ratman.com

the good:
two of my kids hooked up with me on twitter. devin and ian. interesting tweets.

my better half has started her observations for school. won’t be long now before kids will be bringing her apples.

there was a reunion of the hudson flight survivors. what a great story.

last weeks house episode was one of the best ever. how i love that show.

looking forward to the start of 24 this weekend.

can’t wait for true blood to restart.

my kids made it through finals. not stellar grades, but they tried hard and did their best. i expect that since they made it through the first hurdle, that it will be easier next time. congrats jon. congrats devin.

the bad:
palin gets a fox network show. holy cow. it must have been god’s will. or. god really does have a sense of humor.

haiti gets wiped out by a natural event. i feel terrible for the people of haiti. i can’t imagine that happening here.

more and more ice is melting at the poles. sure. it’s a natural occurrence. my ass.

the state of illinois needs to get it’s act together. i have no idea who i will vote for because they all seem a little self involved and dirty as well. why do things have to be this way.

j. p. morgan chase made a ton o money and will be paying huge bonuses to some of it’s employees. why are we letting this happen? who’s money are they using for this?

a snowplow trashed our mailbox last week. bummer.

the ugly:
pat robertson, the bitter old religious man, made statements this week that even god can’t believe in. so why did he make them? maybe he’s just old and tired. may be he’s just an idiot.

sports players are said to have guns in the locker room. why?

mark really did use steroids. what a revelation!

nbc has lost it’s mind with the leno conan thing. they will simply loose more viewers to the far superior letterman show.

shameless plug:
windows home server. don’t just take it from me. search the web. find any number of reviews and what it can do for you articles to see why everyone should have a server at home. i absolutely recommend this for everyone. what are you waiting for? go get one!

well. not really. have to finish 2009 for techjoe. doesn’t that sound like fun?

trying a new project this year. it’s the whole 365 pictures which = 1 picture a day. i took 13 yesterday to get one that i liked. guess i’ll put it up sometime today, along with a new one.

sat around the coffee table this morning gabbing with the wife over a cup of java. best part of the day. no fighting kids. the dogs are lounging. we can talk like adults!

don’t really want to go outside today. it’s 0 here in beautiful aurora. 0. that’s cold. snickers hobbled back in from his run this morning. didn’t see a problem with his pad. guess he was just cold.

let me say it again. i love my droid phone. it just works. and with the google voice hook up. it makes calls cheap and that has lowered my phone bill. love that. plus the network support for whilst being in the house? what could be better! who cares that there are 100000 apps for the iphone. most are bubble apps anyway. better to have quality than quantity.

my newest feature here will be the saturday shameless plug. i search a lot for software. i am kind of a junkie. this years new years resolution is to find free, or really cheap software that makes my life easier. to that end, here is my plug for the saturday shameless plug:

flock browser.

i am a news junkie. i also have a fb and twitter account. flock makes the use of social networks and news feeds, well, easy. there is a sidebar that controls all the action. you can post between all the social networks almost effortlessly. it’s based on the firefox browser and does a wonderful job. i highly recommend giving it a try.

to all… i hope that you had a terrific holiday season! that it was safe and that it was warm.

i think that first, i would like to say kudos to my far better half. she has worked hard at her schooling to become a teacher. i have no worries what kind of teacher she will be. she is a caring and understanding individual. and that is just a part of what will make her a great teacher. her grades throughout the year have been high, with a 3.9 4.0 average. she still also manages to keep things going on the kid front at home.

frankly. she remains my best friend!

jonathan continues to amaze. he’s got good grades and is continuing to grow into a young adult. it is so interesting to watch. his hand eye coordination has improved, thanks to any number of shoot um up games that he plays constantly. he takes drivers education classes this summer. going to be a long year. i can feel it.

devin is moving along in his normal direction. being an adhd kid has it’s drawbacks, but even though his studies have suffered a bit this year, when he’s on, he is really on. i presume that he has what i have. too many things going on and never enough time to complete any of them. he enjoys some of his subjects more than others, as was my way in school as well. in his 5th grade year, he had a teacher that believed kids wouldn’t have any homework to take home, and worked very hard at making that happen. however. i really believe that it has hurt him more than helped him. ultimately he will be fine. he knows it. and so do we.

during the year, i was also able to hear from my oldest son ian. he seems to be doing fine. there were some bitter moments in our initial conversations, but we seemed to get through them. i miss him. there are times, when i find his early pictures, that i can think back to the fun times we had when he was younger. i soured those times by trying to get him to follow a more traditional path. i know what it is like to not follow that path, and i didn’t want his life, nor jon or devins, to be like it has been for me. but. he is his own man, and for that, i am thankful. here’s to you, ian. i hope things are going well.

my dad is doing terrific! he turned 79 this past october. i always feel bad for him in the winter because owning a miata makes winter drives more like skating with sheet metal. but he’s doing fine and is a pleasure to have around. when ever i think about it, i realize that he has seen everything. from the beginnings of sound and video, to blue ray disks, the internet and our first african american president. he is, without a doubt, a wealth of information. and i cherish every moment we have.

barb and john were able to visit us a couple times this year. they are influenced by the ‘grandchildren’ effect. that’s when the grandchildren use the powers of their minds and cause you, as a parent or grandparent, to have a need to see you in person, instead of on a skype call. it’s always a good time. and we are guaranteed to eat browns chicken (though. as of this writing, browns had filed for bankruptcy protection. bummer.)

the year itself was full of surprises. we elected a new president that is working hard to help get the country back on it’s feet. the whole experience has taught me that as much as you can wish for change, one man can not do it alone. it takes far far more. i hope that some more of our fellow countrymen and women learn that lesson. i am still a strong supporter of our president, but i admit to being a little bit sour of some of his attempts at change. i believe that his voice should have been much stronger during the health care debate. though i understand the idea of allowing the congress create the bill, it is his leadership that should have helped keep the fox and friends gang from becoming a detrimental voice in its creation. if i have a wish, for 2010, it is that any nmuber of fox folks become unable to speak. its not that i don’t believe in the ability to speak freely. it is that fact that when you speak, the truth should be what is spoken, not the twisting of words to fulfill your own agenda. glen, rush, michele and the like do that almost constantly. and their stirring of the pot can only do harm instead of good. that is just a pity.

it’s like the bears. at the beginning of the season, with the addition of a new and previously successful quarterback, it seemed that the bears would be almost unstoppable. yet. it proves the point that it takes more than a single change to reach the outcome that you want. i think that the addition of cutler to the bears showed the other, previously hidden holes, that weren’t visible prior to the addition. that we need receivers. that our offensive line is old yet also young and less experienced. yet. i don’t blame the coach. i think he did, and does, a fine job.

work was ok. i have lots of respect for most of the people that i work with, and for. reiling is there from back in the comark days which make the sap part of my job bearable. and i also work with a very bright group of ‘techies’ which makes the day go by well.

past that, the year went by pretty much like i expected with all the things that have happened. the economy sucks. the value of our house isn’t what it was. nor are any of the other houses that we have lived in, with the exception of the house in elgin. but. i believe that will change over the next year or two, yet i hope that the changes are gradual and are not the same as they were before.

but. i am thankful that my family is healthy. my job is secure for the moment. my friends are all in pretty good shape. and coffee hasn’t been outlawed!

i hope that this is a great year. i believe that it will be.

i hope that all is good for you as well. that your world is full of happiness and that all goes well for you.

thanks for reading. enjoy your day!

not that my kids are lazy…

this morning, a couple neighborhood kids came by and asked if they could rake the leaves in the yard for $5. for just a moment, i thought yes, but then realized that my kids were listening behind me as they were holding the dogs back. then i said no, as i have a couple kids that can do it, but thanked them for stopping by.

closing the door, i suggested to my kids that it was pretty cool that a couple neighborhood kids were out and about asking to rake leaves and that they were trying to make some money. i suggested that they might want to do the same thing.

my oldest one said ‘yeah, she’s a junior at east’, and started to head up the stairs. my youngest just looked at me in disbelief. then they headed up the stairs and went back to chatting with the girlfriend, and watching you-tube videos.

wasn’t that enough of a hint? guess not. well, the allowance drops down because of it. maybe then they will understand that there is more to the day than their own needs.

what a week.

my wife and i hit our 16th year of marriage. we celebrated by taking in a show and then returning home for a meal that i cooked for the family. it’s a family affair, these anniversaries. there is nothing wrong with that. they all have been a part of the past years, so having the family celebrate is a good thing. i love my better half. she makes the ride most bearable!

my son jon spent most of the week enjoying his first homecoming week. bonfires, school color classes, a visit to the school from dan hampton with the week capped by the home coming dance.

for his birthday i got him a suit for the dance. i know. crappy present. but he liked it! here he is in all his glory…

homecoming 2009 oswego east high school

he went stag to the dance, not unlike his dad all those years ago. at around 10p, i received a text asking if i could drive his date home after the dance. date? he didn’t have one.

turns out that his dates, date, had some change of heart during the dance, and the next thing you know, he’s got a date. nice girl. hanna is her name. apparently they are boyfriend/girlfriend. we’ll see how long that lasts. he had a good time and looked good to.

then, on sunday, jon spent his 15th birthday just hanging out. he graciously helped me around the house, and we enjoyed a cake at the end of the night. i’m starting to feel really old.

my wife finally got her student teaching paperwork. she’ll be working in a school in plainfield. though she wanted to work in oswego, that was not to be. but knowing that she is placed, has lightened her load a bit. congrats michele. i am so very – very proud of you and the work that you are doing.

this week also included balloon boy. what a stunt. kid floats away in a helium filled balloon. uh. i don’t think so. but virtually every news organization on the planet followed this to it’s conclusion. this was such a non event. it was never even plausible to me as i have had a 6 year old. they are pretty heavy. the balloon wasn’t that well built to have carried him away. i just never believed it. today, it appears charges will be placed on the family and the costs of the search recouped. damn straight. what goofs.

health care seems to be moving along but not, as they say in poker, all in. it seems that the public option has been left somewhere, and not anyplace that seems useful. this troubles me. and, unlike any number of people, i blame the house and senate for this. the president did what he said he would do. let the folks that last time, during the clinton years, the house and senate wanted. to be involved. well. look where that put us. a watered down version of a public health reform bill. as to the media involvement, if you’re smart, you can simply go out and find the answers that you want on any of the governmental sites that are available. if you believe what you are told by the likes of beck, hannity, rush or the like, then you are simply not informed but rather entertained. but really folks. this isn’t a movie or a half hour entertainment show. this is our lives we are talking about here. there are very few things that are as important. so. go out and get your own answers. then make an informed decision. and stop listening to the entertainers.

afghanistan. lets take our time, and get it right. move the military that are in indefensible outposts in to more populous cities and regions. there has been a ton of talk about how many al qaeda are in the country. i keep asking myself how we, or anyone knows this. they don’t wear tags or name badges. so how do we know how many of any faction are in the country. i just don’t understand. and if we really do know how many there are, then this should be easier than it is. and since the election in country is so up in the air, we should probably wait until it is settled correctly, before we allow any more of our country men and women to serve in that country. so taking all the time required seems like the prudent thing to do. we can’t leave. pakistan is too close. anyone over running their country would be a blow to the entire middle east. so we must figure out a way to protect and server the region. but again, not until there is a government in place.

that’s about it. i’m done with the soap. i guess i just needed to vent.

sure. you can find the definition of indoctrinate in any dictionary. here is a link to m-w.com.

ok.

here is what it says:

1: to instruct in fundamentals or rudiments : teach
2: to imbue with a usually partisan or sectarian opinion, point of view, or principle

this definition can be placed with any number of people or groups, as it is expressed by the dictionary. my opinion on just a few of those, are listed below:

boy or girl scouts
church
the military
community groups
indian guides
anti-government groups
gangs

now. not all of these groups are bad. and, since we live in the united states, all of them have an equal right to exist.

however. to accuse the current administration of ‘indoctrinating’ our children to believe that they should help others and be involved in their community in a good way? nothing wrong with that.

the thought that the current administration is ‘indoctrinating’ any person within the united states to do anything other than what they might want to do, is ludicrous. in my mind, we have spent years, more than the 8 brought forth by the bush administration, spending time being self-centered and obsessed with our own personal world, that we have forgotten what made our country great all those years ago. the fact that we helped and supported each other.

the go west folks back in the day, helped others build lodging, fences, banding together in wagon trains across this great land. we did it together. we picked each other up and helped each other along.

for the administration to want to help us go forward and help each other is a bad thing, is just wrong. often, i will see stuff laying in the middle of the street. like a bag of someone trash. it only takes me a minute to stop and grab it. thus keeping it from further messing up my neighborhood. i have tried to teach my kids that same type of service. why? because it benefits us all.

so. indoctrinate me. make me think of all the things that i can do to help my neighbors. my fellow american citizens. i haven’t a problem with that at all.

had a good substitute day today! at another on friday. she’s bored at home. hope things get rolling for her soon.

school restarts for her shortly so she’ll be busy again pretty quickly.

rock on school girl!!!

is getting more and more sub jobs at schools. today, at bednarcik… later at another school… good luck to her. she’ll be a heck of a sub…

it is no surprise that i love coffee. i drink it all the time. it is my poison of choice.

for years, i had always used a capresso version because it took beans and ground them fresh to make the coffee. it worked really well, for a while, then would give up. i tried, a couple times, to buy a reworked version of them, and they too, would break. i finally gave up.

a friend of mine had introduced me to the keurig method of coffee that they had at her work place. it was simple. load up a flavor that you like. put in $.50 and bam, a fresh cup of steaming coffee. tasty!

a year ago, i sprung for a home version. it works like a charm. love the fact that it makes a cup exactly like i want it, and doesn’t waste anything. it’s great and i suggest it for anyone that enjoys a fresh cup of coffee. if i have a complaint, it is that the k-cups aren’t technically recyclable. that bothers me and someday, i hope to find a way to to have that no longer be a problem.

even better, my inlaws decided to purchase one of their own. while my wife was on her vacation in arizona, her mom taught her how to make iced coffee using the same system. now, i can make a huge glass of iced coffee whenever i want to at a fraction of the cost that it would be if i went to mcdonalds or other coffee expert stores. and it tastes better than the ones you get there.

it’s simple. fill a glass with ice. load up a k-cup. run it. add your own flavor (i use international delight irish to taste) and there you have it! it’s delightful!