Honest Wine

This maybe the most honest product I've seen in a while.

To Mothers Everywhere

A tribute to mothers ... we love you very much.



(Please click here to watch the video for those that get the email feed).

The Scarlet T

Transparency became a big word in the 2008 presidential election. President Obama wielded the word like a scarlet letter, implying that those who don't espouse 'transparency' must not have any.

This last week, in the midst of Apple's iPhone 4 antenna debacle, Senator (D-NY) Chuck Schumer weighed in with a letter to Apple CEO Steve Jobs (because all of the country's problems are fixed, apparently) with this:

I write to express concern regarding the reception problem with the Apple iPhone 4. While I commend Apple’s innovative approach to mobile technology and I appreciate its service to millions of iPhone users nationwide, I believe it is incumbent upon Apple to address this flaw in a transparent manner.

(You can read the entire letter here.) And there you have it. Since Sen. Schumer demands transparency, there must not be any. Never mind that Apple was probably still evaluating the issue (and has since taken steps to assist customers with the problem).

What a great political weapon to be the one to so nobly call for transparency while implying that there is none.

Skipping Rocks Along the Olentangy

Yesterday, we made a trip to Columbus, Ohio. Mason and Mallory got to hang out with their cousins, Henry and Baxter. We all piled in a couple of cars and drove up to Highbanks Park, just north of Columbus, on Route 23.

The kids skipped rocks, searched for tadpoles, frogs (toads?), crayfish and whatever else was swimming in the Olentangy River.

All of this play reminded me of when I was Mason's age; skipping rocks into the same river when I would visit with my Grandparents almost 30 years ago (I sound old as I type that...). My uncles Jeff and Randy would walk down the bike path with me and we would spend (what seemed like hours) just skipping rocks into the calm water as it flowed south toward campus.

A Wonderful Website for Parents (and Wouldbe Parents)

To all parents, and (more importantly) prospective parents, please view this wonderful website.

Enjoy.

Fireworks

Last year on the 4th, I wrote about my opinion of fireworks. Not much has changed as I hear them echo throughout the neighborhood. Listening to the loud snaps bounce off the houses still reminds me of the familiar sound of gunfire as it would rattle through downtown Baghdad. The stacatto cracks, random and violent, stop just as soon as they start.

Its not the ones that our good neighbors fire off the night of the 4th so much as the fireworks left over. The noises are out of place, even 18 hours after the previous evening's celebration.

This afternoon, I looked out the window to see where the noise was coming from. Watching the fireworks made the experience much different and diffused some of the emotion and reaction that they invoke when I am just listening.

There were four or five kids in the driveway across the street. They were lighting strands of firecrackers and bottle rockets. They seemed blissfully unaware of the power of these explosives and were jumping around, celebrating the day off of school and the power housed in these little cardboard tubes.

What was most satisfying, as I watched them play, was that they had no idea what the sounds of war are, let alone that they were re-creating them in their driveway. Hollering, jumping and laughing, they were enjoying their afternoon.

It reminded me of a quote from one of our Founders, John Adams:

I must study politics and war that my sons may have liberty to study mathematics and philosophy.

Let us all pray that the only 'gunfire' our sons and daughters hear are that of M-80s and firecrackers.

Magic Kingdom, Vacation Day 8

Our vacation finished on a high note with a trip to the Magic Kingdom. Truly the happiest place on earth, Mallory and Mason enjoyed themselves immensely. Mason and I ran to the back of the park and were able to ride Splash Mountain once and Big Thunder Mountain twice ("Daddy, did you see those goats? How did they get alive goats on that ride?!").

Within 45 minutes, we claimed victory over Adventureland and headed to breakfast. We had reservations at Cinderella's Castle to dine with the princesses. Mallory was more excited to see them than Mason, but he had sword, so all was right with world.

Here is Mason and Mallory with Cinderella.
Mallory with Belle (from Beauty and the Beast)

Mason with cousin Baxter

After breakfast, we dodged downpours, visited the Enchanted Tiki Room, took a boat ride with the Pirates of the Carribean, visited the Haunted Mansion, and scarfed down smoked turkey legs.

And, here, the measure of any successful trip to the Magic Kingdom (Mallory with cousin Baxter):

We had a wonderful vacation; enjoying family and fun.

Tommorrow was to be the car ride home...

Our Little Princess, Vacation Day 7

Day 7 of our vacation was a day to relax before our last day (at Magic Kingdom!). Noel and her mother had been plotting for months to take Mallory to the Bibbity-Bobbity Boutique. Located at the World of Disney in Downtown Disney, it offers a day (really more like 45 minutes) of pampering for the young princess in your family.

Mallory and mommy got to spend some quality time together while daddy and Mason went to the giant Lego store and looked at all of the crazy Lego sets they had to offer and the even crazier Lego sculptures outside.

Anyway, back to the boutique. Mallory had tons of fun and was transformed into a magical princess. Enjoy the pictures below: