, stating that current limits on research and cloning are “premature, futile, extremely misguided, and just plain wrong” (19) in that “[a ban] would not significantly delay the arrival of reproductive cloning, which in my view is almost certain to occur within this decade somewhere in the world.” (19) Furthermore, illogical bans have eroded the leadership position of the United States in biotechnology and has delayed the discoveries of therapies that could have improved the human condition. Stock proposes that the fears of Frankenstein’s monster are caused by the “strangeness” (21) of the possibilities and that this fear is a poor reason for restrictive legislation.

Finally, in direct opposition to Fukuyama, Stock proposes that advances in genetic research will be “democratizing” (24) because we will be able to use these advancements to the benefit of the masses – namely, they will level the playing field. He argues that it will be much easier to raise the IQ of a person with a 70 to a 100, than it will be to raise the IQ of someone from 150 to 160. (24) He continues to rebut against Fukuyama in arguing that we would not lose our humanity, rather we would maintain it, even if what that meant changes. He uses the example of life spans doubling…this wouldn’t make us less human, rather it would change what it meant to be human, something that occurs with regularity today. (27)

Although both Stock and Fukuyama put forth compelling arguments, they both seem to miss the point. In their extreme positions, they have argued themselves into a corner which forces us to reject their hypotheses. I cannot back Fukuyama as he seems to deny the amazing advances that biotechnology could provide. Stock, on the other hand, must also be rejected, as he fails to acknowledge to awesome potential for mistakes, or worse, misuse from which biotechnology could suffer.

I completely agree that we could never fully understand the human genome and how multiple genes interact to create our personalities, abilities, etc. This, however, is not a good enough reason not to try. Yes, humanity has a long history of making a mess of those things we do not completely understand (look at the environment for a readymade example). However, Fukuyama seems to deny that there could be enormous benefits to biotechnology and that dire consequences of research in this area is not a given. Would Fukuyama deny that practical applications of gene altering in agriculture have not produced crops that are better capable of feeding the masses? His argument would say that even this technology is so potentially damaging that we should abandon it. Although the possibility of damaging the food chain seems remote, Fukuyama would seem to imply that because the possibility exists, we should abandon the research. What about genes that cause cancer? Should be not try to alter them and make them benign? This seems to be of too great a potential benefit to humanity to abandon. Even with my objections to his argument, I do agree that we should carefully legislate controls into what we can do. In contrast to Stocks argument, it is obvious given the enormous propensity to cause suffering; the government must create the appropriate controls.

Stock’s argument fares no better. Does he truly believe that we should try to control something that we cannot succeed in controlling? This argument would be similar to the argument that speed limits should be abolished because no one heeds them anyway. His argument is that if the United States restricts biotechnology, then other countries will allow it and take leadership positions. Again, he misses the point. Would he argue that we shouldn’t restrict something we know is wrong because it is allowed somewhere else? I would postulate that the United States should take a leadership position in the forming of international rules that clearly define the parameters in which research and application can be done. Lastly, his argument that current restrictions may have delayed the discovery of treatments for some of humanities worst maladies. Again, however, I question his logic. Should we proceed with medical tests on convicts or invalids? According to an extension of Stock’s argument, it would be acceptable to do so if the benefits to doing so are reached. Again, a preposterous statement, and one that I believe Stock would be forced to deny.

Clearly, Fukuyama and Stock paint themselves into a corner in which their arguments have no defensible position. It is because of this, that I believe it is fairly obvious that a middle of the road position in required. The benefits of gene therapies and treatment advancement are just too great…even though the possible abuses and consequences are great, as well. But this fact makes some intuitive sense – the greater the risks, the greater the rewards. It is for this very reason that very close monitoring through peer-review, governmental oversight, and international standards are required. The United States could, in fact should, take a leadership position in helping form international standards that closely governs biotechnology research. Additionally, ethics panels should be created that help frame ongoing oversight requirements and sanctions. These panels should include leading scientists, philosophers, legislators and futurists. By engaging the international community, we can hope to gain consensus as to what the parameters are, as well as develop strong international condemnation for those that do not participate within these parameters. The essence of the human race is at stake and clearly calls for all of humanity’s involvement.

Works Cited
Fukuyama, Francis. “In Defense of Nature, Human and Non-Human.” World Watch July-August 2002. Rpt. in The Aims of Argument. Timothy W. Crusius and Carolyn E. Channell. McGraw Hill, 2006. 668-670.
Stock, Gregory. “Choosing Our Genes.” The Futurist. July-August 2002. Rpt. in The Aims of Argument. Timothy W. Crusius and Carolyn E. Channell. McGraw Hill, 2006. 672-677.

SL

We Made It

We joined Angie last night for the closing ceremonies for the 3-day walk that her and her friends just completed. It was very inspiring as over 2400 women completed the walk. In fact, the organization has raised almost $1B for breast cancer research since it has started. Angie's team all completed the walk, and have raised over $22K so far. Angie was understandably very proud of her accomplishment, and she should be. She walked more than 53 miles over the three days. Although she hasn't walked 53 steps today, she is actually doing pretty well - taking full advantage of her jet tub, her foot massager and her hubby. No worries there - she deserves it.

As for me...we had a great weekend with the kids. The highlight - playing mousetrap and trouble on the kitchen table on Saturday afternoon. Just shows you that spending time with the kids can be simple, cheap AND fun. We'll all do it again soon - without the monster walk.

SL