Separated At Birth

Who doesn't get a kick out of "Separated At Birth" comparisons?  There are so many great ones, it's hard to keep up.

There are a ton of great websites, such as this one, that show celebrities who look have similar looks.

One of my favorite sports comparisons ever is one that features former Everton FC and current Manchester Untied star Wayne Rooney and the cartoon character Shrek!

What are some of your favorites?

Small Town Tragedy - 30 Years Later

It seems that way too frequently the news features stories of tragedy that affect a family or small town in some significant way.  Just this morning, I was reading a story today about a British Columbia man who killed his five-year-old daughter and is claiming a bipolar disorder.

Many of us have been affected by tragedy - some directly and others not as much.  Got me to thinking about such an occurence in my hometown when I was a teenager.

Just more than 30 years ago - June 22, 1980, to be exact -  a high school buddy (John Lass) and I were playing tennis on a Sunday morning.  It was just another average day in the sleepy little town of Daingerfield, Texas (pop. around 2,000).

Sometime during the morning, we noticed an ambulance rushing through town.  Not a normal sight in such a small place.  Then, we saw another.  Then another and a fire truck...  Something really big was happening.

We finished up quickly and headed home to see what we could find out.  Back then, obviously, we didn't have cell phones, PDAs, the Internet, etc...  So, we called around to see what we could find out.

Well, the news wasn't good.  Alvin Lee King III, the husband of my eighth-grade history teacher, Gretchen King, burst into the First Baptist Church in Daingerfield (the most popular church in town) and opened fire.  Afterward he ran out of the church and, unsuccessfully, attempted suicide.  He was captured and hung himself in the Morris County Jail not long afterward.

Five people were killed and several others wounded that day in a tragedy that many people in that town still remember vividly.

The local newspaper, the Daingerfield Bee, recently published this story on the 30-year anniversary of this terrible event.

There is also a book published by Larry Linham  (The Day the Angels Cried) that described the events from a first-hand point of view.

Here are a few other accounts of the event, in case you are interested

• Time Magazine
• Texarkana Gazette
• New Boston News

1000 Awesome Things. It's... Awesome!

Thanks to our good friend Tina Saunders for pointing out this "Awesome" website!  Check it out.  You'll be glad you did.  Or, better yet, buy the book.

“Unrelentingly optimistic without being sappy. It’s less about awesome things than it is about seeing the awesomeness of the everyday.” – The Toronto Star

Today's A Good Day For Reading!

Did you know today is officially known as "Library Advocacy Day" in the United States?

Apparently, it is normally known as National Library Legislative Day - which is held May 10-12 of each year.  But, this year the American Library Association decided to conduct a special day in Washington, D.C. to recognize reading programs across the country.

This year only, today's Library Advocacy Day replaced National Library Legislative Day (NLLD). Library advocates from all 50 states and Washington, D.C. met at Upper Senate Park on the U.S. Capitol grounds. The event featured Lauren Myracle, photo ops, and a chance to cheer on libraries! After the rally, participants met with their elected officials and their staffs.

The Huffington Post ran a feature recently called "Libraries and Librarians Are Endangered Species: What You Can Do to Help."  It has some good comments on the tough road our nation's librarys are faced with as budget cuts continue to degrade our educational system.

Oh, here are a few other holidays being celebrated today:  Feast of Tammuz (Jewish);  Peter & Paul Day (Christian);  Saint Peter's Day (Christian);  Independence Day (Seychelles).

Alright, Alright, Alright....

Hard not to laugh out loud when thinking about one of the greatest movie characters of all time - Matthew McConaughey's David Wooderson, of Dazed and Confused (1993).  Check out some of these all-time classic quotes! (Thanks IMDb.com)

"Let me tell you what Melba Toast is packin' right here, all right. We got 4:11 Positrac outback, 750 double pumper, Edelbrock intake, bored over 30, 11 to 1 pop-up pistons, turbo-jet 390 horsepower. We're talkin' some (f'ing) muscle."

"Man, it's the same bullshit they tried to pull in my day. If it ain't that piece of paper, there's some other choice they're gonna try and make for you. You gotta do what Randall Pink Floyd wants to do man. Let me tell you this, the older you do get the more rules they're gonna try to get you to follow. You just gotta keep livin' man, L-I-V-I-N."

Wooderson: "Say, man, you got a joint?"

Mitch Kramer (played by Wiley Wiggins) : "No, not on me, man."

Wooderson: "It'd be a lot cooler if you did.:

And, here's the best of them all...

"That's what I love about these high school girls, man. I get older, they stay the same age."

Sportsmanship - A Novel Concept!?!?!?

As our son, Preston, continues to get older and seems to be maintaining a pretty high level of interest in sports (mostly soccer and basketball, but American football appears to be looming in the future), Karen and I talk often about some of the things that SHOULD actually be important in a kid's athletics experience.

I say SHOULD because winning, competing and reaching for that next goal (no pun intended... well, maybe a little) all seem to be at the top of the reasons parents want their kids to participate in sports.

In reality, there's clearly a much bigger picture to keep in mind.  How about life's lessons related to sportsmanship, goal-setting, trust, team-building and self-esteem?  Shouldn't things like this be at the top of the list?

As we all make frequent jokes about orange slices, juice boxes and a trophy for every child, some of these things really do make the experience fun and memorable for the kids, the coaches and the parents involved.

It's hard not to laugh when I think back about Preston's first soccer experience with the U-6 Hurricanes (coached by one of the nicer people on this earth - Rob Hodges) in the Santa Clara (Calif.) PAL program.  I reflect back on those days and remember how supportive all the parents were on the sidelines!  The constant cheering and support for the kids was really cool.  A kid would score and we'd cheer.  The kids would make a mistake and we'd still cheer, laugh and try to be supportive.

Don't misunderstand.  The Hurricanes dominated!  Didn't lose a game (not that we kept score - cough, cough!).  Why?  Solid, positive coaching.  Kids who were having a fun time and enjoying the experience.  And, supportive parents who were concerned about very little other than making sure their kids had a good time and maintained an enjoyment for the sport.

The photo above (by the way) is from the DeAnza Force U8 or U9 boys at a tournament someplace - probably at Sonoma State.  From left:  Logan, Preston, Andrew and Nick B.

"You'll be dedicated and that's what you should want to be in anything in life - whether it's sports or academics or your relationship. It all stems from finding that fun, that thrill, that excitement." - former U.S. National Team soccer player Brandi Chastain.

There are some really good web resources out there that address how sports should be viewed these days.  They all do really good work and deserve a little attention for their efforts.  Check them out when you get a chance!

• Positive Coaching Alliance
• Responsible Sports
• Values.com
• The Citizenship Through Sports Alliance

If you have any other great resources on this topic, please feel free to pass them along in the comments box on this page!

Trying Something New Actually Works Out!!!

OK, maybe not the greatest topic for the first "Cool People" blog entry.  But, I gotta share something. 

After seeing the commercial on television for new M&M's flavors, I mentioned to my wife that the pretzel M&M's sounded pretty good.

Of course, Karen (being the considerate, sweet and giving person she is) bought me a package at the store yesterday.

All I can say is WOW!  They are money!  So money they don't even know it!  Best M&M ever, without question.

So, show your coolness and go out and buy a pack today!

• Official M&M Pretzel Website
• M&M's Pretzel Finds Social Twist
• A Short Break From The Healthy
• Pretzel M&M's Facebook Page

Welcome All Cool People!

Hey everyone! Welcome to OUR new blog - The Coolest People On Earth!

The intent of this new site is to create a community of (somewhat) like-minded people who have some sort of tie to yours truly.  There are really no ground rules.  Just write what you'd like - keep it as clean as you can and don't be offended by the opinions of others!

Here's how I see this working...  I'll invite specific people (authors) to participate.  Invitees are friends, former co-workers, etc. that have interesting things to say.  Once invited, authors can participate as frequently (or not) as they like.  This blog tool allows for up to 100 people to serve as authors.

I've always thought people generally enjoy sharing their opinions on things, but probably don't have the drive or interest in running their own blog.  That's the cool part, this is a blog of the people, by the people and for the people - with ABSOLUTELY no responsibilities!

A few sample topics you might see from folks could be:

• If Jeff Bechthold wasn't an SID, he'd be an excellent BBQ chef; 
• Tim Booth complains about being at Pebble Beach for a week covering the U.S. Open, which clearly wore him out so much he had to go to Hawai'i for a week just to unwind;
• Mike Zapolski might just be the nicest, most compassionate athletic director in the NCAA.
• Robin Reynolds has the keenest eye for grammar of anyone I've ever met;
• Dave Lewis is about as loyal as anyone you'll come across.  Heck, it even gets in him in trouble from time-to-time;
• Jeremy Cothran is well traveled and has an unbelievable knack for finding and sharing the most out-of-the-way food places.

Anyhow, share your experiences.  Write a stream of consciousness.  Vent about the government... Who cares!  It is all interesting stuff!

I'll be tweaking the layout over time - this is just version 1.0.  If you have any suggestions, just share away..

So, if you've been invited - pick a topic, a writing style and share away!

Oh, and feel free to post pictures, graphics and such.  Just keep them legal and non-offensive!