2008 TKD Board Break a thon

I have been studying Tae Kwon Do for a over 2 years now and and have been sharing my story with everyone here about my success. Well our academy's booster club has an annual community fundraising event,a board break-a-thon, and all of the proceeds go to the Katy ISD D.A.R.E program. The past 2 years we have raised over $4500 per year as a group for the program and we want to do even better this year. It is a good program and a lot of fun for all of those that participate.

I hope to raise at least $400 this year if possible, and it all comes down to you my friends and readers. What I am looking for is for you all to sponsor my daughters in this event. For every $5 donated they get to break a board. So we are looking to get donations towards 80 boards, now I know that sounds like a lot but knowing my kids they will rip through that in no time flat.

As an added bonus if anyone wants, I will provide photos of myself or my kids breaking the boards that are purchased by anyone who sponsors us. And if you want I will even make sure your name is on the board. Please help support D.A.R.E. You can contact me through here or via E-mail at wtweldon@yahoo.com and use TKD in the subject line.



Thanks again,

Life the Universe and Everything

With apologies to Douglas Adams, It has been a long time since I have posted much of anything here other than a few photos of my children. There have been several reasons, including not having the time, as well as simply being burned out by all of the garbage that is/was going on in the world. That being said, I do not know how much I will be posting in the future simply because every time I start to write about something, the inspiration, or infuriating that spurred me on to write seems to fade. It could be that I am simply sick and tired of bitching about things that I have no control over, and somewhere in the back of my mind a switch has been thrown and I subconsciously now realize that I need to be more aware of my own personal surroundings and do more to take control of those things that I can effect. I could continue to collect headlines of stories that I find interesting and make a comment or 2 about them, however right here and right now I am more of a mindset to suspend this blog in it's current format and look for some other form of expression in this space. What it is going to be I do not know, stay tuned for more news and updates.

Catherine and Locks of Love

This is my youngest daughter this weekend giving up her hair for locks of love.

Board Break a thon announcement

I have been studying Tae Kwon Do for a little over 1 year now and our academy's booster club has an annual community event. It is a board break-a-thon, and all of the proceeds go to the Katy ISD D.A.R.E program. Last year we raised over $4500 as a group for the program and we want to do even better this year. It is a good program and a lot of fun for all of those that participate. As an added bonus I'll provide photos of myself or my kids breaking the boards that are purchased by readers here. I'll even make sure your name is on the board. Please help support D.A.R.E. You can contact me through here or the e-mail on the flyer.

I hope to raise at least $300 for this cause.

Second Annual Board Break-A-Thon

· Saturday October 27th 3:00-5:00

· Hosted by the C3 Booster Club

· Help the Community by raising money for Katy Area D.A.R.E Programs

· Location: Allen Samuels Dodge on Katy Freeway

See the flyer for more details
Board break a thon flyer

Happy Birthday to Me

Well today is a special day, actually it is a uniquely special day. Today is my 40th birthday, and instead of sitting here and ranting about any of these topics:

Social Injustice
Racism
Political Stupidity
Corporate greed
Social insaninty
Houston Sports failures
Michigan Football failures
Drugs in sports
Darwin Award winners

I am going to take the day and enjoy it.

I wonder who actually looks at this

Over the past few weeks I have gotten the distinct feeling that there are certain people over at other sites that I visit that have decided to a) tune me out, b) deliberately provoke me through insults, or c) a combination of both. Now if it has come to the point that a majority of people or even a significant number of people on those sites feel that I am irrelevant then that is fine with me. I have no problem moving on and looking for other discussion groups, as well as others to share my ideas and concerns with. But at the same time I do not appreciate being ignored, and talked about as if I am not present. So.....

I have in the past gotten snippy with some people and I do regret it, to a certain point. I do not regret the honest and respectful discussions that I had with these people, however I guess that their actions and comments should let me know that I am not wanted nor are my perspectives appreciated, and that is fine. I'll move on.

So to all of those that I have shared my thoughts, ideas and concerns with over the past year I wish you good health, and good fortunes.

This may well be my last post here as well, I do not know if it is even worth the effort keeping this up if my perspective is not appreciated nor respected.

I am out.

Jim Butcher and the Dresden Chronicles

I am an avid reader of science fiction and fantasy books, the problem I have these days is the fact that I am very particular about what authors I will read. I am always willing to give an author a chance, that is how I found Jim Butcher, and his Dresden Chronicles. I was at the book store desperate to find some new reading material, since I really did not want to read the Lord of the Rings for the 10th time, when I found the first of Jim's Dresden series Storm Front. The first thing that caught my eye was the cover art, but then after reading the back cover of the book, I was intrigued.

Harry Dresden is the best at what he does. Well, technically, he's the only at what he does. So when the Chicago P.D. has a case that transcends mortal creativity or capability, they come to him for answers. For the "everyday" world is actually full of strange and magical things -- and most of them don't play well with humans. That's where Harry comes in. Takes a wizard to catch a -- well, whatever.
There's just one problem. Business, to put it mildly, stinks. So when the police bring him in to consult on a grisly double murder committed with black magic, Harry's seeing dollar signs. But where there's black magic, there's a black mage behind it. And now that mage knows Harry's name. And that's when things start to get... interesting.
Magic. It can get a guy killed.

So here I am with a story about a wizard in modern day Chicago, dealing with black magic, murder, mobster, and a police force that thinks he is a nut job. Well who would not want to read this, so the book went into my stack of potential purchases. After about another thirty minutes of perusing the shelves I had about ten books sitting in a pile on the table in front of me. I narrowed it down to four and bought them, Storm Front was one of the four. Later that day when I got home I picked up Storm Front and started to read. Needless to say I was not disappointed, right from the start the book grabbed me and did not let me go. This book was different, not only in the story line but also in the fact that the hero of the story is not someone who you would expect to be a soft touch, Dresden is as much a hard case as he is a cynic, yet at the same time you can see the very dry sense of humor come through. For example this little bit at the end of chapter 1...

Besides which. If I was someone in this town using magic to kill people two at a time, and I didn't want to get caught, I'd make sure that I removed the only practicing wizard the police department kept on retainer. I liked my odds on the stairwell a lot better than I did in the cramped confines of the elevator.
Paranoid? Probably. But just because you're paranoid doesn't mean that there isn't an invisible demon about to eat your face

See what I mean, Harry Dresden is the type of character that you will either love or hate, plain and simple. But Butcher has not left Harry without suitable supporting characters, there is Bob, the spirit who is part frat rat, part encyclopedia for the arcane, Kerrin Murphy who is the Detective in charge of the Special Investigation unit of the Chicago PD, and there are many other people and creatures that cross Harry's path, both good and bad.

Butcher has nine books published in this series currently, and they have been so well received that he is now publishing in hardcover first. Another sign that the books have found an audience, is the fact that the Sci-Fi Channel now has a series based upon the books on Sunday nights at 8pm Central time. So if you are a fan of well written books and enjoy mysteries, and or science fiction, I would highly recommend this series.

Headlines and comments

Web Site Kicks Sand in Faces of GIs in Iraq Asking for Mats to Ease Hardship of Sleeping on Ground You will just have to read this to believe it

Storm Hits Weather Community Over Climate Expert's Global Warming Claims More liberal faux science trying to be come mainstream, by shutting down the opposition

Thwarted Al Qaeda in Iraq Plot Would Have Smuggled Terrorists Into United States on Student Visas Any more reasons needed to close the borders

Mexico Holding 11 Iraqis With Fake Papers See previous article

Passports Now Required on All U.S.-International Flights Just an FYI for all of you world travelers.

Is Bush already a lame duck? Yes and that means more liberal legislation over the next 2 years.

Lawmakers Want Polygraph of Berger Over Stolen 9/11 Documents What do they want to know what type of underwear he was stuffing the documents into ..

Women in Business: Some Tips on Becoming a B-Word have an itch to scratch.

MySpace.com to Send Out Amber Alerts maybe some good will come from this site now

Oil Company Offers $50M in College Scholarships for Arkansas Town and who says oil companies are cruel and greedy

Tijuana Police Have Guns Confiscated, Issued Slingshots Just have to laugh at this one..

Michigan v Ohio State - Post Game

Well that game was one for the ages... I don't care who say otherwise. It actually lived up to the hype, two heavyweight college football programs standing toe to toe slugging it out for the full 60 minutes. It was a great display of leadership, determination, and the refusal to give up even when things looked like they were going south.

Despite a solid victory of their arch-rivals there are now several other questions for Ohio State. First who are they going to play on Jan 8th. How good is this team, granted they have gone 12-0 so far, and that alone is an impressive stat, the question of how good is more of, if they win their bowl game where will they rank among all the previous national champions. How good is Troy Smith, he has been a fantastic leader and quarterback over the past 3 years and I will not deny that he has had Michigan's number, the question is how well will he do at the next level? I for one think he will be a successful QB provided he is drafted by a team that understands that he is neither Vince Young nor Michael Vick. Kirk Hierbstreet said it best he is more like Drew Brees, simply a very good quarterback who knows how to lead and win, which are more important skills than anything that he brings to the table athletically.

Now on to the game. I was correct in my assumption that it would be the role players on the team that would make the most difference. Yes Ted Ginn had a touchdown, but it was the fact that Smith completed more passes to his 3rd, 4th and 5th receivers than Ginn and Gonzales, and the fact that the first big play of the game was made by a freshman reserve running back. Am I sad that Michigan lost, yes, but the fact that they did not lose the game, OSU won it by making the big plays, and doing the little things that they needed to do to win, like converting 4 3rd downs on the their FIRST Drive of the game. Michigan came into the game allowing only 25% 3rd down conversion rate, OSU converted on over 60% of them. OSU was able to keep Michigan from scoring more than 10 points off of their 3 turnovers, and OSU had more plays of over 20 yards, including 3 touchdowns of 40+ yards. That alone is enough to win most games.

I am proud of this Michigan team more than any other I have followed for the simple reason, over the course of this year they have played hard, played smart, and have proven that the 7-5 season of last year was not what is to be expected of Michigan football. They overcame injuries to a couple of key players during the season, but had others step up and make contributions in their absence. Then on top of that hearing about the death of Bo Schembechler, less than 24 hours before kick off. The worst thing that can happen now is Michigan goes to the Rose Bowl, Not a ban consolation prize after playing one of the best games in College football in the past 20 years.

So for all of those who thought Lloyd Carr was done, and thought that he could not coach, I say shut up and go support Sparty where they have more problems than just not having a coach.

GO BLUE I am proud of you

Why do we reward Divas?

Why do we reward divas, for their petulant behavior? I mean where in the world do they get off acting the way they do? Those are questions that people are always asking, and it is not only the "DIVA" divas like Naomi Campbell, that it is asked about but also the plethora of sports divas that are around. This article looks at some of the more prominant sports divas and some of their actions.. Sports Divas It talks about Barry Bonds, T.O, and others. The sad thing is most of these people who are in this story are placed up on such a high pedastle that they seem to think their crap does not stink. I really like Charles Barkley's thought that he should not be a role model, nor should he be. The sad thing about society today is that we take people who happen to have magnificiant levels of GOD GIVEN TALLENT, and make them icons, and alot of the time it is done BEFORE they have achieved anything worth being recognized for. Randy Moss is a perfect example of someone who has become a diva because of his natural ability, but is unwilling to put the effort in to do more than he needs to do to simply get by. I sit here and am critical of these people and their behavior but there are plenty of athletes and stars that you can admire, and respect because they have worked hard and do not go searching for the spotlight, but simply accept the position and do everything that they can to be the best that they can at their own profession. Some examples Derek Jeter, Craig Biggio, Peyton Manning, the late Reggie White, LaBron James, Yao Ming, Andre Johnson, Clint Eastwood, Sean Connery, and there are others, that I would list, but I have other things I need to do.

Michigan v Ohio State 2006 Edition

It is being called the game of the century. It is being called the national championship game. It has been hyped up since the middle of October, as the showdown. But to any true Michigan or Ohio State fan, it is simply "The Game".

When you talk to anyone in either state, and it does not matter if their first loyalties lie with OSU or Michigan, college football fans in both states openly admit that this game is the one that can make or break a season. The only difference is this is the first time in nearly 30 years both teams are undefeated going into the game. That one fact that it has taken nearly all of my life time for both schools to come into this week without a loss says something about both the changes in the Big Ten, College football, as well as the fact that both teams have had their share of ups and downs. Now the big issue I have is the fact that this game could very well end up just like all the hype and hoopla that ABC and ESPN have piled upon it, or it could end up as a brutal and ugly game like some of the old Bo v Woody games. Either way the true fans of both Michigan and Ohio State will enjoy it.

I can sit here and debate who is better, who has more talent, does Jim Tressel have Lloyd Carr's number like Carr did john Cooper, as well as many other aspects of the game. The list is huge, and the opinions run the gamut. But this is a rivalry game first, it is for the Big Ten Title, and a BCS Bid second. Woody Hayes said it best when he said, it would not matter if both teams were 0-10 going into this game the intensity and emotion would be the same. Neither teams season is considered a complete success unless they beat the other. And it is for those reasons alone that this game like every one before it will come down to some very simple guidelines.

• Who will play better football for a full 60 minutes.
• Who makes the fewest mistakes.
• Who runs the ball better.
• Which quarter back handles the pressure of a big game better.
• Which special teams does a better job of getting good field position.
• And which player on the supporting cast comes up with the most big plays.

Despite the fact that every "expert" on the face of the earth has sorted out the who, what, and how. I really believe that it will not be the stars on either team that will be the difference on Saturday. It is going to come down to which of the supporting cast stands out. Will it be Anthony Gonzalez, Tyler Ecker, Antonio Smith, Garrett Rivas, or some other player who steps up in what could be the biggest game they ever play in their lives and does something outstanding to change the game. Both teams have many players who are listed as having NFL caliber talent, however very few of those will ever again play in a game with as much hype, passion, history, love, hate, as well as what is at stake, The OUTRIGHT Big Ten Title, the Big Ten's automatic spot in the BCS, one of the 2 spots in the National title game on January 8th, and the continuation of a perfect season. All that being said, I am looking forward to a great football game that will be talked about for days and months in the future.

Links to UM-OSU articles and some Michigan memories. There are more than I can post here but enjoy the game.

And finally my prediction.... Michigan 20 Ohio State 17 with Michigan wining on a score in the last 3 minutes to either break the tie or come from behind.

http://www.ufer.org/sounds/Woody_Hayes_Poem.mp3
http://www.ufer.org/sounds/Billy_Taylor.mp3
http://www.ufer.org
http://msn.foxsports.com/cfb/story/6179946
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/columns/story?columnist=forde_pat&id=2664956
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/columns/story?columnist=wojciechowski_gene&id=2661402
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/columns/story?columnist=davie&id=2663536
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?page=Michigan-OhioState2K6
http://msn.foxsports.com/cfb/story/6166680
http://msn.foxsports.com/cfb/story/6179542

Katy TKD Project D.A.R.E fundraiser - I have photos

For those that wanted proof....
On October 14th, the Katy TKD Booster Club hosted a community fund raiser for the Katy ISD DARE program. DARE raises drug awareness in Katy schools. Katy TKD students raised money by getting sponsors at $5 per board. The event raised $4500 for DARE. Below are a couple of pictures of myself and my daughter breaking some of the 50 boards that everyone sponsored. Thank you to all who sponsored us as well as the rest of the Katy community for their support. The link below goes to the site with more pictures of the event. Katy TKD