Merry Christmas Everyone

I sit here alone again on another Christmas Eve. Half an hour till midnight. Yet for the first time in as long as I can remember I know I am not alone. First off, I have two crazy dogs ready to join me down stairs at first call (or at least first treat). I have a family that, while is still in mourning for all of those we have lost, most especially Robert, my father, is growing larger and happier by the day. My mother has my love, respect, and presence every day of the week currently. She is not here tonight but instead is sleeping in the same room with her first grandchild Aidan. It is funny to hear her wonder if she would scare him by sleeping in the room with him, and even funnier to hear Bridget, Aidan's mother, remind him that he knows "GammaGy" (pronounced gamma guhee) and all she need do is turn on the light and show him her face to bring back his smile.
I see my sister Maureen and her husband Glen, on their way to starting a family of their own, filled with love and joy for the moment and in their new house and family on the way for the future.
That all has come together with, Dan, Maureen, Glen, Bridget, Chris, Aidan and those further away to make this of course a season of reflection, but more importantly a season for and with great joy is a Miracle all in itself.
As for myself I steal directly from director Kevin Smith, and undoubtedly many others, by stating that this is my Jesus year. While I may no longer practice the faith directly, to say I am not inspired by or born from it would be a lie. Age 33 was when Jesus did his most famous of works on Earth, or so the books tell us. I have looked up on this age for many years as a major marking post in my life. Perhaps only to be followed by age 64 (thanks to the Beatles for that one).
In this year I have lost my father. It is by far the toughest thing I have ever gone through. So many conflicting emotions. Yet thanks to him I have a wonderful job. I have found a career. Something I know he wanted desperately for me. I have co-workers who have in a very short period of time become more like family to me than I ever thought possible.
I have restarted my education, and at least so far have 4.0 GPA, and while I can't promise I will keep that up all the way through, for his sake and mine I will certainly do my best. On that score I know he would be very proud.
Most importantly to me I have met the most wonderful, beautiful, charming, funny, intelligent, Woman I could have ever met. My inspiration for all that is good in this world, Emily, has blessed me so by sharing her life with me. Knowing that I have given her even an ounce of the Joy that she has given me makes my heart overflow. I do not know what the future holds for the two of us, but I am so thankful for every day that I have with her, and will be thankful for the rest of my life that I have gotten to know her. Her beauty permeates all around her, brings happiness to all who know her, and I have and will always dedicate myself to her happiness. I will support her in all that she does in life because whether she knows it or not she has already saved mine. Given me a strength and Faith that I didn't even dare dream of before. For that I will be forever grateful, and for that she deserves my everlasting support. Whether it is with me, or whomever turns out to be the luckiest man on Earth who gets to share their life with her, I will always be there whenever she calls.
So on this Christmas, now getting closer and closer to Midnight, Santa has long since come for me. Perhaps what I have said seems somewhat selfish, I think my perceived loneliness before was much more selfish. I have lost a lot this year, but I have gained so much more. I know that if what my father believed is true he is most definitely smiling down upon us now. I dare say his hand has been behind all the good that started developing before he left us and certainly all the good that has happened since he left us. I love you Dad. I miss you.
To all of you kind enough to read this far. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you! I know 2009 will be great for us all. If you ever need reminding of that fact just contact me and I'll remind you of all we have to be thankful for.
Now I return to a book that Emily lent me. Even now with her in California with her family and I here in NC, she is with me. I am not alone.

Heroes seems to be back

Well Sylar seems to be back on track. The show itself seems like it is building to something good and I really do like Robert Forrester's character. It will be an interesting rest of the season. I can only hope that due to the extremely untimely demise of Bryan Fuller's Pushing Daises that it will only be a matter of time before things get extremely better for this show. I just hope the story continues to be as good as it has been the last few episodes through his return.

DON'T READ THIS!!!!!!!!!

Go and Vote!!!!

And if you already have thank you for participating in this greatest of democracies and make sure everyone you know VOTES!!!!!

Please Vote

Hello everyone,
I have just returned from Wake Forest, NC. It's just up the road from where I live. It's a beautiful and unassuming southern small town. In this place I have just cast what I believe to be the most important vote for President in my lifetime. In this time we face what can surely be the greatest economic crisis since the Great Depression. Our standing on the international stage, greatly depressed due to the actions of the Bush Administration, will only be diminished further by the economic recession that has come.
It is my hope that the next President of the United States can help us all restore America to it's hard earned place as one of the greatest cultural, political, and hopefully ethical forces for good on this planet of ours. No matter what has happened in the last eight years, from attacks upon us, attacks by us, and attacks on our Liberty from forces outside and within we have lost none of our potential. I still believe that we as human beings are by nature primarily good. I believe that as misguided as our leaders have been they still have the capacity to do good. I do believe in the "Audacity of Hope" that my personal pick for president Barack Obama speaks of. It is this audacity, this drive, this Hope that will help to lead my generation to become of the "Greatest Generations".
Like those who came before us it is not by choice that we must take up this charge to change the world for the better, it is our responsibility. Like all parents we too must hope that those who come after us will find a world given to them that is better than when we came. To accomplish this task we must face our challenges now. To quote John F. Kennedy, "not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win". It is to this end that I cast my ballot today.
I choose Barack Obama to be representative as President of the United States. Not because his task will be easy but because it will be hard. It is my belief that his resolve, intelligence, and willingness to get the job done will start the process of rebuilding America into one of the preeminent forces for good for many generations to come.
No matter your beliefs, your personal politics, your reservations or fear for our future there is one thing we can all believe in. It is the idea of the greatest Representative Democracy this planet has ever seen. The United States of America. So please vote. Do your part no matter how large or small and help us all grow as a people, a country, a continent, a world. Together we can do this so please:
VOTE!!!!!!

The First Presidental Debate

Quick first impressions:
1) I think Obama was much stronger during the economic portion of the debate. McCain seem to flounder many times and was unable to drive any of his points home as well as Obama did.
2)I think that McCain was able to gain ground during the National Security portion of the debate but that Obama still has the Afgan-Bin Laden point more in his corner and McCain had no response.
3) I think that the deregulation in this country across the board be it banking, stock-trading, power distribution, media control and I could go on and on has led to the many nearly all the major crises that we face today. Over-regulation can hamper our economy. No regulation and no oversight has nearly destroyed it.

Also why is Sarah Palin incapable of responding to the debate where Biden is? Is she really that naieve, dumb, prone to shoot the interviewer like he/she was a moose???? What the hell??? Why is Guilani responding???

On we go...

Overwhelmed but doing okay

All right. So I think I have done everything right that needs to be done for my online classes. I am not sure as I posted everything correctly in the ANGEL classroom. I just started tough with the TASKSTREAM progam and I am not sure what it is yet. I guess I still have a lot to learn with these online classes. It does seem overwhelming the first week.

First Day of Classes

Hello again,
I just finished posting my first assignment for my online classes at Grand Canyon University. It's a wonderful new journey that I am on and I am very excited. While my major is Education with a specialization in English who knows what I'll actually end up teaching in the end. I just know that teaching is my niche, in my blood, and apparently what I was born to do. Lord knows I love to talk and love to share information with others. To be paid to do that, to see the light turn on in someone's eyes when they finally get it is something I think we all can relate to and be proud of. I hope this is my best way in the long haul to serve my community with pride, and along with other acts of charity and the giving of my time bring a fufillment to my life that I believe I can't even begin to comprehend at this point. I know where the goal is and I am reaching for it. I hope that I am able to positively effect as many lives as possible and live up to the American ideal and help set new standards not only for myself but for my students.

History has just happened

Hello Everyone,
I have to say that at this moment I could not be more proud of my former home state of New York, their Senator Hillary Clinton, and the entire United States of America. I have just witnessed a great moment in the civil rights movement of the United States in the nomination of Barack Obama for the Presidency of the United States of America. While I was born years after the death of the great Dr. Martin Luther King I have grown up in a society that continues to figure out how to answer his call for true Unity, Harmony, and to live up to his Dream. I believe a wonderful part of that dream has come true today. As I am writing this blog I am listening to Rep. John Lewis of Georgia, a contemporary of Dr. King, express much more eloquentely than I ever could the feelings that I believe I share with him that I am so proud that we are moving closer to one America. That race is not the biggest issue in Barack's nomination. That it is his message of Hope and Change that has led to candidacy. That it is the content of his character not the color of his skin upon which he is judged. I hope that as the election comes quickly upon us that the American People continue to judge the candidates on the content of their character and their message and policies.
Personally I obviously strongly support Barack Obama and Joe Biden. I am also proud of Senator McCain's service to this country. The sacrifice's he has made for this country have rarely if ever been equalled by many who serve from bottom to especially to the current top of our government. We should honor him for that.
Barack's message of Hope and Unity and the neccesary Change from the policies of the last eight years to me can not be ignored. Nor can it even begin to be equalled by anything said to this point by John McCain.
I now await the next great moment in our Nation's history tomorrow night. On the 45th anniversary of Dr. King's (arguably)greatest and certainly most famous speech, Senator Obama will formally accept the nomination for the Presidency of the United States. This is history in the making. This is a great step forward for our nation. Something has happened this week that has never happened before in the history of our Nation and it is for all the right reasons.