A Dad First...

What Am I, Some Sort of Activist?!

2010-03-10T15:02:00.000-08:00

[First part of the story, Why Government Agencies Need a Social Media Policy...]Had a good talk with the Community Relations Manager for the City of Tacoma regarding the previous post and the events surrounding it in November. As it turns out, my initial email to my then-Councilman had more effect than I would have ever guessed...and appears I was not the only one to voice my concerns about the

Why Government Agencies Need a Social Media Policy

2010-03-06T09:53:00.001-08:00

Subtitle: How Tacoma Has No Clue May Want to Revisit Theirs(see Update at bottom of post--this post is in flux)Those of us in the Seattle-Tacoma area experienced a real awakening of social media in the aftermath of the killing of our four officers on November 29th, a day few of us will ever forget.Social media played a huge role in the hours and days that came after by passing along information

Trained by TSA?!

2010-02-13T08:08:00.000-08:00

Odd thing about going to court yesterday, aside from actually having any need to go to court, that is: there was a screener from the Puyallup Police Department and metal detector that persons seeking entry to the courtrooms had to pass. In this day and age, expected, right?But here's the thing: we were asked to pass over the counter our jackets, and there were the little plastic bins for keys,

Bad Boys, Bad Boys...Whatcha Gonna Do?!

2010-02-12T10:52:00.000-08:00

Ok, so my tweets/Facebook updates this morning seem to make people a bit curious as to what I was doing. This morning I was in court...Puyallup Municipal Court to be exact...to contest a traffic-camera infraction, to be even more exact.There are plenty of political discussions that could have been argued, but I tried, somewhat, to stay away from those...especially since the pro tem judge seemed

Living By Quotes

2010-02-01T08:03:00.000-08:00

Recently had a bit of a conversation on Facebook with someone who shall remain fairly anonymous--but let's say this: the person was someone of relative influence at a large Christian school in the area. The conversation started because of a quote he posted:The Best Way To Predict The Future Is To Create It." Peter F Drucker It's one of those quotes that sounds nice as a sound byte. But it leaves

You Want Healthcare Reform? Here it is...

2010-01-20T15:12:00.000-08:00

My wife and I are what the President would call the uninsured. We've done this partly out of necessity (as my business builds) and partly out of economic common sense. Let me explain that last part: going without insurance is a risk, but we are relatively healthy and young. Relatively. But consider this recent--and quite true--scenario:She'd been sick with a cold-like thing and running a fever

Happy Birthday Mikaela!

2010-01-15T06:15:00.000-08:00

Ten years ago you changed our lives forever. It has been amazing to watch you grow and become the wonderful young lady that you are. God has blessed us so much through you.Your sensitive heart is truly a gift. I love you more than you can ever know, and you will always be Daddy's little girl.

Healthcare: Where is the Church?!

2010-01-14T13:28:00.000-08:00

With the healthcare debate going on and votes on the compromise bill coming soon, I've been wondering where is the Church?Are we so concerned about possible abortion funding that we are missing the (much) bigger picture? I'm not saying that shouldn't be a concern--it should--but consider this: what if congregations--even denominations--joined together to purchase healthcare for congregants who

Avatar Review

2010-01-09T18:26:00.000-08:00

Received a pair of tickets for Christmas for my oldest son and me to see Avatar in 3D at IMAX in Seattle, and just returned from there this afternoon.Short form review: Simply amazing. Sets a new bar for cinematography. Fairly predictable plot, but that is easily forgiven because of how well the rest is done.Longer form review: It was truly amazing to experience this created world and become so

Apologies to the CDC and WHO

2010-01-02T21:15:00.000-08:00

Dear Centers for Disease Control and World Health Organization,Unfortunately, we are unable to assist you with your conspiracy of fear regarding the swine flu. Yes, I do realize that you prefer us to use the term "H1N1" to make it sound sexier and more mysterious, so you'll have to forgive that as well.But back to our first indiscretion: we did not, and will not, be reporting the flu cases our

TIL: Perception ISN'T King

2010-01-02T10:03:00.000-08:00

I've been on this cycle before: gained weight during JoAnn's pregnancy with Mikaela, then lost it. Gained during JoAnn's pregnancy with Sammy, then lost it. Gained during pregnancy with Joshie, and initially had lost a good portion of it, but then changed jobs to one that had me at a desk for far too much, and sunk that battleship. Then came Madelynn...didn't gain much...which is good, since I

I Used to Respect Liberals...

2009-12-30T18:44:00.000-08:00

Back in 2003, I was involved in a conservative counter-protest group whose purpose was to attend--and counter-protest--some of the local leftist "peace" protests at the time. There were two instances where I gained a lot of respect for a certain strain of liberal...the ones who actually stood by their principles.One was a man who I had some really good back-and-forth email discussions with--he

TIL: Short-Term Memory

2009-12-26T09:06:00.000-08:00

Got a reminder--and a laugh--this morning in today's devotions. Was from Habakkuk, a book that is deep and meaningful...and that makes me laugh. The laughter comes from college, where I prepared and delivered a sermon on the book. The laugh some from remembering how I began the sermon...with a very loud, anguished yell of "WHY????". Got their attention, that did.But the book is a reminder that we

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-24T21:46:00.000-08:00

That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born

TIL: Quality Time Doesn't Exist

2009-12-24T03:22:00.001-08:00

(The TIL acronym stands for Things I've Learned, which will be a series in the days to come about things I've learned this past year.)One of the most important things I've learned this year in regard to the kiddos is that there really is no such thing as "quality time"...a term likely coined by someone to compensate for the guilt felt for not spending enough time with his/her kids. There is only

Two Things I Used To Like

2009-12-21T20:52:00.000-08:00

...Howie Long and GM.But with the recent pairing of them in car commercials recently, I am liking both less and less.GM: Your commercials state "may the best car win". If you truly believed that your vehicles were better, you would not have been in the financial mess you were and are in, and you certainly would not have needed--or taken--bailout funds. The fact is that your cars are not, and were

Translation of a Two Year Old

2009-12-15T07:23:00.000-08:00

Joshie's newest vocab explosion is in expressing negatives..as in not wanting to do something. As shocking as that may be for a 2yr old, we have a little tweaking to do. He doesn't quite have the grammar down, but makes up for it with emphasis:No, I hungry!=I'm not hungryNo, I go nap!=I don't want to take a napNo, I grumpy!=Mommy's grumpy.Ok, so that last bit I made up because of a discussion

The Tiger Woods Drama

2009-12-13T09:20:00.000-08:00

A post on the Huffington Post that was retweeted this morning got me riled up a bit. Mainly because it seems so far off base. The article seemed to imply that we should feel sorry for Tiger, almost to the point of him being a victim.The truth is Tiger Woods was nothing but another selfish, money-and-power-can-buy anything celebrity. No excuses or reasoning will change the fact that he CHOSE to do

WA Redeemed...Almost

2009-12-10T13:32:00.000-08:00

Sitting at a client's this morning, facing windows overlooking part of Commencement Bay...and we're discussing the upcoming project, and in the middle of answering a question, I trail off and say "wow...".Why? Just outside the window, a big ol' bald eagle was flying, right towards the window. At about 10 feet before the window, he turned and circled a couple times before seagulls starting

So What DO I Want?

2009-12-05T08:20:00.000-08:00

I've been asked--repeatedly--what I want for Christmas. Aside from a coffee cup replacement of a special one that was broken (and if I recall, was a gift from a few years back), I having a hard time. A really hard time.The thing is, it's a slim Christmas for us this year (and perhaps that will carry over into my waistline this next year). With the business just building up, and now savings being

The Best--and Worst--of Twitter

2009-12-02T07:19:00.000-08:00

Twitter came of age the past few days. Not hyperbole, I believe, but during the crisis of our four slain police officers and the ensuing manhunt, Twitter was used by citizens, news organizations, and some public agencies to effectively disseminate information in a new and very effective way.Some were very effective--others less so, including one public entity that I plan on calling out once I

Helping the Lakewood Officers' Families

2009-11-30T11:04:00.000-08:00

Donations are being accepted at the following places:1. Lakewood Police Independent Guild website2. Forza Coffee Company's website3. Any Forza location (list)4. The Schooner Pub & Eatery in Lakewood is having a benefit fundraiser Thursday at 7pm.5. Varsity Grill and Sweets, Treats & Designs have teamed up, selling chocolate shields...with a goal of raising $10,000. Each shield is just $5!6. Papa

And I Didn't Know What To Think...

2009-11-22T15:07:00.000-08:00

There was something from Sammy's taekwondo belt testing yesterday that struck me, and I didn't know what to think about it. And still don't.No, nothing about the testing or Sammy's performance. It was another student. The taekwondo uniform standard for flag patches on the uniform traditionally is the Korean flag below the left shoulder (on the sleeve), and the US flag on the right. This other

Why We Don't Say How Beautiful You Are...

2009-11-19T15:04:00.000-08:00

Let me set straight the record: men like women. And most of the time we do indeed think you are beautiful. But why do we not tell you this?The short version: it's your fault. That's right, women, your fault.The explanation, before I find an angry (but beautiful) mob storming toward my door:From our perspective:1. If we do so at work, it will be harassment. [A risk to our job]2. If we do it

Tony Hawk Ride Giveaway...

2009-11-19T14:06:00.000-08:00

Jessica Gottlieb's got the giveaway going on here. Go, enter to win a copy of the Tony Hawk Ride.PS The previous story of the strange link between Jessica and me, here.