Build Tomorrow - Another Day Of Life

Usually my weekly round up is related to large news stories and the world at large.  I have been a bit bad a posting this week as my life has been very busy, and all of June looks to be that way so I will devote my round up this week to what’s going on in my life.

Little Leauge:It’s been a rough season for the Rangers.  We are currently 1-7.  It’s a terrible record, but 3 games were rained out so far, and all but two of our scheduled practices.  I was asked if I was planning to coach the Fall Leauge as well, but am holding off on answering for a little longer.  It’s a huge time commitment, and I need to make sure I have enough time to dedicate to it.

The Baby:He is doing fine, well great actually.  He has discovered that those arms and legs are his and attached.  He spends a lot of time trying to find a way to fit that fist in his mouth. In addition he loves to spend his time pushing on you with his legs to see how far he can scoot himself.  I find myself having many a babbling conversation.  I had my wife hysterical Tuesday night, as I answered each sound as though he had told me something of importance.  And of course each one of my answers received another “ma”, or “A-Gah”.  He has begun to attempt to reach for things, though generally unsuccessful. I am also consistently greeted with a smile and laugh both before work, and upon returning home.  His pediatrician has said he is on the line of an “early deveoper”. 

Debt: Still got it.  I have some action plans but need to find the time to put many of them into play.  Time right now is a luxury I don’t have much of.  I have a unique idea for a business, but need to felsh it out more.  (More later).

Home LifeThings are going as well as they can in a family of five.  Our nine year old has begun a process of being both a bit demanding, as well as talking back quite a bit.  Mostly to his mother.  Some may be the onset of “middle-child” syndrome, but it may also be the more recent and more constant influence of the in-laws who have been around a bit too much lately.  We have been giving him a bit of leeway, but we shall have to see how much more he will get before there are more strict consequences for his actions.

Sunday is the Baby’s Dedication.  It is similar to a Christening, but doesn’t involve Holy water or smoke.  My wife and I, as well as the kids and the babies Godparents will be the ones standing with the pastor.  We decided that the grandparents could sit, which I think my in-laws were not too happy about.  Needless to say with the amount of people coming over to my house on Sunday my weekend will be hectic. 

I may not be around much until Monday, but hope to start a new series next week!

~Another Day 

Welcome to Way Back Wednesday!  This week is the family comedy edition.  Let’s take a look at some of our past tv families.

The Dick Van Dyke Show

The Dick Van Dyke Show was a situation comedy which aired on CBS from 1961 to 1966. The show starred Dick Van Dyke and Mary Tyler Moore, and was created by Carl Reiner. Reiner had in fact starred in the original pilot episode, Head of the Family.  The pilot was rejected.

After its rejection, Sheldon Leonard helped Reiner revive the project, convincing him to recast, and to switch to the three-camera/studio, live audience format.

For five seasons, the show was also produced by Reiner, who wrote many episodes and played the part of Alan Brady.  Many of the show’s plots were inspired by Reiner’s experiences as a writer for Your Show of Shows.

The Brady Bunch

The Brady Bunch was a television comedy based around a large blended family. The show aired from 1969 to 1974 on the ABC network and was subsequently syndicated around the world.

 The Series was conceived by producer Sherwood Schwartz.  Though it never was a top rating getter the series ran for five seasons, generated reunion movies and two short lived “Brady” Spin-Offs”.

It starred Robert Reed, Barry Williams, Christopher Knight, Mike Lookinland, Florence Henderson, Maureen McCormick, Eve Plumb, and Susan Olsen as the Brady’s. The live in housekeeper Alice was played by Ann B. Davis.

The Cosby Show

The Cosby Show was a comedy airing from 1984 to 1992 on NBC. The show focused on the Huxtable family, an upper-middle class American family living in a brownstone building in Brooklyn, New York.

TV Guide called the show “TV’s biggest hit in the 1980s”.  I was breakthrough in many areas for both race and gender roles.

It starred Bill Cosby as “Cliff” Huxtable, Phylicia Rash?d as Clair Huxtable, Lisa Bonet as Denise Huxtable, Malcolm-Jamal Warner as Theodore Aloysius “Theo” Huxtable, Tempestt Bledsoe as Vanessa Huxtable, and Keshia Knight Pulliam as Rudith Lillian “Rudy” Huxtable.

 

That 70’s Show

That ’70s Show was a sitcom that aired from 1998 until 2006. It centered on a group of kids in the fictional town of Point Place, Wisconsin, during the late 1970’s. 

The main character was teenager Eric Forman (Topher Grace) five of his friends: Donna Pinciotti (Laura Prepon), his girlfriend and next-door neighbor; Steven Hyde (Danny Masterson), a rebellious stoner who was eventually adopted by the Forman family and lives in their basement; Michael Kelso (Ashton Kutcher), a dim-self centered ladies man; Jackie Burkhart (Mila Kunis), a self-involved high school cheerleader overly preoccupied with wealth and status; and Fez (Wilmer Valderrama), an exchange student from a country that is never identified.

Since the 1970’s and the massive deregulation of the banking and financial industries the United States became the land of credit.  With the end of the recession in the 80’s and then the boom of the 90’s credit and spending began to really take hold.  Speculation in the housing market and tech market further fueled the craze, and created even more opportunities for credit.

With the tech sector implosion, a warning was sent that the market itself was volatile.  Many depression era folks watched closely as their investment income dwindled, yet they declined credit.  The majority though embraced the wide open markets.  Home prices rose by double digits, and loans were given on homes that normally people would never have qualified for.  than over the last few years that speculation has caught up with reality, and both the credit and housing market have virtually dried up.

One particular theory I have heard is that the world economy runs on credit.  We no longer live in an age where money is backed with gold, or anything valuable.  It in fact is only backed up with a promise.  Think about it. A one dollar bill is worth $1.  Why?  Well because the government says it is.  Now that the dollar is weak, and credit is being tightened, the economy is not worth as much as it was before.

Some predict a near economic collapse.  Not because of anything other that the change in peoples attitudes towards money.  For example, lees people now want to incur, or manage debt.  As a family retires debt they tend to take on a lot less.  Less debt means less discretionary spending, which means less credit, which means less “money” on the open market.  That tends to be very scary for many speculators, and even world economists.  So how do we prepare for that shift?

For many the answer is regulation.  Prior to the deregulation in the 70’s money borrowing was at a fixed interest, which was in most cases capped at a certain percentage above the prime rate.  For example if you wanted a credit card the rate you would pay was capped.  You could never be charged interest above an beyond a certain rate.  This encouraged both smart borrowing, as well as smart lending.  In addition most banks did not lend money to the consumer they lent it to the savings and loans who then lent it out.

What changes are you finding in your attitude about money?  What do you think are good ways to fix the gorwing econonomic crisis?

~Another Day

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Ok Here is this weeks Roundup.

Obama Begings VP Search- Apparently Barack Obama has begun his search for his running mate. The article goes into who he might be considering, and how he is “not really” looking. Considering he hasn’t actually even gotten the nomination, this is entertaining. This is definably a crazy election year. I still wish I could vote “None of the Above, Please Try again.”

Emabarassing Celebrity Moments- Here is one that has pictures of celebrities doing all sort of embarrassing things like not wearing makeup, or wearing see through shirts, or picking their nose (Lindsay Lohan BTW). To be honest, who cares?

Children of Texas Sect mostly likely to be returned- It looks as though the children taken from the polygamist sect in Texas will be returned to their parents. A Texas Appeals court ruled that the government did not have the right to remove the children. It will most likely be appealed to the State Supreme Court. I personally don’t get it. Why should they be returned?

That’s the reound up for this week!

~Another Day