How 'bout it

I'd be remiss if I didn't herald the mighty Ducks effort over the weekend.

Ducks hand Michigan worst loss since 1968

The Proverbial Lightbulb

I like good ideas. Someday I hope to have more of them in rapid succession.

A week ago or so, I was made aware of a guy who had a vision to sell affordable shoes that would help other less fortunate. His idea was simple, sell simple canvas shoes at an affordable price and when somebody buys a pair, donate another pair to someone who doesn't have shoes. The idea is simple, he started the company out of his apartment. Now they are getting ready for their second trip to deliver the shoes, this one involving 50,000 pairs for Africa. Brilliant.

Check out the website.

Tom's Shoes

Dad, Why Don't You Wear Hair?

This continues to be Carter’s big question to me lately…..

So the other night we were sitting in the living room watching the Cardinals game and other Christian activities when Carter came up behind the couch and we had the following conversation:

Carter: Dad, when I was in heaven I asked God to give me a daddy with hair but he gave me a daddy without hair instead.

Me: Really. Does that make you sad.

Carter: No, its okay dad.

Pause where young mind comes up with new sentence…..

Carter: I thought maybe I would have a dad like Matt (Coghill).

Me: Yeah? Why is that?

Carter: Well, we both play guitar and we are both rock stars.

Not really sure how one should respond to something like this but to laugh. I did ask him if it was okay that I was his dad and if that made him happy and he assured me that I was a great dad. I have to say the man child keeps us on our toes these days.

My one saving grace these days is that Albert Pujols is also currently bald and that is a cool thing to him. Therefore, Albert and I have something in common and that makes me cool.

He is really putting this world together and it is fun to see. Scary at times. He all about letters and spelling and numbers and school is just around the corner. Heaven help us!

Les Miserables

Going through some old files here in the office I found a page of quotes and on it was one that struck me as particularly insightful.

"Certain thoughts are prayers. There are moments when, whatever be the attitude of the body, the soul is on its knees."
--Victor Hugo, Les Miserables, 1862

H2O

As a guy who spends a lot of time drinking water, I found an acticle lately that reminded me of some things and also brought to light our obsession with bottled water in some new ways.

For instance, did you know:
*Americans spent more money last year on bottled water than on ipods or movie tickets?
*24% of the bottled water we buy is tap water repackaged by Coke and Pepsi?
*Fiji water produces more than 1 million bottles a day while half the people of Fiji don't have reliable drinking water?
*In 1976 ( a very good year) the average American drank 1.6 gallons of bottled water a year. Last year we drank 28.3 gallons. We drank more water than milk, coffee or beer. We still managed to keep pop (or soda for some dorks) number 1 at 52.9 gallons.
*We pitch 38 billion water bottles into landfills every year. Over $1 billion worth of plastic.
* If the water we use at home cost even what cheap water costs, our monthly water bills would be over $9000.
*1 billion people worldwide have no reliable drinking water; 3000 children die each day from diseases caught from tainted water.

I'm off to refill my nalgene. Here at the office I can only drink the water out of the fridge. The water out of our drinking fountains is fine if you are standing there, but if you put it in a cup, it tastes like you are sucking on a nickel. Happy drinking.