Actualities, Certainties, and Factoids

Okay, I give in. I've been tagged about a billion times to post 25 silly little tidbits of self-centered trivia so that others may indulge their voyeuristic ways. But hey, we're all voyeurs. So on with the show-n-tell.

1) I am a Christian and have strong faith in God. I voted for Obama. I am pro-choice, anti-abortion and pro sexual education. I believe in evolution. I believe creation came first. I believe Adam and Eve were real but that the story was written so that we could comprehend it. Because of of my Obama vote, a Christian brother once called me "less of a Christian". I am not that kind of Christian.

2) I've always been severely ADHD but wasn't properly diagnosed until age 32.

3) ADHD drugs changed my life horribly. ADHD drugs changed my life wonderfully. The horrible part is now in the past. The wonderful part continues.

4) I have two acoustic guitars, three awesome electric guitars, one bass guitar, four amps, a mandolin, and a full set of drums, but I'm a horrible musician.

5) I have a slight obsession with not being defeated.

6) That person who everyone calls when his or her computer malfunctions, I'm that guy.

7) I am a complete Mac snob. I can't understand why everyone hasn't figured out that a Mac is a far superior computer. You'll never go back, I promise.

8) My father died when I was 10-years-old. It profoundly affected me then as it does now. As I near the age of my father when he died, I've found myself truly appreciating some of those important things that we all frequently take for granted.

9) I will spend hours on end tweaking one photo until I believe it's as perfect as it can be.

10) I never finished a novel until I was 32-years-old (see #2)

11) I worked on a island one summer during college and at the Grand Canyon the following summer.

12) An incident while hiking/camping in the mountains during 8th-grade caused me to dig a hole and burry my underwear.

13) I was honored with two Emmy Awards, a National Headliner Award, and approximately 20 AP & RTNDAC Awards during my time as a TV news journalist.

14) I've come to the realization that I have issues, and so does everyone else.

15) I still have several great friends from high school with whom I continue to keep in contact, and did so before Facebook.

16) Buddy Baily and I once heated up a quarter to a red glow and tossed it in the hallway during change of class. Mr. Kornhaus found out, pulled both of us out of our following classes and went ballistic.

17) I think that the strengths of women are egregiously underestimated most of the time.

18) I've interviewed astronauts, murders, presidents, rapists, rock stars, famous athletes, and even Billy Graham. I've seen a man's brains put into a body bag with a shovel, a burned body hanging out of a bus and the aftermath of a day-trader's killing spree. I've searched for Eric Robert Rudolph in the mountains of North Carolina. I've covered the Susan Smith trial, the 1996 Olympics and the shootings of police officers. I've stood on an overflowing mound of pot in the bed of a truck . I've done live shots from three hurricanes, flown in a hot air balloon, and hung from the skids of a sheriff's helicopter while shooting video. Still, the best part about being in TV news was the ordinary, every-day person who trusted me enough to tell his or her ordinary, every-day story.

19) I'm taking three days vacation this coming April to go see the Grateful Dead in Boston. It will be my 11th and 12th times. The first 10 were with Jerry.

20) Being a daddy of two daughters has presented a big challenge to me when it comes to playtime. It's tough for a man who grew up destroying things to play with dolls, frilly stuff, and other things that are pink.

21) I have the most wonderful wife in the entire world. We may not always agree on things, but she is always there for me.

22) The most important thing that I've learned while working at Clemson University is that education in any form is all about taking something and making it meaningful to someone.

23) I'd rather look at html code and java script instead of internet porn.

24) I once watch several emergency room doctors and nurses work on a 14-year-old boy who was still wearing his football practice pants and cleats when he arrived unconscious. The boy's mother, father, younger sister, and football coach were all watching, too. Then I watched the doctors stop and pronounce the boy dead. I can still hear the screams of his mother.

25) I believe that being rich has nothing to do with money and everything to do with trust, family and personal integrity.

First SC Apple Store Opens at Clemson University, More Coming

Finally! With the departure of CompUSA, the Upstate--all of SC actually--has been jonesin' for Apple pieces and parts. Well the wait is over. The first Apple store has opened its doors on the campus of Clemson University. This is the first of a rumored three openings in the state.

As most of you can see, I'm departing from my usual photo/video blogging to bring you this news. Why? It's simple really. Macs rock. Apple simply has the best OS on the market today. Also, access to this information is pretty easy for me. I work on campus. Oh wait, one more thing, MS Vista sucks worse than Windows 95. Yes, I am a Mac snob. You should be, too. ...and on with the news.

Mac users once hid in the shadows around the Tiger campus. They occasionally found a little relief in the form of help from those within the School of Education, the only people on campus who know better. Most of the time, however, computer support on campus had the standard solution to all Mac problems..."We don't support Macs."

Oh how things change. Mac users at Clemson University are now getting a huge support...in a big, over-the-top way. Clemson Computing and Internet Technology (CCIT) has opened a retail Apple store in the heart of campus. Located in the Loggia of the University Union, the Apple store now offers all Clemson users the convenience, affordability and personal attention of a local outlet at prices even better than online or the regular educational discounts. Plus, you can receive personalized service and advising on products and features.

“The goal of the store is to offer our customers the products, services and information they desire as we (CCIT) provide better support for this growing community of Mac users,” explains Jason Domke, director of CCIT’s business office.

The Clemson Apple Store, the first in South Carolina, carries a full selection of Apple products including laptops, iPods, monitors and accessories. Currently, customers can take advantage of a special Back-to-School offer from Apple and receive a free iPod with the purchase of one of the recommended Apple laptops. [source ]

Rumor #1 - A Store in Greenville
New store coming to Magnolia Park. This city's site was originally planned for Haywood Mall, but there was no appropriate space. So in August 2007 Apple switched to this 670,000 s.f. town center being created after the former mall was demolished along I-85. It will include retail, retaurants, cinema, offices and hotel space on 65 acres. It would be the second-largest mall in the state, and the first Apple store in the state. Mall opens in Fall 2009. [source]

Rumor # 2 - A Store in Charleston
This once-seedy section of downtown has been turned into the "SoHo of the South," with many familiar Apple store neighbors (J. Crew, Abercrombie, GAP, Pottery Barn, etc.). The street offers 500,000 s.f. of retail and is 96% occupied. Apple reps visited the city's Department of Economic Development in mid-2006, snapped site photos and asked about zoning/heritage approval procedures for a space renovation. Speculation is on 301 King St., a 2-story brick building formerly occupied by the Cumberland's Pub & Grill. An architectural design proposal was submitted to the city review board on March 3, 2008. Job listings posted June 9, 2008. Could open by late summer, 2008. [source ]

For all of you Ohio State Buckeye Mac Users, feel free to download one of my latest Wallpaper designs - Mac OS X Buckeye Edition.

Be A Man, Find Your Purpose

I know because I feel it, too. Thirty-something with a good job, a great family, and some cool toys acquired over the first half-ish of your professional working career. You want more, but more of what? That sense, the little feeling, what is it?


I measure up. I have a house. It’s not as big as the houses of my friends. I earn a decent salary. It’s not as much as I believe I’m worth and it certainly doesn’t measure up to those friends who have the bigger house…and the new Honda with the duel-screen DVD player. You know who I’m talking about, the family that seem to take the trips that I want to provide for my family.


That guy who has the bigger house, the new car, and travels the world with the confidence of Indiana Jones, he feels the same way you do.


Thoreau it all a way and find your Walden. (It took me nearly 30 seconds to think of that) This is where purpose resides.


Look, I’m not saying that you have to toss that cool new Mac Air, stop using deodorant and wipe your ass with surrounding roughage. I’m talking real change, the kind that takes place in your heart, mind and soul. I’m talking the hard kind of change.


It was a two-step reality check that set my sail. I nearly lost my family and God stepped into my life.


Now, before you write me off as some Christian zealot waiting until the middle of my musings to spring my trap of damnation, take a second to realize that I’m writing about what worked for me. I'm writing about concepts, not fire and brimstone. I don’t even know what brimstone is or why it’s pejoratively coupled with fire. Heck, I don't even know if I can use pejorative as an adverb...but I did. Call me crazy.


Out of a sense of something between curiosity and guilt, coupled with a strangely unexplainable desire, I attended Promise Keepers in Atlanta, Summer 2006. The speakers captivated me. I was a bit freaked out at the same time by 16,000 men cheering across Philips Arena, “Yes, yes, yes we do. We love Jesus, how bout you”. I’ve always considered myself a Christian, but not one that screams about it. Seems a little preacher-with-bullhorn-ish to me, but whateveah’.


After a day-and-a-half filled with biblically-centered motivational speak, comedians, and a killer rock show (I don’t even like Christian rock), I emerged with three concepts that changed my life forever. In theory, only one deals with God. In my reality, they all do. I’ll get the God one out of the way first.


Concept #1: God has created everyone for a purpose. Purpose has nothing to do with money, power, or fame. You will be who you are, period. Finding who you are is nothing more than being mercilessly truthful with yourself beyond the point of mental fatique. Then--this is the hard part--you have to accept it.


Concept #2: The only way to face life full-bore is by enlisting the strength of another. Personally, I choose God/spirituality/holy spirit/whatevah to help me. This hasn’t been easy, but it has given me more than I could have ever achieved on my own. Now remember, I’m explaining a concept here. Tracking me? Concept. That concept is that if you believe you can do life solo, you’re traveling a path of disappointment. You have to give it up, your mind, body and soul. Make yourself emotionally vulnerable and you become stronger.


Concept #3: Become the leader of your family: Say what you will, but I believe that there can be only one king, one leader at the top of the chain making the FINAL decisions. The reality is this (I am so going to take it on the chin for this one), women want men to be the leader of the family. In a family, especially one with at least one child, (most) women desire the man to be the provider. They want the man to make the hard decisions. They want the man to take care of the stereotypical man stuff along with being rock-solid on all matters.


I’m NOT saying that women should be subservient. I’m NOT saying that a man should make all decisions without consulting his wife. Or without giving her the respect that she deserves. I am NOT saying that the woman ranks second in the household. And I am NOT saying that a woman would simply fall apart without a man. C’mon, people, everyone knows that women are smarter and usually more rational than men. Hell, I would fall apart without my wife; she holds me together and makes our family run.


Leadership is a trait lacking in the majority of people; it’s not usually something that we are taught in school, and it's a hard concept to understand. Most intelligent people will actually decline such positions of authority simply because it’s difficult, extremely stressful, and gives more responsibility than most people want. The fact remains, however, all families need leadership.


Be a leader by being a humble servant to your family. Include your wife in all major and semi-major decisions. Give her opinions as much--if not more--weight than your own.

Be decisive. Trust yourself. Do not waiver in that which you believe. Have your “yes” mean yes and your “no” mean no in all matters.

Discipline your children after thinking intelligently about the "crime" committed. Most adults don't understand that children desire discipline. They need it, and they want rules. Enforcement should be out of love, not anger. Wait until you are no longer angry before allowing the child to learn that all actions have consequences. Beating NEVER helps a child understand the meaning of integrity and trust.

Give to your family what they most desire from you. Don’t presume to know, you have to ask. THIS is what it means to provide for your family. And when you do, they will give you—without even thinking about it—that for which men yearn most, to be respected and admired.


There is one last thing, but I didn’t learn this from Promise Keepers. Be open to the thought of God and spirituality. If other things aren’t working for you, explore. Christians won’t bite you. They won’t stone you for having once cheated on your wife. They won’t make you do anything that you don’t want to do. Think of it as knowledge being power. You once explored the alphabet, and now you can read. Now you can choose to read or not read any thing you wish. Your decisions are based on an intelligent understanding of how words work, not a preconceived notion of how letters fit in a particular order to form words....um...you know what I'm saying.


A great place to start without having to face all of those silly Christian people on Sunday morning is a book by Lee Strobel, a journalist, an agnostic journalist, who set out prove or disprove the myth of Jesus in A Case for Christ: A Journalist’s Personal Investigation of the Evidence.

A Pedophile Is Exploiting My Child

It was an odd Website name. It appeared in my statistics as one hit at first. I started investigating when the hits became ten. I nearly puked when I discovered that an image of my four-year-old little girl was on a Website catering to pedophiles.

I found his name and address. He's proud of what he does. He likes the attention because he feels he is doing do a service to this country by defending the first amendment.

I made a complaint to the business from where he rents server space. The business is Softlayer Technologies. Within hours the site was down. I was proud of myself for doing what was right. I was proud of Softlayer Technologies for doing what was right. Things aren't always as they seem, but more on that later.

I did feel, however, that I owed the owner of the Website, Pedowar.com, an explanation as to why I made the complaint. Mistake.

I caught up with him in a chat site after searching his name, the name of his Website, and a few other terms. I knew it was him because the specific topic was about the Website being shut down. I wrote an open letter of sorts explaining why I did what I did.

I knew it was only a matter of time before his site was up and running again. I asked him to be a man, prove that he "cares deeply about me", and take all mention of my family off his site. Read it all here. It's completely safe. It's not a pedo or porn site. It's just text.

I was certainly not satisfied with his refusal, so I took a dive into the underbelly of the Internet. I thank God that I was able to get some information, unbelievable information, without having to see any disgusting images. Some of the titles were enough to again make me sick to my stomach.

I found that Mr. Pedowar is all about displaying as much information as he possibly can. For all intents and purposes, he was bragging about me. This quote from him was taken from one of those underground pedophile sites. "He has no idea we know everything about him. He's a not too bright Christian."

Huh? How could he have all of my information?

Why? Because Softlayer Technologies provided him with my name, address, phone number, and email address.

I have two children.

Softlayer Technologies took down Mr. Pedowar's website because they believe that the content within is in violation of the law and/or their "zero tolerance policy". However, they gave my contact information to him.

Mr. Pedowar subsequently posted my contact information for all pedophiles to see on these underground pedophile Websites.

Watch the video. It's brief, and it will explain some of the additional details. By the way, Softlayer Technologies continues to provide this purveyor of pedophilia with service.

_____________________________________________________

Complete Series of this True Story

• A Pedophile Is Exploiting My Child I: A Pedophile Is Exploiting My Child
• A Pedophile Is Exploiting My Child II: Pedophiles, Supporter Supply Metaphorical Rope for Lynching
• A Pedophile Is Exploiting My Child III: Peering Into the Mind of a Pedophile

Cootie Stark: The King of Piedmont Blues

When I read about Mr. Johnny Miller in a local Greenville, S.C. newspaper, I had to go meet him. I was really into playing the blues guitar during that time, and I had no idea that a Piedmont Blues legend lived no more than a mile from my home.

The projects where Johnny lived weren’t far from city condemnation at that time. I pulled up in unit four, my WYFF-TV news vehicle, during a lunch break and knocked on the door. A humble yet cigar-thick voice greeted my call with hello as he opened the door.

There he was, Cootie Stark, right in front of me. Cootie was his stage name.

He invited me in before I could finish explaining my purpose.

The dark four room dwelling had painted concrete block for walls and no decoration. I guess it made sense; he’s a guy and he’s blind. I probably wouldn’t decorate, either.

Cootie started telling me the story of his life and included things like growing up in Laurens, S.C. and pickin’ peas as a child. He spoke of traveling all the way to Greenville (about 20 miles) during the summer, and how he came to play guitar. He made mention of his relationships with Baby Tate, the Rev. Gary Davis and several other Piedmont Blues legends living in the area around the 40s, 50s, and 60s.

He also talked a lot about the Music Maker Relief Foundation, and the MMRF president, Tim Duffy. He called him Timmy. He told me how the organization has helped him survive, travel the world and feel as though he again had purpose. The stories captivated me.

My lunch hour almost gone, I asked if I could come back some time and shoot a story about his life. He agreed, and I stood to leave.

“Hey, uh, I seem to be havin’ a bit of trouble with my CD player," Cootie said. "You any good at that kinda stuff? Could you look at it for me?”

I was honored with the thought of helping such a such a legend. I reached over and picked up the CD player. My keen sense of electronictechnogeek kicked in quickly and I determined without a doubt that the CD was in upside down. Yes, I know. My brilliance continually amazes me, too.

I flipped it and hit play. Out comes this great Piedmont Blues. “This is great,” I said. “Who is it?”

“That’s me,” he said in his polite southern gruff.

I shook his hand, set up a time to do a feature story* and departed to the nearest music story to pick up a copy of Sugar Man. I was late getting back.

I had a few more conversations with Mr. Miller before he died in April 2005. I again honored one evening at the Handlebar when I was able to thank him for helping me achieve my goal of winning an Emmy. I was also able to thank him for allowing me to preserve a dying form of true Americana.

I shook his hand and gave him a copy of the story.

“Thank you young man, you gonna to do just fine with your life,” was that last thing he said to me.

Listen to Cootie Stark:

Metal Bottoms | Sandy Land | Blue Smokey Mountain

* Kudos to my reporter and friend, Kimbery Lohman, for an doing such an excellent job on this story.

Attacked Reporter Speaks About Her Experience

Hear from Charmayne Brown, a black female reporter in South Carolina who was standing on a street covering a murder investigation when she was attacked by a white family yelling racial slurs. Get the Background & Watch the Entire Attack Video.

Are You a Racist? What Should Happen to the Attackers? Does SC Need a Hate Crimes Law? Leave a comment and let the whole world know.

About Those Arrested

Charmayne Brown Interview on WORD Radio

A look into Race Relations in South Carolina

Reporter Attacked On Camera by Three Women

A reporter for WSPA in Spartanburg, S.C. was attacked while covering a murder investigation.

According the the WSPA Websitereporter Charmayne Brown and was standing on public property when a group surrounded her and started punching. Brown says she was across the street from the victim’s house when family members began yelling at her to leave.

Brown says the group was also yelling racial slurs at her and her photographer. She says one of the women in the group then rushed at her, punched her and dragged her to the ground. She says at that point it’s hard for her to recall what was going on, but WPSA's satellite truck operator Ray Daubenspeck says he also saw the woman punching her. He called 911, picked up a camera and began recording video. Charmayne says at least two other people joined in on the attack as her photographer tried to pull them off of her. Source: WYFF & WSPA

Quotes: Bush v. Iraqi Information Minister

When I saw the headline across the Web: Bush Claims No Recession for US; Bush Rejects Recession Claims; and Bush: United States Not In Recession, I couldn't help but think of the words coming from the mouth of the Iraqi Minister of Information, Muhammed Saeed al-Sahaf, during the US invasion of Iraq.

I snickered. And then I opened Photoshop. I simply couldn't help putting together this photo collage mixed with George Bush quotes along side some of the quotes from the Iraqi Information Minister.

As a quick aside, I'm not usually one to blog politics. Everyone has their own personal views and the little-known blog of Worlds Beyond Rittman certainly isn't going to change anything. It's just for fun, really.

Bush Addresses UN, Cries

Call me an insensitive pig. I don’t care.

Imagine seeing the above headline in the NY Times or the WP (the insensitive pig musing isn’t that to which I refer).

Picture George Bush making his case for war to the UN, (take camera two) and a tight shot of the President of the United States of America with tears running down his cheek.

I have nothing personal against George or Hillary. I’m neither endorsing nor berating any party. And I believe that the decision-making emotional side of women keeps love alive and many of the world populous from killing one another.

I also believe that the majority of people view perception as reality.

When it comes right down to it, I don’t want any world nation to view the United States as a country that cries, EVER.

Don’t get me wrong, crying is a good thing. There is a lot of stress in the ever-day lives of every-day people. I would expect to see a president or a presidential candidate cry at, say, the funeral of a loved one. But that’s about it.

I haven’t made my decision yet, and I probably won’t until the chad puncher (or stylus in SC) is in my hand. I will vote while preserving the responsibility of being informed voter. I will vote for whomever I believe will best serve our nation. I will not vote for someone who cannot keep emotionally in check when the cameras are rolling.

There is no crying in baseball.

NCAA Football National Championship Game

Great Article About Jim Tressel
BCS Central Blog - Buckeyes In New Orleans
Current Photos - Buckeyes In New Orleans
The Columbus Dispatch - Buckeye Xtra
10 Reason Why Ohio State Will Win The National Championship

Presence of the Hammer

There are very few things that I really desire in this world when it comes to material possessions and/or experiences.

Sure, I like my gadgets and such. Not really what I’m talking about.

I’m talking about a desire so deep that when you belch, faint sounds of Livin’ Lovin’ Maid are actually audible.

One of those desires passed by last night. There really wasn’t any possible chance that I could have ever made it, but it’s nice to dream.

On December 10th, that band that many would rank as the greatest of all time reunited for the first time since Live Aid in 1985. Even then it was only Page and Plant.

Enough talk. Look at the shots and check out some of the video.

Setlist:
01. Good Times, Bad Times
02. Ramble On
03. Black Dog
04. In My Time Of Dying
05. For Your Life
06. Trampled Under Foot
07. Nobody's Fault But Mine
08. No Quarter
09. Since I've Been Loving You
10. Dazed and Confused
11. Stairway To Heaven ← You knew that they had to do it.
12. The Song Remains the Same
13. Misty Mountain Hop
14. Kashmir

Encore:
15. Whole Lotta Love
16. Rock and Roll

In Tressel We Trust

So maybe I'm pirating video today. But would you rather hear me spout on about how Ohio State rules Michigan or would you rather see highlights of the game? That's what I thought.

Everybody Hurts Sometime

That was a tough one for the Buckeyes. But now it's Michigan. I have to say, I'm a bit worried. After all, it's in The Big House. At least Michigan lost this past week, too.

We win, there is a slight chance OSU plays for a National Championship.

The more likely scenario, OSU beats UM and heads to the Rose Bowl. I'll take it!







On a completely different note, I like this song. It's not my favorite, but I like it. Besides, it only takes about 15 seconds before the white-man overbite comes calling.

A Seemingly Strange Request

Bamn! It’s just been kicked up three notches. No, not a spice-injected fried turkey or zesty meatballs, my life. Although, metaphors for the first two could probably be fashioned.

My lovely wife is pregnant and feeling it hardcore. Must have something to do with her pregnancy category, that of advanced maternal age so says the physicians general. Then there is the fact that today, July 27, 2007, is her last day of work. She starts a new job on Monday.

In addition, I’ve just returned from my 20-year class reunion. This is where I figured out that I’m finally too old to hang out with the boys for four days in a row. They’re too old also. It didn’t stop us; the after effects just tend to linger longer.

I saw on several accidents my 9-hour drive home. Being in a sentimental state of mind, I started thinking about all of the lives affected by such tragic events. Will those people live or die? Will they be brain damaged or have a full recovery? Do any of the accident victims have a pregnant wife?

Any of those accidents could have involved me. Who knows, really, if or when it might happen? It’s not something about which that I concern myself by thinking. However, the question that I pondered most was that of memory. Will the victims remember what happened?

I want to know, so I’m going on record right now with a request. Should something –anything- tragic happen that leaves me unconscious or unresponsive in a hospital, I want my friends and/or family to document everything. I want photos. I want video. I want interviews with family and friends during the process. I want tears and stories and laughs. I want physician progress reports to the family video taped. I want a video camera by my bed so that any visitor can pick it up at any time and document what’s happening.

If rehab is involved, shoot it. If I have convulsions, shoot it. If I’m drooling all over myself, shoot it. Interview my friends and family at my bedside, in the waiting room, or taking a smoke break. Do not ponder any questions of integrity or morality or scruples. If you have such discussions, shoot those too, but do not haggle over what seems right or wrong. It’s my life, and I give you unwavering and unquestionable permission to document any and all progress (or lack thereof) and/or state of being.

The only person who can request that you stop documenting is my wife; not my mother, my brother, or anyone else, and only if you, the shooter, believe it’s detrimental to her present well being. The next day, start shooting again.

Should I die, give all documentation to my brother, first, or my wife, second. My eldest child, at the appropriate age, should be given possession of the documentation to do with as she/he pleases. Should my wife want possession, all documentation can be given to her with a promise that she doesn’t destroy it.

Why? That’s easy. When I recover, I want to know what happened. I want to see what I looked like, sounded like, acted like. I want to use my experience to help others, if possible. Memories during such emotional states are simply unreliable. Videos and/or photos don’t have such issues.

Yes, I know, it seems like a morbid, slightly strange request. The funny thing is, I’m in a great mood. So many positive things are happing in my life that I can’t even begin to explain. However, I can’t seem to get these thoughts out of my head.

A good portion of my life revolves around documentation. It’s my gift. My documentations of the lives of others could easily tell a significant portion of my life story. So it only stands to reason that when I can’t document what could possibly be a major hitch in my stride, should it ever happen, I need my family and friends to do it for me. It would be the greatest of favors.

A Grape -or- Just Shy of Buckeye Size

God is great. If that first sentence turns you off and causes you to stop reading, well, you’re going to miss it.

Now, where was I? Oh, yeah, those things that define greatness. My wife is one of them. Our rabbit hole seemed to once equate in scale to Sizemore’s abuse issues or the brilliance of the iPhone marketing team. It wasn’t much longer than a year ago.

Kids, too, are fantastic. Only a child can, without forethought, stick a streamer of toilet paper in her bottom and prance around the house proudly exclaiming her likeness to a pony.

Believe as you will, but without God there is no understanding of true forgiveness or sacrifice or grace. Without God, my wife and I would not have been able to forgive one another. Without forgiveness, our daughter would have grown up in a broken family, halving her auto amusements and purposeful attempts of levity between two homes. And without my wife and my daughter, my life would seem pointless.

So what’s the point? The point is the grace of the Lord and the riches that it brings. The point is the true meaning of love brought forth as a child teaches you to be a parent. The point is an understanding that family makes one whole. And the point is represented in the picture above. If you don’t get it, zoom out by clicking here.

To Every Thing…

You’ve probably noticed that my blogging frequency has gone the way of cosign. What can I say? There are times that I have an opinion and… Wait, I always have an opinion on everything. It’s just the amount of time that I have to voice that opinion seems to continually shrink.

First up on the day, news so big that it can only be described as equal in scale to that of the distance between galaxies. However, you’re going to have to wait. I’m sorry.

Secondly, I think I’m obsessed. My high-school reunion is coming in the near future. I’ve put together a simple discussion board and blog so as to circumvent the evil classmates dot com. I’m also working on a secret project for the reunion that is taking a huge amount of time. Between scanning old high school documents, photos, and the like and then working on this other project, I’m investing something like 20 hours a week. I’ve been doing so for a few months.

The third thing on my list of mentionables is my buddy, MD. MD was the first person to show me how a Betacam works. He taught me all the basics of editing, composition, gathering proper sound and everything else involved in TV new gathering. MD and I became brothers during this process and I consider him one of my best friends. I’m happy to report that MD is finally, FINALLY, getting out of the news business. His last day is tomorrow. He and a fellow reporter are starting their own production company. And to that I say, ROCK ON!~ Check out his new business, TomorrowVision Media.







And the last thing on my list today is Paris Hilton. I just couldn’t pass it up. An insider at Camp Paris gave this quote yesterday to a national news source.

“The way this case was handled was a disaster,” the insider says. “Nobody goes to jail for DUI that long. It was all the lawyer’s fault and we’re looking into what recourse we have.”

Guess what? It wasn’t the lawyer’s fault that Paris went to jail. It wasn’t the lawyer’s fault that Paris went to jail for an “unusually long” period of time. And it wasn’t the lawyer’s DUI charge.

The video to the left is of MSNBC Anchor Mika Brzezinski and her response to her producer leading with a Paris Hilton story. Certainly a must see if you've ever been in TV news.

And my praises, rants, and musings cease for today.

If I Had Possession

Seeing as how father’s day is but a few days away, I think that it’s time for me to make a list of those things that I want. I’m speaking neither about theology and/or faith nor those things that are simply impossible, such as Otis dressing less gay or GROB having trustworthy integrity. This list is made of nothing more than wanted material possessions with an midland or higher ooh-aah cool factor.

1) Google - Yes, that's right. I want to own Google. The company has so many cool things that they simply give away. I like giving away cool stuff. The link will take you to Google Labs.

2) EzVision Video eyewear - Seems pretty darn cool to me.

3) iPhone - Have you seen the latest ads? The link is to one of them.

4) Mac Pro - I have one at work but I want one for home. It's like the ultimate computer and can be upgraded for years to come.

5) A Wired Home - Imagine every electric object in your home integrated wirelessly, controlled by one remote and accessible/controllable via the Internet. You could check from your phone whether you left the iron on and then take the necessary steps at the press of a button, or have an email alert if a something strange is happening.

6) One Massive Hard Drive - This kinda goes hand-in-hand with the above. It would be used to store every photo, movie, song, document and the like. On a properly networked system, these items could be accessible via the Internet and/or a LAN. No more paper and no more CD/DVD!

7) Nikon D2X Camera with a Nikkor DX 10.5 mm Fisheye Lens - No real story here. I just like taking good photos with great equipment.

8) Sony HDR-FX7 HD Handycam - High Def prosumer video in a small package. Very cool!

9) Bose Lifestyle 48 Home Entertainment System - I can't imagine better sound. However, I'd like to wait until they come up with a version that has a Blu-Ray DVD player.

10) Eric Clapton's 1964 Gibson ES-335 - One of the greatest guitar players playing one of the greatest guitars. I want it.

So there ya go. This now ends my greedy materialist rant.

Please Welcome The New Irish Bubba

Jack William Reilly. What? Are we in Camelot here? Am I kin (or close to kin) to the 2044 presidential candidate? How wicked cool is that. Or maybe, as Jay might hope, Jackie-boy could be an upcoming replacement for Mike Lowell. Who knows? Seeing as how the boy ain’t yet 24-hours old, maybe I should set my hopes on seeing him and his happily astounded parents home from the hospital safely.

There are very few words of wisdom, if any, which can prepare my buddy and his wife for the times to come. Inconsolable crying seemingly without reason isn’t logical and is very hard with which to cope. New babies cry a lot, too.

So to my friends I say a few things. These are not words of wisdom, but certainties.

Trying to describe the changes in your lives beginning right now is energy worthlessly spent.

• Soon you will be peed on, and you’ll laugh.
• Your decision to handle the present situation is the best…(uh, sans shaking).
• Babies cry inconsolably at times because they have to expend their energy. It’s the only thing that they know how to do aside from eating and pooping.
• When it comes to loving or holding your baby, too much is never an answer.
• The complexity of growth and simplicity of a child will make you ponder your beliefs.
• News stories about a child being harmed will illicit a new emotional meaning of rage and sorrow.
• Your appreciation for your parents will drastically increase.
• Your spouse’s business trip is no longer bachelor/bachelorette time.
• The aroma of milk poop will become synonymous in your mind with being home.
• Regardless of current size, you will need to go purchase a new hard drive for all of the digital photos and video.
• Your protective instinct is very empowering
• Having the grandparents baby sit, however often, isn’t taking advantage of them.
• Scheduling a date night with your spouse, beginning right now, is unbelievable important.
• You will soon understand the meaning of true, unconditional love.

An unexplainable space/time continuum force is about to enter your realm. The phenomenon is known in parental circles as T6O4O9M8U4C84H7S4H5I4T. It’s a force that acts very much like a black hole. It will find any randomly passing square inch of open space and suck it into an exponentially shrinking environment.

The paradox lies within what your eye sees and the actually math equaling the square footage of your home. It all looks and measure the same, but your living space continues to disappear day by day.

I’m currently working on my own equation to contradict this force but have yet to make substantial progress. So far I have SqFt>M=M+C2trashcan
M=T6O4O9M8U4C84H7S4H5I4T

Tag, I'm It

It’s a blog game where writers eTag one another. It is then responsible to write about certain aspects of It’s life that certain others may or may not know. It is also responsible for tagging several others. I doubt I’ll do that.

Now that I’m It, I’m going to write about me, not that I don’t really write about me every other time. My spin on the game is going to be a little bit different. Considering that life is significant, I’m going to dribble monumental moments that have certainly impacted my life. I’ll probably forget one or two, but I’ll get most of them. So hold on to your hats because here we go:

• Born - Same year that man 1st walked on the moon; Woodstock; Hillary and Norgay made it to the top
• Sometime between day one and year seven – Met for the first time soon-to-be life-long friend, Fluid
• ’77ish-‘78ish – Met for the first time soon-to-be life-long friend, Popeye
• ’77ish-‘78ish – Parents divorced
• ’79 – Parents remarried
• ’80 – Father died; Brother moved to college; Mom working full-time
• ’81-‘82 – Met for the first time soon-to-be life-long friends, Crad, Brew
• ’82-’83 - Met for the first time soon-to-be life-long friends, Cerra
• ‘83 – Accepted God as my savior; became a member of the RUMC - I believed , but had an understanding of a teen. A point made obvious by several of the following.
• ’84 – 1st use of adult beverages, and got caught - Cerra, RB, Popeye, Def Leppard
• ’84 – Suzuki Shuttle, my moped
• ’84 – 1st kiss-JS; First time I ever felt a girl's boobie, Shannon (someone) from Doylestown
• ’84 – High school freshman
• ’84-‘85 – 1st smoke, both the brown leaf and the green leaf
• '85 - Got busted by RHS for smoking pot, suspended for one week
  
• ’85 – First Concert, Motley Crue w/ Y&T opening
• ’86 – Lost a status with the help of JS
• ’86 – 10-0 football season, 1st long-range goal successfully accomplished as part of a team
• ‘86 – My mother remarried, BF
• ’87 – Graduated High School; Began College
• ’87 - Met for the first time soon-to-be life-long friends, TF, VW
• '88 - Worked at Stone Lab, an island in Lake Erie
  
• ’88 – First long-term girlfriend – TB
• ’88 – Obtained my first real job at the Faculty Club
• '89 - TB and I drove to the Grand Canyon, worked as wait staff at the Bright Angle Lodge for the summer
  
• ’90 - ’91 - Met for the first time soon-to-be life-long friend, LM
• ’90 – Popeye starts college and we move in together
• ’91 – Met for the first time my nephew - TW
• ’91 – First Grateful Dead Show
• ’92 – 1st true broken heart - TB
• ’92 - Graduated from College (struggle!); moved to Gvl, S.C. and in with my brother, his wife, and his two kids; Met for the first time my niece - KW
• ’92 – Obtained my first professional position at WYFF; Met and started dating Kimberly
• ’92 - Met for the first time soon-to-be life-long friend, MD
• ’92 – Met for the first time my future wife, PH
• ’93 - Met for the first time soon-to-be life-long friend, JR
• ’93 – Cousin, KW, killed in a car accident
• ‘94 – Started dating my future wife
• ‘95 – Started shooting TV News
• ‘95 – Windows 95; first computer;
• '95 - Jerry Garcia dies
  
• ‘95 – Met for the first time a person that would later help cause havoc in my life, EJS
• ’96 – 1st award for photojournalism
• ’96 – Moved in with PH
• ’98 – Married PH; 1st time home owner
• ’99 – 1st Emmy Award– Collaborative Effort
• ’99 - Met for the first time soon-to-be life-long friends, MB, BW
• ’00 – 2nd Emmy Award – Best Photography
• ’00 – Switched positions at WYFF from photojournalism to web-based journalism
• ’00 – ’01 - Met for the first time soon-to-be life-long friends, TG, GD
• ’01 – Entered the field of public relations, a local hospital
• ’02 – My first digital camera
• ’02 – Diagnosed with ADD & HD – drastically over medicated, extremely life-changing, opening of a new world
• ’02 – My angle was born
• ’02 – Joined Brookwood Church
• ’03 – My first recognition of possibly being over medicated on adderall
• ’03 – A year of firsts, mostly dealing with shame, embarrassment and GHS; fixed medication issues
• 03 - Purchased my first personal video camera
  
• ’03 – Beginning of a long journey to fix that which was broken in my life
• ’04 – New Job - 1st PR agency job - resigned after four months
• ‘05 – PW's dad dies
• ’05 – New job – Editor and Chief of Upfront Publishing, former publishers of three magazines, laid-off
• ’05 – New Job – Public Relations Clemson University; began a quest for knowledge dealing with all things computer, digital, and communication; my 1st digital SLR
• '06 - Started my own personal website
  
• '06 - Joined a men's small group at my church
  
• ’06 – Gman dies, video
  
• '07 - Started Blogging
  
• Today – Happy Birthday to Me

By the way, the photo above is the house in which I grew up, 147 Grandview Blvd.

The Illusion of Growing Up…and a Big Tornado

The Graduate:
I am the very proud father of a graduate. Amongst a large mix of gleaming grandparents, crying pre Ks and frazzled but pleased parents, the Overbrook Baptist Church preschoolers took to the stage Thursday singing a mix of traditionals before teachers handed out graduate certificates.

I can’t believe that at the end of this summer my little girl will be going to big school. Right now she’s on-the-books for Mitchell Rd. Elementary.

I’m still hoping for Stone Academy. We’re 3rd on the list to get in. As a graduating present, Mom and Dad gave REW her own (Wal-Mart special) digital camera. Surprisingly, it works fairly well. She’s thrilled…as am I.


Visions or Illusions:
The things that I take for granted are amazing to me, and it’s take a child to make me understand.

The RER clan, REW and I made a quick trip to Greer Family Days last Saturday. Both Otis and I spent about $30 on $5 worth of food before spending another $7 to ride the jumpy things.

Who knew that God was about to go bowling after the first bouncing fiesta?

Our first refuge seemed great until we discovered the wind was blowing in our direction. The brick overhand didn’t help much. We then darted across to the shallow awning of the Greer Citizen.

This is where we stood for the next ½ hour making reference to Caddy Shack and joking about the citizenry of the town while rain torrents rotated to pesky drizzles and back again.

Otis the Younger learned to mimic the fearful sounds of REW after each major clap despite his daddy’s pleas to raise the arms in victory and then punch it home. Having a daughter, it’s always fun for me when a friend’s male child exhibits girly traits.

Digressing: Most adults would wash the day with a stroke of bad luck. The treat actually came after the rain. After nearly five years of reading in various books about them, REW saw a rainbow for the first time. I think it was probably The Younger’s first as well.

Judging from REW’s expressions, I would have to conclude that the prismatic colors are both visions and illusions…at the cost of $74.



On a Completely Different Note - Before and After:
Pictures are many words, but I’m going to give you a few words anyway. If you’ve been dead to the world for the last couple of weeks, you may not have heard.

A large tornado caused extensive damage in Greensburg, Kansas on May 4th. Okay, large is a bit of an understatement. Reports claim that the tornado was 1.5 miles wide. ONE POINT FIVE MILES WIDE!

Imagine a destructive whirling mass filled with cows and cars, light posts, two by fours and aunt Janet’s dentures rapidly advancing on your position.

I can only imagine that it sounded like a freight train traveling through my back yard.

However, I don’t have to imagine the destructive force. These before and after photos give me a pretty good mental image.