Ramblings of an Average White Guy

Different rules for different folks
Well, I went out to do a few errands today. While I was out, I noticed a few things happen that make me believe that in life, there are different rules for different people. Here are some of the things that I noticed:

1. In my rule book, those funny red octagon signs that say STOP mean that I should cease all forward movement and then proceed when it is my turn to do so. For others, the damn sign seems to mean slow down a little before plowing ahead.
   
2. In my rule book, signs that say "No more than 5 items may be taken into dressing room" mean that I can only take 5 or less items in at a time. For others, it means nothing. One lady sends her daughter in the room with eight items, then grandma comes and brings a few more things. Mom decides to bring in a few things. And guess where all those items ended up when they were done? You got it, the floor of the dressing room.
   
3. In my rule book, a red stop light means the same as a stop sign (see above). For others, it just means nothing if they're only making a right hand turn.
   
4. In my rule book, signs stating "please return carts here" is a request to the consumer to return their cart to a safe area where the cart won't be rolling around and possibly doing damage to vehicles. For others, the hell with the sign, that cart return area is 10 feet away, and I'm too important and busy to go that far.
   

In case you're wondering, other than dealing with several idiots, I managed to survive and complete my errands. My daughter now has some clothes that don't look like I shrunk them in the washer/dryer.

Denver Grand Prix
Today was the second running of the Denver Grand Prix. This is a formula one race that takes place downtown on city streets. I can't tell you who won the race for two reasons. One, I don't know. Two, I don't care. Auto racing just does not have much appeal to me. Watching Europeans (formula one) or Rednecks (NASCAR) run around in circles is just not that impressive. At least formula one drivers do have to make the occassional right turn. The last thing I need to do is watch for several hours so some hick can drive 500 miles and end up exactly where he started.

Personal Request
Hey, Oldcatman, when are you going to get back to the personal/family history. I really like reading about your history and learn a lot by reading those notes. Considering the fact that I'm your son, you'd think I'd know most of it, but I don't. Make you a deal, I'll look at your template and you get back to the historical writings. Oops, I meant to say, If you could please, sir.

Request for help
I have a request I'd like to ask all you fellow bloggers out there. I have a template change or posting I'm planning that I'd like to have a picture or image to go along with it. I use Blogger to write these postings and (obviously) use Blog*spot as my host. Anyone know what I have to do to get an image added?

Broncos 20, Seahawks 3
Not a very impressive game for either team. But, it was my first visit to Invesco Field and my daughters first live football game. I knew going in that my seats were up in the "nosebleed" section, but whoa! We were only three rows from the top of the stadium. From these seats, the field doesn't look that big. Hell, ten yards only looks like a couple of inches. The nice thing is you don't have to look up to follow a punt.

Speaking as a male, the Cheerleaders are very nice. They do seem to all fall into the young, skinny, buxom category with a bias towards blondes. But, that's to be expected I guess. Who wants to watch some 300 pound, flat-chested, stringy haired lady dance in those outfits. Not me!

I did notice a difference between watching a live game and seeing one on TV. One is that you forget you're watching it live until you realize that you don't see any instant replays. One advantage of seeing a game live, especially from an end-zone seat is that you can see a play develop better. You see the different receivers running their routes, the blocking on a run setting up, etc.. It also took me a moment or two to realize that some gaps between plays weren't due to problems, it was a TV time-out. In the stands, you just have to wait for the game to resume (but, at least you don't see dumb commercials). I also hadn't realized how much I came to accept and appreciate that yellow first-down line that TV shows during games. I kept missing it last night. Maybe they can give the fans some sort of special glasses that would be able to see a beam shooting between the first-down chains.

Ah, a change in the weather
I don't know about you, but I love seasonal changes. It doesn't matter what season is changing to what. Today is a cool rainy day in Denver. It looks and feels like a fall day. After many hot days, it's nice to have a day that is different and pointing to what's ahead. When I was in the Marines and stationed in Hawaii, I couldn't wait to get back to the continental U.S. so that I could have seasons again. Unfortunately, this fell into the "be careful what you ask for, you may get it" category as I went from Hawaii to Kansas City, Missouri. The seasonal change I so desired turned into winter days with -8 degree daily highs.

A bit of personal history
As I mentioned above, I am a former active duty Marine (you're never a former Marine). I officially enlisted in the Marines between my junior and senior year of high school back in 1978. I went active duty on July 7, 1979. I went through Boot Camp at Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego, CA. The Marines have some advertising that claims that you can ask any Marine about boot camp and he (or she) will say that it was the toughest thing they ever did and while they wouldn't want to repeat it, they are proud to have done it. Finally, some truth in advertising. Graduating boot camp is one of the things in my life I am most proud of. It's not something everyone can, could, or would do. But, I did it and nobody can take the feeling of pride and accomplishment away from me. Anyway, after boot camp, I went to Computer Sciences School (for programming training) in Quantico, VA. When my schooling was done, I was sent back to California for assignment to (get this name) Marine Corps Tactical Systems and Support Activity at Camp Pendleton. From there, I was given orders to Fleet Marine Force, Pacific at Camp Smith, HI. My final duty station was at the Marine Corp Finance Center in Kansas City, MO. KC was the only place that was not a military base. We had a large building on 95th street that we worked in. To be honest, it's one of the reasons I got out of the military. I enjoyed being part of the Marines, I loved the structure, rules, and community of it all. In KC, we didn't have that. The only differences between being a Marine programmer and a civilian programmer in KC were that the Marines wore a uniform and got paid less. I really missed being on a base and the feeling of unity that it provides.

Dumb Things People Say
Well, I was looking for something earlier today and thought of this statement that someone always says when you're looking for something. Someone will always tell you that the item you're looking for will be in the last place you look. Well, no shit! I may have misplaced something, but that doesn't make me an idiot that would find what I'm looking for and still keep looking for it.

Broncos vs. Seahawks
Going to my first Bronco football game tonight. I'm looking forward to it, but realize that it's only a pre-season game. I read in the newspaper that the Broncos are going to rest all the starters to prevent any injuries to an important player. So, basically, I'll get to see a lot of back-ups play tonight. Heck, for some of the players tonight, this will be the last pro game they ever play. The roster cuts happen Sunday, so some of these guys will be unemployed like me on Monday. Kind of funny that their first day of unemployment will be Labor Day.

Speaking of Which
Why do we celebrate a holiday - Labor Day - a day to honor the workers of America by taking the day off? And, if you're like me and unemployed, can you rightfully celebrate the holiday? Here in the Denver area, we have the Broncos game tonight, University of Colorado vs. Colorado State tomorrow, The Taste of Colorado (food fair), and the Denver Grand Prix all going on this weekend. What better thing to do for a holiday/day off then to plan all sorts of events that cause a great deal of people to have to work extra.

Readership
Well, it seems that the number of people reading this site continues to slowly increase. I'm doing this primarily for fun. It's been nice to express some of my comments just to get them off my chest. I like the fact that others read this, but it's not my sole reason for doing it. That said however; I'm wondering how one goes about getting more people to read this. Besides getting listed in search engines, what do you feel is the best way to publicize a site? How do you make others aware of your site?

Hope you have a safe and happy holiday

What to write?
Well, it was a pretty quiet day and I'm sitting here trying to figure out what to write about. I've got one topic, but it falls under the grievance category and I did that yesterday with cell phones/guns. I'll probably go ahead and do it, but I don't want to develop a negative tone to this thing.

Another Bowling League
Tonight I started one (out of two) fall bowling leagues. Managed to set a 207 average to start. My 50% 200 game and 600 series goals are off to a good start as I had two 200's and a 623 series. I've been part of this league either as a full time bowler or substitute for 8 years now. In that time, it's shrunk down to only ten teams. Where are all the bowlers at these days? Overall, south Denver doesn't seem to be a hot bed for bowling. Hopefully things will pick up.

Another Pet Peeve
Okay, I'm resorting to my greivance topic. The topic is hate crimes. I saw a pamphlet at school today about this subject. Basically, I have a problem with an act being labeled a hate crime. Now, I will freely admit that some violence is done simply because the victim is a member of a given group. But, there are two things that really bother me about something being labeled a hate crime. One, is the assumption that just because a white male (for example) commits a crime against a black male, that it is a hate crime. What if the black guy just happened to be the next person the white guy saw. So, that's who he robbed, assaulted, or murdered. Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to say violence is acceptable. I'm just saying that just because a member of one race acts against another race does not make it a hate crime. The second objection I have is the whole idea that because a minority is assaulted by a white person (as an example) that it makes the crime worse than than if another white person is the victim. Violence should be punished equally, no matter the race of the perpetrator or victim. Besides, I do have the white male bias that if a black man assaulted a white male, you never see that described as a hate crime. The only white males who are victims of a hate crime are a Jewish male or a homosexual. Damn, I'm neither, so I guess it's open season on me.

Answer to my Question
Well, the only response to my favorite question (see below) was from Mookie Riffic. Mookie knew the question was from Monty Python and the Holy Grail, however, she didn't answer the question. Actually, the response (in the movie) is African or European. It's a semi-trick question, since there really is no true answer.

What is up with Blogger?
Damn, I tried a few new things with my template and all hell broke loose. Suddenly, I was having paging problems again, my comments dissappeared, and my Blogsite reference went away. Well, I went away for awhile and now (with no changes), I've got my comments back and the paging problem is gone. What is with this editor?

Pet Peeve - Cell phones
First, I will admit that I own and carry a cell phone. However, my purpose for carrying said phone is that if anything should happen concerning my daughter, I want to be accessable. The only time I wear my cell phone is when I'm away from home and my daughter and I are apart.

Now, other than that emergency contact reason, I generally despise cell phones. Okay, maybe not the phone, but the mental defectives that carry them. I was at school today doing some homework. At the table next to me was this female who was constantly talking on her phone. Why do I have to listen to half of a conversation? Why do people constantly talk loud enough for everyone to hear them? I can't stand the disrespect that so many people display when using their phones. I know it's a public place, but come on, have some respect for those around you. Who are you that you have to have this loud inane conversation that I can't help but hear part of. The worst part of it is that if you laugh, snort, or otherwise comment on what you hear, you're deemed to be rude for listening. Hey folks, you talk that loud, I can't help but listen.

Now, if you are using you're phone for an emergency contact, fine. That's a great use of the technology. But why, oh why do you need to use the phone just to tell someone else you saw a bad movie last night? And I don't even want to get started about the idiots that I have to sit behind at a green light that aren't moving because they're to wrapped up on their call. And the next idiot that leaves their cell phone on in a movie is going to get their phone smashed. In my opinion, there is nothing ruder than being disturbed by a cell phone, whether it is in a movie, a bowling alley, a golf course, or during a conversation. Unless you're a doctor, why do you need to be reachable 24/7?

Language
You may not have realized it up to now, but today's post is the first time I've used swear words in my postings. Well, the reason is that in my normal day to day speaking, I occassionally will swear (okay, maybe a little more than occassionally). I basically decided to be a little bit more honest in my conversational tone on here. So, if it bothers you to read a swear word, I understand. I'm not going to apologize, just recommend that if it bothers you a great deal, don't bitch at me, just don't read this Blog anymore.

A little bit about my views
The comments about cell phones have made me think about expressing one of my opinions about something else. I firmly believe in the saying guns don't kill people, people do. Example, lay a fully loaded gun on the counter and don't touch it. What harm will the gun do? It is at that point, an inanimate object no different than a speck of dust. It isn't until someone picks up the gun and handles it inappropriately that the problem occurs. If picked up and not pointed or discharged at something, the gun basically is still harmless. It isn't until an individual, including a child, fails to treat the gun respectfully or safely that a problem exists. Folks, it's not the gun killing anyone. It's the individual using it.

Bowling Results
Well, team wise, we finished in 7th place (out of 12) in our league. What's aggravating about that is that we were in the top three as far as scratch pin total. We just kept losing to folks with higher handicaps. Oh well, shit happens. Individually, I finished with a 202 average. I met my goals for the season which was 50% 600 series and 50% games over 200. This is the first full league (as opposed to just being a sub for a team) that I was able to meet that goal and maintain a 200+ average. Tomorrow, I start one of my two fall leagues. The other one starts next Tuesday. My goals for these leagues (both 30+ weeks) will again be a minimum of 50% 200 games and 600 series. Wish me luck.

This is a College level course?
Well, day one of my classes is come and gone. The Accounting course seems like it's going to be good. The instructor is one who has been in the business, seems to really know the subject, seems to enjoy teaching, and has a sense of humor. What is going to be funny is the Business Math class. This class has five different time periods. I just happen to be the only one taking this course on Tues./Thurs. This means, I'm the head of my class (course, I'm also the worst one in class too). Anyway, I was doing my first assignment reading and work. The first question basically was this - The number 23 has ___ digits: they are a ___ and a ___. Now, is this really college level? My nine year old thought that question would be easy for a Kindergartener. The first couple of chapters are all basic (and I mean basic) math refresher. Oh well, should help the old GPA.

Musical Tastes
I mentioned yesterday that I was able to identify a Pink Floyd song based on a lyric. The reason for this is that I am a big Floyd fan. Like most Floyd fans, I like the Gilmour/Waters/Wright/Mason line-up the best. But, I also like the Barrett songs and have enjoyed the two albums which did not have Waters in the line-up. If you like Roger Waters, I highly recommend the "In the Flesh" DVD. Doyle Bramhall II and Snowy White are great guitar players, but I still prefer Gilmour's playing. My father (the Oldcatman) used to listen to Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, and Pink Floyd when I was little. Of those three, Pink Floyd is the one that really got to me.

My mother (who passed away when I was 15) used to listen to Neil Diamond, Perry Como, Dean Martin, Andy Williams, and that sort. My older sister was a brand-new teenager when Bobby Sherman, The Osmonds, The Jackson Five were popular. Later, she listened to Chicago, War and Tower of Power. My younger brother (who also was a Floyd fan) liked the Beatles and the Who. So, you can see where I get my eclectic taste in music. Right now, in my car CD player, I have cd's from Chicago, Dire Straits, Pink Floyd, Train, Tom Petty, and Aerosmith. Rather interesting mix. My taste runs from Van Halen, Billy Joel, Harry Connick Jr., the Police/Sting, Huey Lewis, Styx, and Diana Krall. In fact, the only music that someone around me enjoyed that I didn't also enjoy was my late wife's like of ABBA and the BeeGees. Well, at least we know Rock and Roll hasn't rotted my brain.

Anyone have any questions?
As usual on the first day of a class, the instructor asked if anyone had any questions. I am proud to announce that I bit my tongue and did not ask my all time favorite question - What is the air speed velocity of an unladen swallow?. Anyone know where that comes from and what the answer is? I should think of some prize of some sort and bestow it upon the one who answers the question first. Who knows, maybe I'll think of something.

Back to School
I start my next couple of classes tomorrow. I'm taking Accounting 1 and Business Math using Electronic Calculators. I keep laughing to the Math class name. Specifically, the "using Electronic Calculators" makes me chuckle. What's the alternative, an Abacus? The only thing that bothers me about these classes is the Accounting textbook. This thing weighs a ton. I'm taking two courses and the backpack that I have my texts in weighs almost as much as my golf bag does with 14 clubs in it.

Monday's and Unemployment
I'm getting to the point of not liking Monday mornings anymore. As part of my receiving Unemployment Insurance, I'm required to make three job contacts a week. Most weeks, these contacts are made via a submittal of my resume using one of the on-line job search sites. So, on Monday mornings, I search the sites for Cobol Programmer/Analyst positions in Colorado or Missouri. The Monday blues hit me when I find out that there aren't many jobs out there to apply for. Each Monday it's the same thing, I sit and hope for a new job posting and then get depressed/worried/scared when I don't find one. It usually takes me a couple of hours to run through my mental pick-me-up checklist to remind myself that I am lucky in the sense that financially I'm okay, sooner or later I'll find something, and the most important thing, my daughter is still healthy, happy, and loves me.

Musically I'm Getting Old
I was reading Mookie Riffic's Blog yesterday and came across a Q/A session she had with someone (I forgot who). One of the questions listed the song lyric "Would you trade a walk-on role in a war for a lead role in a cage?" and labeled it as an esoteric Pink Floyd reference. The scary thing was that Mookie couldn't answer the question because she didn't understand the reference. I felt old at this point so I sat down and wondered why. Here's what I figured out:

• The lyric is actually "Did you exchange" not "Would you trade"
• I knew instantly that the song the lyric was from was Wish You Were Here from the album of the same name
• The song was published in 1975. Mookie says she's in High School right now so that means the song has to pre-date her birth by at least a decade
• Lastly, I don't think us Pink Floyd fans are an esoteric bunch

Question/Comment of the Day
Think about this, the song "Hokey-Pokey" says "Do the Hokey-Pokey, that's what it's all about". Really? A few centuries of mankind exploring, discovering, creating, etc and it's all about putting your right foot in and shakin' it about? Poor Einstein, thought he really had it made with the theory of relativity. He get's to heaven and finds out that the true answer is the Hokey-Pokey.

Still Learning
Well, I've been reading a lot of Blogs lately. It's kind of fun to read the different writing methods that exist. Sees people treat a Blog as a diary, a running commentary, a political soapbox, or just a place to write about whatever is on their mind. While I'm reading the various Blogs, I'm also keeping an eye out for formatting techniques or designs that appeal to me. I use Blogger to create this site and I'm wondering if that will allow me to use some of the coding I've seen. I guess the best way to find out would be to try. What have I got to lose. If it doesn't work, I can just remove the offending code. Right now, my aim is to find out how I can format my sidebar a little nicer/fancier. If you have any tips, feel free to write me.

Thanks to fellow Bloggers
Just wanted to say thank you to my fellow bloggers who have read this Blog and have been kind enough to send me an e-mail. I really appreciate all the programming tips, critiques, and reviews that I've received. Please feel free to keep sending me a note to comment on this site.

I'd especially like to hear from anyone who can assist me with how to set up a comments section, guestbook, or other neat features.

One of the folks who sent me an e-mail (Mookie Riffic) included a link to her father's Blog (RocketJones). I mention this only because RocketJones had some nice remembrances of Bobby Bonds. He also mentioned having been to see a number of San Jose Bees (minor league team) games. That is the part that really got my attention. The Oldcatman used to take my brother and I to the Bees games all the time. I really enjoyed going to games when it was Helmet Day, Bat Day, or other give-away deals. And, like RocketJones, my first visit to a major league game was at Candlestick Park (against the Cubs as I remember). It's weird sometimes to find out just how small the world can be at times. But, as Steven Wright says - It's a small world, but I wouldn't want to paint it.

Sometimes I think of the dumbest things
1. What was the greatest thing before sliced bread? And why haven't we been able to top sliced bread as the greatest thing?
2. Why do people say "I've got to use the ATM machine"? Doesn't the M in ATM stand for machine?
3. Why do people say something is very unique? If unique means one of a kind, does very unique imply that it's very much one of a kind?
4. And lastly (at least for today), do you realize that no matter how dumb or inane a TV commercial may be; somebody thought it up, wrote it down, and somebody else judged it the best of the submitted ideas?

Parenting and being Single
As a single father of a little girl, I find parenting a lot harder than when my wife was here. I think the biggest difference is the lack of a break. When my wife was here, if I was busy or tired, she was always there to help with our daughter. Or, if one of us needed a break, we could always run to the store alone to complete an errand. Do you realize how much easier it is to run to the drugstore to pick up laundry soap without a child wanting to look at toys? Or how much faster in general you can shop without a child? I find myself now planning my weekdays with trips to stores that I know my daughter likes because of the toys, books, movies they sell. I'm not trying to be mean to her, it's just that I only need one or two items and don't want to have to go through the "can we look at ....." discussions.

One of the other problems with being a widower (which is also not helped by being unemployed) is the lack of an adult opinion on things or conversation. I read things in the newspaper or see things on TV and miss being able to discuss them with someone. My daughter, as intelligent as she may be, simply does not care to discuss the current news or events. Now, if I want to talk about Spongebob Squarepant or Lizzie McGuire, then she's the one to which I'd run. Can't say that happens alot though.

I still haven't gotten comfortable in respect to referring to myself as single. I usually refer to myself as widowed when asked about my marital status. I don't know why that is other than I tend to think of "singles" as people without kids. It's that single means one thing I guess. I know it's weird, but heaven help me that's the way my mind thinks. And I'll have to write sometime about the fun world of dating (or trying to in my case). Let me ask you this. What ever happened to babysitter's? When I was growing up or a younger adult, it seemed that every 13 - 16 year old girl babysat. Now, I can't find a single one. Where'd they go?

Closing comments
Do other bloggers plan their writings? I'm just wondering because I'm finding myself thinking of topics to write about during the day. So, I thought I'd ask if others do the same and if so, what do you do about it? Do you make notes about what you're going to say? I've read some Blogs that look like they are simply random thoughts that come about while typing. Some look like diaries of the day's events. And then there are some that look as though the person was writing an article with all the associated research involved. I suppose there is no right or wrong way to do this.

I do think that to assist my own writing, I'm going to write down topics that I have an opinion about, find amusing, or that bother me. In no particular order, here are some of the things I'll be writing about soon:
1. Dating and being 40+
2. My favorite movies or books
3. My childhood
4. Famous people and their legal issues
5. My daughter and her school
6. Looking at dumb things people do.

Differences between me and Oldcatman
As I've mentioned before, I am the so-called Denver-ite son of Oldcatman. For those of you who have read (whether once or regularly) my father's Brain Farts, you will notice that there are quite a few similarities between he and I and a lot more differences. As my father has mentioned, he is quite the Hippie. I, on the other hand am quite the average suburban white male. People who know both of us have stated that usually it is the child who rebels from the parent. Well, if your parent is a hippie, the only way to rebel is to be a straight laced conservative. I've spent the last thirty years of my life trying to understand my father's choices. Truth be told, I still don't understand or agree with a lot of them. But, I have learned that they have been and are his choices and that he has to live his life the way that makes him happy. So, Oldcatman, I may not agree with everything you say or do, but I love you all the same and always will. (Gee, one male expressing love for another male. Hope they don't run me out of Colorado for that)

The morning newspaper
I enjoy reading the newspaper first thing in the morning. I sit down with a cup of coffee (my first of many in a day) and peruse the happenings of this world we live in. As a Denver area resident, I have two choices for a subscription. One is the Denver Post and the other is the Rocky Mountain News. Some people in town pick one paper over the other because one is more liberal or conservative than the other. Some choose the News because it comes in a tabloid/magazine format. The Post comes in the traditional newspaper format. I subscribe to the Post not for either of these reasons. My two main reasons are columnist Woody Paige and the other is the comic strip Dilbert. I used to subscribe to the News, but dropped it when Calvin and Hobbes ceased to be published. Great reasons for selecting a paper, don't you think?

Anyway, seems now that the Colorado kids are not going to have a mandatory recital of the Pledge of Allegiance each morning before school. The judicial system here seems to think that forcing a student to recite the Pledge (even though they can request permission not to do so) violates the students first amendment rights, specifically the freedom of speech and freedom of religion portions. Requiring a kid to state "one nation under God" is being equated to forcing a kid to be Christian or Jew. Folks, the word God (or god if you will) is simply that. It's a word that only has meaning if you have a belief in it (or Him). If you believe that God is the supreme being that oversees all, than that's what the word means. If you don't believe in God, then the word can simply be the dsylexic version of dog. Asking that a child say "under God" is no worse than asking the kid to buy a candy bar with a bill that includes the term "In God we trust".

And, since we're on the topic of religion, where does the constitution say that you have a freedom from religion. I will admit, I have a belief in God. What I'm currently struggling with is a belief in an organized religion. Yes, you can seperate God and religion. I just don't understand why some people think that every reference to God is tatamount to a city, state, or the U.S. establishing a religion. That's what the constitution prohibits, an establishment of an official religion. We are free to worship Jesus Christ, Yahweh, Budda, or any other deity or none at all. Why all the fuss over the word God. Which religion is this trying to promote anyway? The word God (according to Merriam-Webster's) means "the Being perfect in power, wisdom, and goodness who is worshiped as creator and ruler of the universe". So, it would seem that the "Being" to you may not be the same "Being" to me. So, why should either of us be offended.

Off the soapbox
Okay, getting a little mouthy here. Time to get on to something more interesting (to me, at least). Next week is a big week for me. One, I finish my first semeter and start my second semester (in a row) of college courses. When I graduated from high school I went straight into the United States Marine Corps. I've occassionally taken an odd course or two, but this is the first time I've taken coursed two semesters in a row. Next, the week marks the end of my summer bowling league and the beginning of one (out of two) or my fall bowling leagues. i have been bowling in at least one league a year for over twenty years now. And before you ask, my average is a little over 200 and yes, I have bowled a perfect game (seems to be what everyone asks). And I am in agreement with George Carlin that Bowling is an activity more than a sport. At least at the average bowling league level.

Monday night, I am going to my first Bronco's game (okay, it's pre-season). In the twelve years that I've lived in Denver, I've never been to a game either at Mile High or Invesco. Notice I said Mile High or Invesco. I'm one of these folks who never believed in calling the new stadium Mile High. Come on! We tore down Mile High Stadium. Calling the new field the same name would be a joke. You wouldn't name a pet dog after one that died and expect it to be the same as the old one would you? Everyone was screaming about high Mile High Stadium was so much of Denver's identity and losing the name would be awful. Hey, if the damn stadium made the city great, why'd you tear it down?

A Personal Moment
Just wanted to take a moment to say Happy Birthday to my late wife. Sweetheart, I miss you and still love you with all my heart.

Learning as I go
As I said yesterday, I am entirely new to this whole "blogging" thing. I usually program the big IBM mainframe computers. So, the programming of a blog is an entirely new world for me. As my knowledge grows, I'll keep incoporating new things into this page. I'd like to think it'll all be from learning new things, but in true programmer fashion, a lot of it will be stealing code from other bloggers. As such, to all that I steal code from, I thank you and promise that if I take anything other than a link, mail capabilities, counters, etc.. that I will give credit where it is due.

Hang in there Oldcatman
Just wanted to let you know that if you are a regular reader of Oldcatman, that he is alive and well. He is suffering through some hardware problems and will return once his he is able. I've been a "techie" for over twenty years and now Oldcatman is teaching me how to blog. Well, one never knows who is going to teach you life's next lesson.

Today's Ramblings
When you were young, did you ever play football, baseball, frisbee, whatever in the street in front of your house? I remember playing touch football with the gutters being out of bounds and whatever car was parked nearby being the goal line. The reason I ask is that I have just learned that in my community, my football games would have been illegal. That's right, kids in my area are not allowed by law to play in the street. Supposedly, it's a safety issue. We have a real Hatfield/McCoy feud going on here on one street because one family (the Hatfields maybe?) has been calling the local sheriff whenever kids are playing street hockey. Wow, what a crime that is. I think we're going overboard on safety issues when playing in the street is a crime.

Went shopping yesterday looking for some jeans. The store I was at (Kohl's) was having a "sale". Why do stores constantly say something is "on sale" when you can buy it at the same price every freakin day. Hey folks, your sale price is your normal selling price so stop trying to convince me that I'm getting a bargain that day. I laugh when I see the "Regular vs. Sale" price tags. When do these stores ever sell these things at the regular price. I've never seen it.

Along the same lines is the bargains offered by regular commercials or info-mercials (yes, I've watched a few) on TV. I love the part where they say you can get a $200 (for example) value for only $50 today. Oh really? Wow, lucky me! Oh, by the way, has anyone ever paid $200 for this stuff? No? Then, how can you claim it's a $200 value. It's value is only what someone will pay for it. And just what did you pay for this stuff or how much did it cost you to produce? It's obviously less than what you're charging me unless you're the world's stupidest businessman. So, take your 200% bargain mark-up item and leave me alone. Where's my remote, surely there's a Gilligan's Island rerun I could be watching instead of you and your can slicing knives.

Well, enough early morning ramblings. I think that if I feel like writing more later, then I will. I wanted to yesterday, but didn't know if multiple daily postings were kosher. After reading other blogs, I guess it's just fine. So, if the muse strikes, I'll be back later. If not, I'll wait until tomorrow to post again.

A New Blog/Blogger
What's this? Another Blog? Yes friends, one more person has thought that they had something to say important enough to warrant creating a public site. Are my thoughts that vital to the American people? I don't know. But, I do know that I'm at least as intelligent as the next blogger. So, a new journey begins.

So, what will I be writing about?
I don't know. Probably whatever I am feeling on a given day. Somedays I'll write about the trials and tribulations of being a widower. Some days the ups and downs of being a single parent. Or, possibly about the struggles of being un-employed. I also reserve the right to add my commentary, for what it's worth, about general subjects or events happening around Denver, Colorado, and the U.S. I am not a writer nor an excellent grammarian. So, don't expect to be reading the unpublished work of the next great American Writer.

Who am I
I am a 42 year old white male who lives in a southern suburb of Denver, CO called Highlands Ranch. Hence, the title of this blog - AverageWhiteGuy. I am a widower and a single parent of one very sweet little 9 year old girl. Oh, and thanks to this wonderful economy we're enjoying, I am an unemployed COBOL Programmer/Analyst.

As far as political leanings, I'm a registered Republican. But, I'm not the type of person who believes that all Republicans are good and all Democrats are bad. For example, I still think the whole Clinton/Lewinsky deal was a Republican witch hunt. And, biased by my job situation, I'm not finacially supporting the Republican Party until George stops trying to make up for his father's mistake and does something about the economy.

I also consider myself one of the most politically incorrect people around. I can't stand it when someone is described as a "-American". Let's see, you were born in America, that makes you an American. Now, you may be an American of Italian, Irish, or whatever descent, but you are an American. I have no idea of what to call a person born in Mexico. Are they a Mexican-American, a Hispanic, a Latino, or what? And now, the people we used to call blacks are African-Americans. Why? Doesn't a person born in Jamaica have the same (approximate) skin color? So, we're using a nationality to describe skin color. But wait, if golfer Ernie Els (who has white skin and is from South Africa) becomes an American citizen, would he be an African-American? What about someone from Egypt? Isn't Egypt still on the African continent?

I am also big on personal responsibility. Why is everything that happens someone elses fault these days? Spill hot coffee on yourself or make yourself fat by eating a hamburger everyday - not your fault, sue McDonalds. Your kid can't spell cat without a headstart, don't blame yourself, it's the school's fault or your kid has ADD (Attention Deficit, in case you're wondering). Face it folks, a great many folks are running around with the notion that the world is out to get them or their shortcomings are due to having the latest and hippest syndrome.

Okay - that's enough for my first post. I hope someone reads this thing everynow and then. Maybe somebody will respond to what I have to say. Hopefully soon, I'll have an e-mail link set up in case you care to comment.