Awesome stuff

Every so often I get this question.
'How come you're in a good mood all the time?'
Often times the follow up question is: 'Are you on drugs?'
The answer to the second question is no. No need to lie, I've tried pot back in the 80's, but I've got better things to do. Relax folks, I have some sort of mental hangup and could never put anything up my nose. Nasal spray is tough enough and I've only been partially successful in doing that.
Whenever I'm feeling down in the dumps, I go over to this site. (No lolcats, I promise.)
Astronomy Picture of the day is simply a picture from an amateur astronomer or from one of our many probes exploring our solar system.
There are no ads. A short explanation accompanies the photo explaining what is going on. Perusing through the archives is one of the more pleasant ways to spend time.
Wanna know a secret? This is where I get my desktops from. Simply surfing through the pictures gets me inspired. How can a person be sad when there are amazing things going on in our world? 

Does this remind you of a Spirograph?

 
 Pretty, right? This was on a few days ago. Now look closely... see those bright circles in the center? There are words under them. Go ahead, take a closer look. Better yet, find the picture from the archives. These are the near earth asteroids that are currently being tracked. Your universe just got a little smaller, didn't it?

Two things occurred to me right after I saw this for the first time.
One: This is a two dimensional image of what is obviously supposed to be a three dimensional model. Still, it drives the point home. We live in a cosmic pin ball machine. A 3D image would probably make us cry for our loved ones. It would certainly scare the crap out of me.
Two: the scale is a bit off. They had to back that way up in order to get the information across that there are a lot of things out there.
 And they are finding new stuff all the time. For the record: I wrote some scenes and blocked out a story about one of these puppies paying us a visit. Don't worry, it's not the planet killer, extinction level event Hollywood movies are made of, it doesn't have to be. If the stuff in my writing were to actually happen, I'd want it to be over quickly.
Let me leave you with another favorite.

My new desktop photo

 Doesn't seeing these gorgeous pictures make you want to visit? The explorer in me would love to see the Aurora in Iceland and the monument marking the Tropic of Cancer in Taiwan. This is your world. We humans need to open our eyes and see the beauty of the place we call home. Not just our patch of dirt, but the whole cosmos stretching out before us.

Public relations

There's so much that I need to learn about marketing and publicity I didn't know where to start.
Two days ago it was suggested I put together a press kit for the upcoming convention.
One of my life rules: Never look surprised. Two professions come to mind where the poker face is an invaluable tool. Nursing and Bartending. People in those professions have seen it all.
The reason I bring that up is because the moment someone said those two words to me, my face mask had to come down. In the past, I'd heard those words used before. In my mind I'm thinking, 'what's a press kit?' My Google-fu did not fail me. After finding out what a press kit was and how it pertained to me, I had to decide how I was going to implement it. That was what happened today. Funny thing is, the press kit is already here. Lying around in the files of my computer. I'm going to use the recommendations and comments from the Amazon sales as well as the letters that have been written to me. Perhaps that is a legal fuzzy area, but these comments are in the public domain and the fan mail was written to me. Put another way: it's all good stuff. Looking back over it, there isn't a negative comment among them. I am truly fortunate to have such wonderful support from my friends and family.

On a completely unrelated note: my wife and daughters had a mini movie marathon today. For the most part, I stayed at the table, typing away like a madman. Full disclosure: my glasses were off, so distractions were cut to a minimum. I know they watched Captain America, Thor, Iron Man and Avengers. There were moments where I did catch my girls fawning over Chris Hemsworth, the guy who plays Thor. My wife summed it up nicely; 'I love you, but he's hot.' That's okay, I'm not offended or intimidated in the least. Actually it's sorta cool they like to do that. About a week or two ago, I became aware of a video by a group who call themselves the Doubleclicks. Sorry, I don't know what they sound like or what genre you'd put them in. What impressed me was their message. More amazing was the celebrity appearances in the video. Girls are Geeks too and I wholeheartedly agree with that sentiment. With that in mind, check this out.

Milestones

While at work today, I asked a question to my associates: 'My wife's 50th birthday is coming up. What should I get her?'
One of the snarkier comments came from none other than my boss. 'Trade her in for a newer model.'

WTF is up with that? 
Of all the things that come to mind, that would truly be my last thought. This is a perfect example of the type of people I work with. Back when I had my first review, one of my supervisors wrote, 'Bill is a credit to his people.' Yeah, that's a direct quote.The way I saw it, there were two choices: Raise the biggest stink I could (and shorten the length of my employment.) or shut up and go along to get along. There wasn't any upside to this. I knew I'd have to turn a deaf ear (ha ha) to the snide remarks. Not only would I have to work harder to prove I was just as good, I'd have to grow a thick skin as well.
Turning fifty is a milestone, an accomplishment to be celebrated. My wife and I have been married 22 years. We've raised three beautiful daughters who are smarter in some areas than I'll ever be.
Yes, the half century mark is a time of reflection. It isn't a time to go over your regrets, but your accomplishments. There are people I knew 25 years ago at Disney World. Through the magic of Facebook, I can see that some of them are still there. That is, and at the same time, isn't a good thing. Some of them may be happy in what they're doing. A couple of them may not want to be anything more than what they already are. There is a word for this: Stagnate. To remain in place, not grow.
Even though I didn't have a clear picture of what I wanted my life to be back then, I knew one fact: There was more to life than slinging burgers and driving a monorail. The ones who I remained in contact with are the ones who grew over the years.
One of my closest friends started working at his father's law office. He went on to become a police officer for the Albuquerque Police force. Today he is an FBI agent out in California. We still keep in touch through Christmas cards and the like. I'm proud to be his friend. He taught me so much by his actions and words and for that I will be forever grateful to him.
How's that saying go? Life is what happens when we're making other plans?
We can turn our noses at the people who work the minimum wage jobs. Hell, I'm one of them. But what separates the adults from the kids is the ability to step outside our comfort zone. We don't have to accept living paycheck to paycheck. What I mean is, yes; that's what a lot of us are doing, but while we're doing that, can we be doing something else? Something more than hand-to-mouth?
A perfect example is my wife taking online college courses at night while doing her day job. Hell, I write on my lunch break. It may be one paragraph, but that's one paragraph more than a lot of people.
She will be 50 in a few days. She is also a few hours away from completing her masters degree. There are times... highlights really, where I am so extra-proud of her. I'm proud of her all the time, but there are times that are uniquely special, like when she gave birth to our daughters. When she went back to school. When she stepped outside of her comfort zone desiring to be more than what she already was. My wife is not the same person she was 22 years ago. She has grown... evolved... and yes, matured, and I love her for that.
She is more.
More personality.
More radiance.
More being.
When I look at her, I don't see what others see. She may notice wrinkles and grey hair, I see beauty and grace.
Beauty is truly in the eye of the beholder.

Paying it forward and voting with your wallet

Some of my posts about deaf friendly businesses have been less than stellar. This time around I want to talk about a pizza place that really impressed me.
Maars pizza, (no, I did not stutter.) located at 14218 Nacodoches serves pizza as well as Italian dishes. They have a wide range of drinks, beers and wines to go with your meal.
Next time I visit, I'm going to have the brisket sub and wash it down with a Goose IPA. Every time I've gone, the place was rocking!
There were a few big screen TV's. The Spurs were in the playoffs at the time we visited. Things were so loud, my hearing family used ASL to communicate with me. Here's where it got cooler. The restaurant is spacious. We were able to sign to others across the room. I loved having a wide open area like this.
Rene, the owner, came out and talked to us. He really cared about how we like his place. When he found out I was trying to see the game, he flipped on the captions without me having to ask. Rene impressed me so much, I signed up for the newsletter then and there.
This little family restaurant deserves your support. They have excellent food, great atmosphere and they are active in the community. Here is what they have going on in August. 
Want another reason to go? Monday nights they have poker night with cash prizes. What a way to beat the heat. Cold beer, hot poker and some good food. You can't beat that.
Show them your military ID and get 10% off your meal. They hold car washes to raise money for their MMFH team. They are participating in the walk to end Alzheimers. All of these are causes worthy of your support.
In one of the conversations with Rene I asked him if anyone approached him about holding a deaf related event at MAARS pizza. He said he would not be opposed to it, but no one has approached him. So if the head of a deaf organization is reading this post and wanted to hold a deaf-related event, say a pizza party or a car wash, perhaps you should contact Rene.
Better yet, bring your family in and see for yourself all the good things that are going on here.
Having trouble with Mapquest, this blog, and or my operating system. I wanted to include a map to MAARS pizza and more. They have a map on the MAARS web page. You should have no trouble finding your way there. Heck it's a huge orange building for crying out loud. Go there. Deafman says check it out.
 

What I'm grateful for

It was pointed out yesterday by minion #2 that I was spending too much time typing away at the keyboard. (much like I am now... oh, the irony.)
Her main concern was that we, as a family, might be in the same room and yet be miles apart at the same time. What can I say? She's right. So we're going to fix that.
Meals will be eaten together and a little earlier. We're planning a family game night tonight.
That's also why I'm working on this post a little beforehand.
Getting together with friends on a Friday night was what passed for family game night before. We'd play cards or a board game or do some role playing game.
Tonight we're supposed to play Battle Force. I don't know what it is, I've never played it before. The only thing I do know is it has to do with Battletech, the table top strategy game I play and still like to keep a hand in.

What I'm grateful for is my daughter felt comfortable enough to come to my wife and I and voice her concerns. Let me say that again: A teenager who wants to talk to her parents. Wow! Shocked and honored at the same time.
The other day when I picked up my oldest daughter from the airport, the first words out of her mouth were; 'I love you.'
Sometimes I really don't know how good I've got it. My kids confide their secrets to me.(Most of them, I'll take what I can get.) We have an excellent rapport.
We have the support of family and friends when we need them. I feel truly blessed.
My wife sent me a message about an hour ago. Her bosses neighbor gave us some squash to go along with whatever we're having for dinner. When did I start getting excited about things like that? It could be my faith in humanity gets restored by 'just' that much. It feels good when that happens.
We're experiencing a record heat wave here in Texas. Yesterday was the hottest day on record since the 1960's. But inside the house, we're cool and comfortable. Yes, our air conditioner got fixed and I want to publicly thank my father for helping us get that taken care of. You're the greatest, Dad.
So yes, I have a lot to be thankful for.

You get what you need

Two out of three daughters are back home. The 12th Doctor Who will be announced shortly. It's 99 degrees outside and 87 in the house. Fans are going and I'm thinking cool thoughts. To replace the headlight/turn signal on my truck is 150.00
Nobody will admit to causing the damage. That alone pisses me off more than the actual damage itself.
A check came in the mail for 5.15 from Verizon. Yeah, that should totally even the karma thing out.
The world doesn't owe me anything, but I've been getting more than my fair share of crappy deals. I need some good news. I need a break.
Perhaps I'm asking for too much, but I don't think so. I'm asking for something positive and enabling to come into my life. 

At first, I was going to delete the above paragraph. I had to take the time to decide if it was me complaining about life or plain whining for the sake of whining. Perhaps a little of both.
With her last paycheck from the summer job she took, my daughter wanted to take us out to dinner. While that was all well and good, the underlying reason was to get out of the sauna that the house had become. Yes, the air conditioning officially crapped out again. My family will be running around doing our things today. Jobs, Flag corps... No one will be home to suffer in the sweltering heat of day. I'll leave the dog outside with his kiddie pool of water. Between that and the shady trees he should be okay.

Authors often show only the positive side of things. We see the latest releases, the new graphic novels completed... the good stuff. Rarely is it mentioned how much of this is done on a shoestring and a prayer. Maybe we're all optimists at heart and believe that eventually things will turn out alright.
Bill collectors will always be there. Murphy's law is pretty much a universal constant. For my part, I will keep chipping away at this mountain of karmic debt. 
Wil Wheaton has an expression: Don't be a dick.
When person or entity is being a dick to me and mine, I tell them. Perhaps not using those blunt words, but I let them know they're hurting others as well as myself.
We should call this the Hippocratic oath to fellow humans. Do no harm to others.
So I owe you money? Fine, but I need to feed my family. 
Speaking of feeding the family, we couldn't agree on a place to grab a bite to eat... not at first anyway.
Eventually we found ourselves at the Tilted Kilt. I want to say it's an Americanized (read: watered down.) version of a pub. The food was okay, I've had better. Two things I couldn't decide they had more of: big screen TVs or beers on tap. From where I sat I could see about 20 screens of various sports and games. On the other side of the bar were so many taps I couldn't count them all, let alone identify half of them. Having been in actual pubs in the UK, I can honestly state this was a nice try. Yes, it fell short of what I feel an authentic pub should be, but they weren't mean spirited about it. They did try and capture the spirit of what a pub stood for. Socializing, drinking, eating, surrounded by a bit of nostalgia and history. Like I said: nice try.

Tired of fear

According to my sources on the internets, Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity may soon be out of a job. No matter what side of the political spectrum you may fall on, a lot of people I talk to are not sorry to be seeing them leave. Be it liberal, conservative, socialist or libertarian, the consensus is: these loudmouths with microphones have got to go. 
Let's be honest here: People like them make money by stirring up hornets' nests. For a long time I've felt that the common logic over at Fox is: if the ratings are dropping, stoke the fire with FUD. Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt.
If you listen to Fox (I can't quite bring myself to consider them serious news journalists.) the whole of their program is designed to promote fear of X. Fear President Obama. Fear Healthcare reform. Fear liberals. Fear homosexuals. Fear immigrants.

Enough with being afraid for crying out loud. We, as Americans, are not afraid of the unknown. Some country gets a chip on it's shoulder and starts something, we don't back down.
Peace is always preferable to war. We're not afraid to fight. Truth is, we're very good at making war.
Never in my entire life have I been afraid of my neighbours. Some were kind. Others were assholes. None of them were evil take-over-the-world plotters. The closest I've ever gotten to that is that one guy who was trying to sell Amway.
When I'm old and grey, I still won't be afraid of my neighbours. On the other hand, I hope they won't be afraid of me. The boys in our subdivision are frightened of me, but that's because I'm an overprotective father of three girls.
Limbaugh, Hannity, O'Reilly, Coulter and their like have one thing in common: they are intolerant of anyone different then themselves. They hate homosexuals (but I haven't heard a legitimate reason why.) They hate the President. (It must kill them that a black man is the commander-in-chief.)
They hate and fear women. I always wondered if some frat guy from Coulter's alma mater took one for the team, would she be the bitter harpy she is today?
Unlike the people at Fox, I listened to their shows. After listening to an entire hour of Limbaugh, I considered his words and came to one conclusion: He's talking out his ass. Not too long ago, he was complaining about how everything started to go wrong when women got equal rights. He went on to state women should have never gotten the right to vote.
What a crock of shit.
He wants women barefoot, pregnant and in the kitchen. In good conscience I can't fathom why he would have female listeners.
As for the other pundits on Fox, I won't waste space on them. As parrots for their conservative overlords, They're not paid to think.
Thanks to the tea party, I think the Republicans have alienated just about everybody. Oh wait, they haven't pissed off the old white men segment of the population. If we wait, and it won't be too long, the problem will solve itself.
Brontosaurus and Neanderthals... I mean Rush and his cronies, need to learn one lesson: adapt or die.
An intelligent person will change his mind after considering the facts.
Fact: People come in all shapes and sizes and that's wonderful.
Fact: There are over 7 billion people on this planet. Be a bitter racist all you want, but you'll be lonely and outnumbered.
Think of other people instead of just yourself. I'll lay any amount of money down that none of the Fox 'news' staff has ever volunteered at a homeless shelter or soup kitchen.