Musings and somesuch... that is all...

Start thinking about Christmas gifts!

2010-02-17T08:24:00.001-06:00

Friends,

It's not too early to start thinking about Christmas gifts! :P

http://bit.ly/dwcR2f

-- via email from my very conservative friend in ATL...

Posted via email from Roy's posterous

I like this site... 1000 Rules for My Unborn Son...

2010-02-16T17:51:00.001-06:00

http://bit.ly/Bx5gD

Posted via email from Roy's posterous

All 50 States and Canada Have Snow On The Ground

2010-02-12T17:21:00.001-06:00

Pretty damn amazing...

Click Here to View this as a Webpage

All 50 States and Canada Have Snow On The Ground

Historic Storms Keep Consumers In A Winter Mindset And Have Significant Economic Impact

Following this week’s record breaking storms, all of the 50 United States (yes, even Florida and Hawaii) have snow on the ground. You’ll likely have to go back 30+ years to find such a statistic.

Some notable takeaways for this week’s record breaking storms:

· Currently, there is snow on the ground in all 50 states and every Canadian province.

· It is estimated that between one-third and one-half of all North Americans experienced snowfall in the last week.

· Up to 20,000 flights in the U.S. were cancelled this week, impacting approximately 2 million people. Conservatively estimating that each person spends $100 per flight, this amounts to a $200,000,000 impact.

· Dallas received over 11 inches of snow on Thursday February 11– the most for any date in city history.

· With two major snowstorms in the last seven days, several locations have set their all time mark for snowfall in a winter season:

City Season To Date (Inches) Normal Season (October-March)

Baltimore* 79.9” 22”

Philadelphia* 72.1” 23”

Pittsburgh 57.8” 43”

Washington, DC* 55.9” 22”

Chicago 45.3” 37”

Dallas 15.7” 3”

*All time record for most snowfall in one winter season.

· 1,200 daily snowfall records were set over the past week. Some notables:

o Chicago set a daily record when 12.6 inches fell on February 9 – shattering the old record set in 1885.

o Detroit set a daily record when 6.5 inches fell on February 9 – shattering the old record set in 1886.

o Pittsburgh received 5.2 inches of snow on February 10 – setting a new record and making this the 6^th snowiest month ever in city history.

o Baltimore, Washington, DC and Philadelphia each set numerous daily snowfall records throughout the past week.

· Including last week’s snowfall and heavy rain events, the retail year is off to its snowiest and wettest start in over 12 years.

What Does This Mean For Businesses Selling Seasonal Products?
(request a complimentary product analysis from Planalytics)

More On The Way?
While retailers and restaurants attempt to recover some lost business over the important Valentine’s Day and President’s Day holiday, there is more wintry weather to contend with. As the weekend progresses, many locations in the Great Lakes and Ohio Valley will see moderate snow. This system will push south and east and reach the east coast by Monday evening and result in measurable snow for coastal cities by the early portions of next week -- including Washington and Philadelphia. While amounts will be much lower than recent (historic) storms, these will add to the record season and serve to keep consumers in a winter mindset and putting a hold on Spring purchasing.

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Posted via email from Roy's posterous

Pork carnitas tacos... yummmm!!!

2010-01-31T18:06:00.001-06:00

Wow... Jeffcoat AND Hicks...

2010-01-29T11:51:00.001-06:00

The Horns are reeling them in... This is huge!!!

http://tinyurl.com/oomcsa

Posted via email from Roy's posterous

I know I am Standing on the Rock...

2010-01-08T16:05:00.001-06:00

remember that... more to come...

Posted via email from Roy's posterous

Feast or famine...

2010-01-07T13:08:00.001-06:00

it's funny how that works... i'll give more details in the next few days...

Posted via email from Roy's posterous

Since when...

2010-01-06T14:56:00.001-06:00

Is it ok to respond "y tu?" instead of "y usted?" to the question
"como estas?"... I only speak (natively???) and write a little
Spanish; I have no formal Spanish training...

Posted via email from Roy's posterous

This week...

2010-01-06T14:51:00.001-06:00

Will be the most awesome week ever... If the #Horns and the #Boys both
win... It will still be great if the #Horns win... Just "pretty good",
if the #Boys do good... Despodency ensues, otherwise...

Posted via email from Roy's posterous

I love birds of prey...

2010-01-06T13:35:00.002-06:00

especially hawks and falcons... raptors rock!

this made me laugh... http://bit.ly/6ZYTNL

Posted via email from Roy's posterous

I laughed...

2010-01-05T22:00:00.003-06:00

Posted via email from Roy's posterous

Sergio Kindle's Inspiration - ESPN Video

2010-01-03T19:19:00.002-06:00

Very touching and inspiritional... Go Horns!

Awesome...

2009-11-01T02:00:00.001-06:00

4O9O1935
Originally uploaded by | PETE |

Dwight Schrute for Halloween! Should have thought of this myself...

TX - OU (Oklahoma gets own hand gesture)

2009-10-16T14:23:00.001-06:00

I hope this catches on... perfect, because ou SUCKS!!!

Colt needs to relax... and this just in: Leach is an assclown...

2009-09-15T10:51:00.000-06:00

Texas' Mack Brown to Colt McCoy: Relax and have fun | Texas Longhorns News | Sports News | News for Dallas, Texas | Dallas Morning News: "Briefly: Leach brought only deep snapper Austin Burns and reserve defensive back Taylor Charbonnet to the team's news conference Monday."

Seriously... it reeks of assclownery. Who brings the deep-snapper and a backup DB to a press conference before the biggest game (so far) of the season??? You can do all the justifying you want - and I'm talking to you Mike and you Paige - but this is just, at best silly. "Oh, look at how funny and cool I am!!! And oh so irreverent!!!" Such an attention whore...

I really don't want to dislike this guy; having grown up in west Texas, I grew up a Tech fan, but really... The more attention this guy gets the more ridiculous he becomes.

Texas Football 2009 Teaser

2009-09-04T20:41:00.001-06:00

Yes sir... it's time!!!

Good news for soccer fans...

2009-08-07T15:29:00.000-06:00

Can't wait to see the first match... (note to self: remember to set the DVR...)

SPORTSbyBROOKS » ESPN To Start Airing EPL Games For 2009-2010

Another icon from my youth...

2009-08-06T20:14:00.000-06:00

has left the building...

Molly Ringwald Pays Tribute to John Hughes - Tributes, John Hughes, Matthew Broderick, Molly Ringwald : People.com

Do not attempt to adjust your TV set... we are taking over...

2009-08-06T20:11:00.000-06:00

Senate approves Sotomayor as Supreme Court's first Hispanic justice | News for Dallas, Texas | Dallas Morning News | Latest News

This is also why you're fat... Food Portion Sizes, Then Vs. Now

2009-07-31T17:46:00.000-06:00

Food Portion Sizes, Then Vs. Now

Sheez, my bloggie is turning into a name-calling bonanza...

This is why you're fat.

2009-07-28T12:10:00.000-06:00

This is why you're fat.

Enough said...

I couldn't watch this the other night...

2009-07-24T18:35:00.005-06:00

Hits too close to home, having lost my mom to breast cancer... so I pretended to eat with my head down as I teared up... I finally watched it today... so here you go...

manda 8 @ Yahoo! Video

Big 12 Announces Media Preseason Football Team - Big 12 Conference - Official Athletic Site

2009-07-24T11:46:00.000-06:00

Not sure I agree with EIGHT Sooners, but they are a talented bunch... But... I seem to recall 45-35... That's what I'm thinking...

Big 12 Announces Media Preseason Football Team - Big 12 Conference - Official Athletic Site

wow... and sadness...

2009-06-25T14:09:00.004-06:00

This one really hits home... I didn't have much on my walls as a kid, but these two posters were front and center...

'Charlie's Angels' star Farrah Fawcett dies at 62 | News for Dallas, Texas | Dallas Morning News | Latest News

Dave Campbell's vision of football still going strong | Sports News | News for Dallas, Texas | Dallas Morning News

2009-06-21T19:34:00.000-06:00

Every year, since I was a kid in Jr. High, I can't wait for this magazine to come out in the summer... Good stuff, here... really. good. stuff.

Dave Campbell's vision of football still going strong | Sports News | News for Dallas, Texas | Dallas Morning News

Slashdot Technology Story | Most Blogs Now Abandoned

2009-06-08T15:00:00.001-06:00

Slashdot Technology Story | Most Blogs Now Abandoned

man... i do not want to be one of these... :\

Earthquake??? WTF???

2009-05-16T13:16:00.000-06:00

Yep, felt this one... it was weird, thought someone had slammed a door...

Minor earthquake shakes parts of Dallas-Fort Worth; no injuries reported | News for Dallas, Texas | Dallas Morning News | Latest News

Funny shtuff...

2009-05-02T01:04:00.002-06:00

Glad I was wrong...

2009-05-02T00:58:00.005-06:00

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

About the little Mavericks and they're series with the San Antonio Spurs... Now on to the series with the Denver Nuggets. Not sure how this will play out, but Carmello Anthony and crew present a sizable challenge...

Dallas Mavericks vs. San Antonio Spurs

2009-04-18T17:49:00.002-06:00

Image via Wikipedia

NBA Playoffs... now the real season begins...

I like the once-mighty Mavs, but they should have put Miami away back in '06 and brought home a title. On the other hand, SA has brought home numerous trophies, mainly on the backs of "The Admiral", David Robinson and Tim Duncan... Having said that, Dallas loves the Mavericks, but I think Texas loves the Spurs more, and possibly the Rockets more, since they were able to bring home a couple of championships on the ample back of Hakeem Olajuwon - greatness, indeed...

So, Dallas is the lower seed and Spurs have a little more going for them this year... They won't win another title, that will surely come down to the Cavs or Lakers, but they will win this series... I'll say in six games...

This is why people are tech-idiots... even the learing press...

2009-04-16T16:35:00.002-06:00

Apple: 'PC is no bargain when it doesn't do what you want' | The Toybox | ZDNet.com

First of all, there are several anti-virus applications that do an adequate job of keeping your PC clean - AVG Anti-virus and Avira AntiVir, to name two... Both of these are loaded on PCs in my home, and neither have failed to do the job. And it's just plain stupid to think that Macs never get viruses... True, Windows machines are more susceptible, but then they are more pervasive making for easier targets.

Secondly, applications like Photoshop Elements are easily replaced with freeware or open-source applications, such as Picasa... except for the operating system, none of our PCs at home have much purchased software; OpenOffice.org does the job for all word-processing, spreadsheets, and even presentations... all in compatible MS Office formats...

Anyway, the adds are spot-on and the Mac is way cool, but if you must have one, build a Hackintosh, yourself...

Simply amazing...

2009-04-15T20:48:00.004-06:00

I posted this already to Facebook, so this will be a re-post via this blog... But you HAVE to see this and be amazed!

Susan Boyle, ftw!!!

Here's more:
CNN

Some new things...

2009-03-31T16:04:00.003-06:00

Just a few updates to the ol' bloggy...

I am now an OnForce Service professional! If you need some help in my areas of expertise, OnForce acts as a marketplace to funnel requests to qualified individuals! The link is in the left-hand panel. Also, along those same lines, I can now take assistance requests via CrossLoop and FixYa!

Image via CrunchBase

Also, you can now follow me on Twitter! yay!

Finally, if you plan on checking out the Cowboys next season in the new stadium, do try to get your tickets via StubHub. The link is also over there on the left-hand side...

Watchmen...

2009-03-05T17:05:00.003-06:00

Going to see this movie at midnight, tonight... Just finished the book, I mean "graphic novel" (adult comic book) and I really enjoyed it. Lots of texture, weirdness, twists... Pretty cool, but NOT for everyone. Please leave the kids at home for this one...

Image via Wikipedia

Fmylife.com - FML #152949

2009-03-02T02:42:00.005-06:00

These are sooooo funny! Check them out sometime, and you may not think your life is so bad after all... This one, in particular, is hilarious... And THIS ONE, is an instant classic...

Posted using ShareThis

Also...

2009-02-16T22:07:00.003-06:00

Cover of The Shack

Started reading this book, The Shack, by William P. Young... it began slowly, but by chapter four, it has built up a head of steam and is beginning to be hard to put down... I'll try to keep you informed and offer a small review once I am finished!

Slumdog Millionaire...

2009-02-16T13:49:00.005-06:00

Watched this movie over the weekend and it's very good. Oscar-worthy? Not too sure that it's better than the commercially successful The Dark Knight, just a different kind of adventure movie. Very well made and very "accessible", even though the story-line revolves around the slums of Mumbai...

So... New year, 26 days in and it's time to start some shtuff...

2009-01-26T16:52:00.008-06:00

So here we are, almost a WHOLE month into 2009... Everything you read these days is about the failing (or failed!) economy, or about the new president, or, for this week, at least - the Super Bowl...
Image via Wikipedia

On the home front, high school soccer is under way. It's definitely a task these coaches have putting together teams of girls who play with diverse club teams... but somehow, they do it. It helps that the head coach at our school is also a club coach with the very successful Dallas Texans. His assistants, however, do not have this experience, and it shows... My daughter's coach yells a lot (especially at the better players...) but, I won't question his authority in front of the daughter... of course, she might read this! Anyway, the team is undefeated, save for a loss to Coppell in a scrimmage and a tie to Denton Guyer so I won't complain too much. The district schedule starts tomorrow! Good Luck, Mustangs!

Also, on the home front, I picked up a very nice Pentax K200D Image by arukasa via Flickroff of Craig's List last week to replace my older Canon S3 IS that I thought I had lost... Turns out, I left it at Southlake's Dragon Stadium and someone was kind enough to turn it in! Anyway, it's my birthday and I have always been into photography, so now I hope to make it paying hobby... I also intend to do more with this blog; so watch for some changes in the near future and maybe some extensions to the brand that is CASSAS.NET... lol...

Stupid Fox broadcast...

2009-01-09T01:18:00.005-06:00

Image via Wikipediadid anyone notice when the fox announcer, who was pretty much terrible, pointed out that the referee was the FIRST black referee to officiate a BcS game? even my daughter, was like WTH??? is that REALLY relevant in 2009? during the coin flip, i noticed he was black, but so what? it wasn't something i should notice... for crying out loud, we elected a black president... if he's qualified, what difference does color make? i just thought it was an unnecessary reference. will the BcS make it a point to have an Hispanic referee next year? or if there has been one, was it duly noted during the broadcast? once again, it makes no difference...

BTW, I also posted this in the Dallas Morning News...

Happy Holidays to All!

2008-12-20T14:48:00.005-06:00

This was supposed to be a Christmas card... but, I could NOT find 4x8-inch Photo Cards ANYWHERE!!! Supposedly HP makes them, but they are not to be found at Office Depot, Office Max, Staples, Best Buy, Circuit City or Fry's... Seriously!!!

So I emailed this to relatives and friends, and I am posting it here!

Hope you all have a wonderful and joyous holiday season. Have fun, but be safe!

Yes... many updates are needed...

2008-12-12T15:56:00.012-06:00

Where to begin... again...

Well, here's some pics of my truck... after my daughter found a fence and a retaining wall with the front end!

Luckily no one was hurt... and, yes I was in the truck at the time...

Here's how the dialog went:
Me: Stop... turn...
Me: Stoooop...
Me: STOOOOOP
Me: STOOOOOOOPPPP!!!!!

Truck: bang!

Daughter: (silence, the whole time... dear in the headlights look on her face...)

Oh, and by the way... See that SUV at the stop sign in the second picture? That's where we started...

I Need to Update This Thing...

2008-10-07T00:16:00.005-06:00

Image via WikipediaUgh... Need some updates...

Daughter's team is doing well after a tough game this past weekend. She scored a goal on a nice follow of her own shot! Well played! Then after they tied the score late in the second half, we pulled one out in the last minute to take a 2-1 victory. FC Dallas South Red is sitting in third place. They need to put together some wins to finish the last four matches of the Fall Season.

Girls U16 Division III


Team	MP	W	D	L	GF	GA	Pts

1: STING WEST ROYAL 93	8	7	1	0	23	3	22
2: WF XPRESS 93	8	6	2	0	13	2	20
3: FC DALLAS RED SOUTH 93	8	4	2	2	11	10	14
4: TFC 93	7	3	1	3	10	8	10
5: DFW TORNADOS WHITE 93	7	3	0	4	7	12	9
6: THUNDER 93	6	1	3	2	4	8	6
7: HP DRIFTERS 93	8	1	2	5	5	13	5
8: LIVERPOOL FC 93	7	1	1	5	6	16	4
9: MUSTANGS FC 93	7	1	0	6	3	10	3

0/11/2008
Game	Time	Home Team	Away Team	Location
#687	4:00 PM	TFC 93	FC DALLAS RED SOUTH 93	Chinn Chapel #3
10/15/2008
Game	Time	Home Team	Away Team	Location
#971	8:15 PM	FC DALLAS RED SOUTH 93	DFW TORNADOS WHITE 93	Chinn Chapel #4
10/25/2008
Game	Time	Home Team	Away Team	Location
#975	12:30 PM	WF XPRESS 93	FC DALLAS RED SOUTH 93	UT Dallas #7
11/1/2008
Game	Time	Home Team	Away Team	Location
#978	11:30 AM	FC DALLAS RED SOUTH 93	MUSTANGS FC 93	UT Dallas #7

GL&HF!!!

Finally... league games resume...

2008-09-28T16:50:00.003-06:00

Mixed results this weekend... a 0-3 loss on Saturday to Sting West Royal, followed by a 3-1 win over the High Plains Drifters, who we had tied the last time we played them. The girls played tentatively on Saturday, but really picked it up on Sunday. Five more games left in the fall season...

I am Gmail 1337!!!

2008-09-16T10:20:00.004-06:00

I thought it was pretty cool that I noticed my 1337-ness...

High School Soccer...

2008-09-05T15:31:00.002-06:00

My daughter informs me that she made JV2, which is mostly freshman girls. I don't think that's a bad deal as it's a big group of girls with loads of talent. That's true of this age group across North Texas. A group as big as it is talented bodes well... No?

Great Trip to Austin...

2008-09-03T08:08:00.002-06:00

My daughter's team made it to the finals again, but we could not put away a very determined Sting Blue team, a team that my daughter almost committed to play for because of their coach, who she played for last spring...

My daughter's team went up 2-0 TWICE in this tournament, and they still managed a tie on Sunday during bracket play. After they defeated Dallas Texans Red South in the semis, we met them again in the finals Monday morning... again, my daughter's team was up 2-0 and could not put them away and we lost 3-2!!! They had a little help, well A LOT, of help from a center ref who awarded them four penalties that were scoring opportunities (they converted two, including the game winner), but they also played better than us for much of the second half. We also had a few good opportunities that we failed to convert. It was still a very fun weekend for the girls... League games this weekend, then for some reason we have a LONG break - twenty days - before the next league game.

Sweet... again...

2008-08-26T08:01:00.002-06:00

This match was a tough one, as predicted... and the girls were certainly lucky, as they benefited from an "own goal", but in the end were the better team. The Mustangs did their part to make it a close one, and actually scored first. The final was 2-1.

Taking a break from league games, then it's off to Austin for the Austin Labor Day Cup tournament. Also, High School soccer (not much on the web-site, but it's early...) tryouts start today... the daughter is VERY excited! Good luck to all the girls playing high school soccer this year!

Girls U16 Division III


Team	MP	W	D	L	GF	GA	Pts

1: FC DALLAS RED SOUTH 93	3	2	0	1	5	4	6
2: LIVERPOOL FC 93	2	1	1	0	3	1	4
3: WF XPRESS 93	1	1	0	0	3	0	3
4: TFC 93	1	1	0	0	2	0	3
5: STING WEST ROYAL 93	1	1	0	0	2	1	3
6: THUNDER 93	2	1	0	1	3	3	3
7: HP DRIFTERS 93	2	0	1	1	1	2	1
8: MUSTANGS FC 93	2	0	0	2	1	4	0
9: DFW TORNADOS WHITE 93	2	0	0	2	0	5	0

Monday, August 25, 2008
FC DALLAS RED SOUTH 93	2		MUSTANGS FC 93	1

The Omnivore's One Hundred...

2008-08-25T15:53:00.004-06:00

From Very Good Taste by way of Chocolate and Zucchini, we bring you the Omnivore One Hundred...

Have you had any of this shtuff? This goes hand-in-hand with my current efforts in losing weight... ;)

1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.
4) Optional extra: Post a comment here at www.verygoodtaste.co.uk linking to your results.

The VGT Omnivore’s Hundred:

1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn, or head cheese
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects
43. Phaal
44. Goat’s milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46. Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin
64. Currywurst
65. Durian
66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost, or brunost
75. Roadkill
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant.
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake

Not so sweet...

2008-08-23T20:32:00.002-06:00

Actually, quite ugly. The team came out flat and in this league, playing up, that's a recipe for disaster... The girls had opportunities but could not convert. The Wichita Falls team was patient, worked hard and finally started making things happen. A few early goals on those opportunities might have changed the tone of the game. Next league game is Monday, then a long break through the Labor Day weekend, although the team will be traveling to Austin for the Austin Labor Day Cup...

Girls U16 Division III


Team	MP	W	D	L	GF	GA	Pts

N/A: HP DRIFTERS 93	0
N/A: LIVERPOOL FC 93	0
N/A: STING WEST ROYAL 93	0
1: WF XPRESS 93	1	1	0	0	3	0	3
2: TFC 93	1	1	0	0	2	0	3
2: THUNDER 93	1	1	0	0	2	0	3
4: FC DALLAS RED SOUTH 93	2	1	0	1	3	3	3
5: MUSTANGS FC 93	1	0	0	1	0	2	0
6: DFW TORNADOS WHITE 93	2	0	0	2	0	5	0

Saturday, August 23, 2008
WF XPRESS 93	3	FC DALLAS RED SOUTH 93	0
THUNDER 93	2	MUSTANGS FC 93	0
DFW TORNADOS WHITE 93	0	TFC 93	2

see... i told ya...

2008-08-20T13:27:00.001-06:00

I gained!!! only 1/2 lb., but still... it's the principle and that damned socca...

Sweet...

2008-08-20T10:34:00.001-06:00

Girls U16 Division III


Team	MP	W	D	L	GF	GA	Pts

N/A: HP DRIFTERS 93	0
N/A: LIVERPOOL FC 93	0
N/A: MUSTANGS FC 93	0
N/A: STING WEST ROYAL 93	0
N/A: TFC 93	0
N/A: THUNDER 93	0
N/A: WF XPRESS 93	0
1: FC DALLAS RED SOUTH 93	1	1	0	0	3	0	3
2: DFW TORNADOS WHITE 93	1	0	0	1	0	3	0

Tuesday, August 19, 2008
FC DALLAS RED SOUTH 93	3		DFW TORNADOS WHITE 93	0

First League game... cancelled... DOH!!! NOT!!!

2008-08-19T11:21:00.004-06:00

Update: The games were NOT canceled and we played our first league game in U16 D3... and managed to get a win over DFW Tornados White 93, 3-0. Good job, ladies! Saturday brings another tough match-up, as they pretty much all are at this age...

The first league game was scheduled for this evening, but it has been canceled due to the wet weather we are having in the DFW Metroplex (where did that nickname come from anyway???)...

Here is the schedule for the for the first three games:

8/19/2008

Girls U16 Division III

Game

Time

Home Team

Away Team

Location

#653

6:30 PM

FC DALLAS RED SOUTH 93

DFW TORNADOS WHITE 93

UT Dallas #6

8/23/2008

Game

Time

Home Team

Away Team

Location

#657

4:00 PM

WF XPRESS 93

FC DALLAS RED SOUTH 93

Chinn Chapel #3

8/25/2008

Game

Time

Home Team

Away Team

Location

#660

8:30 PM

FC DALLAS RED SOUTH 93

MUSTANGS FC 93

Chinn Chapel #5

Go FC!!!

GL&HF!!!

First Week...

2008-08-18T14:52:00.002-06:00

Down 8lbs! w00t! I don't think this week will be as good... :( I was not very diligent this past weekend, and I blame it all on SOCCER!

Kick-off Classic Finalists

2008-08-17T20:59:00.001-06:00

Tough game against Texans Red South, a LHGCL D2 team. Final 1-0... Next time, ladies, next time!

It occurred to me how odd the scoring went this weekend... First game, we could not find the back of the goal, but not for lack of trying, and we lost 2-0. In the next three games, including the semi-final, the girls scored 14 goals, with a nice distribution! ! Congrats to Mari, Caitlin, Megan, Jordyn, Andi, Annie, Aleria, Schoschanna, Bailey... (I think I got everybody who had a goal... Halle? Ashlie?) Good job ladies!

Finally, in the final, the opportunities were there, but we could not buy a goal again... weird...

And so we begin again...

2008-08-06T15:19:00.003-06:00

Weight Watcher's that is! again... I hope to be a better chronicler of the journey to a slimmer me. Having said that, although I didn't gain ALL the weight back from the first time, I might as well have - 15lbs only equates to 1.5lbs less I have to lose to reach the 10% goal! I could have had that last piece of cake! dangit...

Anyway, here's to losing weight and having less to lose this time, AND not having to be a NEXT TIME!!!

Later this week...

2008-07-29T15:43:00.002-06:00

off to QuakeCon! w00t! Hope to pick up some shwag and shtuff...

No more...

2008-07-24T23:15:00.003-06:00

Soccer posts concerning my daughters team, except for game recaps, scores, and schedules... Enough said about that!

Go FC!

and, as usual

GL&HF

The big soccer news...

2008-07-23T08:36:00.003-06:00

is that my daughter's team will not have to play in Lake Highlands Girls Classic League Qualifying tournament... We are taking another FC Dallas team's bye; the team was unable to make for this year. However, it is a bye into Division 3, U16; my daughter's team is U15, so it will be a challenge week in and week out. Basically, if they don't come to play they will get their respective arses handed to them... ouch!

Go FC!

GL&HF!!!

OMG... Forgot about this...

2008-07-22T08:54:00.003-06:00

The Dark Knight!!! Go see it!!! NOW!!!

Oh, but don't drink one of those LARGERTHANLIFE drinks (It's only 50¢ more!!!) to drink while you watch the movie. Nothing worse than having to go, but not wanting to miss a single second of the movie. Yes, it was that good!!!

Soccer updates...

2008-07-21T14:15:00.004-06:00

The interesting news will have to wait until tomorrow evening... so we will have to wait and see...

Weekends results from the King TUT tournament:

A4 TX SPIRIT RED 95	A2 SOLAR SILVER A3 FCDY RED SOUTH A5 TEXAS SPIRIT WHT A1 TEXANS WHT WEST	3 - 0 0 - 0 3 - 0 1 - 1	10 4 10 4	28
A3 FCDY RED SOUTH	A1 TEXANS WHT WEST A4 TX SPIRIT RED 95 A2 SOLAR SILVER A5 TEXAS SPIRIT WHT	0 - 0 0 - 0 3 - 0 0 - 0	4 4 10 4	22
A1 TEXANS WHT WEST	A5 TEXAS SPIRIT WHT A3 FCDY RED SOUTH A2 SOLAR SILVER A4 TX SPIRIT RED 95	1 - 1 0 - 0 2 - 0 1 - 1	4 4 9 4	21
A5 TEXAS SPIRIT WHT	A1 TEXANS WHT WEST A2 SOLAR SILVER A4 TX SPIRIT RED 95 A3 FCDY RED SOUTH	1 - 1 5 - 0 0 - 3 0 - 0	4 10 0 4	18
A2 SOLAR SILVER	A4 TX SPIRIT RED 95 A5 TEXAS SPIRIT WHT A1 TEXANS WHT WEST A3 FCDY RED SOUTH	0 - 3 0 - 5 0 - 2 0 - 3	0 0 0 0	0

Very mixed results for the expectations we had going in. We should have won all three games we tied; then again, the other teams had good chances as well. I think we out-played all of them, but we were also out-played in several instances of those games. Lucky and unfortunate...

Interesting news on the soccer front...

2008-07-18T08:05:00.004-06:00

But... I am not liberty to share it at this time. You will have to come back to get the details... Sorry. It's very positive with just a smidgen of a down-side. Once it's official, I will be sure to post it here.

For now, we have the King TUT (Tune-Up Tournament) this weekend! I'll keep you posted on the results, but here's our schedule with some commentary on opponent.

4:00PM

CRAIG RANCH #11

FCDY Red South vs Texans Wht West

DTWW has one of the best goalies in U15 around, bar none. The last time these two teams played, she scored a goal off a punt and they won 1-0. Pretty amazing...

8:45PM

CRAIG RANCH #05

Tx Spirit Red 95 vs FCDY Red South

This is a late game, so it should be cooler. Don't know much about this team, except that they won the U15 division at FlameFest in June.

11:45AM

CRAIG RANCH #13

Solar Silver vs FCDY Red South

This was previously Blackwatch Navy, one of the surprise teams of last years Qualifying Tournament (new teams rarely make it to the second weekend of qualifying). Now part of the Solar club (heh, Solar System?), they were still looking for 1-2 players as late as last week.

5:45PM

CRAIG RANCH #01

FCDY Red South vs Texas Spirit Wht

Finally, we close with Texas Spirit White. This team has always been competitive, but even my daughter's old team, Sting West was able to hang 3 goals on them in last years qualifier. We will see how each team responds in the last game of a friendlys-only tournament.

See ya on the pitch!

Go FC Dallas!!!

GL&HF...

Ranch Wear Unlimited

2008-07-16T09:03:00.004-06:00

A neighbor of mine has just opened up an on-line store for fashionable ranch wear apparel. I told her I would give her site a little shout-out on my bloggy, so here goes... Ranch Wear Unlimited, a Yahoo! store, is the place to find all kinds of really cool outfits and separates for the rancher in all of us, even the kids! And, through the month of July, Susan, the owner, is offering 20% off any order.

Good luck, Susan!

More fund-raising...

2008-07-13T14:57:00.006-06:00

Hey, good people of the internets! Our last efforts at internet fund-raising was somewhat successful, but hopefully this will be a better mechanism! We hope so... It will be available in the left ad space after my profile information! Thank you!

Team is set, fitness camp out of the way...

2008-07-13T13:52:00.003-06:00

Time for my daughter's new team to get down to business. First up is the King TUT tournament, which is basically a tournament of four friendlies. Here is our bracket (links provided):

A1 TEXANS WHT WEST	A5 TEXAS SPIRIT WHT A3 FCDY RED SOUTH A2 SOLAR SILVER A4 TX SPIRIT RED 95			0
A2 SOLAR SILVER	A4 TX SPIRIT RED 95 A5 TEXAS SPIRIT WHT A1 TEXANS WHT WEST A3 FCDY RED SOUTH			0
A3 FCDY RED SOUTH	A1 TEXANS WHT WEST A4 TX SPIRIT RED 95 A2 SOLAR SILVER A5 TEXAS SPIRIT WHT			0
A4 TX SPIRIT RED 95	A2 SOLAR SILVER A3 FCDY RED SOUTH A5 TEXAS SPIRIT WHT A1 TEXANS WHT WEST			0
A5 TEXAS SPIRIT WHT	A1 TEXANS WHT WEST A2 SOLAR SILVER A4 TX SPIRIT RED 95 A3 FCDY RED SOUTH			0

Should be fun...

Now, take a look at this bracket (very interesting, to say the least...):

A1 TEXANS RED WEST	A5 ANDROMEDA A3 MUSTANGS FC A2 STING ROYAL A4 ASG GOLD CENTRAL			0
A2 STING ROYAL	A4 ASG GOLD CENTRAL A5 ANDROMEDA A1 TEXANS RED WEST A3 MUSTANGS FC			0
A3 MUSTANGS FC	A1 TEXANS RED WEST A4 ASG GOLD CENTRAL A2 STING ROYAL A5 ANDROMEDA			0
A4 ASG GOLD CENTRAL	A2 STING ROYAL A3 MUSTANGS FC A5 ANDROMEDA A1 TEXANS RED WEST			0
A5 ANDROMEDA	A1 TEXANS RED WEST A2 STING ROYAL A4 ASG GOLD CENTRAL A3 MUSTANGS FC			0

July 1... tryouts begin...

2008-07-01T15:51:00.003-06:00

But my daughter is in Florida! Oh, wait... long story, short, she is now with FC Dallas, Red South to be exact. As her agent, I mean parent, I get to go to tryouts without her and pick up all the paperwork. Wow, lucky me!

Go FC!!!

More tweaking to do...

2008-06-30T14:36:00.001-06:00

But the site re-design is well on it's way! Yay! Oh, you mean you didn't know I was doing a site re-design? I guess I forgot to mention it... but it was needed, so here goes. More to follow, so stay tuned!!!

WALL-E

2008-06-28T15:58:00.002-06:00

Plain and simple... GO SEE THIS MOVIE!!!

Your help is appreciated...

2008-05-09T10:18:00.002-06:00

We have several fund-raising events going on as our daughter prepares to travel with her soccer team, Dallas Sting Black 93, to San Diego, CA for a major college showcase tournament in July! First up is a pancake breakfast to be held on May 24 at Applebees in Dallas. I know this out of the way (or not anywhere close to you!), but here's how you can help: The tickets are $7, of which the team gets $5 IF you show up to eat. However, if you don't make it out to to the breakfast, the team gets to keep the full price of the ticket! Applebees only charges for the tickets it collects, so it's a win/win for everyone!

Also, the team is putting on a golf tournament in June, so if anyone wants to put together a foursome, or if your company (or you!) would like sponsor a hole or some golf carts or something (there's a plethora of opportunities) please let us know. I have attached a flyer with more information.

Finally, the team is having a garage sale/bake sale next Saturday, May 17. If you have any items of some value you would like to donate, please let me know so we can make arrangements to take them off your hands for a good cause! If you're interested in making a trip to a garage sale (!!!), it will be held in the Kroger parking lot located here.

Could NOT pass this one up...

2008-03-12T13:08:00.000-06:00

O.M.G. Witty, yet insightful article on a subject that gets a lot of mileage in our household, although the wife is certainly not a willing participant... lol... I particularly like how the guy from Columbia University towards the end, basically "poo-poos" the whole notion of the article... I love irony! Oh, and puns...
Publish Post
Poo and your health | Salon Life

College Athletic Scholarships... Boom or Bust???

2008-03-10T07:53:00.000-06:00

The NY Times is not a great news source just because it's the newspaper for NYC... it's a great news source because it puts out great stories that are not just local in slant or flavor. We are certainly hopeful that our daughter gets a scholarship to play soccer in college, but we also understand that it's not just about that. Who knows, a couple of years down the road she may decide that acting is her calling... I prefer soccer, but if that's what it comes to, then so be it... :D

Athletic Scholarships: Expectations Lose to Reality - New York Times

Wow, not one...

2008-03-04T10:53:00.001-06:00

Not a single post in February!!!

slacker...

Efforts to rehabilitate Michael Vick's pit bulls

2008-01-27T15:37:00.001-06:00

We have two pit bulls... that we somehow acquired... through no fault of ours... and we love them, they are fun and funny to have around. Although, Zeus can be annoying with his constant need for attention and his licking, I wouldn't want any ill to fall on him for whatever reason. And actually, he would be a terrible fighter so his future would not be good in the hands of people like Vick. On the other hand, Duke is a little too skittish and might make a good fighter out of fear. But otherwise, since that has never been a part of his life, he has a sweet disposition and even temper... he is almost stoic and resolved in his demeanor.

Duke on the left; Zeus on the right...

From fighters to friends, Vick's pit bulls learn new life - CNN.com

Daughter's favorite player man...

2008-01-26T22:02:00.000-06:00

Great story on the popularity of Ghanian and Chelsea superstar Michael Essien. The Times is also running a series on the African Cup of Nations.

Carry on...

The Cult of Michael Essien - Goal - Soccer - New York Times Blog

Happy New Year!!!

2008-01-01T03:43:00.000-06:00

Hope your holidays have been fun and safe...

Have a great new year!

Christmas Eve 2007...

2007-12-24T22:41:00.001-06:00

Just finished a little Christmas cheer with the in-laws... thought I would sit down to post a little holiday greetings and wishes for an awesome new year to all two of my readers!!! (lol, ok maybe three!!!) Anyway... Have a good one and enjoy the day however you choose to celebrate!

Time to resurrect...

2007-12-17T15:37:00.000-06:00

This was a great post from last year. Gifts for men... that we will appreciate! I can vouch that each of these are GREAT gifts!!!

Simple Gifts for Men... that don't suck... (my tag-line)

We just got back...

2007-12-11T09:47:00.000-06:00

Just got back from a mini-vaca with the family... lots of fun as we traveled to south Texas with stops in Goliad, TX to visit my cousin, George, at his world-famous pizzeria, to Corpus Christi where we took in the WWII aircraft carrier Lexington and a Blue Man Group concert. Then we spent a couple of days on South Padre Island, which included watching the amazing Cowboys comeback at Louie's Backyard with a ton of obnoxious Packer's fans who were watching the Pack dismantle the Raidahs... damn snowbirds were everywhere.

We had a great visit with my cousin, my aunt Maria, and my uncle Andres. It was good to see them all as my aunt and uncle are getting up there in age. My aunt may be moving up to Seattle to be with her son and his family, so I am not sure when I will get to see her again...

Moving on to Corpus, it was very coincidental and quite the luck that we just happened to be there on December 7, which of course is the day that the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. My son is a history buff and this was an amazing event for him. We sat through a ceremony honoring the Pearl Harbor survivors as well as as all veterans and current servicemen. It was a very moving experience. I was very proud of my son when, on his own volition, he went out of his way to speak to a Pearl Harbor survivor. He shook his hand and thanked him for his service to our country. It was quite moving for me. Later on when we told my wife and my daughter that he had introduced himself and spoken to a survivor, my daughter asked him why he would do that, to which his reply was "it's not everyday you get to meet a Pearl Harbor survivor"... and there are not very many of them left...

That night, for the second time, we went to see the Blue Man Group which has become one of the family favorite events. The kids love it and we just have a blast. If you get a chance to see them, do yourself a favor and check them out. fun, fun, fun...

Finally, two days of relaxing on the beach on SPI... it was my daughter's first trip to the beach, and she loved it. We all had a great time!

After the game on Sunday, we loaded up and took off for San Antonio, where we spent the night and ate dinner at one of my all-time favs, Mi Tierra... It was also one of my mom's all-time favs, so it holds a lot of sentimental value. It's not as "homey" as it was back in the day, but it's still very good and the panaderia is still awesome! Oh my, we ate waaaay to much this trip!

I will post some pictures later... that's all for now...

Update: Pictures!!!!

Senseless death...

2007-11-30T19:50:00.000-06:00

The death of Sean Taylor was both tragic and senseless. A young man in the prime of his life, looking to make some positive changes in his life and this is the result??? Tragic indeed. Senseless in so many ways, but the question that haunts me and that I have not seen addressed any where else, is this: why did he choose to remain in Miami? Here was a multi-millionaire, star football player making untold millions in salary and endorsements who chose to stay where he knew trouble surrounded him at all times. I mean, come on man... He played in D.C., which certainly has it's share of seedy characters, but the Redskins play in Maryland. Maryland is chock full of nice, safe suburbs. I guess that's true of Miami, but according to this article, he was surrounded by seedy characters from his seedy past. Not sure of the facts of his past, but I do know that he was no boy scout, by any stretch... I just don't get it... Tragic and senseless...

Slain NFL star a 'homebody,' girlfriend says - CNN.com

The New York Times Soccer Blog...

2007-11-23T18:57:00.000-06:00

Is a great source of soccer information. This article deals with the demise(?) of English soccer on the international scene. Merry Ol' England will be back, but the article makes some good points and really takes Fox Soccer Channel to task for not taking a more critical eye to the English game and making adjustments in their coverage. I really like how the writer ties the article to American and Canadian soccer...

Sun Has Set on English Soccer - Goal - Soccer - New York Times Blog

Happy Thanksgiving!

2007-11-22T02:30:00.000-06:00

Hope you all have a nice Thanksgiving, complete with turkey and all the trimmings! Nothing like good food and good company to make it a special day. We will be spending the day with relatives and catching some football... Go Cowboys!

Have fun and enjoy the day and time spent with loved ones!

This is not right...

2007-11-16T08:47:00.000-06:00

Of course I am a UT fan, but come on... The conference tournament winner, i.e. CONFERENCE CHAMPION, is forced to play their first round in their biggest rival's back yard? Not only that but, A&M is higher ranked and damn good team in it's own right. Why are you "punishing" them by having them play a team they just lost to the weekend before? This, along with basketball, are arguably the NCAA's women's marquee sports, but this is no way to run a tournament, if you ask me. Of course, if funding is an issue for having teams play closer to home, then I see that as an excuse. This is UT and A&M, people!!!! They have money running out the proverbial wazoo...

UT, A&M soccer teams meet in NCAAs | Dallas Morning News | News for Dallas, Texas | SportsDay: Colleges: Texas

Evahbody Love...

2007-11-15T14:19:00.000-06:00

Community Quick-Hits...

First of all, a VERY late Happy Birthday to my son, who turned 18! Wow, they grow up fast, but they don't move out fast enough...

Also, congrats to my daughter for scoring a spot on the All-District choir! Back in the day... ok, back in my band geek days, I also scored my first All-Region band spot in the eighth grade. So that's kinda cool... I guess, in a geeky way...

Also, my oldest son is now selling cars here. So if you're in need of a new Acura, and who isn't, then head on out there and look him up...

This just in from the radio drive-time sports talk show, formerly known as "The Hardline" - Greggo is still absent! If you want to know more, click here... oh, and don't email Mike Rhyner, he has said all he is going to say about the issue, according to the presentation yesterday...

And, Go Cowboys! Although, I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop, and it will, there's just a vibe about this team that makes the eventual disappointment of a loss or two, quite bearable. In the NFL, unless your the '72 Dolphins, or this year's Pats (so far...), everyone loses. I just don't think a loss will derail this team like it has in the past. I can remember MANY times in the last few years where I just walked away from my TV in the third quarter... that's how disinterested I had become, but not this year. At one point, I even took time to commen t on my "Less Cowboys" attitude on this blog. Well, it took a few games, but man does it feel good to be back in full-fan mode! w00t... I can't help it, but I love it when the Cowboys are winning and absolutely hate it when they are losing... and to think, it used to be worse when I was younger! I can't wait for a possible Cowboys-Patriots rematch in the Super Bowl.

And laste, but not least... GO HORNS!!!! Looks like 10-2 is not out of the question, provided they play like they can against the haplessly coached Aggies. Franocchio is all but gone... Then it's bowl time and the BCS might come calling; doubtful, but certainly possible. Whatever the case, it's been a nice turn-around for the Horns who have certainly found an identity and character after the losses to OU and K-State, and less than stellar performances in wins over the likes of Ark. State, Central Florida. Coming back from 14 down to the Huskers and 21 down to the Cowboys, is a mark of a TEAM. It's been a fun ride!

Well, this has been fun... until next time,
GL&HF!!!

New GMail?

2007-11-07T15:56:00.000-06:00

I noticed that my "Better GMail" scripts were not running today, so I was checking it out when I spied this:

Sure enough, if you click on that link and switch back to the "Older Version", scripts start working again...

Interesting, to say the least, and I haven't seen this come up anywhere on the web yet either.

As usual, GL&HF

O.M.G. -- You have to see this...

2007-10-28T01:26:00.000-06:00

The most incredible play I have ever seen since the Cal-Stanford play... I think it's better! If you watch closely the kid who scores was tackled hard, got up was walking around away from the play, when it comes bouncing back to his hands... Wow,I was laughing so hard!!!!

At least I have a legitimate excuse... Haha!

2007-10-11T15:59:00.000-06:00

"Is this what burnout looks like?"

My friend Stacy asked me that the other day concerning a completely different matter, but it still fits here. In this day and age of instant gratification and quick-fixes, are we always having to look for the next thing to hold our interest? I haven't made a blog entry for a while, and I just couldn't quite put my finger on the reason, but I just wasn't in the mood, or... I couldn't see the reason to make the effort... I don't know, but I know I have been in a very "blah" mood for some time now. No reason, really... Well, as it concerns soccer, my daughter's team is not doing well AT ALL, she is injured - AGAIN, the Longhorns have lost their last TWO games... at least the Cowboys are doing well! But I've been so DOWN on them for so long, that it's hard to jump on this bandwagon, just yet... once bitten; twice shy. Work has been very blah, since the great file-sharing debacle... that was not pretty and I DO NOT recommend trafficking in illegal downloads while on company time, and for you managers and directors out there, I do not recommend ignoring it or being involved, either. And that's all I have to say about that!

And on that question that leads this article... It was made concerning the previously mentioned soccer team and it's a legitimate question we, as parents, need to ask ourselves. Our daughters are getting older and the competition for their attention is getting greater. We must be on guard to ensure that they stay interested and engaged, otherwise it's a huge waste of their time and our money.

Anyway, this link has some interesting ideas on why posting every day might not be an optimal plan... I'm lucky, anymore, to post 2-3 times a week, so I feel vindicated... That's my story and I'm sticking with it...

As usual, GL&HF!

Why Blog Post Frequency Does Not Matter Anymore | Marketing Profs Daily Fix Blog

More from Hope Solo's MySpace Blog

2007-09-28T13:37:00.001-06:00

I never took her comments as criticism of Brianna Scurry and, actually, Brianna was put in a very difficult situation by her COACH, not Hope. It's very evident if you read the comments and other editorials that Greg Ryan is turning out to be the main reason for the debacle that was this years Women's World Cup.

Myspace.com Blogs:119877178 MySpace Blog

Let's just say it wasn't the best move ever...

2007-09-28T09:31:00.000-06:00

In another show of thinking too much, or fixing what ain't broke, US Women's National Team coach Greg Ryan is generally being lambasted by players and press. Of course, if it had worked out, he would be hailed as a soccer genious. But them's the breaks...

Ryan looking to reconcile with Solo

Brazil Delivers US a Stunning World Cup Exit

BURNS: Solo's outburst justified

And then there's this...

What Greg Ryan Said That Fired Up the Brazilians

And so it ends... except for the 3rd place game! Yay!

2007-09-27T10:23:00.000-06:00

It looks like the move to put Scurry in goal wasn't the only issue. I don't know if Hope Solo would have made a difference anyway, but we will never know now. Good luck in the Consolation game!

Brazil rips U.S. in Women's World Cup | Dallas Morning News | News for Dallas, Texas | SportsDay: Top Stories

Not sure why you would make this change...

2007-09-26T08:47:00.000-06:00

but ESPN is reporting that the US Women's National Team will change goalies for the semi-final match against Brazil. I am sure the coach knows what he is doing, especially since he also announced that the current starter will be back in goal for the finals if the US advances. Sometimes, I think people over-analyze a situation in search of a "fix", when in reality nothing is broken... Let's just hope he is right. This American team is poised to do greatness and I hope they are able to live up to the expectations.

Go USA!

ESPNsoccernet - Women's World Cup - Sources: U.S. to swap goalies for World Cup semis

Much better result, but still some things to work on for U.S.

2007-09-14T08:08:00.000-06:00

The U.S. women's national team found a way to win a tightly contested match with Sweden, in the second round of the Women's World Cup. They are still not playing like a pre-tournament favorite, but should get out of the preliminary round with a win over Nigeria. Hopefully, they will win their group so as not to face Germany in the quarterfinals. Nigeria will be tough, as they showed by earning a draw with Sweden on Tuesday. They were to play North Korea sometime today.

U.S. Overcomes Shaky Start Against Sweden - Goal - Soccer - New York Times Blog

Not a great way to start...

2007-09-11T10:54:00.000-06:00

I haven't watched the match yet, but from all accounts the American women are lucky to have salvaged a tie. I'm fairly sure the team will rebound nicely against the rest of the group, Nigeria and Sweden. North Korea will falter to one of those. Perhaps a wake-up call was needed; nothing in life is guaranteed...

North Korea Wounds Temporarily Shorthanded U.S. Team - Goal - Soccer - New York Times Blog

Old High School Photos...

2007-09-08T16:03:00.000-06:00

I ran across some old high school photos and since I had just won a new HP AIO printer/scanner/copier at our last company team-building event, I thought I would use the opportunity to get them scanned. Then, I thought it would make an interesting post on the blog... probably a bad idea... Oh, by the way, I took most of these.

I liked taking pictures in b&w; using film was great and developing b&w was fairly easy. This is a picture of three beautiful ladies at some home ec. function. The girl on the left, Jamie, is a lawyer, the girl in the middle, Susan, lives in Abilene and is married to a B1 pilot, not sure where the girl on the far right, Christy, is these days, but she was an awesome basketball player.

Both of these girls live near me in the DFW area; actually went to college with Angie, the one on the left. She lives in Grapevine and we see her and her family often. The one on the right, Nancy Jo (is that not a great Texas/country name?) lives in the Mansfield area.

These half-shirts were really the rage back in the day... I even had one... Good lord what was I thinking??? Anyway, Mike is a dentist in Brownfield and lives in Lubbock (what was HE thinking; half-shirt AND Texas Rangers hat???). Stacy lives in Big Spring, TX...

Finally, me... I showed this pig at the Gaines County Livestock Show. He got 2nd place and promptly disappeared up a chute to a waiting truck... you can probably guess what happened to him. The kid in the background in the yellow vest is my cousin, George. He owns his own restaurant in Goliad, TX now. Also, notice that more people are interested in the girl in the background and her pig... here's a more recent picture of her and you can see why more people would be interested in her... btw, recognize the guy on the left? Yes, he's the one in the half-shirt... lol...

I need a new design...

2007-09-04T23:57:00.000-06:00

Kind of tired of this blog theme. It's been good and offers some good use of page space and such, but I need to change it, if for no other reason than to shake things up a bit... If you have any comments or suggestions, please let me know. Any and all suggestions are welcome!

Oh and speaking of change, if you live in the DFW area this might be of interest to you. Over the years, we all find ourselves in a bit of a funk and need to make some changes. I find myself being a little too grumpy lately and less satisfied with my life. Some changes to my life would be good! The wife and I have done a few things over the years, like Pathways, the life strategy program started by Dr. Phil McGraw and it was great. Highly recommended! I am also thinking of this program or, rather, this book by Robert McGee, The Search for Significance. Anyway, the program at our church is entitled "ineed2change"; click on the banner banner below to find out more!

GL&HF!

New iPod on it's way? - UPDATED

2007-09-04T08:18:00.000-06:00

It's about time for the iPod to get a refresh and the rumors are that the sixth gen. iPod will have a stripped down version of Apple's OSX and have the look and feel of the iPhone without the phone part. Should be interesting...

Read more here: The iPod is growing up | Tech News on ZDNet

Update: And here are the new iPods...

In the immortal words of recently departed Phil Rizzuto: Holy cow!

2007-08-22T20:11:00.000-06:00

I am not a big fan of the Rangers. Heck, fan is probably stretching it a bit even... I shouldn't really say that since I know the president of the club; his daughters played soccer with my daughter the last two years. Great guy, awesome wife and really good kids. So I had to post this just because it is huge for such a perpetually underachieving team. Give the Rangers some props! Maybe this will light a fire that will help them get ready for next year. Remember that: There's always next year!

Record rout: Rangers win, 30-3 | Dallas Morning News | News for Dallas, Texas | Latest News

A report on Casual Gaming...

2007-08-20T08:22:00.000-06:00

This is a great article on casual gaming that gives me a chance to introduce (re-introduce????) our casual gaming affiliation over at BigFish Games. We will also be introducing some casual gaming sites in the near future... All I have to do is convince the casual gamer in the family, ie., the wife, to write some interesting articles and reviews on casual games and gaming. Should be interesting and fun...

DailyTech - Report: Casual Gaming is Most Popular Online Entertainment Activity

A little tech/photography news to start your week...

2007-08-20T08:07:00.000-06:00

One of these days, I'll trade in my trusty, if not old, Canon G5 for one of these beauties! The 40D, in particular, looks like a great choice for the prosumer category of enthusiast and this little snippet pretty much seals the deal (ouch):

The EOS 40D will launch in September with a price tag of $1,299 USD or $1,499 USD with the EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM zoom lens. The Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III will hit stores in October with a $7,999 USD price tag.

DailyTech - Canon Launches EOS 40D, EOS-1Ds Mark III D-SLRs

Thought this was funny...

2007-08-13T09:30:00.000-06:00

I don't know if this is a real ad, but it's funny...

Mixed emotions...

2007-08-09T08:07:00.000-06:00

Last weekend was full of mixed emotions... My daughter's team lost on Friday night, pretty much negating the rest of the weekend as we did not advance. Some of the teams that did, certainly deserved it, but are not "better" than my daughter's team. Sometimes it's not enough to be good; you have to be a little lucky.

After the loss, the next great debate was what secondary league to play in with the choices being Plano Premier League and Arlington Premier League. It was apparent from the seedings of the LHGCL qualifier that the Plano league teams got preferential seedings over the Arlington league teams, although it was interesting that two-thirds of the Arlington teams that tried, made LHGCL. Our initial plans were to play in Arlington, but because of this and the fact that all the other teams that failed to qualify are playing in Plano, the decision was made to play there. This should offer us the best competition, outside of LHGCL, and the opportunity to gel and get better. Our goal is still to play in LHGCL; we will just have to put that off for a year... Everything happens for a reason. I have to keep telling myself that! :D

As usual, GL&HF!

Go Sting!

This kid is sick...

2007-08-03T08:52:00.000-06:00

This kid was signed by Manchester United to their academy... he is 9 years old!