Surprise Appearance by Baby Davis!

God's timing is perfect! Just hours after Angela's mom and grandparents arrived Friday afternoon from Memphis for a visit, Angela began bleeding heavily. "Nurse Nana" jumped into action, Amelia was down asleep (or close to it), and Dad ran two red lights to the hospital. Mommy Angela was trying to stay calm.

After checking-in at the hospital and some positive vital signs, the doctor prepared for a C-section, which had been scheduled for three weeks later. And at 9:41pm on Friday, July 11, 2008, our beautiful and wonderfully healthy Addysen Leigh Davis was delivered into the "world outside the womb." She weighed a whopping 6lbs 2oz and measured at 19 1/4 inches long. Her apgar was a 9/9, which I consider great for a baby only at 36 weeks. Mom is feeling well, although the epidural is just beginning to wear off, and all signs are for a very healthy recovery.

Attached are two pictures from the day after. My only pictures from Friday are via camera phone, and I've yet to find a way to email them.

Finally, as my little sister told me on the phone, I thought I was anticipating July 11th because of the new iPhone. Now I know that God had infinitely greater things in store for me on that day. And it gives new meaning to a possible nickname for her - iGirl.

Praise to the Lord, the One who guides and directs our paths. And love to all.

Danny (for Ang, Mia, and Addy)

Failed Attempt

Over 2 1/2 hours and only about 15 people left with iPhones. The store
manager just said they're having technical difficulties with the
activation process. I was probably #30-35 in line - but I couldn't
wait any longer.

Thanks to my pals Trevor and George for keeping up the conversation.
I'll try again another day.

--
Sent from Gmail for mobile | mobile.google.com

Waiting

Been in line for 2 hours - still about number 45. Not sure how long I
can wait (it is a work day, don't forget).

--
Sent from Gmail for mobile | mobile.google.com

Crazy?

What I may (or may not) be getting tomorrow. Except all put together.

**Photo courtesy of ifixit.com

Why American's Can't Find the US on a Map

"I believe that our education, such as in South Africa and the Iraq, everywhere, like, such as...I believe that they should, uh, our education over here in the US should help the US- or should help South Africa; it should help the Iraq and the Asian countries, so that we will be able to build up our future."

Helping the Airlines Out

I almost spewed my chicken enchilada with homemade lime/tomatillo salsa (props to Ang!) when I read this. The entire letter is great. Here's a snipped:

C'mon. My BlackBerry is not going to bring the plane down. I don't know of a single documented case of a consumer electronic device interfering with a plane's avionics. If they did, al Qaeda would just fly around with iPods.

Read it all here: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121538963757631173.html?mod=djemEditorialPage

Don't Read if You're Planning to Watch the Wimbledon Final

That being said - WOW WOW WOW WOW. All the tennis folks are calling it the best Wimbledon match ever. Way to go Rafa - after dropping two championship points in the 4th set tiebreak, I was afraid he'd not recover. But Rafa wasn't broken the ENTIRE match. The only sets he lots were in tiebreaks. He managed to break Federer three times. And when it counted the most - in the 5th set at 7-all.

If you watched til the end, did you see John McEnroe give Federer a hug?? Had to be one of Federer's most awkward moments. Johnny Mac is such a goof.

Good times.

Exhausted

I have to drink Gatorade simply to watch the Wimbledon finale (live, now). These guys are crazy good. Nadal was up 6-4, 6-4. Federer wins 3rd set 7-6. Fourth set goes to another tie-break: Nadal has two championship points - Federer wins tie-break 10-8.

So we're going to the fifth. No tie-break in this set. I'm exhausted.

Oh, btw - Federer is going for 6 straight Wimbledon championships (last two against Nadal). Nadal has won the last three French Opens - all against Federer.

UPDATE - Ah yes, my mystery commenter is correct. Nadal has won the last 4 French Open titles - the last three of which were against Federer.

Irony at its Best

After a nasty divorce, the Seattle Supersonics (typically referred to as the "Sonics") are moving to Oklahoma City. The team name has yet to be decided, though the best suggestion I've heard to date is the Oklahoma City Outlaws - it plays not only on the Old West Cowboy theme, but it's probably a good description for those who tore the team away from Seattle.

But if the name doesn't change, it would create just that more earned media for the coney/cherry limeade/tater tots drive-in restaurant: Sonic. Which just so happens to be headquartered in Oklahoma City. Nice.

Need Halls in the Hall

Yes, coughing has become so pervasive at Kennedy Center performances that one wonders why people should even go out to listen to live music or theater.

We've only been to one concert in the last 2 1/2 years, but we noticed the same thing as this (former) patron of the National Symphony Orchestra. And we went in the middle of April, not when you'd expect people to be fraught with colds.

I do remember in Atlanta, for the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, they provided free Halls cough drops prior to entering symphony hall. It was a great help for a lot of people.

Full letter found here.

Consequences

Can you imagine if your "project" at work had these kind of consequences??

The physicist Martin Rees has estimated the chance of an accelerator producing a global catastrophe at one in 50 million -- long odds, to be sure, but about the same as winning some lotteries.

HELLO!! "GLOBAL CATASTROPHE" (!!) More at: Link

Government

"How can anyone be expected to rule a country that produces 265 varieties of cheese?"

-- Charles de Gaulle on his governance of France 

Another WHOA!

This is even crazier than the first one I posted.

Painting Pics - And More

Atlanta-like Weather

Clear		99°F Feels Like: 113°F
Wind Chill:	99°	Ceiling:	Unlimited
Heat Index:	112°	Visibility:	10mi
Dew Point:	75°	Wind:	5mph
Humidity:	47%	Direction:	160° (SSE)
Pressure:	29.88in	Gusts:	0mph
Raw Report Data: KJYO 101900Z AUTO 16004KT 10SM CLR 37/24 A2988 RMK AO2

What makes us so different?

Our neighborhood market is hosting a community event today to celebrate locally grown food and goods. In essence, "Eat Local" "Local Is Better" "Sustainable Environment" etc...

And then I had a thought (it was either the sun - from stupidly hitting a bucket of golf balls in 98 degree heat - or the Starbucks double-shot on a dehydrated mind; regardless...). There are families that teach their children that protecting/saving the environment is the highest good. In fact, those families seem to always be involved in environmental protection/conservation events and efforts. It's really an integral part of their lives.

As another example, Hillary Clinton talked about a family in which the daughter (8 yrs old, maybe?) had saved for TWO years to go to Disney World. And then she decided to use that money instead to go with her mom to Pennsylvania to work for Clinton's campaign.

Where am I going with this? Simply put: Why are Christians, and specifically Bible-teaching/believing Christian parents, singled out as the "crazy Christians" or "intolerant" or "brainwashing their kids" to think only one way. Why are Christians condemned for teaching their kids to live a certain way or to have certain fundamental beliefs?

What about the environmentalists? They teach their kids that we have to protect Mother Nature and polluters/greenhouse emissions makers are evil and are to be hated. They teach them to eat organic, spurn the big-bad commercial farmers, and believe that the planet will be saved by driving on electric. As for the politcos, surely the 8 year old didn't just wake up one morning and decide that Clinton was the superior candidate - she had help from her parents' own disposition. Her parents' fervor was translated into this child's mind, changing her priorities and desires.

Not only do these parents impart their beliefs to their kids, but they teach them to recruit followers to their beliefs. They think less-highly of those that disagree with them. They hold parties, events, and gatherings, even singing songs to celebrate their ideologies.

But they are celebrated. They are said to be teaching their kids to be forward-thinking, independent, pioneers. While in fact, they are just imposing their own worldview on their kids.

So I ask again - what makes us different? Bring your own answer (I know mine) - it's just food for thought.

[ps - 1. I make a lot of generalizations; I admit. Just making a point. And 2. I'm not against eating organic, or sustainable, or anything like that. =) ]

WHOA

"Historic" - "Epic Traffic" - Busted Hope?

These are directly pasted from WashingtonPost.com .

On Thursday:

Not even Republicans could have planned a worse combination of time and place for a rally in support of Sen. Barack Obama than today's planned 6 p.m. event at Nissan Pavilion....Pete Frisbie, chairman of the Prince William Democratic Committee, said the Obama camp chose Nissan Pavilion in western Prince William because it is the largest venue in Northern Virginia. But the crowds could wind up being twice as large as the pavilion can hold. "It could be up to 50,000," Frisbie said. "It's the first event of the national campaign and a historic moment."

On Friday:

The presumptive Democratic nominee drew more than 10,000 people to a late afternoon rally at Nissan Pavilion.... Die-hard Obama supporters and undecided voters converged on the amphitheater in Prince William County three hours before the candidate was scheduled to take the stage at 6 p.m. State and local transportation officials had braced for a major backup on Interstate 66, but traffic was like that of a normal evening rush.

Wow - anyone else think that Virginia may not be as "Obama-ready" as the campaign had expected? The first event after winning the nomination, and you can only manage 10,000 people?? It's going to be a long 5 months for everybody.

Square One

Old school, yo!


"One Million is Big, One Billion is Bigger"


"The Mathematics of Love"

"Holy, Holy, Basketball Song"

Angela tries to introduce new songs to Mia before bedtime. Currently, the favorite spot for singing songs is in our recliners in the family room. Angela recently introduced "Holy, Holy, Holy" and Mia caught on very quickly. She also loves "For the Beauty of the Earth."

Now, after Ang sings the first verse of "Holy, Holy, Holy" Mia will say: "Holy, Holy, Basketball Song." HUH? She wants to hear the second verse. Her favorite part is "cherubim and seraphim, falling down before thee..." We haven't figured out how any of the words translate to basketball (except maybe I had the tv on one time during singing time). Regardless, it's incredibly cute.

Oh, and "Holy, Holy, Holy" comes out as "Ho-ye, Ho-ye, Ho-ye!" =)

Idol Finale

I was on the road during the Idol finale and got in my hotel room as soon as the winner (DC, baby!) was announced. And yes, my two votes for DC pushed him over the edge (except for the other 11,999,998 votes).

I think the finale this year (even though I didn't see it live) was a great show - made the rest of the season (and waiting) worth it. Performances included:

DC with ZZ Top
Archie with OneRepublic (that'd be a great style for Archie to stick with, so he doesn't end up in Disney singing to 8 year olds)
DC and Archie singing Hero - yeah, the song is meant for DC, but Archie made it work
Syesha and Seal (woo!)

Cray times happenin' in the Idol world. YouTube is also a good friend (I just wish they'd filter the comments - I can't justify linking to videos when the comments are laced with expletives). So - if you go watching, just keep your eyes on the video.

This is DD, out!

(sorry, that was lame)

Tornadoes from another perspective

Nice video: Link

Another (check out how the tornado just whips the cars around)

Ladybugs

Here's a sweet video of Mia reading a book (reciting by memory is the more correct description, but who cares). Click the link for a QuickTime video.

Link

Diapers

We have created an understood rule in our household. Only one child
will be in diapers at a time. As such, with "Daniella2" on the way
shortly, we had to begin getting "Daniella1" (aka - Mia) out of
diapers.

We began the process of potty-training over a year ago. Very slowly,
we got Mia comfortable sitting on the potty and, as possible, going
pee-pee (sorry for all our friends w/out kids - these are the topics,
and language, of import once you create a child).

Finally we decided we had to take the plunge. This past weekend was
potty-training weekend, and all indications are that Mia is a pro. She
has actually resisted her pull-ups, which we only use for nap and
bedtime. We wouldn't mind leaving her in training pants during
naptime, but we aren't yet prepared for wetting the bed. That's in the
works.

I should be clear - whenever I used "we" in the account above - I
really meant "Ang." She has been reading, planning, and talking up the
wonderful aspects of this venture. I was more the follower and
faithful supporter ("whatever you think is best, dear"). Ang has
devoted herself to this, and it has paid off. We will temporarily gain
about $100 a month in savings, until we begin buying diapers again in
August.

--
Sent from Gmail for mobile | mobile.google.com

The Best Sandwich $5 Can Buy

Grilled Chicken in a balsamic vinegar marinade, chipotle mayo, pepper jack cheese, AVOCADO, and lettuce. Mmmmmmm....

If you're in Leesburg, check out Courthouse Deli (www.courthousedeli.net) - one of the best in town!

(If I hadn't spent $3 on my drink, I'd be looking at an economical meal!)

Why smokers die young...

[subtitle: "Or at least some rambling thoughts from a non-smoker."]

...ignore the toxic chemicals entering their systems, clogging their lungs, and cutting off blood-supply. I've discovered something truly revolutionary in the habits of smokers: They stand outside, anywhere from 3-10 times a day, in the FREEZING COLD - shivering, shaking, and altogether icing over - and are sucking in INCREDIBLY HOT air. How could this be good for you??

You know how during Spring and Fall you often get sick because of the crazy change in weather (temps going from 80 one day to 45 the next). Isn't this the same thing? They basically are creating a thunderstorm inside their lungs - hot air from the cig, cold air from breathing (a necessary function), and - BAM! - it roils up inside.

Batta-bing! Call me a scientist (well, at least I have the "observation" part down).

On another note - what is the effect of smoking on said smoker's productivity at work? Let's say they take 4 smoke breaks a day (not including over lunch). That's probably 10 minutes a smoke. Then, there's the 5 minutes before the smoke, thinking about how much they need a smoke. And then there's the 5 minutes after a smoke, washing hands or grabbing water. And quite possible another 10 minutes if you are waiting on your friend to smoke with you, or if you get caught up in a great conversation. None of this considers the break in momentum of critical thinking/workflow that may occur.

So potentially 30 minutes a smoke in lost productivity. 4x a day = 2 hours. I'm not saying there's a way to address it, but should an employee's habits interfere with their time dedicated to work? Hmmmm....

Murphy's Law re: Shopping in a Hurry

"When in a hurry, the person with the fewest items will take the longest time to check out."

A corollary would be:

"When in a hurry, the shortest line is always the longest line."

Eye on the ball

Seen at the bottom of a box score from a baseball game:

" *struck out looking for D Marte in the 9th "

Maybe if he hadn't been looking for "D Marte" he wouldn't have struck out. Silly baseball players.

My social ineptitude

I like to think that I handle myself pretty well at social events. This past Thursday night, our Economic Development Dept. held a "VIP Reception" for the important business leaders in the County. As my duties include significant interaction with this constituency, I naturally attended.

I don't think I said anything too stupid. I didn't stand around awkwardly without anyone to talk to (about 220+ people there - I probably knew 70% or so?). I tried not to talk with my mouth full. I even got to introduce some folks who needed to meet.

Finally, after about 2 1/2 hours, it was time for me to get home. I was walking to my car, reached in my pocket, and realized I had 3 or 4 crumpled napkins in my left pocket. And then it hit me. I'm a napkin-hogger.

Plain and simple, I will take a napkin every time the hors d'oeuvre tray comes around. I never want to have any remote chance of being without a napkin. And, I'll wipe my mouth 15 times to make sure I didn't leave any chocolate on my lips (chocolate fondue fountain - YUM!). I guess there could be worse habits.

On a funny note - about 10 minutes into the event, someone caught a napkin on fire. Almost could have been a scene out of a movie: tried to dump it in a glass, but they could stuff it far enough down. Tried to shake it out. Tried to blow it out (but just blew ashes all over the table). Finally, someone (with a PhD in science - I'm serious) grabbed two plates, put the burning napkin on one, and put the other on top. Close off the oxygen source = fire goes out.

And finally (this post ended up longer than expected) - someone had sponsored for a duo from NE Tennessee to come and preform "background" music. Absolutely phenomenal. One website compared them as a blend of Allison Krauss, Nickel Creek, and a little pop of Chris Rice. Anyway - worth a listen (although I haven't downloaded the CD yet from iTunes). Check out Alathea.

How Government Gets in the Way

Link

Burma

Interesting thoughts: http://www.slate.com/id/2191196/

But in one very narrow sense, the cruel, power-hungry, violent, and xenophobic generals who run Burma are not irrational at all: Given their own most urgent goal—to maintain power at all costs—their reluctance to accept international aid in the wake of a devastating cyclone makes perfect sense. It's straightforward, as the Washington Post's Fred Hiatt put it Monday: "The junta cares about its own survival, not the survival of its people."

Live Blog NOW!!

Stay tuned for live updates from the Broadlands Annual HOA meeting.

Talking.
Talking.
Talking.

Well, that's it. Thanks for tuning in!!

Long Lunch

Driving home from work a couple weeks ago, I called in on a radio station giveaway and won 4 free burritos from Chipotle. Sweet.

Then, the bad news: You had to pick them up from the station. On a weekday. Between 10-6. Oh, and about 40 miles from where I work.

I was going to plead with them to just mail it to me, when I happened to call in the same station two days later and won an Alexander Ovechkin "action figure." [Technically you're not supposed to win more than once in a 30 day period, but the guy interpreted that as the same prize, not "winning" in general.]

That prize was not going to fit in an envelope, so I definitely would have to go pick it up. I decided to take a long lunch. Amazingly, I was there in about 40 minutes (out the Toll Road, up the Beltway, up 270, Montrose Road, Rockville Pike, BINGO!). With no parking to be found, I put on my hazards and left it in a "No Parking" zone. I spent 15 minutes waiting on the prizes, just hoping I wasn't going to get a ticket (or worse, towed).

All in all, the trip took about 2 1/2 hours (stopped for lunch at Chick-Fil-A, and at 2pm on a weekday afternoon, the drive-thru took almost 15 minutes). The Chipotle coupons turned out to be two free pizzas from Papa Johns (they gave me the wrong prize). The Ovechkin figure sells for $10.99 at Toys 'R Us.

With tolls, gas, and mileage, I probably came out on the losing side. But, I have a story to tell, I can now say I've been to Rockville, and the pizzas were pretty good.

The sickest she's been

Our little girl woke up Wed morning with a slight fever, and to be safe we called the doctor. Even though she was running around as chipper as ever, Mia had a double-doozey: a double ear infection and strep throat. Sure enough, she woke up the next morning with a 103 fever.

She's still slept great through it all, which has helped her get better. That, and the medicine, which might have been the worst part of it all. She can't stand the medicine, and even though we mix it with orange juice, she still fights it down. [On a brief note, we tried "forcing" it down with the syringe, but that got her gag reflex going, and...well...it wasn't a pretty sight.]

Amazingly, this isn't related to her sickness, but our silly little girl won't touch pizza. She used to gobble it down, and now she doesn't even want a bite. I figure that just means more for me. =)

You know news is slow when...

..."Lawsuit: Pizza War in Lansdowne"

(Say it ain't so!)

http://www.loudountimes.com/news/2008/may/06/lawsuit-pizza-war-lansdowne/

Run for the hills!!

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/capitalweathergang/2008/05/report_earthquake_in_annandale.html

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has confirmed a ... earthquake ... 8 on the Richter scale occurred in Annandale, Va. at 1:30 p.m.

...shaking from the quake could be felt throughout ... Virginia ...

There have been ... reports of damage. More coverage: DCist, WTOP and Washington Post.

[please note liberal use of ellipses before worrying about our safety. just to show that bloggers can make the news say anything they want.]

Nats edge out the Gnats

I had a hard time adjusting to the Nationals being referred to as the "Nats," as that moniker has been previously adopted by the Savannah Sand Gnats. But I think the DC version has a bit more going for them - oh, say, a $611 million stadium and something called the "Major League."

This is a roundabout way of getting to the point (isn't that the problem with bloggers? They take up way too much time trying to just put up some dumb pictures). So yes, the point. Which is to say - we took our first jaunt down to Nationals Park (who'd have thunk??) and enjoyed an 80+ degree Saturday afternoon at the ballpark. Only S got sunburned, as she thought she was immune to the burning sphere in the sky.

Our seats were 3 rows from the fence in left field - just perfect. Food and bathrooms just a few steps away (if you were willing to pay more for your food than for your ticket). And getting to the stadium on a Saturday would have been a breeze - if they hadn't decided it was a good idea to close TWO lanes of the 14th St. bridge an hour before game time for construction. Have we heard of midnight, people??

Again, you've been expecting pictures, so I guess I shouldn't let you down. But it's Mia's bathtime, so if you have Google Reader sending you text messages when I update my blog, and you check it out immediately, you won't find the pics. Otherwise, come back around....8:30 tonight....and the pics will be live.

Edit: Here they are!!

I passed this on Sunday morning...

...and then it blew me away after the toll booth.

http://www.jaguarusa.com/us/en/xk/models_pricing/models/xkr_coupe.htm

Not too shabby. And under $87,000! Who'd have thunk??

Spring Pics, etc.

Cherry Blossoms

Thanks to the weathermen, we went to DC on the day it rained instead of the day is was sunny. Regardless, after navigating the road closures due to a road (running) race, we decided to try a different area of the Cherry Blossoms. It's a nice park, though the area at the very tip was a little sparse on Cherry Trees. We still had lots of fun, though. =)

All-American Family

This was all Mia's doing. We didn't set this up.



Notice the:

- Mom sitting out on the "porch"
- Baby sleeping in the big girl bed
- Big girl playing in the crib
- Dad sitting...well...you can see =)

First Roll + Bath Time!

A new era

For my birthday, Angela got me a "family" gift. Something I've been looking at for a while. It is - a new digital camera. And boy, is it somethin'.

It's a Nikon Digital SLR (semi-pro) - the D40 is the model #. I had hesitated at first on this model, b/c it is "only" 6 megapixels. But for the cost savings, and for the fact that 6 megapixels is significantly more than I'd ever need, we got it.

This is the first shot I took with the camera:



What's nifty about Digital SLR cameras is that you can take the picture in a "RAW" format, which allows you to adjust exposure, color, sharpness, etc. before actually "opening" the picture for editing. I know absolutely nothing about this stuff, but the possibilities are endless. Here's to great picture taking!

Easter Pics

It's entirely too late at night, but I tend to get started on something and can't stop. So, here's a quick montage of some Easter morning pics!



Download-able version here. (Right-click and choose "Save Link As...")

Hold the Onions!

Minced onions force emergency landing....

Link

Random Pics

In looking for pictures of Dido (Mia says, "See Dido"), we ran across these:

HAHAHA!!

What happens when your glass baking dish shatters in the oven. Birthday breakfast. Ooops!

It's the "Eye of the Dido" - they could make a song about that!!

It's a little spooky seeing your name on a headstone. Danny was my Dad's twin brother - he had hydrocephalus, I believe, and lived only about 6 weeks. Mom and Dad named me after Danny, and as Pop aged in years, "Oh Danny Boy" was one of his favorite songs, in remembrance of little Danny.

Just hangin' with Daddy

This is what we do on Saturday mornings when Mommy is out. We get on the computer, blog, and make videos. And watch basketball. And soccer.

Mia keeps saying "See Mia. See Mia." No, she's not self-conscious.

Buzzer Beater II

Oh yeah!

Buzzer Beater I

This may be one of many posts during March Madness. What a game (Overtime, nonetheless).

Sat. Morning with Mia

Mia Singing

The video speaks for itself...

Swanky Schnoz

Link

Apple + Reston = New Apple Store??

I thought I heard a commercial broker mention that an Apple Store might be moving into the Reston Town Center. I can't confirm, but that'd be SuhWEEET!!

How to cut 15 years off your mortgage...

...here's one way (although I can't vouch for their claims). Props to you, Tim.

Here's another way: refi and get a 15 year mortgage! Ah! It's not final, but it will be soon (I hope). We're halfway (kinda) there.

Doh!

They definitely didn't pass the driver's test. Link.

It never hurts to ask

I somehow missed my GapCard statement in the mail. So a late charge of $25 was tacked on. A simple call later - poof! It's off. Imagine all those people that don't call.

You've been Court'd

There's something to be said for having the State Constitution on your side. There's another thing to be said for having the backbone to stand up to: a) the General Assembly; b) the other 8 Northern Virginia jurisdictions; and c) all those who say this is the only way to fund transportation. Kudos to Del. Marshall and the Loudoun Board of Supervisors for believing that the Constitution is still relevant.

Okay, intro is done. The gist? The VA Supreme Court struck down a 2007 state law that gave a non-elected regional body taxing authority over Northern Virginia. In other words, we'd be taxed without having direct representation on the body. The link to the opinion is here (it's short, pretty easy to understand, and worth a read).

The dilemma is what to do now. Some say the General Assembly will work it out this year; others say it will be next year. "We'll do our best," someone said.

But the quote of the day comes from Congressman Jim Moran (D-Va), who really doesn't have a dog in the fight, except that more money for transportation helps his constituents (but this is primarily a local and state issue). Regardless, here's the quote:

"Under the separation of powers, the legislative branch makes the law, and the judiciary decides whether the executive branch is acting consistent with that law. The judiciary doesn't make its own law. Once the legislature acts -- that is the law -- and there was no question when they acted if this was truly constitutional. The Attorney General had reviewed it and recognized it as consistent with the constitution." (Link)

Does he even realize what he's saying??? I wonder what Mr. Moran would say if you asked him about Roe v. Wade.

Imagine*

Here's the video from last night's American Idol.



*According to the all-knowing Wikipedia, even John Lennon stated that "Imagine" was basically the Communist Manifesto in song. So, enjoy the music, don't subscribe to the lyrical philosophy.

Ewwww

Check it out: Link.

(HT: The Heart)

The Oscars

I actually watched the Oscars this year. I missed about half the opening monologue, but I thought Jon Stewart was really funny. The interim, random montages were hysterical.

I hadn't planned on watching the whole thing, but by the time they got to supporting actress/actor, I thought I'd stick around till the end. Daniel-Day Lewis' performance in "There Will Be Blood" was just amazing. In case you haven't seen it, check these clips out. They aren't spoilers, per se, but they do give a bit of info away, in case you plan to see it and don't want to know anything about the movie.

Wow

Did you see the "kid" on Idol tonight? David Archuletta? Man. Singing John Lennon. That was quite the stuff. I'm sure it will be on YouTube within the hour.

It's amazing...

...that women can laugh and cry (I mean BAWL) at the same time. While I'm up in the family room watching the Memphis Tigers lose to Tennessee, I hear Angela downstairs bust out laughing, sniff, and blow her nose at exactly the same time. And laugh again. Seriously. I guess that's what she gets for watching Steel Magnolias. (Not a bad flick, actually, but definitely an emotional roller-coaster.)

The best part was...

Besides the skiing and time with Ang and time away from the child and the beautiful scenery and the wonderful friends....Okay, so maybe not the best part....but one of the more fun parts of the trip was the "friendly" competition between all of the guys on the... Wii!!

One of the guys brought his Wii with three remotes, and although there were five of us, we worked out a pretty good system of competition. Home run hitting, golf target practice, power bowling, and tennis returns were just a few of the numerous games we played. It's amazing how responsible, career-oriented dads can instantly turn into 16-year-olds when a game console is brought into play.

I think I'll credit all that extra "exercise" for helping me not get sore from all the skiing. Yeah, that was it.

The South will rise again!

Okay, so maybe not in that way. But thankfully we were spared 1/2 an inch of ice yesterday when a slight southerly wind: 1) warmed our air just past freezing, and 2) pushed the majority of the precip north. What was forecasted to be a nasty day turned out to be cold and damp. Whew!

And Baby Makes Four

Many of you probably already know, but for those not in our immediate family or living close by, we have another little one on the way, due August 10th. =) That makes me (Ang) 15 weeks along and our little baby about 4 inches long and 2 1/2 ounces. (See apple for comparative size. :-D)



We're really excited, and Amelia is too, though she still isn't completely aware of what's going on. I often remind her that she will soon be a big sister (or already is, in a manner of speaking) and that the baby is growing in mommy's tummy. In response, she usually points to her tummy and says "Mia's tum?" and I say, "No, sweetheart, the baby is in MOMMY's tummy!" I'm afraid there's no explaining "womb" to a 21-month old!

Back home

It was great to all be back home. With a long-weekend looming ahead of us, we planned on a short "adventure" for Saturday morning. Since I had enjoyed climbing up Sugarloaf "Mountain," we all went for a trek.

At first, Amelia balked at walking and had us carry her. Then she wanted to walk over EVERYTHING: leaves, sticks, rocks. We tried to teach her to say "climb rocks."

The view from the top is really amazing - it looks over the Potomac Valley back into Virginia. Although it was a bit chilly, it was a great trip!

The point of the trip

Here are photos from our trip. Regrettably, we left our digital camera, so these are from a disposable via Walgreens. I skied with friends for three days, while Angela just enjoyed a relaxing time without deadlines, a child to watch, or the responsibility of cooking.

How we made it to NM (and back!)

View Larger Map

Zoom in for details. =)

So who has to go uphill??

"The schools are literally not on a level playing field," he said.

Is he trying to say that they need to regrade the fields? Is he trying to say that one team uses gravity to their advantage?

It's funny how we as a society have decided to use "literally" as an emphasis instead of as a description of a literal event. Sigh....

Link (in case you care)

Yeah, it was THAT nice!

Speaking of Skiing

I think I'm getting excited.

I love my genes!

I can't sing. I can't play piano by ear or sight. And I don't have a blessed creative gene in my body. But boy do I have a sense of direction. And memory. And general feel for which way I should be going. As Tim Allen in "Home Improvement" put it, we (as men) have "iron fillings" in our noses that turn us the right way.

Well maybe all men don't, but I sure have my Dad's genes. He, being a pilot (formerly, for the most part), always knew which way to go. Where to turn. And where we were. At all times (at least it seemed).

So yesterday, when I decided to go hike a mountain (see previous post), I just left. No directions, no preparation. I did cheat and glanced briefly at a map, although I was simply confirming what I already knew. Didn't know what road to turn on, but that's where the memory took action.

Probably 4-5 years ago, we went hiking on Sugarloaf Mountain. [It's a large "mountain" formation in the middle of the Potomac River plains (or something like that). We can see it from our neighborhood, almost due north of where we live. It's a neat place for a visit.] I think we may have gone twice, but I remembered the road like I had driven it yesterday. Pretty crazy.

So as I was driving along and marveling at how I made it there without getting lost, I just had to be grateful for my genes that (almost always) keep me going in the right direction. Thanks Dad!!

Danny on a Diet

"If you turned sideways, we couldn't see you."
"If you jump in the air, the wind will blow you away."

These were (are) some of the typical comments I used to get about my....stature. Thin. Don't worry, that part hasn't changed. I'm a balmy 6'1", 160lbs.

But for some reason, my blood pressure is high. Like upper 140s/upper 80s. Sometimes in the 150/90 range. Yeah, not good. And not normal for a young, thin, relatively healthy guy.

So I have to start watching what I eat. Mainly salt/sodium (is that redundant?). No more big ham/turkey/bacon sandwiches and fries. Fewer Cheez-Its. (Big Bummer!) More oatmeal, dried fruit, and blandish chicken. Thankfully, it's going pretty well. I did eat at Bob Evans the other night, which probably consisted of my entire day's worth of salt in three bites of Country Fried Steak (mmmmmm), but I downed tons of water.

What this means is that I check the nutritional value before going places - like Chick-Fil-A or even Dunkin' Donuts.

Oh, and I need to exercise more. So yesterday (again, the fam out of town), I did the following:
-- Went for a run (totally out of shape, sucking wind after 2 minutes, and barely made it 10)
-- Hit a bucket of balls at the driving range (I LOVE my new hybrid)
-- Went to the mall (walking)
-- Hiked up a mountain (sucking wind again)
-- Hiked down
-- Walked along the C&O Canal/Potomac River (tired legs, didn't suck too much wind)
-- Went shopping at the L'Burg Outlets (tired legs)
-- Watched a movie while eating health food and pomegranate juice (not tiring at all!)

This week we go skiing. I have lift tickets for three days. My legs might fall off just thinking about it.

There Will Be Blood

Ang and Mia are out of town, so I took the opportunity to go see a movie I figured Ang wouldn't care to see. I ventured out to the epic "There Will Be Blood."

It was gripping, excruciating, heart-wrenching, insightful. I think I've been trained to appreciate a movie that is so normal: define the good guys and bad guys, have them duke it out, and someone wins (see "Transformers" or even the "Bourne" movies). Those are great in their own right, but that type of "plot" is almost too simplistic.

"There Will Be Blood" has the same rivalries; it has heart-break and humor. There are relationships that get torn apart and brought together. But there's no real end. I've noticed that in more movies these days, the end often leaves you...hanging. Or maybe, we (as shallow, pleasure-seeking Americans) have been led to believe that a "good" movie must have lots of action; things must happen. "There Will Be Blood" definitely brings closure to many storylines, so there is certainly a feeling that the movie has ended. But with the final scene torn from my eyes, I sat there thinking, "Hmmmm...that was it??"

The movie is probably the most popular among critics, FWIW. See: NYTimes and WashPost.

It's relatively clean, just a minor amount of violence, so it's worthy of a watch. It's long (almost 2hrs 40mins), and sometimes I kept wondering when something would actually happen. But there is no question that the cinematography and acting were quite incredible. Watch it each scene at a time; enjoy the amazing work. Just don't expect that climactic fight scene or battle for control of the world - that's what "Lord of the Rings" is for.

Things you learn from Dilbert

Troglodyte (n): A cave dweller.

http://www.dilbert.com/comics/dilbert/archive/dilbert-20080131.html

From the girls

I love voicemails during the workday.


[Edit: D'OH! Blogger doesn't take WAV files. I'll post it tonight.]

This looks like fun!

How come...

...none of the elevators in our building have a special trap door out the ceiling? Like in all of the spy/action/thriller movies.

What if I get stuck? What if Speed 4 shoots a scene in our building? What if I get chased by aliens and need to pretend I'm going to the 4th floor but instead hop on top of the elevator, grab a wire, slide down to the 2nd floor, and sneak my way into the file room??

*sigh* I guess I'll just have to be captured by aliens.

Didn't see this coming...

Look at the low and the high - and then look at the chart. Wow.

DJIA for 1/23/08

Unintended Consequences

This is quite funny (I'd thank "Nick" for the link, but I don't even know who he is - I'm sure someone can fill me in).

http://www.partizanlab.com/partizanlab/media/clips/244.mov

"I....U 2 !" -Mia

That is what she says. Really. But...regrettably, she's not equating her musical talents with the famous Irish rock band (that'd be a cool thing to teach her!).

It's much sweeter. Whenever we say "I love you" to her, she responds with an enthusiastic - "I..You..Toooooo!!"

Did you say, "Cold!" ?

Weather for Green Bay, WI

Check out Sunday, Jan 20th. They play at night.

D'oh!

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/15/AR2008011502506.html

Fair-weather Policymaker

It's funny that the Republican idea of cutting taxes to spur economic growth is poo-poo'd by Democrats - until it's campaign season.

The byline of the article: "Democrats now say that deficits don't matter." Caution: Major economic language contained in this article. Please prepare your brain appropriately.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120035796472889887.html

Ron Paul's Isolationism

"Pacifism is only plausible under the cover of Leviathan."

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120036562308490333.html

Overkill, maybe??

We have 5 computers - four laptops (one is work-owned) and a desktop. Three Macs, two PCs. The ratio is unfortunately getting a little too-close to being "PC-Friendly."

To that end, Apple has now enhanced my incentive to increase the ration to 2-1. Welcome, Macbook Air. We (as in the entire Mac community) have been waiting on this sub-notebook for at least 3-4 years. It's tiny. It's svelte. It's wireless. It's cutting-edge.

Of course, it's a Mac.  http://www.apple.com/macbookair

[ps - should I have included Mia's new little laptop in my count? It only has shapes, numbers, letters, and sounds. Oh, and a very basic LED screen. I guess I should categorize that as a PC - about all they're worth, right??]

Playing in a Snow Globe

That may be how some described the Packers/Seahawks game. This paragraph sums it up perfectly:

"After falling behind 14-0, the Packers scored touchdowns on their next six possessions. Favre was masterful. He converted six consecutive third downs with passes. Backed by a great running game and superior protection, Favre had a blast."

Favre and Donald Driver even exchanged snowballs during the game!

Recap

Low Blow, Take 2

Not quite as record-setting, but for a team ranked #6 to score only 36 points is unheard of. Link

7+2=3

Some things you forget about and then just stumble upon them: like that really good sandwich at an out-of-the-way deli, the perfect gift you forgot to write down and then remembered which made your wife so happy, and....the Georgetown basketball game.

Ok, so maybe not on the same level, but I jumped in the car to watch the Packers game at Mike's house, and on my radio I heard there were 36 seconds left in the GU/UConn game. GU had just come back from 6 down, tied it up, and made UConn miss its shot. GU took it down the court, and with the shot clock expiring and 4 seconds left in the game, Roy Hibbert, Center, 7' 2" tall, drained a perfect 3-pointer. SWEEEET! Starting out perfect in the Big East, and on for another big year.

[Link Added] In case you want to see: ESPN Clip Here

Oh, and about the Packers - OH YEAH!! What a game! I'm thinking I may "live blog" the Super Bowl. We'll see...

Low blow

Ouch:

George Washington holds Saint Louis to D-I low in points scored

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=280100045&campaign=rss&source=ESPNHeadlines

Analyze...Whom?

It just so happened that the day my brother asks who we, as Republicans, would rather face in November, the WSJ provides some insight. Courtesy of free wsj.com:

"Experience or change? That's the question, and no longer just for voters. It's the riddle of the day for Republican Party leaders, who have no say in the matter but can't help thinking about which Democrat they'd prefer to face in a general election."

More at: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120001233501182539.html

Analyze...Tuesday

My brother thinks that my involvement in government (albeit local) qualifies me to comment on elections. Or maybe it was the prestigious institution I attended. Regardless, I'd hate to let him down.

I had a great theory going on the Democrat side, but then realized neither he nor many of the readers of this blog would be voting Democrat, so that may be a pointless effort. Another time.

As for Republicans, I think it's clear to see that Huckabee will show strong where he has a strong base. He had very little presence in New Hampshire - placed a lot of grass-roots effort in Iowa - a place where you can get the midwest folks to show up and support you. As for NH, Huckabee's message really doesn't jive with a Northeast populace. If they want more government, they're probably voting Democrat. If they want a Republican, they don't mind if he's moderate, but they want him to be genuine, experienced, and balanced. McCain offers that, I think. It'd be hard for a Southern Baptist preacher to carry any New England state.

I'm a little curious myself about how proximity to Massachusetts affected the vote for/against Romney. The southeastern portion of NH went for Romney - which is the outer suburbs of Boston. But that proximity didn't translate through the rest of the state (perhaps they saw Romney in action and didn't want any part of it?).

Of note - the good isolationist Ron Paul pulled a whopping 8% - a respectable 5th for the Texan. Fred Thompson shouldn't have wasted his time - oh wait, did he even visit NH ?

What does this mean for Michigan, Nevada, South Carolina? Since the pollsters are wrong anyway, I'll take my shot:

Michigan - McCain, Romney, Huckabee (but will go D in the general election)
Nevada - McCain (proximity to AZ) big - at least 40% - the rest split between Romney, Huck, Thompson, Giuliani and Paul
South Carolina - Huckabee, Thompson, McCain, Romney [As for me, if I lived in SC, I'd vote Colbert!!]

Super Tuesday will definitely live up to its name!

They call this Science ???

[From a magazine we randomly received in the mail]

"Where did the moon come from? The Giant Impact Theory states that Earth, 4.5 billion years ago, was 50 million years old. At that time, Earth was impacted by a planetary body, whose mass was roughly the same as the mass of Mars. That collision caused the colliding body to be destroyed. Meanwhile, the upper layers of Earth's mantle were vaporized. In the process of vaporization, Earth ejected large amounts of debris into its own orbit, from which the moon was formed."

Wa-wa-WHHHAAAATTT??

So, the surface of the earth was vaporized so perfectly that we got the beautiful and miraculously harmonious earth we have today?

And the impact of the "colliding body" just so happened to tilt the earth at the perfect 23 1/2 degrees (can you believe I remembered that factoid!!) and in perfect orbit with the sun and rest of the planets?

And the "bits" of "debris" just happened to form the moon that is in perfect orbit with the earth?

Things just get wackier and wackier.

Videos from Christmas

Links to videos:

Driving down the highway

Playing with the Ball Pit

Opening Gift from Abby

Christmas Pics

For those of you not on Facebook, here's a link to our pictures from Christmas:

Christmas Pics

And another

The first paragraph is the best, but the entire article is pretty good.

"My new year's resolution is to get my two teenage sons back. They've been abducted--by the cult of Nintendo. I'm convinced that video games are Japan's stealth strategy to turn our kids' brains into silly putty as payback for dropping the big one on Hiroshima."

Link

More God, More Government

"But one wonders whether his newfound supporters would really say that if they took a close look at his policies. With increasing frequency, Mr. Huckabee invokes his faith when advocating greater government involvement in just about every aspect of American life. In doing so, Mr. Huckabee has actually answered the prayers of the religious left."

Link

DreamGirl

(YouTube was supposed to auto-post this for me, but they didn't. Bah!)

This is what I find when watching ESPN at 2:30 in the afternoon.

The Facebook Dilemma

Why I post this here and not on Facebook, I dunno. When filling out your profile, it asks for your "Hometown." Does that mean where you grew up? Where you live? Eh?

I guess it's a vestige of Facebook being primarily a college-student networking site - so it makes sense. But for those of us who joined up just because it was the cool thing to do, what to do?

You're welcome for wasting 2 minutes of your time reading this.

Did you live prosperously today?

On Joel Osteen's theology:

"It is, rather, a just-in-time economy's vision of salvation, an eerily collapsible spiritual narcissism that downgrades the divine image into the job description for a lifestyle concierge."

Read more .... http://www.slate.com/id/2180590/pagenum/all/#page_start