Bitter?? hmmmmmmmm

Quite the battle going on here in Indiana for the first time in 40 years. Folks are actually having to campaign here in the Hoosier state. Lots of flurry this weekend over Barack Obama saying this...

"It's not surprising then they get bitter, they cling to their guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations," Obama said.

Then junior New York Senator Clinton responded...

At a morning event before about 400 workers at Allison Transmission in Indianapolis, Clinton slammed Obama's words as "elitist and out of touch. They are not reflective of the values and beliefs of Americans."


Now let me be very clear here, Past President Bill Clinton who was impeached and has made millions from his so called consulting gig's and his millionaire wife the Junior Senator from New York are calling Senator Obama an "elitist and out of touch"????? PLEASE!!!

If anything it is the other way around. If anything the word bitter was an understatement. If you have paid any attention to the jobs issue, the immigration issues, jobs going overseas or the price of gas I would say people are...let me see...

1. Pissed off?
2. Mad as hell and are not going to take it anymore?


I hate to say it but the more I see right now the more I am afraid that the Democrats lead by the Clinton's will do anything to get Obama out. I for one will not support Senator Clinton for President. I will support Senator Obama till the end, but if he is not the nominee I think I will support...hmmm let me see..... I hear Gov Jesse Ventura is thinking about getting in..

That's it Jesse and Arnold....that's the ticket!

PEACE DUDE!

Question for you all...

Tell me about your vacations. Specifically tell me about your vacations with your family member with a disability. Did your location have everthing you needed? Was the room set up appropriate for your family? If you went to a resort and they had a program for children, were they welcoming to include your child with a disability? Did they have trained staff to work with your child?

I am looking for real feedback here on vacations and resorts gang, so please send everyone you know to drop me a comment.

Thanks

Jeff

I know I have been quiet!

Hey Everyone'

I know I have not posted much of late but I think the weather and the arthritis have taken it's toll on me lately. I have a strong desire of late to feel the sand between my toes. Something about the idea of telling Nash, "let's eat our dinner and then go for a walk on the beach before bed" seems to be calling my name.

All I can say is that I think there is a beach in our future.

Peace Dude!

My Early Election Choices!

Ok gang here are my choices for the offices I have researched and decided on to this point. Now I could still change my mind before election day so if you are running and not on the list give me a call and convince me. You will notice that my choices are not a straight ticket. While to many peoples dismay I have gone from a Reagan Republican to a Democrat but I still vote for the person not the party as you will see.

1. President of the United States - Barack Obama, if you read my blog you will see why.

2. United States Representitive District 5 - John McGoff - I have met John and he seems like a good guy that will work hard for the district. Bottom line on this one is Dan Burton needs to go play golf.....well let me re-phrase that...Dan Burton needs to play golf but no longer on the taxpayer's dime. Bye Bye Dan!

3. State Senate District 30 - Luke Kenley - this may surprise people but I respect Senator Kenley for many reasons. While I may not always agree with him he is the single best person for the job bar none. The R's in Hamilton County especially on the Council and Commission seem to have it out for him but I think he will do just fine.

4. State Representitive District 29 - Kathy Richardson - Well I also respect Kathy I was a bit surprised that she is running unopposed. I know Kathy is the hometown lady but she needs to defend some of her decesions at the State House. Maybe next election..

5. I will not go into the Judge and other county offices that don' have a challenger.

6. Judge of Circuit Court - I need to do more research on this one.

7. County Commissioner District 2 - I think Steve Dillinger is a good guy that does a good job. He has some challengers and I am looking for some good things from Jeff Curtis but it will be tough. I will hold my choice at this time.

8. County Commissioner District 3 - Steve Holt - Good guy but have some issues with decesions made by he an Commish Altman.

9. County Council - At Large - Elect 3 - Chris Brown and Ford Hebner I hope will be the two new guys and I will cast my third vote for Brad Beaver. The others needs to go and we will see how Brad does over the next term.

10. Noblesville School Board.....hmmm this is interesting..I need to do much more reseach on this one and this will include a few posts between now and May.

That is all for now gang......

But no matter whethere you agree or not....support your persone and get out and vote.

An Open Letter to Steak and Shake

Many of you may have never heard of our homegrown hamburger chain but some of you I am sure have had a Double Steakburger with Cheese and a Chocolate Shake at some time in your life and they are really awesome.....well at least they use to be.

Steak and Shake has been in the news of late with hostile investors trying to get on the board, firing their CEO and conference calls that in all honesty blame their problems on everything under the sun except them selves. Well they don't need Wall Street, Mega investors or 20 MBA's to come in and fix it for them. The board needs to load them selves up in a van and make a little trip.

No they don't have to go far. They need to drive up to the Noblesville Dairy Queen. A recent trip to the ice cream wonderland got me thinking about Steak and Shake...here is what they need to notice.

First as you walk in a seasoned Ice Cream Parlor manager says Hi, Welcome to Dairy Queen. He is dressed in a ironed White shirt and tie. His name tag says he is the manager but my guess is he is much more. After his welcome he asks if he can take our order or if we have any questions...hmm. Well this particular DQ does not serve burgers so that is a bit different then Steak and Shake but they do serve Hot Dogs and Shakes and Ice cream. He treated Nash with respect as he did all his customers asking him "What would you like young man?" he took all our orders. We sat down to wait and I started noticing a few more things.

1. The DQ had not had an overhaul in a long time and looked just like a DQ from when I was much younger. But with that said there was not a single thing in that DQ that needed repaired or replaced. It was in almost perfect condition.
2. It was spotless!!! From the floors, tables, walls, windows, restrooms to the cooking and preparation area it was spotless. I mean I looked under the fountain coke dispenser and you could see your reflection in the stainless steel.
3. The other thing I noticed as the manager and one of his school age employee's made the ice cream treats that had been ordered is that they were not slapping them together as fast as they could. They where actually taking their time to offer us not only our favorite item but that is was an artistic masterpiece at the same time. And they tasted really good to. Nash and I went through more napkins then need to be shared in this post.
4. And you know what, when we were done and leaving the manager leaned over the counter and said thank you for visiting us gang and come back and see us real soon.

Well growing up in the biz, I can tell you I don't get my expectations blown away often but they sure did a great job of impressing me.

Well I am sure neither Steak and Shake or all the Wall Street Wonders that can tell you how you should run your business will visit the Noblesville Dairy Queen or will the seek my advice.

BUT THEY SHOULD AND THEY SHOULD DO IT NOW!!!!

Anyway, as for me...... Hey Nash, let's go to Dairy Queen!

Seven Years!

It is very hard for me to get my hands around the fact that 7 years ago Saturday Nash arrived into my world. Seven years ago today I was still trying to get my hands around the label Down syndrome. Someday's I still am.

As I think back, those memories of Nash being born and then being told he has Down syndrome are as clear as yesterday and at the same time seem 100 years ago. We have come a long way since that day.

As a family we are involved in every aspect of his life. And you know all the things I thought would be a challenge 7 years ago had to do with Nash. Today all the challenge's seem to be with the so called professionals. You know the group, School Corporations, Administration, Principals, Teachers, State Government, Department of Education, Professors, Elected Officials ect.

You know I hear all day long on radio, television and in the newspapers that the problem with schools is parents are not invovled. Then when it is us pesky parents of children with disabilities that qualify for Special Education Supports and Services and that have acutally educated ourselves, then we are just greedy and want everything under the sun. No we just did what you asked us to do, be educated and involved in our kids education and have actually read the law and kept up with the changes that have been made to IDEA. And they just really hate the fact that we understand our rights about that law passed in 1975 that they are still trying to figure out.

Here is a hint folks: Treat us with a little respect. Understand that we have put in many hours of education ourselves on this issue and we want to work with you for the best results. Don't play games with us about who is coming and who is not to the case conference. Don't try to double speak about best practices and staffing. Just treat us with fairness and respect and we will make progress that everyone will be happy with.

Ya, you guessed it our case conference is next week and everytime I try to go in being positive and everytime they try to treat me like I don't know anything and piss me off......ok breathe deep..lol.. I will be fine by next week but really just needed to vent.

So thanks for letting me vent....

I am amazed at the things Nash has done over the last 7 years and I have no doubt the next 7 are going to be even more amazing....I am so proud of you Buddy...

Anyway, sorry I have been AWOL but it has been a busy time around here and I think I bored many of you with my shift toward politics. So I think the Tales will be dedicated stricktly to family, Down syndrome and disability issues and I will start a new blog for politics....

What do you think?

Peace Dude!

Super Bowl

Ladies and Gentlemen.....Character and class does still matter.....

Congratulations to the New York Giants for winning the Super Bowl with character and class.

Enough said.

Peace Dude.

We can fix our economy!

Well another day of doom and gloom in the economy. Stock Market down, foreclosures up, property tax's out of control. Well we created this problem now let's fix it cause it's all about JOBS!

The problem with our economy today is that the middle class that has carried us for 100 years is gone. Those coveted factory jobs at GM, Ford, Chrysler, GE and others are not going away folks they have just been moved. They have been moved to other countries like Mexico. Other good jobs in manufacturing of items like toys, and extension cords and household products and electronics are gone to China and other countries. Good paying customer service call center jobs sent to India where class's are held to give the workers American accents.....give me a break.

Let's fix it and fix it now.....let's bring that Made in America pride back! I hear this argument that those jobs went away because our market demanded lower prices. Well GM has been building vehicles in Mexico for awhile now and I don't see the price's of cars going down. I don't see companies that use to make toys here that are now made in China lowering prices. Well I will be the first to say that Profit is good...really good. But good ole American greed driven by the whiners on Wall Street is going to break us. It may be great to have the cheapest product with the highest margin but if people can't buy it because they are losing their house....well what is the point? So here are some ideas.

1. Cancel NAFTA and CAFTA - Free trade has helped everyone but the American middle class who lost their jobs. Kill it!

2. We need to impose a Tariff on all products manufactured outside this country for a period of 5 years. It needs to be reasonable to make American Made products competitive again but not high enough to stop all imports. Remember Toyota and Honda and others make many products here now and that is great. But the other stuff coming in needs to have a tariff for 5 years. Now before you go nuts and call me a socialist let me remind you if it where not for the Tariff's imposed on motorcycle imports for a short time by President Reagan, Harley Davidson would not exist today.

3. During this 5 year period we should offer a tax credit to all business investment in capital manufacturing operations in the US that will increase that companies US work force.

4. We must create corporate tax penalties for moving jobs from the US to other countries. And create tax incentives for moving jobs from overseas to the US, as long as that company did not benefit from moving the jobs overseas to begin with.

5. We need to cap mortgage rates to go no higher then 8% for 4 years. We also must cap credit card interest rates at 15% for 6 years to allow the American public to get out of debt and start saving again. Again nothing wrong with profit but when the Feds make rates 3.5% and the top interest rate is 30% on credit cards....hmm nothing wrong with profit but that again sounds like greed created by Wall Street analysts.

6. We need to allow anyone that wants to move to this country legally to be able to join us just as our families did before us. But we need a central processing point (remember Ellis Island) and we must stop the flow at our borders. No if ands or buts on this one.

7. To help control the problem we need to fine and take away the license to do business of any company convicted of hiring illegal immigrants. This fine needs to be $250,ooo for each illegal in employment and the license and or tax id suspended for 2 years. To help even the playing field we should pay a $10,000 reward to anyone that turns someone into the local prosecutor that leads to a conviction ( and yes this needs to be a local issue) Everyone should be welcome to come to America as long as they do it right. And all illegal immigrants in our prison system should be deported to their country of origin along with a bill to their country. If the US happens to owe that country money or aid...take it off the tab.

8. The last item would be a complete overhaul of our education system.....that next.

PEACE DUDE!

In rememberance!

Just thought I would share with you this powerful speech today. If it were not for the progress made by Rev. Martin Luther King Jr the rights granted to individuals with disabilities under laws like ADA and IDEA would not be possible.

Thank You.

I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.
Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.
But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languishing in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. So we have come here today to dramatize a shameful condition.
In a sense we have come to our nation's capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked "insufficient funds." But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. So we have come to cash this check — a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice. We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quick sands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God's children.
It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment. This sweltering summer of the Negro's legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning. Those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual. There will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.
But there is something that I must say to my people who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice. In the process of gaining our rightful place we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred.
We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force. The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to a distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny. They have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom. We cannot walk alone.
As we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead. We cannot turn back. There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, "When will you be satisfied?" We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality. We can never be satisfied, as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. We cannot be satisfied as long as the Negro's basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their selfhood and robbed of their dignity by signs stating "For Whites Only". We cannot be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.
I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. Some of you have come from areas where your quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive.
Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed. Let us not wallow in the valley of despair.
I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.
I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal."
I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.
I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.
I have a dream today.
I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification; one day right there in Alabama, little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.
I have a dream today.
I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.
This is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.
This will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with a new meaning, "My country, 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim's pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring."
And if America is to be a great nation this must become true. So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania!
Let freedom ring from the snowcapped Rockies of Colorado!
Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California!
But not only that; let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia!
Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee!
Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring.
And when this happens, when we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, "Free at last! free at last! thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"

American Mortgage crisis!

Well you can't turn on a single news story or financial show right now and not hear about the American Mortgage crisis. Home loans are going south all over the place and banks and mortgage companies are taking huge financial write off's. Let me make some observations on this subject and also ask some questions. Now I am not an Economist with more degree's then wall space but just a good ole boy from the banks of the Buck Creek....but..

I grew up in a pretty decent area along the Buck Crick and those houses were owned my the parents of many of my friends. I was thinking about that the other day and some of those parents owned their own business's and many others worked in the auto industry at places like Fisher Body, Warner Gear, Chevrolet and others.

Today many of those folks would not be able to own those houses because those jobs are gone. Moved to another location or down south to Mexico.

As I was listening to the radio on the way home they were discussing a bank that was getting ready to write off the largest amount loss in their long history and it was all mortgage related.

Well I challenge the markets on this one. I don't think we have a mortgage crisis in this county we have a job crisis. The jobs that supported the middle class that owned their homes and bought a new car every 4 years are gone. Their is no middle class anymore. At least no jobs to sustain a middle class.

Another question. I thought when bank foreclosed on a property they become the owner of the property? What are they taking the charge on? Just the paper of the loan while the newly gained asset shows up on a different part of the balance sheet to be dealt with as profit later?

Well bottom line is I really feel sorry for Wall Street and the banks....not.

We have to quit sending everything we make in America overseas to be made and then shipped back to us because if we keep this up we will not have any jobs or money to buy them.

Enough! We need to bring back that American Made Label. You re-focus on that and we can fix the economy and the mortgage crisis.

In my next post I will tell you how we can do it.

Have I gone way to political on all of you? The comments have stopped. Do I at least have you thinking?

PEACE DUDE!

Government Run Healthcare

Question for everyone!

If as many of the candidates say the United States does not want or need Government run health care why have none of them come out for abolishing Medicare?

Just a question.

Peace Dude!

New Hampshire

Well folks it looks like it's going to be a dog fight to the end. Congrats to Senator McCain and Senator Clinton.

Now it's off to the South and the West for the Obama Machine.

YES WE CAN!



PEACE DUDE!

Thought I Would Share!

Obama on Individuals with Disabilities

Well if you read this blog you know my passion for the rights of Individuals with intellectual disabilities. I thought it only appropriate that If I am going to support Senator Obama in his race for the White House that I post his thoughts on the issue.

Please click the link below to be directed to that information.

http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/awdplan

Share your thoughts Gang.

Peace Dude!

Leadership!

In a recent debate Senator Obama was criticized by his counter parts for being naive based on commenting that he would meet with our enemies face to face.

Here is Senator Clinton's comments"

Obama's toughest Democratic primary competition in the race for the White House, Sen. Hillary Clinton, criticized Obama earlier this year for saying he would meet with Ahmadinejad during a debate, called his comments irresponsible and attacked the Illinois senator for being inexperienced.

Many other folks on both sides marked this off to inexperience...Interesting.

Let me share this with you.

"Interest in forming personal bonds was especially distinct in his meetings with world leaders. He chafed at the layers of communication that he felt complicated international relations. In the diary, we see him searching for a way to improve his contact with the successive general secretaries of the Soviet Union: Brezhnev, Andropov, Chernenko and Gorbachev. While Reagan was always guarded in his attitude toward the Soviets, he believed that progress would be made if he could communicate directly with them - by letter, telephone or in person. And he was right."

This quote is taken directly from the introduction of a book edited by Douglas Brinkley.

The Book?

The Reagan Diaries.......hmmmm well what they are calling inexperience and naive is what President Reagan used to end the cold war...

PEACE DUDE!

The Time Has Come!

Well ladies and gents the holidays are over and it's time to take our country back and get it headed in the right direction.

The Iowa Caucuses on Thursday night proved that America can ignore the media and the establishment and use their brains all on their own. Congrats to Gov Mike Huckabee for surprising everyone on the Republican side. Way to go Frater Mike!

Well for the first time in my life I have come out publicly for a candidate in a presidential campaign. I am supporting Barack Obama! I will share more in upcoming posts as to why. But let's just say I have done my homework and I feel he is someone that will take us in the right direction.

It's time to focus on politics on the Tales for a bit so I hope I don't bore you all too much.

I hope each of you will take the time to research your choice and make an educated decision. Please feel free to share your thoughts on here as I love a good, fact based Civil debate! That is what this country is built on.

Peace Dude!

Wow, a huge honor bestowed from accross the Pond!

I have been honored by my good friend Kim Ayres with the Rambling Beard Award -2007. Click on the highlighted areas to the blog or the award page to read for yourself.

I have been reading Kim's blog for a long bit now and always enjoy checking in to see what's going on in Scotland.

Thanks for the award mate and a Happy 2008 to all.

Peace Dude!

Hijacking Jeff's Blog.....Happy Birthday Honey!

To the New Years Baby of the family:

May all your dreams, wishes, and needs come true this year, as you certainly deserve it.

You are the best husband and Dad anyone could ask for! I hope you get lots of birthday well wishes!

Lots of love,
the wife, Mauzy , Nash and Seger too

Dear Santa

Dear Santa'

I hope you are enjoying loading your sleigh and getting ready for your big trip tomorrow night.

I know it's kinda late but I thought I better get my letter to you fast.

I know you are busy right now but hope you can remember a few things for the Big Dawg this year.

1. Give everyone the ability to believe in your magic for another year.

2. Give Nash the gift of continuing to believe in his abilities and to dream big audacious dreams and to achieve them all.

3. May those that are sick feel better.

4. May those that frown again smile and let loose a deep belly busting laugh.

5. Give me the strength to be a better Dad, husband and person.

6. Give our nation the belief again that all men are created equal.

7. Give the power to those that are not with us anymore the ability to watch over us on Christmas morning and know they are still loved and remembered.

8. And finally Santa let everyone that reads this note know that WE BELIEVE and hope all their Christmas wishes come true.

Your Humble Elf

Jeff....aka - Big Dawg...aka - Nash's Daddy

P.S. Have a safe trip Santa and when you are relaxing in Key West next week beware my brother in law will be there.

PEACE DUDE!

Happy Birthday Dave

It's Dave's birthday over at Chewing the Fat. You can click on his blog on the left side of my blog.

It's a great place to read awsome tales of individuals making a difference. And if you go over please take the time to read...So This is Christmas.....

Peace Dude!

Life!

Well it has been quite a week or so around the BigDawg ranch. Dealing with the loss of our good friend Annette, sorting out travel plans for Mauzy, my schedule while Mauzy is out of town and now thoughts and prayers needed for my Step Dad who is in the Hospital.

Well today Life got put back in alignment for a few hours anyway.. I was one of the parents that attended Nash's 1st grade field trip to the Indianapolis Childrens Museum. We are very lucky to have one of the best Children's Museums in the United States right here in Indy.

Well the delight and thrill of 1st graders playing in the museum today reminded me about what is important in life. A few hours of fun, knowledge, excitement and friendship. It was the most fun I have had in awhile.

Peace Dude!

Update!

Our dear friend Annette passed away early this morning. Our thoughts and prayers are with her family and her friends.

Interesting that as I wright this blog entry Meet the Press is on with Mit Romney talking about Religion. Well here is what I want to know today.....

Why a loving god would allow a lady who never smoked to get lung cancer and die at such a young age leaving a great husband and two wonderful young boys behind. I always here the same answer.....he has a better plan, he knows best.....

Well somebody explain that one to me because I can assure you today that makes absolutely now damn sense.

Annette we will miss you deeply.....

Peace Dude!

Just a reminder!

Please keep sending positive strenght to Annette and her entire family.

Peace Dude!

Indiana has lost a patriot of civil rights issues including those with disabilities!

I was lucky enough to meet with Congresswoma Carson and her staff on the Hill. I can assure you she and her staff were always welcoming and prepared on your issues whether in person or on the phone.

1938 - 2007

Congresswoman Julia Carson dies


By Mary Beth Schneider
marybeth.schneider@indystar.com
December 15, 2007


U.S. Rep. Julia Carson died at home this morning following a battle with lung cancer. She was 69.
Carson’s death comes just weeks after she announced the cancer, which she had beaten before, was back with “terminal vengeance.”
Two days later, she said she would not seek re-election to a seventh term in 2008, saying her time away from Congress would be “a time to weep and a time to laugh,” and she added, “a time to heal.”

But Carson, who was first elected to Congress in 1996, never healed.

“Who knows the future, who knows god’s will,” she said in the statement announcing her decision not to run again. “I want very much to return to Washington and continue representing the good people of Indianapolis with my vote. I can only request your prayers that I might gain the strength to continue my service.”

Gov. Mitch Daniels' office said tentative plans were under way to have Carson’s body lie in state at the Rotunda in the Indiana State House. Daniels ordered that flags be lowered today until sunset on the day of her burial. Calling was tentatively scheduled for Friday, with the funeral service on Saturday.

Former U.S. Rep. Andy Jacobs, who was Carson’s friend and mentor, said he was called about 9:45 this morning and notified she had died at her home about a half-hour earlier.

“I loved her and she loved me,” Jacobs said, his voice cracking. “She was my sister.”

He last saw his friend Friday, he said, and was able to kiss her goodbye.

About a week ago, Jacobs said, “when she still recognized me, she started silently signalling with her right hand, waving it toward her. I bent down — closer, closer, closer — till I was next to her face. And for the first time ever, she reached up and kissing me warmly on the cheek. I knew exactly what she meant. She was kissing me goodbye.”

Now, he said, people will realize the contributions she has made that she never boasted about before, and what he called “a really prodigious career of that huge brain in that cranium.”

“She was a pretty modest person,” he said. “She didn’t say much about her enormous accomplishments.”

Among those accomplishments, he said, were welfare reforms as Center Township trustee, before she succeeded him in Congress.

“Her welfare reforms did not break one child’s heart,” he said.

Instead, he said, she teamed up with former U.S. Attorney Virginia Dill McCarty and “when she found a welfare cheat, she didn’t just take off the rolls. She sued them to get money back for the taxpayer.”

Daniels called Carson “a lioness.”

“There was determination, and resolve, and genuine conviction in Julia, but never meanness. And she was such fun. It was rare to leave her presence without a smile. And after the sadness fades a bit, we’ll still have that. I know I’ll think of her often, and always with a smile.”

U.S. Sen. Evan Bayh, D-Ind., said Carson “overcame much and accomplished much, and devoted her life to helping other people do the same.”

“She was elected to important public offices, but never forgot who she was, where she came from or who she was there to serve. She had a great sense of humor and a great sense of style, both of which are all too often lacking in public life.
“She has left a great legacy and I will miss her.”

Sarge Visher, who ran Carson’s first campaign for Congress and had worked with her since, said Carson was “proud of every single person she was able to help, even a little bit. Those were almost invisible, but we’d hear about them over the years. I don’t think she was interested in building monuments to herself, but instead doing things fundamentally Christian.”

Before heading to Congress, Carson served in the Indiana House of Representatives for two terms and was then elected to the Indiana Senate, where she served until 1990. Carson then filled the post of Center Township trustee until she went to Washington.

A steadfast Democrat, Carson opposed President Bush’s request for authority to wage war in 2002. In 1999, she won enactment of a measure that awarded the Congressional Gold Medal to civil rights figure Rosa Parks.
In 1991 and 1974, she was named by The Star as Woman of the Year.

Carson’s death comes after she took a medical leave from Congress in September after complaining of leg pain and fatigue.

In her last public interview broadcast on Nov. 5 on the WTCL-AM program, “Afternoons with Amos,” Carson expressed frustration over her health problems. “I’m breathing and I feel fine,” she said. Her voice did sound shaky, though, and she had coughing spells during the interview.

“I’ve got bronchitis real bad now and I hope to get over it,” she said, “but you don’t ever know.”

Her health had been an issue almost from the day she was first elected to Congress.

In January of 1997, she took her oath of office at Methodist Hospital where she was recovering from a double-bypass surgery.

The surgery kept her at home during the early days of the 105th Congress and she missed 41 of the 640 floor votes that year.

After winning her sixth term last year, she proclaimed, “People thought I was too sick to run. I’m not too sick for anything.”

A special election would be held to choose Carson’s successor.

Potential Democrats who might run for her seat include Andre Carson, who is Carson’s grandson. Republicans who have said they will run for the seat include state Rep. Jon Elrod and probation officer Wayne Harmon.

Need your Help Gang!

Ok for those that know me or read my blog know this is an unusual post. But I am asking anyway....

If you read my post below you know I talked about friends. Well I have these really neat friends from Canada. They are the best people you could ever meet. Some of you may know who I am talking about. My friends have a blog but I am not asking you to go there. I am only going to ask you to take 1 minute for me today....I don't care what your religion is or if you don't have one.....I am going to ask you to do what you need to.

I am asking each of you to take one minute to send as much energy as you can to Tom and Annette. Annette has just returned home from the hospital and does not have much time left with us on this earth. They have two amazing boys and one happens to have Down syndrome. Yep, if it was not for that pesky extra 21st we would probably not know and love these dear friends.

So, whether it's a prayer, a thought, a chant, a toast or a comment on this blog...please take just a moment and send as much strength and energy you can spare the way of my friends so Annette will have the energy to sit with her men and hold them and love them until the time comes. May we give Tom all the strength and energy we can to get through today, tomorrow, next week, next month and next year.

I know I am asking allot of you for folks you may or may not know but just do it. Send that energy they need it right now and it will be that one Christmas gift you can give just because.

Ask all your fellow bloggers to help

Thanks

Peace Dude

Christmas Meme

My wife the infamous Mauzy just reminded me that I was supposed to Tag four people to answer the questions...

But hey it's Christmas....as my gift to you my reader...

YOU ARE TAGGED!

Peace Dude

Tagged with a Christmas Meme

My good friend Kei has tagged me. It's a good thing Kei and Robert are such very good friends or I would not grant them a bye for being Patriot Fans.....

So here we go.....

What is your favorite thing about the Holiday Season?

My favorite thing about the Season is watching Nash really be into Christmas. He totally is into Santa now, he gets the whole Baby Jesus story, and when he woke up the other morning and we had 4" of snow on the ground....he yelled up the stairs as he run up that it had snowed. He came to my side of the bed and said Daddy, get up it snowed....Daddy get up Santa was here I have to open toys.....you gotta love it.


What is your favorite Holiday Memory?

Favorite Holiday Memory....hmm...Ok there are a few. My favorite childhood memory was Christmas at my Grandparents house. When I was little I thought their house was huge. My grandparents had 4 boys but one died in a farm accident so it was my dad and my two amazing uncles. From those three boys my grandparents has 16 grand kids. So every Christmas we all went to their house on Christmas day. Some how we all packed into that house and it never seemed crowded. We ate and played and laughed and the best thing was my grandfather always got a case of Coke in the little glass bottles and it was on the front porch. What a treat it was to get an icy cold little Coke from the porch. Then before we new it the red car pulled up and here came Santa to pass out the gifts. I could not believe he was so happy after such a long nights work but was always so thirsty. He had to head to the kitchen every few gifts for a sip thru a straw of a big glass my grandfather had for him. I was about 13 when I realized the glass was full of Bourbon and Seven-Up. How I wish Nash could have experienced one of those Christmas days....but my grandparents are gone, but every time I get the chance to drive by their little tiny farm house I chuckle and wonder how we got all those people in that damn house...

Another favorite memory was the first time I spent Christmas in California with my Mom and Step Dad. I needed to go get something for them so I drove my Step Dads car with the sunroof open and the windows down as it was in the mid 70's and thought to myself now this is the way Christmas was meant to be....but now I am glad to be back in Indiana.

Another Favorite was when I lived in England. I lived in the small village of Uppingham, which is about 2 hours north of London. I was never their for Christmas as I always flew home before the big day. One night a year they had late night shopping where all the store keepers dressed in Dickens era clothing. The streets were filled with Carolers and vendors were selling things like jacket potato's (baked potato's to us yanks) and when everyone was done we met and closed down The Vaults...The BEST PUB IN ALL OF ENGLAND! Jon I hope you somehow get wind of this and know the picture of the Vaults still hangs proudly in my den and I am sure you have never recovered the financial loss of my moving back home.... Cheers Mate!

And last, now my favorite memories change every year as I watch Nash enjoy the season.


What is the best gift you ever gave?

I am not sure about that.... but I am sure my family could answer that one better.


What is the best gift you ever received?

I get them every year when I receive cards from friends from years gone by that I hardly ever see. I hope each of them know how much their friendship still means. And now to add to that we get all these cards from our friends in the DS community and the T21 board and sometimes I have to ask Jan....who the hell is this...lol


What is your secret Holiday Wish for this year?

My secret wish for this year is that everyone in the world would learn to once again dream....to believe in the power of Santa....and know that the power of belief in a dream can change the world. And I believe in the dream that some day Nash will believe in his Dreams and accomplish everyone of them....and instead of people saying wow....look at what that young man with Down syndrome has done...They would all smile and say...I had no doubt Nash would accomplish that.....

And if the Carpenter from Nazareth had written this I believe he would close with...

PEACE DUDE!

DADS Update

Hey Everyone'

Sorry about the post below and the links not working. Not sure what I did but can't seem to fix it by editing the post. Instead I am going to add all the links to the side of the page so they are always there and update as needed.

Peace Dude.

USC Football

Well if you know me you know I am a Notre Dame fan, so if I am putting up a link and a post about University of Southern California Football is must be damn good.

Check out USC's Special Assistant to the Head Coach..

Coach Carrol you are a good man. Now hire this young man as a fulltime member of your staff and lead the way on creating employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities.

This may be the only time you will ever hear me say...GO TROJANS!

Peace Dude

It's getting close!

Update on DADS!

As many of you know I am one of the founding members of DADS. Dads Appreciating Down Syndrome is the group we started just 6 years ago. We have 14 chapters in the US and 3 overseas. That is at least what we know of, they keep popping up everywhere.

Our Mission is to assist and support thru fellowship and action, the fathers and families of people with Down syndrome.

Here are some link to some of our chapters. Take a look. If you would like info on starting a chapter in your area please email me.

Founding DADS- D.A.D.S of Indiana

Virginia D.A.D.S

D.A.D.S of Minnesota

D.A.D.S OK- forming

D.A.D.S NSW Australia

Middle Tennessee looking for DADS

Miami Valley Ohio DADS

D.A.D.S Illinois

Madison Wisconsin D.A.D.S



Peace Dude

Nothing like a football story!

Saw this article today about Jordan Kidder and thought I would pass it on so everyone can read it. Just click on Jordan's name see the article. The story was written by Mitch Albom of "Tuesday's with Morrie" fame.

Thanks for sharing Mitch.

Wow

Sorry I have been so missing from updates. I promise to get back on track in the next few days.

It was not that long ago that one of our fears was Nash would not get invited to many birthday parties because he was born with Down syndrome.

Well on top of everything else in my schedule keeping me from posting, I am off to take Nash to birthday party number 2 or 4 this month.

Peace.

Time Flies!

Thursday night I took Nash to a party. It was at this new place here in town that has those huge bounce houses and slides. I think all the boyz had a really good time.

At one point I was watching Nash go flying up this ladder like thing up to the top of one of the bounce houses and then fling himself down the slide with the rest of his buddies.

It was about then that I got a shit eating grin on my face. Ok now admit it you all know exactly what kind of grin that is. It's kinda proud, kind silly but must of all it's kind of a "I told you so" smile. Why the grin?

Well I was thinking back to when Nash was born and all of the fears I was filled with. All the medical info saying he could not do this and that. I spent much time wondering if Nash would be able to do this or that. He had to have Physical Therapy for low tone and all this stuff to help him with his delay's. I worried....would my son ever be able to hold himself up, walk, run, jump, play ball. Would he this or that....would his x-ray be ok so he could ride a horse...oh it was...ect. Many of you know what I am talking about.

Back to the grin....The grin came from the standpoint that Nash physically is doing great. He walks, he runs, he jumps, he tackles and some things he is not supposed to do. But more importantly he had played T-ball and just finished flag football within the regular leagues.

And this party was the celebration of the end of Flag Football Season. It was Nash and the rest of the GUYS from the team. They were running, jumping, flipping, climbing and more. There were no be carefuls, Nash can't do this or Nash can't do that and no looks from any parents....you see he had won them all over during the season. I mean hey he completed one of the three completed pass's all season and loves playing center and can even long snap.

So here was inclusion at it's finest....Nash was having a great time and Down syndrome was never brought up....he was just one of the guys! And no one paid attention one way or another.

How damn cool is that.


Peace Dude.

Quick Update

Hey Everyone

Sorry I have been missing in action. Life has been hectic with re-joining the for-profit world...ahh how I missed it.

And then to top it all off it's Buddy Walk weekend here in Indy. We have somewhere in the neighborhood of 30 people here tonight and 70 some tomorrow. Many from the blogger world. Oh the stuff my bride gets me into.

More to come later...

PEACE DUDE!

Follow up post

Ok, one of my readers discoverd the answer to my top ten list by using Google.

It was simply the top 10 countries with the highest per capita rate of firearm related murders. I was more then a little surprised with the company we keep and those that seemed to be way down the list.

That was all just an interesting statistic to ponder.

PEACE DUDE!

Anybody want to guess?

Anyone want to guess what the following top 10 list is about. Take a long look at the countries and the statistics and make a guess.

#1 South Africa: 0.719782 per 1,000 people
#2 Colombia: 0.509801 per 1,000 people
#3 Thailand: 0.312093 per 1,000 people
#4 Zimbabwe: 0.0491736 per 1,000 people
#5 Mexico: 0.0337938 per 1,000 people
#6 Belarus: 0.0321359 per 1,000 people
#7 Costa Rica: 0.0313745 per 1,000 people
#8 United States: 0.0279271 per 1,000 people
#9 Uruguay: 0.0245902 per 1,000 people
#10 Lithuania: 0.0230748 per 1,000 people

Follow up post to explain in a few days.

PEACE DUDE!

Who would have thought!

Sorry its been awhile since I have posted anything. Life just got in the way of blogging... But sometimes that is a good thing. As I reflect on the last couple of weeks there are some interesting things that have happened.

1. Notre Dame lost.
2. Michigan lost.
3. Bill Belichick was caught cheating.
4. The Colts Win
5. Notre Dame lost.
6. Michigan lost.
7. Hillary says she is not a Lesbian.
8. Nobody is sure if Barack Obama is black enough or white enough.
9. I think Barack is just perfect and exactly what we need.
10. Nash lost another tooth, this one right in front.
11. I left Janus to return to the for-profit world.
12. Notre Dame Lost AGAIN.
13. Michigan won and my two favorite teams are ND and who ever is playing Michigan.
14. Charlie Wies can't call a play that the defence can't tear apart.
15. Maybe Charlie needs some of Bill's video tapes.
16. I started my new life at Conor-Patrick.

And as usual I am happy with my decesions and have no regrets.

Who would have thought!

PEACE DUDE

The Return of Subliminal Advertising!

Well I was sitting on the couch last night watching Hannity and Colmes on Fox News which seems to carry more pharmaceutical company ads then any other network on television....hmmmm...opps I digress....anyway.

As I am sitting there I see the second ad for a drug that has taken on a new side effect that I heard for the first time on another ad over the last couple of weeks. It really got me thinking.....sorry Kei I know I am going to make your head hurt on this one.

Well I have figured out the whole damn thing......

You see the advertising folks that Big Pharma are using are dressed up hippies from the 60's. If finally makes sense....subliminal advertising at it's finest.

As you all know if drives me crazy that the FCC and the rest of our government won't let us see TV ads for Wild Turkey, Beefeater's Gin, Jose Cuervo Tequila and Marlboro Lights...but they will let us see the names if they produce a malt liquor or we are welcome to see an ad from every drug company.

But what really gets under my skin is what I determined to be these Ad's marketing lines to the side effects they had to tell you about.....I mean who wants to sign up for a drug that.....causes

Nose bleeds, high blood pressure, dry throat, dizziness, vomiting and diarrhea?

Not me.....well the dressed up hippies got wise and said "Hey Dude, let's bring back subliminal advertising"..... the hippies will get it and head to the doctor....

you are thinking but Big Dawg what do you mean.....


let's look....


Erectile Dysfunction : Two people sitting on a mountain side in two old cast iron bath tubs looking out over the sunset holding hands.... At home Hubby stands up yells into the kitchen: "Hey Moon Baby look they are promoting an ACID trip, look at those colors.....

But wait there is more.... what use to be my favorite: " if you have an erection lasting more then 4 hours please call your doctor". Now this time Hubby sits down and thinks about Woodstock and free love and tried to remember if Moon Baby was there"....but hey I better get some of that....

But I have a new winner......they have topped themselves. I first heard this a couple of weeks ago and laughed out loud but now I have heard it for the second time on another drug ad. It has to do with two drugs for restless leg syndrome. Now I am not going to name the companies or the drug cause they would love that but you can find them on Google.

But this is what really got me......in the side effects that they always run thru at the end of the ad they say....."if you get desires for compulsive gambling or sexual activities please contact your doctor". What! I was amazed the first time but shocked the second.....

But now I have it all figured out......it's the dressed up Hippie thing....

Cause you see when the old hippie husband saw the ad.....he stood up and yelled " Hey Moon Baby.....gotta run by the doctor in the morning and then we are going to Vegas Baby"......

So we have come full circle....no more drinking a little whisky, smoking a little weed or doing a line from the weekends gone by....just stop by the doctor and pick up your totally legal and television advertised recreational drug...

Now this really just cracks me up!

PEACE DUDE!

So why is it?

Well let's have some more fun with why....

Why does my dog pee in the woods but poop in my front yard?

Why is it the company never loves you until you leave?

Why if there is only one god are there so many religions?

Why is it if you are supposed to go to bed and night and get up in the morning I always want to stay up and night and sleep in the morning?

Why is it a company can have its best quarter of overall growth and revenue but because it did not meet the expectations of some 32 year old MBA Wall Street analyst who has never had to make payroll the stock goes down?

Why is it I prefer Diet Mt Dew over Diet anything?

Why does football mean one thing here and something totally different in the rest of the world? How are we ever going to sort out the whole world if we can't get this straightened out?

Why do we think we can bring peace to a region that has been at war for centuries?

Why is it we have never ever seen a news anchor come on the nightly news and say...Everything in the entire world was great today, have a nice evening and join us tomorrow?

Why do we really need 500 channels on cable?

Why do American companies build cars in Mexico?

Ok enough...my head hurts.

one last question...

When will we live in a world where people are only judged by the content of their character?


PEACE DUDE!

Why can't we talk politics anymore?

There are more political shows on television and radio then ever before. With all this TALK why is it no one can talk anymore? All we do is see who can YELL over the top of the other.

How will we ever accomplish anything in this country if we can't have a conversation about both sides of an issue without yelling, screaming and name calling. It happens at all levels of politics today.

Why is it if you don't agree with the Bush Administration you are Un-American or a traitor?

Why is it the Democrats have gotten the power they wanted so bad in Washington DC yet they have accomplished nothing other then getting on TV for more name calling?

Why is it that if you are on the left George Bush is Satan?

Why is it if you are on the Right all liberals are America Haters?

Why is Ann Coulter famous?

Why are Rudy and Arnold Republicans?

Why is it the Senator responsible for the most bi-partisan legislation in the history of the Senate is Ted Kennedy?

Why is Rush Limbaugh right?

Why is it cool to talk about global warming and tell us all what we should do while running around the world in Suburbans and private Jets?

Why is it ok to still not have children with disabilities included in their home school classrooms since IDEA mandated it in 1975?

Why do we think our form of government that is not working real well here right now is what every place in the world should duplicate or be isolated or invaded?

Why is the country split almost 50/50 on abortion yet 90% of prenatal tests resulting in a positive for Down syndrome terminate? Are they all abortion rights left wingers that get the test? Hmmmm....I don't think so.

Why is it Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels can make comments like the Indiana Legislature has "Car Bombed" his agenda and no one is outraged?

Why can Indiana outsource a $1Billion contract for Services to Mitch Roob's (Secretary of FSSA) old company and everyone says there is no conflict of interest?


Ok....that is my list of Whys for today. I look forward to your thoughts.

PEACE DUDE!

Happy Friday and Happy Labor Day Weekend!

Wow, I am so happy our 3 day weekend is here. I really needed it. Kinda like my mini vacation between jobs even though I have two more weeks before the big change....anyway.

I want to have some fun with the Tales over the next few weeks. I want to talk about some companies I really like....some I don't like at all......I want to ask some crazy WHY questions...like:

Why is it Wild Turkey can't advertise on our TV airwaves but I have to be told every 10 minutes if I experience an erection lasting more then 4 hours I should call the doctor? Why...somebody please tell me why!

And then after we have some fun I am going to start taking a look at our elected officials and their stance on issues related to individuals with Down syndrome and thier families. I am going to praise them or roast them and then make my endorsements based on my thoughts and your comments for out next elections from local school boards to the oval office...it should be fun....and will be fun to see who picks it up and I hope you all help.

So until the next post


PEACE DUDE!

What the heck is going to college about today?

A recent article in the local news has made me wonder about the point of going to college today.

Their are so many things you learn in college in and out of the classroom. I sometimes think I learned as much if not more about life and leadership from being a member of the football team (Go Oilers) and Fraternity (TKE RULES)then I did from classes. But everyone is different.

But hey college today is a must. You must go, you must fork over all the cash you have and you must borrow, borrow and borrow some more because the cost of higher education has increased more then any other item in our economy. I have been gone awhile but I hope the quality of our educators have increased accordingly and not just thier pay...but I doubt it.

But I read with interest that one of our local State Universities had an organized police crackdown on the first weekend of school.

That first weekend over 70 students were arrested and maybe even have had the course of their futures changed forever. Well you ask...what were the arrested for?

Some for drinking beer.....oh my!
Some for smoking grass.....oh no!
Some for uhm...fornicating in public....my gosh!

Now I know we are supposed to obey the laws and and I am not endorsing anything here but nor am I judging anyone.

But I have just one damn question......if you can't go to college today and drink some beer, smoke a little reefer if you want to try it and maybe have a intimate relationship with someone...what the hell are you going for?

Now I now there are some folks out there that were angels in school and never did and never have done anything they were not supposed to but I am sure glad they did not have this raid on my first weekend on campus.

PEACE DUDE!

It's time for a change!

It's amazing how I can remember back to the day Nash was born with such clarity. I can still remember the first time I saw his face and then counted his fingers and toes. Everything was where it was supposed to be and he was perfect in my eyes and still is today. But just a couple of hours later the term Down syndrome became a permanent part of our lives. Not a good thing, not a bad thing just a different road then I had imagined.

At the time I was working in my dream job as VP of sales for one of the largest packaging machinery companies in the country. I has worked my way to the top of a field that I really loved. Well life has a way of throwing you curve balls. After a roller coaster ride of the economy and changes we ended up back in Indiana.

I had decided to try to make a difference and dove into the not-for-profit world with a trade association and that led me to the opportunity to be CEO of Janus Developmental Services, Inc.

On the road to that position I was lucky enough to be part of the group of 7 fathers who met one night for dinner and kicked off a group that is now known as DADS. The group continues to grow and make a difference in peoples lives everyday but of late I have not been as involved as I would like.

The past couple of years have been fast and furious. The world of providing services to people with disabilities is intense and full of red tape and bureaucracy that I had never imagined. We as a team, yes Janus has the most amazing team of dedicated staff I have ever seen, have accomplished more then I thought was possible. But...

The many things I would like to see happen get bogged down by the Federal government, The State folks, and as much as I hate to say the providers themselves who have long ago forgotten that our job is to create opportunities for the people we serve. All their time seems to be spent on trying to get more money for the work and less time on actually creating success full outcomes for the work we do. As proud as I am of the things we accomplished we should have been able to do so much more but the system is not designed that way. And I truly believe that the supports and services that individuals and their families want now and in the future have little to do with what providers are offering and the system pays for. It all must change and change it will!

With all of that said I have recently made the decision to head back to the for-profit world as a partner in Conor-Patrick Insurance which is a commercial insurance agency here in Central Indiana. Ultimately it was the best decision for our family. I can't wait to get started in this new chapter of life.

It also will give me the opportunity to get back to some of the things I really love.

1. Getting back involved in DADS and actually making it to our monthly meetings.
2. Helping to fund raise for the Indiana Down syndrome Foundation, DADS and NDSS.
3. Becoming the parent/advocate/lobbyist in the disability community I want to be without having to bite my lip as the CEO of a provider that the state might punish for my words. Oh, I am going to have so much fun rattling some cages on the local, state and federal level.
4. And maybe just maybe getting involved in politics.

I will be helping the board and Janus make a successful transition in every way I can as I really love that organization but it's time for a change.

Peace Dude.

Sorry I have been AWOL!

Hope everyone keeps checking in from time to time as I have not stopped blogging but have just had a roadblock of late.

More to come soon...I will update the blog this week with an announcement of some changes.

Peace Dude!

Bama Breeze Tour 2007

Well for all of us in Central Indiana summer is over! Jimmy was in town last night for his Bama Breeze Tour 2007 and it was great.

We headed out for a quick bite and a couple Margarita's on the way and then off to the show out at Deer Creek (a.k.a Verizon Music Center) Music center which is here in the town we live and may be the best outside venue in the country.

The mood was great, the people were wild and fun and the music was the best. Got to hear the new stuff and most of the old stuff with everything in between.

Make sure you check out Margaritaville Online for all the latest info on Jimmy and his beach empire. I will put in a little plug for Landshark Lager it is truly a good beer and look forward to enjoying a few more soon. So if you like Corona I think you are going to love Landshark.....

Well I just blew out my flip flop cause I stepped on a pop top so I better fly...

PEACE DUDE

I Recieved a Special Award, now it's my turn!

Well the one thing I never expected was to receive an award for this crazy blog of mine....I rant, I rave, I am blunt.....who would have thought!


Michelle at Elliot's Expeditions awarded me with the "Blogger Reflection Award".

This award should make an individual reflect upon five bloggers who have been an encouragement, a source of love, impacted you in some way, and who have provided a Godly example. In other words, five dear bloggers whom, when you reflect upon them, you are filled with a sense of pride and joy...of knowing them and being blessed by them.”

This is what Michelle had to say about me.

Okay, I have to add a special dad to my list. Jeff at Big Dawg Tales is one heck of a daddy. His mission is to educate and he states that his dear boy, Nash, is his “hero.” And look out when it comes to people first and accurately appropriate language when speaking about those with special needs and/or disabilities. Jeff has it all right and I pity those who try to tell him otherwise! What more needs to be said. I do think that his wife, Jan, is a very special person as well. Nash is blessed to have such extraordinary parents.

Thanks Michelle, I feel very honored to be selected by you.

Ok, now I hate to say it but that all sounds a little mushy for me. So let's say for my awards it is going to be people that have impacted me in the bloggisphere.

So reach over grab that seat belt...firmly attach it into the buckle and hold on tight...here we go.

My first winner is one of the first bloggers I found. Kim Ayres at "Ramblings of the bearded one". My friend Kim also is the father of a wonderful daughter who happens to have Down syndrome. He is also a gifted writer of which I am not. He always shares thoughts and ideas that will make you sit back and think about life as we know it. I look forward to the pint we will share in Scotland some day.

My second choice is Brother B at " Down Syndrome Life" . B. Strong also happens to be a father of a daughter with Down syndrome. B. has been a strong source of belief and reason in a world so filled with neither these days. As I have traveled with him down this road less travelled I consider him a friend I have not yet met in person but hope to soon.

My third award winner is Jan from "Mauzy's Musings". Ok now this is probably cheating since she is my wife but I think her blog is really awesome and I know how much time, effort and thought she puts into it. I also think the pictures of a certain young man named Nash are way too cool.


My fourth award goes to Dave Hingsburger at "Chewing the Fat". Dave's blog has to be one of the best most informed places I have seen on the net. Dave, thanks for being who you are and sharing your beliefs with us all.

My fifth award goes to ....drum roll please.....

Our good friend Nicole at "All 4 My Gals". Nic and Joe are without a doubt two of our dearest friends in the world. Not matter what the deal, no matter where we are we always know they are there for us. We are really lucky to be so close with this whole family. I feel like the Uncle Big Dawg the girls never had and they wish I would go away, well except for my little Marley Bob who totally understands "Peace Dude".

Thanks for providing such inspiration. Following are the rules for you guys:


1. Copy this post.
2. Reflect on five bloggers and write a least a paragraph about each one.
3. Make sure you link this post so others can read it and the rules.
4. Leave your chosen bloggers a comment and let them know they’ve been given the award.
5. Place the award icon on your site

PEACE DUDE!

Happy Independence Day

I hope everyone has a wonderful day. I thought I would share just a couple of thoughts before I head to the lake and open my first Cold New Castle Brown Ale.

1. I wonder if it is not time for another Tea Party.
2. Don't you love the fact that our leaders today are so damn smart they know what our founding fathers meant when the wrote the Constitution.
3. It's time for all new Elected Officials or at least enough to change things up a bit.
4. I think the two party system is a bust.
5. Get out of your chair, register, pick you candidate, believe in them, campaign for them and get the heck out and VOTE!

PEACE DUDE!

I wonder what they are thinking?

In this day and age I really wonder just what the hell our elected officials are thinking. In Washington they spend all their time writing subpoena's, talking over the top of each other or giving some complete and total arrogant obnoxious blond named Ann Coulter a national stage.....

Here in Indiana we have quite a few issues going on. We are finishing a new mega football stadium for the Colts, crime is on the rise, cigarette tax just went up a buck, gas prices are all over the place and property taxes in Indiana just went up around the state from 34% to 200% depending where you live.

But our Governor the infamous Mitch "I worked for GW" Daniels....famous for saying the Legislature just "Car Bombed" his plans....what was he up to this week while these major tax issues were released? Oh, besides raising some obscene amount of money to get himself "RE-Hired" as he likes to call it....but never heard of anyone paying mega millions of dollars to get a job....anyway....here is what he was up to:


Meet the latest Hoosier: Craig Ferguson

Craig Ferguson, host of the CBS television show "The Late Late Show," is a Scot who has applied to be a United States citizen.
But while he is awaiting citizenship, he has been seeking honorary citizenship's from all over the nation.
Last week, Indiana became the latest to try to claim Ferguson. Gov. Mitch Daniels sent Ferguson a letter, which Ferguson read in part on-air, declaring the talk show host "an honorary Hoosier."
Said Ferguson: "I've never been hoos-ed before." Even with the Scottish accent, that's pronounced "hoojed."
In the letter, Daniels said he was extending the honor "because of all you've done for us in Indiana."
That surprised Ferguson.
"I've never been to Indiana," he claimed.
But Daniels had the photos to prove otherwise.
One showed a giant-headed Ferguson standing with Daniels, Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning and a guy Ferguson described as "some rich dude." That would be Jim "Rich Dude" Irsay, owner of the Colts.
"Can't wait to see you on the next trip," Daniels said in his letter. "We'll stop in Gnaw Bone for the best tenderloin sandwich you'll ever have. Best wishes on your quest for citizenship -- legal and otherwise."


And I thought Republicans were opposed to immigration?

So that is what "Our Man Mitch" was up to this week!

PEACE DUDE

It's Friday Night Movie Night!

What a long week this week has been. But hey it's Friday night!


Wow how things have changed, long gone are the days of coming home and putting on my jeans and boots and starting that big black shiny Road King and heading down the highway for some wind in my face. Stopping in at Maggie's on Michigan where all the real Indy bikers hung out to have a cold one with our friends...and the weekend revolved around "The Bike".

Now Friday nights go like this......

Have had all I can take at the office and head out at 4:00...load Seger in the Van (ya the Golden goes to work everyday with me) and go pick up the Dude (aka...Nash). Find out he had an awesome day and they had been having water fun all afternoon...nothing like 15 soaked kids. So we get his stuff together and load the van back up......did you notice I said VAN.....ouch that hurts....I always have driven trucks.....Jeeps and Suburbans were my choice but I did have one Ford Expedition but I hated it.....anyway....Yes I drive a Chevy Van....and for those of us from the 70's I can assure you nothing you are thinking happens in Chevy Vans anymore so get over it....

So we call momma (aka Mauzy) and divide up stops on the way for the ranch. Nash and I pick Blockbuster as our stop. I tell you I have ridden a Harley all over the US and England, Ireland, Scotland (home of the famous Kim Ayres), Holland, Germany and France....ok you got me...had to ride thru Belgium to get to France....but there is nothing quite like going to blockbuster with a 6 year old. So half an hour later after paying for 4 movies and 4 re-stocking fees from the last ones we returned late we were headed for home.....

Now it's Friday night movie time ....everyone is in their shorts and favorite t-shirts and soon the table downstairs will be full of chicken nuggets, chips, burgers and pop corn. And we can start by watching Nash's two academy award winners....Santa Clause one and two..........

And my big choice left over from the old days.....should I wear the t-shirt from Hog's Breath Saloon or Fat Boy's Rule.....

So what's my point in all of this.....Absolutely nothing......life is good, just different then it use to be and different then I planned....but if I had to choose between heading down the highway with the wind in my hair or watching a movie with Nash.... I will hang with Nash.....

Does anybody know if the new Dressers come with a DVD player in the sidecar?


PEACE DUDE!

Chris Benoit Tragedy!

I had only been loosely following this story of WWE Professional Wrestler Chris Benoit's Families awful murder/suicide. I thought to myself, what a tragedy and I can never understand why or how people can do this. I have watched with intrigue as the media has already made this issue all about "Roid Rage". Then I got really upset when Fox News discussed tonight that the Benoit's son was their RETARDED SON!

Well needless to say I raised right up on the couch for a number of reasons.

1. First I bristled at the reference to "retarded son". Actually I more then bristled and for those that know me know I am a "Pit Bull" when it comes to person first and appropriate language when discussing individuals with intellectual and physical disabilities. And as I usually do I picked up the phone and called FOX News to let them know my displeasure and encouraged them to contact The Arc of The United States to learn more about properly reporting on individuals with disabilities.

2. The constant discussion of "Roid Rage"! Is there abuse of steroids in sports? You bet your ass there is. And if you think it's stopped in any sport due to testing then you are kidding yourself. Steroids control sports from the high school level all the way thru professional sports. Let's face it you don't grow 6'7 300 pound offensive lineman in Iowa from eating corn on the cob. So let's get over the fact that my god this man may have been doing steroids....I am sure he was! I played football in college and was around "JUICE" all the time. I have seen "Roid Rage" and some of the effects but bottom line there is no real information about long term results and the effect on individuals. A perfect example is Lyle Alzado died from supposed steroid abuse and Arnold Schwarzenegger become Governor of California. So I hope the media can dig a little deeper on this issue.

3. Then I sat back down and was quickly overcome by a pit in my stomach. Could this be more about their son then the other issues they were discussing. I did some quick research and discovered that this young man had Fragile X syndrome. What I found was that Fragile X is the leading cause of inherited mental impairment (what I refer to as intellectual disability and some may refer to as mental retardation). The pit in my stomach got a little bigger and I knew I needed to come share some thoughts or I would be awake all night.

As I sit here I wonder what caused this man with so many great things going on in his life to commit this tragic act? Was it related to drugs? Was it related to alcohol? Was it related to marital problems? Or was it something to due with how his son's disability was effecting him or his family?

What I do know is the one regret I have from when those original 8 of us started and made it an D.A.D.S.acronym for Dads Appreciating Down Syndrome is I wish we would have made it non disability specific. It works very well the way it is but this pit in my stomach tells me I wish I would have been there for this man. I have no idea how the other wrestlers around him where with his son, I am sure they were great but did they understand...I bet not. I am sure they understood the pressure of their career's and marriage etc but add the disability of your loving son and the fact that he inherited it from you.............wow....I have no idea if this had any ting to do with the decisions Mr. Benoit made over the weekend and I never will.

All I do know is life is tough, careers are tough, marriage is tough and a very high percentage of marriages that include a child with a disability end in divorce...a way too high number....

Some how we have to reach out to other DADS and let them know that no matter whether it's Down syndrome, Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Fragile X or (fill in the blank) we are out here man...reach out....talk to us....lean on us...let us carry you for awhile if we need to....but we are here....we are bonded as brothers in a fraternity we never set out to join. We understand it....We get it....

My thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of the Benoit family tonight.

PEACE DUDE!

State waiver system frustrates families of disabled

There was an interesting article in today's Muncie Star and Press about the Indiana Medicaid Waiver System..click here to read the article.

I thought there was some interesting things in this article. Here are my comments on a few.

1. For 22-year-old Chris Eldridge, who has Down's syndrome, six years is how long he's been on a waiting list for one of the state's developmental disabilities waivers.

Response: Here in the US the proper name is Down syndrome, you would think a reporter could get it right.

2. The waiver is what his parents, Tom and Connie Honn, need to ensure Eldridge is cared for by the state when they die. It's also the document he needs to work full-time at Cannon Industries, the industrial division of Hillcroft Services, East Central Indiana's support services agency for the developmentally disabled.

Response: No wonder people are confused. First of all the waiver gives the individual the funding for services now and throughout their lives. There are many other items like a "Special Needs Trust" that lay out a families wishes on their child's life after they are gone. I would not just leave it up to the state.

The other issue that bothers me a great deal is that the waiver is a document that someone needs to go to work. This is absolutely false. If someone wants to go to work they can make that transition on their own, they can apply and receive services thru Vocational Rehabilitation which will fund the support services they need to find, be trained and be success full at the job they choose. What they missed is the Waiver is needed for Cannon Industries to get paid to offer services at their SHELTERED WORKSHOP. Now if that is what the family wants that is fine but the only thing the waiver does is get Hillcroft paid from the state. That does not prevent the person from attending Hillcroft for services...they can start right away but the family would have to pay privately for these services. Plenty of info left out of this section.

The article goes on to talk about many things the State of Indiana is going to do this and do that....under Governor Mitch Daniels administration we have heard lots of talk about more funding for waivers, improved quality and better services....What is Mitch Roob at FSSA's famous line....Better...Faster...Cheaper....or if all else fails we will give a big outside contract to one of our buddies to see what they can do to make money....

Someday individuals with disabilities and their families will unite and realize that together we could be the largest voting block in the United States and instead of always fighting for funding for IDEA, NCLB and Medicaid and Waiver services we could actually start putting together a plan that works.

Ok, if there is any elected officials out there that read this and say Ya, ya but what is the plan. Drop me a response and I will get you my contact information and I will be very happy to sit down and explain a plan that will work.

Let's get organized, let's get out and vote and let's get involved in policy making and stop all this frustration.....

PEACE DUDE!

Let's talk Politics!

Hey, sorry I have been awol for so long....life has been crazy and work is even crazier...

Anyway some of you will know this and some of you will not but I use to ride motorcycles as my passion and hobby. Last one was a beautiful black FLHPi...for you non Harley people that would be a touring police bike converted to a RoadKing ....well those days are gone and I had to find a new passion....well it became politics and legislation. Just love that crap....

Well I am now going into my political mode and starting to talk about politics in a big way....

So here we go....The AAPD...The American Associaiton of people with disabilities along with some other national disability groups issued surveys to all the candidates for President. The results are interesting click here scroll down to the bottom of the page to read the responses.

Oh ya, when you get down there you will see very few have answered.....Hey RUDY? Hey HILLARY? Hey NEWT and FRED...if you are running.....This stuff is important to me...much more important then debating abortion...same sex marriage....Supreme Court litmus tests ect.....So fill the thing out so I know where you stand...

Right now I can say I am really looking at Senator Obama....he took the time to answer the questions.....and he definatley has someone on staff that Gets it!

More to come.....if you are not registered to VOTE...please do....the one and only requirement from my stand point to be an American is to register and cast your vote for who you believe in......it always amazes me the people well arrive in this county half naked on boats.....almost die in the desert or the back of a semi and those of us that are citizens by birth don't bother to vote.....come on folks...


PEACE DUDE