This might literally be the funniest video I’ve seen in 2011. It cracks me up.
This might literally be the funniest video I’ve seen in 2011. It cracks me up.
When I was a wee little child (maybe not THAT small….) I remember tying a yellow ribbon around the tree in our front yard. We did this to represent a welcome home to those returning from being held hostage in Iran. I will never forget seeing the streets lined with yellow ribbons welcoming them home. This morning, the final military vehicle rolled out of Iraq. The last troops are finally coming home.
Where’s the party?
Maybe I am missing it, but are there parties taking place or have we as a nation become so consumed with other things that we are forgetting our heroes? Have we forgotten that, regardless of your thoughts on the war, these individuals left their families, their careers and their homeland to protect and fight for the USA. While we sat around our Christmas trees in years past, they sat around a hummer, tank, or post. We owe them so much. The least we can do is show a little gratitude.
Again, maybe I’ve missed it. Maybe the celebrations are happening all over the USA. If so, I might recommend we have a little less Kardashian, Lohan, Beiber and a little more coverage of those that defend this country. Is that asking too much?
Last year I had the blessing of finding Oqobo.com to host my blog. If you’ve been around these parts long enough, you know that I like to make changes…a lot! I often use this blog as my personal learning space on the web. I try new things, test new templates and keep myself up to speed on the latest design code. It’s a sickness, but thankfully I have found a host that will put up with me.
Oqobo is a faith based web hosting service and I am honored to utilize their services. Personal attention is something that is lost in the industry. Not so with Oqobo. From day one, they have been completely open to assisting me and offering advice. Just this evening, I worked closely with them to move my email account to a new provider. We had to jump through a few small hoops and they were right there every step of the way. I share all of this because it’s the least I can do.
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This one wasn’t a gift. I didn’t get a free copy to review to promote the book. So why on earth would a guy pick up a book with such a title? Simple, I’m from Cleveland. We do this to ourselves. We continue to open the wounds of our sports teams and cry with one another as we get ready for “next year”. I wanted to know what the author, Scott Raap, might have discovered about the kid from Akron that crushed a city while taking his talents to South Beach.
Sadly, I didn’t find anything I haven’t already known as a Clevelander and fan of the Cavaliers. Lebron is a child, quitter and can’t handle the pressure of the 4th quarter. Basically that is what it boils down to. It might sound like I didn’t like the book, but is some strange way, I did. It was like sitting around with another friend from Cleveland and being miserable together. The author is a native Clevelander that calls it his “mission” to discover the soul of Lebron James. Not surprisingly, he didn’t find any. The only thing he found was joy in Lebron not winning a championship last year. But as he pointed out, Cleveland didn’t either.
The language throughout the book is strong. It can be offensive and yet I get it. It’s raw emotion of fans that have lived and breathed Cleveland sports. It’s the bitter pill we swallowed when “one of our own” treated a city like it did nothing for him. I’ve always said, I don’t care what Lebron did, it was HOW he did it. Scott Raap cares what and how. The brighter portions of the book come in his stories of his own son. They provide relief from, what can at times be, a very depressing rehashing of “the decision”.
I did not hate or love this one. I can’t recommend that you buy or not buy it. For those from Cleveland, I would say that you’ll understand and maybe even enjoy it too. Those outside Cleveland probably will think it’s a bitter 250 something pages of hate. Either way, Lebron is still gone and the city moves on. Time for me to do the same.

I just clicked “Purchase” and confirmed that on April 28, 2012, my wife and I will make our annual pilgrimage to Nashville, Tennessee for the Country Music Half Marathon. As I type this, I do so knowing I have not run since Thanksgiving Day. I also know that my two worst personal half marathon times came at this very location. Yet I still clicked “purchase” with a smile from ear to ear.
It means another excuse to return to a place the holds a very special place in my heart.
It means returning to our friends that are near and dear to our heart.
I means visiting our “Church in the South” once again as well.
Something special happens each and every year when we go to Nashville. I would anticipate the same this year too. Merry Christmas to us. We’re coming back Nashville!