Interesting turn of events...

(CNN)It's official. From January 1, 2016 China will allow two children for every couple. Chinese lawmakers rubber-stamped the new legislation Sunday during a session of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, which governs the country's laws, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

"The state advocates that one couple shall be allowed to have two children," according to the newly revised Law on Population and Family Planning.

With China's logic of needing/wanting a younger and larger workforce for their still growing economy the added child act/law might be good news to some families who have wanted to have two kids. When reading some of the reports that some couples were forced to have abortions and or fined large monetary sums I couldn't believe that this kind of legislation existed. Like Japan's population China is finding themselves having trouble with some of their food sources. I'm going to give this a place on the back burner and se where things are in about six months - both food supply and the added child act.

12/17/2015 - He's Gone...

Good morning all; My brother has come and gone. He came here from Puerto Rico to start on a different adventure that would bring him unthinkable experiences. I was more then happy to lend a helping hand when he needed it. The economy in P.R. has been looking dark for quite some time now. When my brother asked if I can help him start fresh here in the States I was more forced to remind him about his tropical surroundings and that it will not follow him here to Ohio. He spent a total of two months here. In that time frame he was able to find a job with Bluflame and made some really good friends. He has mentioned to me that he will never forget them but first and foremost he will never forget the opportunity that I was able to give him. I will miss him but plan on visiting him next year, god willing. MR

We must remember...

As most of you may have heard, there have been some amazing breakthroughs this past month in linking certain genes to Alzheimer's, but there is still a lot of work to be done. This year, the first of the Boomer Generation turns 65. To bring urgently-needed attention to the risk facing the Boomers, Alzheimer's Association released a groundbreaking study, Generation Alzheimer's: The Defining Disease of the Baby Boomers.

The information you read is just the beginning of what has been discovered. Please take a few minutes of your time and do some homework on the ever growing problem of Alzheimer's.

Congrats to the hard workers...

Randy Moss named to weekly player honor

NEW YORK (UPI) -- New England Patriots wide receiver Randy Moss Wednesday was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week.
In a 24-20 victory against Indianapolis, Moss scored once on nine receptions for 145 yards. Pittsburgh linebacker James Harrison (defense), and San Diego defensive back Antonio Cromartie (special teams) were the other AFC honorees. Harrison had nine tackles, one interception, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, and 3 ½ sacks as the Steelers trounced Baltimore, 38-7. Cromatie returned a missed field goal 109 yards for the longest play in NFL history in the Chargers 35-17 loss to Minnesota.
Named in the NFC were Vikings' running back Adrian Peterson (offense), who scored three times while rushing for an NFL single-game record 296 yards on 30 attempts, Detroit tackle Shaun Rogers (defense), who raced 66 yards for a touchdown after a pass interception in the Lions 44-7 rout of Denver, and Washington placekicker Shaun Suisham (special teams), who booted five field goals in a 23-20 overtime win over the New York Jets.

It would of been nice to see some of the players from the 49ers team mentioned but it looks like they have to do a little more to get that special announcement. With the way things are going thus far for the niners I hope that they at least get one or two more wins before the season is over.

A Good Concert...

My wife and I were honored to attend and support our youngest child at her second chorus concet at Bowsher High School. She and her group performed very well, the songs they chose were sung excellently. In case you're wondering which one is my kid - she's on the top row she's the third one from right to left. Their performance was very well put together and you can tell that they had a good time performing. As most of you might already know my wife is a very emotional person especially when it comes to watching her youngest perform on stage, well she had a few tears escape hence causing her to cry during the event. I'm proud of you Aubrey and I hope to see many more performances from you and your group.

A-Rod in the Glass City?

Alex Rodriguez isn’t going to be a Tiger in 2008, but maybe he’ll consider an offer from the Toledo Mud Hens. On Sunday, after SI.com reported that Rodriguez would opt out of his contract and become a free agent, New York Yankees senior vice president Hank Steinbrenner told the New York Times, “Does he want to go into the Hall of Fame as a Yankee, or a Toledo Mud Hen?” The Mud Hens figured they should give him that opportunity. Dan Royer, a graphic designer for the team, created a mock Hall of Fame bust, with Rodriguez wearing a Toledo hat. The Mud Hens also prepared a letter that they plan to mail to Rodriguez’s agent, Scott Boras. Included is a contract offer with incentives if he hits 75 home runs per season and leads Toledo to 10 straight Governors’ Cup titles.
There is a catch, of course.
The letter includes a reminder that Mike Hessman – the International League’s reigning Most Valuable Player – is the Mud Hens’ everyday third baseman.
“We think that it would be a healthy competition at spring training between the two of them,” it reads. “Would your client be willing to play a different position?”
By Jon Paul Morosi -
Detroit Free Press Sports Writer

I believe we should welcome him with open arms and hearts. We have a great crew in The Mud Hens and we can always use an addition to the club. Let's see what happens with this one and I would have to agree that he might bring in a bigger fan crowd and a bit more money to the area which Toledo canuse right now and in the future.

Dirty or Clean?

LOS ANGELES (UPI) -- Barry Bonds said Thursday he would turn down entry into the Hall of Fame if an asterisk is placed on the baseball he hit to break Hank Aaron's career record. Bonds, who made the vow during an interview with MSNBC, broke Aaron's mark of 755 homers this year and finished the season with 762. He was released by the San Francisco Giants at season's end. The ball Bonds hit to establish the record was purchased by fashion designer Marc Ecko for $752,000 and Ecko gave fans a chance to vote on the Internet on what they thought should happen to the ball.
Fans voted to send the ball to the Hall of Fame with an asterisk marked on it as a symbol of Bonds' alleged use of performance enhancing drugs. "I don't think you can put an asterisk in the game of baseball," Bonds said in the interview. When asked what he would do if the ball was displayed with an asterisk, Bonds said:

"I will never be in the Hall of Fame. Never. I won't go. I won't be part of it, I won't be there. You can call me, but I won't be there."

It bothers me that although there have been many accusations towards Bonds about the juicing of the performance drug and no one has yet to show some kind of proof. You would think that if in fact he did use the additives some one would of busted him on it by now. Allow the ball to be placed in The Hall of Fame without the asterisk next to it because until proven dirty, he's clean. How many players in the league have large numbers of RBIs and stolen bases? Quite a bit right, well let's say we add an asterisk to there number total and add a text saying "Well so and so got that last boost of numbers because the last team the played completely sucked so his total counts but it's under restraint due to lack of a challenge from the opposing team." Now that would completely enrage the player accomplishing that task of greatness. Now if it turns out that he was walking around with an IV pumping the stuff in then I guess I'll take back my words and agree that the ball should not only have an asterisk but it should be placed in the cleaning supply closet for all to see where dirty accomplishments go.

Rush on top of things...

Philanthropist Betty Casey won the Harry Reid "phony soldiers" smear letter with a $2,100,100 donation to the Marine Corps-Law Enforcement Foundation (MC-LEF.org). Rush matched that donation with $2,100,100 of his own money. The Democrats donated $0 to the children of our fallen heroes. I was hoping to see Harry himself throw in some cash for the cause but of course he would much rather try to make it look like he and Rush were in on this the whole time by asking those who were listening to him to participate in the bid because after all it was for the kids. What a loser.

A courthouse that can not go away...

I posted about this back in July of this year, back then the talk was to bring down the old courthouse that has been around since 1884. It hit the news again today and Rep. Peter Ujvagi (D., Toledo), is working on potential sources to help fund restoration of the vacant courthouse and possibly other courthouses across the state. Mr. Ujvagi is looking at a menu of possible legislative options, including creation of a Texas-style commission to help finance courthouse restoration, a business tax credit to encourage private investment, and capital-budget funding. This courthouse is one of many throughout our state that will potentially meet a fate that is completely opposite from its' opening day. Let hope that a course is taken before such a historical landmark is destroyed.
Click here for the story.
Click here for previous post on this issue.

Game 7 goes to the Red Sox - and they're going the World Series...

MLB: Boston 11, Cleveland 2
BOSTON (UPI) -- Dustin Pedroia homered, drove in five runs and scored three times Sunday night, as the Boston Red Sox beat Cleveland, 11-2, in Game 7 of the ALCS.
Pedroia's two-run homer in the seventh cracked open a one-run game at Fenway Park, as the Sox went on to score six runs in the inning on the way to their third straight win over the Indians. After coming back from being down 3-1 in the ALCS, Boston earned its second trip to the World Series in four years, and will take on the National League champion Colorado Rockies in Game 1 Wednesday. The Red Sox won the World Series in 2004. Kevin Youkilis had three hits, including a two-run homer, and Boston starter Daisuke Matsuzaka earned the victory, giving up just two runs on six hits in five innings, with three strikeouts and no walks.
After Hideki Okajima pitched two-plus innings of relief, Boston closer Jonathan Papelbon posted the first six-out save of his career. Grady Sizemore and Ryan Garko each drove in a run for the Indians. Cleveland starter Jake Westbrook took the loss, despite holding Boston to three runs on nine hits in six innings, with five strikeouts and one walk.

A new member...

Today at 6:02 am a new member was brought into the family. Annika Grace Birukow is her name and having a killer gripping hands is her game. This post goes out to my son and daughter in law, congrats and welcome to the world of parenting.
:)
Of course I had to hold the baby as you can see. Hold a new life in my arms felt really good, it gave me a real sense of how life can be fragile at first but as the years go on you find yourself feeling invincible. God bless you Annika and I love you.

An Interrupted Plan...

By looking at the image to the right simply disturbs me because for this kid to have this much arsenal and then having the mom being found responsible for purchasing some of the weaponry which includes a 9mm rifle and allowing her son to actually have gun powder in the home. Call me an out of the box thinker here but didn't she get a clue or an insight or heck even a hint that her son was a bit out there. What kid collects guns as a hobby, why I say that - because it would not surprise me if she pleads not guilty due to her thinking it was a collection that he had and that it didn't have any other meaning to it other then that. I need to meet the friend that brought this to the attention of the police because that person needs to be honored for preventing a possible horror.
VIDEO

Still Remembering...

It has been six years but it feels like it was just yesterday when the horrible events 9/11 unfolded. We (my family and I) had a moment to reflect on that day's events and what was to follow the from then until now. Our hearts are still heavy when we think of the lives lost both innocently and bravely. The link at the bottom of this post will direct you to a site that CNN has with all that were lost on that beautiful Tuesday morning. My heart will continue to go out to the families of those lost as well as those who survived.

CNN MEMORIAL

Not Old School at all...

90-year-old Estelle Rees-Arroyo is one of Sacramento State's new students, she's also the University's oldest student.

All I can say is that for a woman of her age still wanting to continue her education is something that has to be respected and honored. My question is with her being 90 years old can she input some data on her past that might add to the class lessons. I would be more then honored to have her in my class, I would definitely ask her some questions regarding what her past was like and did she come across anyone that might of influenced her in the slightest bit. My hat goes off to her for continueing her education especially at her age.

VIDEO

Napolean's Parts...

The title is some what weird and awkward but it is true.

Exiled emperor Napoleon Bonaparte died on May 5, 1821. The following day, doctors conducted an autopsy, which was reportedly witnessed by many people, including a priest named Ange Vignali.

Though the body was said to be largely intact at the time of the undertaking, it seems the priest took home a souvenir. In 1916, Vignali's heirs sold a collection of Napoleonic artifacts, including what they claim to be the emperor's penis.

While no one knows for sure if it really is Napoleon's, uh, manhood, people have paid good money for the penis. Currently, it's in the possession of an American urologist.

This snip it (no pun intended) is just one of a few that are located on this article at CNN's site today. I have mentioned on my other blog about a museum that I would love to visit the next time I'm on the east coast, The Museum of Health and Medicine in Washington, D.C. -
Here is the link to the post on my other blog. If any of you reading this either live in D.C. or are visiting can you please tell Mr. Steven Solomon I said what's up.

Of Interest...

This statue currently stands outside the Iraqi palace, now home to the 4th Infantry division. It will eventually be shipped home and put in the memorial museum in Fort Hood, TX.

The statue was created by an Iraqi artist named Kalat who for years was forced by Saddam Hussein to make the many hundreds of bronze busts of Saddam that dotted Baghdad. Kalat was so grateful for the Americans liberation of his country; he melted 3 of the heads of the fallen Saddam and made the statue as a memorial to the American soldiers and their fallen warriors. Kalat worked on this memorial night and day for several months.

To the left of the kneeling soldier is a small Iraqi girl giving the soldier comfort as he mourns the loss of his comrade in arms. Do you know why we don't hear about this in the news? Because it is heart warming and praise worthy. The media avoids it because it does not have the shock effect. But we can do something about it.

We can pass this along to as many people as we can in honor of all our brave military personnel who are making a difference each and every day by simply mentioning this post or even talking about it with your friends and family.

Your Parachute...

The following was sent to me by a good friend of mine at work, after reading it I found myself agreeing with her 100%. Friends will always be there to give you the extra boost you need to make your day a little more livelier.
Thanks Barb
Enjoy

Your Parachute…

Charles Plumb was a US Navy jet pilot in Vietnam. After 75 combat missions, his plane was destroyed by a surface-to-air missile. Plumb ejected and parachuted into enemy hands. He was captured and spent 6 years in a communist Vietnamese prison. He survived the ordeal and now lectures on lessons learned from that experience!

One day, when Plumb and his wife were sitting in a restaurant, a man at another table came up and said, "You're Plumb! You flew jet fighters in Vietnam from the aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk. You were shot down!"

"How in the world did you know that?" asked Plumb.
"I packed your parachute," the man replied. Plumb gasped in surprise and gratitude. The man pumped his hand and said, "I guess it worked!"

Plumb assured him, "It sure did. If your chute hadn't worked, I wouldn't be here today."

Plumb couldn't sleep that night, thinking about that man. Plumb says, "I kept wondering what he had looked like in a Navy uniform: a white hat; a bib in the back; and bell-bottom trousers. I wonder how many times I might have seen him and not even said 'Good morning, how are you?' or anything because, you see, I was a fighter pilot and he was just a sailor." Plumb thought of the many hours the sailor had spent at a long wooden table in the bowels of the ship, carefully weaving the shrouds and folding the silks of each chute holding in his hands each time the fate of someone he didn't know.

Now, Plumb asks his audience, "Who's packing your parachute?" Everyone has someone who provides what they need to make it through the day. He also points out that he needed many kinds of parachutes when his plane was shot down over enemy territory - he needed his physical parachute, his mental parachute, his emotional parachute, and his spiritual parachute. He called on all these supports before reaching safety.

Sometimes in the daily challenges that life gives us, we miss what is really important. We may fail to say hello, please, or thank you, congratulate someone on something wonderful that has happened to them, give a compliment, or just do something nice for no reason. As you go through this week, this month, this year, recognize people who pack your parachutes.

A moment to remember...

Yesterday was the dedication of the Veterans Glass City Skyway. I had plans to be on the spectator side of the bridge but when we got to the Sports Arena my wife and I were asked if we would like to be part of the Flag Volunteer group. We both looked at each other and said yes. I don't know how the day would of been but I'm pretty sure it would not of turned out the way it did when accepting the duty of volunteering. I am proud to have been part of the ceremony especially for it's reason - The Veterans and the workers who worked on it. When the names were read of those lost during the construction the sound of silence was very heart warming. I helped hold a very large flag that was presented at the ceremony, participating in that gave me a sense of purpose during this occasion. My wife has an excellent presentation of the event, please visit her at Glass City Jungle and watch the video that she put together.

Memorial Day Parade in Toledo...

The following video was created by my lovely wife. The photos were taken by me, my wife rounded them up and has done an excellent job of displaying them with two very fitting songs. I want to send out a special thank you to Mr. Jim Rose for his service, when watching the video he is the gentleman posing for me - this gentleman has truly opened my eyes on how some of our men and women were loved and honored in years past. My love and support goes out to him and his family. Enjoy the video and remember what Memorial Day really signifies.

Freedom Isn't Free