Voting: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)

Deflating punishment

I'm a huge fan of Sports Illustrated football writer Peter King.

I've been reading his stuff for years in the magazine and his Monday Morning Quarterback with Peter King column online.

This week, he writes about the impending punishment that will be meted out by NFL Comish Roger Goodell against New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady for Brady's role in "Deflategate".

Talking heads and Patriots haters are speculating what Brady will receive (some say he should be suspended for a game and fined, others feel he should be suspended for the entire 2015 - 2016 season).

Others wonder if how much (if at all) Goodell will be influenced by the fact that Brady is one of the best players in the league and that the comish is very good friends with Patriots owner Bob Kraft, who has helped build the NFL into the multi-billion dollar juggernaut that it is today.

This is a really complicated and messed up situation.

Goodell can't appear as though he is favoring the NFL's golden boy or his team's owner. But, the comish can't overreach, either, and try to make up for the mistakes he and the NFL made in the very recent past (read: Ray Rice, et. al.).

So what does he do?

Look, I'm not writing here in defense of Brady because I'm a Pats fan. I believe Brady knew what was going on with the footballs but as stated in the report that was released by the NFL's investigators, there's no actual proof that he knew or did anything. There's no "smoking gun" ... just a lot of circumstantial evidence.

Also, as pointed out by King, even if the footballs were deflated to just under the legal limit, Brady's career stats for home games (in which he could use altered balls) vs. road games (in which he can't use altered footballs) don't support the idea that he benefited from the alteration.

And let's not lose sight of the fact that blame for this whole issue even getting to this point lies squarely on Brady's shoulders. As soon as this BS started after the AFC Championship game, Brady should've stood up and said, "Yup, I like the footballs under-inflated but I didn't realize the PSI I like violated the rules. I thought we were operating within the rules by inflating the balls to the lowest allowable PSI. Therefore, going forward, we will make sure all rules are followed. And besides, as you can see from the stats of the game, it didn't matter what the PSI of the footballs was." (Brady had better stats in the second half of the game after he was using balls that were inflated to NFL legal standards.)

If Brady has just said something to that affect in January, this issue wouldn't have blown out of control that way it did.

IMO, the only way Goodell even remotely saves face here is to punish Brady because the QB didn't fully cooperate with investigators (Brady wouldn't turn over his personal cell phone), not because Brady himself doctored footballs, ordered someone to do it, or at least knew it was being done.

You can't punish someone based on circumstantial evidence. Period.

Goodell and the NFL will look even more foolish than they already do if the comish tries to make an example of Brady and overreaches so that he doesn't want to appear to be showing Brady or the Pats any favoritism.

Citing Brady's lack of cooperation is the only way the NFL retains a scintilla of credibility here ... if that's even possible.

Death and taxpayers

Whenever the topic of the death penalty is brought into the public arena, there's always a debate about whether it's effective, moral ... whatever.

Needless to say, it's been a hot topic here in the Boston area the past few months because of the trial of the Boston Marathon bomber, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev.

His trial at which he was found guilty was a bit of a formality given that on the first day of the proceedings, his attorneys admitted in their opening statements that he planted one of the bombs and was guilty.

So, this trail was never really about guilt or innocence.

Instead, it was about if Tsarnaev was going to get the death penalty or spend the rest of his life in a supermax prison.

Personally, I don't support the death penalty. Not for moral reasons, but because I don't believe it's an effective deterrent. I've never read or heard of a study that proved that the possibility of the death penalty keeps people from committing heinous crimes.

And the issue (as I've learned by watching this case) of whether a state has the death penalty is often moot because Massachusetts does not have the death penalty but Tsarnaev could still receive such a decision because there is such a penalty under Federal law.

If Tsarnaev gets the death penalty and is put to death (a process I understand could take years), people who feel it's an eye for an eye will feel Tsarnaev got what he deserved and he won't be rotting in jail, taking up space.

If he's spared the death penalty, those who want him in jail for the rest of his life with no possibility of parole (he's 19, so he's going to be there a very long time) no doubt will agree with the decision on moral grounds because there will be no more bloodshed.

I don't know what to think here.

On the one hand, killing this idiot I imagine will give victims a sense of closure, and, if I'm being honest, there is something satisfying about this guy dying given what he did and the lives he helped take.

However, it also could make Tsarnaev a martyr to those who believe in and support his cause.

On the other hand, if he spends the rest of his life in jail, it will be a miserable existence. My understanding is that he will be confined to his cell for 23 hours a day in solitary. I can't even begin to imagine that.

But it's one for which taxpayers will pay the tab. I also wonder if the victims and their families won't get the closure they need.

In the end, there's no right or wrong decision here. Just a very difficult one that must be made.

A drop in the bucket

Found this post in the Draft section (written about two and a half years ago) and thought I'd publish it ...

Dunno why, but lately I've been thinking about what my "bucket list" would look like ... to which (in no particular order):

1. Visit the White House
2. Go to the United Kingdom (Ireland and England in particular)
3. See the Grand Canyon in person
4. Set foot in every state
5. Drive a supercar (first choice: a Bugatti Veyron)
6. Buy a near-mint or mint condition 1977 Luke Skywalker action figure in its original backboard packaging (it's a "buying-back-a-piece-of-my-childhood" kinda thing)
7. Visit the Jack Daniel's distillery UPDATE: DONE!
8. Play a round on a PGA golf course
9. Attend a game at every MLB park (I've got Fenway Park, Wrigley Field, and Anaheim covered)
10. Go to the ComicCon in San Diego, CA.
11. Meet Berkeley Breathed
12. See a playoff game of a professional team (NE Patriots, Red Sox, Bruins or Celtics) in person
13. Attend the taping of a live TV show
14. Take Joey to Disneyworld
15. Visit the Smithsonian
16. Read a biography (or autobiography) of every American president
17. Buy or build a house on Martha's Vineyard

And now for something completely different ... kinda, sorta ... but not really

Holy crap, it's been three and half years since I last posted?!?

What the what?!?

So, what's been going on with me?

Well, finally got divorced and since then married my best friend, Shari.

For our honeymoon, we went to Disneyworld and then to Nashville, TN, from where we went to the Jack Daniel's Distillery in Lynchburg. An absolutely amazing time!

Joey is now 10 and a half ... just nuts. He's was diagnosed with ADHD and Asperger's in 2011 and is doing so well in school now. Awesome, awesome kid.

Last time I was on here, I was working at Progress Software as a technical editor. Was laid off in June, 2010, then worked at DRS Technologies, which is a defense contractor. Was laid off from there in March, 2012.

In June, 2012, I landed a job with Apex Systems, Inc., as a contractor, supporting their client IBM as a technical editor. I work from home and you just can't beat that with a stick. Love, love, LOVE working from a home office. Very spoiled but also very cognizant of how fortunate I am to have this job.

Life has been amazing these past few years. Going through a divorce sucked, but I've come out the other side a much better person and Shari is the most amazing person I've ever met. I've never felt so loved or loved someone as much as I love her. Just an amazing feeling.

I'm going to try as much as possible to post here more often. I've come to realize that I've missed the more creative aspect of blogging and I do like to write. So, we'll see.

Still, not sure anyone will read this or even care that I'm here but ... an outlet is an outlet, right?

Today

My son, Joey, is almost seven.

Today, Joey told me that his "real" home is the one that he lives in with his mom and his dog.

Today, Joey told me that my apartment isn't real ... it's a "fake home".

Today, Joey told me that I'm not a Davis anymore because I don't live in the same house that he does with mommy.

Today, Joey told me that I'm not his Daddy because I left.

Today, Joey told me that he can't love me because we're not a family and we don't live together.

Today was one of the lowest points of my life because it felt like my son didn't love me anymore.

Today felt like everything I have tried to do to insulate Joey as much as possible from the reality of separation and divorce was for naught.

Tonight, I knelt in front of my son in the hallway of my apartment building and wiped the tears from his face and tried to reassure him as much as possible that everything was going to be ok ... all the while fighting tears myself and failing.

Tonight, I sat on the floor of my son's room and held him, crying into his hair and told him over and over again how much I love him. That as long as he loves me, that's all that matters to me. That he is, and will always be, the most important person in my life.

Tonight, I told my son that I will always be his daddy, no matter what happens. I told him that I wish I could explain why things have changed and that maybe one day I will be able to.

Tonight, Joey said he was sorry for the things he said to me and that he loves me.

Tonight, I laid next to my son and watched him fall asleep, wishing for all the world that I could protect him from days like this but know that I can't.

Today has been the single hardest day of my life as a parent.

The Toughest Job I’ll Ever Have

Father’s Day is upon us and it’s got me thinking about how things change and yet stay the same.

One of the most difficult aspects of my separation from my ex-wife is how this whole thing has and will affect our 6 1/2 –year-old son, Joey. I have struggled so long and so hard about what this will do to him, about how it will change him.

One of the hardest things I have ever had to do in my life is sit down with Joey and tell him his mom and I were separating and that I was moving out. I will always remember ever single detail of that moment, the talk we had with him…sitting on the floor of the living room, trying to be as comforting as possible but at the same time honest and answer his questions.

Through tears he asked the questions I expected, “Will you still be my mommy and daddy? Will I still be your son? Are we still going to be a family?”

We reassured him that we will always be his parents, he our son and that yes, we will still be a family, it’s just going to be a little different.

He also asked questions that I didn’t expect, “Can I watch TV now?”

Leading up to this talk and making this change, I had been in therapy weekly for almost a year and agonized over what was going on at home. Much of the discussion centered on Joey and how I didn’t want him to ever be a child of a divorce, how I didn’t want to hurt him, how I would never wish this for him. He loved the idea of the three of us being together so much, the idea of family, and often initiated “Davis family hugs” and the three of us would embrace each other, usually with Joey in the middle, laughing.

As I talked to my therapist, I felt more and more like a failure not just as a husband but as a father as well. I felt like I was letting Joey down and that if I wasn’t physically there for him, how could I be a dad to him?

I was wracked with guilt, an overwhelming feeling that I was ripping his world apart, that I was doing this to him. I cried so much thinking about how this amazing little boy was caught in the middle of something he couldn’t really understand and it was my fault.

But then a funny thing happened …

I moved out, got my own place … and Joey survived.

In my darkest times, my therapist told me again and again that children are resilient. That, like adults, they find a way to cope and as long as I was always there for Joey, ultimately he would be OK.

And you know what? He was right.

Yes, Joey has his moments and he does tell me sometimes that he wishes we were all together and that I lived at his house, but overall he’s OK.

I wish everyone could meet my son. He’s got personality to spare, LOVES Star Wars and Legos … all the typical boy stuff.


He’s such a beautiful boy, inside and out. Blue eyes, freckles across his cheeks, thick brown hair that I love to run my fingers through and mess up.

His smile is infectious and I absolutely LOVE the way he makes himself laugh … a great, from-deep-down-inside belly laugh.

Even more, I love the way he makes me laugh, especially how hard he tries to get me to laugh. But the best part is when he makes me laugh without trying and I have to try and explain to him why daddy is laughing. Like when he could stare at himself in the mirror for hours, making faces, waving his hands.

Being with him is the best part of my life. Seeing the world through his eyes, the way he gets so excited and passionate about something, how well he reads and writes, takes such pleasure in little things, like keeping rocks and sticks for his “collection” … the way he talks so authoritatively about Star Wars, and his imagination is amazing.

Without a doubt, my most favorite thing in life is the sound of Joey’s voice when I pick him up from school and he comes running to me and says, “Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!” and wraps his arms around me. His hug is so comforting to me and I can feel how much he loves me. I never get tired of hearing him say out of the blue, “Daddy, I love you.”

You often hear about how being a parent is the most difficult job in the world and whoever said that wasn’t kidding. Of course things aren’t perfect all of the time and Joey can drive me absolutely nuts. I’m not a perfect father… no one is. But I’m trying the best I can and if Joey’s hugs and kisses and how often he tells me, “Daddy, I can’t wait for Father’s Day because you’re the best dad ever!” are any indication, then I think I’m doing a pretty good job.

At least, if Joey thinks so, then that’s all that matters – and will ever matter – to me.

Double-edged Sword

This is one of those issues that is a perfect example of “be careful what you wish for”.

This week the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the rights of the members of a Baptist Church in Kansas to protest this country’s involvement in foreign wars by holding rallies at the funerals of fallen U.S. soldiers while spouting what many feel is hate speech.

In essence, the church members rally at these funerals, they say, because soldiers deserve to die since they fight for the U.S. which tolerates homosexuality.

I’m not going to get into what the protestors write on their placards … google “westboro baptist church” and you’ll find all the information you want about these people and the vitriolic things they spout at their protests.

This latest case against the church involves a father burying his son who was killed in Iraq, and had sued the group for invasion of privacy and emotional distress because of the things they were saying outside of his son’s funeral. In lower courts, the father had been awarded almost $11 million in damages, which were later reduced to $5 million.

The church appealed the decision and the case made its way to the Supreme Court, which issued its ruling this week. By an 8-1 vote, the justices wrote that while many would consider the church member’s hate-filled speech abhorrent, they have a right to say what they want in this country because the First Amendment of Constitution protects its freedom of speech.

I was listening to NPR on the way home Wednesday and they interviewed the father of the fallen soldier. You could clearly hear the anger, the hurt, and the shock in his voice. He argued passionately about how disrespectful the protestors are, how (in his opinion) they could make their point somewhere else and don’t have to show up at funerals like this. He also said he couldn’t understand how the court could rule like this.

The point was also made in the NPR piece that many of these protestors are family members and a few of them are lawyers. Because of this, they are keenly aware of the laws governing what they do, are careful to notify police before they show up and adhere to the laws governing the minimum distance they must keep away from the funeral sites. Therefore, they aren’t technically breaking the law when they gather.

For an instant, I was shocked and dismayed that the Supreme Court could do this, could validate what these people say. But, the more I listened the more I realized that, for better or worse, they were right, especially when I read this quote from the decision, authored for the majority by Chief Justice John Roberts:

“Speech is powerful. It can stir people to action, move them to tears of both joy and sorrow, and -- as it did here -- inflict great pain. On the facts before us, we cannot react to that pain by punishing the speaker."

Of course, the ultimate irony here is that our soldiers are fighting and dying and have fought and died while protecting our right to free speech, even the free speech of those like the members of the Westboro Baptist Church.

Like the French philosopher and historian Voltaire once said, “I may not like what you say, but I’ll fight for your right to say it.”

Van Hagar

So a recent post on the Van Halen News Desk assessing the Sammy Hagar-era of the band got me to thinking about the Red Rocker's stint fronting my all-time favorite band.

There's many die-hard fans out there who insist that the "real" Van Halen is when "Diamond" David Lee Roth trod the boards. Others (usually in the 30-years-old and younger set) insist there was no Van Halen until Sammy was brought on board to man the mic once Dave left or was fired (depending on who you talk to you). It's like saying Paul McCartney wasn't successful until he formed Wings. But I digress ...

As for Gary Cherone and Van Halen III ... well, let's pretend that never happened, shall we?

Anyway, so I've been thinking about this and here's what I think ... for me, they're two different bands. Van Halen is the Van Halen with David Lee Roth while Van Hagar is an entirely different band. The DLR version had more of an edge, and in general was hungrier ... well, until the 1984 album when Eddie Van Halen apparently decided he wanted to sell records instead of write a lot of hard-rocking music.

Listen to 1984 and the first disc with Sammy, 5150, makes perfect sense. 1984 featured the most synthesizers Ed had ever included on a VH album and 5150 pretty much picked up right where 1984 left off, right down to drummer Alex Van Halen including synth drums in his kit and Ed relying heavily on Steinberger guitars.

Now, you could argue that given 5150 was released in 1986 the synth drums and keyboards were a product of the time but I think it had more to do with the commercial success of 1984 then anything else. That album spawned more hits and sold more copies than any other DLR-era recording and it wouldn't surprise me if Warner Bros. came to Ed and made it clear that success needed to continue.

But what do I know? I wasn't there.

Back to Sammy ... I think too many fans of DLR are too quick to dismiss the work Sammy did with the band. It really is difficult to compare the two because, like I said, they're two different bands.

Sammy certainly brought a broader vocal range (face it, Dave's an amazing front man, but as far as range ... not so much) and he can definitely write some great lyrics (that is, when they aren't all about sex).

But Ed's writing improved as well. The whole band felt energized by Sammy and getting away from the constant battle that was Ed vs. Dave. By the way, I realize this is all moot given that the band is in the studio with Dave recording a new album, but let's keep chumming the waters and see what happens ...

For me, 5150 is one of the most seminal albums of any band, ever and here's why ... it was released in March, 1986, and that summer it's pretty much all I listened to. Hearing it now, 25 years (ye gods!) later and my first thought is driving around in my blue 1980 Pontiac Sunbird with my sister, windows open, stereo cranked listening to the album on the tape deck. It's the only tape I actually wore out the oxide on. I listened to the tape over and over and over again and knew (and still do) every single word, nuance, guitar lick, and drum fill by heart. My sister used to laugh at me because not only did I know all the lyrics, I could whistle the guitar solos, too.

I got so into the minutiae of the album that I listened to the last song, "Inside," on headphones for hours once so I could pick up and memorize the layered conversations. Those familiar with the disc will know what I'm talking about.

The News Desk post also featured a Top 10 Van Hagar song list (which, naturally, created a firestorm in the comments section), so ... here's mine in no particular order (song title, album):

1. "Get Up", 5150 - This song amps me up every time I hear it. Fast, driving beat and a great solo from Eddie. Great lyrics, too, that can be summed up by the lines: "Hold your head up high/Look 'em in the eye/And never say die!" I actually used that quote for my senior high school yearbook photo.


2. "Best of Both Worlds", 5150 - I'd argue that this could be the best song Ed and Sammy ever wrote together. Again, very cool lyrics and the music personifies what Ed was trying to do with the band in a post-Dave world.


3. "The Seventh Seal", Balance - For me, this is the best sounding album that band has produced to date. Drums, guitar, bass ... they all sound killer thanks to legendary producer Bruce Fairbairn who really got the best out of the band even though Ed was deep into his alcoholism and tensions between he and Sammy reportedly were at their worst. Still, this song just friggin' rocks and I love turning it up nice and loud. Very existential lyrics from Sammy and once again, Ed turns in an insane solo.


4. "Don't Tell Me (What Love Can Do)", Balance - The first single from the album and it was an excellent start. Overall, it felt like Ed was returning to writing more rocking songs and thinking less about how many albums they were going to sell. I just love his guitar work in this song. While the radio single version of this song is edited, the album version features two solos (a rarity in a VH song) and the first solo has probably one of the lowest notes Ed's ever recorded. I like the way the solo makes my sub-woofer tremble every time. In the second solo, I friggin' love the note Eddie pulls off at the end of the solo. As I'm typing this, I just listened to that part over and over again ... excellent stuff!


5. "It's About Time/Up for Breakfast/Learning To See", The Best of Both Worlds - From the second "Best of ..." compilation (and yes, I know these are three songs so this isn't a single entry, but it's my blog ... so there) ... All three of these songs show that these four guys could still write great songs together and that Ed (now sober) still has command of his axe. These songs are just fun to listen to and Sammy sounds like he's having a blast, especially in "It's About Time" which seems to be about his time in the band and how fans loved their music.


6. "A.F.U. (Naturally Wired)", OU812 - Love, love LOVE this song. From the get-go, Ed kicks the rhythm into high gear and the rest of the band tried to keep up. Just love the riff Ed came up with for this song and Sammy's lyrics are some of the best he wrote for the album (talks about touring with the band and playing for the fans). Oh, and a killer solo from Eddie.


7. "Poundcake", For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge -
For an album with an unfortunate title (Really guys? How old are you?!?), this is a great opening number to the album. This was the first VH disc to feature some excellent production (Andy Johns, who had work with Led Zeppelin, manned the boards for the recording) so the album is full of great bass (wow, Michael Anthony really is playing!) and Alex's kit sounds like its filling every inch of the studio. Sammy's lyrics are a bit immature on this song, but I really like the music. Ed had just released his line of guitars with Earnie Ball Music Man and used them on this disc and it's one of his best guitar sounds so far.


8. "Inside", 5150 - As I said earlier, listen to this song on headphones. Cool rhythm, off-beat feel and some funky guitar work from Eddie that's buried in the mix. Also maintains the band's party/sense of humor reputation. Listening to this song always made me feel like I was sitting in the studio with the band and was privy to some behind-the-scenes info. In essence, Sammy's acknowledging that the band has a past and is inviting fans along for the future. And for the record, I still have no idea what the hell the album cover means.


9. "Cabo Wabo," Ou812 - If you ever wanted to delve into the mindset of Sammy Hagar, listen to the lyrics of this song. Sammy's a huge fan of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, and tequila (he even has his own brand, which is excellent). The feel of this song makes it easy to picture the band sitting on the beach writing this tune as the sun sets and the waves crash on the sand. Very laid back and Ed's solo is kinda silky and slippery. Cool.


10. "In 'n' Out", For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge - No, it's not what you think. The lyrics about are how tough it is to get ahead in life and how expensive it is to be born and die. "Ain't no way around the system/Money makes this world go 'round/All the way, they got you down ... They got you goin' in/They got you goin' out/Same amount/In and out". Ed also pulls off a very cool solo featuring a wah-wah pedal and his tremlo bar ... good stuff. It's one of those solos that fits seamlessly in the song.

So there it is, my kinda sorta defense of Van Hagar. I still think they made some great music. But, at the end of the day, make mine Dave! Just sayin' ...

Monstrously Good

I recently received via Netfilx the 2005 documentary Some Kind of Monster, which chronicles about two years in the life of Metallica as they recorded their album St. Anger.

When this CD was released, it was largely panned by both fans and critics alike. In fact, it was so bad that when I saw them tour for the album, they only performed two songs from the disc!

I'll admit that while I love the band, I didn't think the CD was worth the wait, either. It had a few really good tracks, like "St. Anger," "Amber," and "Dirt Window," but for the most part, it wasn't up to the band's past releases.

Fast forward to now and the documentary. It's an amazing movie and you don't have to be a fan of the band to like it. Followed for almost two years, the film shows how difficult it can be to write an album ... it's not all glamor and glitz, for sure. And Metallica faced even more issues as they didn't have a regular bass player (producer Bob Rock stood in) and lead singer James Hetfield went into re-hab for a year in the middle of writing and recording.

Again, the film was released six years ago and even though you know the band did stay together, it's riveting nonetheless. At one point, the band is in a meeting with their group therapist and you can see that they're on the brink of breaking up. I was literally on the edge of my seat watching this and said aloud (to no one), "Oh my god, they're going to break up! This is the end of the band!" Then I caught myself and realized that this wasn't the case. To me, that tells you how good the film is.

But getting back to the album, St. Anger. Even prior to seeing the documentary, the more I listened to the disc, the more I liked it. Now, after watching the movie about the making of the album, I have a whole new appreciation for what was behind the creative process. Listening to the disc now it sounds totally different ... for the better.

It's too bad more fans don't like this disc because while it's not their best effort (for me, nothing tops ... And Justice for All), St. Anger is an excellent record. The lyrics are incredible introspective given Hetfield's journey to sobriety but without being preachy. And knowing what is behind the lyrics of other songs just makes the music that much better for me.

My all-time favorite part of the album is at about 4:30 into the title track, "St. Anger" when the band kicks into overdrive and Hetfield sings:

and I want my anger to be healthy
and I want my anger just for me
and I need my anger not to "control"
yeah, and I want my anger to be me

Every time I listen to this song, I rewind that part and listen to it over and over again because it gives me chills. As a matter of fact, I got goosebumps just reading those lyrics now because I could hear the song in my head.

I hope this album eventually gets its due because it really is that good. The writing is tight, the band takes some chances musically and for the most part succeeds. Again, it's not their best effort, but it's definitely much better than most fans say it is.

Spreading the Wealth

I realize I haven't posted in some time but lately I've felt inspired ... to which....

Just read in the paper that the St. Louis Cardinals are trying to decide if it's worth signing Albert Pujols to a new, multi-year deal (something in the neighborhood of eight years) for about $300 million which would account for about two-thirds of the team's payroll.

For those not in the know, Pujols is widely considered one (if not the best player in baseball.

Question is, is he worth it? You know what? Even though that's an insane amount of money, yes, he is.

But, here's the problem I have with the contract...Pujols doesn't have to make this kind of deal. I would love to see him pull a move like Tom Brady of the New England Patriots who, until this past year, always took less than what he was worth so that the team would have more money to go out and sign other players to make the team that much competitive.

Granted, MLB doesn't operate under a salary cap the way the NFL does, but the point remains the same ... Pujols could go to the Cardinals brass and offer to take less in salary so that the team can sign better players and thus field a better team.

If a professional athlete on Tom Brady's level can do it, so can Albert Pujols.

Just saying ...

It's not just another tree any more

So we picked out and cut down our Christmas tree over the weekend. Like last year, we got a concolor fur tree ... it's very cool. The pin needles are soft, it stays fresh the entire time it's in the house and when you break the needles, there's this citrus smell.

Anyway, so as we're plodding through the tree farm trying to make choice, I was reminded of one of the best jobs I had.

During my first year of college, I took a part-time job selling Christmas trees and making deliveries for a local flower shop/nursery. The shop was located in a fairly urban area, so the trees were already cut. People would come, take a look at what we had and off they'd go. Simple.

But the more I worked there, the more I realized that these weren't just trees once families made their decision on which one they wanted. It was a lot of fun to watch people, especially those with kids, look through the trees and make what it is, after all, a very important decision. And it was the look on the kids faces that was the best. They would get so excited once the tree was wrapped up and on the car. Most of the time I would tie it to the top of the car and I could see the kids bouncing in their seat. More than once some of them would start singing Christmas songs, especially "Oh Christmas Tree".

And the parents would be so appreciative of my help of holding the tree up so they could all look at it on the lot, or helping to tie the tree to the car or fresh-cutting the bottom so it would last longer once they got the tree home. People would often try to tip me for my help and even though I could take it, I always declined ... Christmas was expensive enough for people and I was getting paid to do this job anyway.

I used to get home every day from that job so excited for the holidays. No doubt I was long forgotten for the families that I had helped, but it was kind of neat knowing that I had something to do with their Christmas celebrations.

Really, it was the best job I ever had.

Another chapter begins ...

So June 10, 2010 marked the end of my tenure with Progress Software.

After ten years with the company and about a month after marking such a milestone, I was laid off. Rumors had been swirling for some time that a "reduction in force" (RIF) was coming and this was the first year I hadn't actually been worried.

Layoffs are an annual even at Progress since 9/11 so the threat is always there and while no one is indispensable, I had always thought I might be a little more safe given that I was the only one in the company that did what I did (editor and production manager).

Turns out, I was wrong.

Yes, it was a huge shock and I'm still freaked out and scared. But at the end of the day, there's nothing I could have done to save my job. Over the course of 10 years, I regularly received excellent reviews and was promoted from entry level to Senior Editor to Principal Editor (the highest level I could attain before becoming management).

One of the most interesting things is that I'm not now (and haven't been) mad. Yes, I'm disappointed and like I said, a bit scared, but I don't have time to be mad. It's not worth it. I was not let go because of my performance ... rather, it was a numbers issue, plain and simple.

In my time at Progress I had seen dozens of friends and co-workers laid off (my department went from a staff of 22 to now six). And a former manager (who was laid off a few years ago) would always say people were laid off because of numbers, not performance.

I used to get angry hearing that because it meant that no matter how well you did your job, you always could be let go and that thought didn't help morale.

But, now being on the other side of things, I take a lot of comfort in that very thought. The decision to eliminate my job was nothing personal and I know I'm going to be missed there.

So, now my full-time job is looking for another job ... a daunting task if there ever was one. But, I have a huge network of connections that I've built over the past ten years I intended to call in every favor I've ever been owed.

Now more than ever, it's not just what you know, but who you know.

Metallica St Anger (official video)

Sox Nation on its heels

I know I have a Red Sox blog, but I thought I'd post this here, too.

Six weeks into the 2010 season I can say it now: I don't get it. I just don't understand this Red Sox team.

I've been following the Sox all of my life and this is the first time I have absolutely no read on the team. "Enigma" doesn't even begin to cover it. It's not just that this team seems to lack personality (where's Kevin Millar when you need him?!?) ... it's that they have no identity. It almost feels like we've gone back to the "25 guys, 25 cabs" era where it was every player for themselves. They just don't feel like a team.

The Sox are currently sitting in next-to-last place in the AL-East with a 15 - 15 record, 7 1/2 games out of first (frankly, I think they're lucky to be at .500).

They're supposed to be better than this. During the Hot Stove season last year, we kept hearing about how this team was built for run prevention, how the pitching staff was going to keep the opposition off of the scoreboard and the offense would score just enough runs to win games.

Hmmmm, how's that working out so far?

Look, I'm not pushing the panic button here and I don't expect they're going to roll right over everyone and dominate night after night. What I'm saying is that this team's flashes of brilliance are too far and too few between to foster any sense that things are going to right themselves in time to compete consistently this season.

I mean, they got swept in Baltimore last weekend ... Baltimore! ... the worst team in the majors (well, Houston in the NL-Central is almost as bad ... as of this morning, they have one more win that the Birds).

Ye gods.

Red Sox Nation has been fed a steady diet of "In Theo We Trust" over the past few years but I'm not sure the Sox brass is firing on all cylinders lately. It still astounds me that they didn't try to get a bat for the lineup, especially when David Ortiz' last season and a half decline is so obviously not a fluke. As much as I want Big Papi to succeed, I think the team and fans need to acknowledge that, for whatever reason(s), he's done. Seems to me that he's either hurt and isn't telling anyone or he's just simply lost his ability to hit (it happens). And I don't buy the argument that he's not seeing good pitches anymore because he doesn't have Manny Ramirez in the line-up to protect him. Ortiz could find some place in the order to hit.

I'm beginning to think that Ortiz has been struggling for so long that he's now too far down the rabbit hole to crawl back out. I would love to be wrong about this, but I honestly don't think I am.

And then there's the pitching ... virtually the entire rotation is like a roller coaster right now, up and down (forget about Dice-K ... I think we all need to accept the fact that he is a major bust and will never live up to expectations).

I was at the game last night vs. the Yankees. Sox lost 9-3. Beckett was brilliant in the first three innings with six strikeouts and pinpoint control but he absolutely imploded over the next 2 2/3 innings and gave up nine earned runs. He was a completely different pitcher, like someone threw a switch in his head between the third and fourth innings.

And for me, that stat alone from last night's game perfectly sums up this team ... it just doesn't make sense.

The countdown is on!

I have to post this because it's Van Halen

Any hard-core fan of the band knows that in its heyday, Van Halen had a rider in its touring contract (Article 126) that stated there should be a bowl of M&Ms backstage and that all brown candies had to be removed.

Check out this article on the Van Halen News Desk to find out why ... it's actually a stoke of genius on the band's part.

Welcome to Rapture ... again

Just finished playing through Bioshock 2 on Xbox for the second time.

Those of you who are gamers probably are familiar with Bioshock even if you haven't played it.

The premise of the game is thus: Rapture is an underwater city created by Andrew Ryan who believed people should live as they want to, free of government and religion telling them how to live their lives.

Part of Ryan's "utopia" is that his scientists have developed a way for people to genetically alter themselves so that they can throw electric shocks, incinerate with fire, use telekinesis to manipulate objects ... you get the idea.

In the first game, Ryan basically losses his mind and dies and you have to defeat his under boss to save the city.

Bioshock 2 picks up where the first left off and you're now playing as one of the bad guys from the first game, a Big Daddy named "Subject Delta" who was the first Big Daddy ever created, so you're a good guy. This time out, you have to defeat the new leader of Rapture, Sophia Lamb, while looking for and saving your daughter, Eleanor.

And yes, I'm way over-simplifying the plot of the game and leaving out tons and tons of details (splicers, audio diaries, etc.). If you really want to delve deeper into the world of Bioshock, check out the Bioshock wiki here.

What's amazing about the game is how immersed one gets in the whole atmosphere of the game as you play. For starters, it looks simply gorgeous in the Art Deco style of the 1930s and 1940s. The sound, too, is all-encompassing as every single part of a good home theater system is used. More than once I would turn around because I heard something in the background and thought someone (or something) was behind me.

Making my way around Rapture and looking at the environments, I kept thinking (as I did with the first game) how cool it would have been to see Rapture before it went to hell. You're in a decaying world in which most things are broken down or rotting and it would be amazing to see what this world looked like at its zenith.

Anyway, the game play in BS2 is great, too, and improved upon from the first game. You're free to mix and match the genetic alteration you want to use in whatever combinations you want whereas in the first game it was more restrictive.

And quite frankly, walking around Rapture as a Big Daddy is just too damn cool. At the end of the first game you actually became a Big Daddy and the second game has another plot twist that's just as bizarre.

**ALERT: MAJOR SPOILERS TO FOLLOW**

But for me, one of the best thing about the game is that it actually has three different endings. Depending on who and how many people you kill during the game, there can actually be three different outcomes:

• everyone lives happily ever after,
  
• you sacrifice yourself so that Eelanor may live, or
  
• you sacrifice Eleanor to save yourself.
  

What's really interesting, though, is that only if you sacrifice Eleanor do you get even the hint that there could be a Bioshock 3 and man, it's a hell of a teaser because of what the story line in the third game could be.

**SPOILER ALERT ENDS**

Overall, an excellent FPS game and a very worthy sequel to the first. As one reviewer put it, Bioshock didn't need a sequel, but I'm glad they made it anyway.

Joey's Christmas spirit

Yup, Joey's really into Christmas ...

Where's the Shelf Elf?!?

My manager turned me onto a holiday tradition in her brother's family and Joey's really had a lot of fun with it.

Every day when Joey wakes up, one of the first things he does is look for the Shelf Elf in the house.

What is Shelf Elf? He's the elf that watches over Joey during the day and then goes back to North Pole to report to Santa every night. So that means that Shelf Elf, who Joey named "Pinocchio", is in a different place in the house every morning. So far, he's been on the fireplace mantel, on window valences, on top of kitchen cabinets and in the dining room chandelier.

When Shelf Elf first arrived at the house, young Mr. Davis was very skeptical to say the least.

"Daddy, he's not real. He can't talk!" I told Joey that the elf may not be able to talk to us, but he can talk to Santa. The look on Joey's face told me he still didn't buy it.

Fast forward to the next morning and, lo and behold, the elf was in a different place!

"Mama, Daddy, look! He moved, he moved," Joey said. "It's magic!"

Needless to day, Joey loves trying to find the elf every morning ... it's like hide-and-seek.

I think my favorite thing about this and that it's never even occurred to Joey that Mama or Daddy might be moving the elf. As soon as he saw that the elf was in a different spot that first morning, he's totally bought into it.

Yet another reason why I love Christmas again ... just amazing and so much fun to see it again through Joey's eyes.