Simple Thoughts of a Complex Mind

Review of "The League"- Episode One

noreply@blogger.com (Larry LItle) — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 21:12:00 PDT

When I first heard the concept of a half an hour sitcom about a group of guys in a fantasy football league, I thought it was a great idea. Outside of the typical stereotypes, you could develop a fun show with great characters. My mind instantly brought up images of TBS’ My Boys with all the characters and plot of that show. Right away, I set my DVR to record "The League" on FX.

I sat down to watch the show with my wife in the same room. I figured my wife would be tuned out since the show is about a group of Fantasy Football guys. The first scene got my wife’s attention because it started with a simulated sex scene which did not show much but was pretty explicit in the language. As the show moved along, the foul language continued to dumfound me because of the randomness of where it was inserted. The topics turned to smoking pot and then to pubic hair. One of the characters who is a stoner, wrote and sang an inappropriate song for a kid’s birthday party about the night of passion the parents must have experienced when the child was conceived. The draft is held at a loft where the owner decides to throw a social party along with the draft- are you kidding me?

There were moments of laughs and enjoyment in this opening episode. The champ from last season had a webcast to taunt the other owners, which was very humorous. There is a scene where the commissioner of the league has the other owners draw numbers out of a hat and then informs them that it is not for draft order but rather for the number on the child in the sack race at the birthday party and the position that the child finishes in will be the draft order. I loved the portrayal of the fantasy owner who accidentally chooses a retired player every year and this year he chose “Keyshawn Johnson”. The best scene was the defense attorney dealing his number 1 overall pick in the fantasy draft to the assistant DA to get a better deal for his client.

Overall this show is a miss. I did not care for any of the characters. Is the thinness of the plot supposed to be masked by the inappropriate scenes? It appeared that the creators did not know much about fantasy football or the people who play.

I will check out next week’s episode to see if it gets better and hope for more laughs and less disgust. But I have a feeling that it will be removed from my DVR record list shortly there after. Watch it at your own risk.

These have been a few simple thoughts of my complex mind.

V- The new series

noreply@blogger.com (Larry LItle) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 18:05:00 PDT

Is anyone else nervously excited about the new "V"series? I know I am both nervous and at the same time excited to see this series. The two mini series from the 80s were sensational and uber cool. The revolutionized what sci fi could be on television. I look back so fondly on the mini series but not so fondly on the poorly written regular series that followed.

I am hopefully that this series will have the feel of the original miniseries but different enough to keep me intrigued. I hope it does not flop like remakes of the Bionic Woman and Knight Rider.

I want to love this series because of the original but I hesitate to even like it until it makes it a year. Maybe it could be the next Battlestar Galactica and be a great re-do. Maybe.

These have been a few simple thoughts of my complex mind.

What is new with Larry

noreply@blogger.com (Larry LItle) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 11:01:00 PDT

Here is a update of what is new with me.

1) 7 months ago, my wife and I welcomed our son into the world. The addition of our son to the family has added a lot of joy but also a lot of stress and a lot less free time. He is very worth it. His sister loves her little brother and is a huge help.

2) Last year at this time, I was moved to a new area at work. I am now moving back to my previous area next week. I have learned a ton in the new area and feel that I have add skills but it was not a natural fit for me. Trying to learn a new area is exhausting and has left me brain dead most evenings. I hope my brain will not hurt so badly after moving back to my comfort zone.

3) I have been spending a lot of time working on one of my other blogs, the Fantasy Sports Counselor. As I have unintentionally neglected this blog, SToCM, I have cultivated FSC. I have had two staff join on at FSC with one moving onto a paid writing position with a major website. I plan on getting back to cultivating this blog very soon while I keep growing FSC.

4) Last year I won the election for President of Cowboys Pride. Since that time, I have become the co-host of Cowboys Pride Radio which is webcast live weekly at 9:30 pm on Thursday nights on BlogTalkRadio. This summer, Cowboys Pride merged with their sister site, Sports Jabber. I spend a good portion of my free time on the Wally World of sports websites, Sports Jabber, reading, commenting, and posting. If you are a sports fan, you should check it out.

5) I am on the verge of losing 60 lbs over the last year and a half. I am less than 10 pounds away from finally being in my ideal weight range. I have taken up exercising 4-5 times a week and love it. It could be said that I am only a portion of the man I once was.

Well that is where I have been. I am attempting to commit to regular posts both on FSC and SToCM and to bring this site back from the grave.

Super Hero Facebook posts

noreply@blogger.com (Larry LItle) — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 19:39:00 PDT

The fine folks at Comics Alliance have a very amusing post Super Social Networking. This gives the reader a feel of the kind of posts of the Super Hero and Villain Community. Check it out.

These have been a few simple thoughts of my complex mind.

Dr. Horrible's Emmy's appearance

noreply@blogger.com (Larry LItle) — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 19:30:00 PDT

Last night Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog won an Emmy. Here is the broadcast interruption. Enjoy!

Here is their acceptance speech from winning.

These have been a few simple thoughts of my complex mind.

Disagree with me?

noreply@blogger.com (Larry LItle) — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 21:23:00 PDT

I have noticed that people have become very comfortable demonizing those that they disagree with them. I am not talking about possession by spirits but rather being painted with the worst of negative traits by another. Name calling, extremism, and assuming the worst of someone's motives are common place when someone disagrees with you.

This has been extremely apparent during the healthcare debate. The extremes of one side have portrayed the democrats as socialists and murders. The extremists on the other side paint the republicans that disagree with them as gun toting wackos that are in the pocket of the mega insurance companies. Even when people try to be civil, the liberals will state that the conservatives just want things to remain bad for people and the conservatives will say that the liberals just want to bankrupt our country.

People, it is time to get over yourselves. Just because someone disagrees with you does not mean that they want to ruin our country. It does not mean that they are in the pockets of big business or the unions. They are not the anti-Christ because they disagree with you on stimulus, healthcare, or gun control. Maybe we should start to listen to each other with open hearts and hear what people are saying and try to understand why they think what they do. We do not have to agree with them.

I know I have several very good liberal friends that I completely disagree with on several issues but I usually can understand where they are coming from. They do not want to destroy the U.S. but rather to make it better. I may not agree with their methods and conclusions but I can not deny their motivations are pure.

The problem is that we see our leaders constantly acting like this. When leadership and authorities display such poor behavior with each other, then the country has a propensity to follow suit. With every major political campaign, the demonizing appears to get worse. There is no wonder that regular people are jumping on and reacting with extreme distrust and hatred. But that does not excuse the behavior.

I am not saying that we should all just get along. I am saying we can discuss, argue, and debate issues without personal attacks against those that do not think like we do. We need to stop using name calling to cover up the flaws in our arguments. Lets get back to basing our debate on facts and not on how evil we believe our opponents to be.

It is time that we started acting better than our politicians.

These have been a few simple thoughts of my complex mind.

Transcript of the President's speech

noreply@blogger.com (Larry LItle) — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 20:11:00 PDT

Below is the transcript that was released for the President's speech for tomorrow. Read it before you judge if you want your child to watch it or not.

The President: Hello everyone – how’s everybody doing today? I’m here with students at Wakefield High School in Arlington, Virginia. And we’ve got students tuning in from all across America, kindergarten through twelfth grade. I’m glad you all could join us today.
I know that for many of you, today is the first day of school. And for those of you in kindergarten, or starting middle or high school, it’s your first day in a new school, so it’s understandable if you’re a little nervous. I imagine there are some seniors out there who are feeling pretty good right now, with just one more year to go. And no matter what grade you’re in, some of you are probably wishing it were still summer, and you could’ve stayed in bed just a little longer this morning. I know that feeling. When I was young, my family lived in Indonesia for a few years, and my mother didn’t have the money to send me where all the American kids went to school. So she decided to teach me extra lessons herself, Monday through Friday – at 4:30 in the morning.
Now I wasn’t too happy about getting up that early. A lot of times, I’d fall asleep right there at the kitchen table. But whenever I’d complain, my mother would just give me one of those looks and say, "This is no picnic for me either, buster."
So I know some of you are still adjusting to being back at school. But I’m here today because I have something important to discuss with you. I’m here because I want to talk with you about your education and what’s expected of all of you in this new school year.
Now I’ve given a lot of speeches about education. And I’ve talked a lot about responsibility.
I’ve talked about your teachers’ responsibility for inspiring you, and pushing you to learn.
I’ve talked about your parents’ responsibility for making sure you stay on track, and get your homework done, and don’t spend every waking hour in front of the TV or with that Xbox.
I’ve talked a lot about your government’s responsibility for setting high standards, supporting teachers and principals, and turning around schools that aren’t working where students aren’t getting the opportunities they deserve.
But at the end of the day, we can have the most dedicated teachers, the most supportive parents, and the best schools in the world – and none of it will matter unless all of you fulfill your responsibilities. Unless you show up to those schools; pay attention to those teachers; listen to your parents, grandparents and other adults; and put in the hard work it takes to succeed.
And that’s what I want to focus on today: the responsibility each of you has for your education. I want to start with the responsibility you have to yourself.
Every single one of you has something you’re good at. Every single one of you has something to offer. And you have a responsibility to yourself to discover what that is. That’s the opportunity an education can provide.
Maybe you could be a good writer – maybe even good enough to write a book or articles in a newspaper – but you might not know it until you write a paper for your English class. Maybe you could be an innovator or an inventor – maybe even good enough to come up with the next iPhone or a new medicine or vaccine – but you might not know it until you do a project for your science class. Maybe you could be a mayor or a Senator or a Supreme Court Justice, but you might not know that until you join student government or the debate team.
And no matter what you want to do with your life – I guarantee that you’ll need an education to do it. You want to be a doctor, or a teacher, or a police officer? You want to be a nurse or an architect, a lawyer or a member of our military? You’re going to need a good education for every single one of those careers. You can’t drop out of school and just drop into a good job. You’ve got to work for it and train for it and learn for it.
And this isn’t just important for your own life and your own future. What you make of your education will decide nothing less than the future of this country. What you’re learning in school today will determine whether we as a nation can meet our greatest challenges in the future.
You’ll need the knowledge and problem-solving skills you learn in science and math to cure diseases like cancer and AIDS, and to develop new energy technologies and protect our environment. You’ll need the insights and critical thinking skills you gain in history and social studies to fight poverty and homelessness, crime and discrimination, and make our nation more fair and more free. You’ll need the creativity and ingenuity you develop in all your classes to build new companies that will create new jobs and boost our economy.
We need every single one of you to develop your talents, skills and intellect so you can help solve our most difficult problems. If you don’t do that – if you quit on school – you’re not just quitting on yourself, you’re quitting on your country.
Now I know it’s not always easy to do well in school. I know a lot of you have challenges in your lives right now that can make it hard to focus on your schoolwork.
I get it. I know what that’s like. My father left my family when I was two years old, and I was raised by a single mother who struggled at times to pay the bills and wasn’t always able to give us things the other kids had. There were times when I missed having a father in my life. There were times when I was lonely and felt like I didn’t fit in.
So I wasn’t always as focused as I should have been. I did some things I’m not proud of, and got in more trouble than I should have. And my life could have easily taken a turn for the worse.
But I was fortunate. I got a lot of second chances and had the opportunity to go to college, and law school, and follow my dreams. My wife, our First Lady Michelle Obama, has a similar story. Neither of her parents had gone to college, and they didn’t have much. But they worked hard, and she worked hard, so that she could go to the best schools in this country. Some of you might not have those advantages. Maybe you don’t have adults in your life who give you the support that you need. Maybe someone in your family has lost their job, and there’s not enough money to go around. Maybe you live in a neighborhood where you don’t feel safe, or have friends who are pressuring you to do things you know aren’t right.
But at the end of the day, the circumstances of your life – what you look like, where you come from, how much money you have, what you’ve got going on at home – that’s no excuse for neglecting your homework or having a bad attitude. That’s no excuse for talking back to your teacher, or cutting class, or dropping out of school. That’s no excuse for not trying.
Where you are right now doesn’t have to determine where you’ll end up. No one’s written your destiny for you. Here in America, you write your own destiny. You make your own future.
That’s what young people like you are doing every day, all across America.
Young people like Jazmin Perez, from Roma, Texas. Jazmin didn’t speak English when she first started school. Hardly anyone in her hometown went to college, and neither of her parents had gone either. But she worked hard, earned good grades, got a scholarship to Brown University, and is now in graduate school, studying public health, on her way to being Dr. Jazmin Perez.
I’m thinking about Andoni Schultz, from Los Altos, California, who’s fought brain cancer since he was three. He’s endured all sorts of treatments and surgeries, one of which affected his memory, so it took him much longer – hundreds of extra hours – to do his schoolwork. But he never fell behind, and he’s headed to college this fall.
And then there’s Shantell Steve, from my hometown of Chicago, Illinois. Even when bouncing from foster home to foster home in the toughest neighborhoods, she managed to get a job at a local health center; start a program to keep young people out of gangs; and she’s on track to graduate high school with honors and go on to college.
Jazmin, Andoni and Shantell aren’t any different from any of you. They faced challenges in their lives just like you do. But they refused to give up. They chose to take responsibility for their education and set goals for themselves. And I expect all of you to do the same.
That’s why today, I’m calling on each of you to set your own goals for your education – and to do everything you can to meet them. Your goal can be something as simple as doing all your homework, paying attention in class, or spending time each day reading a book. Maybe you’ll decide to get involved in an extracurricular activity, or volunteer in your community. Maybe you’ll decide to stand up for kids who are being teased or bullied because of who they are or how they look, because you believe, like I do, that all kids deserve a safe environment to study and learn. Maybe you’ll decide to take better care of yourself so you can be more ready to learn. And along those lines, I hope you’ll all wash your hands a lot, and stay home from school when you don’t feel well, so we can keep people from getting the flu this fall and winter. Whatever you resolve to do, I want you to commit to it. I want you to really work at it.
I know that sometimes, you get the sense from TV that you can be rich and successful without any hard work -- that your ticket to success is through rapping or basketball or being a reality TV star, when chances are, you’re not going to be any of those things.
But the truth is, being successful is hard. You won’t love every subject you study. You won’t click with every teacher. Not every homework assignment will seem completely relevant to your life right this minute. And you won’t necessarily succeed at everything the first time you try. That’s OK. Some of the most successful people in the world are the ones who’ve had the most failures. JK Rowling’s first Harry Potter book was rejected twelve times before it was finally published. Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team, and he lost hundreds of games and missed thousands of shots during his career. But he once said, "I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed."
These people succeeded because they understand that you can’t let your failures define you – you have to let them teach you. You have to let them show you what to do differently next time. If you get in trouble, that doesn’t mean you’re a troublemaker, it means you need to try harder to behave. If you get a bad grade, that doesn’t mean you’re stupid, it just means you need to spend more time studying.
No one’s born being good at things, you become good at things through hard work. You’re not a varsity athlete the first time you play a new sport. You don’t hit every note the first time you sing a song. You’ve got to practice. It’s the same with your schoolwork. You might have to do a math problem a few times before you get it right, or read something a few times before you understand it, or do a few drafts of a paper before it’s good enough to hand in.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it. I do that every day. Asking for help isn’t a sign of weakness, it’s a sign of strength. It shows you have the courage to admit when you don’t know something, and to learn something new. So find an adult you trust – a parent, grandparent or teacher; a coach or counselor – and ask them to help you stay on track to meet your goals. And even when you’re struggling, even when you’re discouraged, and you feel like other people have given up on you – don’t ever give up on yourself. Because when you give up on yourself, you give up on your country.
The story of America isn’t about people who quit when things got tough. It’s about people who kept going, who tried harder, who loved their country too much to do anything less than their best.
It’s the story of students who sat where you sit 250 years ago, and went on to wage a revolution and found this nation. Students who sat where you sit 75 years ago who overcame a Depression and won a world war; who fought for civil rights and put a man on the moon. Students who sat where you sit 20 years ago who founded Google, Twitter and Facebook and changed the way we communicate with each other.
So today, I want to ask you, what’s your contribution going to be? What problems are you going to solve? What discoveries will you make? What will a president who comes here in twenty or fifty or one hundred years say about what all of you did for this country? Your families, your teachers, and I are doing everything we can to make sure you have the education you need to answer these questions. I’m working hard to fix up your classrooms and get you the books, equipment and computers you need to learn. But you’ve got to do your part too. So I expect you to get serious this year. I expect you to put your best effort into everything you do. I expect great things from each of you. So don’t let us down – don’t let your family or your country or yourself down. Make us all proud. I know you can do it.
Thank you, God bless you, and God bless America

Quote of the Day

noreply@blogger.com (Larry LItle) — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 19:21:00 PDT

Here is a great quote from the television show Castle from an episode re-aired tonight. I found it extremely funny.

Beckett: (Clears throat) "Ahem. What's the deal with men and boobs, anyway?"

Castle:"Biological. We can't help it."

Beckett: "But doesn't it bother you that they're so obviously not real?"

Castle: (Pauses) "Santa's not real. We still love opening his presents."

These have been a few simple thoughts of my complex mind.

President Obama's Speech to School children

noreply@blogger.com (Larry LItle) — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 19:08:00 PDT

This upcoming Tuesday, President Obama will be broadcasting a "talk" to school age children around the country. Springfield Public schools will be showing the speech and using parts of it in their lesson plans for the day. Below is what the White House has to say about the speech and also what Springfield Public School District.

At noon on Tuesday, September 8^th the President will be welcoming America’s students back to school – after all, sometimes they need a little extra motivation after a glorious summer. The President has spoken often about the responsibility parents have for their children and their education, but in this message he’ll urge students to take personal responsibility for their own education, to set goals, and to not only stay in school but make the most of it.
Whitehouse.gov

On Tuesday, Sept. 8, President Barack Obama will broadcast a speech at 11 a.m. intended for schoolchildren throughout the country. Parents and community members have inquired about whether students will view the speech during the school day. Springfield Public Schools is not mandating that all students view President Obama's speech. However, some teachers throughout the district will choose to incorporate the President's address into their instruction that day. Students who wish to be excused from viewing the President’s address will be offered an alternative educational activity during that time. If parents prefer that their child not view the speech, they should send a note to their child's teacher.
Springfield Public Schools

Here are my thoughts on the speech. I think it is great that the President of the United States is concerned with our nation's students. He wants to encourage my daughter and all the kids to be responsible, set goals, and stay in school. These are all good things. Why are people so upset about the President speaking to their children?

I believe the issue has to do with a lack of trust and respect for the Office of the President. Some people are upset because they think the President will try to indoctrinate their children with this speech to support him for healthcare, economics, or whatever. Most children would not pay a bit of attention to a political talk by anyone. And if he did, then I have a firm belief that my influence with my daughter on those issues is greater than a speech from the President.

I think it is very sad that we have come to this place in this country where we have lost our respect for the office of the President. I started seeing this happen during the President Clinton's administration by the right. The left took this to the extreme with President Bush and claimed that he was not their President. Now the right is trying to equal or top the disrespect for the office for President Obama. It is time to stop. He is my President. I do not agree with him on many things but that can also be said of President Bush. It is time to get back to showing respect to the office no matter who is the President.

These have been a few simple thoughts of my complex mind.

CP Radio NFC East break down

noreply@blogger.com (Larry LItle) — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 12:58:00 PDT

Tonight I will be the solo host of the Cowboys Pride Internet radio and will be having a panel discussion of the NFC East. Please tune in support me and our my guests. The show starts at 9:30 pm CDT. Here is a link to the show.

These have been a few pimping thoughts of my complex mind.

California sterotype

noreply@blogger.com (Larry LItle) — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 13:48:00 PDT

This is just too funny. This really plays into the California stereotype.

Remember that not all Californians are high when they speak in public.

These have been a few funny thoughts of my complex mind.

A Tribute to A Wilson Phillips

noreply@blogger.com (Larry LItle) — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 10:13:00 PDT

On Friday July 17, my pastor, friend, and spiritual father, transitioned from his mortal body to his spiritual body and went to be with the Lord. I would like to share a few things that Bishop Arron Wilson Phillips taught me over my 18 years with him.

1) Pride is your biggest enemy. It is very easy to get prideful in life. I must guard against pride in my life or I will slip into it and never realize it. It caused the fall of Lucifer and it will bring me down also if I let it grip my heart.

2) Always release forgiveness no matter what someone has done to you. God forgave our sins at the Cross. We can only walk in His forgiveness if we forgive others. Unforgiveness only hurts the one holding onto the unforgiveness.

3) God is not an angry God looking to spite us. God so loved us that He gave His Son to die for us. He paid the ultimate price for us. He loves us as a good Father and wants us to be successful. He does have to discipline us from time to time but not because He is an angry, mean God. He does it because He loves us.

4) We are not junk. God create us in His image. He paid the price of Jesus to purchase us back to Him. Something is worth the price someone is willing to pay for it so we are very valuable and precious in His site. Our Identity is in Christ: We are sons (and daughters), heirs of the Father, brothers (and sisters) to Jesus, Co-Heirs with Jesus, ambassadors for Him, lights unto the world, beloved of God, and many, many other positive relationships with the Father.

5) God desires all His Children prosper and be in health. No God is does not want all His children to drive Ferraris and have Donald Trump money. God's prosperity has to do have prospering in all areas of life: emotional, physical, mental, social, and financial. He gives me His wisdom how to handle these areas and I prosper in them. I can make a below average wage and still be prosperous financially.

6) God has set every authority over me. This is true from my boss at work to the police officer on the street to the political authorities of the land. I have to keep a humble attitude and submit to their authority unless they asking me to violate my conscience and morality. I can respectfully disagree with them and speak my mind appropriately but I am to submit to these authorities. Our authorities do have to answer to God who is the ultimate authority.

7) Be a dedicated worker. He shared with me and many others often that the secret to success in the market place was to be a dedicated worker. You need to show up on time, dress appropriately, work hard while you are there, and do what you are told. I have found this to be very true and that many people do not realize this truth.

8) Live a good life today and enjoy it. Bishop Phillips had a great day his final day. He went walking with friends, played 18 holes of golf, swam in the pool and raced (and won) one of the kids in the Church, and then laid down for a rest. We need to work hard but also enjoy life today.

9) Love those that disagree with you. We need to build relationships with and love those that are different from us in our beliefs and life choices. I saw Wilson numerous times befriend people that disagreed with him on most things. He was never shy about sharing what he believed but he always showed them his love.

10) Hate sin but love those that sin. Jesus would confront sin in those He came in contact with but He always did it with love. I saw this time and time again with Pastor Phillips. He always wanted to help people and bring reconciliation. He always spoke the harshest to those in leadership of God's Church but still wanted to bring them to a better understanding. This also followed Jesus example with the spiritual leaders of His time.

These are just a few simple thoughts of my complex mind.

Snake Eyes Poster

noreply@blogger.com (Larry LItle) — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 18:39:00 PDT

This is a really cool poster for the upcoming G.I. Joe Movie. Snake Eyes has always been my favorite Joe Character (as with most of us). I am not convinced that this movie won't blow chunks. But if it does, it is not because Snake Eyes does not look cool.

These have been a few Yo Joe thoughts of my complex mind.

Futuristic PSAs

noreply@blogger.com (Larry LItle) — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 14:54:00 PDT

I saw these on IO9 and had to re-post them. There are three futuristic Public Service Announcements back to back. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did.

These have been a few simple thoughts of my complex mind.

Pictures of Philly trip

noreply@blogger.com (Larry LItle) — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 19:34:00 PDT

Here are photos of our trip into downtown Philly.

The Liberty Bell, Constitutional Hall in the background, and family.

This Photo is a bit more clear.

As a History Geek, I was in heaven.

This is the visitors' center.

I thought these building were cool.

Nuff Said!

More shots of Constitutional Hall.

Photos of the Philly Subway. It was my first subway ride. These people were thinking it and Yes I am from Missouri and have never seen a subway.

It was an fun ride.

Looking down the tracks and no Cloverfield baby monsters.

Which way are we going?

Chris and I have lost 100 lbs between us. After Genos, make it 90 lbs.

Ummm! Still tasty!

This was an authentic Cheese Steak!

These have been a few pictorial thoughts of my complex mind.

Birthday in Philly

noreply@blogger.com (Larry LItle) — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 13:29:00 PDT

Today, I turned 39 years old. I am spending the day with my wife's father's family in the Philadelphia area for the last day of their reunion. Everyone has been friendly and extremely nice. They may not be as nice if I was wearing my Tony Romo jersey and announcing that I am a true blue Cowboys fan.

Tomorrow we will make a trek downtown and I will finally have an authentic Philly Cheese Steak. I am looking forward to it and glad that I will still have another week before I have to weigh in. I have been fairly good and I have been working out at the motel so I should not be too far off of my program.

I have to admit that this morning; it hit me that I will be turning 40 next year. I will be considered middle aged by most people next year. Turning Thirty did not bother me one bit and I hope turning Forty will not either but today it is kind of bothering me for next year. I am sure I will be over it soon.

Anyway, I am having a pretty good birthday even if the day has not been about me. I will make my wife give me a day about me in the near future.

These have been a few simple thoughts of my complex mind.

Illinois Rest Stop was interesting

noreply@blogger.com (Larry LItle) — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 06:23:00 PDT

Yesterday, my wife missed the rest stop that we were going to stop at for lunch in Illinois. My father-in-law used his handy dandy GPS to find another rest area. We took the polite lady's voice direction to Route 45 (same road my wife used to live off of when she lived in Fairfield but this was much further north). We were led to a Rest Stop/camp ground. This was an extremely interesting rest stop.

This rest area was in the middle of a hayfield. There were campers out in the field near the hay bails. There was a small wooded area with a picnic table from the 1800's.

Having grown up in the Midwest, I have seen plenty of hayfields. Heck, I have worked in a bunch of hayfields over the years. I have never seen a rest stop or camp ground in the middle of the hayfield. I would think only non-Midwesterners would find a camp ground in hayfield to be fun or interesting. Check out the photos.

These have been a few simple thoughts of my complex mind.

Mobile Phone is a blessing on road trip

noreply@blogger.com (Larry LItle) — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 06:07:00 PDT

My wife and I bought new phones around Mother's day. We bought the Samsung Eternity which is an I-Phone want-a-be. It is a touch screen and has some apps but not as much as the I-Phone. The media plan was optional but we went with it since it was half the price of the I-Phone media package.

On our trip, I have been able to be on the internet most of the time we have been traveling. I have been connected with Facebook and Twitter continually.

I recently bought a memory card for my phone so I could use it as a MP3 player. I also bought a cord and software to sync my laptop with my phone for dirty cheap on Amazon. With these updates, I was able to open my phone up to different aspects than I have before.

I was extremely excited to find out that my phone now works as a modem. I am currently blogging on the road. My phone is working as a phone card and could not be more excited.

On a side note, my family made it to Dayton, OH last night. We are now on the road to Pittsburgh for lunch with family. Then we will make our destination of Philly by tonight.

These have been a few simple thoughts of my complex mind.

Preparing for vacation

noreply@blogger.com (Larry LItle) — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 19:35:00 PDT

On Thursday morning, my wife, kids, and in-laws will load up our van and begin our trek to the East Coast. We are heading to Philadelphia for a family reunion. After the reunion, we head to the nation's capital for next week.

It will be a long trip there and back with two days in the van each way. I am bringing my laptop, cell phone with internet access, and a couple of books I am reading. I will be driving some of the time and will have baby duty for another portion. I doubt if I get too bored.

I know many will think I am insane for taking this trip with my in-laws. They are great people that I love dearly. I am sure that by the end of the each trip, I will be glad to get out of the van and away for a while.

While in Philly, I am planning on experiencing my first Philly Cheese Steak. I will have to budget my Weight Watcher points but I am excited to have a real Cheese Steak.

While we are off on our vacation, our great Real Estate Professional, Susan, will be listing our home. She will host an open house for us next Sunday. It would be fantastic if we come home and have to instantly looking at homes to move into.

These have been a few simple thoughts of my complex mind.

America is becoming more conservative???

noreply@blogger.com (Larry LItle) — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 20:14:00 PDT

According to Gallup polling, over the last five years citizens of the United States of America have become overall more conservative in their political views. Many political experts have to be scratching their heads over this news. How is this even true when the Democrats ruled the day in 2008?

Could it be that the Republicans were not true conservatives? Over the eight years of the Bush Administration, Republicans grew government twice the size as it was under the Clinton Administration. They promised to revamp government and make it work for the average citizen and instead they gave government more control over lives and even tapped our phones in the name of safety.

Despite the results of the 2008 presidential election, Americans, by a 2-to-1 margin, say their political views in recent years have become more conservative rather than more liberal, 39% to 18%, with 42% saying they have not changed. While independents and Democrats most often say their views haven't changed, more members of all three major partisan groups indicate that their views have shifted to the right rather than to the left.

Indeed, in the latest survey, 38% of Americans describe their political views as conservative, and among this group 58% say their views have grown more conservative in recent years. Although a large segment of liberals (42%) say they have become more liberal, far fewer Americans in the poll (18%) describe themselves as liberal -- thus providing little counterweight to the rightward movement of conservatives. At the same time, political moderates are twice as likely to say they have grown more conservative as opposed to more liberal (33% vs. 18%), thus further tipping the scales in favor of conservatism.

Aside from the trends, Gallup's recent polling from 2008-2009 indicates that a majority of Americans concur with the Republican Party's general philosophy on the death penalty, defense spending, gay marriage, the role of government, environmental protection, and handgun legislation. Americans are about as likely to agree with the Republican Party's general philosophy as they are to agree with the Democratic Party's in terms of abortion, government activism, government promotion of "traditional" values, taxes, changing the power of labor unions, and certain aspects of the need for healthcare reform. They are more likely to agree with the Democratic Party's philosophy on other aspects of healthcare reform, embryonic stem-cell research, government regulation of business, the Iraq war, and immigration.

These have been a few politcal thoughts of my complex mind.

Happy Independence Day!

noreply@blogger.com (Larry LItle) — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 12:34:00 PDT

Happy Independence Day for all my readers in the United States. Take time on this Fourth of July to celebrate our Independence from tyranny. Say a special prayer for our troops and family members of our troops as they continue to protect our freedoms.

These have been a few simple thoughts of my complex mind.

Movie Review: Transformers II: Revenge of the Fallen

noreply@blogger.com (Larry LItle) — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 09:33:00 PDT

I have my movie review for Transformers II: Revenge of the Fallen on Inconceivable. Check it out.

These have been a brief thought of my complex mind.

Less of Me- Update

noreply@blogger.com (Larry LItle) — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 19:08:00 PDT

After hitting a plateau of weight loss around a 40 lbs, I decided I needed to do more. I had to become more intensely dedicated to my weight loss program. I added regular exercise to my routine. It took it a while for my weight to start dropping again but it did.

This week, I hit another milestone. I am now 50 lbs less of a man than I used to be. I am getting closer to my ultimate goal.

When I hit my final goal, I am dedicated to continue to live a life where food does not rule me. I now know what a portion size should be and when I am full.

I have had to shop for new clothes a second time. I hate shopping but it is very nice to have to buy new close because my thin pants are falling off of me. I am now in the same size of close that I have not seen since 1994. It has been a while.

These have been a few less weighty thoughts of my complex mind

Upcoming Interview

noreply@blogger.com (Larry LItle) — Sun, 31 May 2009 20:17:00 PDT

As many readers know, I am a part of the dynamic duo of Internet radio personalities for Cowboys Pride Radio. This is a sports themed Internet radio show. Next Thursday night at 9:30 CDT, we will be interviewing the beautiful Grace Espinosa. Grace is a 2009 Hooters Calendar Girl and has been competing in the Hooters Calendar Girl of the Year contest which ends on Sunday. Grace is a huge fan of MMA and the New Orleans Saints. Please tune into our interview with Grace.

These have been a few simple simple thoughts of my complex mind.

Alternative Ending for Terminator Salvation

noreply@blogger.com (Larry LItle) — Sun, 31 May 2009 20:00:00 PDT

EW.com recently broke the ending that we did not see and will not see with Terminator: Salvation. I honestly could see this ending working with this movie. The ending the studio went with was fairly predictable but allowed for this series to have more sequels. Check it out.

"There was talk on the Internet about an alternate ending where Connor dies and they take Connor's likeness and put it on top of Marcus Wright's machine body. So that it's actually a machine that's leading the resistance! And the Internet caught wind of that and people went, 'That's bulls---! We don't want that!'" (EW.com)

McG grins. "Well, that's not really what the ending was." (EW.com)

Actually, the bloggers were on the right track. Except, McG adds, the original ending actually went even further. (EW.com)

"Connor dies, okay? He's dead," McG continues. "And Marcus offers his physical body, so Connor's exterior is put on top of his machine body. It looks like Connor, but it's really Marcus underneath. And all of the characters we care about (Kyle Reese, Connor's wife Kate, etc.) are brought into the room to see him and they think it's Connor. And Connor gets up and then there's a small flicker of red in his eyes and he shoots Kate, he shoots Kyle, he shoots everybody in the room. Fade to black. End of movie. Skynet wins. F--- you!" (EW.com)

This ending would have been a huge twist and would have blown my mind. It would have bummed me out that the machines would have won.

These have been a few simple thoughts of my complex mind.