Bolstered by a tough defensive effort that limited NFL MVP Shaun Alexander to just 70 yards rushing and sacked Seattle quarterback Matt Hasselbeck four times, the Pittsburgh Steelers won their fifth overall Super Bowl championship in a game simulated by EA SPORTS, downing the Seahawks 24-19 in a preview of what might happen in Super Bowl XL.

The game, which was simulated using the best-selling video game Madden NFL 06 for the Microsoft Xbox 360, played out in a way not unfamiliar to Pittsburgh fans – the Steelers moved out to an early lead using the pass and taking advantage of a timely turnover, and then turned to their relentless rushing attack to hold off the surging Hawks and secure the title.

Playing in his hometown of Detroit, Steelers RB Jerome Bettis garnered Super Bowl MVP honors by scoring two touchdowns in the game to go with his 41 yards rushing, getting his team on the board first with a one-yard plunge late in the first quarter to cap a ten-play, 74-yard drive.

He said it, "Tonight the state of our union is strong -- and together we will make it stronger."

Bush started with a note of 'unity'. He tried to say that both parties need to work together. But it rang hollow after saying things like this: "Yet there is a difference between responsible criticism that aims for success, and defeatism that refuses to acknowledge anything but failure. Hindsight alone is not wisdom. And second-guessing is not a strategy."

Was he saying what I thought he was saying? He hints that we have to work together folks, but don't expect him to listen to your opinion if it is different than his own. Don't expect Bush to listen to your criticism because you are not wise to second guess him. Bush does not even want to open the public discourse and debate the way forward, unless we don't look at the recent past. That is the reason his message is so dangerous. This is not a speech to reach out; it was a speech to his base. It was a speech with hard edges about not budging in Iraq. Regardless of what 60% of Americans believe about Iraq - they want us to get this done and get home.

No 16 words this time. No commitment to take us to a new war, although he hinted towards a need to pressure other governments. A very interesting statement was made to Iran that he supported them basically overturning their government. Where was his call to go to war in Iran? They ARE building a nuclear weapon. No 16 words to direct us to war there. It is no wonder people do not believe he is telling the truth about anything (see: Truthiness).

On the domestic front I was shocked. He had a hollow speech without any kind of real meat there. No strong emotional push for things like Social Security, insurance relief for Americans and tax reform. Issues that were so important to him last year are now dead. No talk about curbing the pork spending that is driving this country into an incredible hole with huge debt. He just doesn’t get it. He has no idea how to manage this country’s money.

The President has claimed in EVERY State of the Union address that he has made that he wants to cut our ties to foreign oil. Has he ever delivered? We are more and more dependent. His words on the issue ring hollow. His actions have only proven to make more money for oil companies in America. That same industry that provided his own family with their fortune.

Bush’s speech could easily be called “No Retreat and No Isolationism.” My rebuttal would have been called “Poor Decisions and Mismanagement"? How would I respond to the President? If you aren’t retreating, then where was the body armor for our troops in Iraq? If you don’t want to be an isolationist and if you want to attack oppressive governments with weapons of mass destruction… explain your inaction on North Korea and Iran. He just doesn’t make sense when you open your eyes and see what the world actually looks like. Katrina? Give me a break. His view – we are rebuilding New Orleans. What is the reality that all Americans know? His government badly mismanaged the relief effort. Americans died in those days after the storm that should not have perished.

This President has driven his legacy into the ground in the past year. Tonight all he did was burrow it deeper.

Transcript of the 2006 State of the Union

President Bush's 2005 State of the Union focused on these three topics:

1. Social Security

2. Tax Reform

3. Health Care

Social Security is dead. Tax Reform plans that the President sent to Congress are collecting dust. And Health Care plans are being 're-introduced' tonight.

Not too good of a 2005 for Bush. Remember last year? It was all about, "I have a mandate and have built up capital (from the election in 2004) and I intend to spend it!" I know Bush loves to spend, but I don't see that he got anything for his money.

Tonight's speech should be interesting. What kind of tone can he afford to make? With declining poll numbers, mid-term Congressional elections coming, a quagmire in Iraq, rising heating costs, (the list goes on) how can Bush be overly positive? It may come off wrong to the American people. He may try to say he is going to 'unite' the country. But, his record on that is pretty slim. He said he was a "uniter not a divider" -- but just about everything he's said he has done the opposite.

An interesting take that the media may not be focusing on - has the Democratic party actually succeeded in the past year to tamp down Bush's domestic agenda? With control of Congress, it plays out more that Bush has failed, not that the Dems have succeeded. But, it may be a bit of both.

Technorati Tags: State of the Union, George W Bush, Politics

If you haven't been watching 24 on Fox this season, boy are you missing a lot. Tonight's episode was intense.

Mike, a buddy I used to work with came over for dinner, we played with the baby and then watched 24. Wow. A great episode. Jack Bauer is just ultra-intense this season. When he held that knife to that traitor Cumming's eye tonight and said, "You have seen my file, you know what I am capable of!" I about jumped off the couch. Classic Jack Bauer. I loved it.

This is the best season ever so far. The action each week and the twists of the story lines have been epic. I can't wait to see what happens next week. Will Jack hunt down the nerve gas on his own? Will the Russians target a city OTHER than Los Angeles (my only complaint about the show is that the President and all of the action always happens in LA)? And who will be killed off next?

The A.V. Club has a very revealing interview with Comedy Central's Stephen Colbert. Great stuff. Stephen Colbert | The A.V. Club

He gets into some really good topics by not being the "Stephen Colbert Character" that he plays on tv. He is just himself. I liked the interview because he's real honest. The show is obviously satire and pokes fun at the Bill O'Reilly's of the world.

Stephen is the man. Catch him on Comedy Central. I have my TIVO set and never miss an episode. Great stuff. He just cracks me up. If you have never seen the show, check it out here. Free downloads of all of his bits. It takes a little while to get the feel for the show. Since it is all tongue-in-cheek and nothing he says is truly his stance, it is a satire of the other side. Amazingly talented writing being done on that show. And of course, Colbert just has a knack for playing the "high status idiot" character. He really goes into great detail about how the show was crafted, even set design:

Status is always ripe for satire, status is always good for comedy. And they have the highest possible status—and that's what we've tried to amplify with everything on the show. Everything on the show has my name on it, every bit of the set. One of the things I said to the set designer—who has done everything, I mean even Meet The Press, he does that level of news design—was "One of your inspirations should be [DaVinci's painting] The Last Supper." All the architecture of that room points at Jesus' head, the entire room is a halo, and he doesn't have a halo." And I said, "On the set, I'd like the lines of the set to converge on my head." And so if you look at the design, it all does, it all points at my head. And even radial lines on the floor, and on my podium, and watermarks in the images behind me, and all the vertices, are right behind my head. So there's a sort of sun-god burst quality about the set around me. And I love that. That's status.

I will have to look for that tomorrow!

I really am happy at my job. It is amazing how much so. I guess when you spend time doing something else and then come back to what you love doing - it makes it even more special. Teaching to me is just effortless. Sure, I put in a lot of work. Most nights I am doing something to get ready for the next day. Sometimes that involves staying up pretty late and working some long hours on the computer. But, it is fun for me.

Today I had a moment where most in my profession would have been pooping their pants. My Principal walked in my room during class. For most teachers it is a moment they fear. For me, I welcome it. I wish he would have stayed longer. It was actually pretty cool that he walked in during our presentations. I always make it a point to sit in the desk like a student during their presentations. I haven't ever really seen any other teachers doing that. But, my point to my kids is --> I am the student now. You teach me.

Our project is one of my favorites. It is a Human Rights Project that covers the 30 Articles of the UN's human rights delcaration of 1948. This thing is over 50 years old and still there are plenty of nations in the world that don't recognize the articles of this document. Sad really. Even in America we are lacking some key components. The kids really learn a lot from this project. They create a poster that visually expresses the article. One really great poster today was one about marriage. The students are not allowed to use any words on their poster. Just pictures they either draw or cut out of magazines or download on the Internet. This student that had the marriage one put the pictures in a circle. Then he stated that it was the circle of marriage. The first picture was a person on one knee proposing. It went through the entire cycle until he showed at the end - two older people together. It was really well done.

I have had a ton of great and very artisitc work from this project this year. They have really risen to the level I had hoped for. I have 'celebrated' by cancelling their homework this week. I am a stickler for homework each night. But, they have deserved the break. (They still have a test on Friday though!)

Also today I had a student give me some terrible news about their family. A member of their family had been shot and killed. I had wondered about what was going on with that student because they had missed about a week. The student said, "And Mr. D. I am sorry about your loss as well with your father." The student had tears in their eyes, but I could see that they felt we shared a common thing and understood each other. No words I could say would have made them feel better, but just sharing a couple of minutes with them made a difference. I hope.

It is little moments like those that make you sure that you are doing the right thing in teaching. Leaving behind the money I did in the coporate world was tough. And Norma and I both look at each other like, "How are we going to make it?" some days. But, we both know we will find a way. We are doing the right thing by working with the kids in our community. It will make us better people. It will give us a chance to have a legacy. And it gives us more time with our own family. That is really priceless.

Anyway, I am just a lucky guy to be able to spend my days doing what I love to do. How many people are not so lucky? Way, way too many.

Technorati Tags: Education, Teaching, History

This is a tough situation. John Kerry, Dem in the Senate (you might have heard of him - he once ran for President) is calling for a fillibuster of the Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito. I agree in principal that Alito would make a terrible justice for 3 reasons:

1) He supports the Executive branch way too much. This whole argument on a "unitary executive" privledge is crap. We don't have a king in this country. We have a seperation of powers. Alito would give away power in his own branch of government to support another and that is just not right.

2) I do not agree at all with Alito's stance on abortion, civil liberties, and his conservative nature in general.

3) Roe v. Wade and the abortion question is an important one to me. Although I don't really think that Alito or Bush really ever want Roe overturned. They are much more concerned about providing power for their special interest group - corporations.

So why do I NOT support a fillibuster. It is simple. The Dems can't win a fillibuster. It isn't going to work. Alito was grilled hard by the Dems in the Senate judiciary committee - they made their points. The Dems are outnumbered. And quite frankly some are so moderate that they are going to cross party lines and vote for Alito, even though he does not have Americas best interest in mind. And Alito could be a dangerous component to our judiciary.

John Kerry should just admit that he spoke too soon on this matter. He should admit that a fillibuster was the wrong move and he should move on himself. But, Kerry won't. I think he's feeling pressure from Hillary and also from Senator Joe Biden. Both will be strong contenders in 2007 for the Presidency. Kerry wants to assume a leadership role. This is not the fight he should be choosing though. It is a losing battle.

Why do Democrats always shoot themselves in the foot? Why can't we find a leader with some "sinister" qualities to at least keep everyone in order? I know they are all free-thinkers and that is a great thing in reality. But, it plays out poorly to the American people. Especially those Americans that don't give a crap and never will understand the President's ridiculous theory on "unitary executive" and Presidential Power during a war. Sometimes this politics stuff is entertaining and funny. Then other times it just frustrates the hell out of me.

This is something that will leave an impact on you:
Time Magazine's 2005 Year in Pictures

The photo that is in the lead as far as the vote goes:


Thanks to Mr. Chris for posting this on his blog. It was 15 minutes of good thought today. For a Sunday - that's pretty good for me!
Technorati Tags: Time, Pictures, 2005

Sad news today in Iraq. Bob Woodruff and his camera man of ABCNews are injuried by an IED.

ABC News: ABC News' Bob Woodruff and Cameraman Injured in Iraq: "'World News Tonight' co-anchor Bob Woodruff and his cameraman, Doug Vogt, were injured and are in serious condition after their convoy was hit by an improvised explosive device in Taji, Iraq, today.

Woodruff and Vogt are undergoing surgery at the U.S. military hospital in Balad. Both men suffered head injuries. Woodruff sustained shrapnel wounds and Vogt was hit by shrapnel in the head and suffered a broken shoulder."

Let's just hope they are both ok and come out of surgery with no problems.

Technorati Tags: ABC, Bob Woodruff, Iraq

This is AWESOME:
iTunes Album Importer

I love it because I have so many cds that I have ripped into iTunes and it doesn't auto download the album art. When you download songs from iTunes it gives you the album art (it should for the freaking high price you have to pay!).

Check it out... it is worth the download if you use iTunes a lot.

Been listening to a lot of Jack Johnson this week. Read the lyrics to this song and thought about my relationship with Norma. The lyric: "Over 10 years have gone by" really got to me because we have been married for 10 and a 1/2 years now. We met and started going out in 1992, but married in 1995.

I played the song for her in the car last night while we were taking Aidan out for a ride to see if he'd fall asleep. He was a bit crabby. He never did sleep. Just relaxed listened to the music and chilled. When I played this song for Norma she just started to cry. It really does sound a lot like us.

"Do You Remember"

Do you remember when we first met
I sure do
It was some time
In early September
You were lazy about it
You made me wait around
I was so crazy about you
I didn't mind
So I was late for class
I locked my bike to yours
It wasn't hard to find
You painted flowers on
Guess that I was afraid
That if you rode away
You might not roll back
My direction real soon
Well I was crazy about you then
And now the craziest thing of all
Over 10 years have gone by
And your still mine
We're locked in time
Lets rewind

Do you remember
When we first moved in together
The piano took up the living room
You'd play me boogie woogie
I played you love songs
You'd say we're playing house
Now you still say we are
We build our get away
Up in a tree we found
We felt so far away
Though we were still in town
I remember watching
That old tree burn down
I took a picture that
I don't like to look at

Well all these times
They come and go
Alone don't seem so long
Over 10 years have gone by
We cant rewind
We're locked in time
But your still mine

Do you remember?

I am a very lucky man. My wife is the best. I can't imagine life without her.

My step-mom Fran sent this to me. It is awesome! Worth the read.

In The Headlines:

A wave of animal cruelty has the World Wildlife Federation up in arms. On the first day of this new year a lion was found viciously mauled. A week later, a Bengal tiger was discovered horribly beaten. While the lion only had fresh wounds, the tiger appears to have been suffering regular beatings for years.

Just seven days after that, a colt was found battered. People at the scene said it kept muttering something about not getting enough protection. Hours ago, Denver authorities found another horse, this time a bronco, wandering the streets. The horse was not physically injured, but quite dazed and confused. When asked about the incident, the hapless horse said "I was at home and everything was fine. I was about to feed my pet snake when he started choking and screaming about some sort of terrible towel following it around."

Rumor has it that the next target will be some sort of bird, a Seahawk. All of the victims report trying to peek behind a giant steel curtain shortly before their incidents. As a result, the following warning has been issued to all animals: Peek behind a steel curtain, get hit by THE BUS.

Super Bowl Sunday - only 1 week away!

Here we go Steelers!

Here is Aidan with my Xbox360 remote control. He is pretending it is the phone. He is always holding remote controls and anything that size up to his ear. He'll babble and we'll say something like, "Call Grandma!" He gets a kick out of that. You would think that we are always on the phone or something... but we NEVER use all of our minutes on our cells. I don't know where he picks up this stuff.

I wanted to post another memory of my Dad. This one isn't my memory per se, but I will tell the story anyway. It makes me feel good to think of it.

Whenever Aidan bumps into something, falls, or runs into a wall or chair (like I do - I'm the biggest clutz) we don't raise a big fuss about it. We will only really run over to him if he is sucking in a ton of air and about to blow with a big old cry. Usually he's pretty tough and just keeps on moving after a painful pause. It really is good practice not to freak out. The baby cries just because you are upset really. But, when he is upset on his own and crying I do something pretty fun. I will pound on the floor, wall, chair or whatever he ran into and I'll say, "Bad chair! You leave my boy alone! Stop that!" And Aidan will always smile and sometimes he'll also take a smack at it.

One night while I was on the phone with my Mom, this whole scene that I have described unfolded. Aidan fell in the kitchen, I ran in and after he started crying, hit the floor. She heard it on her end and said, "Your Dad used to do that exact same thing when you were a little boy."

It really freaked me out at first. Now I get a good deal of comfort from thinking about it. My Dad did these little things to help calm me down and now I am doing them for Aidan. Really neat when you think about it. I had no memory whatsoever about this happening. But, somewhere either deep in my brain - or - wired into my genes my Dad and I are the same.

And now Aidan will probably do these things with his boy when he is older. The circle of life. I have been thinking a lot about how Aidan will probably be the 'replacement' for my Dad. All the time and energy that we would spend together - chatting on the computer, emailing and on the phone will be replaced with reading him a book, going to the park and developing our relationship.

It probably won't be long until Aidan is chatting with me on a computer, emailing me and calling me on the phone. Time flies. That's one of the big reasons I blog. Things happen so fast when you get to be my age (35) that you have to have a way to put it all in perspective. This is my daily attempt to do that. And also to leave a trail behind for my son to read when he is older.

Some day he might be in the position I am in... having to raise a son without his Grandfather. The only thing I will have is my memories, which I hope to be strengthened with this blog.

Today was certainly an interesting day. Very busy.

* In class the kids began presenting their Human Rights Projects. Man, I love doing this project. The kids learn so much. And I gave them a lot of time to work on it this year and their final products are just outstanding. Haven't read their essays yet, but the posters (visual representation of 1 of the 30 articles of the Human Rights Declaration) and their presentations were just great.
* Went to the ear-nose-throat specialist today. She fixed me up real good the last time I had a sinus infection in Sept/Oct. I had struggled with it for months. Today she said I have a brand new infection that probably was brought on by the cold I picked up while in PA and with my stress levels I was not fighting off the infection. So it is 14 days of an antibiotic to clear me up. She was pretty excited that I had continued to use my nasal rinse and that I told her it was awesome. It really does help my sinuses.
* Picked up a really great CD tonight. Jack Johnson's "In Between Dreams". I am totally loving it. Nice and mellow. Dude is an excellent song writer and really creates a great mood on acustic guitar. His new album comes out soon and will be featured in the animated movie for Curious George. Give Jack a listen. You won't be disappointed. [btw - check out the video on Jack's site for "Curious George" on his song "Upside Down"]
* We got the first 4 hours of 24 shipped to us today by Norma's brother George. Thank god. We watched the first hour and 1/2 and it was so intense. Incredible. Aren't they supposed to kill off people at the END of the season? Holy smokes. I'll write more on that over the weekend. What a great show. Jack Bauer is the man!
* I decided today that Aidan is getting too big, too fast! He needs to slow down. While giving him a bath tonight I realized that he has a mouthful of teeth. Man they are just coming out of no where. Really incredible. He is the most perfect thing in the world to me. We are so lucky.
* All of this stuff on this Thursday still didn't get my mind off my Dad. It occurred to me today that our lives are just so much quieter without Norma's mom and my Dad. They were the ones that always called. (My Dad emailed me 2 or 3 times I day - I swear) It will be 6 months tomorrow that Norma's Mom passed. It seems like yesterday. We miss her so much. But, we will try to focus on the fact that tomorrow is also the day that Aidan will turn [correction!] 15 months old. That is nutz. Folks... time flies. Enjoy it while you can. Before long my little guy is going to be asking for the car keys.

Scientists develop bird flu vaccine: "University of Pittsburgh scientists say they've genetically engineered an avian flu vaccine that has proven 100 percent effective in mice and chickens."

That would be totally awesome.

But, I fear that a quick fix on bird flu will only cause the public and governments to think we don't need to fix our medical infastructure crisis and also create more labs for vaccine.

Believe me folks, Bird Flu may not be the pandemic everyone fears, but it doesn't mean another one is not just around the corner. Regardless, I will take this good news and sleep a little better tonight.

Technorati Tags: Bird Flu, Vaccine, Pittsburgh

Today MrChris sent me an email with this message:

This is something sent to me by a friend when my mom died. I really found it comforting.

For parents who have left

Do not go from my sight.

Turn into a fiery star that I can see from any place.

Light my way with the wisdom that I am just beginning to understand.

Burn bright in my heart.

And remind me that you are only as far as me looking up

Like it was when I was small.

Every once in a while,
Let me know that better things are waiting by crossing the sky and leaving a trail.

Someday I’ll join you.

We will shine down on those we leave behind.

You were not made to stay with me forever.

You were only loaned to me to teach me love.

When the world weighs on my shoulders and points my head to the ground

I will remember the fiery brightness of you

and I will look up.

Thanks MrChris.

Kubes is here. Gary Kubiak was introduced today as the second head coach in the history of the Houston Texans. He has a lot of work ahead of him. After only 2 wins this season the Texans have only one direction to go in... up!

Kubiak has been to 6 super bowls. Four as a player with the Broncos and two as an assistant coach. He has served as the offensive co-ordinator of the Broncos for years. Although he didn't call plays - that duty went to head coach Mike Shannahan.

I am looking forward to the new change. I typically like defensive coaches because they are more disciplined. But, Kubiak sure does seem like a tough guy and a whip cracker. That's exactly what this team needs. Although Dom Capers was very organized, he sure wasn't tough enough on the players.

Kubiak also played at Texas A&M and grew up in Houston. So the hometown link is there, too. Next he needs to hire the rest of his assistants. Then help pick the first selection in the NFL Draft. Bush -or- Vince? We shall see.

Technorati Tags: Houston, Texans, Kubiak, Coach

I don't think I will be ready to quit blogging about my Dad any time soon. I am sorry for some of you that read this blog and are sick of hearing about it. But, it is so deeply inside my mind. It is rare that I get an hour without day dreaming about him. So I decided to get some of the really great memories of my Dad out of my head and onto this blog.

These will be real short entries. I'll do a couple a day until I feel like I am feeling better (will that ever happen)?

Today's memory is one of my earliest of my Dad. I don't remember much from before my Mom and Dad were divorced. They divorced when I was 4. But, I remember this one clearly. My Dad would come home from work and bring me a little something every day. He would brought me a cap gun one day. Remember those things? It was a tiny little toy gun. You could feed it through a little roll of paper through it and it would snap when you pulled the trigger. Man, I loved that thing.

Then each day he would bring me home some more ammo for the thing. Or a pack of baseball cards. Remember the sticks of gum in those things? Most awful tasting gum ever, but every kid chewed it up. I think the flavor would last about 10 seconds!

That was my Dad though. He would work all day long and think about his kids during the day. I was the first son. I know he was thinking about me all day at work and stopping off at the store on the way home with me in mind. It made me feel special then and still does today.

Thanks Dad.

Tonight I wrote a brief bit on my Dad for a ‘pigeon guy’ (as he liked to call them).  One of his pigeon friends emailed me this week and asked me to write something about my Dad for him to publish in many of the pigeon fancier magazines and newsletters that go out to so many of his friends.  

It occurred to me that it was a daunting task actually.  How can one write something personal and intimate about someone that accomplished so much?  How can one do a ‘good job’ when he is clouded by so much grief and so much pain?  I did the best I could.  I hope my Dad will be proud of it.


When I get where I'm going
On the far side of the sky
The first thing that I'm gonna do
Is spread my wings and fly
"When I Get Where I'm Going" by Brad Paisley

That is what I imagine my father, Terry Duez did on Saturday January 14th.  Terry passed away on that date following heart surgery.  His passing was a shock to everyone.  My father had an abundant amount of energy.  He never stopped.  To see his life come to an end is indeed shocking.  Although my Dad fought like mad, there was too much to overcome in the end.  He left us at age 58.  

Terry was born Oct. 8, 1947, in Greensburg, a son of the late George and Goldie (Wolfe) Duez. He worked in the warehouse at Supervalue in New Stanton, PA.  Terry was a U.S. Air Force veteran, having served in Vietnam from 1968-69. He also coached pony league baseball, varsity girl’s basketball at Franklin Regional and Derry, and girl’s basketball and softball at Penn-Trafford. Terry was an avid Pittsburgh sports fan. He loved playing fantasy football and his favorite pastime was raising parlor pigeons, for which he would travel the country for competitions. And he also enjoyed flying pigeons. He is survived by his wife, Frances, four children and four grandchildren.

My Dad was a very special person.  The best thing I can say to summarize his life is:

'Every person my Dad ever met was good enough to be his friend.'

That was certainly proven true at his funeral and viewings.  The place was packed with so many of his friends.  It was overwhelming to his family.  To see first hand how many people valued my Dad was remarkable.  I have certainly learned many lessons from my Dad but the best one must be to value each person that you meet.  He certainly did and never refused a friend.

He will be missed by so many.  He will be forever treasured by his friends and his loving family.  

I hope you are flying high above all of us now, Dad.  Enjoy that view that your birds always had.  Now you are free to spread your wings and fly.

I thought this was brilliantly put by The Nightly News gang at NBC. It was read on the air this evening by Brian Williams:

A necessary word about our coverage of the storm zone— specifically, the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and the City of New Orleans. Lately, a lot of viewers have felt the need to tell us what they think of our coverage, and we like that and we read them all. And while most of the e-mails we get are from folks wanting to thank us for our coverage, an increasing number do not.

Here are just a few from the past few days:

A viewer in Houston writes, “I was very saddened by the damage caused by the hurricane and certainly support the re-building of New Orleans... but can’t we give this a rest?”

Another viewer writes: “I’m getting just plain sick and tired of hearing the constant drumbeat about New Orleans...”

Still another is even more direct: “ENOUGH. We’re sick and tired of 'the long road back.'"

Again, that’s the minority view, but enough people feel that way to prompt us to say the following:

Our Katrina coverage started before Katrina arrived on shore. We were in the Superdome for the storm, and then watched what happened in New Orleans during that awful week. We have gone back many times, including this past Monday, and we’ve gone to Mississippi. We’ve covered the struggle in Florida and along the Texas coast, as we cover any event that causes human suffering.

Katrina is different. Katrina displaced 2 million Americans. It destroyed 350,000 homes. Not all the bodies have yet been found. It exposed cracks in our society, and it has us talking about race and class, and money and relief. It affected what we pay for gas, and may affect what we pay in taxes. It literally re-arranged the map of the Gulf Coast. There are many heroes, but no one villain.

Tonight, one of the great American cities is partially in ruins, and many of our fellow citizens are hurting and have nothing left. In some places, nothing’s been done yet.

And so, while we are reading the mail, we also have a job to do. And a big story to cover. Along with the news around the nation and the world each day, we intend to keep covering it.

Keep up the good work! Most Americans appreciate it. Most Americans want to see this once great city rise again. Most Americans appreciate real news on a real topic like Katrina. The tired stories that get played over and over again and mean nothing to most people's lives are just plain sad. To get down there at the scene and deliver the story first hand - that is real news.

This is an opinion I have not read before:

Warriors and wusses - Los Angeles Times: "But I'm not for the war. And being against the war and saying you support the troops is one of the wussiest positions the pacifists have ever taken — and they're wussy by definition. It's as if the one lesson they took away from Vietnam wasn't to avoid foreign conflicts with no pressing national interest but to remember to throw a parade afterward."

What is your opinion? Is it a 'flip-flop' to support troops yet not support the war? In my opinion, I find it easy to have a dualistic viewpoint on this war. Of course, I don't support the war. But, I do support Americans who are fighting for their country. Troops do what they are told to do. And they do it well. I don't deny my support of our men and women - many VERY young - because I don't support the actual military conflict. And I don't feel strange about it or a wussy in any way.

The author of this commentary writes that, "But blaming the president is a little too easy. The truth is that people who pull triggers are ultimately responsible, whether they're following orders or not. An army of people making individual moral choices may be inefficient, but an army of people ignoring their morality is horrifying." That is far too easy an explanation. The soldiers do what they are told because they are trained for it. And trained well. To deny my support for their efforts to train with sweat, blood and tears is wrong. Would I deny support to them if I actually thought we should be in Iraq? No.

I understand the author's point - on the surface. But this isn't an issue that is surface deep. It goes much deeper. It is a shame that people have trouble holding multiple viewpoints sometimes and have to make everything cut and dry and simplistic. Some things in life are not black and white. There are shades of gray.

This article was VERY widely read today. It was mentioned across the blogosphere by many, many people. Just thought I would throw my 2 cents in on the topic.

Kinda strange. And I am not a soccer fan at all. But, I am a fan of Houston. Houston 1836 is just strange. I guess we are running out of nicknames in America.

Chron.com | Houston MLS club pays homage to city's birth: "What's in a number? A team name
Paying homage to the city's birth, pro soccer club will be called ... Houston 1836

By BERNARDO FALLAS
Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle

The latest addition to Houston's professional sports landscape finally has a name, and the team will make it official today.

How does Houston 1836 grab you?"

Can you think of something that would have been better? Houston Humidity would have captured the essence of summer in my city. But, Humidity isn't too scary, unless you are a woman wanting your hair to look good!

They will unveil the logo, colors and uniforms today at 2pm. That interests me. I wonder if RED will be in their color scheme. All the Houston teams have some red in their uniforms.

UPDATE: The logo is not what I expected -

Colors are black and gold! Hey those are Pittsburgh colors! :) Actually the team colors will be white, orange and blue. Doesn't look that way at first glance.
Technorati Tags: houston, soccer, 1836, MLS

My Dad's Dove Release

My sister posted this link on her blog. It really got to me. It was so damn cold that day. At the very beginning you can see Norma, Aidan and I. Aidan is in his orange coat. He loved petting that pigeon. He had a big smile on his face. I kept the 2 feathers that Norm (the dove release guy, and a close friend of my Dad's) gave us as we touched the pigeon.

Today I was getting the oil changed in Norma's car and the country song that Norm played at the beginning came on the radio. I was sitting in Jiffy Lub trying so hard not to break down and cry. The song is called, "When I Get Where I'm Going" by Brad Paisley. To hear that song and see the lyrics: Click Here

It really gets to me. Especially this part:
When I get where I'm going
On the far side of the sky
The first thing that I'm gonna do
Is spread my wings and fly

Spreading his wings and flying just like the birds he loved so much.

Even with all the heartache from my father's death (that is still so hard for me to even type, let alone consider it is reality)... I am a pretty darn lucky guy. We picked up Aidan today from his babysitter and we thought, "Wow, it's going to be a tough night." He didn't sleep much for her and he seemed a bit cranky and tired. But, he was such an angel all night long. Real cuddly and very cute. He was just so content tonight. It was a nice thing to see.



He could have easily went to bed without his bath, but we got him through his routine like always. He is really a special kid. Man, are we lucky.

It is still so hard for me to realize that my Dad won't be around as Aidan gets bigger. I know exactly how Norma felt now when her Mom passed away. It's an emptiness. It is a feeling like you are being cheated from something so many other people have. It makes you angry and sad all at the same time.

All I can do is just keep my Dad's memory alive for my son. I want him to know all about his Pap Pap and what a great person he was. I have a feeling Aidan will know it deep down inside.

To realize that my Dad was sick with this heart problem from almost a month after Aidan was born is hard to stomach. It really has been that long ago. My Dad and step-mom Fran came down after Thanksgiving in 2004 after Aidan was born. He was coughing even then. That's the time period when his valve started to go in his heart. I just wish the doctors would have found this sooner.

But, I can not be mad about what has happened. Nothing is going to bring him back. What is done is done. I have to keep my energy up and live each day correctly. I never want to waste time with my wife and son. I want to enjoy each day as much as possible. I know that we don't have 'forever' in life.

I want all of my energies to be as positive as possible. But, I know it will take a while until I am 100% right inside and out. But, I am a lucky person to have had my Dad for 35 years of my life. Many don't have him that long. Many don't get the second chance I had with my Dad to patch up our relationship and make things right.

Overall, I am a pretty lucky guy.

I miss my Dad so much. This photo is from an Astros-Pirates game here in Houston in July 2003. My Dad was so happy that the Pirates won. We were sitting just behind home plate in the $200 seat section. My cousin Tracy is in the center of the picture and she got the seats through her company. During the game the Pittsburgh TV cameras caught my Dad in the stands and he was on the air "live" back in Pittsburgh. Man, he thought that was cool.

I really miss him. Everyday it becomes more and more of a reality that he is gone. But, everyday I fight it. I just wish I had more time with him. It really aches deep in my stomach.

Somewhere he is watching over all of us. I know that. I don't usually discuss my religious views on this blog very often and I am not what you would consider "religious". But, I am spiritual in many ways. I do believe his spirit is with me. I have to believe that. It gives me comfort. Even the memories and thoughts from my childhood swimming through my head makes me feel like he surrounds me all day.

I know everyone says it gets easier. But, I will never be over this.

My Dad is smiling down upon this earth today and is a very happy soul. His Pittsburgh Steelers did the impossible, a #6 seed... beat the #1, #2, and #3 seeds to get to the Super Bowl. Amazing. I know they had help from my Dad from above.

I don't even care who they play. It is just amazing.

After the game ended, I sat on the couch and just cried. I felt sad that he didn't get a chance to see this. Then I realized, I know he is seeing it from somewhere. And he's waving a terrible towel and he is saying, "I told you they would do it!" He never gives up hope on his teams. Never. It is a lesson that I have learned from him - be faithful until the end.

It has been such a crazy week and a 1/2. I can't even really put words to it. But, seeing the Steelers win and go to the Super Bowl made things even a little bit better. Not that anything could make losing my Dad better. But, it just put a smile on my face for a few minutes. I am looking forward to going back to work tomorrow. Being busy helps.

I called home tonight and spoke with my sister Aimee and my step-mom Fran. They were happy, but you could sense that sadness that they are missing him. They are missing sharing it with him. I am going to try to choose the path that I will now share EVRYTHING with him. He will always be in my thoughts as really great things happen in life. From Aidan's first day of school to his first basehit in baseball... my Dad will be smiling down and sharing it with us for sure.

At 2pm central time today the Steelers will take on the Broncos for the right to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl in 2 weeks. I know that the Steelers will have an extra boost from my Dad as he looks in on the game.

Norma, Aidan and I took some pictures today for Grandma Fran and the Pittsburgh crew. We hope they enjoy the game and enjoy the pictures. Aidan misses them. He'll be wearing his #86 Hines Ward jersey, just like Grandma today.

GO STEELERS!

It has been one week since my Dad passed. It is not much easier yet. Today we have been trying to keep our mind off things. Since it is Saturday we went to get Chinese at our favorite place. We get it there every Saturday for lunch. 2 lunch specials $12.45, taste of Chinese - priceless. Since I have such a bad cold, the lady there didn't recognize my voice on the phone. But, when I picked it up she said, "David! Hello there." It made me smile.

Norma is also making her awesome chilli today. I need to go out and walk around a little bit and then come back in to smell it. Isn't it wierd how you won't smell it while it is cooking, until you leave and come back?

Norma just put Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy on and it is just making me laugh. We have seen this movie like 100 times, it makes me laugh harder each time. "I ate a big red candle." The name Wes Mantooth. That cracks me up everytime I hear it. "60 percent of the time, it works EVERY time."

The baby took a long nap today. I caught up on Battlestar Gallactica. I was really happy that the President was saved like she was. Watching her lay there dying throughout the episode was really making me sad. I also napped about an hour. To sleep I pretty much need to listen to my iPod Shuffle as I fall asleep, otherwise I think about my Dad so much I can't sleep. Waking up is hard, too. Because you realize everything that happened this week is not a dream, it is all real.

Nothing is going to help really except time. And family and friends. It is all still so unacceptable and unbelievable.

Thanks Billy for sending everyone the great pictures of Aidan and the Tylka girls. It really brightened my day yesterday.

I think he really misses everyone in Pittsburgh. As I am sure everyone misses him.

I love this picture of him with his Grandma Fran because you can really see his teeth!



Click on these two images for bigger versions of them. To check out all of the new photos - visit my Gallery at Buzznet.

I have seen this little Gmail icon on many blogs. I wanted one for myself, but didn't know how to create one. I did a Google Search for Gmail Icon Generator and found it!

Gmail Icon Generator

I am going to put it on my left panel. It will link to a message to me. Kinda nice. I've seen it on Cynter's Blog & Phil McCracken's Blog. Thanks for the idea guys.

I knew today would be tough. Getting back in front of a classroom of kids is always a challenge after being away for a week. But, to summon the energy to teach 30 kids after going through the ultimate energy-sapping experience... I was worried. But, my students made it a lot easier. For one, they were great for the subs. My reports were the same in every class - "Great kids! Helped me through the day. They really miss you."

I was very touched by my Social Studies department. They gave me a card with $100 gift certificates in it for eating out. That was nice and something we could really use right about now. We are all exhausted and don't feel much like cooking.

My entire second period class made a home-made card and everyone signed it. Many wrote long notes and said they are praying and thinking about me and my family. One said, "Mr. D, I know you are sad and missing your father, but you have so much to live for. You have a beautiful family and so many students that love you." It really got to me.

I decided that I am going to give out a new award to my classes called the "Pigeon Award." It will go to the student in each class that has shown great citizenship and have helped other classmates. I will hand them one of my Dad's pigeon trophies and they can keep it on their desk in class until the next winner is declared. I already give out an award called "The Eagle Award" for academic excellence in my class. I told my students that this new award is special because I want them to show the kind of citizenship and friendship that my Dad always displayed. And I told them all what I said last week: "My Dad never met anyone that wasn't good enough to be his friend."

The weekend is finally here. And I only worked one day, but it felt like a full week. I am exhausted and ready to go home, enjoy Norma and the baby and relax.

The longest day started with word that it was to begin much earlier than anticipated. The viewing of my Dad's funeral the day before had gone into overtime. And there was standing-room only. I had left at about 8 or so last night to get the baby home for his bath and to get him to bed. I had originally anticipated coming back to the funeral home and finishing up, but once I got back to the house I lost all energy. I was asleep an hour before Norma and the baby. Three times she tried to wake me for different things - and she never could get my body up. I was a rock.

So this morning started with my sister Aimee reporting that there were so many people at the funeral home the night before that they continued the services to almost 10 pm. When we had left at 8 there was a line stretching through the three areas of the place. And it wasn't moving very fast. At 10 they asked people to come back early in the morning. Aimee said, "We are supposed to be there at 8:30." Originally it was 10.

Getting a 14-month old going with little notice is pretty difficult. So Aidan, Norma and I didn't get there until close to 10. We were there in plenty of time for everything though. The weather was so brisk and cold. But, I think my Dad had something to do with that. It was the first time Aidan had ever seen snow. I stood at the top of the stairs in my Dad's home and pointed out the window to my little guy and said, "Look Pap Pap made it snow for you!" Aidan then stretched out his little fingers and actually gave a little wiggle of them to show how the snow was falling. It was a pretty special moment for me. (Although my comment later was, "If Dad could order up the snow, why couldn't he cut that fierce wind?")

The services were very well done. Beautifully captured who my Dad was. (it's so hard for me not to type: "...who my Dad is.") Before the services started I approached my father's casket with Aidan in my arms and Norma at my side. It was finally time for family to say goodbye. We were the last to see him. All I could say was, "Your Pap Pap loved you so much... " And I pretty much lost it. Aidan knew. And he knows. And he will never forget... I will never let that happen. That's why I am writing this now.

I was surprised that they wheeled my Dad's casket into the seated area of the funeral home - there were many people there. I never really looked up to see how many. My eyes probably wouldn't have been able to see anyway. Three armed forces vets then drapped an American flag over his casket. One of the vets was Dave, my Dad's next door neighbor. They had both fought in Vietnam. So wonderful to see that personal touch. Dave did a great job. The pastor then took to the microphone and began to speak.

To be honest, I didn't hear much of what he had to say at the beginning. The religious messages were ones that had been told at the last three funerals I had attended this past year. But, when he finally spoke about my Dad the mood in the room quickly changed. He spoke of my father's passion for hobbies. Pigeons, Coaching Basketball, Fantasy Football. The pastor said he couldn't "understand them completely, but I could see from the stories told about Terry that he had a passion for them." When he spoke about my Dad's unique hobby with birds, the room chuckled. Not many people can really 'understand' that. The pastor mentioned that my Dad had just broken records the weekend before.

Then he spoke of something that completely shocked, but touched me. He said, "I had just been talking to David, his oldest son, and he passed along something to me that was an interesting observation about his Dad. David said, 'Every person my Dad ever met was good enough to be his friend.'" You could feel the room take a deep breath. Everyone knows that to be true of my Dad. He cared for everyone. That explains why his viewings and funerals were so packed. People loved him because he loved and cared for them without any conditions.

The pastor also got to me when he mentioned my Dad's work. He has worked in the freezer part of a grocery distribution plant called SuperValu in New Stanton, PA for years. In fact, I worked out there too on ocassion. The pastor said, "Terry was a practical joker, but he was also the go-to-guy. Everyone called him Dad." And they did. All the guys out there were special to my Dad. Meeting them again at his funeral was so tough, because I know how much all of them meant to my father.

The formal services concluded with the presentation of the flag to my step-mom Fran. Then a 21-gun salute. And then the show that everyone was waiting for... the dove release. My Dad had a very special friend named Norm. And this special friend has a very wonderful job. He releases "doves" at events like funerals, weddings and such. He does it to music. He did it at my Grandmother's funeral this past year.

What made it special is that we all know from being in my father's family that those "doves" are actually pigeons. They are trained to fly back to their coop. They are white. So they are very much 'dove-like.'

The words Norm said were very special to me. The doves flying off into the sky were set to country music - another of my father's passions. I have had Garth Brook's "The Dance" in my head all day. My Dad is laughing somewhere I am sure knowing that country music is filling my head!

[to see an example of Norm's work for his company "Memory Makers" click here. The video doesn't do it justice for what the experience is live and in person.]

After the ceremonies at the funeral home we went off to a Church nearby for a chance to eat and enjoy everyone's company. As always Aidan was a center of attention and cheered everyone up. Unfortunately, our flight was scheduled for 6pm takeoff to come back to Houston. So my long day was even longer that it should have been.

We are back home safe and sound now. But, I am forever changed by the events of this long day and this very difficult week. Before I went to bed I wrote each of my brothers, sisters and their spouses an email tonight. It was important to me to explain to all of them that I need them now. And I hope they all need me and will rely on me. As the oldest, I do feel a different burden. I do feel like it is something my Dad would be proud of - to see me try and keep everyone together and make our relationships more special.

So that is just what I am going to do.

[Terry Jr & Sue, Tim & Katie, myself & Norma, My Dad and Aidan, Fran & Claire, Aimee & Mary Kate]
[[note: changed this picture. billy, aimee's boyfriend, worked in photoshop on it and made it even more special that it already was. thanks bill. the only thing that could have made this picture better was if you were in it... but, i know you wish you were. no regrets my friend. no regrets. you will be in this family's lives for a long, long time - that is more important.]]

We have a great family. This is a photo from last summer. My Dad was so wanting to get these done. The rest of us were lukewarm to the idea. It was a disaster from the start. The photographer didn't even remember to show up, my Dad had to call him to get him there. But, in the end it was a great day. It was a slow start, but it was a lot of fun. The grandkids were so cute to watch together. Everyone is glad we took the time out to do those photos now.

The grandkids (Aidan, Claire and Mary Kate shown in the photo - but Emerson was born 6 weeks ago) are his legacy. I love how this photo shows them. Such cuties. And I am so honored that Aidan is on his Pap Pap's lap. It gives me chills seeing it. Aidan may never remember that day, but he will never forget my words describing it. Norma and I will never let him forget how special his Pap Pap was.

My word to you, the reader of this blog? Spend time with your family. Take lots of pictures. Enjoy it. As this week has taught us many lessons - one is that we need to realize: "We have a great family."

I am so proud of everyone. They have handled the #1 worst thing that probably could happen to a family. They lost their Patriarch. Our eldest. Our leader. Our father has passed. It will be up to all of us to pick up the pieces and to take on a little extra strength to do the job he did keeping us all together.

As the eldest son of this group and now the oldest male, it is something I am going to take on with a lot of energy. Albeit I am at the biggest handicap because I live the furthest distance from everyone. But, it is a job that I am going to attack with a lot of energy and passion.

I usually hate talking on the phone. I will pick it up and dial more often. Everyone needs each other now. I have to make a very big effort because I am so far away. If I have learned anything from the great work my sister-in-law does on Norma's side of the family it is this: keep the memory of those so far away in your kids lives. They are so great about talking to their kids about us in Houston. Everytime we see their kids they know us and are not shy. I want Aidan to feel the same about everyone in Pennsylvania. And when we visit I want it to be as if we have only just seen them a few weeks ago - not a year.

Tomorrow is the viewing. There are actually two of them. I have chosen to tackle tomorrow and the funeral on Wednesday like this: I have already had a chance to say goodbye to my dad. When I got there on Friday morning he was not only alive, but listening to me. I know this because when I mentioned Aidan he moved. It was the first time he moved in a while and showed a reaction. I was able to talk to him and I know for a fact he heard me. Before he went into his last surgery I told him that I loved him and kissed him on his head. BUT, those coming to the viewing and funeral did not have that opportunity like his immediate family did. His close friends, colleagues and former classmates didn't get to say goodbye. It was so sudden for them. So I approach the next two days this way - I have to be strong for them. I want to represent my Dad and show some strength for him. And I want the many, many people that will come to see him know how much I love him. I will look them in the eye, hug them and help them with THEIR pain.

My pain is certainly not going to be able to be cured, ever. But, some of the people my father has touched in his life can find some closure and relief in the next two days. Giving them a chance to pay their respects is important.

My father hated viewings. He hated funerals. He never wanted a big fuss made of him. But, believe me - a big fuss will be made. He was a very successful person in so many ways. He was successful because everyone was his friend and he helped people get excited about life. Whether it was pigeons or basketball, grankids or fantasy football... he lived life 100%. Life was not about a long distance marathon for my Dad. He sprinted from the start to the finish.

I have found a lot of little things to think about the past few days to give me comfort. He will always be 58 to me. The odds are that I will long outlive that age. My Dad will always look young. He certainly always looked younger than he was to begin with. My Dad didn't have to lie in a bed and slowly let his body give out on him. That can be so painful for everyone. He went into his surgery and said, "Let's do this. Let's get this overwith so that I can get it fixed and get on with all that I have to do in life." He attacked it.

Although things went so terribly wrong, I believe he went out on his own terms. He would have it no other way. He showed no fear going into this surgery. He just wanted to get better. I believe he is in a better place and he is watching over all of us.

In fact, there have been several signs of that this week. I will write much more about that later on. But I have been stunned by the things that I have seen with his "signature" all over them. That's my Dad. If there was a way to still be in our lives and be poking around and trying to help us... he would get that done.

Tomorrow, I will be getting this done: I will represent my Dad as his 'first son.' I will stand up and greet people and try to be an example of the kind of person he was... always helpful to everyone. He always thought of everyone else. The whole family will be doing this, I am sure. Because he taught all of us well.

Terry E. Duez - Penn Township

Terry E. Duez, 58, of Penn Township, died Saturday, Jan. 14, 2006, at UPMC Presbyterian, Pittsburgh. He was born Oct. 8, 1947, in Greensburg, a son of the late George and Goldie (Wolfe) Duez. Mr. Duez worked on the test floor and was an expediter for the Elliott Co., in Jeannette. He also worked in the warehouse at Supervalue and was a U.S. Air Force veteran, having served in Vietnam from 1968-69. He also coached pony league baseball, varsity girls basketball at Franklin Regional and Derry, and girls basketball and softball at Penn-Trafford. Terry was an avid Pittsburgh sports fan. He loved playing fantasy football and his favorite pasttime was raising parlor pigeons, for which he would travel the country for competitions. And he also enjoyed flying pigeons. He is survived by his wife, Frances M. (Mangus) Duez, of Penn Township; four children, David Duez and his wife, Norma, of Houston, Texas, Katie Tylka and her husband, Tim, of Greensburg, Terry Duez Jr. and his wife, Sue, of Manor, and Aimee Duez and her boyfriend, Bill, of Pittsburgh; four grandchildren, Mary Kate, Claire, Aiden and Emerson; two brothers, Ronald Duez, of Canton, Ohio, and Dennis Duez, of Jeannette; his ex-wife, Karen Winfield, of Jeannette; also aunts, an uncle, four nieces and a nephew. Friends will be received from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesday at the WILLIAM SNYDER FUNERAL HOME, 521 Main St., Irwin. A funeral service with military honors will be held Wednesday at the funeral home.

First of all I want to thank everyone that has sent good wishes my way. I can't ever tell all of you how much it has meant and how much it has helped me. Hearing from people and knowing that they have me and my family in their thoughts and prayers makes me feel good. It has helped today during a very difficult day.

I am not going to say much, because I am beat tired. But, I will give a quick thumbnail of where we are. I will write much more later on down the line.

My dad sits tonight in VERY critical condition. He has gone through the original robotic operation on Wednesday, a number of procedures to move tubes and support systems, and today two additional surgerys. To make this brief and to the point, none of it has helped. We left tonight with him in very critical condition due to the levels of potasium in his body. Potasium is what they use to stop hearts. They certainly aren't trying to stop his. But, his body is producing it. And they are running a double dyalisis machine to help clean that. It will take many hours.

When we left tonight after about 2 hours of the treatment - it was still very bad. At this point, we are not as worried about his heart and leg as we are just getting these levels down. Many of us in the immediate family know that if he is to recover at this point it is a long shot. But, if anyone can do it... it is my Dad.

The absolute only really good thing that happened today: When I got there we went in to see him. He looked better than I had imagined he'd look. I got down close to him and spoke into his ear and said, "I had to get up here to make sure they were treating you okay. You look so much better than they told me you did. Everyone panics you know - because they love you so much." Then I paused and controlled myself. Then I said, "Aidan is ready for you to come down over spring break and play. He has his basketball ready." My dad shook his head and reacted. I was stunned. I really was. He hadn't moved the entire time we were there. Then of course, everyone said, "Make him do that again!" And I said, I didn't do it... Aidan did. :)

Of course, at that point I do believe he could hear me, although he was in and out of conciousness and his body was in the middle of some incredible stress. Before I left tonight I said to him that "these nurses are going to take great care of you tonight... and they are all MALE. If you dont' start getting better soon - they won't bring the pretty girl nurses in." I know that if he could hear me he was laughing. He has always hounded and flirted with nurses and waitresses. He is so bad. I am hoping I get to talk to him soon and he does remember some things people have said.

But, I am preparing for the worst... hoping for the best. That is all you can do. At this point, the raw truth is that he is breaking down at the cellular level. In english that means that parts of his body are dying. For him to recover we will need a real incredible turn around tonight. His nurse told me that he is less concerned about his heart - because it may not recover anyway and an electric pump and transplant will almost definitely be needed. What they are worried about now is multiple other organs failing.

They took him off sedation to see if he might be able to wake a little and respond to them on a nerological level. That may not happen until many hours from now. I am hopefull.

But, like I said, I am preparing for the worst case scenerio. I have a LOT of thoughts on all of this of course, but the best thing I can do now is sleep. I worried that coming up here I would be a mess and in the way and trouble for everyone. I am usually a rock, level headed and helping everyone. But, I just didn't know how I would be in this situation. But, I am drawing strength from how I think my dad would be if it were me in there. He would keep everyone calm, but in a realistic way. He would also be positive - as I am sure he is being now - even in the state he is in.

Believe me, over the next few months - the focus of this blog is going to be my Dad. I am sorry if people come here for other reasons... but, this is why I do this: For me... to get things out. But, for Aidan. So he can read about all of this and learn from it. So he can know how great his grandparents are. And so what happens in my life is recorded.

I have saved every email my dad has sent to me in the past 2 years + (thanks to gmail and all the space). I will cherish all of our correspondances and I will remember all the best times and pass them onto my beautiful son.

Regardless of what happens tomorrow, we are all understanding that the best case scenerio is a super long haul. Best case, heart pumps, possible amputation, and a heart transplant. It could all takes as much as 18 months. We are all preparing for that long haul and actually very much hoping for it. But, at the same time realizing that if he can't win this fight... then no one can.

I am jumping on a flight at 7:30am tomorrow morning and will be in Pittsburgh at 11:30am. My Dad's condition is not getting better.

Tonight they did a procedure to move some of his support systems around in an effort to save his leg. One of his legs is not getting circulation and it is in severe jeopardy of having to be amputated.

It just seems like one thing after another. As my brother said, "Every time we see a doctor it seems to be bad news."

So it is time for me to go up. I am not taking Norma or the baby with me. Hopefully I can go up and spend the weekend up there and things will stabilize and get better. He is extremely swollen. They have given him blood transfusions to try to get his circulation taken care of, but they are still having problems.

He did wake up for a bit today. They tried to revive him and get him to move his leg to get circulation going in it. He wouldn't wake up until my sister started talking to him. He had good recognition of her and the questions she was asking. So that was a very good sign - there doesn't appear to be any kind of nerological damage to him and he seems to have good brain function.

The leg scares me. But, honestly, if they have to amputate it so that it saves his life (an infection would be a horrible thing right now)- I am all for that.

I will try to write some more when I get to PA and have a few minutes time. It helps me to get this out and to update it for some reason. Please keep my dad in your thoughts and prayers.

I called home before 8th period today and found out that my dad is out of surgery. They were able to stop the bleeding they found this morning. But, they noticed that his heart is very weak and his lungs are filled with fluid.

The doctors have decided to leave him on the machines and let him rest and recuperate until Sunday. They are hoping that rest will help his heart recover and that on Sunday when they lower the machines his heart will beat on it's own.

I am just glad he is stablized at this point and resting. He is only 58. Hopefully he will be able to recover quickly because he has a lot going for him physically. It is just scary not knowing what will happen next.

I wish I could be there just to see him. And to be there for my family. Living 1,500 miles away is not always easy. Believe me, I love living in Houston. And I don't ever plan on moving back. But times like these make it so hard.

Teaching was tough today, too. I was real open with my kids, right from the beginning of the period. It made it easier on me. They understood that I wasn't 100% myself. Classes actually went very well and I actually got what I needed finished and covered. I gutted it out.

All we can do is just hope for the best. I am glad that there is still a lot of hope.

Fran called me this morning and said they have taken my dad into surgery to stop internal bleeding.

It is going to be a long day. She said she would call me as soon as he was out of surgery.

It is my hope that maybe they will find the problem this morning and be able to fix it and stabilize him. But, I am pretty scared.

My dad was told by the nurse last week that the procedure he was having is 98% successful. He said to the nurse, "Can you be sure I am not #99 or #100?" He always has a sense of humor. I am sure he would say something silly right now if he could. We both have that in common, and probably got it from my grandfather.

I haven't started teaching yet - we had teacher meetings this morning, but I am hoping I can get through today ok. I can't keep my mind off of him.

Another phone call tonight from the hospital and my step-mom Fran. She said my dad is going to be kept on the machine until Friday. Then they will take him back off of the machine and see if his heart starts beating on it's own. If it does not start beating again, they will place him back on the machines for a couple of more days and then repeat the process. If they are still at a point where his heart doesn't respond on it's own, they will look into installing a heart pump. That would be a temporary solution until something along the lines of a heart transplant was an option.

This is all a lot to take today. The doctors told my step mom that there is just nothing worse than this kind of situation where there is nothing anyone can do but wait. It will be a long few days.

My plan was to stay here in Texas. We can't really afford for me to go flying up to Pittsbrugh a couple of times this month. Hopefully all will go well and the plan will go through exactly like my dad had hoped. He emailed me this morning and said, "Dave:
My plans are to have my heart fixed which will help me with my
breathing, start running and get into shape. When I come down, you and I
can run a couple miles!!! You better get in shape."
DAD

Believe me, I will get in shape if he can make it down here. We can run the trails here in Kingwood and enjoy our great spring weather in March. There plan was to come to Houston in March (during our spring break) and take a cruise and then stay a week with us and the baby. Yesterday he said he is cancelling the cruise and just coming down.

For my dad's heart not to stop - it's really inconceivable. You have to understand my dad to know what I mean. He is a guy that goes 100 mph all the time. We are a lot alike in many ways... but not that way! I can sit and relax and take in some tv and chill. He just isn't wired that way. Constantly going. So to hear that his heart isn't beating enough to support him, just doesn't make sense.

And it's not making sense to the doctors either. That actually gives me a lot of hope. If medically they can't find a reason for this, maybe all his heart needs is some rest over the next couple of days and that will do the trick? That is the thought that I am holding onto right now. And I'll keep repeating it to myself if I have to.

Tomorrow should be a challenge to teach. My plan is to cut a dvd and burn it right now - "What Sank the Spanish Armada?" It's a decent video and fits exactly what we are studying right now in 16th century Europe. I will only show it if I can't muster up the strength to get in front of the kids. I have a problem with wearing my emotion on my sleeve... and sometimes I break down at the simpliest things. This is not a simple thing, so I am not sure how I will handle it in front of 30 kids.

I will probably press on and introduce my project on Human Rights like I had planned to do all along. It is a really valuable lesson and one that I believe strongy in so that may make it easier. Plus, it may keep my mind off of my dad for a little while.

Please do keep up good thoughts and prayers. It is definitely one of the reasons that I am taking some time to write here. I feel pretty helpless through this. Writing down what I am feeling is clearing my head a bit. And who knows? Maybe someone out there has gone through something similar?

My father had open heart surgery this morning in Pittsburgh. Being 1,500 miles away, I have tried to keep myself busy with work and with the baby and with life. I have tried to keep my mind off of it. But, it hasn't really worked. Thoughts of the seriousness of what he is going through have been swimming around in my head since he called to tell me a little over a week ago.

I just got another call... this one from my step-mom. She said, "I wish I had good news, but I don't. The surgery was a success in that they fixed his valve problem, but his heart is not restarting after the surgery. They are going to keep him on a machine for 12 to 24 hours..." We didn't say much after that... except I was sure to tell her to call me ANYTIME. I will have my cell phone right next to me. She said that this is rare. That this doesn't usually happen. And that it is serious.

I am a little freaked right now. I have been trying to call my mom and sister, but can't get a hold of them. Being so far from home is so difficult at times like these. And all it is doing for us is bringing back terrible feelings of the night Norma's mom passed away... we were on and off the phone a lot that night. Not knowing what will happen next. Until finally bad news.

Tonight I am committed to keeping myself in as positive a state of mind as I can... but I know it is going to be hard. My dad has a lot going for him, he is young - 58. He is in very good physical condition. That is why they did the surgery the way they did - it was done robotically. They entered his chest from underneath his arms and the surgeons used a robotic procedure to open the heart and repair the valve. That part of the deal went very well.

I just don't understand enough of this to make sense of it all. I wish I knew more... but, I am sure no one knows enough. The human body is a delicate thing. The surgery was supposed to be between 6 and 10 hours. That is an awful long time to be opened up like that. I am just sick thinking about this.

Please think of my dad and if you pray - please pray for him. I am a big believer in positive thoughts. The fine people that read my blog and share what happens in my silly life mean a lot to me. And I hope all of you can help me now with a few good thoughts.

I will update this when I find out more... it is crazy, but just writing this made me feel a little better. I guess just getting it out... I am still pretty raw right now. This news has hit me like a ton of bricks... I didn't expect it... although I know I feared it.

This report on CNN caught my attention today: CNN_Video: Coffee makes you smarter

Actually, they claim it's not the coffee, but the caffenine. They also state that caffenine does not raise your blood pressure. I am not sure about that. I have high blood pressure. I can assure you that I have been a much more productive and better person since stopping my caffenine habit. My life doesn't have the big ups and downs and I am no where near as jittery and nervous. My temper doesn't flare as much - for sure.

Does coffee make you smarter? What do you think?

Good news for a guy that calls himself "Winter" -- he is trying to visit every Starbucks in the world. Amazing (crazy) guy! Winter's Starbucks Everywhere Site


Technorati Tags: coffee, Starbucks, intelligence

The word yesterday from Howard Dean, Head of the Democratic Party:

There are no Democrats who took money from Jack Abramoff, not one, not one single Democrat. Every person named in this scandal is a Republican. Every person under investigation is a Republican. Every person indicted is a Republican. This is a Republican finance scandal. There is no evidence that Jack Abramoff ever gave any Democrat any money. And we've looked through all of those FEC reports to make sure that's true....

Senator Byron Dorgan and some others took money from Indian tribes. They're not agents of Jack Abramoff. There's no evidence that I've seen that Jack Abramoff directed any contributions to Democrats. I know the Republican National Committee would like to get the Democrats involved in this. They're scared. They should be scared. They haven't told the truth. They have misled the American people. And now it appears they're stealing from Indian tribes. The Democrats are not involved in this.

Check out the video here, where he hands Wolf Blitzer his head. Love how Wolf just looks blankly at the camera as if to say, "No one told me that no Democrats have taken Abramoff money... ahhhh, ok,... bye." Just so happened it was a time for a commerical break, just as Dean stumped Wolf. Amazing how that timing occurs.

This is an interesting claim. It doesn't seem right to me, because EVERYTHING I have seen in every bit of media on this Abramoff Scandal has been "bipartisan." Both republicans and dems, right? Could the MSM (Main Stream Media) be wrong? Nah...

We will see. Time and indictments will tell the truth. For the GOP - this is not good. Remember, this is an election year in Congress. Do they remember that? If a single Republican is re-elected in 2006 - I am going to SCREAM. The party of corruption needs new blood in Congress. Notice I didn't say new "Democrat" blood. Any new person is better than the stoogies that have placed their big fat behinds in our capital building. Boot them all out!
Technorati Tags: Abramoff, Dean, CNN, Blitzer