quote de jour..

truth breeds trust..

turn the page..

dc

gotta give some loVe to the capital. minus the weather - this city is full of hott excess night n day, rich in history n culture and inebriated on life. last night, we stopped in at the veirzon center to witness our detroit pistons win 106-103 over the lousy wizzz....

.late

it's been awhile...

“I offer images, I conjure memories of freedom that can still be reached. But we can only open the doors – we can't drag people through.”

Jim Morrison

i get bored..

tigers

you cant script october baseball. its the only american sport that has your heart skipping with every pitch. it all comes down to today. it all comes down to one pitch. i live for this...

quote de jour

the first duty of love is to listen.

ernie harwell: a farewell

ernie harwell. a legend in detroit tigers histroy. after 92 years, he has incurable cancer and only a few shorts months to live. he gives all the glory and honor to jesus and is truly a gentlemen in every sense. ernie, you are what baseball should always stand for. thanks for the memories..

quote de jour

you can tell alot about a man's golf swing - where he's been - and where he's ultimately headed...

MJ: hall of fame speech

healthcare bill - excerpts

page 29: “all healthcare will be rationed based on age, present health condition of any patient, and availability of health services and supplies.”

page 30: “a government committee will decide on what treatment or benefits will available under healthcare that will be provided. it will be illegal to provide any medical benefits to anyone who hasn’t been pre-approved by the healthcare committee.”

page 179: “any non-resident alien is exempt from healthcare taxes”

page 239: “the government will reduce physician services for medicaid, thereby rationing medical support for the poor”

page 241: “all doctors will be paid equally – with no regard to specialties of training required.”


And might I lastly add, all politicians and bureaucrats are exempt from this universal healthcare system. our leaders of our country are recommending us this socialistic healthcare system yet, they will receive an exclusive healthcare program that only they qualify for – on our tax dollars!

“If the freedom of speech is taken away then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter.”

George Washington

quote de jour

forever my love is music, for i will marry melody..

photosynth

unreal & mind-blowing software that allows you to view photos in a new life experience by the ability to reconstruct the scene or object from a bunch of flat photographs - all for free! check it out @ www.photosysnth.net

number XXIII

MJ. the man, the myth, the legend..

23 greatest moments

new england part II

..a video of our new england trip. enjoy!

new england

new england was a blast! from laura's wedding in cape cod, golfin woburn country club, strolling the beaches of the north shore, eating seafood in the fish capital of the world in gloucester, to ending the trip with a visit to independence hall in philadelphia. it was one of the most memorable trips of my life being with my whole family : )

our government

..cant even run our clash for clunkers program - havent paid out a dime to our hurting car dealerships, unless you count the small 2% of them across america - yet they think can run universal health care? i only want our government to protect me and to uphold my pursuit of life, liberty and happiness.

quote de jour

conviction is worthless unless it is converted into conduct

- thomas carlyle

a grandmother

A Grandmother

By: Ian & Justin Leath

Preview...


“It’s what you want out of life. Nobody can tell you that but yourself. Follow your heart.” Words from the most influential human being in our life: our grandmother. A grandmother who wants nothing more in her life than to witness us accomplish all this life has to offer. More than riches, more than self accolades, she desires our happiness to be fulfilled by the simple things in life. ‘Life is all about love, family and good-clean fun’ as she would say. A grandmother who always gives more of herself than anyone we ever known. Always thinking of others before herself. Always cooking Italian meals. Always pulling weeds and tending her gardens. Always giving us priceless advice to last a lifetime. A wife who was forever faithful to her husband, devoted mother to her children and a generous grandmother to us. A grandmother who loves us more than one could imagine.

Lenore D. Hayes

"Grandmother-grandchildren relationships are simple. Grandmas are short on criticism and long on love."

tahiti

tahiti is the largest of the 118 islands that makeup the french polynesia. this breathtaking photo was taken by a friend of a friend on his vacation in the heart of the south pacific. notice the reflection of the boat? the water is so clear that you can see up to 150 feet deep! unreal. my dream is to one day visit the french polynesia. my ultimate dream is to one day live and breath the warm tropical air in the south pacific every moment. maybe its because the sunsets never stop setting. or maybe its because the world seems to spin more slowly there....

quote de jour..

I firmly believe that any man's finest hour, the greatest fulfillment of all that he holds dear, is that one moment when he has worked his heart out and lies exhausted - victorious.

kentucky

louisville, kentucky. first time visit and definitely not my last. first stop during our trip was in sunfish. we visited the hayes farm and got a tour of the home courtesy of the current homeowner, maxine white. the old farm house was mostly original and brought back memories of my grandpa and what it must have felt like living on a farm in the 1940's. also visited sunfish mall, the old candy and dime shop on the corner of dtown sunfish. haha if u can even call it that. was going to try and confiscate the mall sign but it was too high and out of reach. next up, uncle paul and i stopped into hard rock cafe louisville and enjoyed a beer in my famous souvenir glass. then it was onto the qdma national convention where we had amazing times with live auctions, lunch & dinner banquets and even leanred a little education on harvesting and promoting quality deer. we experienced a late night out on fourth street live where we met up with the whole fam and had some pops at saddle ridge. tracy byrd was our lucky music guest that night, safe to say, ian wasn't enjoying any of that. all in all, louisville was a blast. finally got to experience the hayes family heritage....

big ben?

could it be? our 2004 nba champion and 'rock' of our pistons team 5 years ago could be returning to our detroit pistons. with joe d making salary cap space and finally unloading the team that couldnt return to the nba finals since 2005 for 4 straight years, its a need to fill the hole with some big men. big ben could fill that void even though its at the end of his career. how nice would it be for him to hang it up as a piston. and how great of an ovation would he recieve on the day of his return. i was a witness of this moment above. i witnessed my pistons play hard and play together. i witnessed that glorious win on june 15, 2004, a day i'll never forget in my life. ben, you deserve a return to the place where you earned your right in history. im all for it.....

quote de jour

You know, the ancient Egyptians had a beautiful belief about death. When their souls got to the entrance to heaven, the guards asked two questions. Their answers determined whether they were able to enter or not. ‘Have you found joy in your life?’ 'Has your life brought joy to others?’

Morgan Freeman - The Bucket List

common sense

common sense. something lacking today in our society. it has become a government by the government, of the government, and for the government. people? we are left out. what happened to by the people, for the people and of the people? in 1776, thomas paine got back to basics in his pamphlet called common sense. a british citizen with only a basic education trying to make a new life for himself. he made the case for revolution using simple yet logical, straightforward and indisputable arguments. seven months later, the british colonies finally obtained their freedom in a moment, july 4th, 1776, called the declaration of independence. today, we are back in 1776 before this moment faced with the same issues as before. our freedoms have slowly vanished while government corruption, bailout after bailout, trillions in debt, and political correctness are popular while our leaders lack character, moral values, and common sense as we sit by and do nothing. have we forget to use common sense?

today, politicians promise us a new, easier way to success and happiness - and too many of us have embraced it. IOU's. our money at our children's children's expense. i'm single and have no family, however, my family is already hundreds of thousands in debt. truly unthinkable. unbelievable. throwing money after money at our economic problems will not resolve our crisis -- only worsen it. there are no shortcuts in achieving and living the american dream. it takes hard work, relentless dedication to your core principles and values, and, above all, patience. nothing comes easy. nothing comes fast. unlike what our society and politicians try to preach. but, this kind of sense is just not so common anymore. we, as the people, need to once again rise up like we did in 1776 and revolt against the lies our government is selling us. $11,000,000,000,000. the current amount of our national debt. common sense tells us that you cant solve a debt crisis with more debt. you cant solve a spending crisis with more spending. its an impossibility. sadly, its a possibility our nation will eventually encounter a meltdown too large to recover......

"The cause of America is, in a great measure, the cause of all mankind. Many circumstances have, and will arise, which are not local, but universal, and through which the principles of all lovers of mankind are affected, and in the event of which, their affections are interested. The laying a country desolate with fire and sword, declaring war against the natural rights of all mankind, and extirpating the defenders thereof from the face of the earth, is the concern of every man to whom nature hath given the power of feeling; of which class; regardless of party, is."

Thomas Paine.
February 14, 1776.

MLK

the hottest place in hell is reserved for those who remain neutral in times of great moral conflict

hey you, big star...tell me when it's over. guide me to shelter. cause' im through when the two hits the six and it's summer. come...shove...the cloud...aside...there's no crowds in the streets and no sun in my own summer. the shade is a tool, a device. see i try and look up to the sky but my eyes burn. cloud..come...shove..the sun..aside...there's no sun in my own summer.

summer

summer 2009......finally! on the eve of summer just wanted to check in and wish everyone the best of times and travels. the sunset shot above was taken in the sedona desert in arizona. absolutely splendido! looking forward to intense heat, scorching rays and beautiful sunsets. enjoy the longest days of light of the year this week. check back soon ya'll!

pittsburgh

pnc park. home of the pittsburgh pirates. experienced the tigers and pirates game over the weekend at this beautiful ballpark located in downtown along the allegheny river. unfortunately, the tigs lost 9-3 on saturday evening. our seats were located in right field, section 143 row 2, not bad for free seats! after the game we bumped into joel zumaya at the pub across from pnc. he reluctantly nodded and kept walking by. later in our evening we noticed the pittsburgh penguins and lord stanley on the south side of pittsburgh celebrating on carlton street. needless to say, we walked the other way quickly forgetting what we witnessed. all in all, it was a gorgeous weekend and another ballpark to scratch off the list....

kobe

kobe won his 4th NBA championship this week. truly a remarkable feat for a basketball player always playing in the shadows. shadows of the big cactus. shadows of shaquille oneal. "From the standpoint of responding to that challenge, from people saying I couldn't do it without him, that feels good because you prove people wrong," bryant said. the media in our society today likes to report sexy headlines instead of the truth. the truth being this man was on a mission from the moment of opening camp. dedication. passion. leadership. and phil jackson noticed the change in him. "He knew that he had to give to get back in return," jackson said. "He's become a giver rather than just a guy that's a demanding leader." it was truly an honor to witness kobe bryant win his 4th championship. kobe has matured as person and as a player. kobe learned how to follow. kobe then experienced failure after success. kobe then learned that when you care about the person on your left and care about the person on your right, the person who benefits the most is the man in the middle. congratulations kobe, you are an unbelievable talent.

texas

just an update for the few followers out there. tex' is having a blast in texas! arrived last wednesday and i am here until this saturday. everyday has been 87 n sunny!! my favorite tempature. the gorgeous sun shot above was taken on lewisville lake over the weekend after a longggg day wakeboardin with some new friends. the geographics surrounding the lake are quite different than any lake in michigan. there are less trees, less sand and more rocks. nevertheless, good times & good people. the time out on the water and soaking in some rays was priceless. other notable events down here: watched the texas rangers beat the oakland a's 14-1, golfed at the cowboys club, vollyball sand bar at yucatan, live band at sherlocks, working out everyday, chillin at the pool everyday and 3 job interviews with one possible offer to come. life is good. miss you all. here's to another crappy day in paradise...

aristotle

we are what we repeatedly do. excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit..

perseverance

the rich should take pride in their humiliation—since they will pass away like a wild flower. for the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. in the same way, the rich will fade away even while they go about their business. blessed are those who persevere under trial, because when they have stood the test, they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.

james 1:10-12

greatness

greatness is passion. greatness comes when you have a talent almost all others don’t possess. greatness is a god-given ability and only comes to a chosen few. greatness always exceeds expectations and never quits. greatness is when actions by competitors occur in slow motion and those instant decisions reflect greatness for a lifetime.….

quote de jour

funny how it is, a broken heart is someone's favorite song..

DMB

lebron, the leader..

Lebron James is a professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association. He is only 24 years old and already has developed into a leader on the basketball court. Lebron was blessed with god-given athletic talent from the moment he was born. With so much talent, he was prized and looked at by NBA scouts at the young age of 15. At just 17, he was already given much publicity in high school as his games were aired on ESPN. After successfully winning the state championship at St. Marys, he declared for the NBA draft and was chosen as the number 1 overall pick by the Cleveland Cavaliers. I believe this year Lebron James has turned into a true leader because he has elevated his teammates above and beyond their production capabilities. And the results show. In the 2008-2009 season, the Cavs had the best overall record at 66-16, the best home record, 39-2 and Lebron just received the Most Valuable Player honor from the league. Is there any evidence to not nominate this superstar as a leader?

“I'm inherited to lead and also born with the leadership. That is my greatest advantage” Lebron James take on his ability to lead on the basketball court. And people all around the league have seen a difference in him this year. He has exhibited traits such as intelligence, personality, confidence in both himself and teammates and inspiration. He matured as a true leader in the 2008 Olympic basketball games. On the way to winning an olympic gold medal, James was very active and vocal with his subordinates and showed his maturity on the biggest sports stage in the world. "This is his sixth NBA season," Coach Mike Krzyzewski said of James' growth as a leader. "There's a big difference there." Just some examples of his leadership on the court include: being the first to pick up the intensity when practice begins, first to tell a teammate where he needs to be on the floor and he's the one they ask when they forget a play. In terms of power, Lebron has referent power. In other words, he makes the players around him better, and more importantly they follow his style on the basketball court. He has a good relationship with his teammates and they have fun during games & on and off the court.

Lebron motivates his teammates by working more than anyone else and leading by example. He motivates others by hard work, determination and the goal of winning the NBA championship this year. "I have never seen LeBron more focused and more determined," said Maverick Carter, James' business partner and lifelong friend. The Cavs lost last year in the playoffs in a game 7 against the Boston Celtics. It was only days later and Lebron James was in the gym by himself working on his game. 'See, LeBron doesn't just show up at the games with his Superman outfit on,' " Brown recalled. "He works harder than anyone. That's why he's LeBron." His work ethic and leadership is proving to be the keys to winning the championship this season. They already swept the Detroit Pistons and Atlanta Hawks out of the playoffs and currently are waiting to play the Orlando Magic in the Eastern Conference finals. "The goal since day one has been a championship," James said. "Nothing less”. And the way he is leading his team, a few championships maybe in the rear view mirror after all is said and done...