tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-318119062011-12-14T18:35:54.014-08:00and everything in between. Been in kind of a fog, and now i'm trying to set things down: all the mini-failures among the few mini-successes. Tag along for the ride. Maybe we'll both learn something. Maybe not.jldudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697734330927193162noreply@blogger.comBlogger1201100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31811906.post-80455191081235375542009-06-04T17:21:00.000-07:002009-06-04T17:26:47.703-07:00

God how depressing. That's me. That Leo character is me. I'm stuck in this rut. This soulless job. I have to do something else. But I can't. Because. 1. My job has daycare.2. Need to pay for E.'s private school this year.What's even more depressing: I see myself having a conversation with E. 15 years from now, trying to tell her, she can do anything. Don't settle. Do what you love. And yet, and

jldudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697734330927193162noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31811906.post-87511044939228638222009-06-04T14:42:00.000-07:002009-06-04T14:44:38.553-07:00

G. is 16 months old. I've started to teach her how to read using the, "How to Teach Your Baby to Read," book. We'll see how it goes.

jldudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697734330927193162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31811906.post-26263957580578033252009-06-04T14:27:00.000-07:002009-06-04T14:29:13.087-07:00

<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]--><!--[if !mso]> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } <![endif]--> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:

jldudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697734330927193162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31811906.post-51688163775707064452009-04-08T16:39:00.000-07:002009-04-08T16:45:01.967-07:00

So little E. is graduating from pre-school and we have to write a little inspiration note to be read at the ceremony. And I've been wracking my brain to write something inspiring to a precocious five-year-old.I'm reading Emerson's Self-Reliance essay and a collection of essays from NPR's "This I Believe" series. I so want her to chase her dreams, never give up, find something she loves to do ...

jldudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697734330927193162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31811906.post-53974156478859947572009-04-06T16:41:00.000-07:002009-04-06T16:46:13.632-07:00

This is the song I sing when I help E. comb her hair:To the tune of Boy George's "Karma Chameleon."Comb-a, Comb-a, Comb-leon. We're combing up, we're coming down...Repeat.

jldudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697734330927193162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31811906.post-18548385370981777892009-04-01T17:53:00.000-07:002009-04-01T18:00:07.709-07:00

E. is now 5 years old. She's been reading for a couple of years now. She gets so engrossed in a book that she won't hear anything.Me: E., E.!!? Time to get jammied up.Me: E., please get into your pajamas.Me: E., can you get into your jammies?Nothing. Head still stuck in book. Finally...Me: E., get out of your clothes and if you can answer these questions, you can win back your pajamas.Quick as a

jldudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697734330927193162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31811906.post-43587750451915150342008-09-08T10:03:00.001-07:002008-09-08T10:04:15.440-07:00

Cheap beer.Folding underwear.Too be continued.

jldudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697734330927193162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31811906.post-34828838372690902792008-08-29T10:18:00.000-07:002008-08-29T10:47:34.164-07:00

A Season of Life, by Jeffrey Marx. If you have kids, even if you don't and want to know how be a Man, this is the book.I rarely recommend books, but I've already told two co-workers about it. Two with sons. And I'm not quite finished the book yet. It's that good.It's about football. But much more than that. It's about building a man. The right definition of a man. And that if you don't teach

jldudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697734330927193162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31811906.post-66163956539362163132008-08-25T12:45:00.000-07:002008-08-25T12:55:24.752-07:00

So we're shopping at the local Trader Joe's over the weekend, and we stop at the free sample station. The guy there is super nice. He gives E. a balloon, and extra samples of the free food, which included some chocolate animal crackers.Then he asks her if she wants a big cookie.E. says, "No. Thank you."I'm shocked. A kid says no to cookies? "You sure? How come you declined the cookie?" says I."

jldudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697734330927193162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31811906.post-22438545616172185182008-08-21T21:19:00.001-07:002008-08-21T21:21:26.347-07:00

I've been really dragging lately. Maybe I've hit a wall with all this Caveman diet and Kettlebell training.Anyway, what I really wanted to get off my chest was that the mirrors in the gym are way distracting. I have to focus on what I'm doing and not looking at myself as I'm doing it.So I've started to face the wall lately, rather than the mirrors.

jldudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697734330927193162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31811906.post-66404862276404796022008-08-20T16:23:00.000-07:002008-08-20T16:35:45.764-07:00

It all started when the sister-in-law told little E. her favorite book growing up was The Fantastic Mr. Fox, by Mr. Dahl. Never heard of it, said I.You know, he also wrote James and the Giant Peach, she said.I remember reading that when I was a kid, but didn't remember too much about it. So went to the local library and got the Giant Peach. E. loved it. Then got the Charlie and Chocolate Factory,

jldudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697734330927193162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31811906.post-66972274235006841102008-08-20T15:14:00.000-07:002008-08-20T15:15:51.726-07:00

Wait for it... JEB BUSH. Because no matter how much McCain is like Bush, or wants to be Bush, blah blah blah, he's not a Bush.The best thing he could do is pick a Bush for his running mate. And that means, good ole Jeb Bush. Because we need another Bush in the White House.

jldudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697734330927193162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31811906.post-14235322246934532012008-08-18T13:24:00.001-07:002008-08-18T13:34:21.705-07:00

Lagging on the workouts. But I still have to do them. This is what I do now. As I try to get to 10% body fat.Finished reading Think and Grow Rich, by Napoleon Hill. I think I read it in my 20s, but wasn't ready for it. Now in my 40s, much more receptive and got a lot out of it.But as I'm chasing the money, there are several issues I'm thinking about, such as why chase money? Because all the

jldudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697734330927193162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31811906.post-52956420142795407652008-08-12T15:03:00.000-07:002008-08-12T15:08:25.688-07:00

Is is me, or is the mirror in the gym makes me look more defined, more ripped than I am?I definitely look different than that in my bathroom mirror at home.Just finished reading the entire 4-month blog worth of entries for Peak Condition Project. It's a little extreme for my tastes but definitely inspiring. It's motivated me to keep doing what I'm doing.In two months while I've been home watching

jldudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697734330927193162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31811906.post-51928492368673618202008-05-15T12:22:00.000-07:002008-05-15T13:04:14.677-07:00

The Turtles were trained to be trend-following traders. In a nutshell, that meant that they needed a "trend" to make money.Risk 2% of account for each trade.Traders who face the same opportunity must trade the same. Personal feelings can't interfere.The Turtles were taught not to fixate on when they entered a market. They were taught to worry about when they will exit.The Turtles were supposed to

jldudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697734330927193162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31811906.post-32801042978400045512008-05-12T12:15:00.000-07:002008-05-12T12:55:56.788-07:00

I've been meaning to read this for awhile, and I finally got around to it. It's a bit religious-ey but not in a bad way. I could definitely use a bit more religion or god or spiritualness in my life.And I like the parts about teaching and helping others. I've also been chasing money all my life and still am, and I worry if I find all the money but then what? What if I lose my soul in the bargain,

jldudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697734330927193162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31811906.post-8156405592227103692008-04-09T12:21:00.000-07:002008-04-09T12:30:51.328-07:00

I haven't posted much about my real estate adventures because Property One has not been the most profitable. I've made mistakes.Buying in a so-so neighborhood. Although it's nearly the best house on the block, though on the small side.Buying at the height of the market. Although I did end up negotiating, despite my agent, a 10% reduction from the list price.Mistakenly paying for new A/C, when it

jldudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697734330927193162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31811906.post-75239301769671304392008-04-04T12:02:00.000-07:002008-04-04T12:08:37.782-07:00

Here we go. I'm gonna get ripped in ... well ... first things first. I wanted to start out on the P90X. But I got some sensible advice that said I should work up to it. So .. I'm reading the Core Performance Essentials book.Basically, it's:Eat right.Exercise intensely.With that in mind...I'm eating six times a day, every three hours.I've taken my Before photo.I'm doing the exercises from the book

jldudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697734330927193162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31811906.post-52707320789137492442008-04-03T12:06:00.000-07:002008-04-03T12:16:03.092-07:00

Does the apple fall not far from the tree, or does it not? More tales from child care. There are several kids that I really do not like. They are mean-spirited, selfish and clique-ish. How does a four-year old get like that?Some parents, I see, are like that, so I can understand, but these parents are really cool and I like them. So what happened to the kids? Where are they learning such behavior

jldudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697734330927193162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31811906.post-18179405009839452912008-04-02T10:28:00.002-07:002008-04-03T12:24:10.421-07:00

Little E. will enter kindergarten in 2009, but we started to explore our options. We think she's gifted but will have to get her tested to be sure.Private Catholic SchoolWe had a tour and got application.ProsHalf the price has E's current pre-school.Nearby.ConsWife hated it. Too religious.Artwork displayed all looked the same.Principal not that welcoming.We have to "volunteer" our time.Classes

jldudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697734330927193162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31811906.post-27881528381338134162008-04-01T12:22:00.000-07:002008-04-01T12:25:31.668-07:00

More late night TV gems, as I sit up with little G. 11pm, 12am? I don't know.But along with infomericials and Sports Center, I have to add ... Best Damn Hooters International Pageant. I couldn't tell if they were all Hooters employees or not, because, as usual I had the sound off.Alas, I had to go just before the swimsuit competition.

jldudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697734330927193162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31811906.post-17976787809316321442008-03-26T15:33:00.000-07:002008-03-26T15:37:04.219-07:00

There is perfection, and there is realism. This is what I'm thinking, as I look on my mess of a front lawn full of weeds. And wondering, I should get a fake lawn.Then no watering, no mowing. Good for the environment, good for my wallet. Then I think, if I owned a fake lawn company, I would offer the most realistic fake grass around by installing a sod with a fake weeds like a dandelion in the

jldudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697734330927193162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31811906.post-10771941337604145842008-03-18T15:20:00.001-07:002008-03-18T15:24:03.719-07:00

Pic taken by E's teacher. Apparently, E. spent about 40 minutes on this. (Far left: lil G. holding hands with E. Far right: Me (in yellow), and her mommy in blue).

jldudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697734330927193162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31811906.post-43210507123653912622008-03-13T11:11:00.000-07:002008-03-13T11:22:08.418-07:00

She just turned 4.Emotionally, E. is normal, average, about where all the other kids are.But intellectually, she leaves all the other kids behind.She makes a jokeAt pre-school, they do the dates every morning. "What month is it?" "March."E. gets up, and marching in place, and says, "You mean, march?" and laughs.At pre-school, they do the ABCs. At home, she reads books about Picasso and Cubism.

jldudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697734330927193162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31811906.post-51796716879072185062008-03-10T12:40:00.000-07:002008-03-10T12:47:12.562-07:00

Just finished watching the DVD of Brave One starring Jodie Foster. Is it my imagination or has she been making the same movie over and over again since the Accused? And calling it by a different title?Bad thing happens to Jodie. She kicks ass.Besides that, I also had a problem with the ending, and this is why Hollywood does not make great movies any more. Jodie does not get arrested in this

jldudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697734330927193162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31811906.post-66988473367204591502008-03-05T12:34:00.000-08:002008-03-05T12:38:05.351-08:00

So what should I do with my life? The family is good, the kids are great. But what about me? All this chasing money to set up my family is good and all, but what should I really be doing? What is my purpose?Should I start my own business?T-shirts?Make books?Teach?What? What?

jldudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697734330927193162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31811906.post-9276936873362899212008-03-03T11:27:00.000-08:002008-03-03T11:30:29.529-08:00

This is what happens when you turn 41. That and watching too much infomercials at 3a.m.RoutinePushupsPlanksCrunchesPull upsDietGiven up beer.How serious am I?Took a "before" photosee Diet above.

jldudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697734330927193162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31811906.post-70599504815081152792008-03-03T08:53:00.000-08:002008-03-03T09:07:40.359-08:00

Prosper (my own little private banking adventure) has been one of couple things I haven't posted about. The other being my real estate ventures.I joined in August 2007. It's not for everyone. Then what is? I did some research and I've created my own set of screening criteria and preferences. It seems to work so far.I started small, and gradually added more to my Prosper account. I make about $25-

jldudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697734330927193162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31811906.post-21422943210700324132008-02-29T14:53:00.001-08:002008-02-29T15:46:42.829-08:00

Steve over at StevePavlina.com just started playing chess and asked for some advice. Since he doesn't allow comments and I can only reply in his registered forums, I decided give him my two cents here in my blog.Advice #1: DON'T PLAY. DON'T START. It's highly addictive. I know he plays poker and so do I, and I can say it's just as addictive if not more so. It's all ego. Yours vs. the opponent.

jldudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697734330927193162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31811906.post-81367216918711683892008-02-26T11:00:00.000-08:002008-02-26T11:04:21.383-08:00

It seems obvious but still wonderful to discover Lil G (newborn) and Lil E have two distinct smells.And another thing, ole Lil G. loves a fresh diaper. Yes, she does.She goes seconds after I change her. Ah, the wonders of fatherhood.

jldudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697734330927193162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31811906.post-51652033684836672372008-02-25T12:21:00.000-08:002008-02-25T12:39:23.664-08:00

Troubled Children and Others How to Live with Your Special Child, George von Hilsheimer: “Any child who persists in troubling or inadequate behavior when a majority of his peers have improved ought to be examined for hypoglycemia … Nearly every child sent to us has been found to be suffer a deficiency of B vitamins.”Von Hilsheimer: “Nearly every troubling child suffers

jldudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697734330927193162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31811906.post-54141319597112084672008-02-25T12:10:00.000-08:002008-02-25T12:20:58.710-08:00

Varieties of Writing “In all talking or writing (which is a special form of talking) there are three elements. Someone is talking; he is talking to someone; his is talking about something. How he talks, or writes, depends on whom he is talking to, and what his is talking about.” What he learned from James Moffett.“Almost all the writing we ask students to do in school

jldudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697734330927193162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31811906.post-54696840570055484842008-02-22T16:24:00.000-08:002008-02-22T17:29:48.228-08:00

Measuring Speed"What is wrong with most schools is that we honor only a very few kinds of skills out of the great many that children possess, so that very few people get all the prizes. Also, we put too much emphasis on winning and too little on improvement, which is what children really care about, and what they can all share in.""Once one of these projects gets started, the more the children

jldudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697734330927193162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31811906.post-32006772432205408382008-02-22T16:21:00.000-08:002008-02-22T16:24:16.151-08:00

Killing of the Self, cont. "The parents cannot and do not say to their children, 'I can't prevent your teacher from despising and humiliating and mistreating you, because the schools have more political power than I have, and they know it. But you are not what they think and say you are, and want to make you think you are. You are right to want to resist them, and even

jldudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697734330927193162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31811906.post-64521369789741492952008-02-22T12:07:00.000-08:002008-02-22T13:27:49.942-08:00

The Killing of the Self"It seems to me a fact that the schooling of most children destroys their curiosity, confidence, trust, and therefore their intelligence.""[In a double-bind situation] one person conveys to the other that he should do something, and at the same time conveys on another level that he should not, or that he should do something else incompatible with it. The situation is sealed

jldudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697734330927193162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31811906.post-68421202340324498152008-02-22T11:25:00.000-08:002008-02-22T13:26:49.207-08:00

I've been on a John Holt kick lately, started with his book, How Children Learn, because the library didn't have his more famous, How Children Fail.His books are all from the 70s and I hope and pray the conditions in conventional schools he wrote about have changed, but I'm not so sure because it looks like he ended up in the Home School camp. He died in 1985.Disclosure: I have yet to make any

jldudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697734330927193162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31811906.post-14264228147806624102008-02-22T09:45:00.000-08:002008-02-22T09:51:18.003-08:00

Lil' G. is six weeks old and I've got the 3am, 4am feeding duties, and I realize that ESPN's Sports Center is the perfect show for me: It's on at 24/7 and I can watch it with the audio off.Having said that, there's alot of repetition of sports news after that first hour. So I have to resort to Plan B shows with no sound -- Infomercials.Current favs: HipHop Abs, Rocket Abs, Perfect Pushup, and

jldudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697734330927193162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31811906.post-50824374987240473972008-02-21T10:36:00.000-08:002008-02-21T10:47:18.383-08:00

Electric Egg Cooker. I bought one for the wife at Willliams-Somona, for about $40. They don't carry that model any more. This one has more controls at the bottom, for the same price. There's also an Oster one at Amazon.And I finally broke down and paid the $150 for a Universal Remote. I'm not a 100% satisfied but it works and I can get rid of all five remotes.Life's too short for cheap beer,

jldudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697734330927193162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31811906.post-76813409189052537522008-02-21T10:03:00.000-08:002008-02-21T10:36:32.773-08:00

Do you search for meaning in this life or create it? Live at the extremes, then write a book, or live a "stunt" life so that you can write about it?Examples are:The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible, by A.J. Jacobs.The Know-It-All: One Man's Humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the World. A.J. Jacobs' first book, where he reads

jldudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697734330927193162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31811906.post-5779016165091191222008-02-20T14:04:00.000-08:002008-02-20T14:12:09.090-08:00

Do get down to their eye level. How would you like to look up all the time?Don't use your "baby" voice. It annoys the baby and everyone around you.Do wait for an answer. Don't ask another question soon after the first. Give the kid some time to answer. In other words, be respectful. Talk less, listen more.

jldudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697734330927193162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31811906.post-57795817845949657752008-02-19T14:21:00.000-08:002008-02-19T14:24:51.275-08:00

Lil' G. was born about a month ago. She's our second. She's the inspiration for these T-shirts for new-born parents.1. "No, I'm not getting any sleep. Thanks for asking."2. "Got Sleep?"

jldudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697734330927193162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31811906.post-34471155499106296782008-02-15T12:21:00.000-08:002008-02-15T12:35:55.374-08:00

My daughter E. turned four last week. She has been reading for about half a year now.I play Phonics and Kumon with her, but this is only after she started to read. She can count to about 50.Her writing motor skills are no where near her reading/mental ability. She can write a few letters.She's known how to rhyme for awhile now, but yesterday I taught her Alliteration. She came up with:"Tiny town"

jldudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697734330927193162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31811906.post-73767899887289053892007-09-27T16:31:00.000-07:002007-09-27T17:14:47.364-07:00

Besides the love of a wife and child, I have to stop and remind myself, things are not so bad.1. On the night shift this week, and co-workers and I ordered Chinese takeout, at my suggestion. We all order the same dish. Co-worker Glenda gets food poisoning and is still out sick. Big Boss gets sick the next day, goes home early.Me? I'm fine. They call me "Iron Stomach." So I've got that, my health

jldudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697734330927193162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31811906.post-41940620321841624212007-09-13T13:39:00.000-07:002007-09-13T14:02:38.558-07:00

I've been on a new discipline of not complaining too much but I have to get this off my chest. How much is too much for parking?The wife and I went to the Cirque du Soleil's latest show, Corteo. It was under the big top in the parking lot of the Forum in Inglewood. Those familiar with Los Angeles know that Inglewood is a bit on the rough side. Picture Pay Day Loans, short-term motels and Bail

jldudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697734330927193162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31811906.post-34818475783490059192007-09-11T14:44:00.000-07:002007-09-11T14:49:43.592-07:00

Riddle me this: If I'm worth a half-a-mill, why am I still cleaning my own toilets?This was going through my head as I was on my heads and knees cleaning the bathrooms this morning. I was raised in a lower middle class family. We didn't have maids and cleaning people.Although I did have a maid briefly when I worked in Hong Kong. But everyone did. They were very cheap. Something like half of what

jldudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697734330927193162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31811906.post-80658562038203747872007-08-09T05:04:00.000-07:002007-08-09T17:02:35.940-07:00

4.55am, Thu.I Googled you the other day. You're finally married. Nice wedding pics. I've been married a few years now. With a little girl. Sick at the moment. Just went back to sleep. But I can't.So I write a letter to you. Which you'll never see or read. I think of you now and then. Or truth be told, I think of me, that knew you then.I don't write much these days. Except this blog. Funny. That's

jldudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697734330927193162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31811906.post-63923058878179270342007-07-27T09:43:00.001-07:002007-07-30T15:09:40.172-07:00

As a blogger, my major flaw is that I lack focus.I am all over the place. Parenting. Money. Mid-life crisises. Romance. I have succeeded at failing at blogging.I needed to do two things: 1. Find a niche. 2. Provide value, and or entertainment. Do these two things consistently.Reading some successful (success in terms of traffic) blogs, I realize I don't do these things on a consistent basis.

jldudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697734330927193162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31811906.post-22023258015226668072007-07-27T08:03:00.000-07:002007-07-27T08:12:26.709-07:00

T minus ten days. It's hard to be coherent when baby 2 is coming. Or not. Ten days til the lab results come back. And there is a 1:65 chance of Downs Syndrome.Yesterday was the CVS, where they stick a needle in the placenta. No picnic, let me tell you. I try to stay positive and not think too much.

jldudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697734330927193162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31811906.post-89124339181937972752007-07-26T10:36:00.000-07:002007-07-26T08:16:31.684-07:00

Co-worker to someone Acquaintance she hasn't seen in awhile.Co-worker: Man, you lost a lot of weight. You look great. Really great. How did you do it?Acquaintance: My boyfriend died.

jldudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697734330927193162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31811906.post-61406293978822428732007-07-26T08:06:00.000-07:002007-07-26T08:16:04.584-07:00

Dreams lately. Weird. A midget contractor came to me in my dreams. Started out fine, til he started rapping and making me take notes. His name, he rapped was Montana.

jldudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697734330927193162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31811906.post-57749866139677998542007-07-25T08:22:00.000-07:002007-07-25T08:27:31.862-07:00

1. Trying to sleep less. I read that most successful people make do with four hours' sleep a day. I wouldn't go that far, but I would like to get it down to seven or six. No success so far.2. Side income. For Little E's college fund. Trying to be more active in making alternative income, rather than just saving. Tiny success. $40 at the last yard sale, $5 YTD on recycling.3. Write every day.

jldudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697734330927193162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31811906.post-27060828735354498032007-07-24T10:38:00.000-07:002007-07-24T11:07:17.493-07:00

In my 30s, when I worked in Hong Kong, three friends and I won $10,000 each at the race track in one night. It was not completely unexpected, as we chased the big prize, week in, week out.Ten thousand seemed like a lot money. Back then, it probably was.Out of the four of us, I was the only one who quit my job. I spent the money on:1. European tour for the girlfriend and I.2. Loaned money to lil

jldudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697734330927193162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31811906.post-44245075183901630162007-07-23T08:32:00.000-07:002007-07-23T08:39:31.915-07:00

I had a dream about Forest Whitaker, the actor. He was shooting a commercial and several people were telling him how to act.He says, "I get no pleasure from that [faking sincerity]. I get satisfaction from knowing I did it right."What does it mean? Don't you just hate people who feel the need to tell you their dreams?

jldudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697734330927193162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31811906.post-33678561238826758832007-07-22T07:29:00.001-07:002007-07-22T07:34:12.096-07:00

Just a good ole boy never meaning no harm...A random shot I caught on the way home from work.Is this the retirement home for all the General Lees? Or just a temporary pit stop on the way to the Dukes of Hazzard sequel?

jldudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697734330927193162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31811906.post-72963034186099758212007-07-19T08:17:00.000-07:002007-07-19T10:17:12.490-07:00

First off, I love Cormac McCarthy. He's one of my favorite writers. I've read Border Trilogy, plus a few more. But his latest, The Road, is, o my god, Depressing. It's sometime in the near post-apocolytic, post nuclear future. Father and son travel on the road, avoiding the Baddies, looking for food and shelter. That's it. Page after page. Of bad weather, hunger, corpses ... of depressing

jldudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697734330927193162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31811906.post-8195625612313767142007-07-19T08:15:00.001-07:002007-07-20T08:35:53.494-07:00

There are two generally accepted ways to calculate net worth: include your real estate and don't include it. Some do both just to see what it looks like. I just did that and boy does it look ridiculous.Without Real EstateMy net worth: -$840With Real Estate$1.07 million.I'm sure I'm doing the math incorrectly, but for those playing at home, here are the numbers:My debt: $420,000 in mortgagesMy

jldudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697734330927193162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31811906.post-59047516149786373452007-07-19T08:12:00.000-07:002007-07-19T08:14:58.518-07:00

This is my new project. To write every day. For a year. I'm not sure if I'm going to count the weekend or not. Wish I could remember whose advice it was. I just read it yesterday. Getting old. It was Asimov or someone like that.

jldudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697734330927193162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31811906.post-222301219057474452007-06-24T17:54:00.000-07:002007-06-24T18:27:18.710-07:00

So Little E. just completed her first week of Level 1 swim lessons at the local recreation center. One more week to go but here's what I learned so far...1. Don't compare your kid to others. It was discouraging and disappointing seeing all the other children take to the water like paparazzi to Paris. In all fairness, E. was the smallest and youngest and perhaps had the least amount of pool

jldudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697734330927193162noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31811906.post-30244075242733953442007-06-14T10:13:00.000-07:002007-06-14T11:12:30.822-07:00

Darn you, Alfie Kohn. I blame you for all this. Ever since I read Kohn's Unconditional Parenting: Moving from Rewards and Punishments to Love and Reason, I've been trying to be the enlightened parent, giving my little toddler as many choices as possible. But have I lost my mind? Is this going too far? How much is too much?In the morning, I have to get Little E. to answer (at least) nine questions

jldudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697734330927193162noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31811906.post-71255770251760348982007-06-09T23:55:00.000-07:002007-06-10T00:10:08.959-07:00

Not because Father's Day is just around the bend, but I've been thinking about my father a lot. Half of everything I know about being a parent I learned from him. There's many things I want to say to him, so many questions to ask him. He died at a young 55. And all I think about are all the things he didn't get to see...my wedding, my little girl (his granddaughter)...My little girl just cannot

jldudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697734330927193162noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31811906.post-33845681532132599552007-06-08T22:28:00.000-07:002007-06-08T22:44:42.719-07:00

Let's just say the year I turned 40 was when I started this blog. It was also when I started reading the first of Richard Ford's trilogy of novels, starting with The Sportswriter, then Independence Day, and ending with The Lay of the Land.The audience for these books are really mid-50s and older, but I was always a little precocious. Then again, look where precociousness gets you -- an early

jldudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697734330927193162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31811906.post-67454671088550324602007-06-08T10:49:00.000-07:002007-06-08T10:54:50.028-07:00

Here's something you don't see that often. A Prius at the gas station. Obvious, but still needed to be said. Just like you never see a celebrity shopping at Costco. Just doesn't happen. Unless you're Sandra Tsing Loh looking for material. Anyway, this Prius. Driven by a woman, late 30s, professional. I'm guessing realtor. On the back, an Obama '08 bumper sticker. Natch.

jldudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697734330927193162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31811906.post-51378052457621739212007-05-22T10:35:00.000-07:002007-05-22T10:47:42.486-07:00

Dear Daughter,This is Letter #1 from your father. You'll be zipping around in a car in no time and I wanted to set some ground rules and things you can expect from your parents.1. On your 16th birthday, we will put up 50% of the money for your car, provided it's gently-used Honda, Toyota or Volvo.2. We will pay insurance. You pay gas.3. You cannot drive with more than two friends in your car. (

jldudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697734330927193162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31811906.post-60845136083196131562007-05-09T11:27:00.000-07:002007-05-09T11:31:30.592-07:00

That's what it says on my bumper sticker. Anyone wants one, let me know. Little E. actually does go the same preschool, and I've seen Brad and Angelina around. It's not that big of a deal. I recently Googled "Jolie" and "Daycare" and cannot believe the crap that is out there. The stories got about two facts right. But it does make for good copy.Oh, well, can't feel too sorry for them.

jldudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697734330927193162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31811906.post-46751085424920178962007-04-23T13:19:00.000-07:002007-04-23T14:19:41.633-07:00

Booknotes: I read the book, took some notes, so you don't have to. But you should. Really.Author of Permission Marketing and the more recent, Small is the New Big, marketing guru Seth Godin unleashed his virus of a book in 2001.Quite fascinating concepts. Some are obvious and I'm seeing more of his theories put in practice. So did Mr. Godin come first and they've adopted his ideas or did he

jldudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697734330927193162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31811906.post-20116238896053349132007-04-23T12:57:00.000-07:002007-04-23T13:14:25.726-07:00

Time for an upgrade on the 11-year-old BMW. The heart wants what the heart wants. And the heart wants another Beemer, this time a 5-series. Now, as a concession to the practical side, I'm not looking at the brand new models, just the year to 2-year ones.The wife is the voice of reason and practicalness. She wants a fuel efficient Japanese car. Either a Prius or Camry. Her Practical reasons (and

jldudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697734330927193162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31811906.post-12994293441228711132007-04-19T14:18:00.000-07:002007-04-19T14:27:55.079-07:00

Booknotes: I read the book. Took some notes. So you don't have to. But if you're intrigued, you should buy the book. You become smarter, the author gets richer, Amazon pays me a wee little bit of referral money. Say and think positive. Do your daily positive money affirmations.I.e. “People love to give me money.”Monitor your thoughts: write down negative thoughts on one side,

jldudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697734330927193162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31811906.post-42187182011522194042007-04-19T10:45:00.000-07:002007-04-19T09:40:29.841-07:00

My response to the tragedy at Virginia Tech is ... Please, please, answer for the me, the following ...1. Why oh why do we need guns? [The 2nd Amendment to the US Constitution states we have the right to bear and keep arms.]2. Why do we need to have auto- or semi-automatic weapons? [Other than law enforcement officers, why would anyone ever need to be able to shoot 13-15 rounds per clip?]3. Why

jldudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697734330927193162noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31811906.post-53398898529712445822007-04-15T23:36:00.000-07:002007-04-17T14:11:15.892-07:00

Bob is my BMW mechanic. I took my wife's non-BMW to him the other day. One of the tires looked nearly flat.He checked it out, said there was probably a nail in there, but couldn't see anything. He inflated that tire and the other three so I could make it to the dealer appointment two days later.Total time: 20 minutesTotal cost: $0. That's right. Zero. Zilch.This is not the first time he has done

jldudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697734330927193162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31811906.post-52564721177839120752007-04-15T23:02:00.000-07:002007-04-15T23:06:16.370-07:00

That's my latest goal. To do one good deed a day. It can be a small or big deed. Here some examples:1. Letting someone change lanes in front of me while I'm driving.2. Holding a door open for someone with a baby stroller.3. Helping an older person with their computer.4. Giving a compliment.And so on.

jldudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697734330927193162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31811906.post-14821082333065280472007-03-02T21:40:00.000-08:002007-03-05T21:11:15.800-08:00

It's an honest question. One that comes to mind quite a bit. And I ask it in genuine wonderment.And I ask because I, myself am a BMW owner. A 318i, thank you very much. But when I'm driving the wife's non-Beemer, I'm constantly getting cut off by total assholes and they all happen to be in BMWs. Self-important little pricks talking on their cellphones in a hurry hurry to get wherever they need to

jldudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697734330927193162noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31811906.post-62535324066824403092007-03-01T16:33:00.000-08:002007-03-01T16:36:57.987-08:00

Filed under useful things.1. Around your iPod.2. By itself.

jldudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697734330927193162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31811906.post-80325812179523800432007-02-20T10:39:00.000-08:002007-02-20T11:07:05.335-08:00

I'm giving away a FREE ER coffeemaker. It is a Cuisinart TTG-500 Two-to-Go. Never been used, opened once -- to take the picture you see on the right.What's the catch? No catch. All you have to do is:1. Email me at jldude@yahoo.com, subject line: I want the coffeemaker.2. If you are the 100th email, you win. Pay shipping and the coffeemaker is yours.This is only for continental U.S. readers.

jldudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697734330927193162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31811906.post-41696794837685666252007-02-15T08:23:00.000-08:002007-02-21T21:01:43.741-08:00

These days it's C is for Cookie and Wiggles and the Dora the Explorer theme song. But it wasn't always like that. Once, long ago, the list on the soundtrack of my life was ...1. "Blister in the Sun", Violent Femmes. Freshmen year. College.Why can't I get, just one kiss.Why can't I get, just one fuck?The anthem for all desperate, sexually frustrated virgins.2. "Bitchin' Camaro", Dead Milkmen.

jldudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697734330927193162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31811906.post-1167251214183780972007-01-17T12:24:00.000-08:002007-01-17T08:44:15.080-08:00

"...when you're young your opponent is the future; but when you are not young, your opponent is the past and everything you've done in it and the problem of getting away from it."-- Independence Day, Richard Ford.Every year, the rituals of December -- shopping, Christmas trees, Rudolph on TV (the Burl Ives version, of course), Charlie Brown, A Christmas Carol -- take me inevitably to the

jldudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697734330927193162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31811906.post-1165436636519247632006-12-29T10:23:00.000-08:002006-12-29T12:18:36.126-08:00

The Dreaded Morning Drop-off. In the toddler room at our daycare, Little B. and her Mom were having a tough time in the mornings. Little B. did not want her Mom to leave, and was crying and clinging on to her. After 15 or 20 minutes, one of the teachers would pry little B. away, holding and comforting her while Mom makes her not-so-clean or happy getaway.After a few mornings like this, I ran into

jldudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697734330927193162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31811906.post-1164213787139207702006-11-30T09:45:00.000-08:002006-11-30T09:43:35.140-08:00

Where I live, the lawn mower's roar wakes me on Thursdays. The neighbor's gardeners come early and are my alarm clock for this day.Thursdays are Turkey Day at the company cafeteria. For $5 I get an entree and three sides....Pay day. When the Direct Deposit hits my bank and there is a "transaction pending" next to my account....when they change the security guard over at Little E.'s day care....

jldudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697734330927193162noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31811906.post-1162633023725391982006-11-07T09:36:00.000-08:002006-11-06T09:33:55.220-08:00

"Farther away were the wars of terror, the gunmen in love with the sound of their shells, where the main purpose of war had become war." -- Anil's Ghost, M. Ondaatje.Q: What is the difference between the Republicans and Democrats?Sounds like the beginning of a bad joke, right? My point exactly.Candidates: Maybe it's time to give the Greens and Libertarians a chance.Propositions: If it costs money

jldudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697734330927193162noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31811906.post-1161903920126969512006-11-01T16:00:00.000-08:002006-11-01T13:38:40.310-08:00

I'm driving down the road, window down wind blowing in my hair. A song comes on the radio. I can't remember which, but it's one I haven't heard in awhile. One of my favorites.I'm groovin'. Shaking my head.I get to the house, pull up into the driveway. The music's still blasting, and I'm still sitting there, in the car, enjoying the music.I need more moments like this. If I string enough of them,

jldudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697734330927193162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31811906.post-1160519942791904222006-10-10T17:31:00.000-07:002006-10-10T16:35:12.406-07:00

Michael Ondaatje: Was Apocalypse Now a project the two [Francis Ford Coppola and John Milius] of them thought up?Walter Murch [editor of Apocalypse Now]: No. Originally George Lucas was going to direct, so it was a project that George and John developed for Zoetrope. That was back in 1969.... After the success of American Graffiti in 1973, George wanted to revive it, but it was still too hot a

jldudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697734330927193162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31811906.post-1159919499011106542006-10-10T16:49:00.000-07:002006-10-10T14:42:41.983-07:00

Filed under: Random Thoughts.Like I discover a wicked good book by a new author. Then I search for other books written by that person. I read everything they've written. Til they disapoint me. Or til I've gotten everything I can out of them. Same when I discover a cool new band.It's like that when I chance upon a new blog. It starts with an above average post. I browse around. At that point,

jldudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697734330927193162noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31811906.post-1159839163345432952006-10-03T20:26:00.000-07:002006-10-03T17:48:06.923-07:00

"The medium is the message." -- Marshall McLuhan.If content is king, links must be the queens. Can one tell a tale with just links? I can sure try.1. Steve Pavlina: Personal growth, personal development. Start a blog, quit your job, make big money. One out of three's not bad. He never said it was going to be easy. I just assumed it would be.2. Google Adsense: Ads, ads, ads. Easy money. Yeah,

jldudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697734330927193162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31811906.post-1159387770222067132006-09-27T12:48:00.000-07:002006-09-27T13:27:21.853-07:00

So I changed the template on this blog to black. And I took off all the ads. Maybe later when I get more traffic I might reconsider.Speaking of site renovations: there's a cool tool, dynamic converter, that will help you convert and display multi-currencies side by side. According to their site, it's just add one line of code. And off you go. Check it out. It's useful if you sell stuff, and if

jldudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697734330927193162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31811906.post-1158889049819732322006-09-26T18:37:00.000-07:002006-12-01T10:07:25.520-08:00

Previously in this space, I've given away my Japanese "impress your babe" dinner recipe, and the "next morning, good morning" buttery scrambled eggs recipe.But this is the recipe I should have started with. This is the meat and pototoes, my old standby. A simple dinner for the dude in all of us. From college student (trying to impress the sorority wench) to bachelor (attempting to impress

jldudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697734330927193162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31811906.post-1158887531258004162006-09-22T23:07:00.000-07:002006-09-22T21:37:57.873-07:00

Seize the day, they say. Live life to the fullest, too. Well, I tried this little experiment. I really did. I tried to live the day as if it was going to be my last. Morbid? A little. Depressing? Not as much as I thought.Here's what I did:Wrote a supplement to my will. Basically, simple instructions and a treasure map of all the financial accounts for the wife.That's it.Honestly, life goes on. In

jldudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697734330927193162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31811906.post-1158884167184351942006-09-21T22:15:00.000-07:002006-09-21T21:57:51.570-07:00

In the next life I want to be D. Brian Nelson.He's a photographer with a cool blog called Hotel Room Nudes.Hot girls take their clothes off for him. He takes their pictures. Sometimes they do more than just take their kit off.His pictures are good. Good as in Art. Capital A.He writes well, too. Kinda reminds me of Charles Bukowski.He's got hard principles and Socrates-like integrity. I know three

jldudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697734330927193162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31811906.post-1158265104633291752006-09-18T12:14:00.000-07:002006-09-18T10:35:05.820-07:00

The latest issue (Oct. 06) of Smart Money magazine has an article called "10 Things Your Hospital Won't Tell You" that reminded me of the times the wife was in the hospital. There were some touch and go moments. A few times I was unsure whether she or I would make it out alive.Here are some strategies that helped me (and that might help you, the healthy one) when a loved one -- wife, child or cat

jldudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697734330927193162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31811906.post-1157989659790337552006-09-12T14:47:00.000-07:002006-09-12T13:11:53.690-07:00

Let me define a few terms. By "best", I mean yummy, reasonably-priced and authentic. By "valley", I mean the San Fernando Valley. Although, I might as well have said "all of LA," knowing full well there isn't any reasonably-priced, authentic (unpretentious) restaurants on the Westside.At the risk of being politically incorrect (but isn't political correctness so 2004?), and maybe even racist, I

jldudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697734330927193162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31811906.post-1157754106327171192006-09-11T14:49:00.000-07:002006-09-11T13:19:29.426-07:00

This is how you build an ethnically-diverse library for a toddler. Why bother? Because if you build it, they will read it.Because the wife and I belong to the tribe of anti-consumers who worship strong anti-princesses. The only television little E. watches are Sesame Street and The Daily Show (ok, just Sesame Street). She knows all the Sesame Street monsters and despite our best efforts, she

jldudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697734330927193162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31811906.post-1157600872932339912006-09-06T20:18:00.000-07:002006-09-06T20:47:53.186-07:00

This is a recipe I got out of a old Japanese cookbook. I've modified it a little bit over the years. But this is my old standby, my bread and butter breakfast/brunch meal I whip up for Mother's Day/wife's birthday meal in bed.What you need:5 eggs1/2" block of butterDash of salt and pepperDash of milkOptional:ToastChampagne and OJ for the mimosaWhat to do:In a bowl, beat the eggs.Add a dash of

jldudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697734330927193162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31811906.post-1157499928398960402006-09-05T16:40:00.000-07:002006-09-05T16:49:21.466-07:00

I've started another blog, "daddy made it" (turning fatherhood into art (and crafts)). I wanted to put all the posts about my arts and crafts projects in one place.All the one-of-a-kind things I make for my wife and child will be here to give all you Dads some motivation and inspiration.

jldudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697734330927193162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31811906.post-1157135447623746852006-09-01T11:30:00.000-07:002006-09-01T11:31:56.866-07:00

What got into me? What made me do this? Well, my fifth wedding anniversary (traditional gift: Wood) was fast approaching and I was out of ideas. I'm a big, big fan of Keith Haring. I have a little girl. And because I wanted to give my wife something special, different and romantic (see my post on 4 Ways to More Romance) to decorate her new office.What I did1. I went to the Haring site and found

jldudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697734330927193162noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31811906.post-1156872836942328922006-08-29T10:12:00.000-07:002006-08-29T16:37:17.936-07:00

A strange thing happened a few days after I read Problogger's post about people stealing content from his site. I was doing a random test search on del.icio.us on my post, 4 ways to more romance. The search came up with another post titled, "4 ways to more romance, at least works for me". This guy in New Zealand lifted my post completely, changed my list from 1-4 to A-D, dollar to NZ$, and

jldudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697734330927193162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31811906.post-1156793885957555582006-08-28T12:37:00.000-07:002006-08-28T14:59:17.516-07:00

"Those who can, do. Those who can't teach. Those who can't teach, teach PE." - anon."Those who have lives, live. Those who don't, blog." - jldude."I hate quotations. Just tell me what you know" -- Ralph Waldo Emerson.The big 40 birthday is fast approaching, so now might be time to take stock. Do a little navel gazing. Or should I skip all that and go straight to Mid-Life Crisis Sports Car? The

jldudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697734330927193162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31811906.post-1156352730489429432006-08-23T10:00:00.000-07:002006-08-23T10:25:38.350-07:00

5:11am. I watched my little girl sleeping, caught a smile sail across her face as she dreamed. It lasted just a moment. It stays with me much longer.After two years, I still feel like a new Dad. Still can't believe my ears as this little precious creature/person shouts, "Daddy!" Who me?

jldudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697734330927193162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31811906.post-1156265126066788692006-08-22T09:08:00.000-07:002006-08-22T11:34:06.833-07:00

Look, I know. I have a problem. It all started with personal development guru Steve Pavlina. He got me inspired, motivated. I wanted to grow, change, improve. Now. I wanted my own blog, too. So I blame him for the following:My blogmy trying "to live consciously"my trying to be nicer to people, handling difficult people betterLucid dreamingWatching less TVWhat's wrong with all that, you ask? Well,

jldudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697734330927193162noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31811906.post-1156201971784773542006-08-21T16:11:00.000-07:002006-08-21T16:23:01.516-07:00

As a new Dad, you're going to be taking a lot of pictures. You could play around with Photoshop's filters and effects. I did that but I found them unsatisfying because:too easy, too quick.anyone can do it, and they can see how you did it. So it's not very impressive.maybe because so little effort is involved, there is a lack of heart or soul in the final image.The following three projects will

jldudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697734330927193162noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31811906.post-1155935175730188512006-08-18T13:42:00.000-07:002006-08-18T14:06:15.776-07:00

I submitted my Romance post to Problogger's Writer's Project, and I've gotten my first ever comments. Whoo hoo. Real proof that people other than my wife are reading my blog. Thank you, thank you all for the kind comments.As you can see, I'm still very green and new to blogging. Should I just respond in the Comments section? Can I link there? Oh well, I still want to write little about my blog

jldudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697734330927193162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31811906.post-1155915425777276512006-08-18T08:30:00.000-07:002006-08-18T09:16:47.516-07:00

Leave Your Instant Messenger chat window open when you walk away from your desk.Why? You might work with someone like me.True story: At my last job, there was a young kid, 19 or 20 years old. Drove a souped-up Civic, street-raced it on the weekends, loved Fast and Furious. That day, he was a little under the weather. He walked away and left his computer on. I happen to walk by when his Girlfriend

jldudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697734330927193162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31811906.post-1155836804607950712006-08-17T09:22:00.000-07:002006-08-17T15:43:13.456-07:00

So you want a little more romance in your life? You want your Honey to brag about you to her girlfriends? Then forget about the candles, the Tantric lessons, incense and mood music. You don't have to write a poem, serenade at her office, deliver balloons in a clown suit or go proposing on the Jumbotron at a ball game. My guess is these kind of things aren't quite your style. Too cliche, too

jldudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697734330927193162noreply@blogger.com7