My Blog Has Moved

According to Blogger something went wrong last week during scheduled maintenance and many blog posts and comments were removed after returning to a pre-maintenance state. Since then many of the blog posts/comments have been restored which you read about  here.

However, I'm incredibly sadden to have lost a post I wrote about Daniel's 1st birthday party. The only remnant of it is an old preliminary draft that I used as a basic outline. I will eventually rewrite this blog post but I fear that I will forget many of the details I originally wrote about.

I know a part of me is overreacting but I don't completely feel like my blog posts are "safe" on Blogger anymore. I am not a natural writer so it takes a lot of effort for me to write what little I share here. To have posts suddenly disappear is beyond frustrating. Since Google acquired Blogger, I have no idea what new "features" will be pushed onto the service and when something like this can happen again.

So being the control freak that I am, I bought some web hosting and resurrected my old domain name and moved this blog there. What's nice about it is you can subscribe to the blog and get emailed whenever I post something new. I'm excited for the change in scenery and hopefully this will motivate me to update a little more faithfully.

P.S. Another nice thing is the web hosting I paid for can be used to host other people's sites as well. A few of my friends have already expressed interest in pitching in and hosting their blogs there as well.

Proud to be an American

It was a long day. Church. Visited the parents. Got rear-ended again. Hung out at a friend's BBQ. When we finally got home I spent a few minutes catching up on my Twitter feed. Twitter was buzzing that Osama bin Laden, founder of the al-Qaeda terrorist organization, was found and killed during a US-led raid in Pakistan. More details poured in and President Obama was about to address the nation. I shared the good news with Tary and we rushed downstairs to turn on the TV. I was exciting hearing President Obama come on and confirm the reports.

An overwhelming sense of pride came over me. President Obama said it best; justice has been done. A man responsible for 9/11 and the deaths of millions of innocent people was finally brought to justice.

I was proud to be an American. I was proud of our president for authorizing this operation and its outcome. I was pleased that we did not simply blow up the compound because people would doubt that bin Laden was actually inside. I was proud that 24 brave Navy SEALs flew into enemy territory, dropped down like [butt]-kicking ninjas, and took care of business.

As proud as I was our nation, our president, and our troops, I was equally disappointed by some of the ignorant comments of some Americans who criticized how Americans reacted to the death of bin Laden. Some of the ignorant comments included:

"Killing does not solve anything."

"Violence leads to more violence."

"It is wrong to be excited about the murder/slaughter of another human being."

If you are one of those unpatriotic backward-thinking people, you should be ashamed of yourselves and I am embarrassed for you.

First of all, killing Osama bin Laden's was not about "solving" anything; it was about justice. He was the mastermind behind most of the world's terrorist activities. If you think "killing does not solve anything", do you think other leaders of mass genocide (e.g., Pol Pot, Adolf Hitler) should have been allowed to live? Imagine how many lives could have been spared if they were brought to justice.

Bin Laden's death does not lead to more violence. Inaction leads to more violence. Terrorists wanted to kill us before he was killed. They still want to kill us after he was killed. Countless lives were spared now that their leader was eliminated and they are forced to regroup.

People need to open a dictionary and look up the definitions of "murder" and "slaughter". Let me edu-ma-cate you. Murder is defined as the unlawful premeditated killing of another human being. Slaughter is defined as the killing of animals (as for food). Bin Laden was not murdered or slaughtered; the US had the legal authority and responsibility to hold bin Laden accountable for his crimes.

I am tired of Christians and non-Christians alike telling me how I should feel based on what they think God feels on this subject. Yes, I know it is wrong to rejoice in someone's death. Yes, I know that God is the ONLY true judge. Yes, I know God is a God of peace and love.

However, did YOU know that God is WRATHFUL against those who sin against Him? Did YOU know that God HATES murder? Did YOU know that the punishment for murder was death? Even if bin Laden begged for forgiveness, trusted Jesus as Lord and Savior, and became a Christian in his final moments and was granted eternal spiritual life, he still have to face the punishment for the crimes he committed in his physical life.

I am not celebrating bin Laden's death. I am celebrating that he can no longer brainwash others into killing innocent people for no reason. I am relieved that the families directly affected by 9/11 can finally have some closure. I am celebrating that bin Laden's death sends a message to terrorists worldwide that if you attack the United States and her people, you will pay the price.

God Bless America.

P.S. Here is a humorous quote regarding the members of Navy SEAL Team 6:

"I'm almost positive that all he heard were fist bumps and chest bumps from the SEAL team on their way out. Those guys are so overwhelmingly [awesome] that I'm sure their manly celebrations make more noise than the stealth choppers they rode in on." ~TendoMentis

Ugh...Not Again

I just cannot catch a break. While on the way to my in-laws with Tary and Daniel, my car was rear-ended AGAIN while waiting to merge onto the VFW Highway. As upset as I was, I am relieved that everyone involved was okay.

Rear-end Damage

This has got to be some sort of world record or something. This is the 3rd time that my car has been rear-ended. And each time I have been waiting at a yield or stop sign. I swear my car is cursed. This is getting old.

I've said it before but it's worth repeating; 2011 officially sucks. I'm not asking to win the lottery and become an instant millionaire. I'm not asking for fame or fortune. Is it too much to ask for nothing to happen to us?

I HAVE THE POWER

I'm still amazed at how smart Daniel is. The most noticeable change is how he reacts to verbal discipline. When he does something wrong (e.g., throw an object, playfully hit someone in the face) we give him a look and say his name in stern voice. He immediately stops what he's doing, his face cowers, the bottom lip starts to quiver, and waterworks soon follows. I find it adorable.

As a first time parent, I never knew that babies understood tone at such a young age. I can already see Daniel pausing before doing certain things because he knows he would get in trouble. I think it's adorable that he sometimes looks back at us to gauge our reactions.

I like to explore the limits of my parenting power. My recent thing is when I see Daniel doing something he shouldn't be doing I firmly say, "Daniel, you need to stop what you are doing right now. You are over there. I need you here right now." while pointing at the ground in front of me. To my surprise, Daniel usually comes crawling over to me.

Muwahaha! I can't believe that works! I feel like He-Man! With only my voice, I am raising my metaphorical sword in the air and yelling, "I HAVE THE POWER!!!"

Happy Resurrection Day

I was up extra early on Easter Sunday. I was really looking forward to hearing Pastor preach the Word. It was also Daniel's first Easter! We all got dressed up and Daniel was especially handsome. I tried to match my tie to the rest of his outfit.

Pastor preached on the Resurrection from the Gospel of Mark. The sermon focused on the women's desire to wake up early to anoint the body of Christ with spices as a final act of love. They wondered how they were going to move the large stone which blocked the entrance of the tomb. They were surprised to find the stone was already rolled aside and that Jesus had risen from the dead!

Pastor also pointed out a small detail where the resurrected Christ informed the women to inform the rest of the disciples and Peter. It was interesting that Jesus individually named Peter as he probably felt unworthy to be a disciple after he denied knowing Jesus 3 times prior to the crucifixion. It's a reminder of Jesus' unbounded love and forgiveness.

It was unfortunate though that Tary and Daniel did not get to hear most of the sermon. Daniel decided to exercise his lungs in the sanctuary and let out several very impressive outbursts. Hopefully the audio system will be installed soon in the downstairs nursery so we won't have to miss hearing any more sermons.

Mommy Needs Breaks Too

My lovely wife recently bought me a GPS watch (Garmin Forerunner 410) with heart-rate monitor (HRM) to keep track of my running workouts. On Saturday morning, I decided to ramp up my Warrior Dash training by running my normal course twice for a total of 4 miles (or only 3.79 mi as my watch accurately informed me). What's great about this watch is you can upload your workout data to a website and view the data visually in various charts and tables. You can see the data from my previous workout here.

Tary was set to leave the house for a girls-night-out but she was very upset when her cousins weren't ready to leave on time. I felt bad because she doesn't get to go out that often to relax and de-stress so I think it gets bottled up inside. The last thing she needed was to squander this free time waiting for others. I also need to be more helpful around the house so I can lessen some of the burden from her shoulders.

So Daniel, when you are old enough to read and understand this, please give your Mommy a big hug and a kiss and tell her that you love her. She spends hours pumping, cleaning bottles, doing laundry, cooking meals, changing diapers, and many other miscellaneous Mommy-tasks each week because she loves us. We just need to tell her that we love her too!

After a while Tary was able to get out of the house and do whatever girls do when they're out. I called my BFF (who I affectionately call "Uncle Jesse" from the sitcom Full House) to come over and help me watch Daniel. Things started off pretty well. I was able to clean up around the house while Daniel took a nap. I fed him an early dinner and gave him his bath. Then we started to fade...

Daniel is like an energizer bunny. He never stops playing and simply wore us out. Uncle Jesse fell asleep on the sofa. I started to drift in and out on the living room floor. Daniel took liberties to climb all over and around my corpse.

Mercifully another friend texted me while returning from Boston. She came bearing gifts of Korean fried chicken from Bon Chon and some Dunkins iced coffee. It was like sipping liquid energy! Ahhh!!!

More friends came by to visit and Tary returned from her night out. We sat around and hung out. There's nothing like having good fried chicken in the company of great friends.

Good Friday

This past weekend was Easter weekend. Like many other weekends for our family it was a busy one. With so many things going on, I thought it was important to take a breather and record some of what went on.

Easter is a special time for me. It's a time of reflection. Good Friday commemorates the crucifixion of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He died for the sins of the world which naturally includes my own. I have done a lot of dumb things in my life. As a result, he died because of me. He died so that we may gain eternal life through Him. Mercifully, he died for me. Amen.

As for Good Friday itself, it stayed true to its name with an early release from work. I felt like a high school student being dismissed on a half-day.

I rushed to pick up Daniel from daycare. He was very excited to see me. He recently started in a new room call the I/Tod room for kids between the infant and toddler stages. Daniel loves the new surroundings with new toys to play with and cushions to climb. I'm sure he also enjoyed being reunited with his old friends because he was the youngest baby in the infant room for a while.

When we got home, Daniel and I spent some much appreciated quality time together while Mommy was still at work. We played together in his play room (i.e., the living room). He sat on my lap and held my hand while watching a little bit of TV. I do love this time with my little boy.

After Tary came home from work, I ran out to the store to buy some ingredients for home-made fried chicken. We have this thing about trying to make good fried chicken and we have failed miserably each time. It was my turn this time and the results were mixed. The batter was crispy but a bit too salty for my taste. The meat remained moist but was relatively flavorless. Okay, at least we're making some progress.

Dear Readers...

I am such a lazy blogger. Well maybe not lazy; busy is a better word. I don't write that often so I apologize for not posting a consistent amount of time-wasting material.

But...for those who find me somewhat interesting, I refer you to my Twitter feed. If you're already on Twitter you can follow me directly at @paultrinh or you can simply bookmark this link if you'd rather not sign up for Twitter.

Whenever I think of something mildly interesting (e.g., sports commentary, funny quotes, inside jokes, nerd/geek news, etc) that doesn't quite warrant a full post about it, I'll usually tweet about it instead. I consider my Twitter feed as an extension of this blog, a microblog of sorts.

So spread the word and feel free to add this to the growing list of ways to cyberstalk me. Now I only need about 4.3 million more followers to catch up to Ryan Seacrest.

We So Excited

Please join me in welcoming Cam as the newest member of our family. Tary picked out the name. Isn't it cute? Cam is perfect and Tary loves her already. Our families were excited for our special edition (sic). When we first laid eyes on her, Tary and I shared a look that said, "Yup, she's the one. I can't wait to bring her home and let everyone see her or take her for a drive around town."

If you haven't figured out by now, Cam is what Tary affectionately calls her new car, the 2011 Toyota Camry SE.

Tary's old car was a painful reminder of what happened a few weeks earlier. It's a great car but it's like a big neon sign for ricers and ghetto people to target again. I'd go absolutely berserk if something happened to us again. It also was a coupe and it was becoming increasingly difficult for Tary to get Daniel into the car-seat. Whenever God blesses us with Baby #2, it would become practically impossible. It was time to replace it.

Once I was inceptioned with the thought of buying a new car, I started doing my research for current cars and promotions. Toyota was offering 0% financing for up to 5 years. I sent out requests for online quotes from nearby dealerships. After receiving a few bids, I came up with a number that was a few hundred dollars lower than the lowest bid. I called the Internet salesman from the closest dealership and frankly stated that if he could meet that price, I would show up in 15 minutes to sign the paperwork. He called me back an hour later and confirmed that he could do it. After going over the final figures over the phone, I asked him to list all of the expected fees and email it to me. I printed out the email, drove over there with Tary, and the rest was history.

This was the 2nd car I have negotiated and bought by myself. Asian parents pride themselves on their negotiating skills so many of our friends have their parents negotiate for them. I'm proud that I can do this on my own. We got a great price and you can't beat 5 years, 0% financing.

And at the end of the day, Tary got a great car.

You Can't Find Good Help These Days

One motivation for blogging is to record events/feelings to track how I or the world around me changes with time. I also like to jot down "life lessons" that I've learned along the way both as a reminder to myself and for our kid(s) when they're old enough to read this. With all that said, I learned several valuable "life lessons" from recently having security lights installed.

After waking to Tary's car on cinder blocks (and how did they carry them there?), it became obvious that the lights on the telephone pole at the end of our driveway were not a big enough deterrent for thieves. We decided to have motion-activated security lights installed on the front and rear of the house. I posted a request on ServiceMagic.com and had two electricians come out to scope the job and provide a free estimate.

The first electrician seemed knowledgeable and offered suggestions for high-quality security lights and where he would install them along the house. He provided multiple quotes with combinations for how many security lights to install with several models to give us options to fit our budget.

The second electrician showed up with another guy who was supposedly a security camera expert. They only toured the perimeter of the house and spoke in general terms which did not boost my confidence in them. The security camera expert started to talk about wireless networks (right down my wheelhouse) which agreed with my initial impressions. This electrician never made me an offer.

So I called the first electrician and left a message that we accept his proposal and asked when he could come and install the security lights.

A few days went by and no response...

While jogging with some friends, I ran into my neighbor and told him about hiring the electrician. My neighbor strongly urged me to call his buddy instead. I futilely tried to explain that I already agreed to another electrician but my neighbor insisted that I didn't pay the electrician yet so it was okay to switch. (Note to self: Never listen to my neighbor again...)

His buddy Ron called me that night to discuss the job. After talking down the price a bit, I agreed. Unlike the first electrician, I had to pick up the lights so I placed an order for the security lights at a local electrical supply store. I figured the discounted labor costs would save us some money.

The next morning, I had the unenviable task of calling the first electrician to tell him that I was reneging on hiring him and that I decided to go with another electrician because he had failed to call me back in a timely fashion. I got his voicemail and left a message.

At the same time I received a pair of voicemails. I briefly listened to the first message and he stated that I bought the wrong lights. Uh oh. How did he know I bought lights?

I called him back and repeated that we decided on another electrician. To say he was upset would be an understatement. He angrily informed me that he already paid for and picked up the lights. He reminded me that the lights I bought were not good enough and that he bought a higher model. Doh!

Okay...that went well...

After confirming that there was indeed a higher model, I called the electrical supply store back and updated my order. I also had to order the PAR-38 lamps. After a quick mental calculation, I was disappointed that everything now costs more than the first electrician's quote. [Expletive!]

Fast forward a few days and Ron finally came by to install the lights. We were already frustrated because we originally planned on test driving cars and going shopping but were stuck waiting for him instead.

Anyways, Ron made quick work of the lights on the rear of the house. When he started on the front lights, he told me that I needed to run out and buy a mounting block. I quickly drove out to Home Depot and picked up the required hardware and returned. Sigh...another cost.

The afternoon was quickly fading. My neighbor felt bad that we couldn't go on our test drive so he volunteered to watch our house after Ron finished the install while we were away.

After returning home from the dealership, the security lights were installed. I went upstairs and found a Slim Jim wrapper on the floor next to Daniel's room. I thought it was strange but I assumed that Tary's cousin who slept over the night before had eaten one, threw the wrapper away, and one of the cats pulled it from the trash to play with it.

I was reading the instruction manual for the security lights and it mentioned an included piece of plastic used to adjust the settings. I went looking for the boxes the security lights came in and found them in the trash cans along the back of the house. As I searched for the tool, I found another Slim Jim wrapper. [Expletive!]

Okay, now I was really angry. My neighbor bullied me into hiring his buddy. Then I had to be a huge jerk and cancel the first electrician. Then I had to go and order the parts which ended up costing me more money. Then we got stuck waiting around for the guy. Now he takes it upon himself to take snacks from a box sitting on my desk while we're away!

I was fuming so I called my neighbor to complain. I don't care about the 50 cents or whatever the Slim Jims cost. I was more disappointed that he did not have the common decency to at least call and ask first. I don't know you dude. I am not your buddy. Seriously, who does that?

Ron called me back a few hours later to apologize. He explained that he thought it was like a candy jar thing. I never heard of anyone else putting a Slim Jim as a community candy jar in their bedroom/personal home office. What else could I do but accept it for what it was.

So what did I learn from all of this? Let's recap:

1. You can't find good help these days. Everyone claims they know someone "good" but they really don't. Ignore them next time.
2. Trust yourself. I like to think that God has given me a pretty level head. I need to trust my own decisions more.
3. Don't schedule two contractors for the same time. It's awkward. Trust me.

I Can't Wait For Next Year

Recently I jokingly tweeted, "The bad news just won't stop. It's official. March '11 sucks. I can't wait for next year. What can possibly go wrong in 2012?"

It's only 3 months into 2011 and I'm already looking forward to next year. To say we've had a trying month would be an understatement.

First there's the stolen rims/tires thing. We've finally gotten the car back but we won't feel safe parking it here again until some security motion lights have been installed on the house. Still a work in progress...

Then there's the wanting-to-get-the-hell-out-of-here-move thing. Too bad the housing market is in the tubes and foreclosures have brought down our property value so low that we're underwater. There are so many nice houses in better cities but we can't afford to eat the losses on selling this house. Also a work in progress...

Most importantly, Tary's grandfather suffered his 2nd stroke early last week. Relatives flew in to pay their last respects. After being taken off of life support and brought back home, he fought right to the end. I prayed to God for mercy on Tary's grandfather. March 24th (Thursday) at around 10:20 PM, he passed away quietly around loved ones.

We spent several hours at a local Buddhist temple the following night while monks performed various chants for his soul. Of course I do not believe in these things as a born-again Christian but it was important to me that I was there for the family.

In Buddhism, it is common for the first-born son to shave his head in mourning his father's death. Having no immediate candidates, the male cousins all agreed to have their heads shaved. Tary's grandmother also had her head shaved.

Early the next morning, we returned to the temple. The cousins were now dressed in traditional monk clothing and were monks-for-the-day. At that point, they were "blessed" and had to avoid all contact with females. I have a lot of respect for what the cousins did to try to honor their grandfather’s memory.

The family gathered together a few times to have our pictures taken. There was a videographer recording the events as well. I also was asked to record what I could on our camcorder. It was hard for me to film people as they were grieving. I tried to focus on capturing what I thought Daniel would want to see when he got older; that his great-grandfather was loved by many and was deeply missed.

After a short drive across town to the cemetery, the monks (and monks-for-the-day) walked around the burial site several times while chanting and pushing the casket. I walked alongside Tary while holding Daniel in my arms. It was cold. After the monks stopped, I brought Daniel back to the car to stay warm. I had to watch the rest of the funeral from there. I wish I could have been there for Tary.

After the funeral we had a catered lunch at a nearby restaurant. I felt bad for Tary because she had to sit with her family while the monks performed some more chants while the rest of the guests ate.

It was a long day for everyone..

Lowell Sucks

This was what we woke up to on Tuesday morning...

Who the HELL does this?! I can't believe people were ballsy enough to jack up my wife's car, steal the tires/rims, and leave the car suspended on a pair of cinder blocks in the dead of night while we slept. I thought this crap only happens in movies.

Last year was the break-in. Now it's the tires/rims. I hate this (expletive) city. I'm so done with this ghetto city and its ghetto problems.

The police are too lazy to patrol the streets at night and serve as a deterrent. When the officer came to file the report he couldn't even be bothered enough to get out of the cruiser. Had he done so he would have spotted the lug nuts left behind on my lawn and my neighbor's.

It sucks feeling that I let my family down; that I didn't do enough to protect my family; that I didn't take the necessary steps to prevent this from happening. It sucks not being able to make Tary feel safe again here. No matter what additional security measures we take, it sucks that we'll never stop feeling like someone is watching us. Watching us leave for work. Watching us return home. Watching us sleep at night. Watching how we react.

I'm so pissed off that I can't think straight. I don't care that it is a down market. I don't care that we'll lose money selling our house. I don't care that we can't afford another house right now. I just want to get us out of here. It's no longer a matter of IF but WHEN. Our next house may not be our forever-house but our current house is no longer safe enough to even be our now-house.

Warrior Dash

A friend recently told me about an upcoming event in late June which involves a 3-mile run through mud and obstacles called the Warrior Dash. They give you a viking helmet (cool), a t-shirt (also cool), a voucher for a turkey leg (very cool) and beer (pass) for completing the course.

You are timed and it's set up like a race only it's way less serious. You can go with friends who can help you complete the obstacles or push you into the muddy water. Some people dress up in silly costumes just for added laughs.

I started training today by running a 1.2 mile course around the neighborhood that I plotted. After passing two houses, I was reminded why I hate running so much. This hurts!

God blessed me with a tall, (relatively) lean frame, long gazelle-like legs, skinny fingers, near perfect vision that any eagle would jealous of, and great hand-eye coordination. My body is a fine-tuned, well-oiled machine...

...perfect for sitting in front of a computer and typing super fast and writing code all day.
I'm clearly not built to run far. Or fast. My lungs shouldn't be burning so much.

Good thing God also blessed me with a good amount of dedication and a fierce competitive spirit. Training is hard work but that's one thing I'm not afraid of.

Dealing with Frustrations

I've been feeling a bit "off" lately; more than your typical winter blues. I'm a go-getter and I'm used to completing whatever goals I set for myself. Lately I've been unable to complete even the simplest of tasks and I'm left with a bunch of unfinished projects.

Finish and submit our taxes. Fail.
Install baby gates. Fail.
Apply caulk around the bathroom and kitchen sinks. Fail.
Replace my car cabin air filter. Fail.
Android development. Fail.
Fix a squeaky nursery door. Fail.
Keep up with this blog. Fail and a half.

I've wanted to seriously get into Android development to write apps that could help generate additional revenue for our family but I haven't been able to put the required time into. By the time I fight through traffic and get home from work, all I want to do is have dinner and spend what little time left with Tary and Daniel. By the time I put Daniel to bed, I'm too physically exhausted to stay awake and too mentally tired to learn anything new. It's frustrating...

What's interesting is Tary has been feeling "off" as well. Part of our general crankiness stems from being without our wedding rings the past week for re-rhodium plating. I love feeling that band on my hand to remind me of who awaits when I get home from work. Good thing we're picking up our rings tonight.

I need to get focused. Get organized. Prioritize.

The whole Android thing can wait. We don't NEED the extra money yet. I NEED to be there for Daniel. I WILL be there for Daniel.

I'm all about convenience now. This entire Android obsession has led me to some useful apps. Bible reading has gone up thanks to YouVersion.com's Bible app. I gave up following the previous plan of reading the Bible in 8 months. I am not a reader. I can't read in long stretches. My mind wanders too much. I started a new plan that takes a year to complete and I'm about 9% into it. I might not finish within the year and I'm okay with that. The app is my virtual bookmark.

Sports games will continue to be played whether I find time to watch them or not. Competitors will continue to "Wipe Out". Singers will continue to get voted off on American Idol. It's okay. The TV shows can continue to pile on the DVR.

I already have everything that I need and many things that I don't. Winter will soon be over. So too will this funk. It's time to stop worrying about everything else and just enjoy what's in front of me now.

My Mom's Egg Rolls

While playing with Daniel this afternoon I held him up near my face and he let a huge...

BUUUUUURP!

To which I commented, "Mmm, it smells like egg rolls."

It'll Be Okay...I Promise

Hey you! Yes, you! The sports n00b in the Celtics' jersey. Back away from the cliff. You don't have to jump! The C's will be okay.

It's days like yesterday that remind me why I don't like to watch sports with other people. People say the craziest things and I swear it feels like they are trolling me. Everyone added their 2 cents on Facebook, Twitter, and every other social outlet about how the Celtics' trades were crazy. I heard things like:

"There goes Banner 18!"

"Danny Ainge has lost his mind!"

"We traded away 5 players and only got back 2!"

Seriously? This is what Boston sports fans are thinking? Clearly an overreaction. People like to think they are die-hard sports fans but most people aren't OBSESSED with Boston sports like I am. I follow the Patriots, Celtics, and Red Sox year-round. My sports level is over 9000!

The main criticism was trading away Perkins. He was a solid defender, a good rebounder, and added toughness to the C's defense. However, let's look past that he was a nice guy and good teammate and was one of "ours" and face reality. The C's did not trade away Bill Russell in his prime. They traded Perkins who averages 6.4 PPG and 6.1 RPG for his career. You could argue that Perkins' is invaluable on the defensive side of the ball and whatever offense you get from him is gravy. However, he is not the same player he was pre-injury. He just came back from a torn ACL and recently sprained his MCL in the other knee. He'll also be gone after this year when he becomes a free agent. It was great to get a really good player in F Jeff Green who averages 15.2 PPG, 5.6 RPG in return.

Other people complained that the C's traded away 5 players and only got 2 in return. That's completely wrong. Though the C's got 2 players in return now, they acquired a future 1st-round pick and 2 future 2nd-round picks. Let's remember that Big Baby was a 2nd-rounder.

Let's also consider who were traded. The remaining 4 players were BENCH players. They were not superstars. They are back-of-the roster guys. Robinson (7.1 PPG) has been inconsistent all year. Daniels (5.5 PPG) has a serious spine condition and he's likely done for the year. Erden (4.1 PPG) was injured and did not always play hard. And Harangody (2.3 PPG)...who?!

You have to look past the obvious of trading 5 guys for 2 and try to understand the underlying reasons for the trades. Ainge needed to free up roster slots to be able to sign any number of potential players who soon will be released or bought out from their respective teams. Notable players include: Troy Murphy and Rip Hamilton.

I know the C's are dangerously thin at the center position but we have to consider that Ainge may know something we don't. Shaq might be close to returning. Krstic will be a serviceable backup.

How quickly we forget. For everyone who thinks Ainge has lost his mind, people said the exact same thing when he traded away Al Jefferson and seemingly everyone-not-named-Pierce for future hall-of-famers Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett. Then Banner 17.

So I plead with you once again. Back away from the cliff. Take a deep breath. Things will be okay. I promise.

Our Growing Family

Money isn't exactly tight but the pressure of providing for a growing family is real. In a world where couples are marrying later in life, focusing more on advancing their respective careers and ultimately having fewer children, Tary and I would like to have 4 children (if God so chooses to bless us with that many). But everything is so expensive.

Daycare is barely affordable with our dual incomes. And that's with only one child. The other parents keep deploying dropping off their biological weapons sick kids at daycare which gets Daniel sick and in turn gets us sick. I'm not sure how we'll afford paying for daycare for even two kids.

We've talked about this a lot lately. Tary has the same work ethic that I do and she feels guilty not being able to provide monetarily for our family. But whatever she earned at work would quickly be negated by the costs of daycare for multiple children. The logical solution would be Tary eventually staying at home with the kids. We won't get as sick so we'll all be healthier. We'd also save a ton of money on daycare tuition.

The downsides however would be that our kids won't get to play with other kids their age as much. They'll miss out on the various activities done at daycare. They'll miss out on being with our favorite teacher, Miss Denise. And Tary will be exhausted taking care of them every day.

With more kids hopefully in our future everything needs to be reevaluated. We'll need to replace Tary's '04 Civic Coupe soon with a larger car. We're leaning toward the Camry so she could open the rear doors to load/unload the kids instead of climbing over the passenger seat as she does now.

I already have close to 60,000 miles on my '08 RAV4 so we'll need to replace that in a few years. Depending on our family needs, we might need to get a larger SUV or maybe even a minivan. We'll probably need something with a 3rd row by then.

Speaking of minivans, Tary has a thing against them. She hates them. And their drivers. Did I mention she hates them? At a recent visit at the dealership while we waited for my car to be serviced, Tary and I spent a few minutes INSIDE a 2011 Toyota Sienna! I'm not sure that would have happened a few months ago. I'm proud of Tary for at least keeping an open mind about it.

It's hard not to fantasize dream about the features of the highest trim levels for the Sienna. AWD would be great in the winter. The integrated backup camera would be nice to avoid parking like a stereotypical minivan driver. And the dual-screen option allows the kids to watch a movie on one screen and play a video game on the other. How cool is that?! Anyways, the need for something as large as a minivan is still years away and those features are very cost-prohibitive.

It's scary thinking that I might be only source of income for our family pretty soon. I'd love to add another source of income somehow but I hardly have enough time as it is. Freelance work is too time-consuming. Part-time jobs don't pay well enough to offset the time away from my family.

After a long day of work, all I want to do is be with Tary and Daniel. I barely watch TV and have completely stopped playing video games. I'm just tired to do anything else. I love giving Daniel baths. I love our bedtime routine of feeding him and holding him until he falls asleep in my arms. I enjoy being a Daddy and not just a father.

So right now I'm trying my hand at mobile app development for the Android platform. Android phones are the most popular devices right now. If I could somehow write an app or two that millions of people download and pay for, that could provide extra income for our family. It's tough finding the time and energy to learn how to develop on the platform. All I can do is chip away at it each night after Daniel has gone to bed. Maybe one day I'll have something to show for it and that new Sienna to drive us around in.

Cognition 3.04 and Fix for Contacts Icon

I got tired of waiting for AT&T/Samsung to release an official update for my phone (Samsung Captivate) to the Android 2.2 OS. It kills me knowing my phone is still running an OS that is 3 releases behind.

So I did what many other disgruntled users have done; I upgraded my phone by flashing with the Cognition 3.04 custom rom.

I'm pretty happy with the experience so far. My phone is much more responsive and doesn't feel like it is running through molasses. Text messaging, phone calls, and GPS still appear to work. The browser is improved. I will continue to make sure everything works but so far so good.

The only problem that I had so far was that when I pressed the Back button from within the Contacts, it would not return to the Home Screen. Well it drove me crazy so I figured out how to fix it. If you have the same problem, here's how to fix it:

1. Long-press the Contacts icon in the dock.
2. Select Change shortcut.
3. Select Applications.
4. Wait for the list of applications to be displayed. Scroll down and select the Contacts app.
5. Select LauncherPro icons.
6. Select the Contacts icon.

Now you should be able to click the Contacts icon in the dock and click the Back button to return to the Home Screen.

Daniel's Progress

Time has flown by since Daniel was born a little more than 9 months ago. It seems like we're discovering something new that Daniel can do on a daily basis.

Daniel recently surprised us by crawling with a sippy-cup in one hand to a folded blanket on the floor. He placed his other hand down to cushion his descent. He then rolled over and casually started to drink from his sippy-cup. He never ceases to amaze us.

Daniel is very mobile now. He crawls everywhere and sometimes pulls himself to a stand. He can go forward, backward, and turn while in his walker. It'll soon be time to install the baby gates and finish baby-proofing the rest of the house.

One thing I really love about Daniel is how affectionate he is. He loves snuggling before bedtime and insists on falling asleep in our arms each night.

I think Daniel's teeth are about ready to come out. He has been drooling like crazy lately and you can feel something just under his gums.

I'm not sure what Daniel will learn next but I'm excited to find out.

Thoughts after the NFL Playoffs Divisional Round, Jets vs. Patriots

The Jets ran their mouths all week and it kills me that they backed it up. The Patriots struggled in all 3 phases of the game and picked the worst time of the year to do it. The Pats played from behind most of the game and were eliminated from the playoffs by the Jets, 28-21.

Offense

The offense came out without Welker who was benched for making several foot/toe references in a press conference alluding to the Jets' coach Rex Ryan's foot fetish. Though I think the punishment was a bit harsh considering it was a playoff game, I understand that Belichick had to make it clear that he does not approve of his players getting into personal attacks and providing bulletin board material for the other team. At the end of the day, the benching of Welker did not affect the final outcome in any way.

The Pats were able to move the ball well on their first two drives by mixing up formations and using several runs to the outside. However the first drive ended with an INT resulting from a horrible overthrow by Brady trying to set up a screen play to BJGE. The Pats were able to get a stop on defense and the Jets missed a FG keeping the score tied at 0.

The offense was able to march back down the field on their 2nd drive into the red zone. However the Pats had to settle for a FG after Crumpler had a bad drop in the end-zone. The Pats had two possessions deep into Jets territory and only 3 points to show for it.

The Pats struggled for most of the game after that. The Jets had a great defensive game-plan of rushing only 3, leaving CBs Revis and Cromartie to handle the WRs on the outside, and then putting the remaining defenders in the middle of the field to limit Welker and the TEs. Brady was sacked 5 times with many of them coverage sacks where he had to hold the ball longer than he normally would because he could not find many open receivers. Even when receivers were open, it looked like Brady was a little gun-shy after the INT on the first drive. It seemed like he was afraid of causing another turnover.

One problem that I've noticed with recent Patriots teams is their inability to make game-time adjustments. With single coverage to the outside, the Pats lack of an explosive WR really hurt them in this game. Branch was blanketed by Revis so he was a non-factor for most of the game. There wasn't another WR on the other side of the field that the Jets had to respect.

With the Jets only sending 3 rushers, the obvious way to beat that is to run the ball. Unfortunately the Pats took 3 quarters to figure that out. The Pats were finally able to move the ball but there was no sense of urgency from the offense! They wasted more than 7 minutes and ended up turning the ball over on downs. Such poor clock management reminded me of McNabb in the Super Bowl many years ago.

Defense

Overall I think the play of the defense was just okay. They got several stops throughout the game but were unable to make any game changing plays when it mattered most.

The main problem was that the Pats could not get any pressure on Sanchez. Even an average QB like Sanchez can make plays when given enough time to throw and he did just. He threw for 3 TDs on 16 of 25 throws for 194 yards.

The Pats did not commit enough to stop the running game. The Jets were able to rush for 120 yards at over 4 yards/carry. The Pats should have loaded up the box to stop the run and forced Sanchez to throw more. Instead, Sanchez was able to take advantage of play-action and play efficiently.

After allowing a long return by Cromartie on a failed onside kick attempt, the defense HAD to make a stop from their own 20 to keep it a 1 TD game. However they gave up a long TD run which pretty sealed the deal.

I think Meriweather had a horrible game. He attempted to make too many shoulder tackles instead of wrapping up which allowed the ball carriers to gain extra yards. He definitely took a step back this year.

In the 2Q, CB Butler got beat deep again yielding a 37-yard completion to Edwards. I had such high hopes for him considering how fast he is but he cannot make the play. Hopefully Leigh Bodden will be healthy and ready to go next year.

Special Teams

The special teams play that stands out is the fake punt late in the 2Q. It seemed like a bit of a panic move with the Jets only leading by 7-3. It was a gutsy call and unfortunately, it was horribly executed. Chung fumbled the snap and could not pick up the first down after recovering the ball. This play left the Jets with a short field and they capitalized and extended their lead, 14-3 heading into the half.

After the Pats kicked a FG to make the score 21-14 late in the 4Q, the Pats lined for an onside kick. They were not able to recover the onside kick and then compounded the poor execution by allowing Cromartie to pick up the ball and rumble all of the way down to the NE 25-yard line. The Jets proceeded to score another TD 2 plays later, 28-14. The last glimmer of hope that the Pats could miraculously come back was extinguished on that play.

Other Thoughts

I can't stand the Jets. There are so many hate-able guys on that team: Rex Ryan, LT, Edwards, Revis, Cromartie, and Bart Scott just to name a few. It kills me that the Jets dashed our Super Bowl dreams this year but I'm relieved that they were beaten the following week by the Steelers.

The Pats did not play very Patriot-like in this game. Welker was benched. The offense struggled for most of the game. Belichick made a mistake challenging a completed pass early in the game. The Pats were unable to make the necessary adjustments in-game until it was too late. There were bad penalties like the Mankins' unsportsmanlike conduct penalty that killed a drive at the end of the 1st half. When the Patriots were finally able to move the ball late in the game, there was no sense of urgency and lots of time ticked off the clock. At the end of the day, the Jets played well and the Patriots didn't and the final score showed that.

It was a great run this year but unfortunately the Patriots came up short again. The Patriots have several holes to fill but here is my wish-list:

1. Passrusher. Other teams' QBs are too comfortable and too many average QBs look like superstars. The Pats need a passrusher to force the other QBs into rushing their throws and making poor decisions. This should help the young secondary as well.
2. Game-changing running back. I love BJGE's quiet workmanlike attitude but other teams won't game-plan around him because he's not a homerun threat. The Pats need someone who can break tackles, make people miss, and potentially break off a long TD here or there. If the Pats could get a talent like this, other teams will have to respect the running game which should open up the field for the receivers and enhance the play-action.
3. A legit deep threat. The Pats don't have another solid WR to line up opposite of Branch to help stretch the field. Tate is a nice special teams player but he doesn't command any respect when he streaks down the field. The Pats dink-and-dunk too much and other teams have figured this out. It's time to get a speed-burner and to send someone deep every once in a while.

Conditioned

I've been neglecting this poor blog for weeks in a futile attempt to avoid writing about my thoughts on the horrible playoff loss to the Jets. That post is coming soon and will be ready at some time today.

So why am I writing this? Part of me is excited to try out the new Blogger mobile app for Android. That's right, I'm writing this on my phone. Having Swype makes typing a lot easier.

But no, the real reason I'm writing this is my poor body is conditioned to wake up at 5 AM every day to take care of Daniel regardless if he actually needs me. I can't fall back asleep!

I'm staring at the baby monitor and Daniel is sound asleep. A part of me wants him to cry for me so I can be the Daddy Hero and come swooping in to save the day and soothe him back to sleep. It's my way of squeezing more Daddy-Daniel time out of the day.

My internal Daddy signal woke me up today. It was a false alarm. But I'll be up again tomorrow at this time. Daddy Hero will be ready should Daniel need me.

Thoughts after Week 17, Dolphins vs. Patriots

The Pats took care of business in a meaningless season finale and won big 38-7 over the visiting Miami Dolphins.

Offense

Brady continues to play mistake-free and tossed 2 more TDs. Most importantly Brady escaped injury while playing early into the 3rd quarter.

It was good to see both starting WRs Welker and Branch inactive for this game. We don't want to risk a repeat of last year. This also gave opportunities for other players. For example, Tate made a great diving catch in the end-zone from Hoyer. Taylor Price also made some good plays in his first NFL action.

Edelman made the most of his opportunities with a nice 40-yard scamper after catching a pass in the flat on a fake reverse. He later added a 94-yard punt return for a TD as well.

I'm proud of BJGE who reached the 1,000-yard rushing milestone. He quietly goes about his business and I like his no-nonsense approach.

Defense

The defense played great in this game. It all started with a beast-like performance from Wilfork wreaking havoc in the middle and recording a pair of sacks. It was good to see his intensity but he was flagged on a questionable helmet-to-helmet collision on one of his sacks.

Rookie DB McCourty recorded his 7th INT of the year. He definitely deserves consideration for ROY honors though Suh will probably win it.

The only player who struggled was Butler who continues to get beat all over the field. He is fast and always seems to be around the ball but he can NEVER make the play. I wonder if he's just not physical enough to want to get in there to break up passes.

Special Teams

The special team’s play was highlighted by Edelman's 94-yard punt return for TD as I mentioned earlier.

Other Thoughts

The Pats managed to rest several key players and escape major injuries while winning this game. Woodhead's head injury is an area of concern and hopefully he'll be cleared to play come playoff time.

The Pats played with a lot of pride on a meaningless game. It shows you how much winning means to this franchise. I love this team!