Happy Birthday America!
Current mood: Patriotic

I will admit it, I am an unabashed patriot. I know it is the in thing to bash America, to put us down, to try and align ourselves as having the same views as the euro-weenies. But not me. I was raised to love this country and I still do, warts and all. I cannot think of a single place I would rather live than the good 'ol USA.

This is driven home to me every 4th of July. I always stop and think that over 200 years ago a group of guys got together and risked everything; their lives, their reputations and their fortunes, all to put words into deeds and create this great country. They so despised tyranny and had such an overwhelming desire to create something that the world had never seen before, that they would step up and take whatever actions were needed to escape English oppression and form our union. How many of us have sat around with our friends, usually over drinks and ran off at the mouth about some idea or another we've had and how if we could only make it become real. Well these guys had the balls to do that and more than 200 years later we all still reap the benefits of these actions.

Has it been easy going? No. Have we made mistakes? Plenty. But for all of that, I still believe strongly in the ideals set forth by the founders. Unfortunately, I feel that as a country we have lost our way. The government as it stands is not what the founders intended. It has become a bloated, greedy bureaucracy that now taxes the citizens in ways that make what the English did to the colonists seem like nothing. We are saddled now with a more intrusive government filled with ideologues who will happily ignore the parts of the Constitution and Bill of Rights that they don't agree with based purely on ideology. I believe the basic foundation and principals of the United States are as sound as when the founding fathers first signed the Declaration of Independence, we just need to find a way to get the government back in check. How? I really wish I knew.

America has taken a hit the past few years, but this is a country of people not afraid of hard work, people willing to do what it takes to right the ship and put America back where it belongs. I get so sick of hearing foreign (and some domestic) television commentators talking about what a bunch of cowboys Americans are. Well if by that they mean people willing to do what it takes to get the job done, get results and win the day, then I take that as a compliment. And think about this; if you are in trouble, with the bad guys bearing down on you, who would you rather have come to the rescue, the cowboy with six guns blazing or some pencil neck bureaucrat who will read to them which part of the penal code they are breaking? I personally am proud to be from a country of cowboys.

So to all you America-bashing, euro-weenie wannabes, take the day off, go drink some French wine, tilt your berets to a jaunty angle and shut the hell up for one day and let the true, American loving, flag waving crowd have our day to celebrate.

Happy Birthday America!

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And A Good Time Was Had By All!
Current mood: chill

My girlfriend Connie

Sunday brought my 40th birthday extravaganza! We got up early and got all the food ready and were soon blessed with the presence of Lucy and Todd (Cori had to work and Catie is away for the summer), my good friend Karen made it. A former co-worker of mine, Karen is an absolute joy to be around and I was thrilled she could make it. My good friends Deb and Kevin and their kids showed up. Deb is always a riot and Kevin is just a great guy. He even jumped onto grill duty while I was occupied at one point. One of the best surprises of the day was when my friends Christine and Brian pulled into the yard. I didn't expect them to make the trip from Jericho, but was more than thrilled that they did. I had seen Brian a few weeks ago when we went to see Indiana Jones, but, I am ashamed to say, I have not seen Christine in way way too long. It meant a lot to me that they made the trip. Connie's mom, Leah and Connie's two daughters. Alissa and Emily all came as well. It meant a lot to me that they were all there.

Me with Christine and Deb

Currently listening : Saints of Los Angeles By Mötley Crüe Release date: 2008-06-24

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On This Day In History...

Well, here I am, about 20 minutes away from turning 40. Despite what my niece Cori says, I am not having a mid-life crisis. This just seems to be a good point to stop and see where I have been and where I am going.

Speaking of where we have been, I am so going to rip off the excellent idea my good friend Rita had with her blog and do a little run down of important events that occurred on June 21st throughout history. By the way, if you want to read what Rita did (which I am sure is much better than any crap I can pull off) then check out her blog at http://phthalo-blue.blogspot.com/
Trust me, you won't be sorry.

So without further ado, important events of June 21st throughout history!

Let us get the most important event out of the way before moving on to the more boring, mundane events:
June 21, 1968 - Chris Hardy is born. Modern society as we know it begins.

Now for the boring stuff:
In 524 Battle at Vezerone: Burgundy beats France. This will become a recurring theme.

1529 Battle at Landriano: Leyva defeats France. Told you.

1788; The U.S. Constitution goes into effect when New Hampshire is the 9th state to ratify.

1904; Boston Herald tells of Red Sox trade "Dougherty as a Yankee," 1st known reference to New York club as Yankees (became Yankees in 1913). Five minutes later chants of "Yankees Suck" could be heard throughout Boston. 104 years later, the Yankees still suck.

1940; World War II. Guess who surrenders to Germany? If your answer was 'France' you would be correct!

1945; U.S. defeat Japanese forces on Okinawa during WW II. If you want something done right...

1975; "Jaws" by Steven Spielberg opens in theatres. Quite possibly the second most important event in history on this day, following my birth, of course.

And what lucky people share this birthday with me? Glad you asked.

Cartoonist Berke Breathed ("Opus," "Bloom County,") turns 51. Quite possibly one of the funniest cartoons ever. Bloom County was required reading in the 80's.

Actor Bernie Kopell ("The Love Boat") is 75. Yup, Doc from the Love Boat. I flinch now at the thought that I used to watch that show.

Musician Ray Davies of The Kinks is 64. Straight up one of the best bands ever.

So there you have it, the historical perspective around my birthday. Looking forward to spending my birthday with people who mean the most to me and thinking fondly of the ones who can't be there. I'll let you know how that all turns out.

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Further Down the Road

Welcome to my birthday week! Yes, come Saturday I will be reaching that milestone age of 40. Since as a society we tend to make a big deal about the age of 40 (personally I think it is done to keep the 'Over the Hill' novelty industry afloat) I have been somewhat forced to think about my approaching age. A few thoughts as I turn 40:

First and foremost: HOW THE HELL DID THIS HAPPEN? Yup, seems only yesterday that I was graduating from high school and life was a long endless road in front of me. Now all of a sudden there is a highway sign reading 'Halfway Point...If You Are Lucky'. The ramblings of my elders telling me that time goes faster as you get older turned out to not just be ramblings. Go figure. Here we are in June and 2008 is half over and I could have sworn we just started. If there is a lesson to be learned from this, it is that time is precious and you best do everything you can with it now before it all slips away. Not to sound like a Hallmark card, but I really do think back on things I wish I had done while I had the chance. Graduations happened the past couple of weeks and that time of year always makes me think about the past and how if I could tell these kids anything, it is to grab opportunities now! Travel, learn, go new places! Do it while you can as it gets harder to do as you grow older and responsibilities start to weigh on you. Don't be afraid to take a chance, do it while you still have people to help catch you if you fail. Better to try and fail while young so you can learn how to pick yourself back up.

So does turning 40 bother me? The actual number doesn't, it is more the feeling of time encroaching on me that bothers me. Aside from that, it really hasn't bothered me. A friend of mine remarked recently (and she is only a year younger than I) that she will deny being 39 and will go for 25. After she made the remark, I wondered, why? Why would you want to go back to 25? I have learned so much and seen so many things since I was 25. I have grown as a person, I appreciate things more than I did at 25. I know what I want, I know how to treat people better than I did back then. Sure, I wish I had the body (and the hair...minus the mullet) that I had at 25, but I wouldn't trade in all the knowledge and experiences I have gained since then for anything. I guess being secure with myself, not being afraid to take chances with my heart and knowing who and what I want puts me further down the road. That is the story of my life, I'm always further down the road.

I will cap off this birthday week with a party on Sunday with the people who mean the most to me. I know not all of them will be able to make it, but I will think of each one of them and happily celebrate with the ones who can be with me. All in all, 40 isn't that bad. I have a great family, wonderful friends, a good job and a great life. All in all I am pretty lucky. I just have to get back to work on that book!

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Roses and Butterflies
Current mood: hopeful

Every so often I come across a song that seems to have been written for me. It gives me hope in the fact that someone else has obviously been through the same crap that I have and has survived to write about it. Makes me feel less alone. That said, I wish I had found this song about two years ago when I could have really used the words. But I have it now and whenever I find a song that really speaks to me I like to post the lyrics. Why? Maybe for those who know me it will help you understand what I was going through, for those of you who don't, maybe the words will speak to you as well. Aside from the lyrics, this is a great sounding song. Making April has become one of my favorite bands since I saw them open for Secondhand Serenade. Check them out. So here for your consideration and interpretation is 'Roses and Butterflies'. Enjoy.

Roses And Butterflies
by Making April
album: Runaway World EP (2006)

I can see where you are
I can tell you're enjoying it so far
I would love to escape, but now I'm bound
By the burn of your eyes
Looking on as I'm starting to realize
I'm a pawn in your game, and this is checkmate

As the roses lift their heads to catch a glimpse of my demise
You'll be throwing lines around like ocean waves throw down the tides
And they are breaking on my shore
And the rescue team won't save me now, that I'm out too far
So I'll waste these nights for a while
But I'll be holding on to you forever
And this is where my heart is cold and torn
As I read the words you wrote last night, the butterflies are creeping through my spine

It's a thrill I can't shake
Yeah, I know we've been writing a mistake
But it's hard to erase the feelings I've drawn
I was caught in an awkward silence
Broken down by the sound of your prelude that you played to open our symphony

I've been sleeping with the sunrise watching hours pass away
Incidentally, I'm just waiting for the dusk to kill the day
And now I'm waiting for your call
While I bang on this piano like you care at all
So I'll waste these nights for a while
But I'll be holding on to you forever
And this is where my heart is cold and torn
As I hear the words you're saying tonight, I'm falling for them every single time

As the roses dip their heads a little further to the ground
There's a season change, and all the pinks and whites have turned to brown
Will we make it through the fall?
Yeah, are we gonna make it through this fall?
'Cause I don't wanna fall with you

So I'll waste these nights for a while
But I'll be holding on to you forever
(I'm trying, we're dying, yeah)
And this is where my heart is cold and torn
I'm taken by your hope-filled lines
They're well-designed and dragging me along
I'll be waiting for this chance and I'll be gone

Currently listening : Runaway World By Making April

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Honestly...
Current mood: mischievous

What the hell kind of a sick world do we live in when "Sex and the City" tops Indiana Jones at the box office? No wonder this country has gone straight to hell.

Oh, and for the record, the bullwhip can still crack and I didn't get hurt.

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If Adventure Has A Name...
Current mood: geeky

It must be Indiana Jones!

That's right, dear reader, prepare to get your geek on as we are talking Indiana Jones today.

Went to see Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull this past weekend. (Man, that title is a mouthful!) It has been 19 years since the last Indy movie and I was beyond thrilled when I heard they were making another one.

I was 12 when Raiders of the Lost Ark hit theatres in 1981 and to say it made an impression on me would be an understatement. The Indy movies were second only to Star Wars in the impact they had on me. I had seen a few of the old time serials on TV, but here was a full blown, swashbuckling adventure, the likes of which I had not seen. Nazis, car chases, historical relics with awesome power and the bullwhip. More on that in a moment. So from start to finish I was hooked with Raiders. Can't say I was a huge fan of Temple of Doom. It had it's moments, but for the most part was not a great movie. However, Last Crusade made up for it. The addition of Sean Connery as Indy's dad combined with the fun and excitement made for a movie almost as much fun as Raiders. But I was still sad when they all rode off into the sunset.

That is until the announcement came that a fourth Indiana Jones was in the making. The trolls on the Internet chat boards went into their hand wringing of how Harrison Ford was too old and how the movie would suck (I always love how these geniuses say a movie that hasn't even been made yet will suck. They should all become film makers and make movies that don't suck.) But I for one was excited. I could feel the excitement build when the first picture of Harrison Ford in his Indy gear was released. And when the first trailer hit the net, chills went up my spine as the silhouette of Indy putting on his fedora as the familiar strains of the Raiders March began to play. At that point I was on board. As some plot points came out I was convinced it would be good. The filmmakers were not going to try and pass off Indy still fighting the Nazi's. No, it had been 19 years since last Crusade and the new movie was going to take place 19 years later. Other than that I stayed right away from all spoilers...this was one movie I wanted to see fresh.

So how was it? I loved it. Was it the best of the Indy movies? No. But it was a solid movie, better than Temple of Doom. Sure, at places the plot was a little weird, but I wasn't there for a plot that makes total sense. I was there to see Indiana Jones fighting bad guys, exciting chases and cool effects. The movie more than delivered. With Indiana 19 years older, the movie was also able to explore themes of loss, regret and aging. Things that I certainly think about. It may not be fast paced enough for kids today, but for a nostalgic old guy like me, it was a dream come true.

Though as I think about it, that may not be a fair statement. My 13 year old son went with us to see it. To that point he had never cared about Indiana Jones no matter how many times I tried to get him to watch the older movies. But coming out of the movies, he was hooked. He loved the adventure, he loved the bullwhip (I was so proud!) and, being of this generation, he wanted to go right out and get the video games. Though I can remember being excited when Atari came out with a Raiders game. I realized that he is about the same age I was when Raiders came out. Funny how things seem to repeat themselves.

Though he hasn't shown any of the Indy craze that I did after Raiders. That fall I went back to school and started taking books out of the library on archeology. Surprisingly the books only talked about techniques of excavation and the history of civilizations. Not one of them mentioned how to fight Nazis, swing a bullwhip or jump from a horse onto a moving truck. Imagine my disappointment. Sure, I learned a few real facts, but I didn't want real facts! I think that is when I decided archeology probably wasn't for me.

Several times I have mentioned the bullwhip. Raiders had me hooked on it. What a versatile object! Indy used it to swing, climb, fight, even whip the gun from the hands of a back shooting sneak! I had to have one! Luckily, that Christmas my step-dad Curt actually went out and found me a real, honest-to-Indy bullwhip. For the next couple of years that whip and I were inseparable. I learned to crack it, I learned to wrap it around tree limbs and swing. I also learned that the tip of a bullwhip can ricochet off a railroad tie and come back at you and slice half your nose off...which also taught me that when you get hit in the nose with a bullwhip, it is too numb to hurt right off and you may not even know you are hurt until your hand comes away covered in blood. After that you learn to duck. It is amazing how a whip will sharpen your reflexes. I still have that old whip. It hangs in my office, looking like it has seen better days, which it has, but the fun and imaginary adventures that whip and I went on still make me smile and long for younger days, the smell of fall in the air as my trusty whip and I made our escape from imaginary Nazi hoards. I have been tempted to take it out and see if I can still make it crack. My girlfriend has pointed out that this might not be the best idea and I could hurt myself. That just makes me wonder if the old reflexes are still sharp. Hmmmmm...it is a nice day out....

Anyway, getting back on topic, Harrison Ford still can pull off Indy being a believable hero and the fact that he isn't afraid to show his age, to be the wise old warrior, just makes the character more endearing. Personally, I couldn't have been happier. The addition of bringing back Marion Ravenwood just made the whole series come full circle for me.

So if you are a long time Indy fan, or if you are a Jones newbie, there aren't many better ways to spend a couple of hours this summer than sitting in a dark theatre, popcorn in hand, revisiting an old friend. Adventure does indeed have a name and that name will always be Indiana Jones!

Currently listening : Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull Release date: 2008-05-20

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The Summer of my Discontent
Current mood: disgusted

I had planned on writing a blog about the All State conference I went to in mid-April. But after the past couple of weeks, I have decided, why bother?

See, the point of the conference was to bring together all the adult educators from around the state. Of course there were workshops (quite good ones, I might add) but the real benefit was to get together from others around the state and network. Aside from that, sending everyone from our organization would bond us more as a team. So there you can sum up the conference: 1. Network with others from around the state 2. Bond our people.

One out of two's not bad I guess.

I tend to write when I am bothered and upset and right now I am those as well as angry. I guess I am really naive. I actually believe people when they are friendly to me. I want to think people are good by nature.

Idiot.

No, instead in the past couple of weeks I have had to deal with petty little people who manipulate, back stab and whine when they don't get what they want. I stupidly think people should go to work, do their job and attempt to help their co-workers. After all, we are all trying to accomplish the same things, right?

As I said; idiot.

No, apparently that is not what we are all doing. Lost is the idea of actually helping people, instead we have a culture of petty little people who are only interested in doing what will make themselves look good. Others who will right out lie to get others in trouble, some who will take what is said and run right out and warn the person being looked at (if this were a spy novel, that person would be called a mole.) There are even some that will take a persons work, chop it up to highlight themselves and then pass it off as their own.

This is all wearing on me. It is hindering us as an organization to get to where we need to be since no one wants to work together. They would all rather knife each other and sell each other out so they can glorify themselves and carve out their own little fiefdom rather than work together for the common good. It has me discouraged beyond belief. Which is a shame, since there are a few of us who see the big picture, who want to change the culture. But we are fighting an uphill battle.

So what am I going to do about it? Not a damn thing. After thinking about it, at the end of the day I still have bills to pay and a family to support. So attempting to change these people is self-destructive and no good can come from it. They like being this way. They live for the drama. No, all I can do is continue to do things the way I have been doing them; to do my job to the best of my ability, treat others as I wish I were treated and just try to be a good person. One thing that will change is that I will isolate myself more from my co-workers. This past week has taught me that there are about three people in the entire organization that I can talk to without being betrayed. Them I will talk to, the rest can continue sniping at each other and can go to hell for all I care. It is a sad state of affairs and not one I can claim to understand. I guess I really am naive.

So sorry, no blog about the wonderful conference, no group photo showing all of our smiling faces. All the good will and excitement I felt coming from that conference has been promptly shredded. Like I said, it is very sad.

There. I feel better now. Now I can enjoy the long weekend.

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Movies, Music and Other Stuff
Current mood: adored

Sorry, sorry, I know I said I wouldn't be away so long and here it is more than two weeks. My most sincere apologies to the few of you who actually read this thing. Time has a way of just slipping by me as of late. But, here I am!

First things first; movies! This is shaping up to be a good summer for movies. It started off well with the release of Iron Man. In a word, awesome! The effects were cool, Robert Downey Jr. seemed born to play the role of Tony Stark and as a comic geek, I was quite happy with how they were quite faithful to the comic. The inclusion of Nick Fury after the credits talking to Stark about the Avenger initiative was a fanboy's wet dream!

I had wanted to see Speed Racer, but after pretty much across the board poor reviews, I decided this would be a Netflix down the road a ways.

But best of all, this week, Indiana Jones returns!!! I have been a HUGE Indy fan since I first saw Raiders of the Lost Ark as an impressionable 12 year old. After 1989's Last Crusade, I figured we'd never see Indy on the screen again, so this is just a dream come true. Nothing could keep me from the theatre this weekend!

Finally, the next one I am excited about will be the Dark Knight. I've always been a big Batman fan and was very happy how Christopher Nolan went back to the essence of Batman with 'Batman Begins'. It made up for the absolute disaster that was 'Batman and Robin', a movie that so bad that all copies should be destroyed. Made me hate George Clooney forever. The Dark Knight promises to be one of the best films of the summer and Heath Ledger looks scary and creepy as the Joker.

Music wise I have been all over the map lately with no one band occupying my time. Though I have been listening to a fair amount of Making April. They impressed me when i saw them in concert and after listening to them a little bit closer, have come away impressed with their lyrics and musical style.

In other music news, I was dismayed to read a recent blog of Ash Costello, lead singer of New Years Day (see one of my previous blogs for my worship of that band) about how NYD's record label has gone bankrupt, yet the label won't release them, effectively putting the band in limbo. There is no money for them to tour or record, no record company employees out promoting them, so they have to sit and wait and try to figure a way out. They are way too great a band to have this happen to them. I can only hope that they figure out a way to get out from the record company's grasp and get back to making their incredible music.

All the other stuff, for those who care: Work has been keeping me busy and certain parts of it have kept me stressed. I will never understand some people. That aside, I am still seeing a very wonderful woman. I am working hard to make sure I don't mess this up...I am actually enjoying being happy and considering some of the hell I have been through the past couple of years, I would like to continue being happy. With graduation season upon us, we have spent the past couple of weekends attending college graduation parties. Next up will be high school graduation parties.

So those of you expecting to find me back to my usual depressed self will have to deal with disappointment, I'm afraid. Though I am not wallowing in depression, I still hope you found this blog to be somewhat amusing. I'm sure there is more I wanted to write about, but it all escapes me at the moment and i wanted to get at least this much out for those of you who actually enjoy reading the drivel I put out there. So there you have it; my usual collection of content of movies, music and for the second blog in a row, happiness. What a concept! So until next time, enjoy the sunshine.

7:48 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

It’s...ALIVE!!!!!!!!
Current mood: happy

Yes, dear reader, I am indeed alive and quite well. It has been awhile since my last posting. I do apologize as I am sure many of you are going into withdrawal right about now....curled up on the floor in the fetal position muttering over and over "I need my fix of lousy blog." Again, I do apologize.

However, my time has not been spent merely sitting and staring at the walls. No, far from it, my life has taken some interesting turns of late. First off was a wonderful two day conference, I shall go into that in more detail next time. Secondly, I have started seeing a wonderful woman.

WHAT???? I can hear you all but scream. Seeing someone? Does this mean no more mopey, angst ridden, depression fueled blogs? This is a disaster! He'll lose his edge! The blogs will never be the same! He might actually sound...shudder...happy! Yes, yes, your fears are well founded, but I will do my best to provide all five of you who read this madness the same level of bad humor that I always have. Except maybe I can find a new twist of wackiness with this whole being happy thing. It is a new experience for me as well, so I am sure I can construct some chaos out of my new found good feelings. Hopefully you will all stick around for the ride.

One slight digression and observation. I apparently like bad movies. This was brought to my attention when I mentioned the fact I liked the movie 'Hitman', a movie based on a video game and apparently universally despised by critics. I do recognize the fact that the plot was confusing at best, not really there at most, but honestly, I did not rent a movie called 'Hitman' expecting to find 'Hamlet' level acting. I rented it because it was a fun, over the top, violence filled way to blow an hour and a half. Still, I guess I am not supposed to like bad movies such as this. I will have to work on that.

I did, however, just see 'Iron Man' and will discuss that more next time. Here is the Cliffs Notes version of my review; I loved it.

I promise to not be away so long, so get up off the floor and resume breathing. Until next time, in the immortal words of Red Green, keep your stick on the ice!

3:43 AM - 3 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment