So first thing’s first, it’s been a LONG TIME (almost 2 years!) since Richard or I have posted to our blog. We let a lot of things go to the wayside in the last few years and this certainly was one of those things. What can I really say about it? Well there was a lot of changes going on in our lives, both good and bad. My mom’s death kept me reeling for quite some time and I can’t say that I miss her any less today than I did the day after she died, you just learn to cope differently. Richard got promoted and then changed positions twice in the last few years. He officially starts his newest position in about two weeks. We removed ourselves from an organization that we felt was unhealthy for us to be involved in and I don’t regret that decision. It was a hard one for us though because we had been with the organization for quite a while and believed in it’s purpose even if we didn’t agree with the direction it was going. Sometimes it can be pretty hard to face the way things are compared to they way things once were or the way you wish them to be.

On a positive front, Richard’s change in positions gave us the time this last year to get a few things done around the house that needed to be done but were constantly putting off because we didn’t have the time. We also had the time to do a couple home improvement projects that we had been wanting to do for some time. It is good that Richard switched positions when he did because we found ourselves taking care of my dad alot this last year. He had to have 4 surgeries/5 procedures this past year and needed a lot of help at times. He even had to go into a nursing home for a short period of time but he’s back at home, done with rehab and getting around as well as can be expected and I thank God for that.

It’s the beginning of a new year and we find ourselves yet again at a crossroads. We’re making positive changes in our lives for our future and we are excited about those. We’re working on changing our lifestyles and our environment to be one where there is less stress, more peace and a healthier, happier Richard and Mindi. We find ourselves evaluating the things in our lives and the importance of them. Things that used to be very important to us are not so much anymore. And things that got pushed to the side previously are now front and center. Again we are in a position to possibly cut some strings to things that are weighing us down but were once very emotionally attached to…and although making those decisions can be painful, living in those situations are even more painful.

We’ve determined to change our lives this year for the better and to do that is not always easy, but I have no doubt it will be rewarding. I’ll leave you with a quote Richard likes that he applies to his job, but I think it’s a good one for life in general: Change is inevitable. How you deal with change is controllable.

Current Mood: Reflective

How long until this becomes the industry standard just like pre-employment drug screening.

http://news.ft.com/cms/s/ec414700-9bf4-11da-8baa-0000779e2340.html

A couple of questions:

Is there a way to easily remove these from employees?

Is there any way that a criminal could scan these in a way to know who has access to critical company resources and use that to gain entry to these same resources?

I guess something like this would at least make time tracking a thing of the past. Employers of the future will know EXACTLY what you are doing, and where, all day long.

Hyperbole? Sure, but as this becomes more accepted then the extremes get closer to reality.

I was reminded today that I haven’t updated the blog in a LONG time so I thought I would do that.

It’s been a long year for Mindi and I. We experienced a lot of death with her Grandmother, my Grandfather, and her Mom dying in the last year or so. We also have also had our faith tested in people as we have witnessed ever rising levels of stupidity in some of the organizations we are involved in. I have also personally seen many lows this year including some dark periods at my job earlier last year.

But I think we are making some headway and I think we are probably happier now than we have been in some time. We finally extricated ourselves from a self destructive involvement in online community full of two faced people who only care about themselves (with some exceptions of course). I finally received the payoff for the last 3.5 years worth of the hardest work in my life with a promotion to Supervisor of the team I have worked on for the last few years. To be honest it is an honor considering the high profile nature of my job and the incredible team I work with. Mindi and I finally have finally gotten our home life a little back in order. More of that will come once I am on 1rst shift in the next few months. We have finally had to make some tough choices about our spiritual and volunteer lives that we will probably be acting on soon. I also feel we are on the beginning of period where we will get control over our finances and our weight issues due to changes that will be coming in our lives very soon.

Personally I am optimistic if not a bit stressed right now but this is the good kind of stress.

One thing I did realize after breaking through the clouds a few months ago is that I have been miserable for at least a year and I just didn’t realize it until recently. We’re still not where we want to be but I feel closer to Mindi then I have in awhile and I feel we are starting to get our lives as a couple in order.

I am looking forward to the future and I am glad I have my wife to share it with me. She is the best thing that has ever happened to me.

Well, it seems Planned Parenthood has sunk to a new low.

http://www.lifenews.com/nat1597.html

Excerpt:

Under a headline “Help Those Affected by the Hurricane,” Planned Parenthood admits that “100% of your tax-deductible contribution will go directly to helping Planned Parenthood affiliates.”

“Your support is particularly important right now because Planned Parenthood is facing a truly tremendous number of challenges in the courtrooms, in Washington, D.C., and in our clinics,” the abortion business says on the hurricane donation page.

Mindi’s right about our frustration with a lot of the elements in our life. But tonight I was reminded of how talented the folks I work with really are. Around 15:30 today we began to have issues with PC’s in our environment that were later traced back to the follow issue:

http://securityresponse.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/w32.zotob.e.html

http://www.trendmicro.com/vinfo/virusencyclo/default5.asp?VName=WORM%5FRBOT%2ECBQ&VSect=T

http://www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/internet/08/16/computer.worm/index.html

Again I doomed my workplace by sending out a warning email that we need to patch on this issue soon. Every time I do that we seem to get infected quickly. Our team pulled together quickly and resolved all of the issues caused by this issue. Myself and a co-worker did a lot of work to track down the actual worm infection, even before it was reported anywhere. This same co-worker managed to write a program, in a very short period of time, that actually cleaned infected PC’s. Granted our job is application support, not desktop or server support, but we managed to find the root cause before anyone else could. We also pulled together a large number of IT Teams to quickly get all servers patches and back in operation with minimal impact to our customers.

In short I was reminded of how talented and resourceful our team is, and how in debt our company is to all of us.

It also reminded me of what it is like to work with a group of competent folks who strive for excellence. It is such a stark contrast to the people Mindi and I have been struggling with for some time. It gives me hope that we can eventually get to that point together in our non professional causes. But even with all of that said, the hope seems dim at times when we have to deal with the things we have had to deal with recently…..

Ever have one of those times in your life where you feel totally out of sorts? Well Richard and I are in one of those times. We are people who tend to over-extend ourselves, we have a lot of ideas and *generally* work well together. However, we have recognized that we do tend to be super busy and are striving to bring some things back into balance. All work and no play and all that. Plus, we want the things we do participate in to have meaning and be fruitful to the causes in which we believe.

Now here is the hard part, what do we get rid of and how do we extricate ourselves from things that we were once committed to, but seem to be no longer functioning well or giving any benefit? And by benefit, I don’t mean benefit to us, but benefit to the purpose of the activity. Here is where the problem that we face lies. As a Christian it is very hard sometimes to draw the line when enough is enough. Admittedly, Richard is easier at this than I am. I have a very strong sense of commitment and it’s very hard for me to extricate myself from anything I feel I made a commitment to, no matter how invalid or dysfunctional that thing now has become. But I would say overall we are not people who take commitment lightly and try to hang in there through good times and bad.

Our frustration with some of the activities in which we are involved is astronomical at this point. Between seeing little or no results, both to the issues that plague the activities and the activities’ purpose, and dealing with incompetent people, we feel our talents are best served in other arenas. At the same time, we worry that if we leave those activities that there will be no one to pick up the slack. And if that is the reason we have stayed, is that a valid reason to continue beating our heads against a brick wall? At what point is it best to start pursuing other activities to achieve the same goals and leave behind the activities that just aren’t working? At what point to do we have to remove ourselves from the personal aspects of those activities and take a hard look at the practical achievements of those activities? These are our dilemmas.

Well as many of you know, the Supreme Court recently said that city government can take your land from one private owner and give it to another to get greater tax revenue or other economic benefits. With this is mind, Logan Darrow Clements, CEO of Freestar Media, LLC, faxed a request yesterday to the Code Enforcement Officer in Weare, New Hampshire seeking to start the application process to build a hotel at 34 Cilley Hill Road, the location of Supreme Court Justice David H. Souter’s home.

A quote from the press release about the hotel states:

The proposed development, called “The Lost Liberty Hotel” will feature the “Just Desserts Café” and include a museum, open to the public, featuring a permanent exhibit on the loss of freedom in America. Instead of a Gideon’s Bible each guest will receive a free copy of Ayn Rand’s novel “Atlas Shrugged.”

To read the full press release go here.

Broken. That’s the word that perfectly describes how I feel. I feel like I am broken inside, my life is broken, my heart is broken…I’M BROKEN. Nothing is the same without my mom and nothing and no one can ever ‘fix’ that. How do I move on from losing my mom who means so much to me and was so much a part of my everyday life? I may not have seen her every day but I talked to her every day on the phone at least once, normally several times before the day was over. She instilled in me my love of crafts, of playing games, of being generous, of not being afraid to be different, of being selfless, of not being afraid to try new things, etc…..she made me the person I am today. How does one get over losing that person in your life? This weekend I spend my first birthday, my 30th birthday, without my mother and no matter how hard I try, it is anything but happy.

Many of you may be wondering where we have been and why we haven’t been posting. To be totally honest, I haven’t felt like writing. You see my mom passed away suddenly on April 21st and I don’t know if I will ever fully recover from it. My mother was more than just my mom-she was my best friend, my hero and, most importantly, my heart. I’m use to talking to her every day, if not several times a day, about anything and everything. My mom was a wonderful woman with a heart bigger than anyone I have ever known and I hope I can be even half the woman she was. The biggest compliment that anyone can ever give me is to say that I am like my mother.

Mom, I love you and I miss you terribly. Words could never express the depths of my sorrow right now, nor could they ever describe the greatness of my love for you. You will live on in my heart forever……

Great Light Of The World
Bebo Norman

Sometimes at night
I am afraid
I cover my eyes,
Cover my shame
So here in the dark
Broken apart
Come with your light
And fill up my heart

Oh great light of the world
Fill up my soul
I’m half a man here
So come make me whole
Oh great light of the world
Come to impart
The light of your grace
To fill up my heart

The wind of this world
Can push us around
Folding us up
Backing us down
But here in the dark
I’m not alone
So come with your strength
And carry me home

Oh great light of the world
Fill up my soul
I’m half a man here
So come make me whole
Oh great light of the world
Come to impart
The light of your grace

Oh great light of the world
Fill up my soul
I’m half a man here
So come make me whole
Oh great light of the world
Come to impart
The light of your grace
To fill up my heart

The light of your grace
To fill up my heart

We’ll we haven’t had a chance to write or respond to anything lately. My mom has cracked two vertebrae in her back. At first it was just one, but then a couple weeks after that another one cracked. Today they had to take her to her dialysis appointment in an ambulance because she’s in too much pain to get in and out of the car. The whole thing just breaks my heart as mom and dad have had so many blessings lately and they deserve to be able to enjoy them!

We’ve also had a ton of other things happening in our lives-Richard’s job is hectic, Shrapnel is hectic, Right to Life stuff is hectic-everything is hectic right now! As I often tell Richard, I want to go run away to a deserted island for a week. Where there are no TVs, computers or phones!

Well with everything going on in our lives, I am just now getting around to finishing up our taxes so they can get postmarked by Friday. I hate waiting until the last minute, but for some reason this year it seemed inevitable. And how depressing is it that we always end up having to pay at least one entity, whether it be federal, state or local. Correction, we ALWAYS have to pay local. Local taxes around here are something akin to being raped.

First off, Richard works in another city and we pay their city tax of 2%; however, Lancaster’s tax rate is 1.6%. Now you would THINK we would/should get credit for 2% we are paying to the other city and even if we didn’t get a refund for the .4% difference we would at least not have to pay Lancaster out of our pocket after withholding each year. Not so, says Lancaster, who only allows you to get a credit for 1% of the tax rate you pay to another city.

Now you would think it would be bad enough that we end up having to pay 2.6% local income tax when really we should only have to pay 1.6%, BUT unlike most income tax, Lancaster’s local tax allows you NO exemptions. Nothing. Nada. Zilch. So that .6% extra that we pay is on our gross pay, period. Which makes that .6% more like 1-2%

Oh how I hate the tax system, please, PLEASE can’t we just go to a flat sales tax!!!

So much has gone on in the last week that I am not even going to attempt to catch up. Terri’s death, the Pope’s death and some of my family members being in town has caused me not to be able to post this past week and frankly I am still trying to keep up with it all. However I will pass along the following information about a Zogby poll which I believe shows just how far the public was misled about Terri’s situation. If you listen to the media, the majority of the public supported Michael Schiavo’s efforts to starve his wife. But this recent poll showed that when the question was asked “Michael Schiavo should turn guardianship of Terri over to her parents, considering he has had a girlfriend for 10 years and has two children with her?”, that 56% of the respondents agreed with that statement, while only 35% disagreed (9% didn’t know). I think the media did a lot to mislead the public, casting this man as a devoted loving husband trying to fulfill his wife’s wishes, but when the public is told the truth about the situation the majority of Americans did NOT support Michael Schiavo.

Michael Schiavo is planning to go through with plans to cremate Terri’s body (against her parents wishes and her religious beliefs) and to have the ashes buried secretly in Pennsylvania. He also plans to keep the location of the burial secret from Terri’s family so they won’t even be able to go there to pay their respects. Michael is trying to justify this action by saying that the Schindlers would show up and cause a spectacle, but yet again Michael is putting his wishes over those of Terri whom he claims to act in the best interest of.

“We’ve already said goodbye,” Bobby Schindler said when asked about not knowing where his sister would be buried.

Concerning Michael’s latest decision snubbing his family, Bobby said, “He’s been doing this kind of stuff for 15 years. What would make him stop now?”

On top of everything else, Michael’s attorney recently blasted the Schindlers for basically not being nicer to Michael during this whole 15 year struggle for Terri’s life. And now Michael’s family have come out blasting the Schindlers on Larry King Live last night and saying that the Schindlers need to apologize to Michael because he’s been vilified.

As a backdrop to this situation is the Pope’s health issues which have included the need to have a feeding tube put in (I guess we should starve him instead /sarcasm) and now he’s basically had a heart attack on the very day Terri passed away. Richard and I don’t really believe in stuff like this being a coincidence and we hope that maybe some people will recognize the parallels between the two situations. Perhaps God is trying to send a message, if we can only see it.

Our fear at the moment though is that if the Pope dies, will a more liberal priest become his replacement? Even though we are not catholic, we recognize that the Catholic church has been the leading church in the fight for the Right to Life. If somehow they abandon that plank or put it on the back burner, our fight will be much harder and more and more Terri Schindler Schiavo will be an regular occurrence instead of a one time national disgrace.

As always, check out Life News for more in depth coverage of these events.

I don’t think there’s really much to say today. Terri Schiavo, a woman without an advanced directive, was murdered by her estranged husband and the courts today. Her evil (sorry I call it like I see it) husband even disallowed her parents from being in the room this morning when she passed away-kicking them out 10 minutes before Terri took her last breath. The Schindlers pleaded with the Michael Schiavo, through the police, to be allowed to remain in the room as Terri was about to pass. But Michael told the police to threaten them with arrest if they didn’t leave and even had them escorted clear off the hospice property, not just out of Terri’s room. Less than 10 minutes later, it was reported that Terri had passed away. I’m sure not having her family with her when she died was really what was in the best interest of Terri. *sighs*

Terri hasn’t had food or water now for over 11 days and all I can say is that she has to have an amazing spirit to have lasted as long as she has. That alone should say something about this woman. If she dies (and it’s looking like no one is willing to come to this defenseless woman’s rescue) it seems Michael has heard enough outcry from the family and the public to agree to an autopsy. Originally it was feared that any abuse (broken bones, etc) might be covered up by cremation by Michael, but as of now (and lets face it, that could change) he has agreed to have an autopsy. He also finally gave into the communion request on Sunday. So either he realized that the Schindlers could have pushed the religious rights issue or he’s caving into public pressure. In either case, he finally agreed to give her the same rights someone on death row would have had. I suppose he expects the family and the public to be grateful now and forget about all of the years of abuse. Yeah it’s so easy to be magnanimous now, isn’t it Michael? Now that Terri almost for certain is going to die.

Tomorrow is Easter and time is running out for Terri. Terri has been starved now for over 8 days. You have to notice the irony of the timing and wonder if God is trying to send his people a message….this is what happens when we sit idly by and do nothing.

A favorite quote of mine:

The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.
Edmund Burke

What disturbs me most about the Terri Schindler case (sorry I won’t dignify the lowlife of her husband by mentioning her married name) is how jaded and myopic the American public has become on some issues. I will admit that I sometimes will jump to conclusions on certain sensitive subjects, but usually I try to research an issue on both sides so I make sure I am making the right decision. This is something that the press and the American public has avoided doing in this case. And because of this they are dooming a young woman to a horrific death by starvation.

First off Terri is not in a PVS (persistent vegetative state). A perfect description of this is the following except from www.terrisfight.org:

Terri’s behavior does not meet the medical or statutory definition of persistent vegetative state. Terri responds to stimuli, tries to communicate verbally, follows limited commands, laughs or cries in interaction with loved ones, physically distances herself from irritating or painful stimulation and watches loved ones as they move around her. None of these behaviors are simple reflexes and are, instead, voluntary and cognitive. Though Terri has limitations, she does interact purposefully with her environment.

Throughout this case her husband (and I use the term loosely) has refused efforts to have Terri rehabilitated. He has also continuously refuses efforts to have her attempt to manually process food by swallowing. A nurse that used to treat Terri at a hospice in Florida (and whose blog I will refer to later) has stated that she used to feed Terri via bottle and spoon with thick liquids and pudding without her husbands knowledge. When her husband found out he ordered it ended immediately. You see if she can eat without a feeding tube then this whole issue is moot isn’t it. On another occasion this nurse walked into Terri’s room, after her husband left, and noticed that Terri seemed off. She checked Terri’s vitals and noticed that she her blood sugar levels where at alarmingly low levels. Upon further review she found a vial of insulin that was hidden in a trash can in the room. She also found injections marks under her breast, arms, and near her groin. Of course the goal of this was to cause her to go into a coma where pulling life support would be easier. On several occasions several members of the hospice staff have overheard her husband asking “When is that bitch going to die”.

Unfortunately attempts to have Michael declared unfit as a guardian have failed, largely because of a biased judge in the Florida system who refuses to consider the fact that Michael is an unfit husband and guardian.

I can accept the arguments that there are cases where people would like to not see themselves hooked up to machines keeping them alive. I watched my grandmother slowly die from cancer, so I understand the emotional toll a long drawn out death can take on a family. The problem is food is not the same thing, ESPECIALLY when there have been no recent attempts to try to feed her without the tube due to a refusal from the husband to allow it. This fact has so infuriated people that many have been arrested just trying to deliver her water.

Again to get back to my point, there is a lack of understanding of this case by most people. This is mainly due a biased media who assumes every case like this is dealing with some brain dead person who is on a ventilator. But that doesn’t excuse Americans from their duty. The Constitution claims that our primary right that we are given by our creator is the right to life. In capital cases the argument is always made that we should side on the side of life as much as possible because a jury/judge could be incorrect in a judgment. Isn’t this woman allowed that right? She has no signed directive, just the word of her husband. Her parents are willing to take care of her and take guardianship over. And besides we’re not talking about your typical heroic means argument here. We’re talking about food. This woman can breathe on her own and take care of her other major bodily functions. We may not think that is a great standard for life, but who are we to judge who has the right to live in what state? When does the state have a right to allow a persons rights to be stolen from her. And where does it stop. What if we determine that certain disabilities do not allow a certain quality of life?

This case scares me because it’s silence on issues like this that led to much greater problems in other areas of the world in history. It also goes against our founding documents.

I also am ashamed I have not done more to help this young woman out. And just consider the ironies. This woman could have her suffering and eventual death during the same time period as Christ suffered on the cross while a unsympathetic public looked on.

The most heart breaking portion of this story is listed in the following blog entry. After reading that I have no words.

Attorney Barbara Weller’s Last Visit With Terri

A judge in Florida has rejected a petition by Govenor Bush to transfer custody of Terri Schiavo from Michael Schiavo to the state. *sighs*

The Supreme Court rejected the appeal by Terri’s parents. Some people are saying Gov. Jeb Bush may still be able to step in but that possibility is likely. Without a miracle, Michael Schiavo will succeed in murdering his wife. Something that many people feel he was trying to do to begin with that landed her in this situation anyway.

Terri has now been starved for almost 7 days…and somewhere I feel God is weeping…