Happy?

I'm a very happy guy. I love my wife and family, I like where I work, I love where I live. All in all It's a good place I'm in.

http://pewresearch.org/social/pack.php?PackID=1

I guess that puts im in the 1/3 group from the above pew poll. There is a high number of happy people out there. After reading through your tempted to make a check box too see if you all the 'happy items' to bolster your happy attainment.

To me it doesnt work that way. You have to have a joyful personal outlook otherwise I believe you could heap all the 'happy factors' in the world on someone and it wont do squat.

Oh on one shocking note: "Lastly, we come to what may be the most controversial non-finding of all. It turns out that there is no significant happiness gap between dog owners and cat owners. Or between owners of pets of any kind and those who have no pets. We're at a loss to explain. We're just happy - no, make that very happy -- that neither Fido nor Felix can read."

I hope your day keeps you above that 15%

The New Avengers 18

A quick catch-up. Something comes down from space in Alaska and begins walking (very fast) across into canada. It looks like a human but with unspeakable power. The entity walks across Canada and in a matter of seconds obliterates Alpha Flight. When it heads into the US heading to Cleveland S.H.I.E.L.D issues a call out to the Avengers.

Iron man goes out to intercept and is able to stop the being and start a dialog. Just as Iron Man learns his name "Michael" Ms. Marvel\Warbird attacks (she was a called in reserve member and had not been filled in on the plan). She begins using her ability to drain off energy before she gets trounced. And finds herself charged up to the energy levels she was as 'Binary' a cosmic level space faring hero.

--spoilers follow--

Okay, This issue really brings together a lot of great elements starting with a ex-Shield agent being re-instated by request of Cap. America, to the first apearance of the Vision in this comic sense he was destroyed by The Scarlet Witch. a 50 story Michael is now facing down a solo Iron man in the streets of Cleveland. IM doesnt stand a chance the cover above shows his fate. Binary (Ms. Marvel) saves Iron Man and attacks only to be soundly thrashed.

Enter The Sentry. Now this is WHAT I have been waiting for, I have posted earlier about The Sentry and what a great character he is, we have yet to see him in Action. Now we have four panels full of him smacking Michael into space and then kicking butt.

Great action comic with a great twist of an ending that unfortunatly will only catch the less then average comic book reader off guard.

We also learn that Spider-man doesnt have a drivers license... Great Book!

The Dentist Autism Blues.

There is something about watching Connor fight against having the dentist do any work that leaves me with angst that is hard to explain. He had his dentist visit tuesday and because of how he is they needed to sedate him.

They gave him an oral sedative that got him glassy eye'd about 15min later. We were in the 'play room' and he was getting groggy. We moved into the room and they tried to give him a small numbing injection in his mouth. He fought this and dispite the dentist and four helpers Connor arched out and rolled to the side three or four times before I offered to help. Knowing him and having to hold him still for splinters and such came in handy. They had no problem with my aid. I was active in keeping the nitros on his nose and when that didnt work they went with an IV drip.

He pulled the first IV out and the 2nd worked out. So now he was fighting the medication. I have had sodium penathol before and I lasted about 10 seconds. Connor fought for 15min before his eyes got that horrible dead look to them. He has such strength and sheer grit I couldnt help but be proud of him and at the same time I wished there was a way to convey to him that this was all okay and he did not need to fight.

I'm very proud of my little guy. Even with all the trauma later that evening he was able to smile and laugh as though unaffected by the events of the day. I feel like I should apologize for putting him through this, yet I know that I would do it again because its needed. Which makes any apology ring hollow to me. "I'm so sorry that I had them check your teeth, seal them against cavities and take care of two cavity that were already there" What kind of parent would I be if I did not attend to my kids health?

Yet I do feel bad about the situation and I hope somewhere he does understand and realizes that it is out of love and caring.

One of those grown up things, you know what you have to do and if you do not do it your actually letting your kid down by not being the parent they need you to be. Cruel to be kind?

Interesting news item

http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=22055
This is David Horowitz news website.

Please note the following: "One document which describes Iraqi contacts with bin Laden himself also shows that Iraq was in contact with Dr. Muhammad al-Massari, the head of the Committee for Defense of Legitimate Rights."

The CDLR is the Al-Qaeda propaganda organization in London.

Iraq + Bin Laden and Iraq + Al-Qaeda

Easter Sunday

We did the dinner and egg hunt etc. Ended up sitting around the table visiting and talking and laughing. Everyone had to get going as its a long drive back to thier various homes. So it was all in all a very nice visit.

Global Warning

Turns out our efforts to clear the air have made for more global warming!!!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4880328.stm

Further we need to do something about the sun!!!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/56456.stm

Or do we? Turns out Global Warming ended with the 90's!
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/main.jhtml?xml=/opinion/2006/04/09/do0907.xml&sSheet=/news/2006/04/09/ixworld.html

Love that media!

Country Music

Those that know me know that my tastes in music are very broad. I find something to enjoy about pertty much any kind of music with two exceptions. Bartok and Disco. As such I'm a fan of Country music. And a fan of Toby Keith as of late. I got introduced into Country obliquely by my sis-in-law Nancy back in Junior High. She had a bunch of 45's and albums (music came on these prior to James Russels invention, the Compact Disc took over during the 80's) and gave me a portable battery operated turntable. Among these treasures was the Ozark Mountain DareDevils. Jenny C Riley, and assorted country and country rock artists.

I quickly found that my southern california peers did not share any enthusiasm for 'Country'. Fast forward to 1988. Garth Brooks had a TV special that was just great fun to watch. This was followed by a big boom in country music stations and some great music. Now that I'm living in Roseburg where the bulk of people listen to country and rock about equally its much easier to have small talk about the various artists.

One day at work

I work in a cubical forest, for the better part of the day I am about two steps behind in what I need to be doing. On the occasional slow time people around tend to chat about Life the Universe and everything. Myself also being a person who likes talking about Life the universe and everything usually join in these discussions.

One slow period the discussion was centering about the downsides of having kids. One girl in particular was pontificating that she would never deen to have children. That they would get in her way of doing grandious stuff. Others, like myself, expressed that kids were indeed a grandious adventure. I appended that there is a right time for adventure and before having kids was optimal. (I did use smaller words).

The example of my wifes pre-marital trek across europe and some of my other friends incursions into the great wide open were well accepted. The original girl re-iterated again at length at how kids would be her ruination. At that point I piped in with:

"Ya know, I think its probably a good idea for you not to have kids"

To which she replied "Oh, why is that?"

"You would be a real lousy mom." At that she flashed some anger and stormmed off.

Why do women get upset when you agree with them???

The Invincible Iron Man

Marvel Comics has been going through some changes. The Avengers broke up. Thor Vanished. Spider-Man Died (he got better). Etc. The New Avengers launched and Captian America and Iron Man all started out in brand new books. Cap has been winning awards for its storyline. Iron Man should be seeing similer accolades as well. Warren Ellis and Adi Granov have put together a visual tale that really has a unique take on Tony Stark (aka Iron Man).

Like any creation with over 40 years behind him. A lot of tales have been told. Noteably his loosing his fortune due to alcholohism. His being Time displaced by a young Stark et al. While I have always like the concept of a guy building a suit and fighting crime. The tales being told had gotten to the point of being same old, same old.

Along comes the New book and the six parter Extremis (trade paperback comming soon!). Tony has become disenchanted, his genius for invention has hit a wall. He has the Iron Man suite built to the Nth degree. He soon finds himself against a foe that gives him a sound trashing. With the bad guy enroute to Washington DC, Tonys body beaten batterd and broken along with his armor, he turns to a long time friend in the bio-tech field.

Needless to say issue 5 and 6 are well worthy of WOW and I cannot wait for issue 7 to see what the next story arc brings. Tony goes from a guy in a suit to a guy who is part suit, in some wild and logical ways. It's really the biggest upgrade ever.

Good read, pick up the trade, on the downside it took the first six issues a year and a quarter to come out. Hardly the Monthly title as promised. but the Art is Alex Ross level and the Storyline is BENDIS! level (anyone who knows his comics will understand).

Jobs

My job just changed substantially. I am support for telephone sales. People call in to buy a computer or other stuff. If they require a call back or somthing goes wrong with the order (before it ships) I'm the one who calls and or fixes the problem.

We used to be paid off the floors commission. Which means if our site did really well we got paid well. Likewise if the floor stunk it up we smelled as well. I really prefer this over system sales. One I can sleep at nights not worrying about my quota. Two, my vast knowledge of computers and accessories comes into play a lot more often.

Now that has changed, they decided to make my teams commission based on orders we actually make. To me this will change behaviors and make 'fixing' an existing order something that we do not do. After all why spend the time doing that when you need to make that next sale to pay your mortgage?