My Energy Plan

I was just reading a story on Yahoo! where Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi asked President Bush to release oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve in order to temper gasoline prices (I paid $3.37 a gallon on Sunday – it is up to $3.47 now).  My thought on this was: this is like throwing a rock into the river to try and stop the flow.  It occurs to me that the politicians of our country seem to view everything through the prism of oil when it comes to energy. 

Bowling in Norfolk, VA

*UPDATE* I have not been able to get pictures yet, as the wife broke our digital camera.  Anyway, I bowled a 558 series on Sunday in the Team Competition, but we just weren’t good enough to do anything.  It also took us almost 5 hours to do the 3 hour trip, due to multiple T’Storms and Tornadoes in the areas of Virginia in which we were driving.

I am participating in a Knights of Columbus bowling tournament in Norfolk, VA.  I should have pictures up by the end of the weekend.  The place the wife and I are staying is nice, complete with a picturesque view of the waterfront where the James River meets with the Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic Ocean. 

I bowled six games Saturday afternoon – three in doubles competition (with my father) and three in singles competition.  Overall, between the six games, I had a combined score of 1122, which corresponds to a 187 average.  That doesn’t tell the whole story.  The lanes in Norfolk are made of pure wood, rather than the synthetic lane surface we are used to in Maryland (and most bowling alleys).  It took most of us into the third game to adjust and I was no exception. 

Take away the first two games, and the composite score for the remaining four games is 804, a 201 average.  This makes a huge difference.  Thus, you can see how badly I had bowled in the first two games – 150 and 167.  Now that I know how the lanes work, tomorrow’s team competition should be good from the get-go.  Updates and pictures tomorrow!

New Feature

On the right hand column, you will notice that I have a new heading entitled ‘Organized Thoughts!’.  These are essentially full-length essays on things cultural, sports, and entertainment.  It is meant to be kind of a antithesis to the whole idea of the ‘Cluttered Cerebellum’, considering that most of us who blog tend to do so on a quick-hit basis, which is more or less the objective in blogging.  The first essay has to do with Metallica’s legacy and which era in their career has been better.  Enjoy!

Prayers, Please

I would like to request prayers for my grandmother.  I think she is on the verge of death and has been having an awful time especially since my grandfather died on February 11.

Lord, may you bless her and keep her, may your face shine upon her, and may you keep her in the palm of your hand.  Amen.

I Am Alive…

…barely

I still haven’t adjusted to Daylight Savings yet and I am on a burn that will go until 9 PM next Wednesday, once bowling is finished and I don’t have school again until March 31. 

Until then, I have to finish teaching the Acts of the Apostles and give a test.

A Few Things I Wonder…

– Do certain people in my family truly believe all the left-wing rhetoric they espouse, despite the fact that some of them work in corporate America and live in suburbia, or is it just a manifestation of the ‘we hate Bush’ chip on the shoulder they have been carrying for the past 7-plus years?

Thanks To All

Thanks to everyone who gave their support to my family this past week.  For me, this was the first close relative to die, and as such was an unusual experience. 

Unfortunately, we don’t have complete closure yet.  Because Grandpa was a career military man and a vet of three wars (WW2, Korea, Vietnam) – he will be buried in Arlington National Cemetary with the full honors that come along – color guard, pallbearers, 21 Gun Salute, Taps, and the Presentation of the Flag.  None of this will be happening until March 4.  Until then, we will just have to wait.   

Paul Vinansky, RIP (1931-2008)

My grandfather just died, and so, until everything is settled after that, we here at The CC are going on a temporary hiatus. 

He was a good man, very generous and loving of his grandchildren (all 7 of us), and took care of us as if we were his own.   Yes, there were the hot-flash moments, but none of us will ever forget that he did love us through and through and thought of us often.  Hopefully, he continues to think of us now.  We love and miss you.

Goodbye, Grandpa. 

Higher Taxes = Expanded State

The wife and I figured out our taxes this evening – we owe the United States government a chunk of money – which is in addition to the many thousands already withheld from our pay as it is.  I have been adamant in saying that taxes are too high, even though they have been coming down over the past 40 years. 

We do need to take a look at the connection between high taxes and expanded government.  Don’t get me wrong, I find taxes to be kind of a necessary evil; there are certain useful purposes for them: roads, the postal service, law enforcement, the military, and the like.  Otherwise, I simply don’t trust the state to do us right with the money that we pay into it. 

Happy New Year!

I watched Dick Clark’s Rockin’ New Year’s Eve and it was just saddening to see and listen to Dick slur his way through the festivities.  Anyhow, I hope he continues to improve his condition, marred by a stroke within the last couple of years. 

 May this year be better than the last one!  Buon Anno!

How Many Congressmen Does It Take to Screw In…

Congress passes ban on incandescent lightbulbs – Bush signs

It isn’t that I couldn’t see this coming, but I am still not too happy about it.  This was attached to the same bill that increased fuel standards – something I support.  I do not support the big bad government telling me that I have to use compact flourescent lightbulbs (CFL) by a certain date (2014).  I have 2 CFL’s in my home as it is (by choice), but being compelled to do so is absolutely ludicrous.  The way I see it, CFL’s are not feasible due to a) the cost and b) the lack of disposal methods. 

The argument typically made is that CFL’s will use less electricity and therefore help the ‘global warming crisis’.  Hmmm…well, as long as we are using coal-fired power plants, it won’t make one g-dd-mned difference that we use CFL’s, because if it is pollution one is concerned about, then the source ought to be tackled, not the medium. 

I like my incandescents and will continue to use them.  I am now waiting for some nutjob to demand that Christmas lights be flourescent, ushering in a new era of tackiness.  Until then:

Viva Thomas Edison!

Exam Time!

For any of us who went through high school and college, we know what exam time is like.  However, I would have to say that the high school teacher has the most difficult time of anyone when it comes to semester exams. 

Case in point – at my school, exams are their own grades; they don’t count as part of the quarter, but rather are a slice of the semester grade, along with the first and second quarters.  Henceforth, averages must be calculated for both quarter and with the exam as part of a whole semester.  College profs have it easy in the sense that the final is always part of the grade; there is no need for any kind of ‘extra’ calculation.  It is simply put into the curriculum as part of the overall makeup of the grade.

Social Security…A Fading Image

Over the past couple of days, I have turned in paperwork to start contributing to the company’s 403(b) plan – the non-profit version of a 401(k).  The company will match me dollar for dollar up to 4% of my total salary – which isn’t terrible, relative to what some other companies give (none), and the most progressive match up to 6%.  I figured that I ought to start retirement planning soon, and that I would need to be responsible for my own future; I ought not to trust the US Government in any way concerning retirement, whether it is Medicare or Social Security.

Restaurant Complaints

It is the custom for us after Mass to eat at Friendly’s Restaurant, because I enjoy their Bacon-Cheese Super Melt and their ‘home fries’.  However, on this particular morning, the service wasn’t great, even though I have bare mininum standards, such as:

– Keeping my drink refilled and

– Checking in only occasionally

That’s it.  I am not very high maintenance when I come to a restaurant.  Do those two things and you will get a tip probably in the 30% range – just for filling up my glass with Coke on a regular basis.

Thoughts on Healthcare

The past few weeks has brought my consideration of healthcare into a sharper focus.  At my school, we are switching health plans, from Optimum Choice to Blue Cross/Blue Shield.  Either way, I don’t have to pay a cent for my own coverage; if I want coverage for anyone else, I would have to pay $520 a month – pre-tax.  This wouldn’t be so bad if I had 3 kids, but as it stands, I have only a wife and Our Mascot, the cat (Obviously, the cat isn’t covered, although there is such a thing as pet health insurance, but this strikes me as a racket more than anything else). 

Painting With Broad Brushstrokes

An annoying habit we have as people is the tendency to paint someone (or a group of people, for that matter) with too broad of a stroke of the brush.  Perhaps we do this to save time, or more likely, because we are too lazy to actually get to know the person and it just becomes more convenient to put him or her into predetermined categories…

Florida…and My Travails in Atlanta

I spent the weekend in Florida as the sponsor for my cousin as he made his Confirmation, and while that was nice, the real test of the trip was actually the first leg – getting there.  To give you the box score – this was my (alleged) itinerary: