Today is the Day

Before I get to my thought for the day, a few words to consider from the past:
From Wikipedia--
Declaration of Independence:
When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.

Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.
He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.
He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.
He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.
He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.
He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.
He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.
He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.
He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers.
He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.
He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance.
He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.
He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.
He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:
For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:
For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:
For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:
For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:
For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury:
For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences
For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies:
For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:
For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.
He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.
He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.
He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.
He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.
He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions. In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.
Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our Brittish [sic] brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.
We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

Those words were declared by our nation's forefathers 232 years ago. On that day, the bands of oppression of the British empire were thrown off and the American Revolution officially began. In the first section, you will notice in the Declaration, All Men are Created Equal. No matter the results of today's election to lead our country into a new age, I finally feel that the words of this Declaration long held dear to the American people can finally be considered as a truth. For a man born of a union of Kenya and Kansas has ascended to being only one step from being the leader of our great land. Barack Obama may be the candidate of choice for the United States today. He may not. Either way, Senator Obama has inspired. He has not only inspired the young or the old, white or black, or wealthy or destitute. Obama has inspired simply because he has run for the presidency.
Whether Obama or McCain...Hopefully, you made your choice today. It is our right and duty to participate and choose our leaders. It is what makes us a democracy. A democracy which our forefathers fought and died for over 200 years ago.

Happy Anniversary Sweetheart.

It was 12 years ago today. That's right, on Halloween of 1996 Kim and I got married. It was the most special day of my life. Like most married couples, there have been struggles. Both financial and emotional struggles at times, but they have always been overcome.

Since our Wedding Day, we have had two beautiful children: Nathan and Lauren, bought a house and built a life with one another that would not be traded for anything. We don't really celebrate our anniversary with big extravagant dates, we may be able to eat lunch together during the week. Instead, we go trick or treating with our kids, watch a movie in our living room, or just watch TV together.
You see, our wedding day and our marriage is the foundation for the life we have built from it.

Happy Anniversary Kim, I love you.

What did you think?

So, What did you think?
I thought the Obama program was well done. I felt that it connected well with Middle Class Americans and was very informative on the economic issues which America is facing. I do believe that the "undecided" voters that are left may have been influenced in one of two ways:

1. Obama's message of the future and fixing the economy resonated with them and made them realize that he was the candidate that would steer the ship of America back on course.

or

2. That Obama was being almost arrogant by buying time on the major networks. That if this was the type of spending he was willing to approve for 30 minutes of time, how much would he spend over a 4 (or 8 )year time frame.

5 days 'til the election guys. The people who are still undecided are the ones who can't figure out if they want paper or plastic or if they want an apple pie with that. I mean for goodness sakes, what are people waiting for? I may or may not agree with the choice made next Tuesday, but at least people will make some sort of choice. (Sorry for the rant)

Make Your Mark

Whether we are in red states or blue? Democrat, Republican, or independent? We have a choice. In the U.S. it is our choice on who will lead us. It is our choice on the individuals who will steer the ship or the issues which will affect us. Sometimes those choice are something as "simple" as a zoning plan or a smoking ban. Sometimes we are electing a city councilman, a mayor, or a constable.
But, every four years on the first Tuesday in November Americans have the opportunity to choose the individual to be the face of our country to the world. Does this face always say the right thing? Are their actions always something that we should agree with? Probably not. But, does everyone agree with everything that you do? Or everything that you say? I'd take a guess that the answer is probably no here as well. It is a job that only 43 people have taken on. Some have been great...Washington, Lincoln, Roosevelt(pick your favorite). Others have shined for too fleeting of a time like Kennedy. Still others have made choices or been so ineffectual that we could not wait for the election to roll around again. All of these men(so far) have one thing in common. They were all chosen by the Electoral College(not always the American people---see 2000) to lead our nation.
Next Tuesday, we have a choice as Americans. It is not about who served on a panel with a guy 10 years ago. It is not about who voted which way for the past 8 years. It is all in the past. The future is what should concern each of us. It is not about recalling how things were in 2000. It isn't even about their running mates. What is Pro-America anyway?
Both of these men have the potential to be great leaders. I am not going to list the attributes of the two candidates. Each has been dragged through the mud in different ways recently. The spin machines are out there. Watch either Fox news or MSNBC and you can see differing viewpoints on the same stories.
It is very simple---John McCain and Sarah Palin or Barack Obama and Joe Biden.
It isn't even about McCain or Obama. Ultimately, it is about You. Which ones do you want to lead us? Which ones do you believe in? Which ones do you believe will be the persons to restore dignity to the White House?
Which of these will YOU be proud of the world viewing as your choice?
There is only one way to answer these questions. Next Tuesday, either before or after work---
Vote!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I will close with this...
John McCain is focusing on holding on to the Republican conservative vote. He is a fine politician and a hero to our country. He wants the base to stay with him, and he feels that he will be able to magically solve the problems of the country. He knows how to do it. He is our friend as he has said on numerous occasions. He has told us of all of the things that he would do to change what has occurred over the last 8 years.

Four years ago at the Democratic National Convention, a young Senator gave a speech speaking about his party and the direction that the Country should take. He spoke of many things that evening but there was one point that he made then that should mean everything now. He stated that there shouldn't be a division between Red states and Blue States. He said that we should all be Red, White and Blue States. It wasn't about what was best for the Democrats or Republicans, but instead what was best for Americans. Kim and I watched his speech then and were electrified. He was young, and if things didn't go well in the '04 election we would probably hear from him down the road. In case you haven't guessed, that Senator was Barack Obama.

I have made my choice. It is now time for you to make yours. Whoever you choose is up to you.
The most important thing is next Tuesday to put on an extra sweater if it is cold. Bring an umbrella if it looks like rain. Bring a book of crossword puzzles or a Nintendo DS in case the line is long. No excuses...it is our right, our privilege, and our duty.

VOTE!

Gonna Actually write about something different today...

Okay, the title is Aquaman and the Kingdom of Atlantis. I actually thought that since I am a comic book nerd that by putting my favorite fictional character's name in the title, I'd write about the stories that I get the chance to read. I thought that by relaying information, that possible someone would go out and read an Aquaman comic book. It wasn't a huge leap, just one problem.
Aquaman is a King, a husband, and a father who has lost sons in the comics. He is ruler of 3/4 of the earth in the comics. The character is a powerful hero in DC Comics that people either love or hate. There aren't a lot of middle of the road Aqua-fans out there. The people who think that Aquaman is lame grew up with the Super Friends TV show. He was lame in the show, I'll admit that. But, in the comics...Aquaman has enjoyed a much different portrayal. He has been shown as powerful, stubborn, caring, and more. These are reasons that some enjoy the character. My reasons for liking and identifying with him are much different. Aquaman is an outcast. The character is misunderstood. Not only by fans, but as written in the comics, by other characters as well. He is a hot head, who believes in duty. Duty to others, duty to responsibility, and most of all, duty to family. I know it is dumb to identify with a comic character for reasons such as these. But, I do. When I was a kid, I was the outcast. I was different, I didn't care what others thought of me. I never tried to get other people to like me, they could take me or leave me for who I was. I didn't care and would tell people that. In my career field, I've never known when to keep quiet and "play the game." I'm not built that way. Growing up, my family was my priority. My mother, father and brothers were my world then. I would do anything that my parents are even my brothers would ask when I was younger. Heck, today it still holds true. My family priority has changed somewhat. My wife and children are my world now. My father and brothers are still very important to me, mom will always be as well.
Since I started doing this, Aquaman has only appeared in a handful of issues from DC Comics. It hasn't even been the Aquaman that I like. It has been a replacement character that DC came up with. Yeah, kinda like when the NFL went on strike in the 80's. They brought in replacement players...it worked out about like that. So, I haven't been able to let you know of any new stories involving Aquaman in a while. If you are interested, the only two appearances that I have found in the last 6 months have been in Superman/Batman #45, and Final Crisis #3. The Final Crisis issue was just a cameo, so that doesn't really count.
My favorite Aquaman images are those of Alex Ross:

I have started to try to find the Silver Age issues I'm missing. I am down to needing only 18 issues at this point. Not a lot of course, but these books were made between 35 and 45 years ago. They are not readily available. As I pick these up, I'll start letting you know. Thanks for reading this, and I promise more Aqua stuff will start appearing here. Let's just hope DC has some coming out as well.

Ike...I know but it is weighing on me quite a bit.

As the winds died down and the long night finally ended, those that decided to stay could finally sigh in relief at the ending of the storm. We left the safety of our homes to see a landscape which had changed from the violence of the storm preceding night. At first glance, things seemed as if they were inconveniences at worst. A limb down here, a shingle on the ground there, or even a fence which was downed due to the fury of the winds which had blown through so loudly. As I drove around the town which I call home, I saw mighty trees which had at last given in to the forces which had been exerted upon them. I recognized where buildings had once stood, now replaced by only a slab, piles of debris or remnants of twisted metal. Where roofs had once sheltered families from nature, the storm had placed a tree over (or in some cases in) the structures. It was as if nature was making the statement that no matter how invincible we feel,
nature would tower over all. Power lines were twisted and the poles which held them aloft were cracked and broken as if they were but popsicle sticks. The evidence of a horrible night experienced by those of us that stayed was visible at every turn. We could experience these images firsthand, but those were the only pictures to be seen. The power was out. We did not know the extent of the damage to our south, or even in other parts of our hometown. As the power returned, and newspapers brought scenes of the devastation, we began to realize how lucky we actually were.

to be continued

Baytown Centennial Square Apartment Residents

Nature

When I write, I usually do so to relax. I am usually able to coherently put together words into thought and convey the things that I am feeling. As I sit here today, it has been nearly two weeks since Hurricane Ike came through the Houston area and overturned countless lives. Some of our issues have been major while others have been almost inconsequential by comparison. Today though, I'd like to write about a group of people that I have come to care about a great deal. About two years ago, I started delivering goods to a retirement complex about a block from my store. The residents in the complex are not simply customers to me, instead they are people that I have taken great pleasure in helping over the last couple of years. Residents like Mrs. Peoples, Mrs. McCown, Mrs. McCartney(and Chico the feisty rat dog), Mr. Webber and Mrs. Williams are people that I have taken pride in being able to take care of by bringing them their scripts, a smile, or even their favorite ice cream if it was in stock. These people became my friends, and I like to think I have been a good friend to each of them.
Unfortunately, Hurricane Ike did not show these people the compassion that they deserve. The Hurricane pulled the roof off of the 4 story structure forcing the residents to relocate. I have tried to get information on my customers, with little success. I just hope that wherever these wonderful ladies and gentlemen end up, that someone takes the time to show them the respect that they deserve. I have had a couple of them call me already and let me know that they are okay.

So, if you are reading this make it a point to help someone tomorrow. Be it opening a door for someone with a full load, doing the little things that some of us take for granted or even just giving a smile to someone who is having a rough day. The impact you can make on them cannot be measured by words.

Hurricane Ike---getting back to normal

Well, it's been about ten days since the storm went through. Things seem to be returning to normal slowly. My staff at works seems to be adapting to the increased traffic in the store, and I am very proud of how each has handled themselves. We increased our normal sales last week by quite a bit and took care of more than twice as many customers as normal. All of this while under a city enforced curfew. I am not someone who really keeps opinions to myself very often, and this period has been no exception. A few of our group are trying to help out some of the newer people who have not been through storms before. We have been able to get everyone of the stores in our district open already. This number includes two stores on Galveston Island and one here in town that had significant roof damage. It makes me feel pretty good that some of the associates who only worked in my store for a day or two feel that they can call and ask me advice on procedures or for advice on how to deal with things like payroll. I feel as if I made an impact on them with how I treat co-workers.

I was able to take a day off today for the first time since the storm today. I had three goals:
1. Sleep In---it was accomplished because I woke up at 930AM--about 4 hours later than normal. Hey, I am a lazy bum, but I needed it.
2. Fix my Fence that was damaged in the storm so I could get my dogs off of chains.---my wife, who is more handy around the house than most( she actually was the one who boarded up most of the windows in preparation for the storm while I was at work), helped me take care of the fence in about three hours. It is a patch job, and not as neat as I'd like, but that's okay. When I get a weekend off, I'll probably work on it the right way.
3. Take my wife to lunch at her favorite restaurant. She loves Cafe' Adobe'. It is a Tex-Mex place which has a fried avocado which she loves, along with a Royal Margarita which is well worth the price. Three margaritas later and she was able to relax and get a nap this afternoon.

So, with my to-do list accomplished, I played Madden. A lot of Madden. So much Madden, that I increased the difficulty level, and got my butt kicked.
That's okay, tomorrow is another day.

Hurricane Ike

Here is the beginning of my IKE story:
The family and I are fine, we got power back today. Kim and the kids evacuated to her dad's house.First, let me start off by saying...A Category 2 Hurricane has sustained winds of up to 110 miles an hour. My house is built to withstand a cat. 3 according to the paperwork I have on the property when we bought it. The storm, up until 12 hours before it hit, was supposed to come in about Matagorda Bay, about 125 miles away. There were no mandatory evacuations issued for the area that we live in, it was really too late, in my opinion to get out. Hurricane Ike began to go through Baytown about 7 PM on Friday night. It started very slowly, some wind, some rain, no big deal. We were watching weather reports on the news. We started getting hit pretty hard around 11PM. Power was still on at around Midnight. Then, all hell broke loose.
Round 1
It was the first and last direct hit from a Hurricane that I will attempt to ride out. We made the kids put mattresses down in the hallway to sleep. When the winds started ramping up, it was like I had a freight train outside of my bedroom window. These winds continued from about mignight to around 3AM. Then, dead calm. I walked outside, looked up at the sky, and saw stars. There was no wind, no rain, there were no sounds. Nothing. The eye of the Hurricane was passing over Baytown, Texas. It was one of the most eerie feelings that you can imagine if you haven't been through it. My fence was gone. Blown every which way. Kids were still asleep, and the wife and I started clearing a little debris. We put it between the houses on my block to try to keep limbs from being blown into cars are homes. After we had fininshed with the minor clean-up, we tried to get a little sleep, in our own bed. About an hour later, the train came back.

Saturday:
The winds kept at hurricane force until about 8 am. That's when I went outside again. I started clearing branches from storm drains in the rain with lighter winds going on. The roads were under a little water, and I wanted to clear what I could. I helped where I could in the neighborhood by moving some branches. My neighborhood is in good shape in relative terms to the rest of Baytown. Baytown is in good shape relative to the areas south of us. On Saturday, I drove around the city to check on friends and my store. As some of you know, I manage a ... Pharmacy in Baytown and luckily enough, my store made it out in great shape. I had some awning damage and my signs are gone, but other than that, it is in great shape. Still no power in town. Saturday night was very warm in Texas, about 80-85 degrees overnight. The windows were kept open in the house, but we were all sweating.
Sunday
I finally convinced my wife to go to her dad's up north. Permission was given to check the store's out on the interior. I brought my drill to remove plywood and we checked all of our stores. Two were in good shape, one was not. I finished checking out the stores at 130 pm and by 2:15, we had a generator arrive to power a store. The electrician's got there shortly after, and just over 24 hours after the storm passed, the company I am quite proud to work for right now, we were able to open a store in a city devoid of power. Baytown staff started showing up to help. We were only able to stay open until 6PM because of a curfew in town, but it was a great start. A cool front blew in and I was able to sleep comfortably. I looked at the stars as I tried to sleep, but couldn't stop thinking about what we could do to help.
Monday:
I got to work at 7 AM. By 8AM, staff from all 3 of our stores were ready to work. We were able to fill scripts very quickly. We did little things like brew coffee to give to customers, put power strips out for our customers to charge cell phones, microwave some popcorn for kids(the only thing we asked for each of these services was a smile from a child or a chin up for a customer.) My staff and I have gotten hugs and thank yous from customers, we have had so many people come up and thanks us for being open, we have been called Saints and Angels, it has been amazing. Our Baytown staff has not asked for breaks or food or anything. Most refuse to leave work while we are open, simply because they want to help anyone they can. My store usually only checks out about 300 customers in a given day. From 8-530, we were able to check out 1000 people.

If you are still reading this, I apologize for rambling. I had one customer in particular who came in, it was her daughters birthday. She was upset, but we were able to get her a Warm Delight brownie microwaved for her daughter, so she was able to at least have a small birthday cake. We had another customer who told me that her child had not had a breathing treatment since Friday, we were able to plug up his machine and his mom knows to come find me twice a day, and I'll find him a spot in the store to sit and relax. There are times that I question whether what I do for a living makes a difference in people's lives, over the last couple of days I have been reminded that it is not what you do that makes a difference, but how you do it.

So, I want to thank the following people from Baytown stores who surely have made a difference in people's live over the last couple of days:
Rachel, TJ, Katelin, Chelsea, Gladys, Sylvia, Delores, Roger, Keitha, Linda, Kristy, Alvin, Joyce, Daniel, Douglas, Kevin, Lupe', Berling, Anil, Angelique, Yvette, Tandy, Rose and Kim.

Labor Day

When we think of Labor Day as a holiday, what comes to mind? Is it the Jerry Lewis telethon? Baseball? or Barbecue with the family? Labor Day is a day to relax with family, to contemplate days gone by and most of all, Labor Day is a day that most people rest. My Dad is not most people. This weekend, Hurricane Gustav chased my father and brother from their home in Vidor, Texas. They evacuated to spend a few days with my family while the storm arrived. Well, there was no sign of the Hurricane at my dad's home, much less my own. But, it does not mean there was no evidence of a Hurricane's aftermath in my front yard.

You see, while many were around the grill yesterday, my dad stated that he was bored. When my dad is bored, no one is bored! The yardwork projects which have been put off all summer long were tackled. Low hanging limbs were cut, weed trees were removed, a flower bed was beautified and a fence was fixed. What was left, was a pile of limbs and weeds 4 feet high. Growing up, Dad taught me about work ethic. He taught me, Jon and Brian that nothing feels as good as the feeling of accomplishment after a project is complete. He reminded me yesterday, and spread the message to my wife and kids as well. So, while the rest of the area breathed a sigh of relief yesterday afternoon, my family sighed in fatigue coupled with a sense of delight at a job well done.