Archive for March, 2008

March 31, 2008 @ 15:12

An Impressive Spokesman

In the past I have given serious thought to going back to school and learning something "different". Most of my education involved hands on "doing the job" experience and because of this I was spared the hassle of sitting in a classroom. I've always thought that, if I ever did change fields, mechanical engineering would be an interesting field to get into.

From time to time I look at different colleges and universities and I am rarely, if ever, impressed with their approach to attracting new students. I figure, if the school's admissions department can't even get my attention what does that say about the courses and professors of that university?

Kettering University has a unique approach to getting your attention, and it seems to be working. Heck, they got my attention with their Stickman videos. They aren't just good at grabbing my attention, they have also grabbed the attention of US News and World Report. In an article, US News Best Colleges for 2008, Kettering was ranked as the #1 University in the nation for industrial and manufacturing engineering. That's pretty slick if you ask me.

If you're looking for a career in engineering, you might want to check out Kettering University. Heck, don't take my word for it, listen to the Stickman if you don't believe me.

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March 31, 2008 @ 14:00

Devil Dog

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March 31, 2008 @ 13:44

Max Helton Dies

Max Helton, who formed a Christian ministry that 20 years ago became Motor Racing Outreach, died Sunday afternoon of brain cancer at his home in Huntersville, N.C. He was 67.

"This is an earthly loss but a heavenly gain," said Texas Motor Speedway president Eddie Gossage, who serves on the Board of Directors of World-Span Ministries, Helton's international motorsports ministry.

"Max aided so many people in auto racing and you would often see him with some of the sport's top drivers offering a quiet prayer just before the start of a race. He very personally counseled me through the years and was a great influence on my life."

Helton will be remembered during pre-race ceremonies Sunday at Texas Motor Speedway.

Rest In Peace, Max.

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March 31, 2008 @ 13:16

Three Years Since Terri Schiavo Died

It's been three years since Terri Schiavo died. She died 13 days after her feeding tube was removed by court order.

Here's the post I did the day she died.

Today was a very sad day.

No matter which “side” of the debate you found yourself on, you must realize what a sad day this was for America. The death of Terri Schiavo was the longest execution in American history, and we, as a society, should be ashamed that it happened.

Even if we entertain the thought that Terri Schiavo told her husband, many years ago, that she did not want to be kept alive artificially, I highly doubt she told him that she would want to be starved and dehydrated to death. But that’s the point. We don’t know, and never will know, if she truly wanted to die.

Many of the “arguments” I have heard involved the words “I would not want to live like that”, and “No amount of therapy would have improved her condition”. Those arguments, in this case, don’t mean shit. Of course you would not want to live like that, I bet you would be hard pressed to find even one person that would knowingly WANT to live like that, but sometimes we don’t have a choice. In reality, we live the life we are dealt. Sometimes good, sometimes bad. As far as her recovery, there are thousands of people in this country with health conditions that will never improve. Never. These people include quadriplegics, stroke victims, and war heroes. Many of these people will require constant care and will NEVER experience any improvement in their condition. Does that mean we have the right to kill them even if they do not want to die? No.

My sister-in-law suffered from a lack of oxygen, much like Terri Schiavo. For the most part, her brain is mush as well, yet, if my in-laws decided she didn’t want to live that way, and starved her to death, they would be charged with murder. Period. Who are they, or anyone else for that matter, to decide if she “wanted to live like that”? She has severe brain damage. She has seizures. She needs constant care. She lights up the room with her beautiful blue eyes. She loves life. Did she choose her condition? No. Will therapy ever improve her condition? No. Should she be forced to die simply because someone else might not want to live like that? Hell no.

While I fully support the “right to die” whether you are incapacitated and do not wish to have artificial life support, or you have a terminal illness and truly wish to end your pain, I do NOT support killing someone when there is no concrete evidence one way or the other as to whether or not that person truly wanted to die. But… Even if someone wants to die, and they want to die with dignity, should we starve and dehydrate them? Is starvation the dignified way to let someone die? I think not. Terri Schiavo died today, not because the feeding tube was removed, but because no one was allowed (by court order) to see if Terri could eat food and drink fluids orally. For this reason, we, as a society, should be ashamed.

Some of you may be thinking that the death of this one person is nothing to get worked up about because people, including disabled people, die everyday. And while this is true, we must remember this one thing.

While thousands of people in America may die each day, they usually do not die due to court ordered starvation (and this has nothing to do with the removal of her feeding tube).

Many people, over the course of the past 13 days, have said many things, and I have received some of the nastiest comments and e-mails I have seen in my entire life. What did I say that made people react this way? What did I do that would warrant being treated the way I have been treated? I simply stood up for the life of Terri Schiavo. That’s it. Not once did I “attack” anyone, not once did I incite violence or negativity in any way. I, as a healthy member of society, decided to speak for someone who could not speak for herself. I did so because I answered a call from her family to help in any way I could. And you know what? I would do it all over again. And again… And again…

I want to take a moment to thank those bloggers who joined the “Blogger’s Strike for Terri”. It’s people like Vinny, Bridget, Janette, Greg, Janna, SoCalAngel, and Jo, who re-assure me that society indeed has not quite yet gone to hell in a handbasket. I know that there were many people out there blogging for Terri, but it makes me proud to have stood with such fine people who all had one thing in common. We all took a stand for a disabled woman who could not speak for herself. Thanks again for devoting your blogs, and all of your blogging time to speaking out for Terri Schiavo. While our efforts may not have saved Terri, my hope is that we have helped inform people, so no one else (or their family) has to suffer such a horrible experience.

The strong in our society have a duty to protect the weak, and I for one would rather be called a “Jesus Freak” any day than be an apathetic fool with no empathy for others. How sad would that be?

We will be known forever by the tracks we leave.

Rest In Peace, Terri.

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March 31, 2008 @ 12:53

My Wife Loves Getting Naked

My wife has a lot of hair. I guess most women do, but her hair is really thick and their aren't many products she likes to use, for one reason or another. Most of the time, the products she tries contain so many different chemicals and sulfates that her hair feels dirty again before it's even dry.

She decided to try a sample of naked naturals to see if it made her hair feel more clean, and she was quite surprised. The first thing she noticed was the lack of harsh chemicals and sulfates, which was her biggest concern. The second thing she noticed was the fact that her hair actually felt clean and after using it for a couple of washes, her hair even feels stronger. I can't tell you how many times I have heard her complaining about the hair that remains in her brush after doing her hair. She has not been complaining as much lately.

Using Naked Naturals has been a wonderful experience for my wife. Most of the time when you find a natural shampoo at the store, it ends up not working quite as well as you would expect, but this is not the case with Naked Naturals. She is quite happy with the results and she thinks you will be too.

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