A Very Happy 18th Birthday

My birthday falls on June 27, and this year it was a day full of tears and goodbyes, because today was Bill Gates last full day at Microsoft. Now I’m not really going on to talk about Bill Gates I just found that to be clever opening. Now my birthday was full of surprise seeing how I was given the impossible. Yes, the device so hard for one to get their hands on fell into mine, and that gift was WALL-E. Just kidding, it was Nintendo’s Wii.

Today I turned 18, and my family certainly made it a wonderful birthday, Steak ‘n Shake however did not. Nothing could be better than going to a restaurant you love and seeing the things you crave the most no longer exist. And nothing could be more exciting then having a group full of waiters singing Happy Birthday in Spanish and off tune – at least I was surrounded by the people who mean the most to me.

Turning eighteen opens up a whole new set of things I’m allowed to do, unfortunately there a whole set of things I would never do. The only perks are that I can vote; enter a contest without entering my dad’s birthday, and buy a lottery ticket – maybe I’ll get lucky. But whatever eighteen brings for me, I thank the people who made this celebration a very happy 18th birthday.

Damaged?

There's a song by the late Johnny Cash entitled A Boy Named Sue. Fortunately for guys everywhere the name Sue is not one usually considered when for them. However, suing  has certainly become quite the habit.

Just today the Fox News website posted two stories revolving around that very word. One woman threatened to sue the city she lived in if they kept her from riding topless in their 4th of July parade. The law says nothing about covering one's upper half- guess the city's lawmakers should've elaborated. The other article involved a woman suing Victoria's Secret because of defective underwear. The woman says a small metallic object on the underwear hit her in the eye, giving her a cut - guess it was a slingshot. And just a month or two ago a man sued JetBlue because he was forced out of the seat he got at the last minute, and into the lavatory.

Usually when a person sues they ask for a rather large amount of money due to damages. Leading me to ask if they really deserve it.

When I was in the 4th grade I got lunch from the school. Well on one of those hot lunch days, I bit into my sandwich like we all do, but to my surprise I ended up pulling out some sort of micro-chip. I have no idea what happen to cause that little foreign object to become planted in my griller, but I didn't sue- I was only ten, but that didn't make any difference.

It sort of seems like we're not always to accept things as a mere accident. I would think that people who are going to sue are mature enough, and have enough good reason to go through with such an action, but sometimes that's not always the case. I'm sure there have been times where people have threatened to sue even though they failed to read that warning label. I jumped into an above ground pool and when my foot hit the bottom, I slipped further under with water washing up my nose. Where does the fault lie? Or how about this, you spill a drink you got, would you sue for a lid not being securely put on?  So maybe I'll just throw this question out there for anyone thinking of suing; are you really that damaged?

Happy Father's Day!

With it being Father’s Day one can only hope that dads everywhere are enjoying their special day. Perhaps their thanking you for their brand new tie, perhaps their off to frame the picture you drew for them, maybe their sitting down to enjoy the book or DVD you got them, or the call you made. And perhaps for some dads’ the greatest gift is simply in celebrating their first Father’s Day.

If you watch the news then you know that for some, Father’s Day won’t be so enjoyable. So just in case, make every moment matter. Friends come and go, but family never will. Whether it’s a day for going on a walk, heading to the movies, or meeting up to eat, who says we should set aside just one day to honor those who influence us those most? Even if it’s just out on a drive; or being invited to hang out at the pool before watching movies with ice cream and brownies, there shouldn’t just be one day where we say thank you and I love you. It shouldn’t even have to be marked on a calendar to remind us.

Whether it's your imediate family or close friends who treat you like part of theirs, don't wait until the holidays to show that you care. Happy Father’s Day!

In conversation father can
Do many wondrous things;
He’s built upon a wiser plan
Than presidents or kings.
He knows the ins and outs of each
And every deep transaction;
We look to him for theories,
But look to ma for action.

-excerpt from "Father"

by: Edgar A. Guest (1909)

Dedicated to

The Russert Family

Remembering Tim Russert

Today was supposed to be just another summer day for me, but it wasn't until I heard about the passing of Tim Russert when this ordinary day changed. Tim Russert, who died at the age of 58, was the Washington Bureau Chief for NBC News, and moderator of Meet the Press. Russert was an American journalist who devoted his life to telling the people of America what was going on in the world of politics, and yet he did so much more. It was that same strong passion he put above his own needs right up until his final moment.

During the school year my sister and I turn the television on and watch the Today show. And every now and then there would be Tim Russert commenting on the daily political coverage. I remember watching him with Brian Williams on the MSNBC debates. Tim Russert asked those questions that for me at least were the ones that mattered the most. And if you watched him, you probably recall his trusty whiteboard.

I saw Mr. Russert more on Today then on Meet the Press, but I made sure to download the podcast, just wished I had watched it more. He wasn't running for office but he made sure you knew who was. If you are to leave this blog with anything, remember how much he loved this country. We may not be perfect but we can certainly try to make things for the better. An inspiration to me, and an inspiration to his country. Today we are remembering Tim Russert (May 7, 1950 - June 13, 2008).

Food for Thought

You won't be asking where the beef is, instead you'll be wondering what happened to your tomato. McDonald's Corp. has temporarily stopped serving tomatoes in their sandwiches so that they can locate the source of a salmonella outbreak.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has warned U.S. consumers that the salmonella outbreak is linked to the consumption of certain raw red plum, red Roma, and red round tomatoes, and products containing these tomatoes. The FDA has said that it is safe to eat cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes and tomatoes sold with the vine still attached, or tomatoes grown at home.

I for one applaud McDonald's on responding quickly to this outbreak, and thank them for removing the tomatoes for the time being. I know I wouldn't want to go to McDonald's or any other similar fast food establishment and be served something that was hazardous to my health. But hey, with those tomatoes gone I guess my nutrition worries are no longer necessary - and I think Morgan Spurlock would agree.

So for now America, rest comfortably, there is no need to worry about what your sinking your teeth into. No fast food corporation would put our health in jeopardy to make a buck. And if they did, it's up to us to decide what we allow ourselves to put into our bodies. Oh well, food for thought.

Keep It In Mind

This nation will remain a neutral nation, but I cannot ask that every American remain neutral in thought as well. Even a neutral has a right to take account of facts, even a neutral cannot be asked to close his mind or close his conscience. - President Franklin D. Roosevelt

When I came across this quote, it got me thinking about my blog. Here I write, or at least try to write with a neutral mind. I write this way to show that I understand the different opinions people may have, and I try to write to find the middle ground. I hope I haven't come across in a way that makes me sound like my way is the best way. So when I say "stay neutral" I ask that we all listen and understand that everyone is entitled to their opinion. But in a world where someone is always against someone, maybe we can just stop, listen, and just try to get along. So stay neutral, or at least keep it in mind.