Tuesday, October 02, 2007

Rita updates

Rita is long gone and most of my coverage was long forgotten so soon after evens. It's been two years and we recently received a small test of our new roof. The surprise hurricane howled and blew, but it failed to do anything but knock out power and down branches.

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Political truth.

From here are some interesting statistics.

When asked if the nation was ready to vote for a Mormon, Republicans responded around 72% yes. Democrats responded 63% affirmative. What this really illustrates is the true nature of Democrats inclusiveness. Constantly we see allusions that Republicans are racist, bigots, and religious fanatics. But, those "fundamentalist" Christians are strong within the party, and they do not consider Mormons Christian. (I can attest to this!) If these "bigots" can accept a Mormon candidate, what does it say about the reality of the party of "inclusiveness," e.g. Democrats, is less willing to do so?

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Thursday, October 19, 2006

Mythbusters too precise?

http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7005234078

a speeding car driven by a naked woman high on drugs hit and killed a pedestrian... with such force that it killed him instantly and sent him flying into above ground electrical wires, severing his legs.


Someone should tell mythbusters to make an addendum to their proclamation that you couldn't be cut in half by a snapping cable. A non-snapping cable seems adequate...

Sunday, October 15, 2006

Random wondering of the day

Why can cell phone companies deliver caller id immediately when it takes until the second ring on your home phone?

Saturday, September 16, 2006

It's Nikki Time

I thought this was worth sharing and you can catch it directly from onlythreesofar.blogspot.com:

My favorite parenting book, Kids are Worth It!, by Barbara Coloroso has this list to help clue you into if you're raising a reward dependent child:

The following is a checklist of warning signs that your child might be reward-dependent. Most children will exhibit some of these signs as they struggle to develop their own sense of self.

It is the frequency, intensity, and persistence of these behaviors that would
indicate a need for concern and intervention.

1. "Does to please" to win approval of those in authority.

2. Does what is told without questioning.

3. Lacks initiative, waits for orders.

4. Sense of self is defined externally; has dignity and worth when producing what adults want.

5. Who she is and what she does are one and the same. If she does something "bad," she sees herself as "bad."

6. Uses his history as an excuse for his behavior.

7. Is pessimistic, despairs easily.

8. Places blame outside self: "He made me do it." "It's not my fault."

9. Hides mistakes, feaful of adult's wrath.

10. Lies to avoid consequences and cover mistakes.

11. Feels controlled.

12. Feels worthwhile only when on top, when number one.

13. Is competative, gets ahead at the expense of others.

14. Needs to be perfect, views mistakes as bad.

15. Seeks approval and fears disapproval, fearful of rejection.

16. Is conformist. Goes along with the crowd.

17. Considers behavior by its consequences. "If I don't get caught, what is wrong with it."

18. Focuses on the past and the future, misses the moment. Worries about "What if..."

19. Experiences self-talk that is negative; parental injunctions keep playing over and over.

20. Has private reservations about public self; "If they really knew me..."

21. Uses only simple problem-solving skills to try to solve all problems.

22. Is always concerned about the "bottom line."

23. Says what she thinks other want to hear.

24. Is cautious, insecure.

25. Has a mercenary spirit; is selfish, self-centered, greedy, does good deeds to obtain rewards or avoid punishment.

26. Is cynical and skeptical; views world in terms of "us" and "them."

27. Swallows values without question from those in authority.

28. Frames deeds with "should."

29. Holds on to resentments.

30. Is oversensitive to criticism, diqualifies compliments.

"Rewards and punishment are the lowest form of education" - Chuang-TzuI would think the easiest problem to spot would be #9. This makes #8 & #10 side-effects of the #9 problem.

If your kid is scared of you and in tears because he dropped his dinner plate, then you've got a real problem.

If everytime an accident happens, your kid cries and lies, you haven't
taught him how to deal with the problem. And when I say, "how to deal with it",
I mean, to fix the problem rather than sobbing hysterically.

For example, if the kids drops his dinner plate, he should think about cleaning it up. He'll probably still need your help cleaning it up but at least he's taken control of his mistake, his problem, and made it right. That's what you have to do in the real world too.

I think the worst side effects are the last four. If you're a kid whose looking for an authority to praise you, you can easily be sucked into a gang. You listen to your gang's values ("the gang family comes first"), you follow the gang's ideals ("He should be beaten for that look he gave me"), you never forgive any little thing, and instantly hate any teacher who gives you a criticism.

Sunday, September 03, 2006

What Esquire has learned...

Esquire is running a series of articles about "What I learned." The few I have looked at have at least been amusing and in some cases interesting. From Homer Simpson to Bill O'Reilly you can spend more time than you intend. I think the best one though is the fifth grader...

"Teachers aren't allowed to state political opinions. They're not supposed
to influence the way we'd vote. They don't like it when we start arguing on our
own. But it's there. It's there. I'm for Bush." -5th grader

"A best moment? You get into the sappy birth-of-the-daughter moment . . . and I'm not gonna quantify my life that way." -O'Reilly

AND ... "When someone tells you your butt is on fire, you should take them at their word." - Homer Simpson

Sunday, August 27, 2006

cute kitten

It's hard to believe that in such a short time she seems so much older, but I guess the same goes for Jadyn. Posted by Picasa

Sunday, August 20, 2006

The Battle of Richmond?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaybird-Woodpecker_War

Named after Richmond, England, the town is rich with Texas history as it was among the 19 cities first incorporated by the short-lived Republic of Texas, in 1837. Early residents of the city include many prominent figures in Texas lore such as Jane Long, Deaf Smith, and Mirabeau Lamar. On 16 August 1889, the town was the site of the Battle of Richmond, an armed fight culminating the Jaybird-Woodpecker War, a violent feud over post-Reconstruction political control of Fort Bend County.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richmond%2C_Texas

That's interesting history we were never taught in school!