Next Chapter

Reading one chapter at a time provides you with the ability to focus on the content in front of you and make the most of it. Writing one chapter at a time also allows you to pay attention to the details and not miss those random moments of creativity and clarity.

I am not referring to a book - but rather life.  Yesterday marked a turning point in one chapter for my family.  Our final check for our children's primary education was paid.  Seventeen years of paying for a catholic education has come to an end with a simple 'check cleared' update from our bank.  My wife and I decided several years ago that we would do what we could to insure a quality education for our three children and can now say we made it.  Our children did not let us down!  Each of them, in their own way, took advantage of the opportunity and have more than pleased us with what they did with that opportunity. Excellence in school, role models as citizens, discerning thinkers, athletic standouts - overall, just really good people.  I could not be more proud of them individually, and as a trio - I am often breathless just thinking about them.

So what about the next chapter?  That started a few years ago, when our oldest was graduating high school.  It didn't really register for me at that time, but he made a decision (or series of decisions) that started it all.  Listening to him share why he was making his decision to attend a specific college - I was attentive but it was surreal.  The same thing happened with our daughter .... listening intently on why she was making 'the choice' on where to go to school. Both of them shared the why, where and when information with us and both have done extremely well following their dreams and decisions. But I wasn't really there - it was somewhat an out of body experience for me.  How could my kids be making such grown up decisions to leave home and chart their own course?  The exclamation point came to me the same day as the final check cleared for high school. Simply, our youngest made his decision on where to attend college and the deposit was sent in. 

This chapter began a little while ago and I honestly had not noticed how fast it was being written. As the final days of our family's connection to primary school comes to an end, we are reminded that each chapter is special ... and finite. The college years are flying by and in a few months - another chapter will start.

Thanks Coach

As we walk back through time, each of us can remember different inspirations and life lessons that provoked a turn in our lives.  This week I can't stop thinking about one that happened many years ago with what was a simple request for help.

I was a teenage boy, with a love of sports. I was surrounded by supportive people.  Coaches, friends, parents of friends, neighbors and my parents.  I was encouraged constantly to be my best. Some would say that my best was all that was acceptable.  My parent's neighbor and friend to all suffered an injury and much to my surprise - he contacted me for help.  He was coaching a girls soccer team (I can't remember if it was U-8 or U-10) and his injury was going to limit his ability to coach.  His request was simple - just help out, but the ramifications of the request and my eagerness to try literally changed my life.


I began helping with the running of drills and teaching the girls different aspects of the game.  I loved the game so this was rather simple.  However, I learned that fall that coaching soccer had less to do with my soccer skills and ability, rather it was about communication, coordination, and working towards a common goal.  I learned how to organize a group of people (pre-adolescent girls) to accomplish a task.  I learned that being supportive of the group would go further than teaching a few of them a new trick or technique.  Through my working with the coach, I learned to truly love the art of coaching.


Ever since that fall season, I have been a coach.  I have coached youth sports for most of my life. Some of those sports were organized recreational programs and some of them were simple training sessions with individual players.  I moved from coaching young girls soccer through coaching co-ed and boys soccer through high school age.  I coached baseball from U-5 through U-18. I am an assistant coach for a girls Track and Field team.  I also find myself serving as coach at work and in the community.  All of that coaching started with one man and the lessons he shared.

This past weekend I learned that he passed away after a battle with cancer.  My heart sunk with the news. My deepest condolences go out to his family - his daughter's Paula and Jaime and to his wife Ms. Bert.  I regret never having told Mr. Pete how much he impacted my life. I am truly thankful for having known him and him thinking enough of me to give me the opportunity. You never know the lives you impact with your simple actions.

The drive in

     The drive to work today was very symbolic of how our world seems to be going. The simple drive (drop off two children at carpools, get gas, drive third carpool then head to work) brought with it direct comparisons to the world around me that I feel compelled to share.

     A simple enough start to the day was getting my two high school aged 'children' to their respective carpools.  Carpools are an absolute must when you make the decision that your child will not attend school with those in the neighborhood. Carpools are also a very direct representation of people with completely different backgrounds and directions coming together to solve for a common need. Dropping my children off was quiet and uneventful. I reminded both of them to make the most of the opportunity before them, to be safe and do their best. There they went - off in completely different directions from me and each other (opposite sides of town, different schools, different sports after school ...) with the faith that we would be together again this evening for dinner.  Eating together as a family is something that is extremely important to each of us in the family - if one is missing ... it just is not the same.

     Following drop off, it was time for a quick stop  at the gas station.  Three things stood out as I pulled in and began the ritual of filling the tank.

• The first was the small economy car that pulled in next to me. I really did not think too much about it until the driver felt compelled to tell me that I was destroying the environment with my SUV (I drive a fairly new Ford Explorer).  I like to stay to myself, so I did not offer a retort. In hindsight - maybe I should have offered to inform the inconsiderate savior of the environment for the reasons for driving such a vehicle.  Simply, that my family participates in three different carpools and the most effective/efficient method for transporting my children, the other children in the carpool and their backpacks, gym bags, instruments and miscellaneous school projects to/from school is to have a vehicle that seats all the children and their gear in a safe manner.  While I appreciate the owner of the SMART car in their efforts to save the world - their world is not mine. I guess, in hindsight it was better not to offer my opinion as the discussion could not possibly turn into a positive experience for either of us.
• Interesting enough, the same individual driving the gas sipping vehicle, had a little more to offer in their opinion of what I was doing wrong. You see, I support my children's schools by placing a school spirit magnet on the back of my car.  Apparently, this is an advertisement that I am one of the rich people who don't pay enough taxes and shelters my children in private institutions.  The comment was made - that to my ears sounded like '... you will get yours soon enough. You are going to have to start paying your fair share next month - then we will see how you treat the rest of us'. I don't know where this person thought it was their place to make such a comment - it was offensive, inaccurate but very telling about them and the world around us.  My children attend private schools - not to separate them from society, but to insure they understand society. I would do everything in my power to provide them the opportunity to learn and experience the world so they can make a difference.  The development of their faith and making it part of every decision they make is my job (as parent) and the schools they attend extend that development. I can only assume that when the individual noticed the private school magnets - they believed that 'private' schools were more expensive than public schools and therefore elitist.The truth is - private school does cost my wife and I more than public school does. However, tuition for my children is less than the state reports to spend on a per student basis - across the state.  Yes, the state of Maryland reports that a per student expense of over $13,700 per year is what tax payers are hampered with for 'free public schools'. And yes, I still pay all my taxes in the state and DO NOT WANT A DISCOUNT FOR PRIVATE SCHOOL.  I think not commenting to the individual on this topic was also the right thing to do - absolutely nothing positive could come from the exchange.
• The third item that stood out during this brief pit-stop is that there are again different prices for paying by cash and credit.  While this used to be the way years ago - we (the citizenry) were incented to use credit for its convenience while reducing the work of the attendant. The argument was that automation was the way to reduce cost for all, so use your plastic and we can keep the price low.  I know this for a fact, as I worked at the local gas station back in the 80's and both heard (from corporate) and shared (with the locals) the plan. I understand the reason for the different prices - the use of credit has never been free (especially to the seller), but I can't help but think that I was promised one thing only to be redirected to another later down the road.

     After picking my youngest son up at the house, I proceeded to meet the third carpool of the day.  No challenges during this leg of the trip - we all talked about upcoming exams, pop music and where the 8th grade students were looking to go to high school.  I dropped the kids off - wished them well and proceeded to head to work.  When not driving a carpool in the morning, I typically leave my house at 3:30 AM and the commute is wonderful. One, maybe two traffic lights and a smooth trip to the office. However, when dropping kids off and then taking a different route to work - the most popular route for many, many daily commuters in the Baltimore suburbs .... well, it takes a little longer.  Much like my politics - I am fairly conservative in my driving habits (only speeding on occasion) and prefer to select and enter the lane that causes me to change the least.  As I safely entered the highway, I found my cruising speed in the proper lane and embarked on the trip.
     All was going fine on the way to work with limited backups along the way. However, when the road I was traveling on merged in to the Baltimore beltway more examples of society's ugliness appeared again.  I was crawling along at 10 miles an hour, sitting in the same lane I had been in for several miles. The lane in question combines with the other lane to the right and creates a new lane on the beltway.  As I was crawling along, I noticed that a car to the left of and behind me changed lanes (from the left of me to the right of me) quickly.  I am very aware of my surroundings while driving but the jerkiness of the cars and trucks behind me as this person made their transition highlighted what was happening. A small SUV was cutting through traffic - without blinkers and without care as to what problems they created along the way. Make note - they did not hit anyone in the process.
     As we continued moving along, I was maintaining pace with the car in front of me, allowing the lane to my right to continue to yield without disturbing the established flow.  The individual in the small SUV decided they had a better approach to yielding and proceeded to attempt to 'push me' into the next lane over by trying to run up the bumper of the car I had allowed to yield in front of me.  I did not move - I simply continued driving forward at the same pace.  This was met with a very angry, middle aged women winding down her window and sharing her thoughts on the situation with me - most of which I can not repeat here as the language is not what I wish anyone to endure.  She followed it up with the universal symbol of displeasure (the flip of the bird) and wound her window up.  She then moved on to the shoulder of the road and slammed the accelerator.  When she thought she had a good opportunity (approximately 3 cars ahead of me), she jerked the wheel to the left and cut off the line.  Sitting high in my SUV, I saw what was happening and covered the brake before she actually jutted in to traffic.  However, when the line of cars all started braking, the cascade went on from three cars in front of me until about 4 cars behind me.  Unfortunately for the 4th car behind me - the 5th car wasn't aware of what was happening.  At this point the accident happened. The offending vehicle never even saw what happened - they were on to the next lane change (to the left, pass three cars, then back to the right lane for 10 seconds then took the exit on the right).

    Why do I bring any of this up? Quite simply - the world is spinning faster and faster.  Individual opinions are the only thing that seem to matter to some people.  SLOW DOWN. Take a look around. You really need to pay attention to what impact you are having on the world. Whether it be insulting someone when you have zero idea how your comments will impact their world or even how they arrived at that moment or causing an accident that you don't even realize happened. What you do matters.  There is a line in a song that was featured in Disney's Pocohontas  - " you cant' step in the same river twice ". From the time I heard the line in the song it has become part of my personal mantra - be careful what you do for you do not know how you will alter it. One persons improvement to a situation may become the demise of the situation to another person.  We are all entitled to our own opinions and beliefs but when those opinions cross a line into changing others - we have overstepped our bounds.

Politics ...

    I had a brief text session with a friend recently and it reminded me that my last post did not address the larger issue.  Specifically, my last post was about politicians playing games with the sole intent of 'gumming up the works.' in Washington. What I failed to note was that it was the political drive for 'Universal Healthcare' that brought us to this point.
    Ms. Fluke's testimony regarding contraception was not really about contraception. No, it was about free access to a 'service' since the service is now being provided by our government.  I have heard numerous arguments regarding women's healthcare as opposed to men's healthcare and why the disparity in the services provided. This morning I stumbled across the article that highlights my concerns from the beginning. The article is all about access to men's ED medications and vasectamies.
    I think the combination of Ms. Fluke's testimony and the lawmakers trying to manipulate the public's consciousness regarding healthcare is serving as the perfect example of what I feared would happen. The government is no longer talking about providing healthcare to the citizenry - instead they are focused directly on how to manipulate the masses.  You don't believe me?  Prior to Universal Healthcare (even though it still has not been implemented), we did not have discussions of forcing citizens to undergo additional procedures if they wanted access to a specific drug/service.  Now that the government is the only supplier - we see the unintended consequences of such a plan. Unintended is being nice as I personally believe this was the plan all along.Very directly the government can tell us what steps we must take to receive the medication or service that we need. We must meet certain criteria before being allowed to have the procedure or drug and our ability to argue or disagree has been muted.

Let me be clear - I am opposed to government run healthcare. I am opposed to the government providing for ED medication and services. I am opposed to the government providing for contraceptive services. I am fully in support of private companies building products and services and inviting private citizens to purchase and subscribe to those.  Please remember - the Patient Protection and Affordable Care act is not about providing healthcare it is about access to healthcare.  What discussion would we be having right now if the government was not taking over access to healthcare? The economy? Education? Defense of our nation? Immigration? Drugs? Safety of our children?

The politics of opinion

I am a firm believer in individual rights. That all of us (men and women) have a right to be heard and that no individuals rights should interfere with any others rights. The balance between what I just wrote can be challenging at times - but in the end we are all here together and we must be respectful of each other.

With all of the talk regarding the Department of Health and Human Services declaration that all employers / health insurance policies be required to support contraception as a baseline - I decided to take a look around and see what was actually written. Interesting enough, on January 20, 2012, the following was issued

A statement by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius

In August 2011, the Department of Health and Human Services issued an interim final rule that will require most health insurance plans to cover preventive services for women including recommended contraceptive services without charging a co-pay, co-insurance or a deductible. The rule allows certain non-profit religious employers that offer insurance to their employees the choice of whether or not to cover contraceptive services. Today the department is announcing that the final rule on preventive health services will ensure that women with health insurance coverage will have access to the full range of the Institute of Medicine’s recommended preventive services, including all FDA -approved forms of contraception. Women will not have to forego these services because of expensive co-pays or deductibles, or because an insurance plan doesn’t include contraceptive services. This rule is consistent with the laws in a majority of states which already require contraception coverage in health plans, and includes the exemption in the interim final rule allowing certain religious organizations not to provide contraception coverage. Beginning August 1, 2012, most new and renewed health plans will be required to cover these services without cost sharing for women across the country.

After evaluating comments, we have decided to add an additional element to the final rule. Nonprofit employers who, based on religious beliefs, do not currently provide contraceptive coverage in their insurance plan, will be provided an additional year, until August 1, 2013, to comply with the new law. Employers wishing to take advantage of the additional year must certify that they qualify for the delayed implementation. This additional year will allow these organizations more time and flexibility to adapt to this new rule. We intend to require employers that do not offer coverage of contraceptive services to provide notice to employees, which will also state that contraceptive services are available at sites such as community health centers, public clinics, and hospitals with income-based support. We will continue to work closely with religious groups during this transitional period to discuss their concerns.

Scientists have abundant evidence that birth control has significant health benefits for women and their families, is documented to significantly reduce health costs, and is the most commonly taken drug in America by young and middle-aged women. This rule will provide women with greater access to contraception by requiring coverage and by prohibiting cost sharing.

This decision was made after very careful consideration, including the important concerns some have raised about religious liberty. I believe this proposal strikes the appropriate balance between respecting religious freedom and increasing access to important preventive services. The administration remains fully committed to its partnerships with faith-based organizations, which promote healthy communities and serve the common good. And this final rule will have no impact on the protections that existing conscience laws and regulations give to health care providers.

source:http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2012pres/01/20120120a.html

What I read in to that is that the Department of Health and Human services listened to constituents and made a decision. Whether you agree with it or not - they listened and published. So, I dug a little more into what the 'interim final rule' was and found it interesting ... again:

II. Overview of the Amendment to the Interim Final Regulations

The interim final regulations providedthat a group health plan or health insurance issuer must cover certain items and services, without costsharing, as recommended by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Health Resources and Services Administration. Notably, to the extent not described in the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommendations, HRSA was charged with developing comprehensive guidelines for preventive care and screenings with respect to women (i.e.,the Women’s Preventive Services: Required Health Plan Coverage Guidelines or ‘‘HRSA Guidelines’’). The interim final regulations also require that changes in the required items and services be implemented no later than plan years (in the individual market, policy years) beginning on or after the date that is one year from when the new recommendation or guideline is issued.

In response to the request for comments on the interim final regulations, the Departments received considerable feedback regarding which preventive services for women should be considered for coverage under PHS Act section 2713(a)(4). Most commenters, including some religious organizations, recommended that HRSA Guidelines include contraceptive services for all women and that this requirement be binding on all group health plans and health insurance issuers with no religious exemption. However, several commenters asserted that requiring group health plans sponsored by religious employers to cover contraceptive services that their faith deems contrary to its religious tenets would impinge upon their religious freedom. One commenter noted that some religious employers do not currently cover such benefits under their group health plan due to their religious beliefs.
The Departments note that PHS Act section 2713(a)(4) gives HRSA the
authority to develop comprehensive guidelines for additional preventive care and screenings for women ‘‘for purposes of this paragraph.’’ In other words, the statute contemplated HRSA Guidelines that would be developed with the knowledge that certain group health plans and health insurance issuers would be required to cover the services recommended without cost-sharing, unlike the other guidelines referenced in section 2713(a), which pre-dated the Affordable Care Act and were originally issued for purposes of identifying the non-binding recommended care that providers should provide to patients. These HRSA Guidelines exist solely to bind non-grandfathered group health plans and health insurance issuers with
respect to the extent of their coverage of certain preventive services for women. In the Departments’ view, it is appropriate that HRSA, in issuing these Guidelines, takes into account the effect on the religious beliefs of certain religious employers if coverage of contraceptive services were required in the group health plans in which employees in certain religious positions participate. Specifically, the Departments seek to provide for a religious accommodation that respects the unique relationship between a house of worship and its employees in ministerial positions. Such an accommodation would be consistent with the policies of States that require contraceptive services coverage, the majority of which simultaneously provide for a religious accommodation.

In light of the above, the Departments are amending the interim final rules to provide HRSA additional discretion to exempt certain religious employers from the Guidelines where contraceptive services are concerned. The amendment to the interim final rules provides HRSA with the discretion to establish this exemption. Consistent with most States that have such exemptions, as described below, the amended regulations specify that, for purposes of this policy, a religious employer is one that: (1) Has the inculcation of religious values as its purpose; (2) primarily employs persons who share its religious tenets; (3) primarily serves persons who share its religious tenets; and (4) is a non-profit organization under section 6033(a)(1) and section 6033(a)(3)(A)(i) or (iii) of the Code. Section 6033(a)(3)(A)(i) and (iii) refer to churches, their integrated auxiliaries, and conventions or associations of churches, as well as to
the exclusively religious activities of any religious order. The definition of religious employer, as set forth in the amended regulations, is based on existing definitions used by most States that exempt certain religious employers from having to comply with State law requirements to cover contraceptive services. We will be accepting comments on this definition as well as alternative definitions, such as those that have been developed under Title 26 of the United States Code. The definition set forth here is intended to reasonably balance the extension of any coverage of contraceptive services under the HRSA Guidelines to as many women as possible, while respecting the unique relationship between certain religious employers and their employees in certain religious positions. The change in policy effected by this amendment to these interim final rules is intended solely for purposes of PHS Act section 2713 and the companion
provisions of ERISA and the Internal Revenue Code.

Because HRSA’s discretion to establish an exemption applies only to group health plans sponsored by certain religious employers and group health insurance offered in connection with such plans, health insurance issuers in the individual health insurance market would not be covered under any such exemption.

III. Interim Final Regulations and Waiver of Delay of Effective Date
Section 9833 of the Code, section 734 of ERISA, and section 2792 of the PHS Act authorize the Secretaries of the Treasury, Labor, and HHS (collectively, the Secretaries) to promulgate any interim final rules that they determine are appropriate to carry out the provisions of chapter 100 of the Code, part 7 of subtitle B of title I of ERISA, and part A of title XXVII of the PHS Act, which include PHS Act sections 2701 through 2728 and the incorporation of those sections into ERISA section 715 and Code section 9815. The amendments promulgated in this rulemaking carry out the provisions of these statutes. Therefore, the foregoing interim final rule authority applies to these amendments. Under the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) (5 U.S.C. 551, et seq.), while a general notice of proposed rulemaking and an opportunity for public comment is generally required before promulgation of regulations, an exception is made when an agency, for good cause, finds that notice and public comment thereon are impracticable, unnecessary, or contrary to the public interest. The provisions of the APA that ordinarily require a notice of proposed rulemaking do not apply here because of the specific authority to issue interim final rules granted by section 9833 of the Code, section 734 of ERISA, and section 2792 of the PHS Act.

Even if the APA requirements for notice and comment were applicable to these regulations, they have been satisfied. This is because the Secretaries find that providing for an additional opportunity for public comment is unnecessary, as the July 19, 2010 interim final rules implementing section 2713 of the PHS Act provided the public with an opportunity to comment on the implementation of the preventive services requirements in this provision, and the amendments made in these interim final rules in fact are based on such public comments. Specifically, commenters expressed concerns that HRSA-supported guidelines issued
under section 2713(a)(4) that included coverage of contraceptive services could impinge upon the religious freedom of certain religious employers. The flexibility that is afforded under these amendments is being provided to HRSA in order to allow HRSA the discretion to accommodate, in a balanced way, as discussed above, these commenter concerns.

In addition, the Departments have determined that an additional opportunity for public comment would be impractical and contrary to the public interest. The requirement in section 2713(a)(4) that preventive services supported by HRSA be provided without cost-sharing took effect at the beginning of the first plan or policy year beginning on or after September 23, 2010. At that time, however, HRSA had not issued any such guidelines. Under the July 19, 2010 interim final rules, group health plans and insurance issuers do not have to begin covering preventive services supported in HRSA guidelines until the first plan or policy year that begins one year after the guidelines are issued. Thus, while the law requiring coverage of recommended women’s preventive health services was enacted on March 23, 2010, and has been in effect since September 23, 2010, no such guidelines have yet been issued, and it will be at least a full year after they are issued before group health plans and issuers will be required to start covering preventive services recommended in the guidelines without cost sharing.
source:http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2011-08-03/pdf/2011-19684.pdf

So, the Departments declared that no further comment by the public, other than the definition of church organization, was in the public interest. However, they listened to other comments and changed the policy 6 months later. So, which one is it - is the federal government listening to comments or not? The federal record stated that the case was closed - but a few short months later they report the people have spoken.

Based, not solely, on the above direction that the Department of Health and Human Services has chosen to take - on February 16, 2012, Chairman of the House Oversight Committee Rep. Darrell Issa held a hearing entitled 'Lines Crossed: Separation of Church and State. Has the Obama Administration Trampled on Freedom of Religion and Freedom of Conscience?' .The purpose of the hearing was not centered on women's rights, rather it was to discuss, as the title implies, has the government trampled the Freedom of Religion and Conscience.  At that time, a law student from Georgetown University was "denied" the right to speak and the panel stated that she was not qualified to speak on the issue. However, they did post her video as part of the official record (follow link above). All persons who testified that day were directly 'in-standing' with the discussion being held.

On February 23, 2012 Democratic leader Nanci Pelosi held a hearing on women's health issues. The hearing was held by and for the Steering and Policy Committee for House Democrats. So, for all of the women's health issues in this country, the committee decided to call just one witness. The witness addressed only one topic - that of contraception. Not just contraception, but that contraceptive services should be available to all women and no cost. The testimony was that of a representative of the student body of a private institution. There were no medical topics, techniques, calls for research ... No, Ms. Fluke simply told her story and the story of a few women from Georgetown University. There were no reports on breast cancer, cervical cancer, bulimia, endometriosis ...   Perhaps, the government would have us believe that the only medical issue facing women today is pregnancy and other 'preventable' issues... Yes, I understand that some contraceptives are used to treat related issues - so don't start the flame wars.

Please don't get me wrong - I am 100% in support of holding hearings by any group within Congress. What I am opposed to is trying to tie one to the next or using the pretense of a hearing to push forward a political agenda. Rep. Pelosi held a very small hearing to get a political message out. It was held to promote an agenda - that is it - no other way to read it.  The testimony had already been heard and was made part of the record with Rep. Issa's hearing - even though they were NOT DIRECTLY connected.

The entire situation was a political stunt.

Who moved my cheese?

I have been thinking a lot about the short book "Who moved my cheese?" by Dr. Spencer Johnson. Specifically, I am continuing to evaluate my life and the world around me and I am having difficulty coming to grips with which character represents me the best. At work, I am a very adaptive person - able to adjust to the changes of the business and customer climate (yes, they are different). At home, with my family, I have readily adjusted to the changes that occur when your children reach the teen years. On both accounts, I consider adaptation not only a reality of growth but I have been able to adjust and move prior to many around me. I am the hunter - looking for the next stash of cheese and doing the necessary things to provide for myself and my loved ones.

However, when it comes to the rest of the world we live in - apparently I am the mouse who is left watching, waiting and confused - "Who moved my cheese?". There are but a few cornerstones that I rely on that helps me stay grounded as I move through life. Unfortunately, it seems more than one of those foundations is becoming unmoored . Specifically, the second level of my foundation is crumbling which begins to change the structure above it. This country that I have been blessed to be born in to, and continue to believe is the best country man has been so graciously gifted with, is losing its way.

In the United States, there was a time - not so long ago, that the morals of the masses was the way of the land. The country was comprised of an overwhelming majority that believed we were free to fail or prosper on our own and that the government was there for very specific purposes. Specifically, as the United States Constitution's preamble reads "We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America". Now, we live in a time that growing minorities pit 'rich' against 'poor', religions against religions, races against races, and constituents against representatives. I am not so naive to believe this is a new construct - differences have existed long before this great republic. What is disheartening to see is the acceleration and evergrowing conflict between the citizenry.

Many have lost sight of the facts that (this is but a very short list but have been a source of conflict for me in just the past few days) :

• 'Tax cuts' for a given class is nothing more than permission to keep more of what has been earned.
• Freedom of expression is for all to participate in, not just specific classes.
  
• Your rights stop when you impact the rights of your neighbor.
• To whom much is given, much is expected.
• Without a foundation of rights for all, not a single individuals rights are worth the paper they are written on.

Where does this leave us moving forward? Has the cheese been moved? If so, where do you go looking for more? After all, if this country fails - it is my genuine belief that this will be the last experiment of true government by the people. We are slipping away at an ever increasing pace.

I don't have time at this moment to finish my thoughts - but wanted to start the dialog.

Just because you can ... doesn't mean you should.

If you have a radio, or television than you have recently heard of Pastor Terry Jones and his plans for a 'Burn a Koran Day'. There is an argument to be said for his freedom of speech and his ability to make a political statement regarding his views of Islam.

At the same time we are all well aware of the plans to build the Ground Zero Mosque, and the controversy surrounding Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf. Comments by our own President clearly state that everyone has a right to worship in their own way, to include the right not to worship at all. Specifically, President Obama stated:

"But let me be clear: as a citizen, and as President, I believe that Muslims have the same right to practice their religion as anyone else in this country. That includes the right to build a place of worship and a community center on private property in lower Manhattan, in accordance with local laws and ordinances. This is America, and our commitment to religious freedom must be unshakeable. The principle that people of all faiths are welcome in this country, and will not be treated differently by their government, is essential to who we are. The writ of our Founders must endure."

Indeed freedom of worship and freedom of speech are two cornerstones to the founding of this great nation. In fact, they are both part of the same amendment to the Constitution. So where does this leave us, as Americans? For starters - let us parse the semantics of what is actually in the Constitution. The First Amendment, which to many is considered the most important portion of the Constitution guarantees certain liberties but has also been misused and abused over time by those on both side of the two issues previously mentioned. The amendment very simply reads:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances

So, the amendment is written in a way to preclude the government from 1) 'dictating' a religion, 2) blocking an individual's right to speak freely, 3) blocking the press from publishing and 4) blocking the people of the nation to assemble peaceably. At this point, I could craft an argument to show where the president's comments are not supportable by the First Amendment but the Pastor in Florida is well within his right to perform his intended act. That is not my intention - No, as the first line in this post said ' Just because you can, doesn't mean you should'.

Instead, I am asking everyone who reads this to ask yourself 'Do I agree that Pastor Terry Jones has the right to do what he is planning?', and 'Do I agree that Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf's group has the right to build the mosque they are planning to build?' . I would bet that most people will agree with one half of the question. You either support the burning of the Koran or you support the building of the mosque. Yes, I can make the argument for either half of the controversy because I truly believe that the rights of all Americans must be protected. However, there is something much larger to consider - Just because you can, does it mean you should? .
I believe that both issues are grounded in that very question. Both issues create strong sentiment for and against. Both issues are steeped in 'rights' of individuals and organizations. Both issues, on their own, are capable of further dividing families and this nation as a whole. And, both are absolutely and incredibly insensitive to large portions of this democracy.

Unfortunately, at this time we lack, as a country, the leadership to stand up and do the right thing. Our government officials are ill-equipped to deal with the real problems in this country and set the example for all to see. There was a time when we had great men (and women) who would set the example for all to follow. The time of great leadership has apparently passed us by. There is not solid example of how to act or even govern in this country.

It is up to each and every one of us to just Do the right thing.

Farewell Dad

A short post to say farewell to one of my best friends - my Dad.

Francis Richard Maher had many roles in his life. He cherished each and every one of them. A few years ago, at my bride's recommendation, I did something that I am eternally grateful to have had the opportunity to perform. An eulogy is typically a testament to a friend or family member that has passed. Instead - I took a living eulogy to my father on his 65th birthday. I had no idea at that point that the good Lord would call him home in under 3 years.

I had the opportunity to tell him exactly what I felt about him, the example that he set for his family and friends and the way he had changed so many lives. This was not intended for any purpose other than to let him know how I will remember him - it simply was not to be shared, and so it will remain. When I finished my Dad looked me in the eye, wiped a single tear, and said ' I had no idea.'. We talked about this several times over the past 3 years and he gained an understanding of just how wonderful a man he was and how many lives he had influenced.

Since he passed nearly two weeks ago, I have received a number of notes/calls/posts from friends old and new that shared their thoughts on my Dad. They shared of lessons learned and experiences shared with my friend and father and much to my surprise many of them had already been shared with Dad that day at Piney Run Park.

If you love someone - tell them.
If you miss someone - call them.
If you have something to say - do it now.

We know not the day, nor the hour when we may breath our last. You may not have the opportunity to share what you want/need - do it today.

Watch over me my guardian. Remind me of lessons learned and shared. Help me to be what I am to be.

Destroying the Consititution - my states attempt

I have been asleep at the wheel and completely missed my states attempt at the destruction of the electoral college. Taking a look at http://www.nationalpopularvote.com/pages/states.php?s=MD, I see that my state was the first to sign in to law that we have given away our electoral votes to whatever the rest of the country decides, based on popular vote in, in all presidential elections. There seems to be a good bit of support, by the un-informed, for this approach that the popular vote should trump electoral vote.

As Mark Levin articulated, this one man: one vote mentality is easy to sell but is completely misleading in its implementation. Because the populace does not understand the electoral college it is easy to disparage it. To understand why it is so critical requires the individual to actually do some research which is something that many seem either unwilling or incapable of doing. As Mark stated on his show on July 27, 2010, doing away with the Electoral college can only really be done with a constitutional amendment, but that is apparently too hard. However, states are permitted to give away their rights at any time.

If 'one man: one vote' is indeed the sole purpose for the support of this approach, then other changes should also be 'in the public interest'. To start, as Mark illustrated, we should abolish the United States Senate. After all, why should each state have the same number of representatives to a governing body if the states are of different sizes?

Perhaps we should really take the individual right and responsibility a number of steps further and consider all 310 million citizens as individual tax payers. With a $3.8 trillion budget, each citizen should be responsible for their 'fair share' of the budget. So, my family of 5 should be expected to pay $61,290. While I don't have the money at the moment - this will definitely cause me to become more active in the legislation that my government decides to pass. Is this practical - absolutely not. Am I honestly encouraging this - NO! However, it does put things in perspective .... doesn't it.

So, my apologies to my fellow Marylanders for not watching more closely. For the more populated states and regions around this once great country - PLEASE GET IT RIGHT. We need the popular vote more than ever to actually elect the right candidate and then my state will offer its votes when everything is said and done. Of course, I wouldn't put it past them to make changes to the law to match their political desires.

Boys of Summer

Apparently, I forgot to actually post the below entry.

I was fortunate to spend this past week with some of my favorite people - My bride and our three children. We were joined part way through the week by my parents - something that just seemed to make the magical week that much more special.

My youngest son joined a new baseball team this past year and had a relatively good season. Yes, he improved. Yes, the competition was another notch up. And most important - he enjoyed the team, the coaches and himself. The team finished the season in a truly remarkable fashion.

The coaches met with the parents, pre-season, to talk about the plans for the season. Most of the time was spent talking about expectations of the players and families. The kicker on the budget side of the discussion was the planned trip to Myrtle Beach for an end-of year tournament. That tournament is the real subject of this post.

I will not bore you with all the other family details but did want to share the magic 'the Boys of Summer' provided to close out the week. The baseline for the tournament is that each team would play 5 games to 'seed' the championship and consolation rounds for the end of the week. The Cardinals started strong winning their first two games. Then, they hit the buzz-saw and dropped 3 in a row - and a couple were really tough to swallow.

The competition at the Ripken tournament was impressive. Teams from around the country and a few of them were very disciplined, talented and a joy to watch. There is a difference in play when you realize that the team in the other dugout has not only played together for a few years, but that they play year round. It shows!

The finals started on Thursday and were set up as a single elimination tournament. The Cardinals found themselves the #6 seed in the 6 team Championship bracket. This meant they had to start by playing the #3 seed, a team that only had one loss and we had grown accustomed to hearing their name throughout the week with one outstanding game after the other. The boys from Eldersburg jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the first inning and never looked back. On to the second round.

The second round found the young Cardinals up against the #2 seed, a team that had just beaten them a few days ago by .... several runs. The game was one of those games for the books. The Cardinals jumped out to an early lead and were looking like they were well on their way to the Championship. However, in the 4th inning things started to change and the opposition battled back. Late in the game we surrendered the tying run and needed to hold them for a push to extra innings. The Gods of Baseball shined on our Cardinals that day and they did indeed hold for extra innings. In the top of the 7th, our boys put two on the board and shut them down 1-2-3! Cardinals win and we are headed to the finals.

A day later, the Cardinals took the field against the undefeated squad from Houston, Texas. The opposition had given up a total of 11 runs in the previous 7 games. This was going to be tough. The Cardinals started off strong, but were unable to capitalize on several different occasions when they had runners at the corners. The opposing coach was pacing and obviously getting a little nervous as his group had not seen anyone hold them this tight. In the fourth inning, the first run was scored but it wasn't for us. We managed to hold the game close but in the end - lost the final game. Hats off to all the teams, but this last group was something special.

I was/am very proud of our 11 year olds. The battled the best and held them in check. Thank you boys for bringing me back to my youth this season. Thank you coaches (Curt, Mike, Bob & Dave) for making this truly a Season to Remember.

Change: Not for everyone

Why do people and organizations move or change their affiliations from something they apparently believe in, only to join a new organization or location and work to change that org/location to match what they left?

There is a mindset that I continue to be confronted with that I just can't understand. Perhaps that is due to my nature of being logical and reasoned and I just can't comprehend this alternate view.

A few years ago, we met our new neighbors who moved 'to the country' from a much more populated area. They said they looked forward to the open fields, safe environment, lower property taxes, well-respected school system and 'easier way of life'. Shortly after they finished un-boxing their earthly possessions they began complaining about the lack of service. The young couple started complaining about trash service - you need to contract for your own service, that we needed sidewalks for strollers, that the police should routinely patrol the area. The neighborhood in question resides on an old horse farm with 20 MPH speed limits and 1-10 acre home sites and I can't remember any crime being committed since I moved in 11 years ago. This same couple were the first to contact the county and complain about the increase in their property assessment and demanded it be reduced as they did not wish to pay any more than what they were already paying. How exactly did they think the county would pay for the existing services - let alone the new ones they were asking for?

On a related note, I have been a part of youth sports in the area for several years. First, as a parent and coach and then on to the administrative side (league coordinator, coaches training, authoring policies ....). On two separate occasions, neighboring sports programs have had difficulty maintaining their programs and deferred families to our programs. As soon as we enrolled the new players and the seasons began to start - the former programs started making demands that 'our' program change to reflect the existing of 'their old' program. From 'adding a patch on the sleeve' to show the heritage from the older program to demanding that we change the guidelines for how teams are formed - WE NEEDED TO CHANGE TO ACCOMMODATE their wants/needs.

A friend of the family moved to a very nice, convenient location in the area. The convenience of the area did have a price and that was it is difficult to get out of the neighborhood at certain times of the day due to the amount of traffic that passes the entry. I recently heard them complaining that a traffic light should be added to ease the flow in and out of the neighborhood.

My children attend private school. Specifically, they attend a Catholic school. We, as a family, made the decision to invest time and treasure to insure the best (in our eyes) for our children. Others have made that same decision and I applaud them for it. There are those (and I have heard them loud and clear) that are offended that their child must attend religion class ... IN A CATHOLIC SCHOOL. I respect that they are not of the catholic faith but they did elect to send their child to that very school.

Lastly, when we moved in to our home we sought out the opinions of our neighbors prior to any projects. There was no law that said we had to do so, and the county I live in is very much a proponent of property rights. We had never had a conflict with any of our ventures until very recently. I hand carried a letter to my neighbor (newly moved in to the area) explaining an upcoming project. I respectfully requested any feedback on our plans and that we would listen to any/all concerns or questions but that the project was on a short timetable due to demand in the market. After a week of no feedback, I contacted the contractor and proceeded to start. Immediately, I received the call requesting a work stoppage until they could verify concerns they had with the county office. We (my family) had been to the county 3 times on permits and restrictions to insure there were no legal issues with what we had planned. Other than informing us that she did not want us to execute the project - there were NO comments regarding what our plans were. Nope, it was 100% about stopping the project and no 'middle ground'. In the end, the county backed us up and said we still have some rights in this country and county.

So, what to do? Why is it that new organizations or people moving in to a functioning society/group/area are free to dictate that the existing functioning group must change to adapt to the new tenants? Why is it that it is wrong to request and/or expect others to conform to the area they are moving to?

What do you stand for ?

What do you stand for? I mean really stand for. In this politically divided time in which we live, have you taken a serious look at what you believe in, desire and will stand for? There are three primary groups within the United States {progressives, independents, and conservatives} that individuals identify themselves with. I can only really define my own beliefs and connect to the group that most closely relates those beliefs. I challenge you to do the same - be honest with yourself. If you can't be honest with yourself in the assessment - do me a favor and stop judging others, you have no leg to stand on.

Everyone that knows me understands that I like keeping things simple. Does this overlook certain aspects of a situation? Absolutely. However, if you can simplify things right - you can get by with the bulk of what is before you and have reasonably good insight to the ancillary information that you otherwise overlook. So, what about the three political groups? My simple definitions: Conservative - those that strive to protect or revert back to the principles that founded this country. Progressive - those that strive to change what is into something that differs from what is/ or was. Independent - those that are caught somewhere between the two; longing for some of what was but desiring something different.

The Constitution set forth a number of principles that over time have been changed. The men that created this document / blueprint did so based on on their life experiences and out of a belief that all men are fallible. To that end, limits were placed on what the governing body was authorized to do to the citizenry. Did they get everything right? No, but they did set forth a method for changing the laws when the failings were discovered. Somehow, the limits and methods for change appear to have been pushed to the side.

Unfortunately, we are now at a point that the Constitution is being shredded by the the failings of a few, overly aggressive legislators. Those legislators sit on both sides of the isle and mislead the rest of the government as well as the governed, those whom they have sworn an oath to protect and represent. At the time the Constitution was drafted and signed - a man's word was the representation of his life. His signature represented his beliefs for all of history to witness. Now, a signature or an oath's value is not worth the paper it is written on and is not meant to exist beyond the time it took to expel it from the individuals mouth. While I am most concerned with the misappropriations of the citizenry by their elected Congress, our President recently made a statement that I could not agree with more : "I think part of what our constitutional values promote is the notion that individuals have protection in their privacy, and their bodily integrity, and women are not exempt from that" . How is it that the President of the United States can make a comment like this just a few short weeks after signing the abominibal health care act into law? The law violates the individuals right to privacy! The law violates the individuals bodily integrity! As I said - I agree with the words he used, I just can't agree with the actions he takes.

By way of example, I am a firm believer that the President's ability to appoint judges should not be inhibited. There should be a level of investigation done for all person's appointed to positions of trust but the use of the fillibuster should not be used. Not that it is un-constitutional, just out of respect for the office of the President. However, since there is no statute stating when/where a fillibuster should/should not be used - Congress should pass a law to govern their own actions in this area. Until then, perhaps a constant fillibuster should be used .... This type of common sense work will never happen in Washington, D.C. . Why? Simply because our Congress is not made up of a group of honest individuals.

Term limits for the legislator is the solution - but not by passing law. I am 100% opposed to a legislated limitation. Individuals need to exercise their right to vote and express their opinions to the elected. Do so by following the law, expressing your thoughts and feelings directly and respecting that others have those same rights.

As an individual, hold me to my word. As a citizen, hold me to the laws that have been put in place for me to follow. As a tax payer - keep the promises you made to me, respect the law that we are all governed by and if you want to change the law - do it the right way.

The incremental slide

The debate in Congress over the 'Health Care' bill has forced me to look at all that is and has happened in this country during my brief life. Looking at the debate and contrasting that to other differences in our society I think I have come to the simple conclusion that both sides of the aisle are more focused on incrementalism towards a goal they disagree with than the subject at hand.

On the political right, conservatives fear more than anything else that Socialism is the targeted direction and health care is just the next big hurdle. They may be right and looking back at the incremental steps made towards that end can be seen through the action of their opponents. Name a single thing that you do on a day to day basis that is not directly controlled, taxed or manipulated by the government ....

On the left, giving in on any portion of the debate will lead to safe ground where the opposition can build (or take away) from something they hold dear. Example: Covering abortion under the massive health care overhaul. Any argument about federal spending for this by the right is immediately responded to by stating that we can't interfere with a women's right to choose. After all, giving in on this topic might just lead to an overturn of Roe v. Wade.

The arguments around a single payer system are vast. The one that I continue to be amazed by is where the folks on the left are 'for the little people' and that we need to deliver services to those that can't afford to pay for themselves. I am a BIG proponent of helping out, donating time and money, looking out for those less fortunate and insuring that nothing stands in the way of someone living up to their own potential. However, the argument of taking more and more from one class of people to a different class of people with the threat of prosecution is not looking out for anyone. Plain and simple it is extortion and theft. Even if 100% of the additional money collected went directly to those less fortunate - doing so through threat of prosecution is a direct attack on the liberties of another.
On the other side of the argument.... we have some in our society who forget or fail to acknowledge that their good fortune comes by the grace of God. That their good fortune has been given to them for a reason and that we are all just here temporarily. Yes, hard work and commitment are the tools that many of them used to gather their wealth but they were given the opportunity by a power higher than themselves.

While this post is not nearly complete - I want to close with a small example of how much trouble the current direction by our government is causing us. Consider the data last reported (2008) shows that we have roughly 19.7 million government employees in the United States. This includes state and local along with military and federal. While they don't all make the > $100,000 that was recently reported .... if we estimate that each employee makes $70,000 (unburdened costs) a year. I am using simple math for estimating and the numbers could be much more extreme if we dig in to it in more detail. How many non-government employees does it take to pay their salaries? If the non-government employee made the same $70,000 and were taxed at 15% and the entirety of that tax went to pay direct salary payments to the government employee ..... it would take 131,500,000 citizens just to pay the salaries.

For those that claim the government pays the employees not Joe Public. Please remember that the government doesn't have anything. The government does make anything. The government does truly sell anything. When the government prints more money the only thing that changes is the volume of money. This in turn has the adverse affect making the money in your pocket worth less.

Back to the example - what happens if 10% of the public were to lose their jobs? In an effort to jumpstart the economy the government creates new jobs - but they are government jobs, what happens to the model. In order to pay for government employees taxes are raised to 16.7% and the government can then hire an additional 39,450 employees. All this while 13.15 million of the previous 131.5 million workers are now out of work. THIS MODEL SIMPLY DOES NOT WORK! Remember this when the Census workers are on the payroll and we are told that unemployment just dropped dramatically.

When the government takes and takes and demands more and more from its citizens it no longer works for the people. Instead the people are working for the government. Abraham Lincoln closed the Gettysburg address with "that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth. " Let us not forget those words and do the right thing for God, country and each other.

Positive thoughts on Obama and the health care debate

Again, I have been quiet. Nothing nice to say - don't say anything.

That has changed. The debate on health care in the United States has a tremendously positive side to it that I am thankful to those in Washington for. What could a generally conservative individual have to say about this situation that was positive? Quite simply - this single item has brought many people to the party. Yes, people are investigating the information that Washington has been putting out and they are discussing it.

For a society that was told that President George Bush was the most devisive president in recent history, the current environment which we live in has seen a new champion. I think it fair to conclude that the current elected body (House and Senate combined) along with President Barack Obama, have divided this country further and quicker than any that I can remember. This time, the people are fighting back. Not a physical fight - but a political one. People are informed at an ever increasing rate and they are discussing the topics with a renewed vigor. All the while - they are realizing that we have been lied to. Yes, lied to by our government and backed up by the media.

I also wanted to thank President Obama for showing me how to view expenses and what to do when they are not focused on what I care most about. President Obama has shared with us that 16% of our GDP is spent on health care and if left unchecked it could move to 25% very quickly. So, I went back and looked at the family funds to see where our money is spent and if it was in-line with what we want to be focused on. Not surprising - we are at odds with some expenditures and I am now looking at ways to reduce those that I don't feel are appropriate percentages of the family income. For starters - my family spends more on state income tax than car payments, car insurance and gasoline .... combined. My family spends more on Social Security (that program that won't exist when I actually get ready to use it) and Medicare than we do on food, clothing and entertainment. Can I opt out of those? The family household spends more money on taxes (not including the sales tax, property tax, gas tax, utility tax and all the other taxes that are 'built in' to the price of everything we consume) than our mortgage and private school bill - COMBINED.

Yes, my family decided to send our children to private school. This is an expense that we opted to pay and believe it is the best use of our money. Unfortunately, we don't seem to get a vote in where the majority of our money is actually going. In the end - I could choose to move to a less expensive home, drive a less expensive car, elect to purchase less expensive insurance (life, health, automobile, property), donate less to my church, use my time to make more money instead of volunteering or even contributing less to my 401K plan .... but those are my choices. With a government focused on spreading the wealth, and burdening my children and their future families with debt - I have no choice.

But then again, I do. I vote. I also will exercise my rights under the Constitution. Specifically, my right to free speech.

Watching the talent

As I reported in my previous post, I enjoy watching others use their talents and abhor watching someone trying to force their way through something they have not been granted the talent to perform. In just a matter of a few days I was able to watch and then experience up close the use of individual gifts to a the ultimate. This time it was on the field of sports -specifically soccer.

Friday evening I attended the AC Milan vs. Chelsea game and felt that I was watching a canvas being painted. It has been a while since I attended a professional soccer match in person - so this evening was something special. Professional athletes are impressive when they work their craft to its highest form. Yes, watching the individual talent of Ronaldinho was fascinating. However - what I enjoyed the most was watching the collection of athletes working together up and down the field. Not only did they move the ball - but they created a piece of art on the canvas of the pitch. It truly was a thing of beauty.

The second event was more personal but still directly related to one of my favorite sports. The soccer program that I assist in is hosting a high school preparation training camp. The camp is run by one of my heroes as I was playing high school ball - Mike Stankovic . It was a great pleasure to watch Mike work with the kids and meet him as a fan of the game. I was treated to another level of joy when Mike asked me to assist him. This week I am working alongside Mike in teaching, tutoring and training a great group of kids. On the selfish side - I also have been given the opportunity to take the field with Mike and play the game we both love. Mike is wonderfull with the kids. What is more impressive is to watch his love of the game transferred to the kids. He definitely has a gift (he still has it) for the game but he has coupled that with his concern for the youth who also love the game.

Bringing joy (and a good bit of sweat) to the players is an absolute joy to watch ... and participate in.

Made me laugh

I wish I had my camera, or phone, out when I drove past the yard last night. On my way to a meeting - I was cutting through some back roads. Up ahead it appeared that a family was holding the summer time garage sale. Much to my surprise, the sign out front said

Going out of marriage sale. Everything must go!

While there is a sad note to the story, the sign made me chuckle. There was someone with a different view on the subject. There was someone who understands the value of marketing their own unique message.

If I drive by and the sign is still there - I will upload for all to enjoy.

What a feeling

I know I have been rather lazy when it comes to updating this blog. The fact of the matter is that I have not seen much in the way of positive ... anywhere that I wanted to write about. I have made a commitment to myself (and family and friends) to be more positive - so when you have nothing to say - stay quiet.

That all changed yesterday. Let me first say that this is not a story about recapturing my youth, nor is it 100% about the accomplishment of two of my favorite people in the world (my two sons). No, this is bigger than that - but you must read this entire post to see it.

Late last week I receive an email - enticing me to send my two sons to baseball camp. Not just any camp - this was the Ripken - MLB experience. My wife and I offered this to our oldest son several years ago and he turned us down - just not his style. This year, our youngest jumped at the opportunity and his older brother was right behind him (still not his style but was intrigued). My wife worked out the details via phone and email and the boys were registered.

I planned to take my two baseball buddies to camp for the first day. The primary reason was to insure they were comfortable. The secondary reason was that recapturing my youth thing - live through my kids - and I would have given my left arm as a kid for the opportunity in front of them. We arrived early, my natural time, and took our time touring the campus. WOW! After wiping the drool from around my mouth after spending just 10 minutes at the Academy, I 1) wanted to sign up myself and 2) thought now was a good time to check the boys in.

Check-in could not have been more welcoming and professional. In addition to that - my guys were presented with their new Under Armour bat bags, baseball pants, home and away jerseys, belts, socks and team hats. For sake of completeness - this was a downer - as a Baltimore native having one son assigned to the New York Mets was one thing, but my oldest son was placed on the New York Yankees team (HELP!!!!!!). From here we sat down at Cal Sr.'s field to wait until the events started. The photo to the left is the view from the seats. YES - this is one of the fields for the kids under 12.

From here - things only improved. There was a parent meeting held by the G.M. for Ripken Baseball who presented the goals for the week, a little history of the program .... then the offer of juice, coffee, fruit and danishes as the program changed gears. At this point I went back to standing well behind my sons and listened as the program really started. There were a series of brief introductions which included biographies of a few past MLB'ers (Dennis Rasmussen, Bill Campbell, Kevin Bass and Al Bumbry). From there the kids were sent off to the batting cages behind Fenway Park (just one of the replica fields in Aberdeen). As they arrived at the cages - they were met by the Ripken brothers. Yes, Cal and Billy were there and they showed us all what being brothers can be like. They picked on each other, told stories of their Dad (Cal Sr.) and shared what the week would be like. More on this later.

When the talk completed I turned to head off to work - I needed to pay for this week and did not think my management would take kindly to just blowing off work for the fun of the experience. On my way out I was fortunate to share a few words with Al Bumbry - basically a thank you for a message he shared with me ( and a group of Junior Orioles) back around 1978. From there - I went to the office ... beaming and remembering baseball as a kid. It was all so innocent then.


Later in the day - I could not hold off. I headed back to the complex and made it in time to see three plays that had me beaming so much that my shirt buttons were in jeopardy of popping. The first play was one of those right place, right time kind of plays. My youngest son was playing in left/center field when he misplayed a ball and it flew over his head. He was playing at the field on the left (Fenway Park) and the ball rolled to about 20 yards from the Green Monster. He never panicked - just picked up the ball, turned, and threw a one hop strike to the catcher to throw out the runner from third .
On the field just past the Green Monster, my older son was playing. Just after the put out at home, I turned to see him come up the to the plate. Now, a little table setting is in order. The facility just completed the field portion of the Yankee Stadium replica. This is not a scaled down version - rather it is Ripken's first 90 foot diamond in Aberdeen and it is beautiful. Synthetic surface for all but the pitchers mound and home plate. Dimensioned to match the original Yankee stadium. My older son is usually a bit nervous around new people (just like his Dad I guess) and here he was the smallest and probably the youngest on the field. He steps to the plate with a runner on second and a score of 0-0. The picture to the left is his actual at bat (red helmet shows me that it is him). The pitching for the first day is done by camp instructors (college or AAA level players) and they are throwing in the mid 60's for the kids. My son was the last to bat for his team (moreso because his parents signed him up late and they built their lineups before they knew the kids) and so far ... not much offense. The oldest son jumped on the first strike and drove a line drive single up the middle. SCORING THE GO AHEAD RUN. That lead held until the second to last inning when the opposing team went ahead.

The final play to report - to be honest I didn't even know it was my son at the time. I thought it was just a remarkable play made by some 10 year olds. Bases loaded, one out. Ground ball hit to the third baseman. Cleanly fielded and threw the ball to the catcher who stepped in front of the plate, received the ball with back foot square on the plate. From there the catcher steps out one more step and throws a rocket to the first baseman. 5-2-3 double play. My son was catching! Something he has only ever done once before. Dad beams!!!

Yes, the games were fun to watch - but I must admit that what touched me the most was back during the Ripken brothers talk. For years, I have been trying to get the message to parents and coaches alike that the game is about the kids. That we as parents, coaches, advisors, league officicals have a responsibility to do for them and not do to them. Trying to coach to much or correct a flaw that we think we see - quite honestly does more damage to a young player than just letting them be. Cal and Billy talked about a number of things that are at the core of their teaching philosophy (taken directly from their website - http://www.ripkencamps.com :

Keep it Simple
Young baseball players must crawl before they can walk and walk before they can run. Teaching that is too complicated is difficult to remember and can result in frustration.

Make it Fun
Learning doesn't have to be tedious. Drills and instruction are structured so players enjoy themselves while learning.

Celebrate the Individual
No two players are alike, so why should they be treated as if they are? Each player has his or her own comfort zones, strengths and style.

Explain Why
"Why" is a young person's favorite question. Young players have an innate need to understand the reason behind the teaching. Lessons that make sense will stick with them.

Thank you Cal. Thank you Billy. Not only are you passing on the wisdom of your father, but you serve as ambassadors for interacting with youth in general. While I understand you have a business you are running - you do so from the heart and from the belief that we are all part of something much bigger than ourselves.

Trying to agree with the President

Take a look at Obama to take aim at credit card abuses - I find myself trying to agree with our President. The only piece of sanity that I can see is the third paragraph of the story - 'We need to do things to stop the marketing of credit in ways that addict people to it". - Make it harder for people to get credit is the only sane concept I see. There are very deep costs associated with this change however.

That said - this would apply to the policies put in place over the past 30 years to provide credit (specifically home loans) to those on the lower end of the financial spectrum. As soon as that is done - the social reformers will complain and the process of going back to the miserable state of where our financial services model is today will begin.

So, a single step towards agreement should not be seen as agreeing with the direction. No, instead I fear the current administration will unfairly target business again and punish organizations and people who are actually trying to earn money for their families and their shareholders - this concept appears to be lost on many in Washington.

There is NO good cure for what brought us to this point. I just wish the President and Congress would sit back and realize this. Instead of quick fixes - examine the entirety of the situation and plan ways to fix it instead of throwing legislation and policies at the crisis wall to see what sticks. The consequences are too expensive.

Biden is soooooo generous

I am still trying to not bash the current administration but it is getting more and more difficult. After all, according to DHS I may be viewed as a rightwing extremist because I oppose illegal immigration, oppose abortion, believe in states rights as outlined in the Constitution and believe that all citizens of this great country should be protected and provided for without being judged based on race, creed, color or financial background. So, in an effort to speak up without arguing that our country is headed down the wrong path - I will take the time to reflect on the day itself - April 15, 2009 - TAX DAY.

Today, the White House released pieces of the President and Vice President's taxes. President Obama did very well for himself this year ($2.5M) with his recent book. It is interesting to note that he paid roughly 32 per cent of that back to the federal government in the form of Federal tax and 2.9 per cent in State taxes. President Obama also reports that he paid approximately 6.5% of his income to charities. Very impressive Mr. Obama.

On the other hand, Vice President Biden earned $269,256 (including income from his memoirs). Compare his contribution to the tax system with the President. Mr Biden paid roughly 17 per cent to Federal Tax and 4% to his home state of Delaware. Now for the kicker. Mr. Biden makes reference constantly to his Roman Catholic faith. However, when it comes to giving back to charity he apparently missed the 10% tithe that is present in virtually every Catholic church. No, Mr. Biden missed by an order of magnitude and donated .7% (less than 1 per cent) to charity.

Why is this an issue? From one of my previous posts I stated that Joe Biden reports a net worth of $63,000 . Net worth was a big issue during the election of 2008 (Palin is out of touch as her net worth dwarfs her constituents). Why did no one ask 'Why is Joe Biden only worth $63K when he has been collecting a salaray as Senator for 35 years.?' . One could assume that he was being philanthropic with his income and living a modest lifestyle. At less than 1 per cent being donated to charitable organizations - I think we can rule that out.

So, if Joe Biden is not overly generous with his money - where did it all go? Again I ask - is someone who makes in excess of $150,000 a year for a number of years and is worth less than $100,000 really the person we want a heartbeat away from the presidency when the economic future of our country is in such peril?

Let down by government ... again .

It has taken me some time to get back and put my thoughts on the record. This is not due to my lack of interest or lack of passion on what is on my mind. I have been trying ... trying very hard ... to not post a negative comment regarding our President and the Congress. I still have nothing more positive to say since my last blog - so I will not comment (for now) on what is happening.

Instead, I want to express my deep disappointment with a local matter. As my friends know - I have been volunteering for several years with a local baseball program. This started when my oldest son wanted to play baseball. I started as many parents do - as an assistant coach. My role as assistant lasted until the 2nd week of the season and the head coach stopped showing up. I took over the role of 'Coach' with a passion and to this day - I love that job. The next year I was even more involved - Head Coach from the start and volunteering for anything else that was needed. The following year - I was running the program (for the 4-6 year old age group).
Over the next several years I continued to coach and took on more roles. I was the commissioner for multiple age groups - coaching multiple teams (some that I did not have child participating). I truly love coaching youth sports! The administrative side was a role that I did ... because it needed to be done. I believe we made the programs better by stressing sportsmanship, parental involvement and insuring every child had equal opportunity to share in America's past time. The programs grew every year, other programs around ours were shrinking - this had nothing to do with recruiting.. Word of mouth spreads quicker than any marketing campaign could.
There are a few dedicated individuals that I became very close friends with and it was through their (along with some of mine) efforts, ideas and commitment to the youth of the area , that the program flourished. Those few dedicated people ran and continue to run the program - not because they want to be the only ones behind the program but because no one else will. The local Park and Recreation council are supposed to support the program as it is a county operated organization along with a county run program. Instead, the Rec council is the biggest challenge to running the program. From field allocations (baseball is the largest spring sport but are last to get fields) to conflicts with other area events (baseball always gets bumped) - the Rec council seems to represent everyone in opposition to the program.
For the last several years I , and others on the board, have talked about moving away from paper registrations (where we hand type all the information into a large spreadsheet) to electronic. The Rec Council had been saying they were planning something for all sports programs but nothing ever materialized. So, last year ( June 2008), we decided to execute on our own plans. We looked at a number of options and decided on a solution. We officially opened electronic registrations (along with secure team web sites, team and organization calenders ...) in August of 2008.
This year has gone reasonably well - over 800 registrants. Teams are forming, communication to parents is up and we have reduced a good bit of the administrative overhead of previous years. This last point has allowed those who previously spent their evenings typing data into spreadsheets to more proactively plan for events for the kids. Remember the kids - they are who the program are for (not the administrators, not the coaches, not the Rec Council).

So, Why am I upset? I sat through a Rec Council meeting where the presented (or the vendor presented) what the new registration system would look like from this point forward. While I applaud their efforts and the fact that they have actually done something to help the programs - they appear to have done this for different reasons. In short - the Rec Council has taken ownership of the data and who has access to it. Why do I care? For starters - we, the volunteers, still are responsible for everything else - to include collection of fees. Secondly - a few years ago when we were asking for more fields - we were told to report the demographics of our program. Why? They wanted to limit which zip codes were eligible to register for a program using 'their' fields. In addition - instead of offering the programs (Judo, softball, theatre, baseball, basketball, football, soccer ...) the service - they have mandated the use of 'their' system. How do they do this? They have reported that will not approve budgets for any program who does not subscribe to the new system.

Here it is - the government is stepping in to an area that is already running well and taking over the specific area that does not need assistance. Instead of augmenting in areas that the current organization (or company) needs assistance with - they are taking over the piece that already functions well and by their own insertion will cause a breakdown in the effectiveness of the entirety. Let down by government .... again!