Hi There,
Ed, Farrah, MJ, and now the OxyClean guy, Billy Mays; what a week it’s been.
Here’s the latest on Michael Jackson; he’s still dead. Now Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton are circling the family looking for their latest injection of pop culture relevance. What are they going to be doing for the family, and if I were that family, I’d ask, where were you when he needed you? If you’re already sick of hearing about it, get over it, because this is going to carry on for a long time.
What’s going to happen to his kids? That’s what I want to know. Talk about out of touch with reality. Who knows what their life has been like, or will now be like. We’ll see what happens there. They don’t even know if he had a will. There’s one thing for all us parents out there, if you don’t have one, get one, and keep it updated.
I need to do that myself actually.
Any advice or counsel from anyone on that? Rev. Jackson, or Sharpton?
Rest in peace MJ, wherever that may be.
Ciao.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Friday, June 19, 2009
Social? Media
Hi there,
Here are we are mid way through June, can you believe it? Where does the time go?
Haven’t posted in a little while due to a fascinating conference on social media and all the things people are doing with it. Makes me think I’ve certainly got my hands full when it comes time for the girls to get phones next year?
Next year you say, but aren’t they only two? Why yes they are, but more and more, according to some of the research presented at this conference I attended, kids are growing up on line, literally, and I don’t like the thought of my girls not having an emergency contact for mom and dad. Next year may be a little early, but surely by the time they get to school they’ll have their own phone for use outside of class, right? Any thoughts on that from anyone? Anyone? Bueller? Okay, showing the age now.
I don’t get it though, all this talk of Social media. Its useful and intimate in a digital sort of way, but I’m not sure if its for me. My parents were both very public figures in our little town and they taught the value of not answering the phone, or calling anyone, after 7 p.m. on a Sunday night, or being at home and not being bothered. Not that this stuff is bothersome, but I’m not sure that I need to be involved in this newer part of the human experience. I’m curious for all you other parents out there, how many of you are using this technology to keep track of you and yours?
BTW, the new iPhone software update is worth it. Haven’t had any problems yet. Not going to rush out and get a new phone, because I don’t need one. And to those of you who’ve yet to make the switch, get an iPhone and buy a Mac, you’ll be glad you did.
Here are we are mid way through June, can you believe it? Where does the time go?
Haven’t posted in a little while due to a fascinating conference on social media and all the things people are doing with it. Makes me think I’ve certainly got my hands full when it comes time for the girls to get phones next year?
Next year you say, but aren’t they only two? Why yes they are, but more and more, according to some of the research presented at this conference I attended, kids are growing up on line, literally, and I don’t like the thought of my girls not having an emergency contact for mom and dad. Next year may be a little early, but surely by the time they get to school they’ll have their own phone for use outside of class, right? Any thoughts on that from anyone? Anyone? Bueller? Okay, showing the age now.
I don’t get it though, all this talk of Social media. Its useful and intimate in a digital sort of way, but I’m not sure if its for me. My parents were both very public figures in our little town and they taught the value of not answering the phone, or calling anyone, after 7 p.m. on a Sunday night, or being at home and not being bothered. Not that this stuff is bothersome, but I’m not sure that I need to be involved in this newer part of the human experience. I’m curious for all you other parents out there, how many of you are using this technology to keep track of you and yours?
BTW, the new iPhone software update is worth it. Haven’t had any problems yet. Not going to rush out and get a new phone, because I don’t need one. And to those of you who’ve yet to make the switch, get an iPhone and buy a Mac, you’ll be glad you did.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
I can't believe it's June already, but enough about me ...
Hi there.
So, as I was thinking about what to post the other day, it occurred that I have yet to reveal any personal information. That’s probably not going to change. As much as we live in a public world that I wish to take part in, there are just too many idiots out there with strange, scary, dangerous, stupid motives for me to get too revealing. I will however give you some background.
As Bob Dylan once said, "Oh my name it ain’t nothing my age it means less. The country I come from, is called the Midwest.” I grew up in Missouri, in about as Mark Twain a setting as one can get. I played by the river, ran in the woods, lived in a small home with my family, in our small town that was never enough for me. I got a scholarship to college and joined the Navy after a year because I was bored. For me, the first year of college was simply another year of high school in terms of subject matter, and it was not very interesting. In fact, for all you high school Seniors out there about to start, good luck, work hard, and stick with it, but don’t think that its all going to be Animal House and American Pie. But you know that so I’ll move on.
My new job as a Sailor was and still is amazing. The first thing they did after teaching me journalism was send me to live in Sicily for two years. I worked at a Navy base’s local TV and radio station. Awesome. Maybe I’ll get around to posting some pictures of that someday but we’ll see. For all you prospective travelers to Sicily out there I’ll give you my two cents. Palermo is gorgeous if not a bit scary. Take in an Opera, skip the village of Corleone. Head for Taormina on the east coast of the island, and if you have time and want to see some great ruins, they’re everywhere, (it is Italy after all) but I’d recommend at least a day trip to Agrigento. The ancient Greeks ran aground there after being blown off course and so they built some temples that still stand 2,500 years later because, hey, that’s what you do.
So, to keep this brief, I’ve lived in Europe, Asia and California, a world unto itself. I’ve been to several different parts of Africa, and let me tell you, from an American mid-westerner’s perspective, that place can use all the help it can get, but it’s tough to know where to begin. For anyone interested in Africa, I’d recommend either the nation of South Africa, or some of the northern countries bordering the Mediterranean. If you’re not a seasoned traveler, or someone with a good sense of adventure, Sub-Saharan Africa is not for you.
I live back in the States now and am pretty darn happy about it, though I don’t know if I’ll finish it all up here. It’s nice to be back home after so many years abroad, and I wouldn’t have started my family any place else, but America is really having to re-make some friends globally. I’m not much of a politico but know all ye this; I have an awful tendency to get long winded when answering questions so, if you ask me a question, I’ll give you an honest answer. As you may know if you’ve read more than this post, I’m married, and proud father of twin daughters, who are doing great by the way.
Now, for those of you who may piece together these snippets and figure out the man behind the curtain, good on’ya but I would ask that you keep the mystery just that. For those of you whom I’ve alerted to this cause, please take this as just another anonymous citizen engaging in a public dialogue with absolutely no point whatsoever.
Ciao
So, as I was thinking about what to post the other day, it occurred that I have yet to reveal any personal information. That’s probably not going to change. As much as we live in a public world that I wish to take part in, there are just too many idiots out there with strange, scary, dangerous, stupid motives for me to get too revealing. I will however give you some background.
As Bob Dylan once said, "Oh my name it ain’t nothing my age it means less. The country I come from, is called the Midwest.” I grew up in Missouri, in about as Mark Twain a setting as one can get. I played by the river, ran in the woods, lived in a small home with my family, in our small town that was never enough for me. I got a scholarship to college and joined the Navy after a year because I was bored. For me, the first year of college was simply another year of high school in terms of subject matter, and it was not very interesting. In fact, for all you high school Seniors out there about to start, good luck, work hard, and stick with it, but don’t think that its all going to be Animal House and American Pie. But you know that so I’ll move on.
My new job as a Sailor was and still is amazing. The first thing they did after teaching me journalism was send me to live in Sicily for two years. I worked at a Navy base’s local TV and radio station. Awesome. Maybe I’ll get around to posting some pictures of that someday but we’ll see. For all you prospective travelers to Sicily out there I’ll give you my two cents. Palermo is gorgeous if not a bit scary. Take in an Opera, skip the village of Corleone. Head for Taormina on the east coast of the island, and if you have time and want to see some great ruins, they’re everywhere, (it is Italy after all) but I’d recommend at least a day trip to Agrigento. The ancient Greeks ran aground there after being blown off course and so they built some temples that still stand 2,500 years later because, hey, that’s what you do.
So, to keep this brief, I’ve lived in Europe, Asia and California, a world unto itself. I’ve been to several different parts of Africa, and let me tell you, from an American mid-westerner’s perspective, that place can use all the help it can get, but it’s tough to know where to begin. For anyone interested in Africa, I’d recommend either the nation of South Africa, or some of the northern countries bordering the Mediterranean. If you’re not a seasoned traveler, or someone with a good sense of adventure, Sub-Saharan Africa is not for you.
I live back in the States now and am pretty darn happy about it, though I don’t know if I’ll finish it all up here. It’s nice to be back home after so many years abroad, and I wouldn’t have started my family any place else, but America is really having to re-make some friends globally. I’m not much of a politico but know all ye this; I have an awful tendency to get long winded when answering questions so, if you ask me a question, I’ll give you an honest answer. As you may know if you’ve read more than this post, I’m married, and proud father of twin daughters, who are doing great by the way.
Now, for those of you who may piece together these snippets and figure out the man behind the curtain, good on’ya but I would ask that you keep the mystery just that. For those of you whom I’ve alerted to this cause, please take this as just another anonymous citizen engaging in a public dialogue with absolutely no point whatsoever.
Ciao
Friday, May 29, 2009
Open for Business
Hi there.
As I was setting this whole thing up the other day I never addressed why I titled this The Corner Pub. It’s very simple, I like pubs.
Now, a few years back when the whole email/internet/web started, I subscribed to a great email service called “My Own Email” that was fun to use. One of their features was to let subscribers make up their own email addresses, hence, My Own Email.
One day, I went to check my email and it wasn’t there. This was terrible, as many of my personal friends data was lost. I had the best address, @cornerpub.com. It was catchy, easy to remember, and the Corner Pub was always open.
Fast forward a few years to present day and here we are. I am now working on the blogging thing and wish to re-establish the Corner Pub brand for anyone who’s interested. Plus, pubs are a wonderful thing. A good pub is just that; it’s not a bar to hang out in. A good pub is a family place, where you can take your kids on Sunday afternoon to watch the game for a while and have a pint or two. A pub is where you take your kid for their first drink, or meet a friend to discuss a problem, or unwind from your day with several of your fellow working class heroes.
So, I hereby declare the The Corner Pub officially open, such as it is, and will not close until further notice. All are welcome, welcome are all. Speak freely and let the good times roll.
As for the oracle thing, well, I was trying to be witty and cute and funny, none of which I’m very good at and I had this whole, “Consult the Oracle,” idea thing in mind and now I can’t figure out how to change it. Oh well, the pub is open, and shall remain so. Come in sit down, and stay awhile.
And if anyone knows how I can restore any of the information from My Own Email, please let me know.
Ciao
As I was setting this whole thing up the other day I never addressed why I titled this The Corner Pub. It’s very simple, I like pubs.
Now, a few years back when the whole email/internet/web started, I subscribed to a great email service called “My Own Email” that was fun to use. One of their features was to let subscribers make up their own email addresses, hence, My Own Email.
One day, I went to check my email and it wasn’t there. This was terrible, as many of my personal friends data was lost. I had the best address, @cornerpub.com. It was catchy, easy to remember, and the Corner Pub was always open.
Fast forward a few years to present day and here we are. I am now working on the blogging thing and wish to re-establish the Corner Pub brand for anyone who’s interested. Plus, pubs are a wonderful thing. A good pub is just that; it’s not a bar to hang out in. A good pub is a family place, where you can take your kids on Sunday afternoon to watch the game for a while and have a pint or two. A pub is where you take your kid for their first drink, or meet a friend to discuss a problem, or unwind from your day with several of your fellow working class heroes.
So, I hereby declare the The Corner Pub officially open, such as it is, and will not close until further notice. All are welcome, welcome are all. Speak freely and let the good times roll.
As for the oracle thing, well, I was trying to be witty and cute and funny, none of which I’m very good at and I had this whole, “Consult the Oracle,” idea thing in mind and now I can’t figure out how to change it. Oh well, the pub is open, and shall remain so. Come in sit down, and stay awhile.
And if anyone knows how I can restore any of the information from My Own Email, please let me know.
Ciao
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Parenting Twins and other musings
Hi there.
This is my blog and it’s not about any one thing at the moment. Eventually it may be, but for right now it’s about nothing so keep reading.
It’s taken me a while to get into this, and I write for a living, but have yet to fully embrace the web. Part of that is because I’m over 30 and didn’t have it built into my DNA, but another part is because I have twin girls. They just turned two, so if you wonder what my wife and I have been doing for the past couple of years, well, that’s it. A whole lot of raising babies and not much else.
Let me tell you, twins are a blessing and a curse. Of course, the same thing could be said about parenthood. You grow up, go to college, fall in love, get married and have children, in no particular order, but when parenting, or trying to parent, an understanding is present about your own childhood. “Now we know what our parents went through” we say to each other.
But they never had twins.
For all you new parents out there, trying to balance work and home and play and sex and finances and surviving and the economic crisis or the war (yes, we are still at war) who have one child, double that kid thing and that’s what twins are like. We don’t get to take turns dealing with “the” baby, we play man on man. Zone defense is not an option. And for you fathers out there who are not engaged, you don’t know what you’re missing. I’m not going to take a stand about whether they need to be around or not, because the fact is, some of them don’t.
Sending money every month might make you a father, but it doesn’t make you a daddy.
Same goes for you moms. A lot of you go through a tougher adjustment than your man did, and all I can say is hang in there.
Just remember, we have multiples, and no you don’t get credit for understanding by watching Jon and Kate plus eight. We don’t have a reality show footing the bill or providing a staff. We didn’t plan this and we didn’t know how hard it was going to be. We don’t even remember the first year and have only snippets of the second, but now it’s really, really fun. That’s the other thing about multiples, for all those little joys, and all those triumphant moments from the first word to the first step to the first time you see them light up when they see you, we get that in a double dose.
So, obviously this little publication is going to be including some stuff about parenting, and yes, I have some opinions. But that doesn’t mean it’s going to be a “parenting” blog. I, like many parents, have only the expertise of watching my own children grow and develop, and that’s pretty much where it ends.
As far as other topics go, well, interests vary. I’m into a lot of things, and don’t want to run the risk of sounding like a personal ad by listing them here. Needless to say, I welcome feedback and will be encouraged if I receive any on any topic.
Ciao.
This is my blog and it’s not about any one thing at the moment. Eventually it may be, but for right now it’s about nothing so keep reading.
It’s taken me a while to get into this, and I write for a living, but have yet to fully embrace the web. Part of that is because I’m over 30 and didn’t have it built into my DNA, but another part is because I have twin girls. They just turned two, so if you wonder what my wife and I have been doing for the past couple of years, well, that’s it. A whole lot of raising babies and not much else.
Let me tell you, twins are a blessing and a curse. Of course, the same thing could be said about parenthood. You grow up, go to college, fall in love, get married and have children, in no particular order, but when parenting, or trying to parent, an understanding is present about your own childhood. “Now we know what our parents went through” we say to each other.
But they never had twins.
For all you new parents out there, trying to balance work and home and play and sex and finances and surviving and the economic crisis or the war (yes, we are still at war) who have one child, double that kid thing and that’s what twins are like. We don’t get to take turns dealing with “the” baby, we play man on man. Zone defense is not an option. And for you fathers out there who are not engaged, you don’t know what you’re missing. I’m not going to take a stand about whether they need to be around or not, because the fact is, some of them don’t.
Sending money every month might make you a father, but it doesn’t make you a daddy.
Same goes for you moms. A lot of you go through a tougher adjustment than your man did, and all I can say is hang in there.
Just remember, we have multiples, and no you don’t get credit for understanding by watching Jon and Kate plus eight. We don’t have a reality show footing the bill or providing a staff. We didn’t plan this and we didn’t know how hard it was going to be. We don’t even remember the first year and have only snippets of the second, but now it’s really, really fun. That’s the other thing about multiples, for all those little joys, and all those triumphant moments from the first word to the first step to the first time you see them light up when they see you, we get that in a double dose.
So, obviously this little publication is going to be including some stuff about parenting, and yes, I have some opinions. But that doesn’t mean it’s going to be a “parenting” blog. I, like many parents, have only the expertise of watching my own children grow and develop, and that’s pretty much where it ends.
As far as other topics go, well, interests vary. I’m into a lot of things, and don’t want to run the risk of sounding like a personal ad by listing them here. Needless to say, I welcome feedback and will be encouraged if I receive any on any topic.
Ciao.
Friday, May 15, 2009
Intro
I'm new, and therefore subject to mistakes and various other forms of embarrassment until I manage to get my legs under me. That being understood, I hope to perhaps inform, enlighten, be informed and enlightened, share some humor and maybe pass on a few things that I've learned in this particular trip around the lamp post. I'm interested to hear what anyone has to say about the things I'll post up here, so let me have it.
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